The Last Cutie Mark Crusader

by Jatheus

14 Loss

Like a bolt of lightning through the night, Cloud Blazer shot across Equestria. He was moving so swiftly that he zipped right by Las Pegasus, then Philly Delphia, swung by the Crystal Empire, and then came around to hit the other coast all in a matter of seconds. The stars burned brightly overhead, and the moon was like a pale fire illuminating the land below. Turning right, he ripped past Canterlot and Cloudsdale, heading straight for Ponyville.

"Come to me!" a strange voice boomed across the darkness.

Cloud Blazer came to a complete stop, spinning around one way and then the other, looking to see who had spoken. None were nearby, and a great stillness was his only companion.

"Come to me!" the voice said again.

Cloud Blazer looked up and saw a face in the moon. It was a mare, but she didn't look like anypony he'd ever seen before. The face seemed to stare directly into his soul as his gaze was captivated by her. A shiver went through him. The moon spoke again; the voice was like a chorus.

"Come to me!"

Cloud Blazer felt pierced to his core, and he began to slowly fly straight up toward the silvery disc in the sky. He didn't seem to be moving quickly, but he arrived at the surface of it in mere moments. As he drew close, the lunar sphere was so large that it filled his vision completely. He turned back for a fleeting moment to see Equestria far below. Lights twinkled from towns, very much like stars across the countryside. Facing the moon once more, he felt a hint of trepidation as he reached out a hoof to touch it. As he made contact, his entire body burst into flames, and he burned from the inside out. The stallion screamed, crying out as the world, the moon, and the stars melted away, ending the dream.

Light was fading to darkness, and then back again. Sounds were becoming distinct and less muffled. Cloud Blazer still was unable to move to any significant degree. The pain that pulsed through him was excruciating, but his senses seemed stronger every day. So far, that was the strangest dream he’d had.

...

Scootaloo walked down the bustling streets in the city of Manehattan. It was a great relief to her that she had been cleared for the trip. She was wearing her off-duty uniform, a starched dark blue long-sleeved tunic with brass buttons and her rank insignia on the straight collar. She drew little attention from passersby on the crowded streets. She still wore a few bandages, most notably a wrap on her right fore-leg. The ankle was mending nicely, but she was still unable to put any weight on it. She moved slowly, needing to be extra cautious due to her impaired hearing. Dread began to fill her with each passing step. The memories of the past few days were vivid. The previous night, Scootaloo had dreamed of her friends that she would never see again, and then there was Cloud Blazer.

They had been close friends for so long that his absence was keenly felt. The comments and quips he would make, even his dumb morning flights would be welcome right now. He had looked so pitiful, and even though Zecora kept saying that he would recover, just one look at him was enough to fill Scootaloo with doubt and fear. As awful as it was to see him in the hospital, those visits would undoubtedly be much more pleasant than this one.

LD and Lightning Dasher had wanted to come, but Scootaloo insisted that she must do this on her own. Each step was heavier than the last. After getting lost in the streets twice, she finally found herself standing in front of a tall apartment building that was housing EUP drill instructors and cadets. It had a brown molded stone facade that stretched up into the sky. The double-doors were glass framed in dark stained wood. She went inside.

The elevator ride seemed an eternity, climbing higher and higher. The brass metal doors opened on the twenty-third floor, where Scootaloo got out. The hallway was a soft beige with a colorful carpet that bordered on gaudy. She turned right and walked down the hallway, her three good hooves silently padding on the threadbare floor. Her mouth felt dry, and she could feel her heart beating nervously. It wasn't until another pony passed her in the hallway that she realized how slowly she was walking. Wishing she hadn't chosen to do this alone, she continued on.

There it was; room number twenty-three forty-five stood directly ahead. Scootaloo took a deep breath to calm herself and then rang the bell. She heard a stirring inside and nervously shifted her stance a little. A magical glow covered the door, and the sound of the lock working could be heard. Then the door swung slowly open, and the unicorn Lighthoof stood before her wearing a fresh bandage on the stump of his right front leg. He smiled slightly when he saw her initially, but it only took a half second before a look of recognition crossed his face; his demeanor transformed, becoming rather grave. He stood aside, gesturing for her to come in.

"Welcome to my domicile, Miss Scootaloo. I must say, your appearance seems rather disheveled since we last saw each other," he said regarding her sprained ankle as she entered.

The door closed behind her. It was a small, but open sort of space. The living room and dining room were one in the same. There was a slight separation on the right by a counter that kept the kitchen apart from the other main area. There were two doors against the left wall as she entered, which she assumed were a bedroom and bathroom. Unlike the hallway, the color scheme inside was tame: white walls with new smelling industrial blue carpet.

“May I interest you in a glass of water? Are you hungry?” the stallion asked.

“Water,” Scootaloo simply replied; it was all she could do to keep breathing.

Her heart was thumping in her chest, the noise of it filled her ears as he filled the glass of water. Lighthoof magically levitated the cold glass to the mare. She took a drink from it.

"I... uh... I'm sorry," Scootaloo fumbled, not sure how to deliver this message.

She took another sip, looking down; her mouth seemed impossibly dry. When Scootaloo looked back up, Lighthoof was staring calmingly into her eyes.

"I believe I know why you have made the long journey to visit a pony as insignificant in this conflict as I. If you have indeed come for the reason that I suspect you have, then please do me the courtesy of saying what you came to say."

He had gone completely stoic, steeling himself against the worst thing he could imagine.

Taking another deep breath, she began, "I came to give you news... the worst news.” Her legs had just begun shaking. Scootaloo felt somehow simultaneously hot and cold all over. “Our mission into the forest was a success, but... the greatest cost. Several ponies were killed," the words were choking her, and she was on the verge of tears again. "I'm sorry,” she swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, “Pibs was among them." Scootaloo fought hard to hold back the tears, but a few small ones leaked out.

Anguish covered Lighthoof's face and his head hung low. He made no sound now, but Scootaloo could see that he was weeping freely. That silence made Scootaloo want to run, to get away to anywhere else. She felt incredibly sick, sad, and angry. The emotion was churning all around inside. She considered making for the door, but Lighthoof nodded and then looked up at her, his face wet from the sorrow.

"Were you with her when it happened?" It was not an accusation.

Scootaloo nodded slowly, "I was with her... at the end." Not completely true, but true enough.

He seemed somehow comforted by that, and then said, "I thank you for that small kindness, Miss Scootaloo. Death is something best done in the company of a close friend... I can tell you that you were such to my dear Pibs."

Scootaloo said, “I don’t feel like I was a great friend... I couldn’t save her.”

Lighthoof gestured to a chair, which she sat in. He sat across from her.

"She wrote to me several letters, and you were fondly mentioned in each and every one. She was losing her nerve that day in Canterlot when you reached out to her. Did you know that she was on the precipice of leaving the EUP? She had planned to simply fly away that very night, and that is the reason she was crying. She had reached the breaking point, and there was no comfort for her; it wasn't only for fear of the upcoming battle."

Scootaloo wasn't sure how to respond to this. She'd had no idea that Pibs was on the verge of going AWOL. Pibs hadn't told anyone, except Lighthoof.

"Your act of friendship changed Pibs forever. The last months of her life were more full than many of the years prior. You encouraged her, and she became a very fine mare indeed."

Scootaloo had joined him in quietly crying now; she was also shaking and glad that they were sitting down. Tears were spilling freely to the floor.

Lighthoof took a breath and continued, "Do not hold back. Weep now, dear Scootaloo. We will all miss her in the days to come."

And so she let all restraints down so the tears could fall. She couldn’t help thinking of the future that Lighthoof and Pibs wouldn’t get to have. It was bad enough the way that she’d died, but the repercussions of her passing would effect them all for years to come. They cried with each other for a great while, occasionally breaking the silence to say something about Pibs. Scootaloo recounted the entire mission at the stallion’s request; she held nothing back from him. Lighthoof seemed concerned about Cloud Blazer. Scootaloo wanted to reach out, give him a shoulder to cry on, but he never approached closer. It was nearly an hour before the tears had run their course. The stallion got up and crossed into his kitchen, took out two small glasses and a carafe filled with an amber liquid. He poured some for each of them.

"A day with news like today requires a stronger drink than water," he said, giving her a glass. "To the loved, and lost," he said, raising his glass.

"To the loved and lost," Scootaloo agreed vacantly, consuming her drink.

The liquid burned like fire in the back of her throat, causing Scootaloo to cough uncontrollably. She'd never had a drink so stout before. Lighthoof swallowed his with ease. She felt a little embarrassed at this, but the stallion paid her inexperience no attention. The warmth of the drink was now in her chest, and spreading through her body.

Recovering from the coughing fit, the mare said, "There is one final thing, and then I have to go."

"Go ahead, Miss Scootaloo.”

From her pocket, Scootaloo took the folded cloth that Pibs had been carrying. "This was... It's for you," she said, giving it to him. "Her final thoughts were of you."

He opened the napkin and saw the little purple flower, now pressed flat. Fresh tears welled up in his eyes. Scootaloo stood to leave.

“Must you go so soon?”

She was about to reply, but words stuck in her throat. Unable to speak, the mare simply nodded. Lighthoof stood, stepping toward her. He embraced the pegasus closely; she could feel his own heart pounding in his chest.

”I thank you for bringing this message to me yourself,” he said as he let go.

She nodded, straining at holding in more emotion that threatened to reduce her to uselessness again. He opened the door and let her out. Scootaloo found herself heading back to the elevator. Her tears were all dried for now, but the loss of Pibs was a deep wound. It wasn't all heaviness. She felt a little lighter now that the task at hoof was done, but her thoughts were still consumed by this when she stepped out of the building. A carriage shot by, startling Scootaloo as she was stepping out into the street. She saw it out of the corner of her eye and spun back up onto the curb, narrowly avoiding an impact.

“Watch where you’re going!” the burly pony that pulled it called out as he continued by.

The medics had told her that the hearing loss was temporary, but moments like that made her afraid that it would become permanent the hard way. The city was much less glamorous than she had expected it to be. It was overcrowded, filled with refugees that had the distinctive hungry look that Scootaloo recognized from Ponyville. A newspaper caught her eye as she stood on the curb. She put a bit into the machine to release the contents. The front page had a picture of the Wonderbolts in their uniforms. Rainbow Dash was pictured behind Spitfire and Soarin. Scootaloo had seen the photo before, but the headline was what really caught her attention, ‘Wonderbolts Raid Occupied Canterlot for Food.’ The article was mostly about how rationing of the remaining supplies had become strict. The good news was that the farms all around Manehattan and all the way down to Filly Delphia were operating again, but there wouldn't be any produce from them for several months. The grasslands had also been recovered but were so trampled that there wouldn’t be much to graze. The other focus was about the raid on Canterlot. Colonel Rainbow Dash had drawn up a plan that was led by Spitfire herself commanding Wonderbolt teams one and four. In conjunction with some support troops, they had rescued the food stores in Canterlot and taken them to a secure location in Las Pegasus.

Scootaloo's thoughts were broken as the air was pierced by Manehattan’s raid sirens. In a moment, the streets began to clear as everypony ran for cover, finding a place to get inside. Scootaloo absently dropped the paper and began charging down the street at a gallop but stopped short as pain shot through her sprained ankle. She continued as quickly as she could on three legs but finally gave up on running and spread her wings, taking to the air. She climbed up above the buildings, and a platoon of pegasus ponies bolted past her, heading west. She followed behind them. Her heart was racing, anticipating the horde of timberwolves that must be assaulting the city, but how would they have made it this far behind the outer defenses? Additionally, the city was on an island, and it was certainly not likely to be vulnerable to a massive attack. As they drew closer, Scootaloo remembered that the railroad tracks came in on the west side, so it would be the only place that a ground force could get in.

