> The Furge
>  by TheBigBob
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Furge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Attention, citizens of Equestria! This is your princess speaking,” boomed the loudspeakers placed across Ponyville. “Tonight, I am pleased to announce the commencement of the annual Furge. At the sound of the siren, all displays of friendship will be immediately punishable by death for 12 hours. Your Equestrian royalty thanks you for your participation.”
Her voice cut off, and the drone of a siren blared across the land. Apple Bloom stared out the kitchen window of the Apple Family home. After the siren finished, she gulped and closed the blinds so the outside world was hidden to her.
“Applejack?” she asked. “Are you sure we're gonna be okay tonight?”
“Why, of course we are!” Applejack nuzzled her sister's mane. “All we have to do is stay cooped up here for the next 12 hours and we'll be just fine. I betcha won't even know it happened! After all, this isn't even the first time you've lived through it.”
“I guess...” Apple Bloom sighed and rested her head on the kitchen table. “But I still don't get why we have the Furge.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow as she pulled a bag of chips out of the cupboard. “Didn't Cheerilee explain all that in school today?”
“Kind of,” Apple Bloom told her. “We went over the history of the Furge and the effect it's had on Equestria, but I'm still having trouble understanding why. Why would Princess Celestia punish ponies for being friends?”
Applejack sighed and sat down at the table across from her sister. “You see, Apple Bloom, the reason Equestria has such a long history of peace is because of our strong bonds of friendship. All across the nation, ponies have grown to trust each other with their deepest and darkest secrets, and hang on to each other when the going gets tough.”
Apple Bloom frowned. “Then why would Celestia want to take that away?”
“Because,” Applejack responded, “Otherwise we wouldn't know the true value of friendship. Often, ponies take what they have for granted. They forget just how special the magic of friendship is. When ya have something for so long, you get used to it, and you can't remember what life was like without it. So that's why we have the Furge. On this night, when friendship is illegal, the ponies of Equestria are reminded of why they're friends to begin with. The Furge is a necessary evil that keeps our bonds strong the rest of the year. Fortunately, that restriction doesn't extend to families, so everypony in this house tonight should get along just fine.”
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I still don't understand how that all works.”
Applejack laughed and opened the bag of chips. “Ya don't have to understand all the nitty gritty details of it. Just don't think about it too much and you'll be just fine!” She popped a few chips in her mouth and held the bag open to her sister. “Want some?”
The filly looked away and shook her head.
“Suit yourself.” Applejack walked away, shoving another hooffull of chips in her mouth.
Apple Bloom stayed in the kitchen for a few minutes, pondering the complexities of the Furger, but ultimately, she decided to follow her sister's advice and not worry about it. The filly left the kitchen and entered the living room, where her brother Big Macintosh sat on the floor with his eyes closed, quietly singing to himself. Apple Bloom heard him practicing his singing from time to time, but tonight, his tone was different. Normally, her brother's voice was strong and upbeat, but this time, his voice was slow and quiet, even if it was the same tune.
“Big Mac?”
Her brother stopped singing and looked at her.
Apple Bloom looked around the living room. “Where's Granny Smith? Is she asleep already?”
“Eyup.”
“Does she always just sleep through the Furge like this?”
Big Macintosh nodded his head. “Eyup.”
“Well, at least Granny Smith knows what to do tonight,” Apple Bloom muttered to herself. She figured she should go to bed as well, though she doubted she would get much rest. Before she left, a thought occurred to her. “Big Mac,” she said, “Do you mind if I ask a personal question?”
Big Macintosh looked at his sister and shook his head.
“Applejack seems like her usual self tonight, but your singing seems a lot... sadder than normal. Is there something about this night that brings up bad memories?”
Her brother sighed, nodding his head.
Apple Bloom poked at the ground, wondering how much he'd be willing to share. “What happened?”
He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.
“I'm sorry, big bro,” Apple Bloom said. “Is it somethin' you'd rather not talk about?”
Her brother nodded his head. “Eyup.” Still, he smiled and gave his sister a hug.
“Alright, that's fine...” she told him. “In that case, I think I'll just head off to bed. No point in staying up if there's nothin' to do...”

Apple Bloom lied in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The moonlight shone in through her bedroom window, basking the room in a faint glow. She didn't hear any sounds that were out of the ordinary, but she knew something was happening out there. Somewhere in Equestria, a pony was breaking the rules, and paying for it with their life. Tonight, that was the price of friendship. It made sense, in a twisted sort of way. If a friendship was truly that strong, with a bond so tight, then it might be worth dying for. Was that the lesson Princess Celestia was trying to teach them? She still couldn't wrap her head around it. Being punished for acts of kindness?
Apple Bloom closed her eyes and focused on the fact that the Furge would likely have no effect on her. She was safe at home with her family, so if her sister was to be believed, there was nothing to worry about. The filly lied awake in bed for what could have been hours. The whole time, she tossed and turned, only managing to get comfortable for a few minutes before readjusting herself. She thought she might suffer through this all night before she heard a tap at her window.
At first, she thought the tap was just the wind, so she ignored it. However, the tapping wouldn't stop. Eventually, Apple Bloom got up and looked out her window to see her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looking up at her, a pile of small rocks beside them. She gasped and opened her window.
“Just what in the hay are you two doin' here?!” Apple Bloom tried to keep her voice down, which was difficult considering she had to speak loud enough for her friends to hear her from a story down. “You know we aren't supposed to see each other tonight!”
“I know, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo pleaded. “But we need your help!”
“We're really sorry,” Sweetie Belle begged. “Scootaloo's hurt, and you're the only pony we can go to. We've been hiding this whole time!”
Apple Bloom squinted her eyes and saw that Scootaloo wasn't standing up straight. Her friend's back left leg looked like it was twisted and couldn't support her weight. Apple Bloom winced and looked away from her friends. “I can't, girls! We all know what will happen to us if we're caught!”
Sweetie Belle knelt on the ground. “Please, Apple Bloom!” she cried. “Scootaloo's home is way on the other side of town!”
Apple Bloom's muscled tensed as she made a decision. “Okay, fine!” she told them. “Come by the front door, I'll let you in. But don't knock. My sister might still be downstairs, and we can't let her hear you!”
Her friends nodded, and walked to the front of the house. Apple Bloom opened the door to the hallway and crept out, making sure that the clops of her hooves weren't too loud. The filly moved down the hall and made her way down the stairs. As she walked, she heard her sister snoring. She peered through the railing on the stairs and noticed Applejack asleep on the couch. She was known to sleep there from time to time, usually after a particularly harsh day of farm work, but Apple Bloom wished her sister had just gone to bed instead. Regardless, the filly continued walking down the stairs one step at a time. Soon, she would be able to let her friends in and they would be able to...
Creeeeeeeeeeak.
Apple Bloom bit her lip. She forgot that the third step from the bottom creaks. Applejack yawned and woke up from her nap to see her sister near the bottom of the stairs.
“What's wrong, Apple Bloom?” Applejack said, yawning. “Couldn't sleep?”
“I, uh, I guess not...” Apple Bloom made it to the bottom of the stairs, eyes darting between her sister and the front door.
