> LOST Little Ponies: Pilot
>  by Perceptive Key
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Introduction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


LOST Little Ponies
Pilot
Introduction


Twilight Sparkle's dark violet eyes shot open in a flash. Her retinas retracted at the sudden influx of Celestia's dazzling sunlight. The lavender mare blinked the hazy spots out of her eyes and stared into the sky above her, taking in the clouds and their movements across the clear blue sky. The bamboo stalks caught her eyes as well, the tall, green reeds stretching up into the atmosphere. She was simply captivated.

Wait...

No...

Bamboo stalks...?

What were those doing here...?

Where was the ship...?

She turned to her left, slowly twisting her neck to the side. She was soon greeted by a large bed of lush, green foliage. It took the unicorn a moment to realize that she was lying atop the greenery. She was so confused. Where was the ship...? Where was everypony else...?

Where were her friends...?

Twilight's eyes widened in sudden realization. Her friends! She needed to find them. Twilight moved to stand, but a stab of pain shot through her lower back. She fell back to the ground immediately, breathing quickly. She turned onto her stomach carefully, moving ever so slowly. Twilight caught sight of something on the ground: a small, red pigment staining the otherwise emerald vegetation.

Blood.

Her own blood.

She instinctively reached for where she had felt the quick rush of physical agony that had coursed through her back. Twilight was rewarded with a feeling of a warm spot on her back that also sent a burning pain through her body. She swiftly retracted her hoof and examined its tip. Sure enough, there was a streak of blood intermingling with purple fur on her hoof. Twilight now opted for the observer's route, craning her neck to get a better look at her backside.

She was wearing a simple, night blue dress around the middle and foremost parts of her body. There were now some scattered tears throughout the material that must have occurred before she regained consciousness.

A long gash sliced through both the clothing and her usually pristine coat, with large drops of half-dried blood clinging to each of them. She deemed it non-life threatening at the moment, but, if it wasn't stitched up soon, it could lead to unwanted infection. Once again, Twilight made an attempt to get to her hooves, pushing herself up with first the front, then back appendages. The wound was stinging mildly, but the previous bout of anguish must have been brought about from contact with the ground.

Twilight propped herself up against a cluster of bamboo stalks and surveyed her location. She peered through the reeds, searching for... something. Anything. She had to find her friends...

*Crack*

Twilight turned at the sound of a twig snapping, searching for the source. Some leaves rustled to her left, and she watched as a small brown-haired dog stepped into the clearing. The small animal was panting with its tongue

"W... Winona?" Twilight wondered aloud.

The dog responded by darting past her and running back into the dense forest. When the canine disappeared behind some stalks, Twilight shifted her weight back to her hooves again. She groaned in pain, but that did not stop her. She took a moment to test her motor skills, stretching her legs one by one. Satisfied that they were functioning normally, the mare's gaze turned to where Winona had disappeared.

"Co-come back," Twilight called weakly. With that, she started after the animal. The unicorn stumbled a bit during the first couple of steps, but quickly regained her senses and corrected herself. She advanced through the dense topography, pushing branches aside and trampling fallen leaves. The crinkling and crackling of the foliage underhoof sounded like thunderclaps to the mare. She was able to tolerate it, though, since the only objective she was focused on was following Applejack's pet through the forest.

Twilight quickened her pace. She hurried through the reeds blindly, unsure of where they would lead. Gradually, the thickness of the plant life began to lessen, raising her spirits. She entered another small clearing and saw something on the ground, covered with the leaves of the lower flora. Twilight stopped to examine the object, pushing the plants out of her way.

The object was a small, white suitcase. It was beaten and battered beyond repair, but Twilight knew that the baggage in question belonged to her friend Rarity. "Rarity..." Twilight repeated the name aloud, now more focused than ever on finding the others. Suddenly, the mare's ears suddenly perked up.

She thought she heard something... 

Twilight remained silent and listened. After a few seconds, the noise repeated itself.

'What is that...? she thought. 'Was that... screaming?'

Again the noise sounded. It was screaming!

Twilight turned in the presumed direction of the cries and resumed her chase. She sprinted through the jungle, running for the source. More screams echoed through the wilderness. Twilight saw that the leaves began to give way to sunlight up ahead, and she made for it with newfound strength. She also found that she was beginning to regain her senses, now. The process was slow, but the more she ran, the more her mind cleared.

The leaves were finally giving way to the open world, their density decreasing more rapidly as she continued on. Rays of sunlight poked through the tree line and scattered glittering golden light across Twilight's unsure face. The opening was thirty feet... twenty feet... ten...

Twilight emerged from the jungle and found herself standing on the sandy floor of a beach. The ocean stretched out endlessly in all directions, the sapphire blue waves lapping up against the near-golden shore. The sun poked through the scattered clouds on the horizon, making the sea shimmer and sparkle like thousands of perfect diamonds. To the left and in the distance, there was a tall mountain that obscured any more land from view. The imposing structure was formidable, and the partial shadows made it look mysterious at the same time.

It was practically paradise.

Twilight would have taken time to stare at the scene, but the screams that she heard were even louder now. The came from her left, past some bushes higher up on the beach. She turned her attention to the source and ran to see the trouble. She rounded the bend and slowed to a stop. Her legs grew weak as she surveyed the scene.

The previously spectacular view was now meaningless at the sight before her. Ponies were scattered about, screaming or lying on the ground in pain. She didn't have time to distinguish them individually as they hurried about. Some of the standing, able-bodied equines were helping lead people away, but that was almost forgotten as she saw what lay at the center of the drama. 

Lying atop the sand, was the large, fresh wreckage of a large, burning airship.
> 1. Savior (Updated)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Chapter 1
Savior


The new breed of airships that had emerged in recent years were of a revolutionary design. The ship itself was a closed cabin, with two, large wings spread out from the exterior of the fuselage. Many expected these new air travel devices to use the traditional hot air balloons as their main source of flight, but not a single inflatable device was required to keep it aloft. Instead, there were special engines on each wing that were charged by unicorn magic, working to propel the ship forward for take off. When it reached cruising altitude, the magic would be put on reserve as the air rushing through the engine would sustain flight. Many ponies were now beginning to call them 'aeroplanes, airplanes,' or simply 'planes.' The last two were more commonly used than the first due to them being shorter, and easier to pronounce for some. Twilight, herself, had actually commented on the construction, saying that it was quite a feat in aerodynamics.

Now, Twilight was in shock. The aerodynamic design that had impressed her a mere six hours before was lying in a flaming mass of mangled metal and wreckage. Fragments of the ship were scattered about the scene, some of which were burning with the red-orange colors of fire. The right wing was suspended in the air, clinging to the fuselage by rapidly weakening metal clamps.

Twilight acted immediately, and ran towards the twisted wreck with a new goal in mind. She was going to help anyone she could find. Anyone. She darted for the fuselage, rushing past limping and maimed ponies. As she approached the wreckage, Twilight could now make out everything more clearly. The ship was missing the tail and cockpit sections, leaving only the central cabin space on the beach. The unicorn was slowed in her approach by one of the engines that was still on from flight. It was like an extremely powerful vacuum was trying to suck her into its gigantic, razor sharp maw. She stumbled away from the vaporous vortex and resumed her run.

The screaming pony was right in front of her, now, and Twilight looked at her in surprise, as well as partial happiness. It was Rarity. The white coated unicorn mare was standing stationary next to the engine and had her eyes shut tight, screaming loudly.

Twilight quickly approached her. "RARITY!" she shouted. The screaming mare only responded by continuing her current vocalizations. Twilight shook her friend vigorously, "RARITY! YOU HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM THE ENGINE!" The unicorn was unresponsive and continued her distressed exclamations.

Suddenly, a brown coated, blue maned stallion rushed up behind Rarity and Twilight. The lavender mare stepped up to him. "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!"

"P-PEN SCRATCH!" the stallion answered back uncertainly.

"COULD YOU HELP GET HER OUT OF HERE?!" Twilight indicated the screaming mare next to her.

The stallion simply nodded and wrapped a hoof around the frightened fashionista, beginning to lead her out of range of the engine's suction. "STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGINE!" she warned.

"NO PROBLEM!" the stallion replied loudly.

Twilight watched them evacuate before returning her attention to the ship. She watched more ponies hurry out from within the main wreckage, looking for any sign of her other friends. She watched as a small, purple and green dragon stumbled out of the fuselage. The miniscule creature coughed and collapsed to his knees.

"SPIKE?!" Twilight screamed.

The dragon heard her shouts and saw her. They made eye contact and he gave Twilight a weak wave before collapsing forward into the sand. Twilight cried out in utter fear and rushed over to his side. She knelt down next to her dragon assistant and hurriedly turned him onto his back. Spike's tongue lolled out of his mouth when he was moved, and Twilight feared the worst. She immediately began administering CPR, planting her forehooves on his tiny chest and pushing down a few times. Then, she sucked in a deep breath before lowering her mouth down to his and releasing the air that would flow back into his  lungs. She had read many books on lifesaving in her scheduled free time, leading her to study the subject more deeply in the event that it may come in handy.

"Please Spike," Twilight pleaded hopefully, "please be okay!" She repeated the technique while the drama around her continued to unfold. The engine was sucking up stray objects like clothes and suitcase fragments, consuming them greedily and to no end. Twilight was interrupted in her applied resuscitation by Spike gasping for breath. Twilight gasped herself, more out of relief then a desire for oxygen.

"Twilight...?" Spike coughed. The purple mare smiled and nodded, her eyes brimming with tears of joy.

"HELP!!!" a voice suddenly called out in pain, their tone slicing through the noise surrounding them. "PLEASE HELP ME!!!"

Twilight turned in the direction of the voice and spotted the outline a pink colored mare, lying on her side and much closer to the ocean. She was facing away from the unicorn, and the heat and smoke made it near impossible for Twilight to distinguish any other features. She wanted to help her, but she couldn't leave Spike. She looked around for anypony that wasn't injured or already helping anyone, but was out of luck. 

Thankfully, another pony wandered out of the destroyed plane. Twilight instantly recognized the mint colored mare as Lyra Heartstrings. The green unicorn coughed as she stumbled out, her route of escape intercepted by Twilight.

"LYRA!" Twilight shouted above the ever increasing roar of the engine, getting the mint pony's attention. "I NEED YOU TO GET SPIKE OUT OF HERE!" she pointed to the baby dragon. Lyra nodded shakily and lifted the small form of Spike onto her back. "Thank you," Twilight said as Lyra hurried away with the weak Spike lying on her back. "STAY AWAY FROM THE ENGINE!" she repeated her warning to Lyra.

Now that Spike was safe, Twilight could help the mare that was in distress. She galloped down the beach and past the unmoving forms of other ponies lying in the sand. Twilight wasn't sure if they were dead or unconscious, but, thankfully, there were some other survivors dragging them up the beach and away from the wreckage. As she neared the pink pony, Twilight nearly tripped in surprise. Cadence was lying on her side and groaning in pain, her hooves clutching her distended abdomen.

The engine noise wasn't as loud here, but Twilight still had to shout to be heard. "Cadence!" she called. The unicorn quickly approached her alicorn sister-in-law. "Are you alright?!"

Cadence was pregnant, but Twilight had been aware of her condition long before she and her friends left for Sydneigh. But Twilight was completely and utterly shocked to see her old foalsitter, now, lying on a beach next to a crashed airplane. She was completely unaware that Cadence had even been in Sydneigh, let alone been on the same flight!

"Twilight!" Cadence gasped.

The purple pony got down next to her legal relative. "What's wrong?!"

"I think I'm having contractions!" the alicorn replied, her voice strained.