She saw the armored platoon drop suddenly, and as Scootaloo approached the edge of the row of buildings, she stopped in mid-air, hovering. There was no enemy in sight. The platoon made a low fast circle in an intersection to make their landing. There was some commotion on the ground, but there were no timberwolves. Then she saw it. A single changeling was being restrained. They had broken its horn, crippling its magical abilities, and now it was struggling to get free. Another pegasus squad flew by, one of them stopping briefly and addressing Scootaloo.

"You active duty?" he asked.

"No, sir, medical leave," she replied.

"Get inside, the situation is under control," he ordered before darting off without waiting for a response.

Scootaloo decided to heed his order, and she flew back east a few blocks and landed on a sidewalk. The raid sirens still echoed through the city, but the streets were eerily empty. She stood there a moment, and then turned to head to the closest door. A nearby shop caught her eye, and she changed course. It was a boutique. As she stepped inside, it had the look of a place that regarded high fashion. However, the racks and shelves seemed a bit bare. There were already a few dozen other ponies that had taken shelter inside.

"Are we under attack?" a frightened filly asked, having noticed Scootaloo’s uniform. She was a golden colored crystal pony with brown eyes and a bright blue mane and tail. She had no cutie mark.

Scootaloo smiled at her and said, "Don't worry. The soldiers outside are taking care of it."

The child smiled weakly, still clearly afraid. She was starting to shake beside her mother, who was a much darker gold with a pink mane. The child spoke to her mother, "Are daddy and brother with them?"

Her mother attempted an unconcerned smile, "No, dear. They've only just reported in today. They won't be in the fighting for a long time yet." The mother looked to Scootaloo in hopes that she spoke the truth.

Scootaloo smiled and nodded at them reassuringly, "It looked like only a small security concern. I'm sure we'll be out of here before you know it."

"Scootaloo?" a familiar mare’s voice said from the back of the shop. It was light, but somehow fancy.

Scootaloo stood up straight, looking to the back to see who had addressed her. The group was making room to let a beautiful white mare through. She was wearing a simple, yet elegant light blue frock with gold trim. It was Rarity, Sweetie Belle’s older sister. Her perfectly styled purple mane looked as equally fabulous as the last time that Scootaloo had seen her.

"Rarity?" the pegasus said, suddenly realizing why she’d been drawn to this shop.

It was Rarity For You, Rarity’s boutique on Saddle Row. Scootaloo could only surmise that she hadn’t put it together sooner due to the sirens and tension that was going on outside. Add to that her complete lack of expectation to find Rarity’s shop, and it made sense. The raid sirens stopped blasting. Moments later, almost as if completely unshaken by the event, everypony began exiting the boutique.

"Why, whatever are you doing here?" Rarity asked. Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "How long will you be in the city? You simply must let me show you around!"

Scootaloo was so caught off guard, she wasn't sure what to say. The fact that one of her best friends and Rarity had parted so badly was the first thing that she thought of, but that didn’t seem an appropriate subject about which to talk.

"Is something the matter, darling?" Rarity asked, genuinely concerned.

A wild idea formulated in the pegasus’ mind and began to come out of her mouth before she had time for a second thought.

"I have a message for you," Scootaloo began carefully. "It's from Sweetie Belle.” It was not.

Rarity's interest was peaked, "Well, don't just stand there. Tell me."

Scootaloo walked up to the fancy unicorn, embraced her in a big hug, and said, "I'm sorry."

Rarity seemed caught off guard, and she nearly backed away instinctively. Her tension eased, and Scootaloo let go. It was a complete lie that Scootaloo had thought up in the moment. Before the potential repercussions of it were clear to herself, she had already spoken. Normally it would be Sweetie Belle that would make a game like this, but Scootaloo would have to figure out how to work this in a way that they would start talking again. The falling out they’d had was a bitter one. Siblings shouldn’t quarrel.

"Well, thank you, dear,” Rarity said gracefully to cover the awkward moment. "I hope you don't mind my saying; you look simply dreadful. Have you been in the thick of the fighting to be injured so? And your poor mane!”

Scootaloo snorted a laugh. "Yes ma'am; in her majesty’s service in the EUP, cosmetic concerns are secondary."

Rarity smiled broadly. As usual, it was impossible for Scootaloo to discern whether it was genuine or a facade. Rarity was gifted that way. Scootaloo did not miss the quick glance that the fancy mare made at her flank, obviously noticing that she still lacked a cutie mark. It didn’t bother her from Rarity; she knew it wouldn’t come up in conversation.

“But to answer your questions,” Scootaloo said, “I’m only here for the day on personal business, which I've already taken care of. I have to report back to Ponyville by midday tomorrow.”

"Then I absolutely insist that you spend the evening with me!” Rarity insisted. “I can show you around the city, and there are one or two places where a decent, if not tiny, meal can still be found.”

Scootaloo hesitated.

Rarity put on a pouty face, “Oh, please say you will! It’s been ages since I’ve seen anypony from back home, and I do miss everypony so! You must get me up to date on the latest gossip!”

Scootaloo knew she had the time, and the distraction might be helpful.

“I’d like that,” the pegasus replied.

Scootaloo and Rarity spent the rest of the day together. There were really too many sights to take in for Scootaloo to even process everything she'd seen. There was the free market, with a statue of a warhorse on one end of street, and a mule on the other end. There was the bay, and the Statue of Equestrian Liberty that faced east toward the sunrise. They weren't able to go see the face of it as travel in the bay was restricted. There were novelty shops, shows, and of course the fashion shops. Rarity became incredibly giddy when they got to fashion. It was a little bit sad to Scootaloo that there were not actually many dresses to look at. Not that she was much on fashion herself, but a girl likes to dress up now and then. They all had the same lack of variety that Scootaloo had witnessed in Rarity’s boutique. There were magazines with examples in plenty, but the war effort had stripped many businesses of the supplies to create new things. Rarity explained that the textile industry was in full gear supporting the military, so everything was hard to come by. The other thing that was missing was food. Rarity pointed out that there were usually street vendors selling all kinds of things on any given corner, but ever since the war got bad and rationing took effect, they hadn't been out and about. They did find some delicious, if not diminutive, dinner in the late afternoon. As dusk approached, Rarity insisted that Scootaloo stay with her for the night.

"It won't exactly be a party. I'm afraid I don't have the necessary supplies to justify calling it that, but I do have a small tub of chocolate frosting that I've been saving for a special occasion."

Scootaloo felt a little embarrassed, "Rarity, I can't take your last chocolate."

"Oh, don't be silly! We're going to share it. Special moments are best shared with friends, and I don't get to see dear friends often these days.”

Scootaloo felt rather honored and humbled by the sentiment; she smiled, "Okay."

Rarity's apartment was in a high-rise overlooking the bay. It was just high enough to see over the top of the other buildings so there was a clear view of the statue. Those eastward facing windows were nearly floor to ceiling at one end of the living room. It was very much like having a wall that was made of glass.

"That's quite a view," Scootaloo said.

"Don't you just love it?" Rarity asked, pleased. "I never was much of a morning Pony, but the sunrises here are simply divine!”

Scootaloo looked around the apartment, which was spacious, though not compared to the houses in Ponyville, but it seemed to be missing something. It had a small kitchen and two bedrooms, one of which Rarity had converted to a craft room. There was also a bathroom and the main living room, which had a breakfast nook. It was large compared to Lighthoof’s flat, but that wasn’t saying much. As Scootaloo looked around, she realized that it was the furnishings that were lacking. Considering how Rarity typically decorated, this was incredibly plain. Scootaloo turned to Rarity, who had pulled the small tub of chocolate frosting and two spoons from her cupboards.

"It's just dreadful isn't it?" Rarity asked.

Tilting her head to one side, Scootaloo asked, "What is?"

"The decor," Rarity answered. “I’m afraid I donated every last scrap of it for the war effort. You know, I had no idea how many bandages could be made from my own small stash of silk.”

Scootaloo giggled like a kid. Rarity's gaze snapped to her, and then her questioning expression melted into amusement, and she giggled herself. They started on the chocolate, which was, as Rarity would say, divine. It was creamy and rich, but not too sweet. It was the very taste of perfection itself in a blend of delightful creamy ecstasy. They consumed it in silence, savoring every moment. This was only the second sweet thing Scootaloo had eaten in at least three months. The last, at Diamond Tiara's house, was somehow much less desirable. It was doubtful that the quality of the Ponyville mayor’s dessert was the reason for this. Scootaloo decided that a tub of chocolate with a friend is better than the finest confectionaries money can buy.

As they finished cleaning the tub out, Rarity asked, "So, tell me, how is Sweetie Belle getting along?"

"I saw her yesterday," Scootaloo began. She then told the story from the beginning: how they had come to Ponyville, searched the forest for Zecora and Sweetie Belle, been ambushed by timberwolves, and then about Cloud Blazer's fall. Then, Sweetie Belle had arrived, and was tending to Cloud Blazer's wounds in Ponyville. Scootaloo did spare the more gory details.

"I must say, that is quite a story," Rarity said. "I'm so sorry to hear how you lost your friends."

Scootaloo nodded silently; the raw emotion for Regal Masquerade, Pibs, and Nimba stole anything further she might have said.

"Well, I'm rather relieved to hear that Sweetie Belle's back in Ponyville. The Everfree forest was dreadful even before the war began," Rarity said, tossing her head back a little.

"Yeah, but we always managed to be going in there for some reason or another," Scootaloo pointed out.

"Indeed," Rarity said.

There was silence for a long moment. Darkness had overshadowed the city outside.

“It used to be a huge secret, but did you know that Sweetie Belle used to have the biggest crush on Cloud Blazer?” Rarity asked in a mischievous tone.

“Really?” that news was actually a surprise. “Huh, I never saw that one coming.”

Rarity nodded, “Of course, she had sworn me to secrecy, but that was years ago.”

Scootaloo remembered how the unicorn hadn’t left Cloud Blazer’s side since he’d been hurt and how she had gently stroked his mane. She could only wonder whether she might still have feelings for him. It just seemed so unlikely. Sweetie Belle had never mentioned it, not once. Rarity had a look of expectation on her face as though she were waiting for Scootaloo to return the favor with some juicy bit of gossip. Not sure what else to say, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Applejack’s pregnant.”

Rarity’s mouth hung open for a moment in complete shock. She uttered a noise that was an attempt at words, but like an engine that is failing to start, she just stuttered for a moment. The fancy unicorn quickly regained her composure.

“Well congratulations for that! How far along is she?”

“I’m not exactly sure,” Scootaloo replied. “The weird part is, they don’t seem to want to talk about it that much. She has to be six or seven months by the look of her.”

Rarity raised an accusatory eyebrow, “You mean to tell me that one of my dear friends has been carrying a foal for seven months and never said anything?”

“You’re telling me. I was in Ponyville for most of that time and nopony told me either. Pretty weird, don’t you think?” Scootaloo was pleased that she found some appropriate gossip.

“Indeed. You know, I haven’t seen Applejack since her wedding. How long has that been? Two years?”

Scootaloo nodded, “I get to see her almost every day for the moment. Ponyville has a lot of soldiers living there now. Applejack has been housing my squad.”

“I see.”

The thought of her squad gave Scootaloo an idea.

"Rarity, can I ask a favor of you?"

"Of course, darling, anything!”

"I need something for a friend, and I think your talents would be perfect for it.”

Rarity looked inquisitively at Scootaloo, curious as to what she could possibly want.

...

