//------------------------------//
// Chapter Seven-Determination 
// Story: Broken 
// by DiveBomb 
//------------------------------//

Broken: Chapter Seven, Determination 

Rainbow Dash bid farewell to the two mover pegasi as they flew off into the clear blue sky, leaving Derpy Hooves to stay behind atop the highest mountain in the nearby range. The cyan pegasus had already finished constructing her new home, purposely making it smaller than her old house in Ponyville. This structure only held one floor, each room smaller than before. It floated inches above the mountaintop, in the midst of the constant cool breeze. She was nowhere near any town, village or city. Total solitude, just what Dash needed, even if it was for the time being. Derpy placed the final box in the living room, her face still crestfallen.
"Yer really doing this? An'...stuff?" she asked. Rainbow Dash sighed, her wounded chest heaving in pain. What else could she do? Staying in Ponyville would only mean having to be around the pony that made her heart ache. If Applejack were to knock on that front door right now, Rainbow's heart would explode. She needed to be alone for a while to at least try and stifle her love. And if that meant being away from her home and her friends, then so be it. Dash hated being alone, but it was for the best. It was either solitude for now or a lifetime of pain. 
"I'm sorry Derpy. Who knows, I might come back someday," Dash tried to reassure before a large brown hawk squawked, flying through the window and landing on Derpy's back, looking at Rainbow curiously. It took a few moments before she remembered the bird. It was the hawk that won her Best Pet Competition before she picked Tank, whom had also recognized the hawk.
"Oh! This is my pet bird! His name is Biscuits!" the gray mare exclaimed, nuzzling the hawk's beak affectionately. Rainbow cracked a small smile, happy to see that the bird had received a pony after all. Derpy looked back to the cyan pegasus, her sad little look returning.
"Well...I guess I'll see ya' later Rainbow Dash..."
With that Derpy Hooves flew off through the front door before Rainbow could say goodbye. But then again, she did the same thing to her friends. Loyalty wasn't exactly part of her vocabulary anymore. She had accepted that the minute she decided to leave, and when she did, something disappeared from her soul. Now she felt another emptiness in her heart, something she had grown unnervingly used to. She felt so alone now that Derpy had left. She may have only been one pony, but she was the last friend Rainbow had seen. The new home may have been filled with boxes, but it was still empty. 
Rainbow Dash rubbed a hoof on Tank's shell before pacing out the door, casting a glance around her new home. The mountains were breathtaking, standing high and resolute. The cyan pegasus spread her wings, taking in the cool wind across her feathers. She leaped gracefully into the air, swooping down into the canyons below. Soon the crests of the valleys surrounded her as Rainbow Dash corkscrewed over the rivers below, occasionally taking a glance at her blurred reflection. The gorge ran throughout the mountains, giving her freedom to fly through, dodging drop-off cliffs and gorgeous waterfalls. Dash didn't dare to reach her full speed, knowing full and well that a doctor visit was just impossible around here. Not only that, but she wasn't familiar with the layout of the mountains or its valleys. So Rainbow carefully soared through the gorge, taking in her surroundings. Soon Rainbow decided to land on a riverbank below, exhaling before panting heavily. Her chest heaved in pain once again, the three-minute flight taking more of a toll on her than she had thought.
Rainbow sat on her haunches, gazing into the shallow depths of the babbling brook. The sound was peaceful, letting Dash relax and let her worries go. There wasn't any artificial sound out here, just nature. Two weeks ago Rainbow Dash would have only been annoyed and restless in such an environment, not being able to fly long distances. But after everything that had happened, her weak heart needed this rest. Rainbow needed this. She found a small pool of water in the brook, surrounded by moss-covered rock and leaves, keeping its contents still amongst the ever-flowing water. Dash leaned forward and looked into it, wincing once she found her undisturbed reflection. Despite the sleep-pattern she had adopted, her eyes still bore dark rings around them. The sight somehow unnerved her. Rainbow gasped at her reflection, scurrying back a few feet in fright. She shook violently, realizing what the condition of her eyes meant. Still, even after moving away, feeling the cool, reassuring breeze of her new home...none of it had helped. Nothing was ever going to help her. Nothing was going to take her heartache away. A sudden pang of guilt speared into her mind, making her feel terrible for abandoning not just Ponyville, but all of her best friends. 