Twilight looked around in fear. "ARE THERE ANY DOCTORS?!" she called out. "ANYONE?!"

A stallion a ways up the beach, dozens of feet from the wreck, heard the cries for help. He saw the pair of ponies sitting in the sand on the opposite end of the plane. "WAIT!" he shouted in reply, "I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!" He looked back to the pony lying beside him, a cyan blue pegasus with a rainbow mane was passed out in the sand. Her wings were badly damaged, most likely broken, but she was stable for now. The stallion turned back to the other two and dashed towards them.

Twilight watched him approach her and Cadence. "Are you a doctor?!" the former of the two questioned.

The earth pony had a dark grey coat and a black mane and tail, both of which were tangled and disheveled. "I am!" he confirmed, "What's wrong?!" He then took stock of Cadence's pregnancy almost instantly. "How many months?!"

"A... little over nine," the alicorn replied before squinting in pain.

"How far apart are the contractions?!" the stallion asked Cadence.

"I-I don't... know," she admitted.

"SOMEPONY HELP ME!!!" The three of them were interrupted by cries for help. Twilight and the stallion looked over to the source of the exclamations. In the shadow of the overhanging wing, an orange earth pony with a blonde mane was struggling under the weight of a steel plate.

Twilight gasped, "Applejack! How did I not see her?!" The mare turned back to the doctor next to her. "I'll go help her!" she said, "please stay with her!" she pointed at Cadence. The stallion nodded in understanding and turned back to the pregnant mare in front of him.

Twilight returned to her hooves and started to run for her trapped friend, but she turned back to the stallion. "What's your name?!" she quizzed.

"Mend!" he replied.

"Thank you, Mend!" Twilight resumed her sprint to the trapped farm pony.

Two other ponies were already at the scene, trying to lift the metal up and extract the mare, but their efforts were fruitless. It took the efforts of both ponies to lift the metal a few inches, but another was required to pull the distressed mare out. Applejack was definitely in pain, Twilight concluded after nearing her friend, seeing the mare's expression. Her legs must have been pinned beneath the hard sheet. She turned to the two ponies, one unicorn mare and one pegasus stallion. "On the count of three, you lift and I'll pull her out!" she ordered them. The pair nodded and prepared themselves, sliding their hooves under the metal for leverage.

"One, two, THREE!" Twilight shouted. At once, the ponies raised the metallic plate covering Applejack, allowing Twilight to grab her friend's hooves and slide her out from beneath it. When Applejack's rear legs were clear, Twilight knew instantly that the right one was broken, or sprained at best.

"Twilight..." Applejack said through a haze of pain.

"Shh," the lavender pony silenced her half-conscious friend. "Don't worry AJ," she said, "you're okay." Twilight turned to the assisting rescuers, "We need to get her out of here before-!"

Twilight was cut off by the loud cracking and creaking of the wing. The metal extension directly above them dropped slightly as the joints started giving way with bursts of deafening snaps. 

"RUN!" Twilight screamed. She and the two others grabbed Applejack, and the orange pony wrapped her hooves around their necks while they led they way out from underneath the teetering structure. More ponies that had been sitting under the wing were quickly getting to their hooves and running, or limping, up the beach, shouting for others to run as well.

"IT'S COMING DOWN!!!"

"GET OUT OF THERE!!!"

"HURRY!!!"

The final piece snapped apart and the wing plummeted towards the ground. It slammed into the sand, knocking bucketfuls of the material into the air with the outgoing force. Twilight and the ponies with her were knocked forward, face planting into the beach. Applejack cried out as her injured legs hit the ground, pain renewing itself the moment they made contact.

"Applejack!" Twilight exclaimed in alarm.

The mare put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't worry! We'll get her to safety!" The mare turned to the stallion, who nodded and placed Applejack's hoof around his neck while the mare did the same for Applejack's other leg. Twilight watched them walk up the beach with her friend in tow between them.

*HHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!*

Twilight spun back around to notice the engine again, the source of the wail. The device was now spewing black smoke and shooting it off into the air behind it. Twilight checked the area around it to make sure that everypony was clear in the event that the engine exploded, but there were two ponies that were within her predicted blast radius.

Cadence and Mend.

"Really?!" Twilight complained before running back down to the pair on the beach. Two ponies tried to stop her from rushing in, but she quickly shrugged them off and warned them to get as far away from the deadly turbine as possible. As she neared her sister and the stallion, she shouted out, "GET HER AWAY FROM THERE!!!"

Mend heard Twilight's warning and saw the engine's pre-detonation state. He acted quickly, getting Cadence to place a hoof around his neck for support. The frantic mare reached them, and Cadence was able to wrap her other hoof around Twilight's neck. The trio hurried away from the engine, stumbling a few times under the weight of the alicorn and her condition. They were almost clear when the engine exploded.

The cylindrical turbine had had enough. The smoke was as thick as it could possibly be and the engine was sucking up every single thing within five feet of it, including a metal bar that had been thrown with the force of the wing impacting the sand. The bar was carried into the razor maw of the engine and caught on the blades. The metal shattered with the force and clogged the intake. Within a second, the out-of-control machine blasted out, shooting flames out and into the sky and scattering dangerous debris across the beach. Everypony took cover the instant it happened. Twilight, Mend, and Cadence landed in the sand, metal shards whizzing by their heads. Some ponies were, at the worst, singed from the outburst of fire, and small gusts of flame were scattered about the beach and were slowly dying down.

Twilight lifted her head out of the sand and turned to Cadence. "Are you alright," she asked in a normal tone. The air around them was now free of engine noise, allowing their shouting to be put to rest. Twilight's throat was burning from the screaming and the smoke that had been coming from the wreck.

Cadence nodded, "I think I'm alright."

Mend sat up and rubbed his head, many grains of sand falling out of his mane. "That was rather... fun... actually," he gave a confused grin, as he, himself, was unsure of what to make of the situation.

Twilight shook her head at his remark, but did smile. The overall strain of the disaster had pushed Twilight to her limits, and her mind was finding the experience to be terrifying, dangerous, saddening, and, as Mend stated... fun. It must have been a small side effect from her exhaustion, since it wasn't the first time it had happened. "I'm going to see if anyone else needs help," Twilight announced.

Mend's expression returned to being serious, "Alright. Let me know if there's anypony else that needs medical attention."

"Understood," Twilight responded. The unicorn stood up and winced.

The action caught Mend's attention. "Are you alright?" he asked Twilight with concern, "Your dress is stained with quite a bit of blood."

The mare gave a weak laugh, "I'm fine. This is from another pony I was helping, earlier," she lied.

"Well, judging from the amount on your back, that pony might need some stitches," Mend remarked, "or they're running a serious risk of infection. I'll have to check on them as soon as possible. Be sure to bring them to see me as soon as possible."

"I'll be sure to bring them to you," Twilight grinned weakly as she walked away. Mend returned his attention back to Cadence, the pregnant mare was in less pain, now, but Mend wanted to make sure that Cadence was no longer in labor.

Twilight wandered up the beach, thinking to herself. She had almost completely forgotten about the gash, as well as her original goal to mend it. Twilight had refused to tell Mend, thus allowing him to devote more time into helping Cadence.

Twilight looked around at the baggage and cases scattered around the wreckage. She spotted a purple one that looked familiar and identified it as Rarity's sewing bag. Twilight unzipped the front pocket and rummaged through until she pulled out a small sewing kit. There was an assortment of needles and multicolored threads neatly organized within the small plastic container. Twilight took the equipment and searched a second bag. The tag had labeled it as Berry Punch's, leading Twilight to believe that there would be something containing alcohol inside. She searched the main bag and, luckily, was able to produce a small vial of the substance. The lavender mare sighed and walked away from the wreck, checking one last time to make sure that everything was now under control.

The hulking mass of metal that was the plane loomed over most of the survivors. Teams of able bodied ponies were helping pull others out of the sand, as well as venturing into the main cabin to search for survivors. Some of the unmoving forms that were being carried worried Twilight, and so she quickly turned her back to the devastating scene and hurried away.
> 2. Healing Wounds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2
Healing Wounds


Twilight navigated the jungle, sticking to its edge and keeping the ocean in sight. She carefully navigated the rocks nearer to the shore to a more secluded area. When she was sure that she would be unnoticed, Twilight sat the sewing material and the small bottle of alcohol on the rocks to her left. Slowly, she removed the dress that she had been wearing. The parts of the material that were blood soaked clung to her fur, resisting extrication. It took a bit more effort, but eventually the garment was removed. Twilight draped it over a tree branch and turned back to examine her wound.

The cut was nearly six inches long, about an inch wide and deep, and ran from her mid-back down to the right side of her body. She touched the sore area with her hoof and tried to stretch the skin so that she could get a better look. She instantly regretted her decision and recoiled as the contact threw a burning feeling through her system. Twilight gasped and gave a weak laugh at her predicament. She would need another pony's help if she was going to repair the split tissue. She lowered her head, thinking about what to do.

A rustling in the leaves made her look up, just in time to see Mend step through the tree line. He caught sight of Twilight sitting on her haunches and chuckled. "I have to give you credit," he grinned.

Twilight was surprised by his acclamation. "Credit for what?" she asked confusedly.

"Trying to pull of an obvious lie like that." Mend navigated the rocks in a similar manner to Twilight, walking over to her. He noticed the small sewing kit and bottle of alcohol. "Planning on being a doctor, eh?" he gave her a smile.

"I was going to fix it myself," Twilight admitted. "I didn't want to stop you from treating the others that survived."

Mend twirled his hoof, indicating for Twilight to turn around. She complied, allowing him to get a better look at her injury. Mend gave an approving nod, "Not as bad as I originally thought."

"You expected more?" Twilight asked, a smile creeping onto her own face.

"Just trying to get a smile." Mend walked over to the rock that held the supplies that Twilight had gathered from the two suitcases. He opened the small sewing box and peeked inside. "Color preference?" he asked a patient Twilight. 

"Is there anything that will match my coat?" she responded with her own question.

Mend rummaged through the bag. "Indeed there is," he said with a grin, extracting a needle, as well as a spool of vibrant, lavender thread that matched Twilight's color perfectly. "Whoever packed the bag you got this from obviously had you in mind," he joked.

"That would be Rarity," Twilight replied, "I got the thread from her bag."

"You know who these belong to?" Mend questioned.

"My friend. She and a few more of us were leaving Sydneigh after a brief vacation," she told him, "the sewing supplies were in case any of our clothes were ruined," Twilight pointed to the dress hanging on the branch, Mend noticing it for the first time since the beach.

"I bet that it looked great when it wasn't shredded." Mend picked up the small bottle of alcohol and unscrewed the lid, tipping the vial over into his hooves. He spread a small amount of the clear liquid over his hooves, leaving about three quarters of the container filled with liquor. He kept it open as he switched to the needle and thread, carefully sliding the string through the thin metal loop. "I just realized something," Mend pondered.

"And that would be?" Twilight urged him to continue.

"I don't know your name," Mend finished threading the needle and turned his gaze back to Twilight's back. He picked up the remaining alcohol and poured it over his patient's wound.

Twilight resisted the urge to cry out in pain as the liquid came into contact with her cut. "My name is... ungh... Twilight. Twilight Sparkle."

"Pleased to meet you, Twilight Sparkle," Mend said casually, "I'm Sure Mend." He carefully inserted the needle into Twilight's skin, through the laceration, and out the other end.

Once again, Twilight stiffened from the pain. "What happened to all of your other patients? The ones from the wreck?" she clarified.

