Chapter 1: A Storm is Coming

Chapter 1

Rainbow Dash groaned. Her head buried in her pillow. There were noises, loud ones, that wouldn’t stop. Straining her weary limbs, Dash pushed herself to her hooves and stumbled towards the door. The sound was definitely knocking, not urgent knocking, but insistent.
“Just a second” Rainbow managed to call out. “What time is it?” she muttered to herself. To her relief, the knocking had subsided. Rainbow allowed herself a moment to collect her thoughts and glance around the room. It was a mess, shelves had been knocked down and a pot of paint had fallen, smearing the clouds that formed the floor.

Clouds, so she was in Cloudsdale, the floating city of the Pegasus. But that did not answer how the room got to be in such a mess.

The knocking restarted. Rainbow Dash recoiled slightly at the sound, her head ached. Eventually, she reached the door and tugged it open.
“What is it?” Dash groaned. She looked out to see a grey pony, with a blonde mane, standing outside. “Oh, hey Ditzy”.
‘That explains the knocking’ Dash thought to herself, judging by the somewhat unfocused look on the pony’s face, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Ditzy had been knocking with her head.
“Delivery!” Ditzy chirped, her voice was somewhat flat, as if her vocal chords were out of tune. She dunked her head into the pack that hung from the strap across her back. A moment later her head re-emerged with a small package dangling from her mouth. She placed it on the floor and nudged it towards Dash with her snout. There was a moment of silence where Ditzy stood in the doorway, smiling and staring at Dash. At least, she appeared to be staring at Dash, but her right eye had decided the ceiling was more interesting and drifted upwards for a better look.
“Uh, thanks” Rainbow Dash said eventually. “Uh, and Ditz, seriously, see somepony about your eyes It’s really creepy”
At that, Ditzy’s wayward eye drifted back into place.
“I keep meaning to, but the nurses down in Ponyville all start giggling when I go down there”
“Why not try somepony up here?” Dash asked. Ditzy raised an eyebrow, causing the eye beneath it to become fascinated by the tip of her snout. “Just as bad, huh” Dash answered for her, getting the message. “Well, maybe the princess can help you out next time she’s in town”
“Hey, why are you trying to change me?” Ditzy snapped suddenly, spreading out her wings like a startled eagle. “Just because I’m slightly different I’ve gotta fall in with the rest! Well how about no! How about you take your thingy and leave me be!”

Rainbow Dash took a step backwards at the suddenness of it all, she had never seen this pony angry, or even displaying any emotion other than absent minded wonder.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Dash stammered, realising she had hit a touchy subject “Sorry, Ditz, I didn’t mean anything. I just...”
Ditzy’s face fell. She lowered her head and let her wings fall limply to her sides. Without another word, the grey pony turned and slowly plodded away. Rainbow watched her go, it was a strange thing to watch. Other ponies walked and flew past, occasionally bumping into her, but none paid Ditzy any attention.

Dash felt a wave of guilt building inside of her. As Ditzy turned the corner, Dash rolled her eyes and flew after her, calling out her name. She quickly reached the corner and looked around. After a moment, she spotted Ditzy heavily sitting down at the edge of a cloud. Rainbow approached slowly and stood beside her. At this range, Dash could see tears forming in Ditzy’s eyes.
“Do you know what they call me? When I’m not there?” Ditzy sobbed. “Derpy. Derpy Hooves”. She stopped to sniffle for a moment, letting a few tears roll from her eyes. She pointed a hoof at her rolling eyeball “And it’s all ‘cause these things can’t keep straight”.
“Ditz, I had no idea” Rainbow Dash said quietly, placing a reassuring hoof on Ditzy’s shoulder. She shrugged Rainbow off.
Dash glanced around, nobody was paying any attention to the miserable mailmare.
“Hey, Ditz” Rainbow Dash nudged her shoulder with her snout “Hey, come on back to my place. Have something to drink. You...look like you need it”

Ditzy Doo looked up at Rainbow Dash, her eyes streaming with tears. She managed to remain focused long enough to say:
“S-seriously?”. Rainbow Dash nodded. “You mean it?”. Dash nodded again. Ditzy looked down again for a second, before pushing her haunches up in the air and standing. Her wings flapped happily for a moment as the grey Pegasus pony took a second to observe her newfound friend. “Okay!” she chirped.

Dash turned and led the way, with Ditzy trotting up beside her after a metre or so. The walk was short, but Dash managed to get a little information on the lazy eyed mare in that time. Apparently she was from Lonpony, which explained the slightly unusual accent. She had moved to Cloudsdale aged twelve with her parents, who had subsequently been caught by a creature of the Everfree Forest, and never been seen again. And now, seven years later she manages to get by through her low paying job and the attention of somepony she called her “special friend”.
When they reached Dash’s residence, they noticed she had left the door open on the way out, and the package was still lying on the floor. Rainbow picked it up and took it into the living room, where she placed it on the little table there. Ditzy followed and sat herself on the floor. Dash flashed her a little smile and then went to close the door.
“So, what do you want? I’ve got juice, water, the usual stuff” Rainbow called. Ditzy thought for a moment.
“Erm, have you got anything stronger?” she asked carefully, not wanting to push her luck too far. Rainbow Dash glanced out the window quickly, checking nobody was watching. A memory drifted back from the night before. It was of her friend Twilight Sparkle, she was very drunk.
“I think I might have some left here somewhere” Rainbow said, searching through a cupboard near the table. “I think I went through most of it yesterday”
“Oh, it’s okay if you don’t have any...” Ditzy said absently, having noticed the blue hue the clouds in the ceiling had been painted.
“Nah, I’ve got some. I just have to keep it safe. Y’know” Dash admitted “I’m not exactly allowed to have this stuff for another year”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen” Dash called, moving towards another cupboard. “Since yesterday”
“Happy Birthday!” Ditzy called back. She received a slightly confused look from Rainbow Dash for her troubles “Y’know, for yesterday and stuff”.

Dash smiled.
“Thanks Ditz. I think the drink’s in here” Rainbow said, opening a cupboard.

Out of which fell Fluttershy.

The yellow Pegasus pony sprawled out on the floor, her pink mane tangled in her delicate wings.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash cried out, taking a step back “What’re you doing in there?”
“Me, oh, I was, ah, I was” they yellow pony tripped over her words as her shyness overwhelmed her in this awkward situation. “I was tired and you were asleep so I ... eep”
“Flutty!” Ditzy cheered. She hopped up and bounced over. “Hey, Flutty!”
‘Flutty? That's a new one’ Rainbow thought to herself, a look of confusion crossing her face.

Fluttershy pulled her head into her shoulders, clearly embarrassed. Ditzy, however, was cheerful.
“Remember that pony I mentioned, the special friend?” she asked, pushing her face towards Rainbow Dash. Dash nodded slowly, mentally guessing the next sentence. “Well, my little Flutty here is that pony!”
After finishing her exuberant declaration, Ditzy leaned down and nuzzled Fluttershy’s mane. Fluttershy slowly poked her head back out from under her mane, stroking a hoof over her head to keep the unruly pink hair in order. She giggled quietly to herself on the floor.

