2022)

July 28, 2020

Ponyville School

Having finished Ponyville Fables and Stables on Monday with a quiz, today Jack's class was set to begin learning about Equestria's foundation. As a history buff, Jack had already taken the time to read several books on Equestrian history that Twilight had lent him. Quite fascinating really. Not nearly as gory and horrific as human history, but there were still plenty of conflicts to make for a fascinatingly complex narrative. Not nearly as being the key phrase, there were still a good deal of historical atrocities to study, if one knows where to read.

“Good morning, everypony," Cheerilee said.

"Good morning, Miss Cheerilee," the class responded.

"Today, we begin our studies of Equestrian history," Cheerilee began, flipping her easel to a diagram depicting an earth pony, a pegasus, and a unicorn situated at the points of an upside-down triangle. "Before Equestria's founding, there were three tribes of ponies." She pointed to the bottom point of the triangle depicting an earth pony tending the land. "The Earth Ponies were an agricultural tribe that tended to the land and grew all the food." She then pointed to the right point depicting a pegasus moving a cloud. "The Pegasi were a militaristic tribe that controlled the weather in exchange for a share of the Earth ponies' crops. They were not alone in their desire for the Earth Ponies' food," Cheerilee continued, pointing to the left point, which depicted a unicorn raising the sun. "In exchange for their own share, the unicorn tribe used its academic prowess and magic power to raise and lower the sun and moon."

Jack diligently took notes as Cheerilee continued.

"While the three tribes relied on each other to survive, their relationship was always tense. The Unicorns thought of their neighbors as dumb, the Pegasi thought of their neighbors to be weak, and the Earth Ponies felt the other two more prosperous tribes were exploiting them," Cheerilee explained. "This delicate peace was doomed to fall apart. Can anypony tell me what event eventually brought the tribes into conflict?"

Jack raised his hand alongside Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon, and Sakura Blossom.

"Jack," Cheerilee called.

“A herd of windigos created a blizzard that covered the land in snow, preventing the Earth Ponies from growing any food," Jack answered.

"Correct," Cheerilee said with a smile as she flipped the easel to a picture of three windigos in the sky overlooking a dark snow-blanketed landscape. "Now, this wasn't just any blizzard. It was so intense that it blocked out the Sun, and the Pegasi found themselves unable to stop it. After a week of fighting, a summit was held between the tribe leaders. Can anypony name the leaders of the tribes?"

The same group of students as before volunteered to answer.

"Sakura Blossom," Cheerilee called.

“Chancellor Puddinghead was the leader of the Earth Pony Tribe, Commander Hurricane led the Pegasi Tribe, and Princess Platinum ruled over the Unicorn Tribe," Sakura answered.

"Excellent!" Cheerilee praised before continuing with her lecture. "Unfortunately, the summit was rather unproductive. Commander Hurricane accused the Earth Ponies of hoarding food, Chancellor Puddinghead accused the Pegasi of causing the blizzard, and Princess Platinum took offense when Commander Hurricane claimed the unicorns caused the blizzard with magic. With the blizzard showing no signs of stopping, the three tribes had no other choice than to move," Cheerilee continued, flipping to a map of prehistoric Equestria on her easel. "On December 25, 691 BYP, the three tribes arrived at their new home. However, they weren't keen on sharing and soon began fighting again. The hatred expressed by the tribes attracted the windigos, which unleashed the same blizzard onto the new land. As the land froze, the tribes' leaders retreated into a cave with their assistants," she continued. "Can anypony tell me the assistants' names?”

The same students raised their hand/hooves again.

"Silver Spoon," Cheerilee called.

"Commander Hurricane's assistant was Private Pansy. Chancellor Puddinghead's assistant was Smart Cookie, and Princess Platinum's assistant was Clover the Clever," Silver Spoon answered.