“Well, I don't blame ya.” Applejack got up off the couch and stretched a bit. “Even ponies like me get a little anxious tonight.” She trotted over to her sister and nuzzled her mane. “What say I make us some hot chocolate?”
“But...” Apple Bloom glanced at the door, but realized she had no choice but to go along with it. “Okay.”
Applejack frowned. “Somethin' wrong? Trust me, you've got nothin' to worry about tonight!”
Apple Bloom muttered under her breath. “If you say so...”
The filly sat down at the table in the kitchen while her sister mixed chocolate at the counter. Every few seconds, Apple Bloom glanced toward the front door, scared she was condemning her friends to a horrible fate. The process of warming the water and stirring the cocoa mix in didn't take that long, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, the two sisters sat down and had warm cups to drink from.
After Applejack took a sip of her drink, she asked Apple Bloom a question. “Are you worried about what Ponyville's going to be like in the mornin'?”
“Kind of...”
“Well, it's usually less of a problem than you'd think. During all those other years of the Furge, you didn't even notice a difference the next morning, did ya?”
“I guess not...”
Apple Bloom frowned. She couldn't tell Applejack about her friends waiting just outside the door, but her sister would get suspicious if she just kept quiet. At that point, she remembered her conversation with their brother.
“Applejack,” she said, “Big Mac sounded pretty sad earlier. He told me something bad happened during the Furge one year. Do you know anything about that?”
Her sister's eyes widened. “What did he tell ya?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “He didn't say much. What happened?”
“Well...” Applejack looked away. “I was just a filly at the time, so I don't remember it too well. But some years ago, Big Macintosh had this friend, I think his name was... Russell Burbank? Yeah that's it, Russell. He was a big feller like our brother, though they were both still growin' up at the time. He had a brown coat and some big muscles, with a potato for a cutie mark.” Applejack took a sip of her drink and stared off into space with a nostalgic grin. “I know you've always known your brother to be the strong silent type, but you'd never have guessed that looking at the way he and Russell used to joke around. Heck, if anythin', the two of them were the class clowns. Why, this one time, I went to the shed to get a rake so I could clean up all the leaves in the fall, and the whole thing was filled with packing peanuts that fell out as soon as I opened the door! I was pickin' 'em out of my hair for a week!” She chuckled and had another sip of cocoa.
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow as she watched her sister drink her hot chocolate. “Our brother used to be a prankster? That doesn't sound anythin' like Big Mac...”
Applejack frowned. “Well, the problem was, back then, our brother wasn't anythin' like the hardworking farm pony he is today. In fact, he was kind of a slacker. Always puttin' off his chores and doin' the least amount of work he could get away with.” She looked away from Apple Bloom, down at the table. “This came to be a big problem the night of the Furge. Big Macintosh was supposed to bring in the milk and the eggs early that night, but Russell came by and they decided to do some last-minute horsin' around before the Furge started. Big Mac wound up just leaving the bottles and baskets sittin' there by the barn.
“Well, later that night, Russell remembered the chores he distracted Big Mac from doin'. He knew that the milk and eggs would go bad if they were left out in the summer heat overnight, so he snuck out over to our farm and gathered them up the best he could. He knew the risks, but times were tough back then, and he wanted to make sure we were all taken care of. Did most of the work by himself, too. We were all grateful for his help, but because that was the night of the Furge, we didn't do anythin' more than just take his help without even a thank you. Russell looked hurt, but he understood why we were all silent.
“But then...” Applejack closed her eyes and winced. “He was caught. Celestia's scouts were watching the whole thing. When Russell started his way back home, he was caught. There were three ponies out there restraining him on the road outside our farm. We could see it from our window. This one pony with a siren for a cutie mark took a blade out and he... he...” Tears ran down Applejack's face. She made several attempts to finish the story, but choked up at every turn.
Apple Bloom sat there with her mouth agape.
Applejack laid her front legs on the table and sighed, resting her head on them. “It still hurts Big Macintosh to this day. After the incident, he became quiet, and hardly ever joked around. Not to mention, it motivated him to work hard, so that nopony would ever be hurt because of his laziness again.”
“But it wasn't really his fault!” Apple Bloom stood up. “It was Russell's idea to finish the chores that night!”
“Yes, but we coulda lost a lot of stock that night if not for him.” Applejack sighed and stared off into space. “His act of kindness really helped us out, and he paid for it with his life.”
“Could he have gotten away with it if not for the fact that Celestia's scouts saw him?” Apple Bloom asked? “I mean, if they're out there right now, then...”
Apple Bloom's eyes widened in realization. Her friends were outside their door right that moment. If they were caught...
Applejack scratched her chin in thought. “Well, if he was a little quieter, then maybe he could... hey!”
The filly ran away from her sister mid-conversation. “I'm sorry, Applejack, I really am, but we're in trouble!”
“What in the...?” Applejack got up and took off after her sister. “Apple Bloom, what's goin' on?”
“Please forgive me!” the filly cried, opening up the door to reveal her two friends. They rushed in as fast as they could, Scootaloo holding on to Sweetie Belle for support. Apple Bloom slammed the door behind them.
Applejack's mouth hung open, her face an odd mixture of surprise, fear, and rage. “Ap... buh... wh...” She stumbled over her words, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. All three fillies stared up at her in fear.
Sweetie Belle's eyes widened in fear before giving a hesitant smile. “A-Applejack! Wh-what a pleasant surprise!”
“Y-yeah!” Scootaloo agreed. “It's been so long since we've seen you, hasn't it?” The filly gritted her teeth and whispered in Apple Bloom's ear. “Why'd you make us wait so long if your sister was just going to find out about us anyway?!”
“I didn't mean to...” she apologized.
Applejack finally snapped out of her confusion. “Apple Bloom!” she yelled, teeth gritted. “Can you explain to me why in the hay yer friends are here tonight of all nights?! Do you understand how much danger you've put this house in?”
“I...” Apple Bloom sniffled, rubbing a hoof against her opposite leg. “I don't know. I, I just saw that they were in trouble and I... I...” Another sniffle.
“It's our fault!” Sweetie Belle explained, looking up at Applejack with teary eyes. “After school, I was going home with Scootaloo when her scooter crashed into a ditch! Her leg's really hurt!”
Now that she was close by, Apple Bloom got a close look at Scootaloo's leg. Sure enough, it was covered with cuts and scrapes, and bent a little out of shape. It wasn't broken, but she was sprained for sure.
Scootaloo knelt down in front of Applejack, practically begging. “We wanted to ask somepony for help, but... you know...”
Applejack bit her teeth and pulled her cowboy hat down over her face. “Why in Equestria did this have to happen on tonight of all nights? Yesterday or tomorrow it would have been no problem. But you two just had to come here the night of the Furge!” She pushed her hat back up to its normal position and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Once she had calmed down, she addressed them. “Okay. Ya'll can hide out here tonight.”
“Thank you!” The three fillies hugged her.
Applejack stood stiffly and did not return the hug. “But ya need to stay as quiet as possible. Celestia's scouts are out there, and if any of them know you're here-”
Ding-dong.