Dash was confused.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute” Dash said, one hoof against her head. It was too early for stuff like this. “How long has this been going on?”
“oh, about erm, a while...” Fluttershy mumbled herself to a halt. However Ditzy was happy to take over the conversation.
“About five weeks!” she announced. Fluttershy smiled and slowly began to pull herself to her hooves. Rainbow Dash quickly looked into the cupboard Fluttershy had fallen from.
“There it is!” she exclaimed, thrusting her head into the cupboard and emerging with a bottle in her jaws. “I’m gonna need this”. She set it down on the floor, flipped open the lid with her hoof, and took a swig.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough of that?” Fluttershy asked timidly. Rainbow put down the bottle and eyed her suspiciously. “Sorry” Fluttershy apologised immediately. There was a moment’s silence, in which Ditzy had sidled right up beside Fluttershy and begun to rub her head against Fluttershy’s neck. She giggled, finding the neck rub ticklish. She suddenly stood straight and stared at Rainbow Dash. “I’d rather you didn’t tell anyone about us, y’know, the animals might get upset”

Rainbow had to stop herself from giggling.
“The animals are the least of your worries” she laughed.
“If you tell anyone, I’ll tell what you did with Twilight last night” Fluttershy hissed, her face stern.

Dash stopped mid chuckle. She tilted her head slightly.
“Actually, I wish you’d tell me. I can’t remember a thing.” Dash admitted "Well, I remember something about a chocolate cake, and Pinkie was involved in that, I don't know". Fluttershy moved over to her and began to whisper in Rainbow’s ear. As each second of whispering passed, Rainbow Dash’s face became more and more shocked. She held a hoof up to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Fluttershy backed away, a contentedly malicious smile playing across her lips for a second.

Dash gibbered quietly to herself for a few seconds before tilting her head back and shouting up towards the stars. Fluttershy cowered behind Ditzy, who remained unfazed by the outburst.
“Why did you let me do that?” Rainbow said “You know I’ve been trying to avoid Twilight and her...stuff.”
“I don’t know Dash, you seemed to enjoy the way she... studied you” Fluttershy giggled.
“Oh, no, no!” Rainbow groaned.

Fluttershy suddenly noticed Ditzy had wandered off, and followed her over to the table in the middle of the room.
“Aren’t you gonna open it?” Ditzy declared, nudging the small package she had delivered earlier.
“Just a minute, I’m still trying to get my brain past what happened last night” Dash said, staring into space.
“Well, I delivered it for you, so it might as well be opened” Ditzy mumbled.
“Actually, if you don’t mind me saying” Fluttershy began timidly “I thought you worked with that removal company”
“Yeah, they went bust and now I’m back with the post” Ditzy confirmed.

Knocking started on the door. It was frantic, as if a woodpecker had been attached to somepony’s hoof with the specific intention making as much noise as possible.
“Miss Dash!” called a voice, one cracking with urgency. “Miss Dash are you in there?”
“Yeah, just a sec!” Dash called back. She trotted over to the door and tugged it open. Outside stood a rather flustered looking Pegasus, one sporting green fur and a rather messed up mane. “Yeah, what is it?”
“Miss Dash, you’re needed at the Weather Centre now, it’s an emergency” the Pegasus said, the words tripping over themselves as she raced to say her part.
“What’s happened?” Rainbow enquired.
“I’ll explain on the way, but we need to move now” the Pegasus said.

Dash nodded, she understood the gravity of the situation.
“Alright guys, you stay here. I’ll be back later” Dash called back to Fluttershy and Ditzy. She turned back to the Pegasus in the doorway. “Okay, lets go”.

They took off immediately, heading straight for the very top of the tower at the top of Clousdale.
“What was that all about?” Ditzy asked as she nudged the door closed after them.
“I have no idea” Fluttershy replied quietly. “But I think we had better be ready for trouble”
“I don’t like trouble” Ditzy sqeaked. Cowering slightly. Fluttershy smiled and trotted over.
“I know you don’t” she said, as she gently nuzzled her partner’s cheek.

The two Pegasus ponies flew towards the Weather Centre. Dash had to slow herself so she could still hear the other Pegasus, who was already struggling to keep up, explain the situation.
“Where’d this storm even come from?” Rainbow asked.
“Nopony knows! But it was first spotted around the Everfree Forest.”
“Seriously? Everything bad seems to come from there, it’s like that place has a grudge against us”
“Now is not the time for jokes, Miss Dash” the green Pegasus snapped as they reached the Weather Centre entrance. Rainbow Dash glided in, setting down and rushing past the two security guards on station. She pushed into the control room to see Pegasus ponies rushing everywhere. One, an old grey colt who sported an impressive moustache, hurried up to Rainbow Dash.
“Ah, you’re here” he said in his thick Germane accent. “Have you been briefed?”
“Yeah, big storm. How does nopony know how this happened?” Rainbow exclaimed.
“It just appeared. And it’s accelerating towards us” the colt explained.
“Alright, alright” Dash said, placing a hoof to her forehead, trying to quell the headache that had sprung up. This was not what she needed right now. “Erm, who else knows about this?”
“We are yet to release a statement about it” the colt informed her.
“Alright, start telling people to bunker down. How long have we got till it hits?”
“If it continues at its current acceleration it should be upon us in three hours, however we suspect it will be slowed by the topography of Sweet Apple Acres”
“Applejack’s orchard?” Rainbow said, louder than she meant to. She glanced around apologetically and then cleared her throat. “Okay, send a team to assess and hold back, by any means. If we can slow it enough the storm may dissipate”
“Hurricane” the colt said sharply.
“What?”
“It’s a hurricane” The colt explained. “It’s much worse”
“Same orders apply, get some people out there, as many as can be spared” Rainbow ordered. “I’m gonna take a few people and warn Ponyville. That’s gonna get hit badly, they should get out of there soon or bunker down for the worst. We may need to move Cloudsdale too, if we have time”

The colt nodded. Rainbow Dash turned to go, before stopping and yelling “And who let Sootaloo in here?”

“I wonder where Dashie went” Ditzy said absently.
“The Weather Centre” Fluttershy told her. “It sounded important”

Then, as if on cue, Rainbow Dash burst through the front door.
“Guys, you need to go” she said, panting between words. “Storm’s coming, big one”
“How long do we have?” Fluttershy asked, getting up slowly from Ditzy’s side.
“Couple of hours, at most” Rainbow said. “Go lock up your homes. Then get back up here. Cloudsdale’s the safest place for this”
“How big is it?” Fluttershy asked, the tone of fear creeping into her voice.
“Biggest storm we’ve ever seen. Three times the one last year. It is going to wreck everything it touches”
There was a moment of silence.
“Are ponies going to get hurt?” Ditzy asked slowly. Rainbow Dash nodded solemnly.
“Yeah” she breathed.

With a little squeak of fear Fluttershy got to her feet, trotting quickly to the door. Ditzy trailed after her, but flew in a different direction when outside the door.

Once they had gone, Rainbow checked around. The house could be fortified at the last second. And with that thought she shut the door and bolted towards the apple farm.

Fluttershy gently landed outside her home. She glanced around, noting the quiet in the air. The chickens had all cowered inside their little henhouse and clucked reassuringly to one another.

