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Chapter 1: Everyday5,604 words
Chapter 2: In the Dark5,547 words
Chapter 3: Blind6,656 words
Chapter 4: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back10,117 words

Chapter 2: In the Dark

Applejack was laying in a small bed, covered with a dark blue cloth. Even though it was past midnight, she couldn't sleep. Something inside her was preventing her from doing so, and even though she didn't know what it was, she was glad it was there. Its presence kept her from entering the dark worlds that she found herself in every time she closed her eyes.

Even though she was awake, Applejack didn't dare to make a sound. She didn't want to wake up the other ponies who were successfully sleeping in the nearby bunk beds. Each section of the barracks had two bunk beds and one normal bed, allowing five ponies to sleep in it. In Applejack’s section, Apple Bloom silently slept on the bunk below, which belonged to Twilight, who rarely slept in it, while Rainbow Dash loudly snored on her left. There were two empty beds, which were supposed to belong to Rarity and Fluttershy, but the two never slept in them. They were always too busy in the hospital.

Seeing that there was nothing to do, Applejack slowly climbed out of the top bunk of the bed, entering the small candle light that illuminated the room. With a tiny thud, she reached the floor, and looked into the bunk below hers. Apple Bloom was curled up into a little ball, sleeping as peacefully as she had before the war started. Applejack climbed into the bunk, trying not to wake Apple Bloom, but nothing seemed to disrupt her rest, anyway. Applejack smiled, looking at her sister's innocence, then hugged her as tight as she could. Apple Bloom didn't even stir when she felt her sister's warmth.

“Thank goodness we still have each other,” Applejack whispered in Apple Bloom’s ear. “I have no idea what I’d do without you. Having someone I need to protect… Sometimes it's all that keeps me going.” She sighed, before kissing Apple Bloom's forehead. “I love you, sis,” she said, beaming at her sleeping sister.

Suddenly, Applejack heard a shrill shriek coming from behind her. She turned around, only to find Rainbow Dash screaming in her sleep.

“No! Stop! DON'T DO THIS TO HER!” Rainbow screamed, her voice was filled with fear. She rolled around, all over her bed, covered in sweat. She was having a nightmare.

Applejack quickly left Apple Bloom in her bed and trotted over to Rainbow Dash, who was violently kicking her cloth all over the place.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack called to the pegasus, trying to wake her. “Wake up! You're dreaming!”

“Stop it! YOU'RE HURTING HER!” Rainbow screamed, rolling off her bed and falling onto the floor. Rainbow continued kicking, as if she was fighting someone. Blue feathers were flying through the air.

“Rainbow, SNAP OUT OF IT!!!” Applejack yelled, shaking her friend vigorously. Rainbow suddenly stopped kicking, and her hooves fell to the ground. Slowly, the pegasus opened her eyes. Applejack was staring at her, looking extremely worried.

“Hey, AJ,” Rainbow said, looking confused. “What's wrong?”

“I was screaming and kicking?” Rainbow gasped, horrified. It had been about ten minutes since it had happened. Applejack was sitting in her bed, explaining the the whole thing.

“Yep,” Applejack said, frowning. “Frankly, it was kinda terrifying to watch.” She walked over to her friend, with a puzzled look on her face. “Rainbow, what happened? What did ya dream about? What caused this?”

“I…” Rainbow began, looking away from Applejack. Her face turned pale. “Never mind,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not important.”

“Yeah, it is,” Applejack insisted. “Rainbow, you've got a problem.”

“No, I do not,” Rainbow said firmly. “I'm fine.”

“Really? Then why didn’t you come to the funeral or dinner last night?”

“Um, well…”

“Come to think of it, you haven’t come to dinner in a week!” Applejack looked into her friend’s eyes. “Dash, something is up. Please, talk to me.”

Rainbow Dash remained silent. Her eyes moved all around the room, trying to avoid Applejack’s gaze. The two sat there, completely silent, for two whole minutes before Rainbow Dash’s stomach rumbled, breaking the silence. Applejack smiled.

“Of course you’re hungry. You haven’t eaten in a week,” Applejack chuckled, grabbing her hat from a nearby desk. Inside her hat, there was a piece of bread. “I saved this just for you,” Applejack said, handing the bread to Rainbow. “Eat up.”