All four of them went pale-faced. They slowly turned their heads toward the front door.
Ding-dong.
For a moment, everypony was completely still. The three fillies started to shiver, hugging Applejack as close as they could.
“Stay quiet,” she whispered. “And get away from the door. Stay out of sight.”
The fillies nodded and moved to the kitchen, where they hid behind the door frame, still in earshot of the front door.

Once they were out of sight, Applejack walked to the front door and unlocked it. She opened the door just a crack and peered through to the other side, where she was blinded by a bright light. “Ow! What the-” she complained, squinting and rubbing her eyes.
“Sorry about that, Applejack. I'll turn it off.”
The light vanished. As she struggled to regain her vision, Applejack realized she recognized the voice. It was her friend, Twilight Sparkle.
“How careless of me,” Twilight apologized, adjusting a flashlight attached to her chest. “I've had it on all night o help me locate ponies breaking the rules of the Furge.”
As she regained her eyesight, Applejack remembered what she told her earlier in the week. Now that Twilight was a princess, it was her duty to Princess Celestia to help enforce the rules of the Furge. This year, Twilight instead of staying at home and waiting it out (which had never been an easy task, considering her roommate Spike was not related by blood), she was tasked with patrolling the skies of Ponyville and the surrounding areas for anypony displaying acts of friendship.
“So...” Applejack's vision had mostly returned. “What brings ya here? I'm guessing yer not here for a friendly chat, considering it's punishable by death and all.”
“You are correct. Just a few minutes ago, two identified targets for this year's Furge entered your home. Under the rules of the Furge, you must surrender them to us or you yourself will be added to the list.” Twilight's voice was emotionless, almost robotic.
Applejack kept the door open as little as possible. “Could you describe these ponies to me?” She felt like she had to stall for time, but didn't know what good it would do. She was just delaying the inevitable.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I didn't necessarily say they were ponies...”
Applejack gulped. “Hehe, silly me, makin' assumptions like that.”
A slip of paper hovered out of the sack Twilight was carrying. “Target #1: filly. White coat, purple mane. No cutie mark. Target #2: filly. Orange coat, purple mane. No cutie mark.” She looked up from her paper. “From their descriptions, it is a safe assumption that these targets are Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, two confirmed friends of Apple Bloom, who lives here with you.”
“I, uh, I guess you're taking this 'Furge' thing pretty seriously, aren't ya?” Applejack gave a nervous laugh.
“Yes, Applejack, I am,” Twilight said, matter-of-factly. “It is my duty to Princess Celestia that I uphold the Furge. Ever since its inception, the Furge has reinforced the friendships throughout the land.” She squinted her eyes. “And I will not tolerate ANY pony that interferes with my duty as princess.”
Applejack could feel beads of sweat roll down her face. She wanted to protect Apple Bloom, but she didn't think she could stall Twilight any longer. And if she were to deny her entry, then she herself would become a target.
“Tell me,” Twilight pressed. “Are Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in your home, or are they not?”
“Yes...” A tear rolled down Applejack's cheek. “They're here.”
“Good. Bring them to me. Unless you would rather I take care of them in your home.”
“I'll... I'll bring 'em to ya.” Applejack cried, opening the door all the way. When it was completely open, she saw a machete holstered on Twilight's side.
“I'm sorry it has to be this way.”
Applejack looked over at the kitchen where the three fillies hid. All three were speechless, frozen in terror. As tears streamed down her face, she walked over to where they sat. Applejack grabbed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo by their tails and dragged them across the floor. The two of them did not protest or fight back. They stayed still, almost frozen, as their hair brushed across the hard, wooden floor. Finally, Applejack dropped them on her front doorstep.
“There!” she cried, tears in her eyes. “Are you happy? I got 'em for you. Now leaves us alone!”
Twilight sighed. “Not yet, Applejack. Apple Bloom was the one who let them in. She has also broken the rules.”
“No,” Applejack wept. “Not my sister, too! Please, keep her out of this!”
“She's guilty,” Twilight told her, monotone. “I'm sorry.”
Applejack looked over toward her sister, who was shivering in fear.
“Please, sis!” Apple Bloom protested. “Don't let her have me! I don't wanna die!”
Applejack walked over to her, completely silent.
Apple Bloom backed away from her sister. “Let me go! I was only tryin' ta be nice!”
“There's nothin' I can do.” Applejack sniffled. “My hooves are tied.” She grabbed her sister's tail and dragged her toward the front door.
“You... you have a plan, right sis?” Apple Bloom whimpered.
Silence.
“This is all just some game you're playin', right? You're not really going to let me die, are ya?”
Applejack did not respond. She dragged Apple Bloom outside and set her next to her friends. Together, the three of them huddled in fear.
“Thank you, Applejack. You have fulfilled your duty. If you don't want to see it, you are free to close the door.” Twilight turned her attention toward the three fillies sitting next to her. “Now, close your eyes. This won't take long.”
Apple Bloom whimpered and looked at her friends. “Goodbye, girls. I'm sorry.”
Sweetie Belle sniffled. “I'm sorry, too.”
Scootaloo held them closely. “Me, too.”
The three of them held each other close. They all closed their eyes, waiting for death. They could run, but they would be easily caught, and nopony would be willing to help them out. Even worse, they knew Twilight well; how could anypony still have the will to live when friend as good as her was attempting to murder them? Even Applejack, Apple Bloom's own sister, was willing to give them up and watch the three of them die. There was no hope.
Twilight took the machete out of its holster and hovered it in front of her. “You have broken the laws of the Furge. You are hereby sentenced to death.”
Applejack held her hoof in front of her face as she watched her friend hold the machete up. She didn't know which was better: looking away to avoid the mental image, or seeing it for herself so it would be easier to accept. She tried to tell herself that it didn't matter; either way, it would be over soon. Her sister and her friends would be gone, and she would never have to worry about them again. It would just be another casualty of the Furge, of the importance of knowing that there is only so far you could go before being a friend means hurting yourself. It would be hard, but eventually she would be able to accept that her sister, who she loved with every bit of her heart, would no longer be around...
Applejack felt a rumble move through the house.
Before anypony could react, Big Macintosh galloped down the stairs of the Apple Family Home and ran through the front door, headbutting Twilight with the force of a train. Her machete dropped on the ground in front of the three fillies as she was knocked several feet backwards, onto the dirt trail in front of the house. Everypony gasped as Big Macintosh snarled at Twilight like a bull.
“Big Macintosh” Twilight struggled to get up, wincing as an ugly bruise formed on her side. “You just violated the law of the Furge. Do you want to die, too?”
Big Mac stomped his hoof and bared his teeth at her.
Twilight stood back up and walked toward him, her eye twitching and her mouth forming into a mad grin. “Well, if you have a death wish, I'll be happy to oblige.”
The stallion took a few steps toward her with rage in his eyes.
The pupils in her eyes unfocused, her voice cracking. “You just can't get over what happened to your friend Russell all those years ago, can you?”
Big Macintosh stopped.
Twilight walked toward him, laughing as she spoke. “I read about what happened to him. Because of that little incident, I had you pegged as a possible target, which is why I kept a close eye on this farm.”