She had decided to leave a few days after Spitfire dropped her off at her home in Ponyville. While the Wonderbolt's advice and compliments had temporarily warmed her heart, Rainbow Dash found that not even Spitfire's words could help her. She couldn't take her advice and wait for Applejack to 'come around.' She knew for a fact that her friend would never share her feelings. It was just that simple, and Rainbow couldn't take it. Soon the answer was as plain as day, she needed to leave. Rainbow couldn't blame the Element of Loyalty for simply leaving her soul, if that was how it worked. That wasn't who she was anymore. Rainbow Dash wasn't loyal, she wasn't even close. She was a no-good deserter, and that was it.  
Rainbow looked up to the sky, wondering what her parents would think of her actions. For some reason she found herself awaiting an impossible answer, only to hear nothing but the river. Her head sank, and she looked back to her reflection with a tear in her eye. 

-=-Two Days Later-=-

Applejack hurriedly corralled the last of the bunnies into the Everfree Forest, Fluttershy close behind. That was it, the last of the creatures of Ponyville were taken care of. Once the group of bunnies was secured, Applejack snorted out a breath of hot air, a broad grin spreading across her face. She hadn't felt so triumphant over something so small before.
"Alright! Tha's the last of 'em, right 'Shy?"
"Y-Yes," the pegasus panted, her wings sagging to her sides as she landed. Applejack had come by to help her herd the rest of the animals, unable to wait for Fluttershy to start her search for Rainbow Dash. "Although, I think I need to rest for a bit. I-I'm sorry Applejack, I know that you want me to leave as soon as possible but-"
"S'alright Fluttershy. Ah'd rather you be at yer best while yer out looking fer Rainbow than passin' out somewhere in the mountains," sighed Applejack. Fluttershy cringed.
"Th-The mountains?" she gasped. Applejack grit her teeth. She had told the pegasus where the mover ponies had headed. Now was not the time for Fluttershy to be senselessly afraid.
"'Shy, Ah told ya'll at least twice where she could be. Yer a pegasus! Please Fluttershy Ah need you ta' be able ta' do this. Ponyville needs ya'll ta' do this."
Fluttershy squeaked, obviously trying her best not to shake like a frightened puppy.
"Oh! Um...I-I-I guess you did, um...Yes, I-I know I have to."
"Ah'm sorry Sugarcube. If Ah could go with ya' Ah would, but an earth pony would only slow a pegasus down," Applejack explained. Fluttershy nodded as they walked back to the yellow mare's cottage, which thankfully was close-by. Even with Applejack's assistance today, it still took five hours to herd the remaining animals into the forest. Fluttershy had worked tirelessly the day before, but the vast amount of work was still strenuous. The orange mare had no idea just how many birds, rabbits, amphibians and among other sorts of creatures resided in Ponyville. Applejack had told her family of the entire situation, from their meeting with the Mayor to Rainbow Dash's unknown whereabouts. She neglected to tell them about her recently found feelings for the pegasus, however. If that subject where to come up, Applejack would do everything she could to put it off. Her grandmother had been the one that brought her up with the idea that mares could only be with stallions, no more, no less. As much as she loved and respected Granny Smith, Applejack couldn't ignore what her heart was telling her. 
In fact, the feeling had grown stronger everyday, each hour making her more comfortable with the idea. It made her realize everything she enjoyed about the cyan pegasus. Every time she recalled a memory that she shared with Rainbow Dash, Applejack felt that each experience had been relived, because now the factor of her feelings had been present. She longed for Rainbow to come home, to be in her forelegs, for the pegasus to love her. Every day that went by with Dash gone, the tighter the vice on her heart gripped. She needed Rainbow Dash to come home, possibly more than Ponyville did. 
By midday they had reached Fluttershy's cottage, on the edge of the Everfree forest. The yellow pegasus let her inside. She had even herded her own pets into the Forest, save for Angel Bunny, whom was currently standing on his hind legs with folded arms and an impatiently tapping foot. Fluttershy didn't respond to her pet's attitude more than giving him a single carrot, too tired to make him a meal. Applejack snickered at the expression Angel wore, appalled and disgusted at the carrot. Nevertheless, he sighed and chewed on the vegetable. Fluttershy sat on her haunches next to the table, exhausted from the past two days. 
"Ya'll gonna be alright?" asked Applejack.
"Yes, I'll be fine. I'll leave for the m-m-mountains as soon as I can."
"Now don't go until yer ready Sugarcube. Ah may be impatient, but Ah'm not heartless."
Fluttershy smiled, appreciative. 
Suddenly the front door to the cottage burst open, bucked by a pair of violet hind legs. Twilight Sparkle ran into the home, her pupils tiny pinpricks. 