"Wonderful," Cheerilee beamed. "While in the cave, the leaders continued to argue with each other until they froze over. However, their assistants ended up making friends. Clover the Clever identified the windigos as the blizzard's source, and just as she and the other assistants were about to freeze over, something magical happened. The bonds of friendship that they had forged channeled through Clover's horn and drove the windigos away, thawing out the land in the process. The three tribes agreed to unify, and they named the new nation Equestria," Cheerilee finished. "Can anypony tell me what holiday commemorates this event?"

Again the same group of students volunteered to answer.

"Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee called.

"Hearths Warming," Sweetie Belle answered.

"Correct," Cheerilee said. “I’m glad to see you’ve all been paying attention to the textbook assignment.”

"Oh, please," Diamond Tiara scoffed. "Everypony knows the Hearths Warming story."

The rest of the day's class time was spent on small group readings of the textbook.

Hay Burger

2 hours later

Once class was over, Apple Bloom suggested that the Cutie Mark Crusaders meet at the Hay Burger to discuss ideas for getting the fillies their cutie marks.

The Hay Burger was one of the more popular restaurants in Ponyville. The layout was very much like an American fast food restaurant, except constructed with material from the Middle Ages. As was common in Ponyville, the roof was thatched from straw the walls were constructed from brightly painted wood. Jack and the Crusaders sat around one of the many round wooden tables inside.

“So, what do you guys think we should try next?” asked Scootaloo.

"Ah don't know, but Ah think we can safely say that spyin' ain't our special talent," Apple Bloom shuddered.

“I never want to see a balloon again!” Sweetie Belle agreed.

"What was Pinkie Pie even doing?" asked Scootaloo. "Hey, Jack, you knew what she was doing, right?"

“I thought we agreed to never speak of it again,” Jack replied, desperately trying to shut the conversation down.

“But…” Scootaloo started.

"No buts!" Jack exclaimed. "We're not talking about it."

“Ooh, I know!" Sweetie Belle said. "You know how we learned about the founding of Equestria today?”

“Yeah, but how will that help us get our cutie marks?” asked Scootaloo.

“Why don’t we start our own country?” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“A country startin' cutie mark?" Apple Bloom said thoughtfully. "That could work!”

"I can use Rarity's sewing equipment to make a flag," Sweetie Belle said.

“Oh, I’ll write the national anthem!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly.

“We can call it the Crusader Kingdom!” Apple Bloom said excitedly.

“That’s nice and all, but where do you intend to set up this country?” asked Jack. “It’s not like we can just plant a flag somewhere and claim it.”

The Crusaders gave him confused looks. “What do you/ya mean?”

"To create a country, you'd need some land that isn't owned by another country," Jack explained.

“Where would we find that?” asked Scootaloo.

“Well… I’m going on a trip to the Lowcountry with Twi tomorrow," Jack said thoughtfully. "If you get permission, she'll probably let y'all come with us."

“You mean we could actually go to your homeland?” Scootaloo asked.

"Yeah," Jack responded.

The Crusaders looked at each other and hopped out of their seats. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, country founders! Yay!" they exclaimed as they rushed out the door.

"Oh sure, leave me with the bill, why don't you," Jack muttered as they left.

Sitting at a table to the right of him, Rumble watched as Jack begrudgingly paid his bill.

July 29, 2020

Outside Golden Oak Library

Twilight watched as her balloon filled with hot air. She didn't usually handle the takeoff preparations, as Cherry Berry was in charge of Ponyville's balloon traffic. Being on the Royal Court, it wasn't unheard of for the aeronaut to neglect her job in Ponyville to attend meetings. However, in an average month, the court would only meet once or twice to discuss issues of the utmost importance. The record for most meetings a year was 84, during the height of the Pony-Changeling War. The past two weeks had been unprecedented in Equestrian History. The Royal Court had had no less than 12 meetings, and as a result, the representatives hadn't had any time for their other careers.

"Ok," Twilight panted. "I think it’s ready.”

"Great job, Twilight!" Spike complimented. "We better hurry up and pack. They'll be here any minute."

Ponyville Residential District

To Jack's surprise, all three of the Crusaders had gotten permission to go to the Lowcountry.