The stallion's eyes widened in shock.
“Don't you realize that ponies who suffer a traumatic experience are more likely to cause harm to those around them?” She crept in closer, maniacally giggling to herself. “They behave irrationally, many times thinking of nopony but themselves.” She glanced toward the house. “Just think about what's gonna happen to Applejack when you're gone. No sister or brother to help her out? That's too much responsibility for just one pony! I don't think she'd be able to handle it!”
In a swift movement, Big Macintosh ran toward her, turned around, planted his front hooves in the ground, then kicked Twilight as hard as he could with his hind legs. The princess went flying, her wings barely carrying her as she soared through the night sky. Soon, she was nothing but a silhouette against the moonlight, but she managed to regain balance in midair. Twilight stayed in place for a bit, holding her head and looking around to regain her sense of direction, then flew away. Once Big Macintosh was sure she was gone, he grunted, kneeling down on the ground to relieve the pain in his legs.
“Big Mac!”
Apple Bloom and her friends ran toward him. He smiled, glad that they were safe for the time being.
“You saved us, big brother!”
“I didn't know what to do! I thought we were done for!”
“You sure showed her who's in charge around here!”
The three fillies hugged their hero as tight as they could. Big Macintosh smiled, glad that he had saved them despite failing Russell all those years before. But he knew they couldn't celebrate forever. Over on the porch of the house, his sister stood still, frozen in fear. Big Macintosh got up to speak with her.
“St-stay away from me!” Applejack cried, her legs quivering. “I was trying to obey the rules! I was trying to protect this family and this house. But look what you've done!” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “She's gonna come back! And she's gonna bring others with her!” She sat on the ground, wiping her tears as much as she could. “We can't stand up to Celestia's forces! This family, this farm... come tomorrow mornin', it'll all be gone!”
Big Macintosh walked toward his crying sister. As he got closer, she backed away, as if he was just as bad as Twilight.
“They're gonna bring everything they've got!” She looked her brother square in the eyes. “If ya feel like fighting a war, then fine! Go ahead and throw your life away! But I'm staying out of it! I'm the only pony here who hasn't become a target in this mess, and I intend to keep the life I've got!” She ran down the dirt path, but the three fillies stood in her way.
“Sis!”
Apple Bloom and her friends looked up at Applejack with tears in their eyes.
Applejack bared her teeth. “Don't give me that look! It's yer own fault yer in this mess!”
“But...”
“Don't you get it?!” Applejack yelled, stomping her hoof on the ground. “It's too late for all of you! I'm just getting out of here while I still can!” She walked around them toward the exit of the farm.
Apple Bloom reached out to her sister. “What are we supposed to...”
Scootaloo slapped the her friend's hoof. “Forget her, Apple Bloom. Don't you remember? She gave us up to Twilight!”
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle held on to Scootaloo and began helping her walk. “Your sister only cares about herself!”
Applejack stopped walking. “That's not true,” she said, turning around. The three fillies glared at her. She took off her hat and held it in front of her. “I care about ya'll three a whole lot. Seein' your smiling faces day after day... it means the world to me.”
Apple Bloom took a step toward her. “Then why did you abandon us? Why won't you stay and help us now?”
“Because, I...” the pony choked on her words. “Because I'm scared. I'm terrified. I think about how strong Twilight is, and I know what we'd be up against. I just don't think we stand a chance.”
Scootaloo stomped her hoof. “Well, we definitely won't if we don't have you to help us! Big Macintosh can't protect us all on his own!”
“I know, I know!” Applejack sat down on the ground, still clutching her hat in her hooves. “I just don't think I have what it takes to save this family.”
Apple Bloom put a hoof on her shoulder. “Sis, you're always telling us that we can do whatever we can put our minds to as long as we believe in ourselves. Well, right now more than ever, we need you. Without you around, I don't know what we'd do.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded their heads. “Mm-hm!”
“Whaddya say, sis?” Apple Bloom smiled. “Will you help us?”
Applejack put her hat back on and stood up, brushing the dirt off of her legs. “You may be right.” She looked up at the house and squinted. “So far I've just been sitting by as ponies get hurt, caring only about myself. This time, when Twilight comes back, we'll be ready.”



“Quiet, everypony,” Applejack whispered, peering through the corner of the window by the front door. “They're coming.”
In just an hour, they had managed to to transform the house into a makeshift fortress. Every window in the home had been blocked either by a cabinet or various boxes. The couch Applejack took a nap on earlier was now propped up against the front door, and a bookshelf blocked the back entrance. It wasn't the most secure fortress, but it would do with the time they had.
As Applejack looked out the window, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sat on the living room floor. Each of them carried a pack on their back with various small weapons or tools. Big Macintosh held a sledgehammer close to him, while a pitchfork for Applejack lay on the floor near her. Twilight's machete was held in Apple Bloom's pack; while the filly was not experienced with handling weapons, she was glad to at least have it with her.
“Is all this going to be enough?” Apple Bloom whispered to her sister. “I mean, we've seen Twilight's magic before. She could destroy this house in an instant.”
Applejack gave her a small grin. “Don't worry,” she assured her. “Unicorn magic is severely weakened during the Furge. Remember, friendship is magic and all that.”
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow and looked at her horn. “Are you sure? I was able to use my horn as a light source earlier when I was helping Scootaloo get here”
Scootaloo hugged her. “That's because we're friends! As long as we're together, your magic will work just fine! Right, Apple Bloom?”
“Right!” Apple Bloom joined in the hug.
“Shh!” Applejack whispered. “They're in front of the house! No talking!”
On the dirt path leading up to the Apple home, Twilight had returned with four other ponies, each of them wearing a mask to cover their faces. Celestia's mercenaries preferred to work anonymously, lest they face judgment from their peers following the Furge. Applejack was surprised Twilight only had a hooffull of ponies to assist her, but Ponyville was not a very large town. It would be difficult to recruit ponies from the next town over, especially considering there were only a couple of hours left until the Furge ended.
Twilight stepped forward. A huge bruise could be seen on her side, and bandages were wrapped around her head where Big Macintosh kicked her. “Applejack! This is your last warning! If you do not open the door and allow us entry, you will also be considered a target of the Furge. There is no turning back! You, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo will not live to see morning!”
Applejack looked back at her family, all of whom were hesitantly staring back at her. She gulped, but gritted her teeth and shook her head. The ponies breathed a sigh of relief.
Twilight waited a moment, then resumed speaking. “Since we have not gotten a response, it is time. Goodbye, Applejack. Equestria will miss you.” She turned to two of the pegasi in the group. “Circle the house. Find the most vulnerable entry point on the second floor, then break it down. The rest of us will try to break through their defenses down here.”
The two pegasi nodded, then flew up to inspect the house. One of the mercenaries stepped forward and addressed her.
“Twilight, we have weaponry. Why not just destroy the entire house?”
The ponies in the house gasped. They all recognized the voice: it belonged to one of their closest friends, who was by far the most happy and cheerful pony they had ever met. 
“Pinkie Pie?!” Applejack exclaimed, peering through the window. “What's she doing here?” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Well, it's one of the most terrifying nights of my life. Of course she's here. And what's with that mask? Doesn't she realize we all know it's her?”