They could sense something was coming.
“Angel” Fluttershy called out. “Angel, come here”.

After a moment, a little white rabbit popped up from under a pile of leaves. It twitched it ears and bolted towards Fluttershy. The little rabbit grabbed her leg and tried to drag her into the house. He was panicking, he could tell what was coming.
“Angel, calm down” Fluttershy commanded gently “I need you to get every animal into the basement as fast as you can, and then barricade yourself in there”. Fluttershy stopped for a second, having seen the little rabbit stare up at her, as if she had all the answers. “Storm’s coming” she finished.

Ditzy Doo nudged open the door to her home, glancing around for things that needed to be secured. As she was still in Cloudsdale, the walls were made of fluffy white cloud, but the floor was wooden. The house was sparsely decorated, a small cupboard and a table were the only real furnishings. And on top of the table, a young filly sat.
“Mummy!” Dinky yelled, jumping off the table. Temporarily forgetting she had not got wings, Dinky leapt from the table, and she crashed onto the wooden floor in front of her googly-eyed mother.
“Hi, Dinky” Ditzy declared to the room at large as she wandered further inside.
“What’s going on?” Dinky asked, as she pulled herself out of the crumpled pile she had become upon landing. She trailed after her mother, trotting quickly to keep up.
“Uh, we got to make everything secure” Ditzy declared. “Even the toaster”
“What’s gonna happen to the toaster?”
“I dunno”

Dinky twirled on the spot briefly, checking that the floor was still holding.. Sometimes she wondered just how much brain her mother really had, and how much of her head was really made of pastry.
“Well something’s gonna happen” Dinky theorised, still twirling “Otherwise we wouldn’t have to strap it all down”

But Ditzy didn’t reply, she just went over to the table and began to clear it, placing the plates in the cupboard to be stored.
“Hey, what happened to breakfast?” Dinky yelled, distraught at having the plates she laid out put back without use. She saw her mother turn away from the cupboard and plod towards her, eyes rolling into place. And then quietly, Ditzy held her daughter close.

Sweet Apple Acres rolled away beneath Rainbow Dash as she tore through the sky. The air battered her face as she got faster and faster. In the distance, she could see the storm clouds beginning to form over the horizon.

She didn’t have long.

Below her, Applejack slid into view, happily bucking away at the trees in her orchard. Beside her, little Applebloom was bouncing, undoubtedly pestering the poor mare about her cutie mark. Rainbow Dash turned sharply and darted towards the ground, pulling up at the last second so she didn’t crash, and inadvertently shedding several trees of their apples with the disruption she caused as she barrelled past. With the immense lack of grace she was known for, Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt beside Applejack, who very nearly kicked her in surprise.
“...there’s gotta be somethin’ ah can do to get it...” Applebloom ranted, now forgotten by her sister.
“Watch where you’re flyin’ there Sugarcube. ’Specially after last night” Applejack said jovially “What’s ahll the hurryin’ for?”

Rainbow Dash stood there for a second, panting, out of breath, she had rushed to get here and forgotten to keep her energy reserves up. Applejack saw the wild eyed look on Rainbow Dash’s face and leaned forwards, concerned.
“What’s wrong?” she asked the Pegasus.
“...because now Canter Sell has hers an’ she’s gettin’ ahll high ’n’ mighty about it...” Applebloom continued in the background.

Rainbow Dash was still catching her breath, and just pointed instead. Applejack turned to see the thick clouds spitting lightning down upon the horizon. She fell silent, leaving only Applebloom talking incessantly in the background. After a moment she turned back.
“Just how big is that thing?” she asked.
“Biggest ever” Rainbow said “and this is the first part of town it’s gonna hit.”
“Sweet Celestia” Applejack muttered “Are we runnin’ or hunkerin’ down”
“...Ah really want mah mark because – hey! Are you guys listenin’?” Applebloom spouted, to no avail. She eventually noticed nopony was listening and wandered off to find her older brother.
“It’s your choice AJ” Rainbow Dash told her. “We’ve got the Doc to help with evac for anyone who wants to leave. But anyone else has to build a fort and ride it out”
“You sure about using the Doc?” Applejack said “He’s a mite...eccentric, isn’t he?”
“He’s our best chance if we ‘re gonna run” Rainbow reminded her “He knows the mountains like the side of his hoof, he can take us into them and stick us up in a cave there”

There was a moment’s silent thought from Applejack.
“Ah’m stayin’” she said resolutely. “Ah won’t abandon the orchard”.

Rainbow Dash nodded.
“Okay, if you’re sure. You’d best start tying stuff down” she said. She then moved closer. “And, if either of us don’t make it through this, it’s been fun”. Rainbow leant in and held her neck around Applejack’s, a pony hug.
“Whaddya mean by that?” Applejack said, as Rainbow turned away and kicked off into the sky.

The next stop was Twilight’s library. If anypony new the theory of storm survival, it was her. The brainiac had more books in that home of hers than she had hair in her mane. Upon arrival, she found Pinkie Pie hopping merrily around near the entrance, whilst Spike chased her, apparently after the scroll attached to her tail. Rainbow had to raise her voice to be heard over Pinkie’s excited squealing.
“Guys!” she shouted, bringing Pinkie to a sudden stop. Spike barrelled into her, snatching the scroll and torching it with the green flames that sprung from his mouth at his will. Rainbow Dash had never quite understood how the little dragon got the scroll all the way to Canterlot by burning it, but assumed it was best left alone.”Do you know where Twilight is?” she continued.
“She’s in the bath. She got covered in cookie dough” Spike told her. Rainbow Dash had a brief mental image of Twilight heavily throwing up a yellowish brown substance, another bad memory from last night, that could easily be mistaken for cookie dough.
“Speaking of baths” came the high pitched voice of Pinkie, who was gazing at her legs. After a second she turned to a door and yelled “Twilight, my knee’s pinchy!”
“Oh come on!” came the exasperated cry of Twilight, as the door opened and a little alligator was launched out, landing on Pinkie Pie’s face.
“Hey Gummy! When did you get here?” Pinkie grinned from ear to ear at the small reptile attached to her face.
“How does he keep getting in there?” Twilight Sparkle demanded, standing in the doorway to her bathroom. “Oh, hi Dash” she added, smiling weakly at the Pegasus.
“Nevermind that guys” Rainbow Dash said, stepping forwards. There’s something important I’ve gotta tell you all”
“Oh, oh, are you ill?” Pinkie chirped, bouncing in place. “You found an egg? Something funny landed on your head? I love these guessing games!”
“No Pinkie, it’s nothing like that” Rainbow Dash paused for effect, but then started talking when she realised Pinkie was about to guess again. “We’re gonna get hit by the biggest storm Equestria’s ever seen. And it hits in just under three hours”
“What?” Twilight said, apparently in disbelief. “Why wasn’t anypony warned about this earlier?”
“Weather Patrol just picked it up, and we can’t stop it” Rainbow explained.
“What’re we going to do?” Pinkie squeaked. Gummy trembled on her head.
“The Doc is taking ponies to the mountains, hopefully they can shield us from it” Rainbow explained to the disbelieving ponies “It’s either that or bunker in for this thing, however long it lasts"

Twilight bowed her head in thought. Pinkie bit her lip. Spike looked somewhat dazed.
“When does the evacuation start?” Twilight asked after a period of uncomfortable silence.
“Doc leaves in an hour and a half” Rainbow told her. “Are you gonna go with him?”
“Well I couldn’t possibly go!” Pinkie declared “Not without Gummy”. She indicated the little reptile on her head.
“He can go with you, Pinkie” Dash said, not even bothering to ask why she had thought the little alligator was not allowed.
“Oh, that’s great then!” Pinkie bounced up into the air, launching Gummy off her head and up into the air. “Come on Twilight, let’s get going!”