"Applejack, Fluttershy! They're-"
KABOOM!!!
A climactic roar of an explosion shook the cottage from an unknown distance away. The three ponies immediately dove to the floor out of pure reaction, Fluttershy shrieking in fright. Knick-knacks of all sorts fell from the many shelves that lined the walls, crashing  to the floor. The shockwave took several moments to subside, followed by the distant screams and the sound of pure chaos enveloping Ponyville from afar. Applejack knew exactly what was happening, something she had been dreading for two days now. The griphons had arrived, and they weren't here to talk over tea and crumpets. Applejack hated to ask the yellow pegasus to do this, but they had no more time:
"Fluttershy! Get goin'! Search everywhere ya' can fer Rainbow Dash!"
Fluttershy went to stutter something, but then was shoved towards the window in the kitchen, pushed outside by the orange mare. "Remember, the mountains ta' the North!"
"Applejack! Do you have your-"
"Way ahead o' ya'!" Applejack cut Twilight off, running towards the saddlebags she had left in Fluttershy's living room. Twilight opened it with her magic, and Applejack pulled out her longest, strongest lasso, wrapping it around her neck. The purple unicorn assisted the farmpony in strapping on her four leather grieves and saddlebags, all made by Rarity two days ago. Applejack had noticed that Twilight was already wearing her own set, her bags filled with scrolls and potions from Zecora. 
"Where to Twi'?" asked Applejack calmly. 
"To meet with the others in the town square. Let's go! I'll explain on the way!" Twilight exclaimed, dashing out of the cottage, the orange farmpony close behind. As they ran down the dirt road towards Ponyville, the unicorn had started to brief her of the situation. "Pinkie Pie Sensed them coming ten minutes ago. I've been rallying the troops since then. Only one griphon had crossed the border into town, and I'm guessing he dropped some sort of explosive. They're carrying firepower. I had no idea they would do that! This is bad Applejack, we weren't prepared, and we're already taking losses!"
"We won't let them take Ponyville Twilight! Jus' keep tha' big head o' yers level an' direct the troops. Ah'll be leadin' 'em. Don't worry, Rainbow's gonna come back an' we'll win this!" Applejack reassured her. 
"I sure hope so," she replied nervously. Applejack couldn't blame her friend. Regardless of her calm demeanor, the orange mare was positively frightened. Twilight was right, they hadn't considered the possibility of the small regime carrying any sort of firepower. They had clearly underestimated their enemy's resources. Applejack didn't even know how many griphons still existed. The only one she had ever heard of was Gilda...Wait a second!
"Twilight! Do you think Gilda's a part o' this? Ah mean she was banished for tha' fight with Rainbow Dash."
Twilight almost tripped, her eyes wide with sudden realization.
"I can't BELIEVE that I forgot about her!" the unicorn screamed at herself. "We could've...ARRGHH!"
"It's alright Twi', we can do this!" Applejack said as they reached downtown Ponyville to find...
Chaos.
Frightened ponies ran in all directions, screaming at the top of their lungs. Armored stallions of all kinds led civilians through the streets and the air, weaving through the griphon-filled sky. A few of the giant beings dove to the streets, taking wild swipes at the soldiers with their razor-sharp talons. Only one landed, although the blow was devastating. A large male griphon took and enormous swipe, taking a stallion earth pony off-guard as the talons dug into his neck, spraying crimson across the cobblestone street. The soldier flew down the road, skidding across its surface. Applejack didn't have time to think or mourn the loss. She ripped her lasso from her neck and in the same graceful motion, whipped the rope in the direction of the fallen pony's assailant. With practiced ease the loop wrapped around the griphon's neck. The seasoned rodeo pony tugged with all her might, her eyes ablaze with vengeance. The creature was suddenly yanked out of the air, flying towards Applejack at break-neck speeds. The orange mare turned on her forehooves, delivering a well-placed buck to the falling griphon's beak. With a sickening crack, the bird of prey flew into the side of a building, five stories in the air. 
"Take THAT!" the orange mare bellowed in triumph, shaking with adrenaline. Twilight stared, wide-eyed at the sight. "Get goin' Twilight! Direct the soldiers and make sure we don' suffer no more losses!"