“No, I- I couldn’t,” Rainbow stuttered, pushing the bread away. “You need this more than I do.”

“No, I don’t,” Applejack insisted, pushing the bread back towards Rainbow. “You’re on the battlefield, fighting Sombra and whatnot. I’m just in the kitchen cookin’. You need your strength more than I need mine.”

“Fine,” Rainbow groaned, grabbing the piece of bread. She looked at it, then quickly swallowed it whole. She didn’t leave a crumb uneaten.

“See?” Applejack grinned at her friend. “You needed that.”

“I guess,” Rainbow shrugged, finally looking at Applejack. Applejack patted her on the back before turning around to enter her own bed. As she was climbing the ladder, however, someone else opened the door to the barracks quietly.

“Hello?” Rainbow Dash whispered to the figure who crept into the room, attempting to make no sound. It was Spitfire.

“Rainbow Dash,” she whispered back, signaling for her to come to the door with her hoof. “Come here, it’s important. You too, Applejack.”

The two looked at each other, unsure, then crept out of their respective beds and walked toward Spitfire.

“What’s up?” Rainbow asked, silently landing on the ground beside Spitfire. Applejack quickly followed. “Why do you need us?”

“The whole army’s waiting in the meeting room,” Spitfire said, opening the door for the two mares. “Something really big just happened.”

“What?” Rainbow and Applejack said simultaneously.

“Princess Luna just visited Twilight in her dreams.”

With that, the three ponies were running out of the barracks and toward the meeting room as fast as they could.

When the group finally arrived at the meeting room, they found it the most crowded it had ever been. The entire army, plus some, was squeezed inside the tiny room. Spitfire had visited each of them and told them to come, promising new intel. They silently waiting for it.

Soarin was, once again, sitting in the undersized chair. He tried to rock it back and forth, but when he kept bumping into Cheese Sandwich, Big Mac, and Bulk Biceps, who were looking at the bookshelf, he gave up.

In the other corner of the room, Rarity and Fluttershy were holding Fleetfoot. Rarity and Fluttershy looked somewhat uncomfortable, while Fleetfoot looked exhausted, continuously almost falling over. Her cut was concealed by a bright blue bandage, courtesy of Rarity.

Twilight flew over all of them in circles, expressionless. It was clear she was thinking very deeply about something.

When Spitfire entered the room with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, all the ponies, with the exception of Twilight, stopped what they were doing and watched her. She flew onto the table, then cleared her throat.

“Ahem,” Spitfire loudly began, carrying her voice throughout the room. “I suppose all of you are wondering why I’ve called you here so late at night.”

The ponies nodded, murmuring sounds of agreement.

“Well,” Spitfire continued, “I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t important.” She paused to take a breath. “For a lot of this war, we’ve only been going on information we already knew. All the info we have has been based on our past experiences fighting Sombra, as well as the small amounts of knowledge we’ve managed to take on the battlefield.”

The group nodded again, this time silently.

“Well, all of that could potentially change,” Spitfire finished.

“How?” Rarity asked, confused.

“Well, tonight, while Twilight was sleeping, she got a little visit from Princess Luna in her dreams.” All the ponies stood up, their attention at its peak.

“Are you serious?” Cheese exclaimed.

“Princess Luna hasn’t visited any of our dreams in months,” Soarin sighed. “Why did she decide to now?”

“I don’t know,” Spitfire admitted. “But in the dream, Luna told Twilight that she left Sombra’s side and wants to join the fight against him. She said that she was going to Dodge Junction, and that she wants to meet us there to give us information that could help us win the war.” She paused again, this time for dramatic effect. “This could be our chance to get the information we need to win. However, it could also be a trap.”

“Of course it’s a trap,” Cheese Sandwich interrupted. “It’s Dodge Junction. That’s the dodgiest place in Equestria!”

“I’m inclined to agree with Cheese,” Rarity said, levitating Fleetfoot so she would stop falling. “This seems incredibly sketchy.”

“But what if it is true?” Soarin asked, trying to give a different perspective. “What if Luna really is there? We could miss out on a lot of information.”

“He makes a good point,” Applejack said. “Then again, it could all be a trick. She could just be luring us over there to kill us.”