Twilight emerged from her little thought bubble.
“Spike, pack your things, go with Pinkie” she said, distracted.
“Wha...what’re you on about Twilight? Aren’t you coming too?” Spike cried.
“No, I can’t leave with these books in danger. Some of these things are too precious to be bested by a storm”
“Gah! No! You can’t do that! You’ve gotta come too!” Spike bawled. The emotional dragon grabbed Twilight Sparkle’s leg. She shook him loose. “Tell me which ones you need, I can carry them for you! I’ll send them to the Princess to look after!” Spike demonstrated the last bit with a gout of green flame and a nearby encyclopaedia “Just don’t stay here!”
“Spike...” Twilight began.
“But you’ll die!” Spike practically screamed.

Pinkie gasped. Rainbow Dash suspected she had finally grasping the possible consequences of the situation. Gummy flopped down onto her head from his impromptu flight.
“But Spike!” Pinkie said, pulling Gummy off and placing him on the floor “We won’t die, we’re the most important ponies around here! Nopony’s mean enough to write a story like that!”

Rainbow Dash facehoofed. She was growing tired of Pinkie Pie, between believing she was in some sort of book and her usual ridiculous behaviour she was beginning to try Rainbow Dash’s patience. She could see Spike wasn’t taking it too well either. He glared incredulously at Pinkie. And Pinkie beamed back, radiating innocent happiness.

It was Twilight who broke the strangest staring match in the universe.
“Spike, go” she commanded, a tone of reluctant authority in her voice.
“But...”
“GO” Twilight growled. Her horn began to glow a soft purple. Spike backed away obediently. Once Spike had neared the door, she turned to Pinkie and quietly said “Pinkie, make sure he stays safe. I was there when he hatched, and I want him to be around when I expire.”
“Okie dokie loki!” Pinkie cheered. “Come on Gummy!” she called down to her pet reptile “We’ve got to go pack!” With that she bounded out the door, followed by the tiny alligator, which padded along at its own pace.

Rainbow Dash stepped closer to Twilight Sparkle, lowering her head to look her in the eye.
“Are you sure about this, Twi?” Dash asked.

Twilight nodded.
“AJ’s staying too” Dash told her “You might want to go see if she’ll let you cut up some of the trees, strengthen this place up a bit”

Twilight finally met her friend’s gaze.
“Yeah, I might just do that” she said. Then she came forwards and nuzzled the side of Rainbow’s face, before moving in for a neck hug. “I guess this is goodbye then”
“Hey, nopony’s saying that!”
“Cloudsdale’s going to move away, it won’t go near a hurricane” Twilight began “Yes, I know it’s a hurricane, not a normal storm. The Princess Celestia warned me it was coming, but I tried to hide it from Spike. I’ve been preparing myself to go down with the books since yesterday afternoon.”

There was a moment before she recognised the look of shock on Rainbow’s face. It was the same look she had worn the night before the drinks had been knocked back in force.
“That’s why I got so drunk yesterday. I was scared” Twilight continued, looking up at the ceiling for a second. And then back to Dash. “Rainbow, that thing’s magical; it was brewing way before it became physical.”

Rainbow Dash nodded briefly, trying to hold up the demeanour her post required, tried to be official, but then dove into a neck hug with Twilight, who just stood there. And then, Rainbow turned to go.
“Tell Doc to drop by before he leaves” Twilight called after her, before turning back to her books.

Meanwhile, in Canterlot, Princess Celestia was busily filling out paperwork when she sensed an incoming message.

She looked up just in time to receive an encyclopaedia to the face.

Rainbow Dash trotted out of the door, glancing around at the current evacuation efforts. Everywhere ponies dragged suitcases and calmed whining fillies. Over in the square, Lyra and Bon-Bon were arguing, something Rainbow Dash had never seen happen before, but there was no time for that. She readied her wings for take-off.
“Rainbow!” shouted a considerably Scolttish voice to her left. Rainbow Dash steadied for a moment and saw a large brown colt galloping towards her. He skidded to a halt beside her, clearly showing the hourglass cutie mark on his flank. “When should I start moving them?”
“Give them an hour and a half Doc” Rainbow Dash instructed him. She could have sworn the Doc changed voice nearly every time she had talked to him, and little details on his face often changed too. “But no more” Rainbow Dash added “And Twilight wants to see you before you go”
“She staying here, isn’t she?” the Doc said, somewhat worried. Rainbow nodded. The brown colt nodded back and ran past rainbow into Twilight’s house. Dash looked up to the sky, calling out to the trio of Pegasus that had returned a few metres away. The evacuation route was clear, and they could begin as soon as everyone was ready.

They tried to ask for instructions of what to do next, but Rainbow Dash had already vanished in a multicoloured streak into town.

“Rarity! Rarity, you in there?” came the loud shouting from the door, as an irate cyan hoof beat upon it. “C’mon Rarity, please!”

Eventually, the door opened, and little Sweetie Belle gazed up from the floor.
“Hey Rainbow Dash, what’s all the knocking about?” she asked, staring at Pegasus in the doorway.
“I need to speak to your sister, now” Dash asked, somewhat out of breath, and pushed through into the house “Where is she?”
“She’s working, you can’t go in there without an appointment” Sweetie Belle recited, biting her tongue between her teeth as she recalled what her sister had told her to tell visitors.
“Don’t care!” Rainbow Dash said and barged through to rarity’s work area, where she was treated to the sight of her friend being given a manicure. “Working, huh?” Dash exclaimed.
“Miss Rainbow Dash, I thought I heard my little assistant over there send you on your way, but now you’re here...” Rarity began, but trailed off as she was interrupted by her little sister.
“I’m trying to get an assistant cutie mar-“
“Shut up!” Dash snapped “Do you have any idea just how close the hurricane is? I came to see if you’d packed yet!”
“Hurricane!” Rarity screeched, knocking over the pony working on her hooves with a well placed flail of her forelimbs. Sweetie Belle huddled into a ball, scared. Since the last storm, when she had been left alone in the house by her sister, the little filly had been terribly afraid of everything bad weather related.
“How did you not work that out?” Rainbow Dash said, disbelieving. “We’ve been rounding up the town to evacuate for the last two hours. The evac group’s leaving in five minutes”
“Oh dear Celestia, why didn’t we do this sooner!” Rarity exclaimed, hurrying back and forth in a panic. “The boutique simply cannot survive this without my help. Oh but if I stay...Do I have time to grab a few essentials?”
“Just, a bit of food and that’s all...” Rainbow Dash began.
“Alright, everypony!” shouted Doc outside “Let’s get out of here!”
“They’re leaving without us?” Sweetie Belle said quietly.