Sparklefly rubbed her bandaged left eye. Her stomach was growling, and hers wasn't the only one. LD and Lightning Dasher looked hungry as well. They had been expecting Scootaloo to be back by nightfall, but she still hadn't returned from Manehattan. There were no longer any Pegasus ponies trying to clear the air, which made it apparent how successful their efforts had been. Save for a small CAP, the entire force of pegasi and been ordered to search the Everfree forest for signs of the princesses. The five princesses being missing was unsettling, but surely nothing could have happened to them. Alicorns are far more powerful than timberwolves, and even the changelings couldn't overpower five of them. This didn’t even consider the fact that Discord was with them.

The squad coughed all the way back to Sweet Apple Acres after their morning visit to the infirmary. The orchard looked even more pitiful in the haze that blanketed Ponyville. They were going to have to clear the smoke and get some rain coming down if they hoped to replant anything soon. It wasn’t the right season to plant the apple trees, but they also have some smaller fields closer to town that had a variety of other foods. They'll need plenty of sunlight and water. Growing up in Apple Loosa, Sparklefly had to help whenever it was time to change the weather. Her dad taught her how when she became strong enough to fly. More than that, he'd taught her about the plowing and planting. She knew farming. As a filly, she was less than enthusiastic, but lately, she very much missed weather duty.

As they got near the gate, they passed Silver Spoon as she was leaving the farm. A flustered disposition seemed apparent by the way she walked. She did not speak to them, and just as she passed, Sparklefly could hear Applejack yelling from the barn, "...and don't come back!"

"That can't be good," Sparklefly said.

LD and Lightning Dasher exchanged a nervous glance.

"Come on!" Sparklefly ordered, and she started off at a gallop. LD and Lightning Dasher hurried along behind her. The smoke-filled air burned in her lungs, but they quickly reached the barn, going straight inside.

Applejack was stamping at the ground and fuming in the way that only a pregnant mare can do. Apple Bloom was sitting on a galvanized metal bucket with a look of complete and utter shock on her face.

Sparklefly began cautiously, "Applejack, is everything alright?"

"Alright? Alright! They're taking our orchard!" she barked, brandishing an official looking piece of paper. "No, ain’t nothin’ alright just now!"

"But they can't; they just can't!" Apple Bloom insisted.

"Yeah, well, they are," Applejack shot back, throwing the paper to the ground. "Bunch of good for nothin’...” she kicked an empty bucket that crashed into some tools leaning against the wall. Sparklefly couldn't hear what Applejack was saying as the tools clattered into each other and to the ground, but it was certainly unkind.

”What can we do?" Sparklefly asked.

Apple Bloom was still in shock, "They just can’t.”

"Ain't nothin' we can do," Applejack said, a little more calm now, but still seething. "The order gives the mayor of Ponyville permission to take anypony's land."

LD asked, "The order was signed?"

"By Twilight Sparkle?" Lightning Dasher finished.

"It was," Applejack replied.

"I can't believe this was what she intended," Sparklefly said.

Applejack answered, "Intended or not, this is what's happening, and there ain't a thing we can do about it."

"They just can’t...”

"Will you shut up, Apple Bloom!" Applejack snapped, stomping toward her. "They just are, so get over yourself and face this. We've lost Sweet Apple Acres; it's going to be an oat farm now."

LD and Lightning Dasher moved in front of Apple Bloom as Applejack approached. "Knock it off!" they yelled in unison.

Applejack got right up to them, "Don't you dare tell me how to behave in my own house!" They didn't budge.

Sparklefly was trying to think of something, anything she could do to diffuse the situation. "Applejack," she said softly, "what if-"

Applejack turned and stomped loudly out of the barn, cutting off Sparklefly. She went out into the hazy day, and kicked the barn door shut so hard that it slammed with a bang. Apple Bloom started crying. LD and Lightning Dasher turned around to face her.

"Shh," LD said, "Don't cry."

"We'll figure something out," Lightning Dasher finished.

Sparklefly picked up the signed order that Applejack had thrown on the ground. 'By order of her majesty, The Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle,'

'Authority is hereby given to the Mayor of Ponyville to appropriate such land is suitable and necessary for the planting of crops for the duration of the timberwolf crisis, and as long thereafter as is necessary for the replanting of the other farms across Equestria. Furthermore, the commanding officer of the EUP forces in Ponyville, as much as it will not interfere with his military duties, shall offer any and all assistance to the Mayor of Ponyville in the execution of her plan to make emergency farmland for the duration of the war.'

Sparklefly shook her head. The way the order had been written, it was completely at the mayor's discretion which land to choose. They might be able to challenge it on the grounds of being necessary, but with the absence of the princess that wrote the order, it would be impossible to get any clarification on that point. General Mane Crusher didn't seem likely to be sympathetic to their cause either.

"Apple Bloom," Sparklefly began, "Is the land surrounding Ponyville, outside Sweet Apple Acres, suitable for farming also?"

Still crying, Apple Bloom nodded. She started drying her eyes.

"At least the order isn't permanent, right?" Sparklefly was trying to look at the bright side.

Apple Bloom said, "But you don't understand; if we don't replant the apple trees now, we'll lose at least a year. It takes apple trees three to five years to grow up enough to produce." She sniffled a little, then noticed how close LD and Lightning Dasher were. She turned away a little, grunting at them.

LD and Lightning Dasher stood back from her. Apple Bloom continued, "If we don't get the apple trees producing, as soon as we can, we'll go broke for sure once this is all over. Who'd want to buy oats from Sweet Apple Acres?"

Sparklefly sighed, looking at the order again, as if it would magically change. "Can we plant the apple trees before they have a chance to sew the oats?"

"They're coming tomorrow morning," Apple Bloom said. "They'll have thousands of soldiers planting the oat seed. We haven't even been able to clear the dead trees off yet."

She looked from LD, to Lightning Dasher, and then to Apple Bloom again, but it was hopeless. This was a problem that was just beyond their ability to fix. Sparklefly slowly walked out of the barn into the smoky day. She rubbed at her eye bandage while looking out at the remains of the orchard through the haze. There must be an answer. There must be something that they can do to help the Apple family.

"Hey Sparklefly!" a voice called from above.

Sparklefly looked up just in time to drop to the ground for fear of being hit as Scootaloo flew by only inches overhead. She began laughing uproariously.

"Where have you been?" Sparklefly barked at her as she regained her hooves and dusted herself off.

"I had to go to the infirmary to check in," Scootaloo came down for a landing.

"We just came from there."

"They barely even looked at me. They sent me off about as soon as they saw me."

"Sometimes I wish I could do that," Sparklefly teased; she wasn’t that upset, but her friend deserved a ribbing after that stunt.

"Ha, ha."

"We've got a big problem," Sparklefly said as LD, Lightning Dasher, and Apple Bloom came out of the barn.

It only took a glance for Scootaloo to ask, ”What's wrong, Apple Bloom?"

"They're going to take the farm away," Apple Bloom said, still on the verge of tears.

“Wait, what? Who’s taking the farm away?”

“The city...”

Scootaloo looked to be instantly enraged, "Oh no they're not!"

Sparklefly gave the signed order to Scootaloo; her eyes quickly scanned the words.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Scootaloo screamed, her anger boiling. "I was there; she never said anything about Sweet Apple Acres. That cheap, lying... I'm going to kill her!"

Scootaloo began to storm off on three hooves, but LD and Lightning Dasher grabbed a hold of her.

“Easy LT!” LD and Lightning Dasher spoke as one.

Both Apple Bloom and Sparklefly ran in front of her. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what sort of trouble would ensue if they didn’t calm her down, not that Sparklefly believed for a second that she would actually murder Diamond Tiara.

"Hold on there!" Apple Bloom said.

"Let me go!" Scootaloo spat.

"Don't be crazy," Sparklefly said emphatically. "You can't threaten the mayor!"

"I'm not going to threaten. We're past threats." Scootaloo spoke harshly. Her anger had already made her mind too foggy for reason.

Sparklefly tried a different approach as Scootaloo struggled with LD and Lightning Dasher, "We definitely need to act, and fast, but this is not the way."

"Okay, fine," Scootaloo said as she ceased her struggle. "I won't kill the mayor." LD and Lightning Dasher let go. "I'll just pound on her a bit," Scootaloo said, attempting to dash forward, but they caught her again.

This back and forth went on for several minutes before Scootaloo finally calmed down. They all went into the house to get out of the haze, where they found Applejack, Big McIntosh, Pinkie Pie, and the Cakes sitting at the table. The expression they were all wearing clearly indicated to Sparklefly that Applejack had already told them the news. It was a bit distressing to see Pinkie Pie so still. In Sparklefly's experience, she was always so... bouncy. The foals were playing elsewhere in the house, their joy was quite the contrast to the adults’ sorrow.

“Applejack," Scootaloo said, "I just heard..."

Applejack nodded.

They all stayed around the table for a while in silence. Everyone looked as depressed about this news as Sparklefly felt.

"We've got to do something," Scootaloo said.

"We are all kinds of open to suggestions on that point," Big McIntosh replied.

“Yep,” Applejack added.

Sparklefly said, "There aren't enough of us to replant the entire orchard this afternoon, and even if there were, the trees wouldn't grow up fast enough to keep them from being uprooted tomorrow."

"That's about the size of it; besides, it ain’t planting season yet for apple trees anyway,“ Big McIntosh concluded.

“Yep,” Applejack agreed.

"There has got to be a way," Scootaloo insisted. "Even if we can ride out the oats or whatever they're going to plant, there's got to be a way to come out with the orchard."

"We just don't have the money," Big McIntosh countered. "We're in a heap of trouble as it is. All the pigs and chicken were slaughtered by the timberwolves, and we practically gave away the last of our apples to keep the town from starving. Sure, they ain’t gonna take Sweet Apple Acres from us as long as they need us to work it, but after the war is over..." he didn't finish the thought; he didn’t have to. “We've got one cellar full of cider that we bottled after last season, but I reckon that won't be near enough to keep us afloat for long."

“Yep.”

The room grew silent again. Try as she might, Sparklefly couldn’t think of a way out of this. Her heart went out to them, and she knew she wanted to help. But what could be done?

"What about the zap apples?" Apple Bloom asked.

Everypony looked at her.

"Zap apples," Applejack said, as if she was trying to put something together.

“What are zap apples?” Sparklefly inquired.

“Those trees are gone, little sis,” Big McIntosh said somberly.

“I know that! But they’re magic; didn't Granny Smith tell me one time that she planted them when she was a little filly, and they grew up into full sized trees right before her eyes?"

"She told that story more than once the way I remember," Applejack said, her spirit returning to her.

Lightning Dasher asked, "Do we have seeds for these, zap, apples?"

The Apples all hung their heads in unison as Big McIntosh said, "Nope."

Scootaloo said, "So we need the seeds.”

“Where do they grow?" Sparklefly asked.

"Granny Smith said she found them in the Everfree Forest," Apple Bloom answered.

"We'll need permission to go out there.”

"You're not going into the forest," Scootaloo replied. "You can't fly on that wing just yet, and it's still far to dangerous. LD, Lightning Dasher, and I can handle this."

The Dashers nodded in unison.

Mr. Cake spoke next, "Even if we get out there the rest of the day, are there enough of us to plant the zap apples and have them grown up before tomorrow?"

Pinkie Pie leapt out of her chair and onto the table; her hooves clattering against the wood startled everyone, "Sounds like it's time for a party!"

"Not now, Pinkie Pie," Applejack scolded. "We're trying to save the orchard."

"Well duh!" Pinkie Pie replied. "What do you have at a party?"

There was a moment of silence, but then everypony started to humor her.