“I’m sure Luna wouldn’t do that,” Fluttershy quietly responded.

“Yeah, but Sombra’s army might,” Twilight said, ending her flight and landing on the table. “However, it’s all we have to go on right now. We should at least check it out. But not all of us. If it really is a trap, and they do try to kill us, we can’t have our entire army ending up injured or worse.” She turned to Spitfire. “Spitfire, I suggest that we send only your best soldiers to Dodge Junction. If things go fine, they can report back here. However, if things do go wrong, your best should have the best chance of being able to escape, right?”

“Right,” Spitfire said. “That plan sounds good to me. Anypony have a better one?”

Nopony said anything. Rainbow began walking towards the door.

“Good,” Spitfire continued. “Then I suggest that you should go get packing, Big Mac and Bulk Biceps.”

Rainbow stopped in her tracks, surprised. Soarin and Cheese looked at Spitfire, puzzled by what she just said.

“YES, MA’AM!” Bulk Biceps yelled as he exited the room. Big Mac followed him silently, waving at his sister, who looked equally as puzzled as Soarin and Cheese did. Twilight also followed, but she went in a different direction.

Spitfire watched them exit the room, with a smile on her face.

What is she doing? Rainbow asked herself.

When Bulk, Big Mac, and Twilight were out of earshot, Rainbow confronted Spitfire, who was looking for a book on the bookshelf.

“What was that?!” Rainbow demanded. “Yesterday, you claimed Cheese and I were your best soldiers, but now you send Big Mac and Bulk Biceps on a dangerous mission?! What are you doing?”

Spitfire barely even flinched upon hearing this.

“I did what’s best for the army,” Spitfire calmly responded. “In case this is really a trap, there’s no way I’m losing my best soldiers. If I lose you two, we lose our chance at winning this war. On the other hoof, if we lose Big Mac and Bulk Biceps…”

Rainbow was taken aback. She took a few steps backward, and bumped into Soarin, who was also walking over to Spitfire. Applejack and Cheese were following him.

“Kay, Spitfire, what’s going on?” Soarin asked, approaching her. “I know Bulk and Big Mac aren't our best soldiers. Why’d you send them?”

“They could get killed!” Applejack exclaimed. “I can’t let that happen! How would I explain it to Apple Bloom? She’s already experienced too many deaths. I dunno if she could even take another.”

“Like I told Dash,” Spitfire said, just as calmly as she had before, “it’s what’s best for the army.”

“What about the ponies who aren’t in the army?” Soarin questioned.

“Look,” Spitfire said, ignoring Soarin. “Big Mac and Bulk Biceps are going. That’s final.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Spitfire firmly stated. “They’re going.”

The ponies sighed and bit their lips. They knew they had no chance changing Spitfire’s mind.

“Can we at least say goodbye?” Applejack asked, her voice cracking.

“Yeah,” Spitfire said. “But make it quick. We can’t waste any time.” Spitfire quickly flew out of the room, leaving Soarin, Applejack, Cheese, and Rainbow in the center of the room, feeling down.

“Make your goodbye count,” Cheese sympathetically told Applejack, putting his hoof on her shoulder.

“It could be the last time you talk to him,” Soarin frowned.

“I know,” Applejack weakly said, tears rolling down her face. “I know.”

Soarin and Cheese returned to their section of the barracks, their heads hanging low. Even though they would be required to return with the army to see Big Mac and Bulk Biceps leaving, the two wanted to get a little bit of rest before they did so. They were aware of the inevitable heartache that was going to come with Bulk and Big Mac’s departure, and wanted time alone before they would have to deal with it.

Their section of the barracks was darker than all the others, as the candle that lit up the room was dying out. It seemed to always go out faster than any other flame in the the base, and nopony understood why. Soarin always lit it again when it went out, though, and the room almost always had light.

“Poor Applejack,” Soarin sighed, watching the candle’s flame. “Big Mac going away is going to be so hard on her.”

“I’m afraid to see what happens when he doesn’t come back,” Cheese frowned, climbing into his bunk.

“Well, if he doesn’t come back,” Soarin said, flying into his bed. “There’s a chance he might return.”

“Soarin, it’s a suicide mission. He’s not gonna return.”