Rainbow rushed forwards, pushing Rarity to the door with her head.
“Come on, get going, now!” Rainbow grunted. Rarity squealed slightly.
“But I cannot leave my work to be destroyed!” she said.
“What do you care most about, your dress or your life!?” Rainbow yelled. The pony that had been manicuring Rarity’s hooves gave out a little yelp. “You get out too!” Rainbow turned on her, glaring the creature out of the room.

There was a moment of silence.

Rainbow Dash turned back to Rarity, calmer now.
“There’s too many ponies staying behind already” Rainbow quietly told her friend. “Go with Pinkie and Spike whilst you can still follow them. The Doc can help you find food out there. Just...please...go”

Rarity nodded.
“Come, Sweetie Belle” she said to her little sister, who trotted up to her side as she headed to the door. She turned in the doorway. “What are you going to do?”

Rainbow made her way out of the door and indicated the floating city of clouds above them.
“Me and Fluttershy are flying back up to Cloudsdale before it moves out of the way of all this” Dash told her. “Now get moving, they’re over that way”

Rarity trotted off, with her little sister in tow. Dash looked up towards her skyward home.

It was going to be a rough night.

“Flutty? Flutty? Flutty where are you?!” Ditzy Doo called as she roamed Cloudsdale. Pegasus ponies hurried this way and that, preparing the city to move. Ditzy tried to grab their attention with a wave of her hoof or a call, every time asking “Have you seen Fluttershy?”

Nopony had. And nopony was stopping to help look.
“Don’t leave me Flutty...”

Rainbow Dash glided over the mass of ponies gathered in the town square. Saddlebags bulged on every back and every single pony there was either consoling another as to their situation, or glancing nervously at the ever closer clouds in the sky. At the head of the group, Doc stood conversing with a few Pegasus ponies who had been designated to help with the evacuation efforts. He gave his orders with confidence, laying out the route they were to guide the panicked masses through on a map he had laid before him. But despite his air of confidence, Dash could see his back legs tremble slightly. She glanced back to make sure everything was in order with the main group and then dropped down beside the colt.
“You okay?” she asked.
“I’ll be fine” Doc said quickly “Just let me do my job”
“Alright, alright, just askin’. But if you can’t do it then I’ll get one of the others to lead them...”
“I can do it!” Doc snapped. He then backed down quickly “Just trust me, please.”

Rainbow stopped. She hadn’t seen him stressed before, but the strain was showing. But she still trusted him to do what was asked.
“Okay. I trust you” Dash said, lowering her head apologetically. As she did this, she noticed a little pendant around Doc’s neck. “Hey, what’s that?”
“Hmm, what? This?” Doc glanced down at the pendant. “Just something Twilight gave me ... to hold onto”.
Dash took a while to put her words together.
“I’m sure she appreciates you holding onto it” she eventually said. “Now you best get going, time’s about up”

Doc’s gaze suddenly focused, his face set, and he nodded sharply. He then turned to the masses before him.
“Alright everypony, listen up!” he shouted, instantly silencing the hundreds of voices that filled the space. “We’re going to be headed to just beyond the hills and around the mountains, where there’s some good cover and a place to hunker down. Now, I need everypony to stay close together, and for Celestia’s sake don’t wander off and get lost. Remember, those eight Pegasus flying around up there are guiding us too, so just stay within the area under where they’re flying and nobody should get lost. Everyone ready? Then lets go.”

And at that, he turned and trotted wordlessly away from the crowd, which began to shuffle after him in a confused tide of colour. Rainbow Dash hovered above the crowd until they had all passed beneath her. Near the back she spotted Spike, sitting on Pinkie’s back, sobbing quietly into Pinkie’s mane. Pinkie herself gave a manic grin up at Rainbow Dash, who simply nodded back and glided off.

It was only after she was nearly out of town she realised she had not seen Rarity or Sweetie Belle amongst the evacuees. She shook her head and convinced herself that in the large crowd she must have simply not been able to pick out the purple and white combination as easy as the luminous pink she had spotted.

Halfway back to Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash noticed a grey blob floating around the empty sky. Pulling a mid-air turn that bordered on defying physics, Dash sped towards the object. As suspected, it was Ditzy, who was calling out for Fluttershy.
“Ditzy, get back to Cloudsdale, now!” Dash called as she approached.
“Not without Fluttershy!” Ditzy shouted back.
“Wha...where is she?”
“I don’t know! I’ve looked everywhere!” Ditzy cried, bobbing down in the air temporarily.
“Okay, okay, calm down” Dash sad hurriedly. “Have you checked her house?”

Ditzy froze in mid-air, dropped a few metres, then flew off in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage. Rainbow Dash charged after her. Dash quickly overtook and raced ahead. She soon saw the cottage.

And behind it she could see the storm.

This was going to be close.

The wind beat against the shutters of the cottage, banging out a terrible rhythm. With each snap and bang the animals shuddered and twitched, holding onto one another in the dark. Wind howled outside their shelter, adding to the cacophony that swirled around them. Something snapped, something groaned, something creaked. The animals could hear their precious home slowly tearing itself apart above them. A clap of thunder sounded, and another.

Then they heard something.
“Fluttershy!” called a voice above the howling gale. “Fluttershy where are you!”
“No no no” whimpered a tiny voice amongst the animal throng. “Go away”
“Fluttershy, come on!”
“No no no, I can’t leave them.
“Flutty!”

Fluttershy’s head rose out of the animals. Another burst of thunder sounded above them.
“Ditzy...” she whispered. For a moment she forgot herself and stepped forwards, but a tug on her leg stopped her. She looked down, and in the gloom could make out Angel, holding on to her for dear life, silently begging her not to leave. “I can’t leave you Angel, but I can’t let the others get hurt because of me”
“Fluttershy, where are you!” called the voice again.

Then, with a thunderous roar of splintered wood, something smashed through the basement door. The wind blasted through after it, rattling the animals and whirling amongst them. Rain poured down and through the hole where the door once was, the pony could now see the pitch black sky swirling above the ruins of her once beautiful home.
“Flutty!” Ditzy yelled, seeing the yellow pony below her. Simultaneously, her and Rainbow dash shot to the door, reaching through to Fluttershy.
“Come on, get out of here!” Rainbow yelled.
“I can’t leave them!” Fluttershy squeaked.
“You have to! There’s no way you’ll make it otherwise!”
“But I don’t know what’ll happen to them”
“Don’t Flutty, don’t” Ditzy sobbed, as it dawned on the mare just what her partner was trying to do. Fluttershy turned to her, seeing her hold the doorframe with one hoof and reach out with the other, as the wind did its best to dislodge her. She turned back to the animals, then back to her friends.
“Come on! We have to go!” Dash yelled, “We have to - “

Chapter 2: The Setting Sun

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Chapter 2

The first thing Fluttershy felt was pain. Darkness and pain. Nothing else. Every inch of her body ached and screamed and roared in agony. The dark clouded her mind and her sight and pushed in, imprisoning her within herself. For a moment she wondered what she had done to deserve such a torture, what had happened when she landed.