Mend was silent for a moment as he concentrated repeating the stitching movements. "As it turns out," he started, "there was another doctor on the flight. More of a nurse then a doctor, actually. She assured me that she could handle whoever was injured."

"That's a relief," Twilight said. Twilight watched Mend as he continued to seal up her wound. She decided to distract herself somehow, and her gaze drifted down to Mend's cutie mark. A needle and thread was set in front of a white roll of gauze, symbolizing a skill with patching injuries. "I don't get you," she said after a while.

Mend paused, briefly looking up from from his work. "You don't get what?"

"How you're not scared by all of this," Twilight explained. "The crash, the injuries,... the death," Twilight added quietly.

There was more silence as Mend continued the stitching. "I was scared," he stated quietly, his smile turning into a sad line on his face. "I was afraid... I am afraid."

Twilight was surprised by this sudden change in character coming from the previously jovial stallion. "What did you do?" she asked, urging for him to continue.

"I thought about what I could be doing to help, not what I was doing right then and there, lying near the plane. I couldn't bear to not help anypony and I feel guilty whenever I don't. My guilt is what makes me fearless," he finished.

Twilight was amazed. "That's... interesting." She really didn't know what to say. Here was this pony that she had just met and had helped her and Cadence without a second thought. All because he would feel guilty about himself if he hadn't helped them!

"I bet you're trying to piece that statement together," Mend grinned.

Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts, but she nodded slowly. She had, indeed, been thinking that exactly.

"That's usually what everyone thinks of me," he explained, "they don't understand it."

"Why do you feel guilty," Twilight asked with concern.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Mend said quietly as he finished up the last stitch. He used the needle to tie off the loose ends and then snipped off the excess string with his teeth. He sat the remaining thread down along with the needle and empty alcohol bottle. He turned back to face Twilight. "Like it barely even happened," he indicated to the repaired cut. He was right. The thread color was perfectly matched to her fur, hiding the scar from everything but close scrutiny. There was some silence while Twilight and Mend just sat there, each giving the other time to organize their thoughts.

"So..." Twilight began, "we should probably get back to the beach. See if we can help anypony else."

Mend nodded, "Good idea." The doctor stood and offered Twilight an outstretched hoof.

She gladly accepted it, using his help to get to her hooves again. She didn't really need his help in standing back up, but she took it as a friendly gesture. "Thank you. To the beach?"

"To the beach," he repeated.

Before they left, Twilight reached out for her bloodstained dress and removed it from the tree branch. She contemplated the usefulness of the garment as she held it in her hoof. She gave a shrug and draped it over her back thoughtlessly. She and Mend then walked back to the beach in silence.


< - - - - - > = < - - - - - >


A brown earth pony mare with a silvery-black mane trotted along the beach, large branches balanced on her back. She made her way toward a large fire burning just off the left side of the wreck. As she neared, she noticed a stallion sitting beside a broken part of the engine that had flown off during the explosion. He had his head down, facing the sand in silence.

"Hey, you," she said to him. The mare's voice contained an obvious accent that resembled one from Horstralia.

The stallion instantly looked up and pointed to himself nervously, "M-me?"

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"I'm, uh, Bronze Shield," he answered back, slowly getting to his hooves.

"Well, Bronze Shield," the mare let two of the branches fall from her back, "we need help with the signal fire. No one will see it if it isn't big."

Bronze nodded and quickly gathered the two branches that she had dropped for him. "I'm on it." He followed her over to the fire burning nearby and tossed the sticks in. "What's your name?" he asked the mare.

"Bray," she replied.

"Bray," Bronze repeated to himself, "Got it. Yeah, I'm on it, Bray." The two walked off to gather more branches to feed the flames of the signal fire. They passed the metal scrap of the plane. Though desolate, the mass of steel was not completely abandoned.

A unicorn stallion with a lime green coat was poking his head into the remains of the plane's engine. His grey mane was dirtied with soot, the natural black streak running through it seeming to have grown many various branches. He mumbled to himself, the words nearly incomprehensible to everypony else. There was some mention of trajectory, velocity, physics, and self-sustained motorization, but, otherwise, it sounded like nonsense.

A second stallion, a unicorn as well, sat alone against the metal shell of the airplane. His cream colored coat was stained with black sections of singed fur. If one had just met him, they would have instantly thought that his coat was naturally spotted. His shaggy, dark blue mane was cut short and the edges of the hair were singed, as well. He held a lighter in his hooves gingerly, slowly flipping the top open and shut repeatedly. The clicking of the lid was the only sound, as he just stared at the reflective object, never once lighting the flame.

Further down the beach, a pink earth pony mare with an equally pink, cotton candy mane sat on a small mound in the sand, scanning the horizon with a sort of thoughtful expression. Pinkie Pie watched as the ocean foam swirled and frothed, large masses of silvery bubbles rising to the surface and dissolving into the salty waters.

Twilight and Mend stepped through the tree line and onto the long, sandy stretch of the beach. The pair walked past groups of ponies treating some of their own small injuries, while others were busy trying to arouse those who were unconscious. The initial pandemonium had ceased with the final destruction of the engine, but there was still the lingering sense of shock that came from such life-threatening ordeals. The metal carcass of the plane was a silver blemish, with scorched black parts, on the pale sand and green vegetation scattered about. Mend and Twilight walked by the plane, taking cautious glances inside the ruptured shell. To the relief of both, the only remains to be seen were those of the cushioned seats and burned metalwork.

"I pray to Celestia that everypony survived," Mend breathed.

"Judging from the lack of bodies, I believe that we're alright," Twilight remarked. Secretly, though, she prayed the same and was hoping that what she said was true.

They continued past the wreck and towards a more crowded region of the shore. Here, there were about two dozen ponies with varying injuries occupying the sand. Mend looked them over thoughtfully, judging who was in more serious condition. "I'll be right back," he told Twilight. The pony quickly took off toward someone lying in the middle of the cluster.

Twilight watched him run off and she, too, scanned the area. Some of the ponies lying before her looked to have broken limbs, major cuts, some worse then her own, and burned patches in their fur. She suddenly grew sad -and a bit uncomfortable- at the sight and averted her gaze from the unwelcoming scene. As she turned around, Twilight noticed Cadence lying on her side over by the shore. The pregnant mare was staring out into the waves that lapped up against the smooth, tide-flattened sands, stroking her bulging midsection. Twilight quickly trotted up behind her.

"Cadence!" she called. The alicorn of love was awakened from her trance and turned to see Twilight standing next to her.

"Hey, Twilight!" Cadence said happily, "How are you?"

"I'm more worried about you," Twilight smiled as she redirected the attention back to Cadence. She sat down on her haunches beside her and looked at the mare's pregnant stomach. "Are you feeling better, now?" Twilight asked with a caring expression.

Cadence gave a small laugh, "I'm fine, Twilight. It was just brought on by the shock and stress of the crash. At least that's what he told me," she pointed a hoof over at Mend, who was conversing with another pony, presumably injured.

Twilight gazed at him over her shoulder and turned back to Cadence. "His name's Sure Mend," she said. "He helped me with a scrape I had."

The pony beside her turned sharply. "Are you alright?!" Cadence asked seriously.

"It was just a small cut," Twilight waved off the question. "Besides, it's hardly noticeable, anyway." Cadence gave Twilight a concerned, sideways glance, but refrained from pushing the matter further.

The mares stared out at the waves in silence. They watched the liquid monsters viciously crash into the shore and hurriedly advance up the sandy incline, their descent slowing to a stop before retreating back into the water.

"When do you think they'll get here?" Cadence finally asked, breaking the silence of the moment.

"Who?" Twilight returned from her thoughts.

"The rescue teams?" Cadence clarified.

"Hopefully soon," Twilight reassured. "Planes have these special devices that are called 'black boxes,'" she explained. "They're designed to record the plane's flight throughout the journey. If anything problematic happens, like loss of contact with any ground crews, then the black box system alerts them of the break in contact. When we crashed," Twilight continued, "the black box sent that information to someone on a receiving end, informing them of the disaster. This allows them almost instant response to the situation."

Cadence nodded in understanding as the sun continued to descend toward the horizon, lighting the clouds' backsides and spraying rays of light out across the water. Cadence sighed, "I hope they get here soon."
> 3. Reunions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3
Reunions


The sun was slowly descending towards the horizon, the evening light casting elongated shadows and sparkling reflections along the water. Some small fires were now being constructed along the beach as ponies prepared themselves for the inevitable nightfall. Twilight wandered along the coast, passing those preoccupied with gathering wood. She wandered past Mend, who was busy wrapping a bandage around Lyra's foreleg. They were sitting next to a small fire that gave off an extra dose of light so that Mend could work.

Twilight stopped by them and turned to face Lyra. "Thank you," she said to her, "for helping Spike."

The mint-colored mare nodded at Twilight. "You're welcome. It was the least I could do."

Mend finished by tying the gauze into a simple knot and checking to see if it was secure. Satisfied with his work, he looked up at Lyra, "You should be fine, now. There wasn't much blood, but I still didn't want to run the risk of even the smallest chance of infection. Especially here," he added. 

Lyra stood up on all fours and thanked Mend before silently wandering over to a small circle of ponies gathered around a fire.

Twilight watched her take a seat between two ponies that she recognized as Bon Bon and Octavia. Twilight was constantly being surprised each time she came across a familiar face, though she only recognized Octavia from the orchestral records that she owned. She had no idea that so many ponies that she knew had been on the plane. Twilight turned the thought over in her mind for a few moments, but she stopped when she noticed Mend staring at her. "What?" she asked him.

"You've been standing there for almost a minute," the grey pony said with a grin. "Either you're doing some serious thinking, or you're just trying to spend more time around me."

Twilight blushed. "No! I was just thinking about how I recognize quite a few of the ponies that were on the plane." The blood retreated from her face as Mend gave her a 'kidding' look.

"You're lucky," Mend commented, turning to survey each of the clusters of equines scattered about the beach, "seeing familiar faces. I don't know anyone, here."

"You're the lucky one," Twilight replied insistently. "You won't have to worry if your friends survived, if they're in shock, or if they-"

"Twilight!" she was cut off by the sudden elation of a certain butter-colored, pink-maned mare. Fluttershy quickly flew over and embraced her friend in a firm hug. "We were so worried about you, Twilight!"

Twilight smiled through the affection, but she was suddenly struck by confusion. She felt that something was different about Fluttershy, but she just couldn't place it. If there even was anything. "I was worried about you girls, as well," she finally said. Twilight looked around for them, but the scattered firelight wasn't enough for her to make out her friends. "Where are they?" she asked. "Is Spike with them?"

"They're all on the other side of the plane," Fluttershy indicated with her hoof. Twilight followed the direction she was pointing and spotted a fire glowing near the edge of the beach. The huddled forms of six ponies and a baby dragon sat around the flames. It took a couple more seconds, but Twilight eventually distinguished three of the gathered ponies to be fillies.

"I'd better talk with them," Twilight said, turning back to Mend.

Mend waved her off. "That's perfectly fine. I'll be right here if you need me," he said as he patted the sand beneath him, "attempting to get a tan." Twilight and Fluttershy both gave short, cough-like laughs at his joke. "Oh," Mend added, turning to Fluttershy, "I want to thank you, Miss Fluttershy, for your help with everypony."

"Oh, it was nothing," she replied modestly.

Twilight gave her friend a look of confusion, completely unaware of the nature of the exchange. "What did you help him with?" she asked quizzically.

Mend spoke up before the pegasus, "Remember that extra nurse I told you about?" Twilight nodded, remembering. "Well, she's the one," he smiled, nodding at Fluttershy.