“What’s this I hear about a suicide mission?” A voice asked from below Soarin’s bunk. It was Wind Rider, who was lying in his bed, half-awake.

“It’s, uh, nothing for you to worry about,” Soarin reassured. “Go back to bed.”

“Sure,” Wind Rider said, dozing off.

Soarin and Cheese inspected their other two bunkmates, Party Favor and Mr. Cake, to make sure they were sleeping before they continued to talk.

“So,” Soarin began, quietly, “any decisions on the funeral situation?”

“Not yet,” Cheese admitted. “I would’ve slept on it, but..”

“...we got no sleep,” Soarin finished. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“I hope so.”

For a moment, the two remained silent. They sat on their beds, watching at the candle’s flame dancing on the wick. Even though it was only a small flame, it filled the stallions with warmth. Inspired, Cheese began to hum.

“What are you humming?” Soarin asked. “It sounds so familiar…”

“It’s The Heart Carol,” Cheese sang, concentrated on the fire. “We used to sing it at the end of our Hearth’s Warming Eve plays.”

“Oh yeah,” Soarin said. “I remember that!” He cleared his voice, then began to sing. “The Fire of Friendship lives in our hearts…”

“As long as it burns,” Cheese continued, swaying back and forth, “We cannot drift apart...”

“Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few…”

“Laughter and singing will see us through!”

“We are a circle of pony friends…”

"A circle of friends…”

“We’ll be to the very end!” the two finished together, laughing. They beamed at each other, then continued to watch the fire dance. They didn’t move their eyes away for minutes. Something about the fire had made the stallions feel at peace.

Eventually, the flame went out.

“There goes our ‘Fire of Friendship’,” Cheese muttered.

“Ah, no worries,” Soarin said, flying out of bed. He walked over to the candle, then looked for a match.

“Hey, Soarin,” Cheese asked, looking away. “I have a question.”

“What’s up?” Soarin responded, attempting to light the match.

“Do you think...” Cheese paused, midway through his sentence. He hesitated, then continued speaking. “Do you think Pinkie could ever come back?”

Silence filled the room when Cheese uttered that last word. Soarin stopped trying to light the match, and the other ponies’ snoring seemed to cease at that moment. There was no light, and no sound.

Cheese looked at Soarin, who was frozen in the middle of the room, thinking over Cheese’s question. He remained motionless for a minute, then silently lit the candle with the match.

“Well?” Cheese asked, hopeful.

“It’s possible,” Soarin said, carefully, trying not to upset Cheese in any way. “It’s… been awhile since Sombra’s army took her, but there’s a chance. Maybe they didn’t kill her. Maybe she escaped.” He paused, thinking of what to say next. “What I mean to say is, yes, there is a chance Pinkie could come back.”

He eagerly waited for Cheese to respond, hoping that he hadn’t said anything to offend, but Cheese remained silent.

“Cheese?” Soarin asked, slightly worried by the silence. “Did I say something wrong?”

It took a moment for him to respond.

“No,” Cheese finally said, turning to Soarin. He had tears in his eyes. “What you said was perfect.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“These are tears of joy, Soarin. Joy that I’ve finally found someone else who thinks Pinkie’s alive.”

He climbed out of bed and hugged Soarin, who looked surprised. He hadn’t expected his kind of reaction, but quickly welcomed it. It was the first time someone had hugged him in months.

“Thank you,” Cheese cried.

“No problem,” Soarin responded, smiling at his friend.

"Big Mac is doing WHAT?” Apple Bloom gasped, sitting up on Twilight’s bed.

“I told you,” Applejack sighed, trotting over to her sister. “Spitfire’s sending him on a secret mission.”

“We came down here to tell you so you could say goodbye before he left,” Rainbow said as made her bed.

“He’s going TONIGHT?!” Apple Bloom yelled, nervously clutching onto her blanket.

“Yeah,” Applejack frowned. “So you’d better hurry.”

“Where is he now?!”

“Prob’ly saying goodbye to Granny in the hospital.”

"Thanks!” Apple Bloom called to Applejack as she ran out of the barracks. Applejack watched her disappear before turning to Rainbow.

“Did you get to say goodbye?” Rainbow asked, unsure.