Outside, Twilight sighed and explained the situation. “Unfortunately, the rules of the Furge very clearly state that anypony who does not engage in acts of friendship must not be harmed. In this case, Granny Smith is fast asleep upstairs. If we were to destroy the home, she would be hurt as well.” Twilight frowned and squinted at the house. “How cowardly of Applejack, to use her own grandmother as a shield.”
Pinkie Pie squinted, taking out a length of piano wire. “Don't worry. We'll still get them. Come on, everypony, let's move.” She and the other ponies nodded, approaching the front door. Instead of following them Twilight headed toward the side of the house. “What's going on?” Pinkie asked. “Why aren't you coming with us?”
The unicorn grinned. “Don't worry, I know something that will catch them off guard.”
Applejack moved away from the window and quickly pushed the cabinet back in front of it. Everypony in the house stood up and brandished their weapons. It was time.
“Big Mac, stay here by the front door and stop them from getting in as long as you can. I'm going upstairs to try and see which window they're coming in through. Girls...” She kneeled down in front of Apple Bloom and her friends and hugged them. “I want you go to Big Macintosh's room and hide. Whatever happens tonight, stay together. Watch over each other. And if it comes down to it... be prepared to do what you have to. Understand?”
The three fillies frowned and nodded.
“Good.” Applejack kissed each of them on their foreheads. “Let's go.”
As soon as she said it, every light in the house went out, surrounding them in darkness. The fillies screamed in fear.
“They cut the power!” Applejack yelled, then smacked herself on the head for being noisy. She held out her pitchfork to the fillies. “Hold on to this, and follow me upstairs. Sweetie Belle, give me some light.”
Sweetie Belle shut her eyes and focused. An orange light emerged from the tip of her horn, but it was soon clear that it was not light she created – it was a small flame.
“Careful, Sweetie Belle!” Applejack blew on the tip of the horn to put the flame out. “Fire is dangerous. We need a light spell.”
“Sorry!” she apologized. “I get them mixed up sometimes.” The filly focused again, and this time a white light emerged from her horn.
“That'll do. Now move!” Applejack led the ponies upstairs.
Big Mac held onto his sledgehammer and waited by the entrance, listening carefully in case they broke in through a window or back door. The blocked windows meant no moonlight came in at all. He was surrounded by darkness. Soon, his family and friends couldn't be heard moving up the stairs either. Being completely engulfed in silence and darkness was unsettling. He wondered if this was what death felt like. He supposed if he handled himself poorly tonight, he would be able to find out for sure.
Finally, the silence was broken with a thwack on the front door. Big Macintosh held his breath. There was another thwack, and a small wood chip fell onto the floor. After a third, a hole appeared in the door wide enough for moonlight to shine through.
As far as Big Macintosh was concerned, each hit from the axe might as well have been a cannon blast. Each one further showcased how vulnerable the place he called “home” really was. And for the first time in his life, he feared the light. Light was supposed to be warm and inviting, but in this case, moonlight meant that the invaders were getting in. He detested the fact that the door that had protected the Apple Family for decades was now being torn apart, but with his life on the line, property damage was the least of his concerns. After several more thwacks, Celestia's scouts managed to destroy the lock on the door. They tried to shove the it open, but the propped-up couch kept it shut.
Big Macintosh listened for more hits on the door, but didn't hear anything else. He held his breath, waiting for something, anything to happen. The ponies on the other side of the door made a fumbling sound, but that alone didn't clue him in as to what they had planned.
Ssssss...
A sizzle. Big Mac tensed up. The sound reminded him of something dangerous, but he couldn't remember what it was. The sizzling continued for several seconds, as if it was counting down to his impending demise.
Finally, the ponies on the other side pushed a stick of dynamite through the hole in the door. Big Mac gasped and ran away as fast as he could toward the study room. Why didn't he recognize the noise sooner? Why did he just sit there and wait? It was no use wondering now. He just had to put distance between himself and the dynamite stick. He had barely made it to the study when the stick exploded, sending shards of shrapnel in all directions, one of which whizzed past his tail. The front door was destroyed. There was no way the couch would still be intact. Big Mac backed up against the wall of the study and brandished his sledgehammer.
They were inside.

When the explosion went off downstairs, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle screamed as they huddled together. Scootaloo covered their mouths with her hooves.
“Ssh!” she whispered, her teeth gritted. “Get ahold of yourselves! What's the point of hiding if we just make a bunch of noise anyway?”
Apple Bloom quietly sniffled and rubbing her nose. “I know, Scootaloo, but Applejack and Big Mac are out there protecting us, and we're just sitting here trying to stay out of the way. It's our fault they're in this mess.” She lowered her head and pouted. “I just wish there was more I could do.”
Scootaloo put a hoof on her shoulder. “I know, Apple Bloom. But no matter what happens tonight, we need to stay alive. Your brother and sister are risking their lives to protect us. We owe it to them to survive.”
Somewhere on the second floor, a window broke.

They're in Apple Bloom's bedroom! Applejack thought to herself as she stood in the hallway. As she approached the room where the window broke, she resigned herself to the fact that there was a lot of construction to do the next day, assuming she survived. At least the fillies were hiding in Big Macintosh's room instead. She should have felt scared, but as she stood next to the door where the intruders entered, she felt herself full of adrenaline and ready to fight. She held her pitchfork in her mouth and waited outside the door, ready for it to open. The sound of hoofsteps could be heard moving in her sister's room. They were searching for the fillies, but they wouldn't find them there. This was her chance.
Applejack barged in the door. In front of her was a brown-maned pegasus with a gray coat of hair, while the other pony stood in front of the dresser on the other side of the room. The moonlight shining in through the window illuminated their masks, which were shaped like impossibly large grins.
She charged at the pony in front of her, the pitchfork pointed straight ahead. The pony dodged out of the way, but as she ran past, the pitchfork scraped the side of his belly, spilling blood onto the floor of her sister's bedroom. She turned around to attack again and saw him reach for the flashlight on his chest. Remembering how Twilight blinded her earlier, Applejack closed her eyes and repeatedly jabbed the pitchfork forward at random. When the other pony ran forward to help his partner, Applejack spun around, trying to keep the two of them separated. She opened her eyes and glimpse of her attackers through the bright lights, but the constant turning and jabbing left her disoriented.
After several seconds of attacking at random, one of the intruders grabbed hold of the pitchfork. Applejack stumbled off-balance, but managed to shove the pitchfork toward the pony that grabbed it. The other pony swung a blade down toward her, but fortunately she hopped out of the way just in time. Applejack stood with her back to the window, her eyes adjusted to the light. The intruders looked at her, both brandishing machetes. She may have done some damage with her surprise attack, but the intruders had the advantage now.

Big Macintosh breathed steadily, trying his best to keep calm. Somewhere upstairs, his sister was locked in battle. If he stayed hidden, the ponies that had just blown a hole in the front door would ascend the stairs and turn the fight into a massacre. He didn't want to expose himself, but he had no choice – he had to get their attention. Big Macintosh turned the corner out of the study and stomped his hoof so hard the entire house shook.
