Apple Bloom picked up the rose and it lay limply in her hand. She ran her hoof up the stem and stopped at the thorn. She put the rose behind her left ear and covered Thorn's body with leaves.
"Back to nature."
She continued on her journey through Sweet Apple Acres.
"Over here!"
Sweetie Belle was flailing her arms above her head. Apple Bloom ran over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse and it was untouched.
"It must have been so hidden it wasn't destroyed during the war."
Scootaloo, Scar Wing, and Stormcloud were waiting inside. Sweetie Belle walked over to Stormcloud who looked to be in pain. No one here even knew that Thorn had been with Apple Bloom which made it harder to explain everything that had happened since she was enslaved.
"He saved my life. And what did I do for him. Get him killed?"
Apple Bloom out her head in her hooves and Scootaloo's put her hoof on her back.
"Hey, it's not your fault. That could just have easily been you instead of Thorn. It could have been any one of us."
Apple Bloom smiled while her eyes still lay drooped. She put her hoof under her muzzle and wiped away the tears.
"OK, I feel sorry and all but we're all gonna die if we can't think of a way out of this," said Sweetie Belle with crossed arms.
There was a knock on the door and an earth pony yelled, "Open up! You can't hide forever!"
They scrambled around and Apple Bloom dropped to the floor.
Scootaloo whispered, "What are you doing! You can't just lay around at a time like this!"
"I'm playin' dead so when they come in, they'll think we're dead already and'll leave!"
The others dropped as the door burst open and two earth ponies walked in, both carrying spears. One of the guards went over to Sweetie Belle and lifted her arm with the spear. Stormcloud sat up as the guard started to jab the spear around her face.
"Well, we better make sure."
The guard lifted the spear above his head and Stormcloud lunged at his midsection and knocked him down. The guard wrestled with the guard as the other ran out of the treehouse. The other guard ran to Stormcloud and speared him through the chest. They pulled out the spear and walked through a pool of blood as they ran after the others. Sweetie Belle started to pant and her running slowed. Apple Bloom ran back to Sweetie Belle and tugged on her front arm.
She grunted, "We need to go!"
Sweetie Belle answered, "It doesn't matter. They've taken everything I really need in life."
"Well, we need you! Surrendering would only give them the upper hand. Now let's go!"
Sweetie Belle nodded and they ran back to the rest of the group.
"What do we do now?"
"Not die?"
"Thanks, Scar Wing. Now does anyone have an actual idea?"
"Well, we can take care of those guards."
Scootaloo cut in, "Or we can literally take care of them. Who knows? Maybe they'll even join us!"
Apple Bloom walked over to the guards. They pointed their spears at her as she slowly raised her right hoof. Tattooed on the bottom of it was the earth pony leaf crest.
"She bears the mark of obedience."
The guards bowed and Apple Bloom said quietly, "I am working as a spy. I have befriended these rebel ponies and am waiting for the perfect time to strike. Please, offer me and these rebels protections unless you would like to be killed."
The guards nodded and followed Apple Bloom back to the group. The guards walked in front of them through Sweet Apple Acres.