Twilight was instantly surprised, shocked, and utterly bewildered. Fluttershy as a nurse?! "But... but you're only a veterinarian," Twilight stated, though part of her was unsure. "Don't you only go near sick ponies if it's absolutely necessary?"

Fluttershy sheepishly rubbed her leg with a hoof. "It was sort of a... hobby. I would take medical classes at Ponyville General whenever I was between activities. I became a nurse almost six months ago," she informed.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Twilight asked.

"I wasn't sure how you would all react."

Mend cleared his throat. "Very sorry if I sound rude, but could you please catch up with your friends. I'm starting to feel like a third wheel, now."

Fluttershy smiled apologetically, but she did not hide behind her mane, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Mend chuckled, "It's not a problem. You two should go back to your friends."

"You should come and meet them, yourself," Twilight beckoned.

Fluttershy nodded vigorously, "Oh, yes! They'd love to meet you."

Mend looked pensive as he turned the idea over in his mind. "I suppose I could join you all when I'm finished here." 

Fluttershy immediately lightened up and clapped her hooves together happily. "Oh, good!" she said. "They'll all be so happy."

Twilight looked back over at her friends encircling the fire and turned back to Fluttershy. "Come on, Fluttershy. I'm sure that they're all missing both of us by now."

"Oh," the pegasus turned, "you're right! Um, let's go! It was nice talking with you, Mend." Fluttershy hovered above the ground, gently fluttering her wings.

She and Twilight began their walk down the beach, passing more ponies sitting around small fires. They passed by a stallion with a pitch black coat and silver mane sitting next to a fire. A mare with a mint-green coat, a similar shade to Lyra's, and a short, black and green-striped mane was next to him, lazily writing in the sand with her hooves. Twilight saw the message she was creating, which read: "What did I do to deserve this?"

A stallion and a mare couple sat at another fire, off to the side. The stallion, a unicorn with a blue coat and black mane, looked to the mare beside him, also a unicorn, with a pink coat and silver mane, who was busy watching the fire. "Je serai toujours avec vous," he said to her in Prench. "Peu importe quoi. Il suffit de rester près de moi, et je te protégerai. Toujours," he lifted her chin with his hoof so they could look at each other.* The mare gave a weak smile in return.

Twilight and Fluttershy continued to the spot where their friends were residing, all of them gathered around a small campfire.

"Twilight!" The mare in question was abruptly embraced by a small purple and green dragon. "I missed you so much!" Spike exclaimed, clinging to Twilight's neck.

Twilight recovered quickly and patted her tiny assistant on the back. "I missed you, too, Spike." She looked up from the hug and was greeted by the unforgettable faces of her friends. "I've missed you all," Twilight smiled at them.

Applejack was sitting with Apple Bloom, Rarity was next to her own sister, Sweetie Belle, and Rainbow Dash was with Scootaloo. The three fillies were sleeping with their respective sisters, or honorary sister in Scootaloo's case. The dim firelight revealed that Applejack's injured leg was wrapped in a simple splint made from driftwood, stray branches, and clothes torn into thin strips that bound it to her leg. Rarity was looking down into the sand silently, wearing a distant, blank expression. Twilight noticed that Rainbow Dash had something on her back, but the pegasus turned and the object quickly disappeared from view. Twilight quickly realized that Pinkie Pie was absent from the circle, but remembered seeing the optimistic mare on the beach earlier.

"How are you, Twi?" Applejack asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine," she smiled at the orange farmpony. Twilight pried Spike off of her body and sat down between him and Rarity. "I'm so glad to see that you're all okay."

"We were really worried," Applejack spoke.

"I was sure you made it," Rainbow said, wearing her traditionally smug expression.

Twilight gave her a sarcastic smile, "Of course you did, Rainbow." She turned to Applejack and examined her friend's wounded leg. "How's your leg?" Twilight asked her concernedly.

"I'm fine, Twi," Applejack replied, "just a sprain, is all."

Twilight blinked in surprise. "You mean, it's not broken?"

"Not at all," Applejack smiled, "though it'll be a while before I can do anything much. Thanks for the help, though."

"You're welcome." Twilight let out the mental breath she was holding, unaware that it had even been there in the first place. At least Applejack was in better condition than Twilight had originally feared. The mares all watched as the sun finally began to slip beneath the horizon, slowly giving way to the darkness of night. Twilight watched the stars begin to appear, dotting the night sky with bright, twinkling constellations, more than even she could count.

"Hey, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, cutting into the unicorn's pleasant thoughts.

"Yes?"

"What happened, exactly?"

Twilight blinked. "To what?" she inquired.

"The plane," Rainbow clarified. "What happened?"

"Oh. Well," Twilight started. "Um, hang on." She looked around the ground and, fortunately, spotted a small piece of 't' shaped metal lying next to her. Twilight picked the scrap up in her hooves and held the visual aid aloft for her friends to see. "We must have been at least fifty-thousand feet up when it happened," Twilight started to explain to those who offered their attention. This included her friends, save Rarity, who was still staring at the sand, and Spike. "We must have hit an air pocket and dropped-" Twilight thought for a moment, "-maybe two hundred feet." She lowered the metal scrap quickly to emphasize the motion. "The turbulence was... terrible. I remembered the sensation of falling, but... I blacked out soon after," Twilight concluded.

"I remember everything that happened," Rarity said forlornly. Everypony immediately looked over at their previously silent companion, still staring into the sand. "I didn't know when the back section was gone," she said with a near incoherent whisper, "but I never looked back to see." Twilight put a foreleg around Rarity to comfort her.

"It's okay, Rarity," Twilight said softly, "you don't need to tell us."

"We tumbled through the jungle," she continued, "but I don't know when we lost the front of the plane." Rarity started to tear up, and Twilight brought her in for a hug.

"There, there, Rarity," she said soothingly, "It's okay. We're all here for you."

"They're never going to come," Rarity cried into Twilight's coat. She adjusted her position carefully so as not to wake Sweetie Belle from her slumber.

"They will come," Twilight said. "If not on their own, then I'll get them, myself."

"Um, Twilight," Applejack said, "no offense, but how do ya reckon you'll do that?"

"The transceiver," Twilight explained.

"The what?" Rainbow asked, clueless.

"The transceiver is a sort to radio that can broadcast great distances," Twilight elaborated. "It's usually kept in the cockpit of the plane. So, if I can reach the cockpit, then I can grab the transceiver and send out a distress call."

"There's one problem, Twi," Applejack said, interrupting her, "do you even know where it is?"

"I'll go into the jungle to look for it," Twilight replied.

"I saw some smoke coming from the jungle," Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"Really?!" Applejack said, surprised.

"That's perfect!" Twilight exclaimed. "We can set out in the morning."

A dozen feet away, Pinkie Pie sat with her back to her friends, watching the small fire before her dance and twirl. She wanted to go over to them, but she just couldn't. She heard them conversing excitedly, discussing who knew what. She didn't necessarily care at the moment. She didn't care. Pinkie suddenly felt that the power of that specific mindset: not caring. She usually cared about everything, but she didn't feel that need anymore. Pinkie checked her mane to see if it was deflating again, but found that it was as fluffy and bouncy as usual. She shook her head to clear her mind. She needed to be alone so she could sort out her thoughts.

To Pinkie's left, two other ponies were sitting on a broken section of the wing, a mare and a stallion. Bray and Bronze Shield sat in front of their own small fire, leaving each other to their thoughts. Bray poked the fire with a piece of metal, while Bronze looked down into the sand, drawing the word "FATE" with his hoof.

Bray sighed, "You'd think that they'd be here by now."

Bronze Shield looked up and turned to her. "Who?" he asked curiously.

"Anyone..." she replied quietly.

CRREEEEEEEEHHHHHHHIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!

Twilight and her friends whipped their heads up at the sudden eruption of noise. The sound had obtained a slight echo and the source appeared to have come from the jungle. The three sleeping fillies were instantly jolted awake from their rest.

"What was that?" Fluttershy asked, slightly panicked.

"I'm not sure-" Twilight responded.

HHUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN-CH-CH-CH-CH-CHIIIIINNNNNNNKKKKKKK

Twilight got to her hooves quickly, and was followed by her friends, including Pinkie Pie. They weren't the only ones, though, as Bronze Shield and Bray turned at the second sound and followed suit. More ponies had heard the noises and were looking into the jungle, but the infinite blackness which accompanied nighttime made it impossible to distinguish anything but the tops of palm trees.

CK-CRACK!!! SNAP!!!

A couple trees toppled over not that far in, causing more ponies to go over and examine the occurrence. Cadence had been near the jungle and was cautiously moving forward.

RRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNN

More trees fell from their places and could be heard slamming into the ground.

"Did anyone else see that?" Cadence asked.

Spike stared into the tree line with an scared expression. "Yeah."

SNAP!!!

Another tree collapsed, startling the crowd. Twilight and her friends rushed up and stood next to Bronze Shield and Bray. Everypony listened for more signs of the strange sounds, but none came. The beach was silent once again, aside from the faint crackling of fires.

"Brilliant," Bronze Shield grumbled.
> 4. Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4
Preparations


The fluffy, pure white, and wind-sculpted clouds raced past the windows of the plane. In truth, it was the plane racing by, but the optical illusion produced the effect that those within the vessel were stationary. Twilight gazed out the window with a distant expression, deep in thought. The small form of Spike sat to her right, curled up in a small blanket provided by the flight attendant. Twilight looked back at herself and examined her dress, noticing that it was wrinkled from her position shifting. The flight was fine, other than the fact that the seats could use some work. Twilight turned away from the splendorous view outside her small window to the stylized interior of the plane. The ship was rather large, allowing over three hundred seats for passengers, as well as a cargo hold in the bottom of the plane. She and her friends had been able to reserve a row of their own, allowing them to talk freely without having to leave their seats or strain their necks.

"T-Twilight?" a timid, and shaky voice came from her right. Fluttershy was shaking in her seat, though her own companion hadn't noticed, as Rainbow Dash was, predictably, slumbering deeply. The poor pegasus was quite anxious about flying, and it had been a fear that her friends had been trying to help her overcome for quite some time, now. Progress was slow, but she was steadily improving.

Twilight looked at her frightened friend. "What's wrong Fluttershy?" she asked.

"W-were we f-falling?" she asked fearfully, her voice just above a whisper.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. What had made her think that? "What do you mean?"

Fluttershy swallowed in a manner which Rarity would consider 'uncouth,' with a loud gulp resounding from her throat. "It's just that... I felt a shudder."

Oh, Twilight thought. "It was just turbulence," she replied reassuringly. "Nothing to be afraid of."

"T-turbulence?" Fluttershy questioned, tilting her own head.

"It's caused by the mixing of hot or cool air currents," Twilight explained, "as well as winds of different speeds and conflicting directions acting against each other. The resulting clash of these factors causes air turbulence. While the plane flies through, it basically slices through the multiple air currents and the fuselage shudders slightly."

Fluttershy leaned in, engrossed in the wealth of newfound knowledge. "How do you know all of this?" she asked in disbelief.

"I talked with the control crews before we left. Being Princess Celestia's personal student has its advantages," Twilight laughed.

"I suppose it does," Fluttershy remarked with a small giggle of her own. The plane shuddered slightly and Fluttershy whimpered, remembering what she had previously been afraid of.

"Mares and gentlestallions, the pilot has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign, a flight attendant informed over the intercom. "Could you please return to your seats, until further notice."

Twilight quickly fastened the restraint on Spike's seat, securing it well.

Twilight gave her friend a smile. "It's alright, Fluttershy. I'll be with you until we get home," she said.