Then she slipped. Her wing grated down the shaft embedded in it. Fluttershy’s eyes shot open as she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was now she saw where she was. She had not landed, she was still in the air. Three of her hooves hung limply towards the ground a few metres below.

Her last hoof was pointed sharply up, her whole rear right leg was cracked up, pierced by a shaft of bamboo that roughly burst through the muscles of her leg. Fluttershy tried to control her frantic breathing, but panic was setting in, the pain unbearable. Her eyes flitted back and forth, from the ground below to her skewered wing and punctured leg. It was near impossible to breathe, something felt like it was pressing against her lung. Something ripping through her insides and tearing out her back. Slowly, she twisted her neck to look beneath her aching body. Another shaft of bamboo and struck through her, stabbing in just under her ribcage. As she looked, a bead of red trickled out from her punctured skin and ran down the stalk, leaving a crimson streak in its wake.

A thought came into Fluttershy’s clouded mind.
“No, Flutty, no” echoed in her head. A friendly voice, the voice of a grey Pegasus that meant the world to her. The voice tried to repeat before the sounds of wind and thunder swept it away in her head. Fluttershy squirmed at the thought, and she slipped again, roughly sliding down the shafts a few centimetres. The bamboo burned on her insides, jabbing and wrecking everything it found. Fluttershy cried out again, sending her down another inch with her writhing. Somewhere in the back of her mind something told her she could get down if she carried on squirming. And for a moment, in her desperation, she nearly listened to its advice.

But she was weak. She could not move or scream any more. It hurt to move. It hurt to see. It hurt to live.

Her body went limp again.

And so she slipped away, into the darkness.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. Ahead of her lay grass, as far as she could see. Hills and hills of grass. Brown grass, moulding and dying grass. Over the sullen hills it stretched and coloured the landscape in its rotten tone. She could feel it under her belly and brushing her face in the gentle wind. It was brittle, scratchy, and covered Rainbow’s sight in gloom, through which the orange glow of sunset burned. With a grunt, she grounded her hooves and pushed herself to her feet, hissing at a pain in her flank. She must have landed awkwardly. A quick glance along her side confirmed it, bruises and cuts ran along her side, and by opening her wings Dash saw the ruffles and slashes along them.
‘Nothing deep’ she noted ‘Should be able to fly’. She flapped her wings experimentally, prompting a slight twinge in her otherwise useable wings. ‘Best not use them too much’

Content she was still in serviceable condition, Rainbow Dash turned to see her landing spot. A large track carved out an arc in the grass, stopping where she awoke. Her gaze followed the track, and noticed that she must have just missed the trees that jutted up behind her waking spot. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.
“Alright, alright” she said to herself. “Let’s get a few things straight. One: I have no idea where I am. Two: wherever I am, it’s probably beyond the Everfree Forest, great. Three: no Fluttershy or Ditzy”
She thought for a moment.
“Fluttershy! Ditzy! You there?” She called out. “Hello?” For a minute all she did was stand and shout, calling out to her friends. “They were right behind me before I hit” she muttered, giving up the shout. In her head she replayed the last few hours of her memory. The weather report, her friends, Ditzy in the sky, Fluttershy’s cottage, the wind dragging them out the house, and trying to fly in the grey world that had become all she could see in the hurricane. They had to be close, they were all trying to land about the same time.

But then Dash remembered, she landed diagonally, when she last saw the others, they were headed straight down. She gazed into the trees ahead of her, hoping the forest might reveal itself for her.
“I have to go in there?” she said hesitantly. “no, wait...”

She flapped her wings quickly, making sure they worked, before launching into a low level hover.
“Good to know these still work” she smiled as she rose above the trees. But her face fell when she saw the sheer number of trees ahead of her. It stretched for miles in most directions, interrupted by streams and hills, and a pair of mountains. “Ah...that’s a problem.”

With a sigh, Dash floated back down to ground level. She muttered to herself, trying to think of anyway she could find her friends without searching fruitlessly for miles. Until her eyes caught the landing marks she had made. They curved slightly, but Dash could roughly see the angle she came in at.
“I wasn’t going down for long, and they went pretty much straight down so...” Rainbow thought aloud as she drifted into the air again. “...they should be somewhere that way” she pointed a hoof triumphantly.

It took a moment of waiting for applause for her to realise she was alone. She cleared her throat quickly and set off over the wild terrain. All the while she called out the names of her friends, hoping she would catch a sight of pink and yellow or grey and yellow in the vegetation beneath her. But there was so much, and the mass of cluttered plants and trees just served to remind her of the refugees from the storm, huddled together in their crowd, looking towards one another with panicked looks and worried expressions on their faces. For a moment, Rainbow forgot she was flying, and drifted. There had been so many people. And none of them knew what was going on around them. What if the hurricane changed direction, or got worse? Rainbow thought in horror of what would happen to the exposed crowd if the hurricane caught up with them.
‘It’s okay’ she reassured herself ‘They’re with the Doc, they’ll be fine’

But this did little to calm her, she beat her wings faster, beating down the sorrow, beating back her desire to run, beating away her desire to give up. She shut her eyes, trying to focus.
“Rainbow Dash!” called a voice below her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She braked sharply, banked and turned to the sound.

There, against the ever setting sun, was a shape. It was tiny at this distance and unsteadily flapping its way towards her. As it got closer, Dash squinted, shielding her eyes from the sun with a hoof.

It was Ditzy, flying unsteadily above the ground. Rainbow’s eyes widened in disbelief and rushed forwards, barrelling the poor mare out of the air. For a moment they spiralled together, Ditzy held awkwardly in Rainbow’s arms.
“I can’t believe I found you!” Rainbow cried, hugging her tight. “I thought you were both gone”

Ditzy squeaked. Dash let her go, realising how tightly she had been holding her. Ditzy took a moment to catch herself in the air and fluttered back up. Rainbow saw that the mare seemed to be in a surprisingly good condition, a few bruises and dirt everywhere seemed to be the full extent of damage at first glance.
“Oh, sorry, I just...wait, where’s Fluttershy?” Dash suddenly realised she had not found the yellow Pegasus yet.

Ditzy looked away, her eyes unfocused again.
“Ditz” Rainbow placed a hoof on her shoulder “Where is she?”

A tear formed in Ditzy’s eye, rolling down her face. With a jerk, her right wing gave out, dropping her a few metres down before she regained flight. Rainbow noticed her right wing was bent awkwardly in the middle, and with each flap of Ditzy’s wings she bobbed awkwardly to one side. Another tear dripped down Ditzy’s face.
“Oh, Ditz, I’m sorry” Rainbow said, embracing the grey Pegasus again. “I’m so sorry”

No response came from the water-eyed mare. Rainbow wrapped a foreleg around her and began to descend, slowly, trying not to make any sudden drops. Their faces were close, and the wind gently tossed their manes over Dash’s shoulder. Ditzy buried her head in Rainbow’s neck and let the tears flow. They drifted down into the trees. A branch dragged itself across Rainbow’s back and flicked her mane, but she paid it no attention. Their hooves touched the ground, and sunk into the dark green grass, but did not hold. Ditzy tumbled into a heap, and Dash could do nothing but stay beside her, and let out a little tear of her own.