“So, what’s the Lowcountry like?” asked Scootaloo as they walked to the library.

"Humid," Jack responded.

“What kinda critters live there?” Apple Bloom asked.

"Mosquitos, alligators, deer, mosquitos..." Jack listed.

"You said mosquitos twice," Sweetie Belle pointed out.

"I know," Jack chuckled. “There are just that many of them.”

“It doesn't sound all that pleasant," Sweetie Belle noted.

"Come on, this is my home we're talking about," Jack replied with playful indignation.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to insult your home," Sweetie Belle quickly apologized.

Jack burst into laughter. "Don't worry about it, Sweets. No harm done. We're going to Charleston, one of the most beautiful cities in the world."

"Oh, really?" asked Scootaloo. "What's so great about it?"

“Where do I even begin? There’s Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began. Rainbow Row has the most beautiful houses. Some of the most influential people in the Lowcountry are buried at Magnolia Cemetary.”

"Wow, Charleston sounds pretty great." Apple Bloom said. "Ah can't wait tuh see it fer mahself."

Outside Golden Oak Library

3 minutes later

“Hey, Twilight, they're here!" Spike shouted as Jack and the Crusaders arrived.

“I’ll be right there!” Twilight shouted from inside the library. "Help them with their bags, please!"

"Got it!" Spike responded as he grabbed Jack's bag.

“Thanks, Spike," Jack said. "Let me help you get the girls' bags."

Once all the bags were neatly stacked in the basket. Twilight came out with several large notebooks. "Alright, everypony, let's go." She hopped in the balloon, and they lifted off as Spike waved goodbye.

Unknown to them, they were being watched. Seeing Twilight's balloon taking off, Oni-Hime took off in the direction of the hangar.

Sky over Charleston Harbor

5 Hours Later

Having read about the Earth’s jet streams in a book, Twilight had wondered if similar air currents existed on Equus. After a few weeks of experimentation, she discovered at least one such stream that could be used for fast balloon travel between Ponyville and the Lowcountry so long as a spell could be cast to allow ponies to breathe at those altitudes. As a result, the balloon trip that would typically take well over half a day, even with a skilled pegasus to pull, had been cut to a mere 5 hours.

As they floated over the harbor, Jack noted the Arthur Ravanel Jr. Bridge leading from Charleston to Mount Pleasant, USS Yorktown permanently anchored at Patriots Point along with the Laffey and Clamagore, the batteries of Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island. A small Equestrian Navy survey shipped anchored at the harbor's mouth, and just a little ways into the harbor a small artificial island with a pentagon-shaped fort. "Take us down to that island near the mouth of the harbor," he instructed.

The balloon slowly descended before landing with a thud by the flag pole, which Twilight promptly tied it to.

"Welcome to Fort Sumter," Jack said as he hoisted himself out of the basket.

“Oh, cool!" Scootaloo said as she ran over to a massive cannon. "Check it out, girls!"

“So, what’s the history behind this place?” asked Twilight.

"About 160 years ago, America was on the verge of Civil War," Jack explained as Twilight began taking notes. "The northern half of the country was industrialized and relied heavily on poorly paid but free laborers. The South, on the other hand, was mostly agricultural and was dominated by plantations that used slave labor. In 1860, a man named Abraham Lincoln was elected president on the promise of preventing the spread of slavery. The southern states were suspicious of Lincoln's intentions, thinking he might ban slavery entirely. As a result, many seceded from the Union. My state, South Carolina, was the first. Even after secession, United States troops remained garrisoned at Fort Sumter, despite being told to leave by the southerners. Eventually, southern troops opened fire on the fort, beginning the Civil War."

"Fascinating," Twilight replied.

"Hey, Jack, come help us raise the flag!" shouted Apple Bloom.

“I’ll be right there!” Jack called. “There are plenty of bookstores in the city if you'd like to learn more," he told Twilight.

The flag Sweetie Belle had designed was red with a blue badge in the center containing a yellow outline of a caped foal.