“Yeah, I did,” Applejack said, looking at the ground. “I wanted to make it sound final, but I couldn’t bring myself to it. I couldn’t make it sound like it was the last time we’d speak to each other.” She began to cry. “I tried so hard to, but I just couldn’t, Dash. I can’t part with him. I—”

“Calm down,” Rainbow said softly, lifting Applejack’s head. “It’s okay, AJ.”

“Is it?” Applejack sobbed, turning away from Rainbow. She was about to continue talking, but noticed Spitfire in the doorway. “Spitfire?”

“Sorry to interrupt whatever it is you’re doing,” Spitfire began, “but it’s time.”

“Time for what?” Rainbow asked.

“For you to become a princess,” Spitfire said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “No! For us to see Big Mac and Bulk Biceps leaving, obviously!”

“Oh, right.”

“I need you two to go meet up with the others in Sugarcube Corner,” Spitfire continued. “I’m gonna go make sure Big Mac and Bulk Biceps are ready.” She turned to leave, but Applejack ran in front of her.

“Can, uh, Apple Bloom come and see them off with us?” Applejack asked, nervously. “He is her brother, after all…”

“Sorry, no can do, AJ,” Spitfire coughed. “We’ll be leaving the base. It’s too dangerous for her out there.”

“Fine,” Applejack sighed. “I understand.”

“Good,” Spitfire said, turning away once again. “Now get going.”

As Spitfire left the room, Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked each other. Applejack still had tears in her eyes from before, which slowly began rolling down her face once more. Rainbow noticed this and hugged her tightly.

“It’ll be okay, AJ,” Rainbow repeated, softly, patting Applejack’s back. “It’ll be okay.”

Everything was dark inside Sugarcube Corner. There were no sources of light within the building, so the darkness of the night filled every inch of it.

When Rainbow and Applejack left the base and entered the messy Sugarcube Corner, they found Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy already there, quietly conversing with each other. Twilight and Rarity were using their horns as flashlights, while Fluttershy held a small, pink flashlight in her hooves. They kept their voices low, so no one could hear them, but kept their conversation going, each mare taking turns talking and intently listening.

The group was so into their conversation that it took them a minute to realize Applejack and Rainbow Dash were standing there.

“Oh!” Fluttershy exclaimed when she saw the pair. “Hi, Applejack! Hi, Rainbow Dash!”

“Howdy, girls,” Applejack said, cheerfully. “How are you doin’?”

“We're fine,” Twilight answered. “Just catching up while waiting for Spitfire.”

“That's good. It has been a while since you spoke to each other.”

“Well, like I said before,” Rarity began, looking at her friends. “We've been busy in the hospital.”

“Speaking of the hospital, why aren't you there right now?” Rainbow asked, scratching her mane.

“Because Spitfire asked us to come see the two off. I'm not sure why, though, since we aren't in the army.”

“Well, we have taken care of both of them a few times,” Fluttershy piped up. “Maybe that's why.”

“Regardless of why,” Twilight interrupted, “I'm glad you're here. Big Mac and Bulk need all the support they can get, given the mission they're going on.”

“Yeah,” Applejack sighed, pretending to look at a cake pan on the ground. She turned away from the group, her head hanging low.

“So, uh, Twilight,” Rainbow began, changing the subject. “Princess Luna appeared in your dreams, right? That hasn't happened ever since she went to Sombra's side. What was it like?”

“Surprising, to say the least,” Twilight said, scratching her mane. “I was having a nice dream about living in Ponyville—you know, before Sombra destroyed it. I was doing the fun things we used to do together before the war, like solving friendship problems and hanging out. Then, suddenly, while I was in Sugarcube Corner, Luna burst in through the door with her message.”

“A dream about the old Ponyville?!” Rarity exclaimed, giddy with delight. “That sounds marvelous! Your night sounds so much better than ours.”

“We’ve gotten no sleep at all,” Fluttershy moaned. “We've been too busy.”

“Well, I think it's worth it,” Twilight said. “You two are saving lives in there. You're a real help to the cause.” She turned to Applejack and Rainbow. “What about you two? How was your night going before this?”

Applejack was about to speak, but Rainbow cut her off. “It was a’ight,” she lied. “Nothing big happened. Just… slept, ya know?” She faked a yawn to further her act.