The purple unicorn shook her head, erasing the bewilderment from her face before heading towards the oncoming march of a fresh batch of troops. They came to respond in groups, all receiving their armor and weaponry in differing increments from Rarity and the barrack ponies from somewhere underground. Applejack may have been a strong mare, but she was at an extreme disadvantage in this situation. Griphons were beings of the sky, and she was an earth pony. She knew that they wouldn't spend too much time on the ground. She predicted that the closest they would come to the streets would be to swoop down to quickly dispatch their prey, as they had flawlessly demonstrated moments ago. But Applejack wasn't about to let something as small as a mere disadvantage get the best of her. She had her lasso, so the orange mare would simply repeat the process by plucking the giant birds out of the sky. 
Applejack darted forward, returning her lasso to her neck with a flick of her head, swinging the rope gracefully around her. Soon she was at the side of three soldiers, two stallions and one gruff-looking mare. They all held differing bladed weapons in their teeth, the mare unicorn levitating her's with a weak aura of magic. They were about to engage a single female griphon, smaller than her comrades but twice as menacing-looking. She was grounded, a spear through her right wing, spilling blood onto the cobblestone. Considering the limited number of troops that Ponyville had, Applejack considered efficiency.
"Ya'll get goin' to another area, Ah got this one," Applejack announced, receiving hesitant nods from the trio before they darted off to assist another group of soldiers. The griphon shrieked a hawk-like challenge to the orange mare, whom returned the favor by digging her forehoof into the dirt grout of the cobblestone, snorting a burst of hot, visible breath. The griphon reared on its lioness hind legs before dashing towards her. Applejack readied herself, leaning low to the ground. Once the griphon reached her, the orange mare parried off to the right, her evasion skills honed by years of weaving through obstacles at countless rodeo events. In the middle of the dodge, Applejack's lasso flew from her neck, whipping through the air and wrapping itself around the griphon's injured wing. The bird screamed in agony as it was ripped across the street and into the air. She soared helplessly through the sky, flying over a one-story building and then out of sight. Applejack cracked her neck, accidentally straining the muscles by overcompensating the weight of the smaller griphon. 
Applejack's eyes darted around the town square, looking for whatever pony needed her help the most. Soon there was another explosion, this one visible to the orange mare. An enormous ball of flame burst forth from the local quill store, sending glass and shrapnel flying outwards, thankfully not into anypony. She looked up to see the white-feathered heads of two griphons atop a five-story apartment building. She gritted her teeth, realizing that they must have been the culprits lobbing explosives. Applejack dug her hooves into the ground as she dashed forward, bucking down the front door of the building, only to receive a powerful kick from a beige hind paw to the cheek. The orange mare skid across the cobblestone, recovering in bewilderment. Getting kicked in the face was the last thing she had expected from opening a door. Two griphons leaped from the threshold of the front door, taking to the skies. However, their plan wasn't to flee, it was to protect their bombers. Applejack considered taking advantage of their absence by running into the building and ascending to the roof, engaging her original targets. However, if she did that then she would be facing four griphons simultaneously, by herself. The orange farmer decided that her best chance was to take on as few of the creatures as possible at once, not having backup at her side. She was a lone pony in this battle. She would only be hindered with any help. 
The orange mare didn't dare untie her lasso just yet. She couldn't give her foes any chance for a preemptive parry or strike. A quick draw would be her only chance to use her lasso in this situation. The two griphons she had dispatched before had been different. The first didn't see it coming and the second had been not only grounded, but caught off-guard in the middle of a dodge. Now the tables were turned against Applejack. The two griphons were going to work as a team, using their advantage of the skies against a single earth pony. At the climax of their ascent, both griphons corkscrewed downward, circling each other in a double helix formation towards the farmpony. Their descent was quick, agile and obviously well-practiced, rivaling the precision of the Wonderbolts themselves. Applejack didn't have the time to think of any sort of strike, so she merely sidestepped the double-attack, gasping in elation that she had made it unscathed...almost. One of the four sets of talons had grazed her left foreleg, although not deep enough to worry about. The pair of birds recovered from the dive with a well-timed flap of their mighty wings, ascending once again. Applejack found herself shaking, but not from adrenaline. It was fear. Crippling, undying fear. Suddenly the weight of her disadvantage fell to her brain, extinguishing any hope or drive that had previously fueled her. This was just two griphons, but they were already overpowering and outmaneuvering her. How could she defend herself against the ever-precise aerial acrobatics of these two powerful creatures? 