Three ponies stood in front of the destroyed doorway. The leader, Twilight Sparkle, hovered a dagger in front of her. Pinkie Pie, known as the friendliest pony in Ponyville, bit a length of piano wire and unspooled it with her free hoof. Lastly, there was an unknown mercenary - a blonde, shaggy-haired stallion with scars covering his body, whose weapon of choice was an ax.
Twilight laughed. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Big Mac. After tonight, your poor Granny Smith will be left all by herself. No Big Macintosh to help her with the chores, no Applejack to cook...” Twilight grinned, lowering her voice. “...No Apple Bloom to take care of.”
Big Macintosh snorted and held the sledgehammer up, ready to attack.
“I wish I could feel sorry for you,” Twilight continued. She held her side where he had headbutted her earlier. “But it's clear you have no respect for authority. Princess Celestia doesn't like ponies who disrespect authority.” She pointed her hoof at him. “Attack!”
Pinkie Pie and the other mercenary galloped toward him. Big Macintosh stood on his hind legs, then brought the sledgehammer down with a loud crack. His attackers stopped just in time to avoid being struck. Despite its weight, Big Macintosh could raise the sledgehammer back up with no time at all. Soon, he was advancing toward the two of them, swinging his weapon left and right. He may have been outnumbered, but he was the strongest pony in all of Ponyville, and wasn't about to let some hired hoof end his life that easily.
“Twilight,” Pinkie Pie muttered, backing away from each swing of the sledgehammer. “Restrain him.”
Twilight glared at her. “You're giving me orders? Fine, let me handle this!” She gritted her teeth and focused. Her horn glowed, and a purple aura appeared around Big Macintosh.
The next time he tried lifting his leg, it felt like it was glued to the ground. The sledgehammer's dropped to the floor with a hard clunk. Big Macintosh could hold up the handle, but the head was too heavy. He struggled to move, panting and grunted as he tried and failed to move forward.
Twilight knelt on the ground with her eyes shut tight as sweatdrops formed on her brow. “Hah... Big Mac, you're going to resist until the very end, aren't you?” Her horn glowed bright enough to fully illuminate the room as she kept him grounded. “It's taking all my strength just to restrain you.” She opened her eyes and glanced at the unknown scout. “Dusky... finish him off.”
The pony she referred to as “Dusky” advanced on him, raising his ax up. Big Macintosh tried to move, but the heavy gravity held him in place. As the stallion advanced toward him, he got a glimpse of his attacker's cutie mark: a siren. 
A grin formed behind Dusky's mask. “You should be happy, Big Mac. All this pain and suffering will be over soon.”
Big Macintosh snorted, the muscles in his legs tensing up.
“Strong, silent type, huh?” Dusky shrugged and shook his head. “Suit yourself.” The pony readied his ax and started to bring it down.
With his life in immediate danger, Big Macintosh roared, breaking Twilight's spell and knocking her off-balance. He swung the sledgehammer into the side of Dusky's face, knocking him onto to the floor. The spell softened the blow a bit, but the damage was still substantial. The pony's mask flew off, exposing several scars just like the ones covering the rest of his body.
Pinkie Pie leaped toward Big Macintosh, but without even thinking he threw her across the room. He raised his sledgehammer to strike Dusky again, but once again he was restrained by Twilight. His weapon fell to the ground, cracking the floorboard. He panted, worried that he didn't have enough energy to break the spell again. Regardless, he still fought against its weight.
“Quit fighting it!” Twilight trembled as tears ran down her cheeks. She knelt down, no longer able to stand as she cast the spell.
Dusky groaned as he got back up, wiping blood from his mouth. “Hah,” he said, amused by all the excitement. “You're putting up quite the fight. Far more than your friend was able to.”
Big Macintosh stopped struggling. Now that he was close to Dusky, he could see just how deep some of the scars had cut. It was clear that this stallion lived to fight. But what worried Big Macintosh more was Dusky's cutie mark: a siren.
Dusky rotated his body, stretching his muscles after being struck. “I remember that night, all those years ago,” he said. “I was one of the scouts hired to look over Ponyville that year. One of our fliers spotted Russell helping take care of chores for a farm that wasn't even his. The foolish pony.” Dusky sighed and shook his head. “Why in Equestria would he trade his life just for the sake of some milk and eggs? Complete nonsense.”
Big Macintosh trembled and grit his teeth.
“He was easy to capture,” Dusky continued, grinning. “Right on the road in front of the Apple Farm. The idiot was stupid enough to travel on the main roads that night. Can you believe it?” Dusky picked his ax back up. “So, under Celestia's law, I had to buy him a ticket to Tartarus.”
Big Macintosh tried to lash out at the stallion, but the spell overpowered him.
Dusky raised his ax and grinned. “When you get there, say hi to him for me.”

The fillies cried as they heard the heard the fighting throughout the house. With every crash, Apple Bloom wondered if one of her siblings was dead. If they were, then she and her friends would be next.
Sweetie Belle turned to her friends. “Girls, if we don't make it out of this, just know that you were the best friends a pony could ever have.”
Scootaloo scolded her. “Don't say that! We're going to make it out alive!”
Apple Bloom bit her lip and shut her eyes, the muscles in her legs tensing up. “No,” she exclaimed. “I'm tired of sitting here, waiting. My brother and sister are in trouble, and it's up to us to help them!”
“Are you crazy?” Sweetie Belle got up and glared at her. “What could we possibly do? We're not strong like Big Mac, we're not fast like Applejack. What is it we can do?”
“It doesn't matter,” Apple Bloom argued, grabbing the pack of supplies they had put together hours ago. “If we survive and they don't, I'll never be able to forgive myself. If you two want to stay here and wait for trouble to find you, then go ahead, but I'm going out there. Are you with me?”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other, then back at Apple Bloom. They nodded in unison.

Applejack jumped from side to side as the pegasus with the pitchfork jabbed it in her direction. She tried to ignore the smashing noises from downstairs and instead focused on her immediate survival. As a farmpony, she was used to moving fast in order to herd cattle, but in a cramped room like Apple Bloom's, she had nowhere to run. As she looked for an opening, she threw various books and supplies at her attackers. It pained her to use a trophy her sister had won at school as a weapon, but she was quickly running out of options. Before long, she was out of energy, sitting in the corner and panting while her attackers loomed over her.
“Is this your calling in life?” Applejack asked in between gasps. “Waiting for the one night a year it's allowed for you to kill? I bet you earn a lot of bits doin' this.” She adjusted herself, still too tired to stand up. “It's too bad that ponies like you will never know what it's like to have a family to care for.” Her faced widened into a grin. “What do you think, sis?”
One of the intruders screamed in pain, dropping his pitchfork. Apple Bloom walked out from under him carrying the machete Twilight dropped earlier.
“I may not know much about fightin',” the filly said through the handle brandished in her teeth, “But I know which end of this thing is the sharp one!”