In the distance, the last few rays of sunshine were dying. The glowing Sun set majestically through the horizon, caring not for those below who wanted it a little longer, who wanted just a little more time to see by. Through the thick trees, light grasped at the world around it as it was dragged away to the other side of the world, until eventually, the warm light was gone. Only the cold gloom of moonlight remained.

Rainbow Dash watched the light leave. She sat and stared, her wings tucked in. Beside her, still sobbing tearfully, lay Ditzy. Dash could see clearly now, her wing was not just bent, it was twisted. Every time Rainbow saw it out of the corner of her eye she imagined how painful it must be to fly like that. It was not the only damage Ditzy had suffered in the fall, her body was bruised and cut, one of her hooves had split and the leg attached to it seemed to be causing trouble.
“Rainbow Dash” came a quiet voice.
“Yeah, Ditz?” Rainbow responded gently, looking down at the pony beside her. Ditzy gazed back. Her eyes had dried, but they were bloodshot. A cut ran over the surface of one, and they both were caked with dirt from her landing.

And both eyes were focused on Rainbow Dash.
“Why was it Flutty?” She asked. “What’d she do?”

Rainbow paused.
“Nothin’” she said eventually, hanging her head. “Nothing at all”

There was silence for a moment.
“Are you okay?” Ditzy whispered. Rainbow jerked her head up and sniffed back a tear.
“I’m fine, I’m fine” she protested. “How’re you?”

Ditzy took a moment to put her feelings into words. She eventually came up with:
“Sad”
“You and me both, Ditz” Rainbow said, laying a hoof on the mare. But Ditzy shook her off, getting to her hooves. She flapped her wings a few times, trying to fly. Rainbow could see her wincing with the initial wing flaps. “What’re you doing?”
“You wanted to know where she is” Ditzy explained, her voice monotone.
“You can’t fly like that!” Dash exclaimed. “Come down. Get on my back and point, but please, don’t hurt yourself anymore”

Ditzy landed heavily on the sparsely grassed ground with a thud, and slowly made her way to Rainbow Dash, taking each step slowly, as if she physically could not move beyond a crawling pace. She draped her right hoof over Rainbow’s back, and Dash helped her put her back leg over too. And with the damaged Pegasus in place, Rainbow flapped her wings. She felt the night air against the feather of her wings, feeling for currents, but the night was still. She could hear nothing save the breathing of Ditzy and her own wingbeats. Then, breathing in the cool air, she took off.

“Down there” Ditzy pointed a hoof down to Dash’s left. Rainbow looked down; she could see a river, reflecting the sliver of the waning moon in its ripple-free waters. Along its banks grew bamboo. It grew in clumps, poking through the trees and sprouting freely in the more open areas. Ditzy was pointing to a section relatively clear of trees, but thick with bamboo. Rainbow banked and glided in slowly. It was hard to see at this time of night, but Ditzy seemed to know it was the place they were searching for. As Dash came close she began to think she could see something in the bamboo, lodged awkwardly halfway up. She ignored her thoughts, forcing herself to think that it was just a clump of leaves of part of a plant. But as she got closer, the silhouette became more and more recognisable, and as Rainbow landed she could see all but the detail in the moonlight. Rainbow Dash stood there for a second, refusing to accept what she had been told but now saw with her own eyes. Ditzy slipped off her back, and slowly padded ahead, pushing stalks of bamboo out of the way with her head. Dash followed soon after, breaking the stalks in her way, until they both came to a stop before the shape that had slid almost to the ground, impaled upon three of the stalks.

There was no doubt in Rainbow Dash’s mind. It was Fluttershy.

Rainbow turned away, unable to bear seeing her friend in such a condition. She felt a rage build, for the hurricane that sent them here, for Celestia and Twilight for not stopping it despite knowing it was coming, and also for Fluttershy, for if she could only use her wings like any other Pegasus she would have hit the river and survived.

Rainbow bucked in anger, snapping bamboo beneath Fluttershy. With a snap and a crunch, the limp body collapsed to the ground in a heap. Dash whirled around to face the body.
“Why didn’t you land somewhere else!” she screamed. “Why couldn’t you just open your wings and fly! Even Derpy managed it and she’s out of her skull! So why, couldn’t, you!” By the end, each word was punctuated with a stomp. She felt the anger fall away slowly, replacing itself with guilt.
‘I just yelled at my friend. My dead friend.’ She thought ‘and I called...’
“Ditz, I’m sorry, I...” Rainbow said aloud, turning to Ditzy. Ditzy returned a stare, not angry, not remorseful, but lonely.
“’sokay” Ditzy mumbled. One of her eyes skewed a little and Ditzy clamped shut her eyes to hide it.
“Should we bury her?”
“Uh-huh”

Rainbow turned away and trudged over to an open spot area near a clump of trees.
“At least she’s in a forest. She always did love these places” Dash called to Ditzy, who was nuzzling Fluttershy’s face. “Maybe she’ll get a few animals visiting her.” Ditzy ignored her. “Come on Ditz, let’s get her out of there” Rainbow moved behind Fluttershy, her back to the river, and pushed gently with her head. Fluttershy rolled easily, but the bamboo sticking out of her got in the way. Dash had barely finished rolling her when she heard a squeak.
“Did you hear that?” she asked Ditzy, her ears snapping up to listen. Carefully, Rainbow lowered her head to push again. Gently, she rolled Fluttershy again.

Another squeak.
“I think she’s alive” Dash muttered. She rushed over to Fluttershy’s head, placing her cheek right next to her mouth. Faintly, a little gust of air played over Rainbow’s cheek. “Ditzy, she’s alive!”

Ditzy galloped closer, poking Fluttershy with her snout.
“Flutty? Flutty? Wake up! Flutty!” she said hurriedly, nudging and poking her marefriend.
“Ditz, we gotta get these plants out of her” Dash instructed “Bite ‘em off on that side”

Without waiting for Ditzy to respond, Dash leant down and began grabbing the stalks in her teeth, before sharply turning her head and snapping the stalks as close to Fluttershy’s body as she could reach. Ditzy copied her on the other side, pausing a moment to make sure she was doing it correctly.
“Alright, you pull on her from that side” Dash told her, pointing where she need Ditzy. She then leaned down and took a piece of bamboo in her mouth, the one in her leg, just beyond where it had been snapped off moments earlier. “Alright, pull!” she said.

Ditzy tugged at Fluttershy’s body, and the bamboo began to shift.

And then Fluttershy screamed. Rainbow and Ditzy jumped back in surprise. Her eyes were closed, but her mouth and face contorted and bellowed.
“Hold her still!” Dash yelled. Ditzy, stared helplessly at her. “We’ve got to get these out of her!”
“...But it’s hurting her...” Ditzy said hesitantly.
“Do it!”