"Cake?" Mrs. Cake said.

"Food?" Both LD and Lightning Dasher spoke together.

"Presents?" Apple Bloom suggested.

Sparklefly asked, "Decorations?"

"Knowing you, a party cannon," Scootaloo said.

"Yep,” Big McIntosh agreed.

"You guys are silly!" Pinkie Pie said. "The number one thing you have at a party is guests!"

"Guests," Applejack said as she began to understand Pinkie Pie's meaning.

"Guests!" Pinkie Pie shouted, jumping off of the table and landing by Applejack.

"Lots of guests," Apple Bloom said.

"Oh my gosh, yes! Lots of fun-having, seed-planting, want-to-help-you-save-the-orchard guests!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"A save Sweet Apple Acres party?” Sparklefly asked.

Scootaloo nodded at everyone, "This could work; great thinking, Pinkie Pie. LD, Lightning Dasher, you're with me. The rest of you have a lot of invitations to get out."

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack said. "Big Mac, take charge of clearing the zap apple field. The Cakes will help you. I’ll stay here to organize the cleanup,” she acknowledged her large belly, “I can’t really do any liftin’. Pinkie Pie, I want you, Sparklefly, and Apple Bloom to start inviting guests. Get as many as you can as fast as you can."

"Oh, maybe I can use an invitation cannon!" Pinkie Pie said enthusiastically.

"There ain't no time for that, Pinkie," Applejack said, "And no singing invitations, neither!"

"Aww!" Pinkie Pie sounded her disappointment.

"Even if we get the zap apple trees grown up, we never know when they'll bear fruit until the timberwolves start a howlin'." Applejack noted.

"One thing at a time," Scootaloo said. "Let's get moving!"

Everypony rose from the table and went about to their tasks. Sparklefly felt a bit of hope kindled inside herself that was shared amongst them all.

...

"I'm not sure what to make of it," Captain Swiftlight answered the General.

The SAR teams had brought back their initial reports from the Everfree forest, and that wasn't all. The devastation they described simply defied belief. Several miles in any direction from the center of the blast, everything was dead. All that was left was ash, dust, and a massive crater in the ground. The epicenter was reported to be something amazing indeed. The ground had turned to glass from the heat of the explosion. The SAR teams also reported that the destruction went almost from the edge of the Ghastly Gorge all the way to the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters on the other side of the forest.

In addition to information, one of the SAR teams had brought quite a mystery. Near the center of the crater, they found a pink glowing sphere. It was about the size of a beach ball, giving off heat, and heavy for its size. The first who had touched it had received a shock and been thrown backward. Medics had already cleared him, no permanent damage. They had finally managed to move the relic by rigging up straps to lift it without getting too close. It took three pegasi to get it off the ground. Swiftlight had never seen anything like it.

“Just as I thought,” a brown unicorn with a white blaze on his forehead spoke.

His horn glowed yellow with magical energy as he examined the object.

“What is it, Quick Quill?” the general asked.

The unicorn didn’t answer, but pushed his glasses up as he continued probing the artifact for information. Swiftlight smiled to himself, knowing that Mane Crusher would likely begin cursing at any moment for having been ignored.

“Well, I can’t say with complete certainty,” Quick Quill finally answered. “However, it is not dangerous.”

“Just how, ‘not dangerous’, is it?” the general asked.

“Completely harmless,” the unicorn said confidently.

“It shocked one of the members of our SAR,” Swiftlight replied.

“Well, mostly harmless. I suspect it is nothing more than slag.” He glanced up at the bewildered looks from the other two. “Magic residue,” he explained, “probably just the last remnant of the energy from the mirror pool.”

“Is there any chance it can still duplicate timberwolves?”

Quick Quill shrugged, “I wouldn’t be concerned about it. Most likely it will burn itself out eventually.”

Mane Crusher looked intently at the object again, "Take it down to the cellar and post a guard. I want at least ten guarding this thing at any time," General Mane Crusher ordered.

"Affirmative," Swiftlight replied.

“If you’ll allow me,” Quick Quill said.

He used his magic to levitate the orb. Swiftlight noticed there was some strain involved as he walked out of the room with it hovering just behind him.

As soon as he had made his exit, Mane Crusher said, “That’s the only magic expert you could find?”

“Did I say expert?” Swiftlight shrugged, “I think expert might be a bit of a strong word. But he has traveled from one end of Equestria to the other, so he’s seen a lot of strange stuff. If you want a more expert analysis, we could send for Starlight Glimmer or that friend of hers in the Crystal Empire, but it could take them days to get here. Quick Quill was available.”

The general nodded without otherwise replying. The black earth pony quickly set about making the requested arrangements to safeguard the slag. Getting things done was Swiftlight's specialty. Ever since becoming Mane Crusher's aide, he hadn't seen much fighting, at least not up close. He was always involved behind the scenes supporting any effort instead. They set up a stone pillar, and placed the orb on it with a sign warning ponies to not touch it. The cellar was dark, but the orb glowed brightly enough that it lit the space with a faint pink light. Looking around, it was evident that the repairs had been completed. One wall had new stone that didn’t quite match the old. Satisfied once the guards were in place, Swiftlight exited the cellar.

Having returned to CIC, Swiftlight began compiling paperwork that would need to be signed. Some days it seemed that there were more papers to sign than enemies to fight. The supply list was looking pretty good. The food rationing was tight, but it would be enough to keep everypony alive through the summer. If they could just hold the farmland through harvest, they'd buy themselves another year. Then there were post action reports from every unit down to squads in their corps. Swiftlight felt that Mane Crusher was a tactical genius. It was his battle plan that had liberated Ponyville. He had also been on the staff that drew up their strategy to strike out from Manehattan. Swiftlight had been scared, not that he'd admit that to anypony else, but the general's confidence was reassuring. He could see the layout and know the outcome of the battle before the action began. Now that the massive numbers of timberwolves were cut off from further multiplication, the EUP had a real chance at victory. All they had to do is survive and keep the timberwolves out of the cities. Surviving might be the hardest part. The food stores had been as evenly distributed as possible, with the exception of the recent stockpile in Las Pegasus, but rationing was the only sensible course of action from one end of Equestria to the other.

Mane Crusher was pouring over maps and receiving updated reports on all fronts. He was writing up plans for different actions they might take, and he was also studying the defensive capabilities of every major city in Equestria. This was a constant endeavor of his: running scenarios of actions from this side or that, changing the number of forces attacking and defending, throwing in unexpected turns in the battle. As a strategist, one must continually be thinking about such things. He was also well read, especially in histories of warfare.

The paperwork consumed Swiftlight's entire morning. After their lunch ration, Swiftlight was getting sleepy from the endless drudgery. There was something else on his mind as well.

Swiftlight yawned silently and said, "Sir, permission to take thirty and find some coffee?"

Without looking up, the general said, "Granted. Bring me one."

"Affirmative," Swiftlight replied.

Stretching as he stood felt wonderful. He walked out of CIC at a brisk pace in order to outrun the sleepiness that was following him. The hazy smoke choking Ponyville seemed a little less today. It was still thick, and blocking the entire sky, but there was now a noticeable bright spot where the sun was hiding. The first day after that explosion it had been anypony’s guess as to what time it might have been, short of finding a clock of course. Coughing occasionally as he went, Swiftlight trotted through the empty streets of Ponyville, looking for the coffee house. This was the first time since arriving that his duties had been light enough to allow this. Swiftlight had been careful to not ask for time to see her. By his estimate, it had probably been nearly seven years since she left Van Hoover to start a business in Ponyville. As Swiftlight had joined the military shortly thereafter, he hadn't had an opportunity to visit once she got her shop up and running.

Swiftlight came around the corner and saw the coffee-house. It was a small two-story structure with a living space on the second floor. These houses were typical in Ponyville. A large wooden sign hung above the door, swaying slightly in the almost non-existent breeze. On it was a carved relief of a coffee mug, and a single word in dark green: Java's. He pushed on the wooden door, which creaked open with ease causing the bell to ring, and he stepped inside. As the door shut behind him, he heard the low talking of the other patrons. There were several ponies inside, but it was a light crowd given the number of empty chairs that were available. There was a bar with stools on the far end, and working to make an order was the very mare he'd been looking for, Java Chip herself.

Swiftlight had thought Java Chip was beautiful from the first day he'd seen her when they were teenagers. They'd met in a rock-climbing group that was scaling the peaks near Van Hoover. She was a beige-colored earth pony with small brown spots, like freckles in patches here and there. There was the cutest cluster of them accenting her nose, below her hazel eyes. Her mane and tail were light brown and curly. A ceramic cup filled with coffee beans emblazoned her flank, so the coffee-house came as no surprise. Sharing an interest in climbing, they spent much time together afterward, either actually climbing or planning their next trip. Then there was the time that they went caving. They only attempted this once; it was such an unpleasant experience that neither of them ever spoke of it afterwards. Swiftlight had missed Java Chip since she left, and the letters had been few and far between. They had just lost contact at some point. He never lost the desire to see her again, but this was the first opportunity that had presented itself. He was glad to be part of the force that saved Ponyville; it made him feel heroic, as if he had charged in to her rescue.

"Order's up!" she called out, placing two steaming hot drinks on the bar.

One of her machines started flooding steam into the air. She spun around an smacked it hard on the side with her hoof, which resulted in a loud bang. The steam stopped pouring out of it, and she turned back around, noticing Swiftlight. It was as if she didn't recognize him at first, but he saw in her eyes that moment when she knew she'd seen him before, and a moment later she put it together. She smiled at him; he loved her smile.

"It's been a long time," she said.

"Hi, Java," he replied. "How are you liking the coffee business?"

"It's good. How have you been?"

"Oh, you know; this hero stuff is hard work," he answered. She rolled her eyes at him. “Mock all you want; I saw you all hiding in the castle when we showed up to save the day."

"You're so heroic," she said flatly, dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, well, if everypony could do it, I'm sure they would."

"What can I get you?" she asked.

"Give me two mediums with cream to go."

"Have a seat," she said, turning back to her machines.

The one that had belched steam before was now seeping a little again. She ignored it as she prepared the drinks for him. The door opened, causing the bell to faithfully make its sound again. A young mare with a pink bow in her mane walked in.

"Welcome to Java's; I'll be right with you," Java Chip called over her shoulder without looking back.

“Hi, everypony, I’ve got a request for y'all," the young yellow mare said loudly but nervously into the air, addressing the entire coffee shop. She had a genuine country accent.

Several of them looked up at her. Swiftlight only gave a glance before turning back to watch Java Chip work.

“We just got word that the mayor is trying to take over Sweet Apple Acres." Java Chip stopped her drink preparation, turning around to hear better. Her face was filled with a mix of concern and rage. The young mare continued, "There was an order written by Princess Twilight that gives the mayor the authority to choose any land she wants for the duration of the war to plant crops, but if we don't replant our apple trees, we'll go broke once the war is over. The soldiers are coming tomorrow to clear the land." This got Swiftlight's attention. She continued, "If we're going to save the orchard, we need your help.”

"What do you need us to do, miss...?” Java Chip asked.

“Apple Bloom. We need everypony that is able to come to Sweet Apple Acres today to help us clear the land to replant the zap apple orchard," Apple Bloom replied.

"What difference will that make?" Swiftlight asked, looking in her direction.

"Zap apples are magic. When you plant them, they grow up into full grown trees just like that,” Apple Bloom answered. “We can’t stop them from using the parts of the orchard that are destroyed, but if we can get the zap apples growing again, it could make all the difference for us.”

"Sounds like a waste of time," Swiftlight said, turning back around. He caught Java Chip's gaze, and she glared at him.