“Good to hear,” Twilight nodded, failing to detect the lie. She turned back to Rarity and Fluttershy, who continued their prior conversation with her, while Rainbow walked over to Applejack, who was standing alone in the corner of the kitchen’s remains. Rainbow could only see her outline in the dark, but she could tell that Applejack was glaring at her.

“Why didn’t you tell them?” Applejack asked, her voice hushed, but harsh.

“Tell them about what? My dream?” Rainbow snapped. “I don’t want to worry them with something like that! All of them are already busy dealing with their own problems. Why should I give them another burden to deal with?”

“Because this is important! Rainbow, something’s going on inside your head. You need to talk to somepony about it.”

“But none of you have been through what I’m going through right now! None of you would understand!”

“Do we need to understand to help you?”

Rainbow remained silent, trying to think of a counter response. When she couldn’t, she turned away from Applejack and looked at the trapdoor.

“Look,” Applejack said, trying to sound as sympathetic as she could. “It doesn’t have to be me. But you need to talk to somepony.”

“Who do I talk to?” Rainbow asked after a brief moment of silence. Her voice was shaking.

“That’s your choice, not mine.”

“Any suggestions?”

Applejack thought about it for a minute. “Soarin,” she finally said. “I think he could help you. He helped Cheese last night with what he’s goin’ through. Maybe he could help you with what you’re goin’ through.”

“Maybe,” Rainbow sighed. “Thanks, AJ.”

“No problem,” she smiled. “I’m always happy to help.”

Rainbow nodded, then returned to Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy, who were still talking about their time away from each other. Rainbow quickly joined their conversation, while Applejack remained to the side, watching the trapdoor. She was waiting for Big McIntosh to walk into the building so she attempt one last goodbye before he and Bulk Biceps left.

Instead, when the trapdoor opened, Soarin and Cheese Sandwich came through.

“Hey, girls!” Cheese exclaimed as he bounced into Sugarcube Corner. “How are you doing tonight?”

“Fine, I guess,” Rainbow shrugged.

“Spitfire hasn’t arrived yet?” Soarin asked, a touch of confusion in his voice.

“Not yet,” Applejack said. “She told us that she was gonna go prepare Big Mac and Bulk Biceps for their mission or something like that.”

“Well, I hope she arrives soon. It’s kinda cold out here.”

“You can say that again,” Twilight shivered, as her teeth began chattering. “This is exceptionally cold for a night in winter.”

“We’re in WINTER?” Rarity shrieked. “When did that happen?!”

“A few days ago,” Twilight said, searching for a source of heat.

“Goodness. I had no idea.”

The ponies shared a worried look, then stopped talking. Applejack pushed Rainbow towards Soarin, but Rainbow resisted and shook her head. Not yet, she mouthed to Applejack. Applejack sighed, then continued to watch the trapdoor to see if it would open.

For fifteen minutes, the seven ponies sat there, shivering in the remains of Sugarcube Corner. None of them spoke. They all remained silent, trying to find as much warmth as they could within the darkness.

When the trapdoor finally opened, Spitfire flew out of the base and into the light of Twilight’s horn, followed by Big Mac and Bulk Biceps. The two stallions were carrying large brown backpacks that were filled to the brim with food, clothes, and other necessities. The two were also wearing flashlights as necklaces, and had their blankets wrapped around them as protection from the cold.

“Ah, there you are!” Soarin exclaimed upon seeing them. “You’ve finally arrived!”

“What took you so long?” Rainbow inquired. “We’ve been waiting here for ages!”

“Calm down, Dash,” Spitfire said. “I was helping Big Mac and Bulk Biceps pack, which took a bit longer than I thought it would.”

“Well, are they fully prepared?” Twilight asked.

“YEAH!” Bulk Biceps shouted. “I’M READY TO GO!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied.

“Good,” Twilight said, looking at Spitfire. “Then they should leave as soon as possible.”

Applejack gulped. Time was running out. “Can’t we wait till morning?” Applejack asked, nervously.

“No,” Spitfire firmly asserted. “It’d be way too dangerous to send them off in the morning. In the daytime, Sombra could find them and our base with ease. It’s best if they have the cover of the night.”