Suddenly, the floor seemed to drop out from under them, slamming some unrestrained ponies and baggage into the roof of the ship. Fluttershy cried out and Spike and Rainbow Dash awoke with a jolt. They began to tilt downward, speeding forward at a rapid pace.

"What's happening?!" Fluttershy whimpered.

Oxygen masks promptly dropped from the ceiling with a hiss. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and the rest of their friends grabbed at them and hastily pulled it over their muzzles. Spike reached for one, but the tiny dragon was just too short. Twilight noticed his trouble and quickly grasped one and brought it over Spike's snout. Twilight reached for her own, the continually increasing force of gravity hindering her progress, slightly. She grabbed hold of it and wrapped it around her own muzzle, breathing deeply.

The fuselage shook again, more forcefully than before, and Twilight's vision grew black...


< - - - - - > = < - - - - - >


Twilight stood on the edge of the fallen wing, staring out into the jungle and over the treetops, thinking about the previous night's events. What exactly happened last night? What was that... thing? Was it some kind of animal? A dragon, perhaps? She wasn't the only one with these thoughts, though. Many of the other passengers were also inventing their own theories as to what had transpired the past night.

"What do you think it was?" asked someone.

"Do you suppose it was an animal?"

"Like what?" another questioned.

"I don't know. A monkey, maybe?"

"Monkey Island? Really?" someone commented, mockingly.

"I'd say it was a dragon, or something," someone voiced.

"I didn't see any fire, though."

"Where are you from?"

"Brayton. You?"

"Manehattan," they replied.

Twilight hardly listened to the rest of the traditional socialization and kept her gaze directed at the jungle. She now found the expanse of dark green foliage to be quite threatening in light of the recent events.

"Um, Twilight?"

She turned around at the mention of her name, finding Rainbow Dash a couple hoofsteps away. "Oh, hello, Rainbow," Twilight acknowledged. "Are you ready to go?"

"Actually..." her friend started, "... there's a small problem."

Twilight instantly grew nervous. "What kind of problem?" she asked anxiously.

"Well..."

"You don't remember where it is, do you?" Twilight predicted. Rainbow gave a sheepish grin, eliciting a loud groan from Twilight. "Just... fly over the treetops until you spot anything resembling wreckage."

Rainbow hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, "I'm... not going to risk getting killed by some strange whatever it was that was in the jungle last night. It could be a bit too dangerous."

Twilight cocked her head in surprise. "Since when are you afraid of danger?" Really? Rainbow Dash, Ponyville's notoriously lazy, yet efficient when need be, overconfident braggart, was saying that something was 'too dangerous?' Twilight thought.

"It's just that... I'm still, uh, a bit disoriented from the crash. Uh, yeah," Rainbow said. Her tone registered hints of uncertainty that Twilight easily noticed.

"Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "You're acting suspicious."

"Shouldn't we see if anypony else knows where to find the wreckage?" Rainbow said, changing the subject.

Twilight was, once again, taken aback by the sudden dodge. "You're right," she replied, setting the discussion aside for later. "Let's ask around." The pair of them made their way along the beach, questioning ponies about what they believed to be the location of the cockpit. They approached a light brown stallion with a pure-blue mane sitting in the sand who Twilight recognized as the one who helped lead Rarity away from the crash. He was currently sorting through a blue suitcase, the shade matching his mane perfectly.

"Excuse me?" Twilight tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, "Yeah?"

"Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle and this is my friend, Rainbow Dash," she indicated the mare next to her. "And you are?"

"Pen Scratch," he replied. "You were the mare who was helping everypony, earlier, right?"

"Yes, I was," she said. "Also, I'd like to thank you for helping my friend, the one who was by the engine."

"It wasn't a problem," Pen Scratch gave a small smile.

"Also, we were wondering if you may have seen any smoke coming from the jungle at all. We think that it may be the plane's cockpit."

He shook his head, returning his attention to his luggage. "Sorry. I didn't really see any sort of smoke other than the engines, here on the beach."

"Oh, thank you, anyway." Twilight and Rainbow turned around to ask someone else.

"You could try asking that weird stallion, over by the engine, though."

Twilight and Rainbow turned back around. "Weird stallion?" the former asked Pen.

"Yeah," he pointed to a lime green unicorn stallion who looked to be rummaging through the plane's damaged engine, his head hidden within the metal cylinder. "I heard him mumbling some stuff about velocity, distance traveled, among other things."

"He looks weird," Rainbow commented.

Twilight spun to face her friend. "Rainbow Dash?! We haven't even met him, yet!"

The cyan pegasus held up a hoof in defense, "Sheesh, Twi. Alright."

Twilight turned back to Pen and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for your help."

"Once again, not a problem," he replied. Pen Scratch zipped up his luggage and grabbed it in his teeth, heading up the beach where many other ponies were gathered.

"Well," Twilight started, "we may as well ask him," she pointed to the stallion examining the engine. Rainbow Dash gave her a 'you've got to be joking' look. "Oh, come on!" Twilight pestered teasingly.

Her feathered friend huffed. "Alright. He still looks weird, though."

Twilight and Rainbow Dash trotted across the sand, approaching the lime-colored pony. He had a green and grey combination mane and tail, with a black streak running vertically through both, and his cutie mark consisted of a black diamond with a golden lightning bolt imposed upon it. As they neared, the pair of them could hear him talking about energy currents and circulation.

"The power is threaded through the induction motors which induce the, well, ignition," the stallion mumbled in frustration. "Where are those reserves?"

Twilight assumed that he was referring to the engine's internal schematics and the magical containment systems. "The reserve tubes are located behind the thermal regulators," she voiced.

The stallion didn't even turn, "Ah, yes! Of course." He reached into the turbine and, with a grunt on effort, extracted a large, metal cylinder. "Excellent," he said, placing it on the sandy floor next to him. "Who just said that about reserve tubes and regulators?" he looked out among the passengers, though only seeing two mares, one pegasus and on unicorn, before him.

Twilight raised her hoof, "That would be me."

"Ah!" his eyes brightened, two yellowed irises that occupied each of his sockets, "So you know about the internal workings of these propulsory machinations, madam?"

"It's Twilight Sparkle, and yes. I learned about their designs before leaving Sydneigh," she explained. "I was quite fascinated by the use of sustained, anti-dirigible flight. The most impressive feat had to be the magic storage for emergency activation."

"Well, unicorn magic is one of the greatest sources of renewable, natural energy on this planet. I'm Professor Plazmatic Spectrum, by the way. Though, I'd prefer it if you just called me Plaz," the stallion introduced himself, offering his hoof, which Twilight accepted with a brief shake. He then seemed to notice Rainbow for the first time. "And who's your friend?" he inquired, reaching out his hoof in a similar motion.

"Rainbow Dash," the pegasus answered, taking his gesture with slight hesitation. "Choose whichever of the two you like."

"Duly noted," he smiled. "Do either of you require anything?"

"Um, yes," Twilight replied with a slight nod. "Somepony overheard you describing velocity, trajectory, and distance, and we were wondering if you knew the approximate location of the front end of the plane."

Plaz appeared thoughtful for a moment, his mouth moving rapidly and noiselessly as he calculated. "Ah! I probably could."

"Perfect!"

Plaz pointed off into the jungle, "It appears that our section of the fuselage didn't seem to collide with any trees just before landing on the beach. And, judging by the drag marks in the sand," he gestured to a small, sandy valley that stretched from the plane to near the jungle, "I can assume that our impact was slowed dramatically, since, if we had hit the beach directly, well... Let's say that we would be a little wet."

"Can you just tell us what we want," Rainbow Dash interrupted.

"Rainbow!" Twilight turned in surprise.

"No, no," Plaz held up a hoof, "it's fine. I sometimes get carried away and start talking on and on-"

"I think we get it," Rainbow interrupted, again.

Twilight shot her a dirty look, and the pegasus avoided eye contact. "I'm sorry about her," she apologized, "she's better, once you get to know her."

"One could hope," Plaz nodded politely.

"But," Twilight continued, "do you think you know where the plane's cockpit may have landed?"

"It couldn't have landed more than three miles going south," he indicated with his hoof, pointing out towards the jungle. "The landing must have ripped the steel like paper, but that would have slowed our velocity significantly. With this taken into account, the metal holding us together had to have been weakened considerably, and tumbling through the jungle is the only scenario I can come up with for that."

Twilight absorbed the information carefully, listening to each word. So, the cockpit had to be about three miles in, maybe less. They could easily reach it in about an hour, though it could take longer if there were any major obstacles, like felled trees or unexpected land walls. "Thank you for your help," Twilight said.

"Not a problem," Plaz replied. He returned his attention back to the cylinder that he had proctored from the engine, tracking the loose wires back through the machine.

"Well, that was strange," Rainbow said once they were out of earshot.

"What's gotten into you?" Twilight reprimanded. "You're better than that!" Rainbow didn't answer. Twilight sighed, "Alright, then, let's go get that transceiver." The pair began to walk into the jungle, following the general direction that Plaz pointed out to them. They pushed through the thick leaves and brush ahead of them, leaving the beach behind. Twilight and Rainbow walked through the jungle, passing over the occasional rock and ducking beneath the scattered vines. They trudged through, Twilight's mental compass leading them onward.

"This isn't how I planned on spending my vacation," Twilight commented, slipping between two trees.

Rainbow followed her through the two trunks, "I hear ya."

Suddenly, they found themselves in a small, bamboo forest, the stalks towering above them in all of their pale majesty.

*Crack!*

Twilight and Rainbow spun around at the sharp noise. "What was that?" the former asked nervously.

"I have no i-" Dash was cut short as the form of Plaz stumbled through a clump of stalks.

"Ouch! Who put that root there?!" he complained. Twilight and Rainbow could only blink in surprise.

"Plaz? What are you doing here," Twilight inquired curiously.

The green unicorn brushed some bits of dirt off of his coat, "I wanted to be sure that you followed the direction and didn't stray. That, and I felt like tagging along. I wasn't the only one, though."

"Ah! Oh, wait, that's a branch," another voice said from behind the bamboo curtain. Seconds later, a brown-coated, copper-maned stallion fell through, landing on his stomach in front of them. "Ow. Hi," he smiled weakly up at the ponies around him.

"Who are you?" Rainbow questioned.

"I'm, uh, Bronze Shield," he answered, returning to his hooves. "I was, um, wondering if you guys needed some help with... whatever you're... doing."

Plaz and Rainbow both looked to Twilight, but she just shrugged. "We're going to get the plane's transceiver to call for help. You can come along if you want," Twilight shrugged.

"And you can be attacked first," Rainbow added. Twilight jabbed her sharply in the side. "Ouch! Geez, Twi! It was just a joke!"

"Joking about death isn't a very wise idea, at the moment," she reprimanded. Twilight turned back in the designated direction, "Let's just go. The faster we get there, the less time we have to spend in this jungle."
> 5. Trek
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5
Trek


Twilight, Rainbow, Plaz, and Bronze trudged up a large, grassy hill, continuing on toward the presumed location of the cockpit. The sun occasionally peeked out from the clouds, casting scattered splotches of golden light across the low vegetation. The earthen mound allowed for a spectacular view of the rest of the island, even providing a nice view of the beach far behind them.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

Twilight's ears perked up at Plaz's query, so she slowed her walk to allow for him to catch up. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked politely.

Plaz briskly cantered up beside her. "I asked if I knew you from somewhere," he repeated.

"Being Princess Celestia's personal student does garner me some attention," Twilight said.

"Oh! You're the Twilight Sparkle!" Plaz exclaimed in realization. "Element of Magic, Celestia's prized pupil, sister of the Crystal Prince Shining Armor," he listed.