"I will come," Java Chip replied. "And half off drinks the next time I'm open for anypony else that helps at Sweet Apple Acres today."

The room began buzzing excitedly from everypony except Swiftlight. Apple Bloom's mouth dropped open in shock, but she looked pleased. Swiftlight rolled his eyes.

"You're gonna drive yourself broke, Java," he teased.

"Some ponies are worth that risk," she replied flatly.

Apple Bloom approached the counter. "Thank you so much for this," she said. "I can't tell you how much it means to my family."

"Forget it," Java Chip answered.

"What, like you forgot my drinks?" Swiftlight said.

Without a word being needed, Java Chip communicated her mood quite effectively through a glance. She was miffed by his joke.

"I'll be over as soon as I can get this place closed up," Java Chip said to Apple Bloom. "I need to put a sign out so everypony else knows to come help for a discount on coffee."

"See you later!" Apple Bloom said, practically skipping out of the coffee shop.

Swiftlight sighed, looking longingly at his drink that Java Chip was just finishing up. She slid them to him.

"That'll be six bits," she said.

"Six bits? I thought I was your friend," he whined.

"Six bits," she said again.

"I did save the town yesterday," he countered.

"Look, either pay or steal the drinks; either way, I need to close,” she spoke in a dry tone that sounded incredibly annoyed.

Java Chip turned suddenly and stomped quickly to the door, turning the open sign around. The other patrons were all making their way out as she shut down the bar and made her discount coffee sign. Swiftlight sat there with his drinks watching her. This was not going at all like he'd imagined it. Sure, they'd had arguments before, but this seemed to just happen out of nowhere. Placing seven bits on the counter, he decided that he better try to apologize before it got any worse.

"Hey, listen, I didn't mean any-"

"Yes you did," she cut him off. "You meant every word," she said hotly, throwing down a dirty rag under the counter.

Well, apologizing wasn't working, so now what? They were alone.

"I can't have you coming in here and being rude to my customers."

He instinctively defended, ”Well, it’s not like she bought anything. Besides she did-"

"No!" Java Chip yelled. "No 'she did', or 'it wasn't me', or 'I didn't mean', or anything like that. You were rude, and it is unacceptable; end of discussion," she spat back.

Taking the drinks, he walked to the door. As he exited, he said, "Whatever," in Java Chip's direction and continued on. 'That was some fine thanks for how I helped save the city,' he thought to himself as he walked through the smoke-filled air. He was taking shallow breaths at first, but by the time he got back to the castle, he was coughing from the smoke anyway. He waited to drink until he got back inside, and the coffee helped. It was hot, and creamy, and deliciously bitter. He returned to CIC, delivering Mane Crusher's drink.

"Thank you," the general said when he saw the coffee. He immediately picked it up and took a long slow drink from it. He set it down, seeming satisfied. A little of the foam was caught in his mustache, but he quickly wiped it with a cloth he had pulled from a pocket. "New orders," the general said to Swiftlight, giving him a paper.

Swiftlight quickly read over it, 'From Shining Armor, Field Marshall of Her Majesty’s Armies, Prince of Canterlot, and Steward of Equestria, to all field army and corps commanders. We have achieved a difficult thing in the retaking of as much farm land as we have before spring. Our strategy will continue as planned, in that we will commit all of our forces to hold this ground in efforts to raise sufficient crops with which to feed the population through the next winter. We shall continue to raise armies to assist with such defenses, and should all go well, we'll be in a better position to strike out in an offensive as early as next summer. Well done all. On behalf and in place of her royal majesty, Princess Celestia, Prince Shining Armor.'

"Well, I'm glad to see all of our training will be put to good use," Swiftlight commented as he tossed the paper down on the table.

Mane Crusher snorted. "We have enough of a force here to retake Canterlot. We need to have a more aggressive posture."

Swiftlight nodded, "Even if we have a good growing season, we've barely recovered enough land to feed every pony."

"We've had the enemy on defense for the first time these last two weeks. Now is the time to press our advantage. We should push south to Apple Loosa instead of waiting to be attacked again.”

"What is he thinking?"

The general sighed. ”He's just too afraid of losing what we've regained," Mane Crusher said, taking another drink from his coffee. "We're going to regret this later."

They sat quietly for a moment. Reports were still coming in from the SAR teams searching the Everfree Crater, as they were now calling it. Nothing else substantial had been found, but the smoke was still rather thick, making search efforts difficult. The forest all around the edge was still burning freely. Swiftlight got back into his paperwork, rejuvenated from the coffee. The work went much faster, and nearly an hour later, he was almost done.

A scout burst into CIC and saluted. He was winded and drenched in sweat. "Urgent report from Las Pegasus," he said.

Mane Crusher regarded him a moment and said, "Go ahead."

"Sir, Las Pegasus is under heavy attack by enemy forces of unknown strength, tens of thousands. Commander Swift Justice is requesting all available aid. The outer defenses are still holding, but there are confirmed sightings of changelings all across the line. It's turned into a firefight down there. That is all."

"Take some rest, we'll send a return scout," Mane Crusher replied calmly.

"Thank you, sir," the scout said, saluting.

Mane Crusher's normally-stoic expression looked somehow even more stern as he looked at the map.

"About three hours to fly, nearly seven hours by rail," he said quietly, as if speaking to himself. "Swiftlight!"

"Sir?"

"Send word to Las Pegasus: message understood, please continue to send updates as to your disposition. That is all."

"Affirmative," Swiftlight answered. He quickly found a scout to deliver the message and sent him off.

"Another thing," Mane Crusher said as Swiftlight returned. "Recall all SAR teams from Everfree."

"We're abandoning the search? What of the princesses?" Swiftlight asked.

"In the event that any action is required, they'll need to be rested. We've had nearly nine-thousand pegasi searching the blast radius for any sign of them, and so far they have found nothing conclusive. If they were down there, we should have had some sign. Our resources can be better spent elsewhere," he replied dryly.

"Affirmative," Swiftlight said again. He was unsettled about ceasing SAR operations to say the least, but the general was right. This could only mean that they had either been killed or captured; a shiver ran through the stallion.

"Set all able personnel on standby alert. I want the entire corps ready to move. And get Captain Brax in here,” Mane Crusher ordered.

CIC, which had seemed rather calm only moments before, was transformed as aides and officers were seeing to their duties. Swiftlight was becoming accustomed to this kind of energy. It is the way it always felt in the hours leading up to a battle.

...

Scootaloo was relieved when they'd been granted permission to pass beyond the outermost checkpoints. They were now skirting the northern end of the Everfree Forest, heading south. They didn't know where they might best find zap apple trees, but this approach afforded them the advantage of clean air. The smoke was moving more westward of this position, directly into Ponyville due to the same east wind that covered the town with smoke. It was a warm spring day, but uncommonly humid. The air seemed fresh now that they were out of the haze, and the scents of the different flowers and trees of the forest were dancing across their olfactory senses.

"So what do zap apples even look like?" Lightning Dasher asked.

LD added, "I was thinking the same thing."

"They are shaped like regular apples," Scootaloo answered, her eyes and ears focused on anything that might threaten the three ponies. She could still hear the ringing that seemed to grow more faint by the hour. "The main difference is the colorful stripes on them. They are patterned like a rainbow."

There had not been sight nor sound of even a single timberwolf. The forest was quiet, but for the insects and birds. By comparison the trio of ponies made quite a lot of noise, their booted hooves crunching through the undergrowth. Lightning Dasher was dragging his casted fractured leg behind him, and Scootaloo still couldn't put her sprained ankle down. She hadn't wanted to mention it before, but this may have been the weakest point in their plan. Apple Bloom had told her before that if the zap apples aren't picked during the one day they are ripe, they magically vanish before the next day. Scootaloo certainly remembered their one attempt to harvest them early ending in complete failure. Also, they didn't have time to search the entire forest, and that made it even more unlikely that they'd be able to happen upon zap apples that were ready for picking. It didn't help anything to dwell on such negativity. At this point, all they could do was press on. The minutes stretched into hours as they searched the forest. They had become excited at two different occasions early on, but it turned out that they hadn't found anything important. Scootaloo began feeling a bit dizzy, and her sweat started feeling cold under her helmet.

"Let's take five," she said nonchalantly, sitting down.

"You okay?" LD asked.

Scootaloo's stomach growled loudly as she took a drink of water from her canteen.

"I'm fine," she replied flatly. Her head was swimming, but she was determined not to pass out. She focused on a tree ahead of her.

Lightning Dasher said, "If you start getting dizzy, you let me know."

Annoyed, Scootaloo snapped, "I said I'm fine! I just want to sit a minute."

LD and Lightning Dasher exchanged a glance. Scootaloo could now hear their stomachs growling also.

Scootaloo asked, "Getting used to the smaller rations?"

LD and Lightning Dasher shook their heads in unison.

"Me neither," Scootaloo said. The dizziness was fading, but she was feeling weak. Her hooves felt as if they were made of lead as she stood. "Let's go."

They continued deeper into the forest. Scootaloo was leading, and she slowed her pace in hopes of preventing more dizzy spells. It was successful, but every step felt heavier than the last over the next hour. They spread out just a little bit so they could see more of the forest. Scootaloo was in the middle, LD on the left, and Lightning Dasher on the right. They couldn't see each other, but they were talking back and forth constantly. Scootaloo still felt a bit off; the heaviness in her legs aside, there was a kind of prickly sensation working its way up them as well. She was just coming to the realization that if they did run into timberwolves, she was in no condition to fight. That’s when Lightning Dasher cried out in terror.

Energy surged through Scootaloo as she wheeled about and made a three-legged gallop into the brush on her right. She could hear LD coming after her also. Her heart was racing as the underbrush whipped at her face and slowed her by catching on her empty saddle bags. LD caught up to her. As they crashed through into a small clearing, a root tripped Scootaloo. She came down hard, unable to catch herself. The world went spinning and she saw stars after she hit the ground chin first. The earthy scent of the crunchy dead leaves on the forest floor filled her nose, and she spat the taste of blood out of her mouth. She shook her head trying quickly to recover, only to realize that she couldn't see anything. The only thing that stopped her from panic was the sound of LD roaring with laughter. She wouldn't have known which of them it had been, but he was standing beside her. Her vision slowly returned, beginning as a spot directly ahead, and spreading out back to normal. Her chin throbbed from where she landed on it. She stood back up, a little light-headed and feeling the threat of another dizzy spell; her armor felt sticky from a sheen of sweat that covered her body. LD was rolling on the ground, having fallen over due to the magnitude of his laughter.

"Will you shut up and help me!" Lightning Dasher snapped.

Scootaloo looked over at Lightning Dasher. He wasn’t under attack by timberwolves. Upon seeing him, her first instinct was also to laugh, but the pain from falling, not to mention the proximity of dizziness, and a small amount of confusion squelched any such outburst from her. The stallion had apparently climbed on top of a massive tree that had fallen some years before. It was now mostly hollow, and where Lightning Dasher had been walking along the edge, it had given way beneath him. As he fell, it caught his good hind leg, leaving him dangling upside-down. He was just high enough that he couldn't reach anything. He was quite a sight, caught upside-down with legs and wings splayed out in every direction in a vain attempt to reach something.

"Are you alright?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, now get me down!" he demanded, folding his wings.

Scootaloo couldn’t stifle the giggle that escaped. LD was now crying from the high exuberance.

"I'm sorry," he got out between heaving breaths, "I'm sorry. I just... you look so silly with one foot in a cast, and the other stuck in a tree." He laughed a little more. "We thought you were dying," he took a breath. "We were coming to save you, and you're stuck in a tree," the laughter took him again.