“But—”

“No buts. They’re leaving NOW.”

When Spitfire said this, Applejack retreated behind Soarin, who was looking at the two stallions that were about to leave.

“Everypony, say your goodbyes,” Spitfire ordered. “We don’t know when, or even IF, we’ll be seeing them again, so make them count.”

The ponies formed a line in front of Big Mac and Bulk Biceps, then began to give hugs and say short speeches in honor of the two. When Applejack reached the front of the line, she stared at Big Mac. She wanted to say something big and final, but she couldn’t. Instead, she paused, trying to form words while also holding back her tears.

“I wish you the best of luck,” Applejack said, choking up. “I love you, brother.”

“I love you too, AJ,” Big Mac smiled, wrapping his leg around Applejack. The two hugged, tears falling down Applejack’s face.

“That’s enough hugging,” Spitfire stated, looking at the moon’s position. It was high in the sky. “It’s time for you two to go.”

“Okay…” Applejack said, shakily. Big Mac let go of Applejack, and all the ponies walked towards the door to the outside, none of them noticing that the trapdoor to the base had been left open. One by one, they left the building and entered the freezing land they called Ponyville.

Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Soarin, and Cheese stood by the building in a line, their manes blowing in the freezing wind. They watched as Big Mac and Bulk Biceps took their first steps on their mission, leaving hoofprints as they walked in the dirt.
Applejack couldn’t stop crying.

“Goodbye, y’all!” Big Mac called to the army as he began walking into the darkness.

“Goodbye!” the ponies called back. They watched the two stallions walking forward into the darkness, going from full figures to outlines in seconds.

When they completely faded into the darkness, Applejack collapsed to the ground, tears falling into the dirt. She tried to cover her face with her hooves, but she couldn’t. She just kept crying.

"Applejack," Soarin softly said as he sat down next to her. He patted her on the back, then turned her head toward his. "I'm sorry. I know this can't be easy for you."

"It's not anywhere close to easy," Applejack choked. "Big Mac is my brother. He's stood right by my side through, well, everything we've gone through. From the loss of mom and dad to the Flim Flam Brothers' crazy antics, he's always been there, lookin' out for me... supporting me... comforting me..." The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became. She began weeping more than before. Soarin proceeded to try and hug her, but it wasn't enough. The tears kept flowing.

"Applejack, everything will be okay," Soarin tried to assure.

"Will it, though, Soarin? I can't even imagine living without him. What if he dies out there? What if he doesn't come back?" She paused for a moment. "How am I supposed to help Apple Bloom deal with that if I can't even deal with the thought of it myself?" She managed to cover her face with her hooves, then began to weep even louder than she had before.

The rest of the army members walked toward Applejack.

"We can help you," Soarin said, pulling Applejack's hooves away from her eyes. "Even though you may be losing a family member, you've still got us."

"How in the hay are y'all going to help?" Applejack asked, briefly pausing her tears.

"I don't know how, honestly," Soarin admitted, looking at the rest of the army. "But I'd like to try anyway."

"So would I," Cheese said.

"Same here," Rainbow agreed.

One by one, all of the army members, except Spitfire, walked over to Applejack and gave her a giant hug. Applejack, feeling the warmth of their bodies, smiled, then began to tear up.

"Applejack, dear, why are you still crying?" Rarity questioned, looking at Applejack's eyes.

"Because I'm happy," Applejack coughed, smiling at all her friends. “I really appreciate this, guys. Thank you,” she said, weakly.

“No problem,” Soarin nodded, beaming back at Applejack.

The group remained silent for a moment, continuing to hug in the cold. After a while, they let go of Applejack, then turned back toward the building to start heading inside.

Midway there, however, they heard a loud sound. It sounded like a gunshot, and it came from behind the army. It echoed a few times, then was immediately followed by another large sound:

“AUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!”

The army turned around, afraid of what they had just heard. The scream had come from a stallion. Another shot was fired, and soon after, another scream came. Somepony had just been murdered.

The ponies were horrified when they heard the sound of a body dropping to the ground.

“Oh no,” Applejack cried under her breath. “Please no.”

Following the drop, one more shot rang through the night. It pierced the silence and echoed throughout the sky. No scream followed it, though.

There was only silence.

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