"What gave it away?" she grinned.

"Just thought I'd seen you somewhere. That wedding issue, though," Plaz gave a low whistle, "it was quite a famous event. The Captain of the Royal Guard marrying the princess of the Crystal Empire. Canterlot being overrun by the entire changeling army..."

"Don't remind me," Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Sorry."

"It's fine," she reassured him. "Were you there?"

"I was in Germaney at the time. Giving a speech about the theory of nuclear energy. But it was all over the news, though," Plaz grinned. Twilight gave a small laugh in response. He looked over his shoulder and back at Bronze Shield. "Hey, Shield!" he called.

Bronze looked up to him, "Yeah?"

"Did you know that we are in the presence of the Twilight Sparkle?"

"You mean... the personal student of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle?" he questioned. "Sister to the Captain of the Royal Guard, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Indeed," Plaz confirmed, "the one and only."

Bronze's eyes lightened a bit, "Wow! I can't believe I'm actually standing near you! Your brother, Captain Shining Armor, was once my superior officer," he added proudly.

"What do you mean 'once?'" Rainbow asked, entering the conversation.

"I left the guard a little over a year ago after being laid up in a hospital for being injured in the 'line of duty,' as it's called," he explained. "We were answering to an arson case in Canterlot that went sour. I got hit with my partner's spell that reflected off of a mirror that the suspect had. I recovered, but not after going through a couple dozen sessions of physical therapy."

"And what were you doing in Sydneigh?" Twilight asked.

Bronze gave a small laugh. "I was taking a vacation."

"Mimosas by the beach?" Plaz asked jokingly.

"I wish! There's only so much you can get from two bits an hour. Stupid desk job."

They all laughed as they walked deeper into the jungle. Above, the sky quickly grew cloudy, and the sun's light began to decrease. Yet, the four were undeterred by the fact.

*RRRUUUUMMMMBBBBBUUUUUUULLLLLEEEEE*


< - - - - - > = < - - - - - >


Mend and Fluttershy watched over the unconscious form of a unicorn stallion lying in the sand. He was badly injured, with a good sized piece of jagged metal piercing his side. Little crimson streams had dried in his grey coat, only to moisten again as the wound irregularly leaked blood.

"Do you think that you can help him?" Fluttershy asked uncertainly.

Mend sighed as he examined the laceration more closely, gently feeling around the injury. He sighed and leaned back on his haunches. "Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"

"Well, um... he was found last night by somepony who had to... you know," Fluttershy blushed. "They brought him to me, and since you were still busy with some of the others, I tried to help..." she trailed off.

"It's alright," Mend reassured, though he sighed again. "It would have been better if we were on a rescue boat, by now. I could try to remove the shrapnel, but I'd rather not risk it."

"I'm sure that Twilight and Rainbow Dash will bring the transceiver back quickly," Fluttershy said optimistically.

Mend gave a drawn out sigh. "If it's even there."

*RRRUUUUMMMMBBBBBUUUUUUULLLLLEEEEE*

The skies suddenly grew very dark and ominous, shrouding the beach and its inhabitants in muted, grey illumination. Mend and Fluttershy looked up at the threatening thunderheads.

"Damn!" Mend swore, "We have to move him under something! I can't risk him getting infected from anything that might be in the rain!"

Fluttershy spread her wings above the wounded stallion and hovered into the air, lightly fluttering her aerodynamic appendages. "I'll keep the rain off of him," she assured Mend.

He nodded in understanding and grabbed the stallion's hooves. There was a piece of metal wedged into the sand a couple feet away, and he figured that it was as good a spot as any. He started to pull him towards the overhang as Fluttershy hovered over them, her wingspan fully spread, ready for the rain. Mend dragged the stallion under the impromptu roof just as the rain started.

The rain seemed to come out of nowhere, dropping out of the sky in a full fledged torrential downpour. The beach, and anypony in the open, were soaked in seconds. The ponies out in the open scurried across the sand in an attempt to hide from the rain. Most hid in the main fuselage, while an assortment of others ducked under scattered bits of wreckage that had enough coverage to shield them.

A pony ran over to a small overhang that was occupied by a blue unicorn stallion and a pink unicorn mare. He attempted to squeeze in with them, but the stallion waved him away.

"Non! Il n'y a pas assez de place pour vous là-dessous! Allez ailleurs! Nous pouvons à peine tenir comme il est!" the blue stallion exclaimed. He quickly waved his hoof away from them. The mare beside him set herself more towards the back of their makeshift shelter. The pony outside shook his head, not understanding what was just said to him, and ran off to take cover under something else.

Applejack, Rarity, their sisters, Scootaloo, Spike, and Cadence all sat within the central fuselage, the rain streaming down the sides and through any cracks in the structure.

"Hey," Applejack looked around, "has anypony seen Pinkie Pie anywhere?"

"She's out there," Cadence answered, pointing her hoof down the beach. 

Everypony craned their necks and followed the direction she was indicating, surprised to see the mare in question in the middle of the storm. They watched Pinkie Pie as she sat on her haunches a ways outside, letting the rain fall around her. She slowly lifted her forelegs up, opening them as if to embrace the water droplets. Pinkie's mouth began to curve into a smile, and she leaned back until her face was being splattered with water. Her mane was beginning to absorb some rain and the wet hair drooped down to hang around her neck and along her upper back.

The six ponies and dragon within the wreck exchanged confused looks.

"What in tarnation is she doin'?" Applejack asked her fellow companions.

"I'd say that she's just being Pinkie Pie," Sweetie Belle said.

"That's obvious," Applebloom agreed.

Pinkie continued to beam up at the sky, unaware of the comments about her. She just felt the rain hit her body, giving her a tickling sensation as it worked its way down to the sand below.


< - - - - - > = < - - - - - >


Twilight, Plaz, Rainbow, and Bronze maneuvered their way through the thick, grassy underbrush they encountered. Tall trees were spread around them, vines hanging from their branches and stretching toward the ground. The leaves filtered what sunlight was not obscured by the clouds and cast irregular patches of dull light over the ground. Without any further warning, rain began to fall from the sky in torrents, thouroughly drenching the journeyers.

Bronze looked up, blinking the rainwater out of his eyes as it hit him. "Is... is this sort of weather... normal?" he asked uncertainly.

"Where are the weather ponies?" Rainbow asked quizzically. The four of them searched the shy for any signs of pegasi, anything to indicate that there were other inhabitants. "Is anypony there?!" she called out.

There was silence aside from the general slapping of rain on leaves.

"This is creepy," Bronze said loudly, nervousness apparent in his tone.

"Let's not think about it," Twilight said over the noise, her eyes darting around.

"I agree," Plaz voiced.

Twilight turned back to check on Rainbow and Bronze, her wet mane swinging with her and the edges dripping. Her tail hadn't fared any better. Bronze's mane was falling around his face, covering the bridge of his snout and his tail hung limply behind him. Rainbow had endured a similar scenario, her mane clinging to her coat and falling in front of her eyes while her tail drooped behind her. The pegasus whipped her head around, her mane flipping out of her eyes but flinging little, sparkling flecks of water about. Twilight looked back at Plaz and saw that his mane was dripping a dark colored liquid. The soot from the day before had remained in his dark green hair and was now being washed out by the rain.

"I was meaning to take a bath, today" Plaz mumbled.

"Do you think you can estimate how much longer we'll be walking?" Twilight asked him.

Plaz looked ahead, squinting through the rain. "Well... we've been walking rather quickly for almost twenty minutes without pause, covering maybe one to one-and-a-half miles. I predict that we'll come across it in a few moments, assuming that it didn't change direction as it crashed."

"That could be a bit of a problem," Rainbow pointed out.

"Though, I'd highly doubt that would happen," Plaz continued. "A vessel that large and traveling at such a high velocity would likely smash through a couple trees rather than be redirected by them."

"Let's hope you're right," Rainbow said. "The faster we get out of this rain the better."

"I agree with that," Bronze said.

They walked deeper into the jungle, the rain coming down and their hooves sinking into the ever moistening dirt that was turning to mud with each second. They continued on as the trees began to grow closer together and their vines would stretch down, making a green curtain to the path in front of them. They soon came across a tree that was laid across the ground, its bulky trunk obscuring the path. They attempted to circle around, but the vines and trees grew much to thickly and prevented any advance other than forward or back the way which they came.

"I suppose we'll have to go over it," Twilight stated.

"Not a problem," Bronze said, stepping forward. "I'll jump on top and pull you up after me."

"And how are you going to jump that?" Rainbow asked. The nearest branch was nearly seven feet up, and it would be a difficult grip with all the rainwater spilling down.

Bronze ignored her question and ran towards the trunk, leaping up to grab on. He jumped about six feet but his hooves gripped at the stub of a branch and he used his upper body strength to pull himself over. He stood up and looked over the opposite end, and his eyes went wide at what he saw.

"Do you see something?" Twilight called up, noticing his expression. She blinked the raindrops out of her eyes.

Bronze nodded slowly, "You should see it for yourselves." He turned around, leaned over the trunk, and held out his hooves down toward Twilight. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," she nodded. Twilight jumped up and reached for his hooves, grasping them tightly despite their wetness. Bronze pulled her up and she was soon standing next to him. "Next?" he looked to Rainbow and Plaz.

"After you, dear," Plaz gestured for Rainbow Dash to go ahead of him.

Rainbow jumped up and, following Twilight's example, pulled herself up with Bronze's aid. Plaz came last and, when he was finally up, they all looked toward what had preoccupied Bronze's attention.

"That's a lot bigger than I thought," Rainbow remarked.

"Agreed," Bronze said.

The front section of the plane was lying diagonally, the nose of the vessel pointed up and wedged between two trees. There was some metal debris scattered around, and a large, steel plate was embedded within a tree, obviously thrown off after the crash. The four companions surveyed the scene with uncertainty, trepidation, and a strong resolve to retrieve what they had come for. If someone hadn't already used it, that is.

Twilight looked between the other three ponies around her, and returned her gaze to the wreck. She sighed. "Are we all ready for this?"
> 6. Cockpit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Six
Cockpit


The rain poured down relentlessly upon the four ponies, soaking them to the bone and streaming down their equine forms. Twilight led the way toward the plane's slightly damaged front portion, and Plaz, Rainbow, and Bronze followed behind, looking at the wreck in wonder. Twilight had been able to examine the vessel prior to take-off and wasn't necessarily enamored with the enormity of it. Water streamed down the fuselage, pooling around the metal shell and forming miniature marshes.

"I'm really gonna hate this," Bronze groaned.

"Stop complaining," Plaz nudged him, "it'll just make it worse for you."

"I'll stop complaining, then" Bronze said.

"Good idea."

They walked up to the opening in the cylindrical structure, peering within. Twilight gasped and turned away, Bronze covered his snout with a hoof, Plaz looked down, and Rainbow appeared nauseous.

"Oh my Celestia," one of them muttered, though any individual of the four were unsure who.

The interior of the metal shell was filled with ponies, though they were no more than lifeless flesh. Forms lying in their seats like limp puppets. Undoubtedly dead. Those they could see were in terrible condition, some mutilated while others had large holes in their bodies from debris. The odor of decomposing tissue was terrible, mixing with the musty jungle rain, burrowing its way through the ponies' nostrils.

"That's unpleasant," Twilight choked. "It's just..."

"... death," Bronze finished for her.

Death was quite uncommon in Equestria, but it was still present. There was the occasional accident from a construction job, or sometimes two carriages colliding in the congested city streets from the driver's lack of focus. Mostly, though, they caused the death of one or two unlucky souls. Not the amount within this section of fuselage. This was a little too much to bear. The group stood for a while, each of them with glazed over expressions, contemplating while the rain pounded the earth and leaves like the footfalls of a stampede.