Apple Bloom ran back under him and cut his legs, drops of blood spilling onto the floor. He stallion yelled and tried stomping her, but the filly was too small and fast for him. The other intruder reached down to grab her tail, only to find his eyes blinded by a colored mist. Scootaloo stood next to him, spraying a steady stream of bug repellant. Next to her, Sweetie Belle's eyes were shut tight, her horn glowing and emitting sparks. The intruder took a step toward them, swiping his machete blindly while he wiped the spray from his eyes.
“Hurry up,” Scootaloo commanded her friend, tugging her away from the path of the machete.
“I'm trying!” Sweetie Belle protested, briefly opening her eyes to make sure she was out of range of the attacker. Her head jerked, a light momentarily emanated from her horn. “I told you, I get the spells mixed up sometimes.”
“We don't have time!” Scootaloo kept spraying the can, but their attacker's vision was returning.
“I...” A flame flame erupted from Sweetie Belle's horn. “I got it!”
“Now!” Scootaloo shut her eyes and turned her head away from the spray can.
The attacker regained his vision just in time to see Sweetie Belle tip her flaming horn into the bug spray, creating a plume of fire that quickly engulfed the attacker, lighting up the room. He screamed and shook his limbs to put the fire out, but his efforts were useless. The two fillies pressed against the wall, watching the intruder ran around in a panic. Apple Bloom, Applejack and the other pony watched, too entranced by the madness to keep fighting. After he saw his partner crash into a wall and run out into the hallway, Applejack whispered in his ear.
“You see what's happening to yer pal over there? I suggest you leave while you still can.”
Realizing that he was surrounded by fillies not afraid to cut and burn their way to survival, protected by an older sister with muscle built up by years of farm work, the pegasus turned and flew out the window he had destroyed.
Applejack sighed in relief, then heard a crash from downstairs. She and the fillies rushed out of Apple Bloom's bedroom to see what had happened.

“What is wrong with you?!” Twilight yelled, backing away from the flaming pony on the floor. “Out of all the things that could have happened tonight, I didn't think 'become a flaming torch' was on the list!”
A moment ago, Twilight was watching Dusky about to end Big Mac's life, only for a flaming pegasus to crash through the railing on the second floor and nearly fall on Pinkie Pie. The noise and heat had broken Twilight's concentration, causing her to release her hold on Big Macintosh.
“Put me out!” the burning pegasus cried, struggling to stand up. The flames surrounding his body began to burn the carpet underneath him. “Please, Twilight!”
On the second floor, Applejack looked through the broken railing. “Big Mac!” she cried out. Next to her, the three fillies watched in horror as the carpet caught fire, lighting up the room.
“Put it out, Twilight!” Dusky shouted, trapped between the flaming carpet and the front door. “If you don't douse it this instance, the whole house will come down!” Pinkie Pie stood next to him, watching the fire without the slightest trace of emotion.
Twilight, her eyes wide open, turned around and ran toward the door. “I'm sorry!” she yelled, only to find herself lifted up into the air by the throat by Big Macintosh. The look in his eyes sent a clear message: If my family does not make it out of here alive, then neither will you. The stallion pointed Twilight toward the fire, which would soon spiral out of control.
Twilight wanted to use her magic to teleport outside and leave the rest of them behind, but as long as he was holding on to her, Big Macintosh would teleport as well. Resigned to her fate, she pointed her horn at the flames, summoning a small pool of water in the air over it. The pool dropped and extinguished the fire, with only a few small embers remaining. Applejack, now downstairs with the rest of the ponies, stomped on an ember and put it out for good. Everypony in the room breathed a sigh of relief. That included Big Macintosh, who didn't realize he had loosened his grip on Twilight.
The unicorn slipped out between his hooves. “Dusky! Now!”
Dusky charged at Big Macintosh with the ax in his teeth. Twilight tried the restraining spell again, but Applejack swiftly kicked her and knocked her over before it could activate. Big Macintosh picked the sledgehammer back up and dodged out of the way as the ax came down. He rammed Dusky with the handle before swinging the head toward him. Dusky dodged it just in time.
As the two stallions fought, Pinkie Pie snuck up from behind Applejack and choked her with the piano wire. Apple Bloom, seeing her sister being choked to death, ran down the stairs and chomped Pinkie Pie's back leg. Pinkie yelled, releasing her hold on Applejack in order to shake the filly off. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo joined in, and soon all three fillies were on top of Pinkie Pie, biting and scratching at her.
Since Pinkie Pie had her hooves full and Twilight was on the floor, too exhausted to fight, Applejack knew it was time to finish Dusky off once and for all. She watched him fight her brother, looking for an opportunity to intervene. Both stallions were too focused on attacking and dodging to notice anything else in the room. The next time Dusky raised the ax, Applejack moved in and grabbed his tail, then pulled back with all her strength. He fell off balance and dropped the ax as Applejack pinned him down on the floor.
“Big Mac!” she yelled.
Her brother nodded, raising the sledgehammer as high as he could.
“No!” Dusky yelled, struggling.
Time slowed down as Applejack rolled off of him. The last thing he saw was the sledgehammer coming down, controlled by a red stallion out for vengeance. The head of the hammer hit Dusky dead on, cracking his skull and splattering blood and bits of brain everywhere. Pinkie Pie dropped her stoic persona and gasped as Big Macintosh's coat become soaked with his enemy's blood, darkening an already red coat. The stallion panted heavily, wiping sweat from his brow as he regained his composure. He looked at his sister and hesitantly smiled.
“Hahaha...” Twilight laughed, getting back up onto her hooves. “You think you're safe now that you outnumber us?” A wide grin stretched across her face, her eyes wide and unfocused, as if she was possessed.
Applejack had seen that grin before. Whenever Twilight felt she had failed Princess Celestia, she stopped listening to reason, obsessing about her assignments at the expense of her health and relationships. In the past, their group of friends had been able to talk her out of it, but with the Furge still in effect, she feared this time would be different.
Twilight creaked her neck side to side. “I have a duty to the princess,” she said, brandishing her machete. “And I'm not letting any of you get away.”
Big Macintosh charged at her, but before she could be hit, she put up an invisible wall that he slammed into.
“Pinkie, take care of this idiot for me. Applejack is mine.” Twilight's eyes turned toward her prey's general direction.
Pinkie Pie nodded, shaking off the fillies and running toward Big Macintosh, who was still recovering from slamming his head into the fake wall. She jumped on his back and wrapped the piano wire tight around his neck. The fillies rushed over to help him, but Twilight used her magic to levitate them into the air and slam them against the wall. Big Mac got back on his hooves and struggled to breathe as the wire cut off his air supply.
Applejack's eyes darted from Twilight to her brother and back. She tried to grab the ax Dusky had dropped, but the unicorn levitated it away as soon as she touched it. Twilight advanced on her, hovering the machete in the air around her. Applejack watched the tip of the blade as it swung from side to side, sometimes jutting forward, but not close enough to stab. Twilight hovered a stool into Applejack's path, causing her to trip and fall onto her back.
Big Macintosh jumped wildly around the room to knock Pinkie off like a bull trying to throw off its rider. He slammed into walls and rolled on the floor, but somehow she managed to stay on, keeping her grip on the piano wire tight. Soon, Big Macintosh was out of breath, doing little more than trying to pull the wire off his neck long enough to get a breath in. Throughout the entire ordeal, Pinkie Pie remained completely emotionless.