Now the pair of griphons were descending again, abandoning their previous technique and merely spreading out in two different directions. They had planned to flank her from both sides in an attempt to not only strike her, but also to throw her off-guard. These two were trained together, they worked together. Their maneuvers were flawless and honed. Applejack didn't know which way to go. They were about to flank her when the orange mare made a desperate move. Applejack cast out her lasso, capturing the griphon to the left and diving out of the way, bringing her victim with her. She had expected some sort of strike from the opposing bird of prey, for she was directly in its path. However, no such attack had been felt or detected. Applejack wasted no time in questioning the anomaly and merely carried out her parry. The farmpony recovered after a roll, the end of her lasso in her mouth. There was a long length of slack between the mare and her catch, so she compensated the difference by turning three times, wrapping the rope around her body. As soon as Applejack felt the lasso tighten around the neck of the griphon, she yanked the creature out of the sky, inevitably crashing to the streets. The renewed farmer ran over to her victim before he could get up and delivered a well-placed stomp to its neck. A sickening, squelching crack echoed against the buildings, signalling the passing of the griphon.
Applejack whipped her head all around, desperately searching for the other acrobat. When she looked up towards the sky, time stopped dead in its tracks. A small, black ball was inches from her face, a lit fuse sparking angrily. It was a bomb, about to end her life. Either everything slowed down, or the farmer's mind sped up to light-speed. It was over. Everything was for not. Everything and everypony she knew were a mere second away from being completely gone. There was no way she could avoid it, and even if she could, the blast radius was simply too wide for a dodge to be any good. Either way, she would die instantly, in the absolute worst way Applejack could think of. She would never see her family again, she wouldn't see her friends again...She would never confess her mind-engulfing love for-
BAM!!!   
An explosion of violet energy and purple flames burst in front of Applejack's eyes, sending her flying through the air and into the side of a brick building. She fell to the ground in a heap, her ears wailing with a high-pitched frequency. Her brain was numb, her eyelids heavy. Her strength had simply left her, keeping her from moving an inch. Instantly a revelation had hit her like a bucket of ice-cold water: she was alive. Applejack forced her eyes to focus on what was in front of her. There was a black, smoldering crater in the middle of the cobblestone street where the explosive had detonated. There was a purple pony galloping toward her limp form. The mare was saying something, although her words were lost to the wailing in Applejack's ears. Suddenly her senses rushed back to her, giving her the ability to see Twilight standing over her, tears rushing down her cheeks.
"Applejack! Oh thank Celestia!" she cried, helping the orange earth pony up to her hooves. Applejack shook her head, everything coming back to her. That purple light, Twilight being here... She had saved her. Twilight had used her magic to shield Applejack at the very last fraction of a second from instant death. "AJ I'm so sorry! If I had come sooner I-"
"Twilight!" Applejack cut her off. "Ya'll just saved mah life, and after we're done here, Ah'm gonna kiss ya' right on the face! But fer now, we got work ta' do! Move!"
Twilight blushed furiously, clearly embarrassed by the statement, but quickly nodded and took off in search of her team. Applejack found the other griphon on the ground, shrieking in pain from the two broken wings under her. It was obvious that Twilight had dispatched her before, hence why she never landed a talon at the end of her descent. To her left was a trio of small, stallion soldiers. They barely looked old enough to be serving this amount of duty, and they were shaking from the event that had transpired right in front of them. The farmer was not one for comforting, especially in this dire situation.
"What're ya'll doin'?" she yelled at the three colts. They jumped in reaction, cowering to their haunches. "Ya'll get yer hooves on the ground an' yer heads up high. This is war!"
The three young stallions nodded nervously and bolted, their weapons clinking at their sides. Applejack instantly looked up to the roof of the apartment building to find one of the two bombers about to lob another explosive right in her direction. This time the orange mare was ready. Before the bomb left the bird's talons, Applejack was already through the front door, ascending the stairs at a full gallop. Once she reached the final stairway the door to the roof flew inward, revealing a readied griphon half-way through lobbing another bomb. The orange mare had expected this, but didn't take in the factor of the tightly-packed stairwells. It didn't matter, she still had just enough room. 
The black ball of absolute death flew right at Applejack's face, whom was grinning like mad. It was just like the Distance Bucking event at her last rodeo, except the ball was now a deadly explosive. If she messed this up, she would die, simple as that. However, she had practiced this challenge furiously before the last competition. Applejack whipped her hips around, placing a light but forceful kick at the bomb. It clinked off the metal plating of her leather grieves, rebounding straight at its owner. The orange mare didn't take the time to gaze at the guaranteed look of horror on the griphon's face, but dove back down the stairwell and out of the way of the blast. A roar of flame erupted from the roof, thankfully spreading more outside than down the steps. Applejack grinned, taking her hooves away from her ears. The wailing from the first bomb had been painful, and she didn't care to pursue the experience again. 