"I'll go first." Everypony turned to Twilight as she was looking into the wreck, surveying the incline. "The slant's only about fifty or fifty-five degrees. We can easily reach the cockpit if we climb up through the seats, using them as supports," she stated.

"I suppose they could hold our weight," Plaz contemplated.

"They're bolted to the floor, so I see no problems unless they've come loose," Twilight explained. She looked into the ripped cabin and peered through to the front of the plane, nearly twenty-five feet up. The semi-darkness was unhelpful, though, as she could have misjudged the distance. "Let's just go before we decide otherwise," she said, shaking her head. Twilight grabbed onto the edge of a seat and hoisted herself up. "Rainbow and Plaz," she turned back to them, "go down the opposite aisle and see if anypony is still alive."

Rainbow nodded, "You can count on me, Twi."

"Bronze," Twilight faced him, "you're with me." She turned back and reached up to grab another seat, occupied by a deceased stallion in a black business suit. She ignored it, though it took all of her strength not to throw up, and pulled herself up another seat, making sure to keep steady on the one below. Bronze followed, copying Twilight's path of ascent, while Rainbow started up in the opposite aisle, hoisting herself up through the chairs. Plaz followed behind her, in the event that she lost her footing.

Twilight and Bronze ascended through the cabin, checking the seats for anypony that was alive, or at least breathing. They passed rows of ponies, not one of them meeting the criteria. Rainbow and Plaz moved upward at a slower pace, examining the bodies more thoroughly. Twilight looked ahead of her and saw the door to the cockpit. She climbed up a couple more rows and grabbed the door handle with her forehooves, but her rear legs remained planted on the nearest seat. She tugged at the door, but the handle was jammed, refusing to release.

"Does anyone see something heavy?" Twilight asked. "The door's jammed.

"No," Bronze said, shaking his head, "sorry."

"Me neither," Rainbow added. Twilight gave a frustrated sigh in response. "Why not just blast it open?" Rainbow questioned. "You know," she said, pointing to her forehead, "magic."

Twilight shook her head. "It's not safe enough. The door could shatter, and I might hurt anyone that's still alive," she explained, "or the resulting shock wave could knock us back down to the ground below."

"Good point," Rainbow frowned.

"Hang on a second," Plaz said. Twilight turned to the unicorn, who was now poking his head under an empty seat. He emerged with a well-sized fire extinguisher in his hooves. "Catch." Twilight held out her hooves and Plaz tossed it over. "Must've been dislodged during the crash."

Twilight caught it and weighed it in her hooves. "This'll work," she nodded. Twilight lifted the extinguisher above the handle and thrust it down.

*THWANK!* The metal made contact with the handle, jarring it slightly. Twilight lifted the extinguisher and repeatedly slammed it down. *THWANK... THWANK... THWANK!* The handle complied and briefly turned, though not enough to open the door fully. "Almost there," Twilight said to herself. She brought the extinguisher up and smacked the door handle. *THWANK!*

"AH!" Twilight screamed as the door flew open, and two lifeless stallions in flight uniforms tumbled out past her and Bronze, sliding down the aisle before flopping into the muddy ground below.

"Mother of Luna!" Bronze said, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay, Twilight?" Rainbow called.

She replied with a hasty nod. "I'm fine," Twilight said. "The door's open, now, so I'm going to check inside."

"We'll keep checking for anyone," Plaz said.

"Alright." Twilight adjusted her body so that she could climb up, grabbing the doorframe and hoisting herself up and into the cockpit.

"I'm fine, by the way," Bronze called up, shakily. "Bronze is fine!"

Twilight looked into the cockpit's interior, surveying the damage. The left-center glass shield was completely broken, and it's shards littered the floor. Flecks of red were scattered about the cabin and all over the glass both on the cracked window, as well as the bits on the floor. Vines seeped through the opening like little, green snakes, and rain poured through, trickling down to pool at the low edge before streaming through the open door. To the left, the pilot's seat was empty, but the unmoving form of a uniformed stallion occupied the one next to it. His white fur was matted in dried blood, and he was badly bruised all over his face and legs, the former being swollen to a bit of a degree.

Bronze poked his head into the cabin and instantly took notice of what Twilight was observing. "Oh, Celestia," he gulped, covering his mouth with his hoof. He left the cockpit and threw open the door to the bathroom next to the door before ducking inside and slamming it behind him. Gagging could be heard by the three of them as they listened to what sounded like Bronze losing his lunch, and then it became quiet for a moment. The lock clicked, the door opened, and Bronze climbed out, maneuvering his way back to the cockpit.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked, worriedly.

Bronze nodded slowly and shuddered. "I think I'm okay, now," he said.

"Alright... Now, we need to locate the transceiver," Twilight turned back to looking around the cabin. "It looks a bit like an over-complicated walkie-talkie."

"'Kay," he nodded. They then separated, Twilight taking the right, while Bronze took the left.

. . . . .

Rainbow Dash and Plazmatic slowly moved from seat to seat, maneuvering around and checking each pony that resided within them. So far, they had found no survivors, stallion nor mare.

Rainbow sighed and wedged herself between two rows of seats. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. "There's nopony left, here." She looked off to the side, "It's gruesome."

"I'm sure we'll find someone," Plaz replied, checking a bloody but well-dressed mare for a pulse. "They can't all be dead," he added quietly.

"*cough cough*"

Plaz and Rainbow froze in their places and their ears twitched up excitedly. "Did you hear that?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah..." Plaz replied, wide eyed. "Coughing..."

"*cough*"

Their eyes darted to the floor between two rows that they had already checked. Could they have missed something? Plaz lowered himself down to where they heard the noises and looked below an empty chair. A small, huddled form was lying under the seat, with thin, red stains streaking from below the forward seat to where it remained.

"What do you see?" Rainbow asked, trying to peer over the seats without falling from her own perch.

Plaz remained silent as he reached down toward the form. He gently wrapped his hooves around it and drew it out. He lifted the pony in his hooves and held her close. "It's a school filly," he finally answered, and it was indeed. A pink earth pony filly with a light purple and white mane. She even had her own cutie mark, as well: a diamond tiara. She was terribly injured, with cuts of varying sizes along her miniscule frame, the blood dried in streaks but the substance was no longer coming from her wounds.

Plaz looked up at Rainbow Dash, his mouth slightly agape, "We need to tell Twilight and get her some help. Now." Suddenly, the small form in Plaz's forelegs shifted, and he had to adjust his grip so that she wouldn't fall. The filly mumbled something, incomprehensible, but Plaz lowered his ears down to her muzzle to try and make out what she was saying. It was barely a whisper, but Plaz could hear her clearly.

"I... want my... daddy," she whimpered quietly.

"Get Twilight," Plaz said sternly.

Just then, a scream was heard from inside the cabin.

. . . . .

Twilight crouched down next to the co-pilot's seat, checking beneath it. She and Bronze had made quick work of the center of the cockpit, having it been the two of them searching. Now, though, it was more difficult. The rain that leaked in made the floor a dangerous hazard, and slipping would be a one way ticket back down through the fuselage and into the forest floor. Needless to say, neither of the two ponies were interested in re-experiencing the climb up.

"Any luck?" Twilight asked Bronze, though she continued her own search.

"No," he replied. "I found a damaged pair of saddlebags."

"How damaged?"

"They have some small tears, but I'd say that they're useful," Bronze checked over his find. "Oh! And I found a first aid kit in a compartment."

"Really?" Twilight turned in surprise.

Bronze held up a small white case with a red-cross across the front, the words "first-aid' stenciled across the top. "Yup."

"Hang on to that," Twilight instructed, "we'll bring it back to the beach."

"You got it, boss." Bronze placed the box into the bags, resting them on the wall next to the doorway.

Twilight checked under the co-pilot's seat, again, hoping catch even a small glimpse of their objective. She noticed something dully reflective in the corner, and shifted her position to better see it. She saw a black stick-like protrusion from the top of the object and realized what it was. The transceiver. Twilight reached out for it, extending her foreleg out towards the device. She barely reached it, her hoof brushing against the antenna. She struggled to grab it, straining her foreleg out, but with no success.

She sat back and thought for a moment. There was no way she could telekinetically bring the transceiver towards her, there wasn't enough space for it to fit through. Squeezing her arm under the seat was a challenge, in itself. The only way to grab it was to go around, and that meant leaning across the body occupying the seat in front of her, something she had hoped on avoiding. Oh, well. Twilight drew in a deep breath and reached across the stallion's body. She bent over him and leaned in for the transceiver. She grabbed it in her hoof and quickly retracted from across the stallion.

"*GASP! COUGH!*" The stallion shot up in his seat, and Twilight screamed.

Bronze was jolted from his own searching and shouted out, as well. "What the-?!" One of Twilight's legs bashed his nose and he recoiled, clutching at his snout.

"What happened in there? Twilight?" Rainbow's voice could be heard.

"We're fine!" Twilight called back. "There's someone alive!"

The stallion in his seat breathed heavily, and Twilight bolted up to help him. She placed her hooves under the heavy stream of rainwater that fell from the open window, collecting the liquid and redirecting her hooves over to the stallion's muzzle. The water streamed into his open mouth, but he coughed and sputtered. The water was sprayed back out, abruptly.

"H-how... many..." he mumbled. He shut his eyes tightly and groaned in pain, "Oh, my head."

"Careful," Twilight said to him calmly. The stallion started to lean forward, but Twilight gently pushed him back down into his seat. "Easy there." She checked around his cranium and found an egg-sized lump on the back of his head. "Hmm... probably just a concussion," she muttered. "Do you feel as if anything is broken?"

The stallion shook his head, "No... no. I'm fine. How... how many survived?" he asked weakly.

Rainbow shouted back up, again, "Twilight there's-"

"One second Rainbow!" Twilight turned around and collected more water in her hooves. She glanced at Bronze, the brown pony rubbing his snout to soothe the pain. Twilight mouthed a silent, "I'm so sorry," before turning back to the co-pilot. She lifted her water-filled hooves up to the stallion and tipped the liquid into his mouth. He swallowed without dissent, this time. "There were about fifty survivors," she finally responded, "but we haven't made an official count."

"Good... good. How long has it been?" he inquired, tilting his head toward Twilight.

"Around sixteen to seventeen hours, I'd guess," she replied.

The co-pilot sighed, leaning back into his seat. "Oh, Celestia. Has anypony come, yet?"

"No," Bronze answered, "not yet."

"Twilight!" Plaz's voice called.

"Give us a minute!" she shouted back.

The stallion breathed heavily, chest rising and falling intermittently. It was silent, save for the rain pattering against the exterior. "About five hours in," he started, "all of our communications equipment went out. Radios, global positioning, everything... No one could see us. We tried turning back but..."

Twilight leaned in, "What happened?"

"We tried to turn back to... land in the Fillypines," he continued, "but... by the time we hit turbulence... we were over a thousand miles off course."

Bronze glanced between the two of them, uncertainly. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Twilight sat back on her haunches, her expression turing to worry. "They're looking for us in the wrong place," she said dejectedly. Everything changed the moment she realized the gravity of her own words. They weren't just stranded on an island.

They were, undeniably, lost.
> 7. Run
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Seven
Run


There was a stunned silence that lingered inside of the cockpit as Twilight's words registered within Bronze's mind. The stallion sat back against the sloped wall, his face becoming blank and expressionless.

"Does... does anyone even know that we're even here?" he asked, looking up at Twilight and the co-pilot.