Flapping her wings, Scootaloo flew up to the top of the great fallen tree. "That's enough, LD. Help me,” she called out; her head was still swimming a little.

Scootaloo began taking deeper breaths, which seemed to help.

Getting up off of the ground and quieting himself, LD asked, "You want me under him?"

"Yes, don't let him hit the ground," she replied.

"Okay. Oh, I wish I had a camera," LD said with a giggle.

"I said, that's enough!" she snapped lightly.

LD cleared his throat, the laughter ceasing. "Okay, I'm in position."

Scootaloo took a look at Lightning Dasher’s booted hoof and attempted to release him, but it was caught too tight. Needing a different strategy, she took her knife out. Normally, she would have locked it into her right front boot to use it deftly. However, with her ankle sprained and bandaged as it was, she hadn’t worn the boot, nor would she have had the ability to use it. Instead, the mare took the blade in her mouth haft first and began working at the tree. The breeze had stopped, and the warm day was becoming stifling under the forest canopy. The outer layers of the tree were rotten, but there was an inner layer that was still fairly solid. Scootaloo was pouring sweat after only a few minutes of effort.

Lightning Dasher said, "Not to be pushy, but how's it going up there?"

Trying to talk with the knife in her mouth, Scootaloo said, "Ihts, cohmihng, 'hlow. 'his olh' 'hree iss toughh."

LD asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Leg's falling asleep," Lightning Dasher replied. "But I'm still prettier than you."

LD turned his head instinctively, hiding the gash that was still healing just under his right eye. Scootaloo stopped to catch her breath, wiping the sweat from her face. This wasn't going nearly fast enough. It looked like he should never have been caught in a fall like this, but the wood had somehow pinched his leg just so.

"LD, come up here a second," Scootaloo said.

LD flew up to the top of the ancient tree and looked at the problem with Scootaloo.

"It's a lot more solid than it looks," he said.

"You think?" she snapped back, a little exasperated.

"This is all very interesting, but I can't feel my hoof anymore," Lightning Dasher said.

"What if we pick him up from below. Do you think we can lift him free?" she asked.

LD shrugged, "Let's give it a try."

They both jumped down and got in position underneath Lightning Dasher, squeezing into the widest part of the hollow. Standing up on their hind legs, they lifted him up, carefully taking the weight off of his leg. He sighed with relief.

"Oh, that's nice; thank you," Lightning Dasher said.

Grunting from the effort, LD asked, "Can you wiggle your hoof free now?"

Scootaloo was straining, and sweat was running down her neck from her mane. Lightning Dasher began twisting one way, and then the other. He finally braced his other hind leg, cast and all, against the tree and pulled. The three were breathing heavily from the effort. The entangled stallion grunted as he continued pulling.

"No use," Lightning Dasher said, relaxing.

"Okay, we're going to let you down now," Scootaloo strained.

They gently lowered him back to the hanging position. Scootaloo and LD sat down, drenched in sweat and panting from the exertion.

"You know, the way we get hurt all the time, it's a wonder we ever get anything done," Scootaloo said.

LD asked, "How did you even get stuck?"

"I have no idea," Lightning Dasher replied. "I thought I saw something in that tree over there, and I flew up for a better look. I came back down on this tree, up that way, and walked to this end. I felt it give way, but before I could react I was hanging upside down."

"Well, we're just going to have to cut your leg off," LD said.

"That's not funny," Scootaloo scolded.

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you!" Lightning Dasher shouted back.

"It'd serve you right!” LD snapped back. “I don’t know what kind of duplicate you’re supposed to be; you’re just mean and nasty!”

"Just you wait till I get down!" Lightning Dasher was pretty mad now.

"And what?" LD replied. "Your leg is broken; your other leg is caught in a tree; the first thing you're going to do when you get down is fall over."

"Guys, knock it off!" Scootaloo shouted at them. "We don't have time for this. We need to find another option, and fast."

LD began to calm down and said, "Well, for starters, what if we took a rope, hook it to his harness, and tie it on that tree branch up there?" He pointed up into the trees. Scootaloo looked up and could see it. "It'll take two of our ropes tied together to reach it, but at least we can get him lifted so the weight is off of his leg while we work to free it."

Scootaloo nodded, "Let's do it."

The two free pegasi took their ropes out. LD did the knots, as he was better at them, and they attached one end to the tree, and the other end to Lightning Dasher's harness. Scootaloo positioned herself underneath him and lifted while LD got above to cinch the rope up and tie it in place. Scootaloo was panting from the endeavor, and sweat had soaked through the bandage on her ankle. She could hear LD flapping his wings to stay in place, and he was muttering as he often did while focusing on detail work. Scootaloo's legs started to shake from the strain. She was about to ask him to hurry.

"Got it!" he exclaimed.

Scootaloo slowly let go, and Lightning Dasher hung in the air, now suspended by his harness.

"That's much better; thanks," Lightning Dasher sighed with relief.

"Anytime," LD said, grinning as he landed on top of the massive trunk.

Scootaloo sat down, exhausted. "LD, you want to take first shift on that tree?"

"Sure thing," he said, affixing his knife to his boot.

Scootaloo mustered the strength to fly up top before sitting again. She took off her oven of a helmet and watched LD as he worked carefully, but quickly, to widen the crack that had caught Lightning Dasher’s booted leg. He was making progress, but it was slow work. They really needed a saw or an axe or something. Scootaloo took another drink from her rapidly shrinking canteen. Her head felt much cooled now that her mane was open to the air. LD finally sat down after about twenty minutes of chipping away at the trap. He looked as pitiful as Scootaloo felt. With renewed strength, Scootaloo set to work, widening the crack that LD had been working. After another ten minutes or so, and no small amount of sweating, grunting, and toil, Scootaloo heard a crack. She and LD instinctively froze in place for a moment before flapping their wings, flying up above the tree. Her helmet was knocked aside in their haste, tumbling to the ground and getting lost in some brush.

"What was that?" Lightning Dasher asked, looking awkwardly up at them.

Scootaloo and LD exchanged a glance from where the crack was widening to each other.

He asked, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

She nodded. Without another word, LD shot straight down, slamming into the tree near Lightning Dasher. With a loud snapping, the edge gave way. LD managed to catch himself on the edge, and Lighting Dasher was now dangling free, suspended only by the rope tied to his harness. A chunk of the tree that had been ensnaring him fell away, crashing to the ground below. Lighting Dasher let out a yelp that was somewhere between relief and pain.

"Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked.

"I'm fine," LD said.

Lighting Dasher vocalized a wince, "I think my leg is waking up."

He swung back into the ancient fallen tree, shielding his helmeted head against impact. LD and Scootaloo smiled at each other and dropped down near their comrade. They both got under him, stopping him from swinging and propping him up. Lightning Dasher pulled the release on his harness, unlatching the rope. Scootaloo felt his weight drop onto her. He rolled off across LD's back, stood for a moment, and then promptly fell to the ground.

"Lightning Dasher?" Scootaloo called at him with concerned. He looked awful.

"He'll be fine," LD said. "He just stood upright too fast. Give him a minute."

"I'm okay," Lightning Dasher sounded a little woozy.

"Hey, what did you see earlier?" Scootaloo asked as she prepared to take a long satisfying drink from her canteen; it was almost empty.

Slowly pointing a hoof at a nearby tree, Lightning Dasher said, "I saw some fruit up there, but it's not the right kind."

Putting away her canteen and retrieving her helmet from the bushy undergrowth, Scootaloo strained to see what he was pointing towards. She summoned enough energy for liftoff, and flew up to the low branches. She stared blankly at the tree for for a moment before her mind understood what she saw. It certainly appeared to be an apple tree, and the fruit in it looked exactly like apples in their shape. They were completely devoid of color, appearing as gray as a blank page of newspaper. Scootaloo was flooded with such excitement that she forgot herself for a moment, falling toward the ground. She came to her senses in time to make a landing.

"You did it! You did it!" she chortled.

Lighting Dasher finally stood up again. "What do you mean?"

"That's a zap apple tree!" Scootaloo said excitedly, hugging Lightning Dasher around the neck as she pointed with her bandaged hoof. “All of these are!”

He pulled away from her embrace, “You've lost your mind."

"I definitely have to agree with myself on this one," LD quipped. "Showing affection for a subordinate officer has to be against regulations. Taste notwithstanding."

"What?" she asked in confusion. Realizing they were referring to how she had hugged him, she waved them off, saying, "Oh, get over yourselves."

"You told me that zap apples are rainbow colored," Lightning Dasher said.

“Absolutely,” Scootaloo answered, "when they're ripe. This batch will be soon. Very soon!" she was excited. "When they ripen, they'll only be good for one day."

"So, we did it?" LD asked.

"We did it!" Lighting Dasher exclaimed.

"We did it!" Scootaloo agreed.

The massive stroke of luck to find zap apples that were about to ripen wasn’t wasted on Scootaloo. Now they just had to wait for the fruit to become ready. Hopefully, the others were having as much success getting the field ready for planting.

...

"Push!" Sparklefly called out.

All of her muscles tensed as she shoved both fore-hooves against a fallen tree. It was moving, but barely at the pace of a snail. Big McIntosh was pulling from the other side, and Apple Bloom was beside her, also pushing. Sparklefly's rear hooves dug into the earth, finding solid ground for traction. She slipped slightly, and dug in again. Aching with effort, she put her strength against the tree. Her coat was glistening with sweat, and her lungs burned from the smoky haze that still covered Ponyville. The tree slid again, and they got it moving, inching toward the edge of the zap apple field. They had only been able to clear a half-dozen of the trees so far, but given how few of them there were at the moment, that wasn't a bad start. The bandage on her eye was soaked again, but not with blood this time. It had finally healed enough that it didn't bleed much anymore. It was a warm day, and the exertions of every pony had already made them filthy. Apple Bloom was still fresh, as she had only just returned from inviting ponies to come. A few dozen had already arrived, and Applejack was busily getting them coordinated into work teams. Sparklefly hadn’t taken nearly so long in spreading the word. She didn’t really know anypony in town, so she focused her efforts on talking to any off-duty soldiers she could find. None came.

The tree continued its progression, almost lazily against the effort of the three ponies. Apple Bloom seemed no stranger to hard work. She was really putting her back into it. Big McIntosh was amazing. With him on the team, you didn't need five or six ponies to move a tree. Still, Sparklefly wouldn't have complained about having a few extra hooves on this one. As they finally got their cargo into position, Sparklefly heard Big McIntosh call back to them, "Ho!”

Both Apple Bloom and Sparklefly relaxed their muscles, leaning on the tree a moment. Apple Bloom was panting, and Sparklefly was in even worse shape. She rubbed her bandaged eye, which was itching furiously. Her stomach growled loudly as she set her back against the tree, sitting down. In addition to everything else, her injured wing ached.

"Oh my," Apple Bloom said to Sparklefly as Big McIntosh came around the tree, sitting next to them.

"It's a small matter,” Sparklefly said. "I just need a minute."

"We're right there with you; ain't that right Big McIntosh?"

"Yep," came his reply between heaving breaths.

Sparklefly was relieved. She hadn't been feeling too badly until just now. She took a quenching drink from her canteen, the only piece of her gear that she had with her; then she passed it to Apple Bloom. They couldn't afford to sit there for too long. Sparklefly estimated that they still had nowhere near the strength they would need to clear this field by morning, to say nothing of plowing and planting. They passed the canteen around twice before the three of them used it all up. Big McIntosh got back up on his hooves, and the other two followed his lead. As the stallion untied the ropes against which he’d been pulling, Apple Bloom took the canteen.