Applejack bolted up the stairs again, through the smoldering crater that used to be a doorway. The wind blew lightly at this height, the streets of Ponyville five stories below. The second bomber shrieked in fright, his frame small and bony. He spread his wings and took to the skies, but not before the rodeo pony dashed forward and leaped off the roof. Applejack soared through the air, not looking down for anything. With a surge of relief, Applejack landed on the griphon's back, causing him to utter another hawk-like shriek as he fell from the sudden weight. The farmpony clutched at the bird's neck, wringing it to the left and downward. It was pure luck that the bomber had been so small, and it worked graciously to her advantage. The griphon lost control, diving unintentionally to the streets. The wind whipped at Applejack's face, the farmer not anywhere near used to soaring this fast, let alone flying at all. She readied herself as the ground grew closer. Once they reached ten feet from the cobblestone street, Applejack jumped off the griphon and tumbled to the ground, rolling several times before recovering to her hooves in a long, three-yard skid. She was satisfied when she saw the griphon collide with the stone, instantly unconscious. 
Applejack couldn't believe her prowess. That was the fifth griphon she had dispatched, with only a small cut on her foreleg. She had only been in a few fights in her life, and those were against ponies. These were griphons, masters of the skies and ruthless killers. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the drive to defend Ponyville, or maybe even to take vengeance from the capture of her cousin and her family. Regardless, she was taking a chunk out of the griphon's forces. 
Suddenly screams of agony broke her train of thought. Applejack looked around to find the source, desperate to lend a helping hoof. Horror spread across her face. Dozens of griphons were in the town square, easily taking over the area. All at once the soldiers of Ponyville started to fall, the giant birds dominating their forces. Across the square Applejack gasped to find Twilight holding up a shattered shield of violet magic, flying backwards from a swift kick to the chest from a rather large female griphon. The farmpony froze in sudden realization. Applejack was supposed to stick around in Twilight's general area, protecting her as well as aid the town's forces. That was the plan that Twilight had put into place two days ago. She had run through it with the orange mare several times. Applejack had been distracted by the heat of battle, each griphon she had engaged brought her to a new location in a neat flow. She let Twilight down in her own adrenaline.
Applejack threw all caution to the wind, bolting through the crowd of griphons and ponies. She rolled out of the way from a sidelong swipe, not letting anything stop her from saving Twilight. The farmpony jumped through the air, grasping onto Twilight's attacker around the neck, yanking the griphon into a flying elbow drop. Unfortunately, the female bird of prey rolled out of the way just in time, causing Applejack to slam her elbow into the cobblestone. Mind-crumbling pain spread down her entire foreleg as she felt the bone snap. She had delivered all of her strength into the blow, not expecting the griphon to be able to move out of the way. Applejack bellowed out a cry of agony, clutching her elbow with her eyes screwed shut. She heard the ruffling of feathers rush over her, signalling the imminent strike of three deadly talons. She opened her eyes to see that she was right. The griphon was right in the middle of a killing strike when a faint violet glow saved her life once again. Applejack rolled as fast as she could out of the way, right next to Twilight. The purple unicorn looked to be on the verge of fainting. Applejack guessed that she had exhausted herself with the immense amount of magic that it took to fight a small army of griphons. Their attacker dove towards them. Applejack couldn't think of a thing to do. Her broken leg prevented her from moving, and Twilight looked to be in a similar state. 
"HHHIIIIIIIYYYYAAAAAA!!!"
With a flash of bright pink the enormous griphon was flying backwards through the air, skidding on her talons before recovering with a shake of her off-white feathered head. Applejack felt her face fall in disbelief as a pink mare stood up on her hind legs in front of them, wobbling from side to side. Her forehooves were in some odd sort of ready-to-fight position. The mare's pink curls were drooping carelessly, looking as if they were about to deflate.
"Arrrre you guysh alr-HIC-okay?" asked Pinkie Pie, her voice low and slurring heavily. Applejack cast a glance to Twilight, whom looked positively elated. 
"Pinkie Pie!" she cried out, beaming.
"Pinkie what're ya'll doin'? Are you-"
"Applejack!" Twilight had cut her off excitedly. "She's completely wasted!" 
"Why're ya' so happy about tha'?" asked Applejack, confused and angry.
"Don't you know?" asked Twilight loudly. Applejack didn't know what was going on, and she illustrated this with a shake of her head. 
"Applejack! Pinkie Pie is a master of the Drunken Hoof Style!"