//------------------------------//
// Attack. 
// Story: Recreation of Life 
// by Sugarcube66 
//------------------------------//

A couple of days passed for the group. It was a rainy Saturday and they had promised before Ruby's appearance that they would head into the nearby town for some cooking ingredients since they were running low and only had enough to make till the end of the week but with Ruby appearing, they weren't able to go till she had settled down.

Now was their day to go. Despite the rain, they couldn't wait any longer for more food. Ruby walked by Sunset, staring at the orange unicorn for a moment, thinking about what Sunset had told her when it was revealed that she had amnesia. About Sunset's past, it was just tragic. Why would the princess lie to her own daughter like Sunset had said she did. Ruby didn't know the answer, after all, she couldn't even remember her own friends, let alone anything else.

The group walked into the small village. Small was a good word for it, because there was literally only like 4 streets in the entire village. It was smaller then the tiny Ponyville. But to Ruby, it was the biggest and most populated place she had seen since her memories faded. ''There's a lot of ponies here....'' She mumbled, as she hid behind Sunset.

The orange unicorn stared down at the crimson mare for a moment before replying. ''There sure is, now come along. We need milk, eggs, butter, fruits, vegetables and two loafs of bread.'' Sunset read out the list for the ponies, before she began selecting jobs. She turned to Aria and gave her some bits. ''Ari, go with Sonata to get the milk, eggs and butter from the Mr Burns the village's farmer, she would just get lost otherwise....''

''Hey! I don't get lost that often!'' cried Sonata, hating how she was treated like a little baby more then half the time. ''A-RI-A, tell her to let me go alone!''

''Nope, I'm not trusting you on your own. I don't want to lose my girlfriend now, do I?'' said the pigtail haired earth pony.

Sonata blushed, but continued whining. ''But!''

''Oh, quit whining. Just come with me, I even get Mr Burns to let you stroke the cow.''

With that said, Sonata shut up and followed her girlfriend to the nearby farm. Sunset shook her head, wondering if she would ever get a break from the lovebirds of the group. She turned to Adagio and Trixie, handing them some bits and said. ''Okay, next. Adagio, can you and Trixie get two loafs of bread for us, from the baker. I don't know how long it will last and we still have a long way to go to get to Fillydelphia.''

''Sure, come along, Trixs''

''I guess your going to the supermarket with Ruby because you don't want her getting lost?'' asked Trixie, with a small smirk on her face. She was almost certain that her best friend had a crush on Ruby.

''Oh, shut up and do what I told you to do!'' yelled Sunset, blushing. Ruby looked at her, curiosity clean in her eyes. ''Don't even think about it, now come on. We have to get the fruit and vegetables.''

Trixie giggled and walked away from the pair with Adagio. Sunset groaned and walked aside of Ruby to the supermarket, looking down at the few bits she had.  Since they were on a run from the royal guard, they had little to no time to collect bits and basically had to work in small villages like the one they were in.

Soon enough, Ruby tapped her and mumbled. ''We're here, Sunset.''

''Oh, thanks for telling me.'' mumbled Sunset, realizing she had dazed out. She then said ''Now, stay close. This place may be small but you could still get lost just like that. I don't want something to happen to you....'' She stopped when she realized that nopony was standing next to her, nopony at all and it scared her. ''Ruby? Ruby!? Where are you? Oh, this is so my fault for dazing off. If I didn't, she might still be here.'' She ran frantically into the store, hoping that Ruby had just gone inside and hadn't wandered off.



Ruby walked around the shop, having not realized that her friend wasn't nearby. She smiled for a while before speaking. ''Sunset, this is amazing. I've never seen so many products in all my life...well, the bits I remember.'' She then realized. ''Uh oh...I'm lost. Sunset? Please tell me your nearby and that this is just some crazy joke. Yeah, crazy joke. My friend decided it would be fun to trick me into believing I was all alone in a huge scary shopping center....No wait, Sunset wouldn't do that. So, I did get separated!''

The ruby colored frantically looked around, tears filling her eyes. She was so scared that she didn't notice when a stallion came up behind her and asked her. ''Are you lost, beautiful?''

''Yea....my friend's disappeared and I can't find her!'' cried Ruby.

''Oh, that's so sad. Well, come with me. I'll help you find her. I promise.'' said the stallion, wrapping his wing around the mare in a almost comforting manner.

''O...okay..'' mumbled Ruby, following him. What she didn't know is that all of this wouldn't be good for her at all. That it would scar her for life.



Sunset ran through the mall, looking for her missing friend. She was so scared that she didn't realize that she was being tapped on the shoulder, until a voice rang through her mind. ''Sunset what's wrong? Wait, where's Ruby?'' Sunset turned to see Trixie looking at her, worry filling her purple eyes. The Dazzlings were there two, sharing Trixie's look but they didn't speak unless it was necessary.

''Ruby's vanished! She was with me one moment, and gone the next. I...I can't find her.'' cried Sunset, tears filling her eyes as she hugged her best friend.

''Don't worry, we'll help you find her.'' said Trixie, with a smile. ''Don't you have a tracking spell at all?''

''Oh...yea....I was so scared that I didn't think of that.'' Sunset frowned a little before lighting up her horn. She focused and closed her eyes for a few minutes before the aura around her horn shaped and formed a arrow. ''Follow the arrow, it'll led us straight to her. I just hope we're not too late.



Ruby walked with the stallion into a alleyway. She didn't know why they had gone this way, she had just followed him. ''Um...mister, where are we? I thought we were looking for my friend.''

''Oh, we are. I'm just collecting some of my buddies. After all, I can't leave a damsel in worry and shock after all. Although, you'll have more to worry about once were had our way with you.'' He smirked and somehow Ruby knew it was time to get out of there. The mare began to run only to have the stallion jump on her and for a severe and heartbreaking pain to fill her sensing up. She didn't even have time to think about working out how the teleport, she felt so helpless like this.

By the time, the stallion decided to stop and get off her, the poor mare was pretty much unconscious, holding onto what little stains of consciousness that she had left inside her. She was that out of it that she didn't see when the stallion grabbed a knife and began slashing her until the pain overwhelmed her already pained senses.



Sunset and her group ran so fast, that they didn't even see the surroundings. All of them had worry on their faces, especially the severely concerned Sunset. The arrow was getting brighter by the second, meaning they were getting closer, closer by the second. She hoped that she would find Ruby as soon as possible.

The arrow glow brightly when they made it to a alleyway. Now Sunset was scared. Especially when three stallions walked out of the alleyway and ignored them. They were chatting with each other about what they had just done in the alleyway. About the mare they had raped and left for dead.

Sunset frantically ran into the alleyway, before any of the girls could stop her. Fear written her in eyes, she just hoped that it was Ruby in there but even if it wasn't, she couldn't leave a mare for dead, one that had been raped. Tears formed in her eyes, the mare was Ruby and she was pretty much unconscious.

''Ruby!'' she screamed, bringing everypony else into the alleyway. All equally scared for their friend. Sunset ran over, tears in her eyes as she held the mare in her hooves. ''Wake up!'' When a pair of purple eyes opened, Sunset calmed a little but the blood and knife that was on the floor didn't help her fright. With tears still in her eyes, she hugged Ruby. ''You'll be okay, I won't let anypony hurt your every again. Never ever again.''

Tears in the other mares eyes, but none of them could speak. Especially when their friend was already crying for her friend to be okay and that she would always protect her. They hoped that nothing like this would happen every again and they silently promised that they would never leave Ruby alone every again.