“I’m gonna get this filled up. I'll be right back," she told them.

Big McIntosh tossed the rope over his broad back as he began silently walking to another tree; Sparklefly followed him. They passed another team that was pulling a particularly large tree off of the field, and the seven of them were having trouble moving it. Applejack had another six starting elsewhere. Sparklefly cringed when she saw the next tree that Big McIntosh had picked. It was larger than the last one.

"I think we'll need a second harness," Sparklefly suggested.

Big McIntosh didn't respond but was silently sizing up the tree.

"And maybe two or three more sets of hooves to push," she continued.

Glancing over at her, Big McIntosh simply said, "Yep."

"I'll get them," Sparklefly offered.

Taking his lack of response as a silent ’yep', Sparklefly headed over to Applejack. She couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like the haze was getting thinner. There was still no blue sky to look at, but she could definitely see Applejack's shadow. As refreshing as that was, there was still no way to smell the difference.

"Oh my goodness! What happened to you?" a sweet voice asked from Sparklefly's blind side.

She turned left to see yellow mare with a light pink mane that had addressed her.

"Fluttershy, right?" Sparklefly said.

"Yes; are you alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh this?" Sparklefly said, pointed at her bandaged eye. "I'm afraid I lost it, but I'll be fine." Sparklefly was feeling a bit self conscious.

"Was that during the battle in Ponyville?"

"No, it was before in the forest. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen you since the castle; how are you holding up?”

“Oh, I’m okay. I just feel to bad for my poor animals!”

“Did the timberwolves get them?”

Tears formed in Fluttershy’s eyes.

“I’m sorry."

“But at least the ones in my house are safe. They have been so scared though. I guess that’s to be expected with all the changelings around,” Fluttershy said, looking about nervously.

Sparklefly tried to be reassuring, ”Trust me, we've all been scanned, many times.”

"Howdy do there, Fluttershy!" Applejack said as she approached.

She seemed in much better spirits than she had that morning.

"Oh, hi Applejack. Pinkie Pie came by earlier and told me what happened. I'm so sorry."

"It ain't your fault, sugar cube. Thanks for coming," Applejack said.

"Oh, I'd always come to help a friend!" Fluttershy said sweetly.

Turning to Sparklefly, Applejack asked, "What can I do ya for?"

"Big McIntosh and I are about to take on that tree," Sparklefly said, pointing at Big McIntosh tying off his rope.

"Whew, doggy, that is a big one," Applejack exclaimed. She was definitely in better spirits. "How about it Fluttershy, feel like lending a hoof with this one?"

"Gosh, I don't know; it's just so," she swallowed hard, "big."

“Ain’t nothing we can’t handle, sugar cube!”

Applejack led the way with Sparklefly and Fluttershy following close behind. Apple Bloom had returned with Mr. Cake, ready to work. Applejack had a second yoke. She put it on Mr. Cake, and tied a rope, attaching it to the tree to help Big McIntosh pull evenly. Mr. Cake and Big McIntosh got into position, testing their ropes and pawing at the earth beneath their hooves. Sparklefly could hear their harsh breaths as they prepared to pull. Upon inspection, it was discovered that some of the roots were still connected. The taproot was not, so any thought of saving the tree was quickly dismissed. With the ropes being pulled, they were able to make it budge just enough for Apple Bloom to get an angle to cut the remaining roots with an axe. A mixture of dirt and sweat flew through the smoke-filled air as she chopped them up. Once that was complete, Mr. Cake and Big McIntosh rested for a minute and took some water. Fluttershy volunteered to refill the canteen after Apple Bloom finished it off. When she returned, they all got set for the real challenge.

"Y'all ready back there?" Applejack called back.

“Darn tootin’!” Apple Bloom called out.

“Y’all ready up here?”

“Yep!" Big McIntosh replied.

"All together now," Applejack said. "Push!"

Sparklefly pressed hard against the tree, which at first didn't so much as budge. The ropes snapped taut as Big McIntosh and Mr. Cake pulled, Fluttershy pushed against the tree on Sparklefly’s left, and Apple Bloom gave it all she had on the right. She could tell that each of them were putting their strength into it, but the tree just wasn't moving. They heard Applejack call again, and they all renewed their attempt. Sparklefly's muscles were straining, and she could feel the tree vibrating from the ropes pulling on it. All five of them were grunting as they worked at it. Applejack called again, and with another burst of great effort, the tree finally began to move.

"That's it, everypony! Keep it up!" Applejack called out.

They continued, and the tree slowly inched out of position. Sparklefly was pouring sweat in great drops that were running down her face and dripping from her chin. She was keeping her breathing at a controlled pace, in rhythm with their pushes.

"Watch out for-" Applejack was cut off by one of the ropes going slack, and everypony grunting together as the tree came to a sudden stop. Apple Bloom was pushing so hard against it that her hooves dug into the ground, causing her to lose her grip. She found herself laying flat on her belly with her face in the dirt.

"You okay Big Mac?" Applejack asked.

Sparklefly got up and darted around the tree to see that he had slipped on a large smooth stone that broke the surface in his path.

"Yep," he grunted as he got back to his hooves. His breaths were heavy, his chest heaving to take in every one.

The other four were in the same condition. They rested for a minute or two, again draining the canteen. Applejack refilled it and returned as they were preparing to go again.

"Push!" Applejack called.

Sparklefly doubled down, her entire body set to this one purpose. The tree began moving again, and she wasn't about to stop. Several minutes passed this way, and it felt like an eternity. Her every muscle was now burning from the strain they were under, but she pressed through it.

"Ho!" Applejack called back, and the five of them rested from their efforts.

Sparklefly sank to the ground, laying flat, panting. Her heart was pounding after the exertion. Apple Bloom had the same idea, melting down next to the tree. The five of them lay there for several minutes before Sparklefly heard Fluttershy speak.

"Did we make it? Are we there?"

Applejack’s answer was incredibly disconcerting, "Nah, we're only about half-way.”

Sparklefly's heart sank. At this rate, they would definitely never clear this field by morning. If they could keep up this pace, they might be able to do it in a few weeks. Time, food, and workers were what they needed, and they were short on all three. Even so, something was stirring inside of the young mare. It began the night she first had dinner at Sweet Apple Acres. When Apple Loosa had been overrun, Sparklefly lost a great deal, but this was the first time since then that she had felt a sense of home.

"So, you tired of farm life yet?" Apple Bloom gasped.

Smiling, Sparklefly shook her head, "Never. You know I grew up on a farm?"

"That sounds nice," Fluttershy panted.

"Why'd you leave?" Apple Bloom asked.

Sparklefly’s feelings flooded through her for a moment. She became a little grave when she answered, "I'm from Apple Loosa."

"Oh," Apple Bloom responded, lowering her head. Her little pink bow had wilted, making her look even more sad now.

"Did you ever meet Braeburn?" Fluttershy asked.

"Everypony knows Braeburn," Sparklefly answered with a smile.

“How ‘bout it, y'all; ready to give it another try?" Applejack asked from the other side of the tree.

"Copy that," Sparklefly replied.

The three got up on their hind-hooves, bracing against the tree with their fore-hooves, weary shaky muscles ready to push.

"We're in position," Sparklefly said.

"Push!" Applejack called.

Summoning her energy, Sparklefly leaned forward hard, and the tree began moving. It seemed much easier this time. She continued pouring her strength into it, and the massive fallen tree seemed to move by her strength of will as much as her physical efforts. Sparklefly was a little confused, but she was almost was being outrun by the tree. Redoubling her speed, she pressed on until Applejack called back to them.

"Ho!"

The tree came to rest as effort ceased. Sparklefly looked over at to her right, and somepony else was standing between her and Apple Bloom. It was Sweetie Belle. Confused for a moment, Sparklefly turned about and saw that there were several more ponies here that she didn't know. In all, another eight residents of Ponyville had helped them push the tree.

"Thank y'all for your help. This one was a doozy!" Applejack said cheerfully.

“Hey, Java!” Apple Bloom called out.

Java Chip said, "We've spread the word, and I've got about half of Ponyville on the way. What do you need us to do?"

Scrambling to the top of the tree they had just pushed to its new resting place, Sparklefly was amazed to see that there was no exaggeration. At least half of Ponyville had indeed come to Sweet Apple Acres.

Sparklefly said, "Applejack, I thought you were kidding when you said you were friends with everypony."

Applejack let out a laugh.

Apple Bloom said, "Darn tootin’!”

"Let's get to work everypony," Applejack called out.

"Yep!" Big McIntosh heartily agreed.

The Apple matriarch was able to get their burgeoning numbers sorted out to teams, and the work went much faster. They had enough horsepower to clear the trees off and pile them up around the perimeter of the field before dusk. They had plows on several ponies, and others were helping them pull. Still more were gathering every pitcher and bucket from town and filling them with water. At this rate, all they were going to need was seeds, and they'd be set. Their speed was ultimately limited by equipment more than lack of hooves, but they had already borrowed every plow in Ponyville. They'd be working late into the night to get this finished, but as long as the seeds came soon, they really might do it. They just might be able to save Sweet Apple Acres.

...

Swiftlight watched with a knot in his stomach as yet another scout entered CIC. They were getting updates from Las Pegasus every half-hour now. The situation only continued deteriorating.

"Report," General Mane Crusher said.

The scout answered, "Changeling fire has compelled the defense force to abandon the grain mill and fall back. Applewood was overrun shortly after it was abandoned. The remaining force is holding back the enemy at the inner barricades in the center of town. Commander Swift Justice begs for reinforcements; none have arrived."

"Dismissed," Mane Crusher said.

He looked down at a second written order that had come from Cloudsdale. It informed all commanders that Shining Armor was aware of the situation in Las Pegasus, and that all forces were to hold their positions and await further instructions. Swiftlight knew the look on his face; his mind was already made up.

"How long until dark?" Mane Crusher asked.

Swiftlight glanced at the window, the dim light coming through the stained glass was all he needed to see, "It is nearly twilight now. Another hour for dark."

“Captain Brax."

"Sir?" Brax saluted.

"You are to command the forces that will be left behind to defend Ponyville. In addition to your new company, I will leave four of my own at your disposal.”

"Bringing our defense strength to about five-hundred. Very good, sir."

Mane Crusher regarded Brax a moment. "I'll have my officers report to you; dismissed."

Brax saluted and exited CIC. Swiftlight could tell that Brax was a no nonsense sort of soldier. It did seem a bit strange to Swiftlight how old Brax was for the low rank he had achieved. Most soldiers of his years would have had their own battalion.

"Swiftlight, we need to get orders out," Mane Crusher said.

"Affirmative," Swiftlight responded.

"We'll move under cover of darkness. I want that train loaded with every soldier we can fit on it. We'll have two combined pegasus unicorn squads flying ahead of them to make certain they don't run into an ambush on the tracks. The rest of us will fly directly to Las Pegasus. It's a little out of our way, but we'll swing south of the mountains, coming in from the southeast. We should have some element of surprise on that flank."

Swiftlight carried the orders to the division commanders. Everything was prepared as efficiently as expected of this corps. Mane Crusher always demanded speed from them, and they gave it to him. The soldiers loaded down the train, filling it well beyond comfort. An entire division was loaded in the cars before dusk had quite given way to night with another on top. The train pushed off, heading west out of Ponyville. The tracks went as directly to Las Pegasus as you can go by ground, but they wouldn't arrive until just before dawn. Swiftlight wasn't too keen on having a third of their force separated from them when they joined the battle, but even so, they still had greater numbers than were stationed in Las Pegasus. There were only a few thousand soldiers, and maybe twice as many cadets.