"Wow, that's pretty good," Jack complimented.

"Thanks," Sweetie Belle said with a blush. "You really think it's good? I mean, it's nothing compared to what Rarity makes."

"It looks great, Sweets," Jack earnestly repeated. "If I didn't know you had made it, I would have assumed it was Rare's work." Patting her head, he said, "don't sell yourself short."

Sweetie Belle's snow-white face turned red as a ruby, as her heart pounded like a drum. "Th-thank y... I mean, I.... you really think..."

“All right, let’s raise the flag!” Scootaloo interrupted.

The Crusaders eagerly watched as Jack lowered the Stars and Stripes and raised their new banner in its place.

"Ah, now officially christen this here fort, Crusader Castle," Apple Bloom announced. "This castle will serve as our headquarters in the Crusaders Kingdom of the Lowcountry. In celebration, Scootaloo will now sing our national anthem."

Scootaloo nervously shuffled her hooves. “Well, uh, about that…”

“Did ya forget tuh write it?” asked Apple Bloom.

“No," Scootaloo said meekly as she pulled out a sheet of paper. “It’s just…”

“Just what?” asked Apple Bloom as she snatched the paper.

"Hey, give that back!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

“No way!” giggled Apple Bloom as she took off with the sheet.

For the next few minutes, Scootaloo chased Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle as they played a game of keep-away with Scootaloo's lyrics. After being passed back and forth between her friends, Scootaloo's lyrics wound in Jack's hands.

“We’re going to walk the walk like a celery stalk?” Jack questioned as he read the lyrics on the paper. “Maybe we should just skip the national anthem,” he said, handing the sheet back to Scootaloo.

“You didn’t read it, did you?” Scootaloo asked awkwardly.

“Of course not," Jack lied.

Soon after the commotion had stopped, Twilight joined Jack and the Crusaders at the flagpole. "We're going to be here for twenty more minutes, and then we're going to head into the city."

The Crusaders spent their time exploring every nook and cranny of the fort. When the twenty minutes were up, they got back into the balloon and flew into Charleston. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their time in the city. Sweetie Belle adored the colorful houses of Rainbow Row, Scootaloo gawked at the sheer size of the ships at Patriots Point, Apple Bloom enjoyed exploring Charles Towne Landing, and Twilight eagerly absorbed all the knowledge she could from the Charleston Museum.

Magnolia Cemetery

By the time they reached the cemetery, there were only about two hours of daylight left. Twilight had found an empty house for the group to spend the night at, and they had dropped off their luggage.

As they toured the graveyard, I thought came to Jack's mind. He would never have even considered it if he hadn't been pulled into Equus, but now he had business here. "You guys wait here," Jack said as they stopped by a pyramid-shaped tomb. "There's something personal I need to take care of.”

"Ok," Twilight said confusedly as Jack ran off.

“What do you think he’s doing?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah don't know, but he said it was personal," Apple Bloom noted.

"Who cares? Let's check out that tomb," Scootaloo said, eagerly pointing to a nearby mausoleum.

As the Crusaders rushed off to explore, Twilight sensed strange magic. "What is that?” She shivered as an uncomfortable chill ran down her spine. Before she had any time to think, she heard three terrified shrieks from the neighboring tomb.

Realizing the fillies could be in trouble, Twilight rushed to their aid. However, after only three steps, she felt something cold and moist clamp down on her rear left leg, stopping her in her tracks. Looking to see what was grabbing her, Twilight let out a horrified scream. Firmly gripping her leg was a slimy, skeletal hand.

Twilight teleported a few feet away and looked back to see a human skeleton bursting its way out of the ground as it slowly became enveloped by dark grey flesh. Looking around, she could see several other corpses rising from the dirt. She didn't know what was happening and had no time to figure it out as the Crusaders' screams could still be heard in the other tomb. “I’m coming, girls!” she shouted as the corpses surrounded her.

