Twilights Journey: Escape Equestria

by Merotik

XVII

"HELP!" Twilight finally shouted, before collapsing to the floor in exhaustion.

Braeburn watched Twilight with a confused expression for a moment before slowly asking, "you need ma help?"

Twilight suddenly leapt back to her hoofs. "Yes! That's what I need! Your heeeaaaalllll! . . . Don't make me repeat it, but you know what I mean! Please, can you!"

"Can I what?"

"You know! The "H" word".

" . . . Help?"

"Yes, that!"

"Help you with what exactly?"

Twilight opened the window curtains and pointed outside. "Discords magic has completely taken over Appleloosa and there's no pony who can stop him. We need to get out of here as fast as possible. Problem is, is that I'm hurt and can't do this by myself. So I need your hheeeaaallllmp . . . your assssnnc, oh come on! I can't say that either! UGH! I need you to get me a form of transportation and get me out of here. When I've healed enough, you can rest and I'll drive the transportation. We can switch between resting and driving, that way we can conserve our energy and leave Equestria as fast as possible".

"LEAVE EQUESTRIA! Now wait just a darn minute, I am not leavin Equestria! This is ma home! Ma friends and family is here, I can't just leave em!"

"I know what this sounds like Braeburn, and what I'm about to tell you, your not going to like. But I need you to listen to me. All of your friends and all of your family have been taken over by Discords magic, they are not themselves anymore. It's useless to stay here with them, if you do, you'll get caught by Discords magic too. If you come with me, we can wait until somepony takes care of Discord. When they do, we can come back to Equestria, together!"

Braeburn thought about this for a moment. "I don't know, I see what you mean by leavin for a bit and commin back when the coast is clear. But it still doesn't feel right, leavin everypony behind! What about ma family? What if they haven't been taken over yet?"

"I can assure you, they have".

"What? How can you just assume that-"

"Applejacks been taken over by Discords magic. She won't stop lying, and she betrayed me back in Pony Ville. The reason Discord is still around is because the Elements of Harmony had failed to defeat him. I, out of the six of us, am the only one who hasn't been taken over".

Braeburn gaped at Twilight for a moment then said, "ma cuz has been taken over? And so is the rest a yer friends?"

Twilight nodded.

"So . . . that's why you came here alone. You couldn't fight Discord no more cause he got to all yer friends".

"That's correct. Without my friends, I was to weak to fight him".

"But, how did you make it out a there? How come you weren't taken over as well?"

"Don't know, just lucky I guess".

Braeburn gave Twilight an unconvinced expression before asking, "are you sure you ain't taken over too? The others turned gray, but you seem a little . . . faded".

"That's just from the stress, trust me, my mind is one hundred percent Discord free".

"You sure?"

"Braeburn, do I look like my minds been taken over?"

"Well you were just actin a bit odd".

"And your not going to blame the manticore stomping my head into the ground for that?"

" . . . Good point. So you were the only one who hasn't been taken over and ma cuz has. Although this does hurt, I don't see how this involves the rest a ma family".

"Braeburn, Applejack was taken over within a few hours of Discords rein. He's been at this for nearly five days! Do you have any idea how many of your family members could have been taken over during that time! Tell me, what have you been doing the past four days?"

"I've been in this house, taken care a you".

"And if I had never come here? If I had never gotten hurt and you never had to take care of me, what would you have been doing then? Especially around the time Discords magic came?"

"I would be outside tryin to fend of his magic as best as I can".

"Exactly! During the entire time you were in here taking care of me, what do you think your family was doing?"

"I-I suppose they were . . . all out there, tryin to fend off his magic and protect Appleloosa".

"And does Appleloosa look safe to you?"

" . . . no".

"Than what does that mean?"

" . . . It means that ma family was out there . . . and they couldn't stop his magic . . . they . . . they-"

Before he could finish, Twilight said, "chances are all of your family has been taken over Braeburn. I'm sorry, but I think your the last Apple standing".

"I-I . . . I can't . . . I just can't", Braeburn fell to his knees and stared at the ground in realization. " . . . I'm the last one. Even if I'm not, Discords probably pickin ma family out one by one".

"And he's going to get to you next if we don't do something!" Twilight walked up to Braeburn and placed a hoof to his shoulder. "I know it hurts, but standing here in the middle of the chaos isn't going to save anypony. The best we can do is get out of her while we still have a chance!"

"But . . . ma family . . . even if their taken over I stll gotta be with them. Apples stick together, no matter what!"

"Braeburn, your not going to leave them forever. Think of this like a disease. You can't stay with your family the entire time their sick, you need to leave them in the hospital. If you get too close, you might just catch what they have. It's best to leave and let the doctors take care of your family. Then you can pick them up from the hospital when their all better. Discords magic is like a disease, infecting everypony it comes across. We need to get out of here so that we don't get sick. Once Discord is taken care of and everypony gets better, you can come back and see your family again. Your not going to leave them forever, your just going to wait until their better".

Braeburn looked into Twilights eyes with an expression of uncertainty. "A-Are you sure? I'm not leavin them forever?"

Twilight smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye".

" . . . I don't-"

"It's a special promise, one that I can never break".

"Oh, well then if that's the case I guess I'll have to take yer word for it. I'll help you on yer journey Miss Sparkle. But we should pack a few things before hand just to be safe".

"Do you have transportation?"

"That I do! I'll go grab a few duffle bags from ma bedroom. Be back in a jiff!"

Once Braeburn left into his room, Twilight turned away and whispered to herself, "I just made a Pinkie Promise. I can never brake it, I have to keep the promise forever, isn't that right Pinkie?"

Twilight waited, yet no response came.

"How long do I have to keep the promise for Pinkie?"

Again, no answer.

"How long do I have to keep the promise for!"

Still, no answer.

Twilight smiled deviously as she realized what this meant. Normally if she or anypony else had asked how long they needed to keep a Pinkie promise for, Pinkie's voice could be heard from the distance shouting "forever!" However, upon receiving no answer from Pinkie meant only one thing.

"Since Pinkies been discorded I guess her promises no longer have any meaning and can no longer affect a pony. A Pinkie Promise, is now an empty promise. Guess she wouldn't mind the little "fib" I told Braeburn. Such a silly cowpony, he honestly thinks there's still hope? No pony is going to defeat Discord, and he'll never be able to see his family ever again".

Twilight looked over to the nightstand (the one on the opposite side of the bed, without the tray of food) and noticed a picture of Braeburn with his family. Twilight chuckled deviously as she turned away from the photo. "Not my problem. My concern is escaping Equestria and that's exactly what I'm going to do. By any means necessary!"