The co-pilot shook his head, "It's... highly unlikely. If the equipment failed mid-flight... then they'll assume that we landed... in the ocean."

"Undoubtedly," Twilight said in a near whisper.

"TWILIGHT!" Plaz shouted, his tone more forceful than Rainbow's shouts.

"What is it?!" she shouted back. Her tone was more forceful than she meant it, but Twilight didn't care at the moment.

"We have a situation!"

"What situation?" she asked, maneuvering her position so that she could see out of the doors. Rainbow and Plaz had propped themselves up amongst the mishmash of upholstered debris. The latter of the two held a small, pink filly in his forehooves and was looking toward Twilight.

"This situation," he answered sullenly. "She's still breathing."

Twilight's eyes widened as the pink form registered in her mind, the large patches of crimson alarming her further. She spun back around to face Bronze and the co-pilot. "Bronze, get the saddlebags, we need to hurry."

The stallion straightened in alarm, "What's wrong?"

"We're going," she answered hastily. Twilight turned to face the co-pilot, "What's your name?"

He put a hoof to his forehead and his face scrunched up in thought. "Um, Tailgate," he replied.

"Alright, Tailgate," Twilight nodded. "We've got to get back to the beach, and quick. Can you move?" she questioned anxiously.

Tailgate lifted his hooves and quickly rotated their joints. He stretched them out in all directions before replying, "I'm pretty sure I can."

"Good." Twilight turned back to Bronze, who was tying the saddlebags around his midsection. "Alright. We need to stick together, now. The jungle is extremely dense, and getting lost could be a major problem," Twilight stated. Bronze and Tailgate nodded in understanding. "Plaz and I will lead, seeing as how we-"

ChitChitChitChitChitChitChitChitChitChitChit . . . .

The three ponies in the cockpit froze; Twilight and Bronze doing so out of fear and Tailgate out of surprise. The chittering sound was eerily familiar to the former pair.

Tailgate looked to Twilight and Bronze, the two of them standing stock-still. "What was that?" the he asked them.

CHRIEK!!! THUNK-HRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNEEEEEEE!!!

The high whine of grinding metal suddenly began to slice through the air and pierced their ears, causing all three of them to flinch in pain. Everypony covered their ears until the sound receded, mere seconds later. Twilight, slowly, lowered her hooves from her ears, with Bronze and Tailgate following suit. The former of the two stallions was breathing heavily, his whole body shuddering in fright. He lowered his head slightly, looking around anxiously.

"Twilight?!" Rainbow's voice shouted harshly out from first class.

Twilight's small swallow was barely audible, but it was still there, none the less. She turned her head toward the cockpit doors, eyes aimed at the main windows. "Y-yeah?" she replied weakly.

"Weren't those the sort of sounds we heard last night?" Rainbow asked. There was a slight twinge of nervousness in her tone.

Twilight thought over the answer to her friend's question, for a second. Yes, Twilight thought, the noises did sound very reminiscent of the one's heard last evening. "I-I think so," she finally answered back.

HAAAAWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO . . . .

A loud howl rang through the air, much higher in frequency than the first two tones, but lower in pitch than the grinding of metal. The fuselage vibrated as the sounds reverberated around the cabin, the slight shuddering enough to make Bronze cover his head in his hooves. Twilight heard him whispering to hiself, "... make it stop, make it stop, make it stop..." in a mantra-like repetition.

The chattering sounds returned for a moment, and a large, black shadow began to cover the front windows. Twilight ducked down, instinctively, while Tailgate simply froze. Bronze continued his silent chanting, opting to keep his head down on the floor. Back in first class, Rainbow and Plaz were ducking down between seats, the latter holding the small filly in his forelegs. The shadow hovered over the glass, and Twilight silently prayed that it would leave. It seemed that her prayers were answered almost immediately, as the shadow slowly drifted past, leaving the view of the windows. The sounds of clicking metal and low moaning began to decrease, sounding as if it was leaving.

Tailgate looked at the broken windows, then back to Twilight. "I'm going to check out what that was."

"Oh no, you aren't," Twilight whispered harshly. Tailgate turned back to her in surprise. "You have no idea what's out there!" she hissed, "It might kill you!"

"Can we not talk about the 'k' word, right now?" Bronze asked fearfully.

"We need to get out of here, right now!"

KA - - CRACK!!!

The fuselage shuddered, violently, bringing everypony to the floor. Tailgate landed on his side, barely avoiding bashing his head against the dashboard.

"The HELL is that?!" Bronze screamed.

"I don't know!" Twilight shouted back. She stumbled back to the door, looking back into the first class seats. "Rainbow? Plaz? Are you okay?"

"We're fine, Twi," Rainbow's voice answered. A multicolor mane poked out from a set of seats, revealing Rainbow Dash as she stood back up.

"The filly's fine, too," Plaz's head popped up next to Rainbow's.

"Good. We're leaving, right now."

CREEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKK... RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNN...

Everypony froze on the spot.

CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!

"Slide through the aisles to get down, then run back in the direction of the beach and don't stop!" Twilight hissed. Plaz and Rainbow nodded, and Rainbow lifted the filly over Plaz's back.

"Careful," she whispered in warning.

"I know," Plaz whispered back.

HHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

The howl was nearly disregarded as Rainbow worked her way to the left aisle, and Plaz, slowly, to the right.

"Go at the same time," Twilight instructed.

They nodded back to her in unison, turning back and ready. Rainbow and Plaz released their hold on the seats simultaneously and slid down to the rain-drenched, jungle floor. They hardly made a sound as they impacted, hooves already propelling them away from the wreckage. Twilight silently prayed that they'd get to the beach as fast as possible.

She turned back to Bronze and Tailgate. "Let's go."

BLAM!!! CRACK!!! SKKKRRRRIIIIK!!!

The ship shuddered violently, slowly tilting skyward, and the occupants were once again thrown against the interior. Bronze flopped toward the door and his head slammed against the frame. A cry of pain left him as his body dropped to the first row of seats and into a waiting corpse.

"Bronze! Are you alright?!" Twilight cried out, alarmed.

The stallion shook his head. "Wuh-" he gasped at the sight of the body, "y-yeah. I'm still good."

"Let's book it!" Tailgate shouted. He grabbed the saddlebags and dropped out though the door, unsteadily landing beside Bronze.

"C'mon, Twilight!" Bronze shouted up. He was back on his hooves and descending through the seats quite rapidly, Tailgate close behind, but much more carefully.

Twilight turned to the door looking out to the first class rows, the increasing pitch threatening to drop her to the unforgiving forest floor nearly twenty feet below. She jumped down to the first row, the seat bending upon impact and a small groan of protest at the constant weight it bore. Twilight made to jump to the next seat down-

HURRK!!!

The fuselage jolted again, throwing her from her perch. Twilight screamed as she fell, flailing for something to grab onto. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her midsection as she was thrown to the side, landing in another row of seats near the maw of the wreck. She looked back up and saw Bronze leaning on the row of seats next to her.

"Tha- that was e-exciting!" he sputtered. Bronze had watched Twilight as she fell, jumping across the seats to push her back and into the row across from himself. He held out a hoof to the lavender mare , "Come on! Tailgate's nearly out, too!"

Twilight accepted the boost, and the pair of them dropped down the rest of the way. The thick leaves crunched under their hooves and mud splattered their coats. A mere second later, Tailgate came down beside them. Bronze took the bags from him and slung them over his back with ease.

"Run!" Tailgate shouted to the both of them. Twilight and Bronze were literally a step ahead of him, already on the move. The ship continued to creak and groan as it pitched further, the circular opening of the torn metal closing around them. Twilight, Bronze, and Tailgate ducked under through the opening just as it lowered around the patch of earth where they had been standing. They didn't stop running, fleeing from the wreck as it groaned and squealed as metal ground against itself and the surrounding trees.

"What do you think is strong enough to lift that thing?!" Bronze shouted.

"As much as I love learning new things," Twilight said, "I'd rather keep this subject at a distance!"

"I second that!" Tailgate agreed. They climbed over a small log and kept on running.

CHIT-CHIT-CHIT-CHIT-CHIT...

They bolted through the rain and thick leaves of the jungle undergrowth, darting between the trees interspersed about the environment.

HREEEK!!! CHOM!!!

"Don't stop!"

RRRROOOOOOOOOO... BLAM!!!

Twilight dared a look behind her, but the rain prevented her from making out any distinct shapes. Still, she could have sworn that a tree had been torn from the ground and thrown back. She turned back to the path ahead of her and found Bronze and Tailgate had advanced ahead whilst her head was turned. She urged herself on, never stopping to chance another look back.

Twilight caught up to the other two quickly, sprinting beside them. "If we can make it back to the main clearing, then we should be home free!" she informed.

"What if it chases us there, too?" Bronze asked. "A clearing isn't exactly a good hiding place!"

"What makes you think the beach is any better?!"

The hissing, the crackling, and the howling followed them as they hurried on, dodging trees and leaping over fallen ones. Twilight knew they were nearly there, and closing the distance quickly.

"If we die," Bronze shouted, "then I blame the engin-! WOAH!" The stallion's hoof slipped in the mud and he fell to his stomach, sprawled out in the muck.

"BRONZE!" Twilight cried. She turned quickly and ran up to his side, Tailgate right behind her.

HHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Twilight heard the sounds approaching and reached down for Bronze. He was covered in the slick grasp of the mud, his hooves and stomach covered in the stuff.

"We need to get out of here, quickly!" Tailgate exclaimed.

"I know!" Twilight shouted back.

The noises grew louder at an alarming rate, and the air felt thick and opressive around their bodies. Twilight could swear that she could hear their collective heartbeats over the downpour, but she was too focused on helping Bronze, and it was only briefly acknowledged. The stallion in question was already getting back to his hooves, but with slight difficulty. The mud clung to his fur and tried to confine him to the ground, but they fought against it.

HHOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The howl was louder than ever, now, and it did not go unnoticed by the trio. Twilight peered through the torrent of rain to search for a silhouette, and saw a flicker of movement through the trees. A grunt of pain made her spin back around, only to find that Bronze was being helped up by Tailgate. The former was coated in the slop, almost giving his coat a two-toned appearance.

"Quickly! You two need to run!" Twilight ordered. "I'll try to hold it back!"

"Wh-what?" Bronze sputtered in reply. "You don't know even what it is! What if it's immune to magic?!"

"Then we'll find that out the hard way!" she shot back.

A crack and the sound of something being torn apart brought them out of their brief exchange.

"GO! NOW!" Twilight shouted.

Tailgate nodded, as did a reluctant Bronze, before they hurried back in the direction of the beach. Twilight watched them disappear into the rain, then she turned back to face the general direction of the sounds. She focused on her magic stores in preparation for charging a spell as the sounds approached. She lifted her head, aiming her horn forward to fire a warning shot. Her horn flared to life as she called upon a small reserve of power.

And nothing happened. In other words, her horn had been illuminated for a few precious seconds before sputtering out, the natural light vanishing into nothing. Twilight froze on the spot, and everything seemed to fall away for a brief moment; the creature chasing them? Gone. The jungle? Nonexistent. The world? What world?

It was a few seconds before the true implications of her plight came and hit her head-on, but to her it felt like hours. The answer looked like a runaway train careening down the tracks at top speed. Headed right for her.

She couldn't use her magic.

Twilight was almost in too much shock to notice something approaching her. She sensed that it was whatever had been following them, inching toward her for the kill. She did the only sensible thing that anyone in her position would do. One action that was left for her to perform while her mind raced with the sudden self-doubt corrupting her system.

She screamed.