As the reanimated humans closed in, Twilight noticed there was only one between her and the tomb. Unleashing a purple blast from her horn, she felled the corpse and rushed to aid the terrified Crusaders. Entering the tomb, she found the fillies cowering inside a small crevice as several corpses tried to pry them out.

“TWILIGHT!” Sweetie Belle screamed, desperate for aid.

“Don’t worry, girls, I’ll be right there!” Twilight shouted.

Looking around for anything useful, her eyes locked on a loose slab of stone in the wall above the group of walking corpses. Her horn glowed again, and the slab broke from the wall, crushing the cadavers with an audible crunch. Grabbing the Crusaders, she turned to rush out of the mausoleum. "There's still a bunch of those things out there! she remembered. "I could teleport directly to the house but... her heart sank. "Jack's still out in the cemetery somewhere!

The corpses from outside were already swarming into the tomb and leaving Twilight with no choice but to make a quick decision. With a flash, she teleported herself and the Crusaders onto the mausoleum's roof, where she could see no less than fifty corpses had amassed around the structure.

She didn't know where Jack had gone off to, but it was clear to Twilight that the only way out was to fight. She let loose a volley of magic blasts at the crowd, taking out seven at once before teleporting down and telekinetically launching two more into a gravestone and teleporting again to avoid a swipe from another corpse.

Two Minutes Later

Twilight had managed to cut the zombie's numbers in half. Not without injury, unfortunately, a well-timed bite had her bleeding from her shoulder. Even so, she was prepared to fight on. Or she would be if it weren't for one thing. The corpses that had been attacking her were just standing there. “Why’d they stop?”

“Molto bene,” said a dry voice from behind her. “It’s quite clear my revenants are no match for you.”

Twilight turned around to see a skinny white unicorn stallion staring at her. Everything about him was off-putting, his lack of a mane, the patches of missing fur on his flank, his skull cutie mark, but most of all, his blank, lifeless eyes.

“Who… Who are you?” Twilight trembled.

“Mi chiamo, Morte," he introduced. "Twilight Sparkle, I presume. I wonder what Celestia's precious student's life is worth?" he questioned as his horn and eyes flashed dark grey.

“What are you…” Twilight started. She let out an agonized scream as she was overcome with a sensation on her flanks like her flesh was being dissolved in acid. Turning her neck to certain the source of the pain, she let out a cry of pure horror as she saw the flesh around her cutie marks slowly decompose.

"It's a shame you and I crossed paths today," Morte said. "You could have lived your remaining few years in peace, but unfortunately, I can't let you leave now that you've seen my little heresy," he continued before pausing to think. "Or perhaps you should thank me. If you're dead, you won't have to watch Blutknochen kill your amiche, uno per uno.”

Civil War Veterans Section: Magnolia Cemetery

8 minutes earlier

Jack stared at the grave in front of him, his expression dark with scorn.

Corporal

Svan Fredrik Jager

Battery Wagner

CSA

May 16, 1837

July 22, 1924

"No apologists to protect you now," Jack muttered disdainfully.

“Why are you here, Jack?” asked a voice in his head.

“Justice!" Jack spat. "This guy was a member of the KKK. He literally bragged to my great grandfather about lynching someone, and yet here he is, memorialized like some fucking war hero."

“He’s been dead for almost 100 years," the voice pointed out. "What are you going to do, knock over his grave?”

“Yes.”

“And what good will that do?" the voice asked. "It won’t undo what he did. Why does this even matter to you?”

"BECAUSE HE'S THE ONE PERSON IN MY FAMILY WHO WAS OBJECTIVELY WORSE THAN ME!"

“So that’s what this is about," The voice said. "Pinkie’s therapy session wasn’t as helpful as it seemed.”

“SO, WHAT!”

"The past is the past. No actions done in the present will change it," the voice answered. “This won’t make you feel better about yourself. Only time can do that.

Jack took a few deep breaths and thought about what he was doing. "The past is the past, huh? Maybe...

A skeletal arm burst from the ground below him.“HOLY SHIT!” Jack exclaimed, jumping back a good two feet.

