Sarge, Applejack, Big Mac and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gathered on an empty field next to the farm. Big Mac had brought a plow with him, while Applejack and Sarge only brought their hooves and their hats.
"Nice hat Sarge!" Scootaloo whooped.
"Er, thanks. So what are we doing out here exactly?" Sarge whispered to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were jumping around each other excitedly.
"Well, we were trying to think of other ways to find our Cutie Marks, and then we thought that since Applebloom lives here we could become Cutie Mark tree planters." Sweetie Belle explained.
"And why do you need all of us here to help?"
"Big Mac'll till the soil, Applejack'll tell us where t' plant and you're goin' t' help us plant." Applebloom said as she spat out a bag of seeds.
The group heard the sound of hooves hitting dirt and they all turned their heads to see Grif running their way.
"There you are." Grif panted. "Why are you all the way out here?"
"I promised the girls I'd help them look for their marks and they decided to plant trees."
"That sounds... fun?" Grif said slowly. "Anyways, Fluttershy sort of had a mental breakdown and I don't know why, so we need your help."
"I would have a mental breakdown too if I was forced to live with you."
"You were forced to live with me."
"Why did you have to remind me?" Sarge sighed deeply. "I finally managed to repress those memories."
"That's a good idea... maybe I should try doing that." Grif shook his head. "Anyways I think you guys should come with me and see her."
"What happened exactly?" Applejack inquired.
"I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. Fluttershy was crying and I couldn't understand a word she said so I told her to go talk to Twilight." Grif said as he rubbed his neck. "All I know is that she wanted to be with all the other because she didn't want to be alone or something."
"Are you going to be there?" Sarge grunted.
"Well, yeah."
"Then count me out."
"Well it's a good thing she didn't ask you to go." Grif said, turning to face Applejack. "You going to come?"
"Ah hate t' say it, but Fluttershy is always worryin' 'bout somethin' or another." Applejack said quietly. "Ah'm sure she doesn't need all of us there t' help her."
"Can't say I didn't try." Grif said, before laughing. "Wow. Never thought I would hear myself say that. We'll all be at the library if you need us."
"Don't hold your breath." Sarge grunted.
Over the next hour the girls managed to plant nearly fifty trees. Then something off in the distance caught Sarge's attention. He squinted his eyes until the figure was clear.
"Big Mac." Sarge said quietly. "Take the girls back home. Make it fast."
"Why?" Big Mac asked simply.
Sarge motioned his head to the left. Big Mac looked over to see a tall, alien figure approaching.
"Come on girls." Big Mac said nervously, nudging the girls back with his hooves. "We need to get going."
"Huh, why?" Scootaloo asked.
"But we're plantin' trees." Applebloom mustered.
"Listen to your brother." Sarge said.
The girls looked to Sarge, and then at each other before shrugging and following Big Mac.
"What's wrong Sarge?" Applejack asked.
"That." Sarge said, eyes locked on Carolina.
Applejack turned to see a figure slowly approaching them. "What is tha- oh. Is that one of yer friends?" Applejack asked with a smile.
"Judging by what she's holding in her hand I would have to say no." Sarge said as he began walking towards Carolina. "Go warn the others. Tell them that Carolina is here."
"What are ya goin' t' do t' her?"
"I'm going to do what I can to slow her down."
"Are ya implyin' what ah think yer implyin'?" Applejack asked defensively.
Carolina stopped roughly fifty feet away and leaned against a tree, watching Sarge silently.
"D'ya think ya can beat her?"
"Probably not, but I'll be damned if I let a blue see me walk away."
"Well ah'm stayin'."
"I'm not asking your opinion, private." Sarge snapped. "I was giving an order."
Applejack flinched and took a few steps back, surprise by Sarge's outburst.
"Listen to me. I am a fighter. I was born to fight. I was raised to fight. That was the whole reason I joined the army in the first place. When I fought with them though, I fought because I was told to fight, because it was fun." Sarge said as he looked back to Carolina who was now leaning her shoulder on a tree. "But now I have something that is actually worth fighting for. Family. And I'm sure as hell not ready to let that blue over there ruin that."
Applejack's eyes began to tear up, but Sarge gave a supportive smile and nodded.
"And if you make it fast, maybe you can stop her before she hurts anybody else. One more thing." Sarge grunted, taking off his hat. "Take this. I don't want it to get dirty."
Applejack nodded and grabbed the hat before starting to gallop full speed towards the library. Sarge let out a sigh as Carolina started to walk towards him again.
"Why the hell are you a horse?" Carolina snapped.
"That's classified information." Sarge tutted.
"Very funny. Where is Church?"
"I try to keep my affairs as far from the blues as I can."
"Is that so?" Carolina asked.
"Yeah."
"Then I hope you're good at close combat." Carolina said, unsheathing her knife and putting the horn in its place.
"I was about to say the same thing." Sarge said as he cracked his neck.
Carolina suddenly swung the knife at it at him, but Sarge juked to the side, simultaneously spinning around, readying his back legs. Then he let loose, hitting her in the side and sent her flying into a tree.
"Lucky hit." Carolina hissed.
"I'll bet."
Carolina swung her knife at Sarge, this time nicking his belly, causing a trickle of blood to emerge. Sarge scowled before jumping at Carolina, but she side stepped and grabbed him by his tail and mane. Carolina lifted Sarge upwards and threw him against a tree. While she had hold of him, he reached for the pistol, but the swinging caused him to grab something else from her side instead. Carolina punched Sarge in the jaw then grabbed him, withdrew her pistol and shoved it under his jaw.
"What happened to close combat?" Sarge asked calmly.
"I decided to mix it up a little." Carolina chortled. "Now either you're going to help me find Church, or this grass gets a whole lot more red."
"Now that you mention it, the grass would look better that color." Sarge laughed, making Carolina punch him in the ribs again. "If I was afraid to die, do you really think I would have stayed here?"
"You're crazy." Carolina muttered, lifting Sarge up by his throat. "Any last words?"
"Just a few."
"Make it quick then."
Sarge headbutted her, but all it did was make her turn her head and laugh. Sarge began to laugh as well, when there was a small clinking noise. Carolina looked back to Sarge who had a large smile on his face.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Heh. Just thought about how I came here ready to die and you didn't." Sarge chuckled morbidly.
"What are you talking abou-" Carolina started, but stopped when she saw Sarge hold up an unpinned grenade between their faces.
"You just got Sa-"
The grenade exploded, interrupting Sarge and engulfing them in a flurry of flames and shrapnel.