The train puffed off into the evening, disappearing into the tunnel under the mountains west of town. They blew no whistles and had no lights. Swiftlight returned to CIC. Mane Crusher would not allow any scouts to return to Las Pegasus now that they were moving, as he was afraid the message might be intercepted. They packed up their gear and headed to the southwest side of town to an area that had been designated for their rally point. The pegasi were all harnessed and ready to fly. The other soldiers all reported to their positions, each hooking their harness to their designated pegasus. It was quiet, aside from sporadic coughing from the smoke layer still blanketing Ponyville. Swiftlight hated flying. He approached a dark yellow mare by the name of Golden Hour. Her mane was filled with the reds and purples one would expect from a sunset.

"Evening, Swiftlight," she said to him in her usually friendly demeanor.

Swiftlight nodded, but didn't respond otherwise. He was trying to focus on the mission and ignore the flying aspect of it. She attached him to her harness, and then gave a light kick off of the ground. She picked him up using her wing power to test the harness. She set him back down. This little ritual was repeated silently by ten-thousand other pairs of ponies. Swiftlight performed a weapon check. He had a spear and a crossbow, not the small collapsible kind that the pegasi had attached to their boots. The earth pony crossbows were larger and had better range and power. As was standard, he had seven arrows. He secured all of these items in their places.

"Let's move out," Mane Crusher ordered.

The flapping of wings filled the night, and the cooling air tickled at Swiftlight's face. He put his goggles in place as they lifted off and the ground fell away. Swiftlight shivered as he recounted the mission ahead. Their primary objective was the grain mill on the eastern side of town. It had a stockpile of food that was set to be distributed all over Equestria. Whether the changelings were aware of this or not, it needed to be secured first. Then they would move through the city and connect with Commander Swift Justice about the same time the train should arrive.

”Nothing to worry about, hun; I haven't dropped anybody this week," Golden Hour said to him.

"Is that supposed to be reassuring? With your average, that means you’re bound to soon,” he said snidely.

"I just didn't want you to be worried is all. Fear of heights is nothing to be ashamed of," she replied with a hint of teasing.

"I'm not afraid of heights. I climb mountains for fun," he shot back.

"My apologies; just don't pull that release cord when we're too high or you won't be climbing any more mountains."

“The way you fly, I always wear a parachute.”

This sort of jabbing was constant from Golden Hour. Swiftlight had been flying with her since the corps struck out of Manehattan. He tried to avoid it whenever possible, but one of the downsides of being the general's aide was having to go wherever he goes. Sometimes, that included flying as well. Swiftlight looked back at the fading lights of Ponyville. He thought he saw movement on the west end of town as they were leaving, but he couldn't see anything in the darkness now. Maybe Java Chip had actually persuaded a bunch of ponies to go out to that farm. 'I guess I'm going to have to apologize once she’s cooled off,’ he thought to himself. Looking around, he could just make out the rest of the corps, twenty-thousand strong flying through the air in massive formation. They formed up into four waves of twenty-five hundred pegasi in each line. As usual, they were spread out in a 'v' shape. The longer route they were taking to the south of the mountain would add almost an hour to their flight time, but that did have the advantage of bringing the other group on the train that much closer. There would likely be no other reinforcements coming tonight.

Once they were away from Ponyville, the air was clean and clear. It was nice to be able to breathe again. The flight to Las Pegasus was basically four hours of boredom for Swiftlight. There wasn't much to see in the dark, and making a lot of noise was not a good idea either. Somewhere, probably two hours into the flight, he actually managed to sleep for a little while. It was short-lived. He never had been able to sleep before combat. When they were about an hour out, they saw light from the city. No one said anything, but it didn't take long to understand what they were looking at. The hills surrounding the city on the northeast side had been set on fire. It was mostly tall grass lands, but they were burning freely now. Swiftlight looked to his left to see Mane Crusher. He stared stoically ahead, looking for any information that would be useful.

The city was built on the edge of the San Palomino Desert to the south. If the changelings had discovered the grain mill, there would probably be plenty of enemies guarding it. One division would need to cut off the timberwolf reinforcements, and hopefully they could at least hold until their own reinforcements arrived. At best, that would be about three hours. They flew straight into the outskirts of the city, everypony keeping their eyes open for any sign of trouble.

None of them saw it coming. Green fiery bolts of changeling magic suddenly filled the air thick with destruction. There was a great deal of shouting and disarray as the pegasi broke formation to dodge the incoming fire. The order had been given to prepare for a hard landing. Golden Hour dropped fast and then banked hard right. Swiftlight nearly vomited, he felt so ill from the maneuver. She then came back up and hard left. Several had already been hit by the intense barrage, but the corps didn't stop their approach. The unicorns began returning fire in the direction of the changelings, but they were far enough away that it was impossible to tell if anything was being hit. Swiftlight lost sight of Mane Crusher and was about to mention this when nearly being caught between hostile and friendly fire elicited some crazy maneuvers from Golden Hour. The sound of the magic bolts sizzling through the air made the hair on the back of Swiftlight's neck stand on end. In spite of the cool temperature, he was sweating for fear. Oddly, he was far more afraid from the flying than the changeling attempts to kill him.

Just as Golden Hour straightened out, a bolt zipped right by Swiftlight's head. He instinctively ducked his face away from it, not that it would have hit him anyway. As it passed, he heard a noise that sounded like a dull thud, a grunt, and then sizzling. Then the world turned upside down. They had gone into a dive unlike anything Golden Hour had done before. They were spinning as they dropped altitude. The incoming fire, the burning hills, and the stars, everything swirled by Swiftlight in a blur. It was only then that he realized that Golden Hour had been hit. They weren't diving; they were falling.

"You okay?" he yelled to her. There was no response.

Swiftlight jabbed her hard in the breast-plate, but she didn't react whatsoever. This was bad. This was very bad. Swiftlight's mind raced, but no answers were coming. The wind rushed through his ears like a hurricane; it was deafening. He turned, looking for the release strap, but because of the gyrating, he couldn't find it. He was really picking up speed. With great effort, he tried to calm himself by slowing his breathing. Once the panic abated, Swiftlight spread out his legs in every direction in hopes that it might slow his fall some. A few moments later, the spinning stopped, and Swiftlight was staring up at the stars. They seemed peaceful and unmoving. In that moment, he realized that he was no longer accelerating; he had reached terminal velocity. Swiftlight turned his head to look toward the rapidly approaching ground to see if there was something, anything he might be able to do to get out of this situation. He just had time to think, 'The ground is coming up awfully fast,' when he slammed into it at an unrestrained speed.

Comments

[Emperor]

Huh. Given the end of the chapter, Equestria won't have to worry much about rationing anymore. There'll be so many dead ponies that there'll be many less mouths to feed.

That Scootaloo and the two LDs should find the Zapapples right before they're about to bloom is a fairly massive coincidence. In fact, I think it'd honestly work better if the Everfree is a quasi-sentient forest that realises a part of it (the Mirror Pool) was abused for a great evil and is passively balancing the scales, hence the sheer luck Scootaloo has in locating the Zapapples.

I suppose someone going to see Lighthoof and inform him of Pibs' death has been a few chapters in the making, ever since Pibs died. He seems a little more realistic here than a lot of TV dramas: since he recognises Scootaloo as being a friend of Pibs, he knows whatever news she brings isn't going to be good and is expecting the worst and gets the worst.

Whenever Twilight Sparkle finally makes it out of the Everfree, Applejack is going to have strong words for her for signing a declaration so open-ended that Mayor DT can use it to appropriate Sweet Apple Acres.

[Jatheus]

7350373 Why thank you! I worked hard to get that bit with Lighthoof right.

As for the massive coincidence... yeah... Maybe all the extra timberwolf howling is confusing the magic and making zap apples happen more often? heh heh... I figured since things tend to go so wrong, one thing going really right would be okay. :D

[OmalleyCaboose5]

“Really?” that news was actually a surprise. “Huh, I never saw that one coming.”

scootaloo feels threatened

Rarity’s mouth hung open for a moment in complete shock. She uttered a noise that was an attempt at words, but like an engine that is failing to start, she just stuttered for a moment. The fancy unicorn quickly regained her composure.

I can understand a lack of communication after Rarity moved away, however pregnancy is one of the major things you inform all your friends of
The others are weddings and funerals
The the latter you are, of course, unable to do yourself.
Also I have vengeance for you over killing Pibs
I will make you just a depressed as you made me
Here: somewhere out their is a tree that will be cut down and turned into paper. That paper will be shipped to Texas and stored in a printer and be made into your death certificate. In short the wood that will certify your demise is out their somewhere in some forest waiting to be used
Good luck sleeping tonight

[Jatheus]

8733056
1) One stallion... several mares... lucky stallion? As for Scootaloo... don’t fret. More will come of this...

2) You know, I never get into that in the story. That was a bit of an oversight on my part. The gist is that due to the war and Applejack being a workhorse and all... her husband is away at war... there’s lots of fears and other concerns, so she kept it to herself and kept working the farm... I really should have had that somewhere... Thanks for bringing that back to my attention 🍪

[OmalleyCaboose5]

"Alright? Alright! They're taking our orchard!" she barked, brandishing an official looking piece of paper. "No, ain’t nothin’ alright just now!"

I was right. Twilight truly is a politician now
She signed something without reading it.

[Jatheus]

8733126
She was just a bit loose on the wording of her decree. She expected to be around to settle any questions that arose.

[TheLocalCannon]

Scootaloo nodded silently; the raw emotion for Regal Masquerade, Pibs, and Nimba stole anything further she might have said.

okay, just to say this now, I'm calling that Nimba is still alive, they never took her tags to verify her as dead, they mentioned her body was gone from the clearing, there'll be a changeling Nimba running around

[Jatheus]

8803748
I hear you and have logged the call.
If you're right, you get a cookie.
If you're wrong, you give me a cookie.

[Draco Dei]

Sparklefly rubbed her bandaged left eye. Her stomach was growling, and hers wasn't the only one. LD and Lightning Dasher looked hungry as well. They had been expecting Scootaloo to be back by nightfall, but she still hadn't returned from Manehattan. There were no longer any Pegasus ponies trying to clear the air, which made it apparent how successful their efforts had been. Save for a small CAP, the entire force of pegasi and been ordered to search the Everfree forest for signs of the princesses. The five princesses being missing was unsettling, but surely nothing could have happened to them. Alicorns are far more powerful than timberwolves, and even the changelings couldn't overpower five of them. This didn’t even consider the fact that Discord was with them.

The fact that nightfall OCCURRED means that at least one of them survived I should think? Or did five Unicorns just sacrifice their magic for that nightfall (which was how it canonically worked before Celestia and Luna).

"Oh, maybe I can use an invitation cannon!" Pinkie Pie said enthusiastically.
"There ain't no time for that, Pinkie," Applejack said, "And no singing invitations, neither!"

I dunno... she can decorate an entire room at once.with that cannon, right? So maybe she has an airburst shell that precisely targets its "submuntitions" (invitations) into every right forehoof and mailbox in a 30 to 100 meter radius or something?

Also, it occurs to me that one of Discord's previous tricks is chocolate milk rain. If he is still healthy enough to do that even in a few months, and is still wanting revenge for being tricked away from Fluttershy (or is reformed enough) that could be very helpful.

[Jatheus]

11203966
I think it will be mentioned later that the day/night cycle has been given to Flurry Heart… or… maybe that happens after this? Anyway, Flurry Heart is presently taking care of daytime and nighttime hours.

In truth, it was an oversight when I initially wrote, and used that explanation to cover it.

That’s true about Pinkie. I think I leaned away from some of the more outlandish antics as some things okay better in a cartoon than in a novel.