The revenant of Svan Jager burst out in front of Jack and was soon enveloped in moist, dark grey flesh. Once it was fully enwrapped in skin, Svan's corpse lurched forward, prompting Jack to pull out his Glock.

"St-stay back," Jack stammered, shakily aiming at Svan's stomach. "I-I'm warning you!"

The reanimated Confederate lunged, and in a panic, Jack fired a single shot into its gut. Svan's corpse staggered from the impact. Looking down, it briefly examined the small slimy bullethole in its gut. With a dry hiss, it lunged a second time, mouth wide open showing its yellow teeth.

Jack just about threw up in his mouth. The smell was like that of an expired ham left to rot in a trashcan. “What is this?” he wondered. “It can’t be,” he thought, aiming for Svan’s head.

Jack pulled the trigger, and with a bang, Svan's corpse fell to the ground, never to move again. "A Confederate zombie?" Jack questioned. "Well, at least it wasn't a Nazi zombie. That would just be too cliché," he chuckled to himself.

He didn’t have much of a chance to enjoy his joke, as it wasn’t long before revenants began to pop out from the other graves. Realizing he didn’t have enough bullets to handle every Confederate veteran in the cemetery, Jack made a tactical decision to retreat to the mausoleums. As he pushed his way through, he found that the Confederates weren’t the only corpses to rise from the dead. Several zombies rapidly blocked his path. However, these corpses seemed uninterested in him and simply stood in place.

Magnolia Cemetery: Mausoleums

Twilight could barely stand anymore. She wanted more than anything to fight back, but the pain was so great that she couldn't use her magic. Her flesh and organs were slowly but surely degrading to mush.

“Don’t worry, Signorina Sparkle. It will all be over soon," Morte said emotionlessly. "If it's of any comfort, your life won't be wasted. The years you have left on your natural lifespan will be added to my own. In a certain sense, you might say you'll live on through me."

The Crusaders watched in horror from the mausoleum's roof as Twilight rotted alive.

“TWILIGHT!” Scootaloo shouted before Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle covered her mouth.

“Are you crazy!?” Sweetie Belle asked quietly.

“We need to help her!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“How do ya 'spect us tuh do that?” asked Apple Bloom. “We’re jus' foals!”

“I… You’re right,” Scootaloo conceded.

While the Crusaders were having their argument, Twilight finally collapsed from the pain.

"I wish you un pleasant journey to the afterlife," Morte said as he crept toward's Twilight's defenseless form. "Say…"

There was a deafening bang, and Morte felt the bone in his front right leg shatter. The pain wasn't enough to stop him from moving, but it broke his concentration on Twilight. Looking down, he could see a hole in his leg that was leaking a putrid green substance he recognized as his own blood. Scanning the graveyard, his blank white eyes locked onto Jack pointing his Glock at him.

“Grande errore, umano!” Morte spat, showing emotion for the first time since this encounter began. "MORIRE!" he howled as he charged his horn.

“Yameru!" Oni-Hime telepathically screamed. "You know Otō-san wants Jack-sama alive."

“If I let them live, our plans will be exposed," Morte argued.

"Without Jack-Sama, there is no plan," Oni-Hime countered. "You've had plenty of time to raise your army. Stand down."

“Come vuoi," Morte conceded. "Considerati fortunato, umano!" he shouted as his body disintegrated into an ashy powder, which blew away in the breeze.

Once Morte had vanished, Jack rushed to where Twilight was lying on the ground. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"No," Twilight said weakly. "Get the girls. We need to get out of here."

Jack helped the Crusaders down from the mausoleum, and together they helped Twilight to her feet.

“She needs a doctor.” Jack thought. “I can’t exactly pilot the balloon, but what if I…”

“There was a survey vessel just outside the harbor,” Jack remembered aloud. “If we can find a boat, I can get us to the ship.”

Pershing Street

Jack and the Crusaders had escorted the injured Twilight to a nearby intersection where Jack hopped to find something useful. Parked neatly on the side of the road was a white Ford Ranger with its windows down. "Jackpot!" Jack thought. Shifting through a pair of pants in the driver's seat, he fished out a key and opened the truck’s doors.