Twilight stood over her victim and hovered the machete against the pony's throat. Applejack watched carefully for a moment, then quickly grabbed the handle with her hooves. Twilight gritted her teeth, struggling to pry the machete loose with her magic. Each pony pushed the blade toward the other, both struggling for survival.
The fillies held on to each other tightly as they watched their friends fight each other to the death. All three of them lacked the energy to stand up and fight. With every passing second, Applejack and Big Macintosh came closer to death, either by blade or by strangulation. Soon, both of them would be dead, and the fillies would be next. Any chance of survival was long gone.
“Goodbye, girls.”
“I'll miss you.”
“I'm sorry.”

Outside, the siren droned, signaling the end of the Furge. Everypony stopped moving and listened to its long whine. With a poof, Pinkie Pie's long, straight hair turned back into a frilly mess. It was over. The Apple family had survived.
As sunlight shone in through the hole where the front door used to be, several hoofsteps could be heard from upstairs. It was accompanied by the sound of a door opening, followed by a loud yawn. The steps approached the stairway, and through the railing, everypony could see Granny Smith, who had been asleep the entire night.
The elderly pony carefully walked down the stairs, careful to avoid a pile of wood chips that used to be part of the front door. When she reached the first floor, she turned around the corner into the kitchen. Once she was in there, she paused, turned around, and peeked her head into the living room. One of Celestia's mercenaries lay a few feet from the front of the stairs, a pool of blood forming underneath him. The charred remains of a stallion rested in the center of the room. Twilight and Applejack stared back at her, the former still hovering a machete against the latter's throat. Pinkie Pie's front legs were wrapped around Big Macintosh's neck in a choke hold, the piano wire around his neck loosened. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sat to the side, huddled together. The rest of the room was a complete mess, with broken chairs, tables, toppled over bookshelves, and broken picture frames scattered across the floor. There was a large hole in the house where the front door used to be, soot covering the floor.
Granny Smith sighed and shook her head, turning back to the kitchen.
Once the coffee maker could be heard from the other room, Twilight turned her attention back to Applejack. She stepped off of her friend and sat down on the floor, hovering the blade in front of her.
Pinkie Pie released her choke hold on Big Macintosh and hugged him instead. “Oh, Big Mac, I'm so sorry we had to go through all that! On the night of the Furge, I'm just not myself!”
Big Macintosh instinctively struggled when she hugged him, but when he realized she was not malicious anymore, he relaxed. The night was over; she nor any other pony would harm him.
Pinkie Pie let go and gave a big laugh. “You know, Princess Celestia says I'm quite the big help on the night of the Furge.” She scratched her chin. “I'm not entirely sure what she means by that, but if it makes the princess happy, then I know it's the right thing to do!” Pinkie Pie took a few steps toward the door she destroyed hours earlier and waved to everypony in the house. “Well, I'm gonna go take a quick nap before Sugar Cube Corner opens. It's been a loooooong night.” She yawned and walked out the door. “Goodbye, everypony! Sorry about your door! I promise I'll come help fix it later!” She then trotted off, gleefully humming to herself.
Big Macintosh looked at Applejack and raised his eyebrow. His sister sat up and shrugged. The two of them looked at Twilight, who had ignored Pinkie's exit, instead remaining fixated on her machete. The two siblings looked at each other with hesitation, unsure of what Twilight will do now that the Furge had ended. Both of them stood up and brushed themselves off, keeping a close eye on her.
After several moments of silence, Twilight finally spoke up. “I failed.”
“Uh,” Applejack said, raising an eyebrow. “Come again?”
Twilight looked up, tears running down her cheeks. “I failed, Applejack. I had a responsibility to Princess Celestia and I let her down. She's going to be furious...” The pony buried her face in her hooves. “I've never failed to carry out an assignment for her before. I don't know what I'm going to do...”
Applejack frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. “I'd feel sorry for ya, Twilight, but you did just try to kill me and my family. I'm not exactly feeling sympathetic.”
Big Macintosh walked over to them and stood next to Applejack, shaking his head.
“I don't blame you,” Twilight responded, wiping her cheek. “I wouldn't be surprised if you never wanted to see me again.” She looked out the broken door, out where the carnage began. “During the Furge, all I could think about was my duties. I set everything else aside. I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I told myself it was necessary for Equestria.” She looked at Big Macintosh. “When you attacked me, something snapped inside my head. I started to... enjoy watching you suffer.” She shook her head and looked away from them. “I guess that if I tried to convince myself that you deserved it, then the loss wouldn't sting so hard. I just kept asking myself, if the Furge didn't work, would our world be as peaceful as it is the rest of the year?”
“I can't say for sure,” Applejack told her. “But just like you have a duty to the princess, I have ponies of my own that I have a responsibility for.” She stood next to her brother and wrapped a leg around his shoulders. “I almost abandoned my family to save myself. Looking back, I don't know what I was thinking.” She looked at Big Macintosh. “If I had to get up every morning without seein' you and Apple Bloom's smilin' faces, I don't know what I'd do. Life wouldn't be worth livin'.”
“Eyup.”
Twilight studied them. “Is this what Princess Celestia had in mind when she implemented the Furge?”
“Whaddya mean?” Applejack asked, stomping her hoof. “That was the worst night of my entire life!”
“But just look at you two!” Twilight said. “After you survived an ordeal like that, I bet the Apple Family is stronger than ever before!”
The Apple siblings looked at each other, then back at Twilight. “Who knows,” Applejack replied. She turned and looked at the destruction and the dead bodies in the living room. “But I'd have preferred to learn that lesson without the property damage and dead bodies in my living room.”
Twilight laughed nervously and avoided their gaze. “Well, some sacrifices have to be made...” She brushed some of the dirt off of her and looked toward the door. “Anyway, now that the Furge is over, I need to head back to the library and write a letter to Princess Celestia. I have a lot to tell her.”
Applejack sighed. “And we have a lot of work to do just to clean up this mess.”
Twilight took a step toward the door before realizing something. “Applejack, can you... forgive me for what I've done tonight?”
“I don't know, Twilight. I'm still shaken...”
“That's okay,” Twilight assured her. “No matter how long it takes, I will always be here for you. Just let me know if you need anything.” She smiled. “Okay?”
Applejack and Big Macintosh looked at each other, sighing. “Sure, Twilight. We'll see you around.”
Twilight began walking out the door and remembered the two dead bodies lying on the floor. “Here, let me get those for you.” Using her magic, she hovered them toward her, Dusky's corpse still dripping blood on the floor. She walked out the door and down the path to the main road in Ponyville, the two bodies floating behind her.
Applejack looked at the destruction around her and sighed. “Well, big brother, we have a lot of work to do.”
“Eyup.”
The two of them grabbed brooms and started sweeping up the mess.
In the corner of the room, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sat close to each other, huddled together. Even though the violence had ended, all three still shook in fear of what they witnessed during the night.
“Hey, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle said, turning her head.
“Y-yeah?”
“That's the last time I do you a favor.”