"I'm going to need some help with this, girls," Jack said as he walked to the back of the truck. "Bloom, Scoots, help me lift Twilight into the back!" he requested as he opened the gate.

Once Twilight was safely in the back of the truck, Jack instructed Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to keep an eye on her. He then requested Sweetie Belle follow him to the front.

“You see those plastic things on the floor?” Jack asked.

"Yes," Sweetie Belle answered.

"When I say now, I need you to press down on the right one just a little bit."

"Ok," Sweetie Belle agreed, not entirely sure why she was being asked to do this.

Jack inserted the key into the ignition, and the truck sputtered to life. Shifting gear into reverse, he shouted, "Now!"

Sweetie Belle did as she was told, only she pressed a little too hard, and the truck shot out of the parking space.

In the back, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were flung into the open utility box.

“PRESS THE LEFT ONE!” Jack shrieked.

Sweetie Belle did as instructed, and the Ranger stopped abruptly, and the utility box slammed shut.

"Ok," Jack sighed as he shifted gears to drive. "Let's try this again."

In what was without question the most terrifying drive of his life, Jack wove between the car crashes that littered Charleston's streets as Sweetie Belle did her best to follow his instructions on the pedals.

As terrifying as it was for him, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had it far worse. Neither had been hurt beyond a massive bruise on Apple Bloom's right flank and a black eye on the part of Scootloo, but the utility box was pitch black, and every bump came as a complete surprise.

Twilight's size kept her from being flung around as easily as the crusaders, but the constant bumps and jolts were not helping her condition in the slightest.

"LEFT PEDAL, NOW!" Jack shouted in terror as they approached several crashed tractor-trailers.

The truck skidded to a stop, and with Jac's steering, they narrowly missed the crashed big rigs. Clasping his hands together he prayed, "dear God, thank you for delivering us in one piece. Looking down, he noticed they were missing a mirror. "Mostly."

Cooper River Marina

5 Minutes Later

Jack pulled the Ranger into the boat landing. There were plenty of boats to choose from, to Jack's relief. Including one that was already in the process of being loaded into a boat trailer. It would just need to be detached.

He and Sweetie Belle hopped out of the truck and went to help Scootaloo and Apple Bloom unload Twilight. To their shock, the other two Crusaders were nowhere to be found.

"Oh, God! Please tell me they didn't fall out! Jack pleaded internally as his heart began to race.

"Hello?" called a voice from the utility box. "Is anypony there?"

It was Apple Bloom. Jack wasted no time opening the box and freeing the two fillies. Once they had gotten over the shock, they all helped Twilight out of the truck and into the boat. Jack picked up a key from the boat's console while the girls detached the boat from the trailer, and they were off.

They reached the harbor's mouth 20 minutes later, and Jack used the boat's emergency air horn to signal the ship. Once they were aboard, they were greeted by the ship's commander, a burly earth pony with an anchor cutie mark named Ballast Hoof. Once Jack finished explaining what had happened, Ballast Hoof ordered his crew to make for Baltimare immediately.

“Get Miss Sparkle to the infirmary and send a letter to Princess Celestia explaining the situation!” Ballast Hoof ordered before turning to Jack. “It’ll take us three days to reach Baltimare at top speed, but It’s the closest port.”

Author's Note:

Whew, that took a while. I'm not entirely sure how this chapter went. Do you guys think I should have split this chapter in two and had one focus on the Crusaders in Charleston and the other focusing on the Morte fight? I also feel like the ending was rushed, but that's something I'll probably just edit to my satisfaction at a later date.
Next Time: Upon their arrival in Baltimare, Twilight is rushed to a state-of-the-art medical facility in Canterlot while Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo's aunts arrive to take Jack and the Crusaders home. However, a guard stops Jack and Fluttershy as they leave Baltimare and informs them that Jack has been requested in the Capital.

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