Fluttershy had stopped screaming, and so Ditzy reluctantly placed her legs around her, pinning her to the ground. Rainbow gripped the stalk in her teeth again and wrenched it out. Fluttershy screamed again and writhed in agony, but Ditzy held her down, whispering something into the yellow pegasus’ ear. Dash tossed the bloodstained stalk to one side.
“Wing next” Rainbow told her companion “Keep it still”

Ditzy waited until Fluttershy had calmed before moving. She lay he forelegs over the damaged wing, pinning it down.
“Ready?” Dash asked, gripping the chunk of stalk with her teeth “Three, two, one”

She yanked it out, tearing with it a chunk of wing. Blood sprayed up across Rainbow’s face, accompanied by another chilling scream. Ditzy recoiled, letting out a yelp. Fluttershy’s wing extended in her spasms, flicking droplets of blood into the air.

Rainbow could see right through it, right through the ragged hole and dripping flesh. Feathers, once so clean and graceful, now ruffled and stained, hung limply around the hole. It took a moment for Rainbow’s mind to kick in. Blood was pouring from the wing hole, and Dash could see that needed to be stopped. She turned tail and galloped for the trees, ignoring Ditzy’s cries. Reaching a tree, she flew up and snatched out a tuft of leaves in her mouth, and shot back to Fluttershy. The wing had settled again, but red was spreading across the Fluttershy’s yellow coat. Dash grabbed the wing in her hooves, held it up, and stuffed the leaves in the hole. It was messy, but it would have to do. Ditzy saw Fluttershy flinch as the wound was patched up, and tried to comfort her.

Rainbow stepped back. She was breathing heavily.
“How’s that last one?” Rainbow said, indicating the last stalk. “Anywhere important?”

Ditzy craned her head to look.
“I don’t think so...”
“Alright” Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. “We can leave that one for a minute.” She glanced around, seeing if there was anything in the immediate area they could use to help their fallen friend.
“Drink” Ditzy said. “When one of the animals was sick, Flutty used to give them something to drink.”

Ditzy and Dash turned to the river on the other side of the bamboo.
“You move her, I’ll clear the way” Rainbow instructed, and began snapping bamboo all around, clearing a wide path for Ditzy to pull Fluttershy through. As Ditzy tugged, the fallen Pegasus twitched and squealed. Rainbow waited for them at the water’s edge, as Ditzy pulled Fluttershy closer, she reached out and helped guide Fluttershy down to the water. The water lapped around their hooves as they lowered her head down. For a moment, they submerged her mouth, before raising her head again. Ditzy rubbed Fluttershy’s throat. And then motioned for them to repeat the action.

For a few minutes they stayed. Eventually, Ditzy began to pull Fluttershy out of the water.

A few hours later. Ditzy was still up. The moon shone high above her, and the night breeze played across her face. But she didn’t care. All she cared for was the mare at her feet. Every few minutes Ditzy would nuzzle Fluttershy, if anything to reassure herself she was still there. Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep nearby. They hadn’t moved far from the water’s edge, just past the bamboo stalks. It was too much to move Fluttershy any further, and with the strain both Rainbow and Ditzy had suffered recently just made them want to lie down and forget, and hope they would wake up at home after a particularly strange dream.

But that wasn’t going to happen. This was all too real.

Chapter 3: The Song of the Pegasi

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Chapter 3

Ditzy awoke to the sun beating heavily down upon her back. She immediately closed her eyes to the glaring light. In the distance, something chirped and croaked, and from closer by came a returning chorus, backed by the steady trickle of the river. Beneath her head, pieces of grass poked up from the strangely soft dirt.

And for a few moments, Ditzy was at peace. In this idyllic piece of countryside with just her and the yellow Pegasus beside her she could forget about her worries, about the world she lived in, and the sound of thunder that echoed in her head.

Ditzy sat up.

Thunder and lightning were pushing their way into her head. The images of swirling gales and violent stabs of electricity sprung to the forefront of her mind’s eye. She clutched her head in her hooves and shook away the thoughts. Slowly, her head cleared. Ditzy lowered her hooves and began to stretch herself out, first her forelegs, then her hind legs, then her wings. Something cracked as she stretched her wings. Her right wing stiffened and a strange sensation instantly filled it. Ditzy gazed at the problem, seeing her damaged wing but not fully processing what it meant. She stared emptily at her wing for a moment, before her mind clicked into place. She flexed the wing again, and winced at the result. Her face fell, and her head drooped slightly to look at the mare beside her.

Fluttershy was still unresponsive. She was still in the same laid out position Ditzy had put her in when she fell asleep. She was on her side, with her forelegs moved up out of the way of the bamboo protruding from just under her ribcage. Ditzy made a deflated, squeaky noise at the memory of finding her marefriend impaled the day before.

Ditzy awoke in a bush.

Her head felt as if it was stuffed with cotton wool, and her ears were ringing. The sun was nearing the end of its time above her, heading towards the horizon with all due haste. Ditzy stared up at it for a while. She liked the sun; it was warm and made sure she was too. Ditzy remembered fondly how she often laid out on a cloud or in a field if Dinky was staying with her, and simply let the sun warm her body. Her mind followed on from this to wonder about Dinky.
‘She was staying over when I left’ she thought absently ‘I wonder if she got back to town okay”

Ditzy paused her own thoughts for a second, remembering something.
‘Why did I leave again?’ she asked herself.
“Dinky? You there?” Ditzy called out, still face up in the bush. “Wait...”

She giggled to herself.
‘Silly me’ she thought ‘you’re not in the house. Dinky’s not going to be here. ’

Ditzy sat up.
“Where is here?” she wondered aloud. Then a look of abstract horror crossed her face as she realised something. “Dinky’s on her own!” she scrambled out the hedge, flapping her wings and madly waving her legs to dislodge herself. After a few moments, she rolled out, caught her leg in the branch and went face first into the floor.

After picking herself up, Ditzy winced in pain. Her wing felt like it had been snapped in two, although from what she could see it was only a little bent. Slightly confused, she pulled the wing in to her side and glanced around to take in her surroundings. There were a lot of bushes where she had landed. They seemed to flourish underneath the tree canopy. Trees were cramped in around here almost as much as the bushes. Above the one where Ditzy awoke, a rough hole had been knocked out of the overhanging trees, revealing snapped branches and a disrupted bird’s nest amongst the leafy cover.
“Where am I?” Ditzy said, addressing a squirrel that sat in nearby branch. The squirrel looked at her quizzically for a moment before hopping to the ground and darting under a bush. “You don’t know either...”

Ditzy tried to think, remember what had happened recently. Her memory was never very good, but she tended to remember important details, or at least, the details she thought were important. But all she could remember now were crashing noises and bursts of light. In the light bursts she remembered a cottage, broken and crumbling, being battered by the weather.
‘There wasn’t a storm scheduled’ Ditzy thought. But then she remembered who had accompanied her recently, Rainbow Dash, who had been saying something about a storm. ‘Maybe they just didn’t tell me about it until it was really big’ she reasoned as she looked up through the hole at the cloud free sky.
Ditzy felt something tug on her leg. She looked down to see the squirrel had returned, carrying with it a large green berry, which it held up to her.
“For me?” she said, surprised. The squirrel nodded in reply. Ditzy leaned down and took it in her mouth. “’nk ‘ou” she said as she chewed it. The berry was tough, but full of juices. It tasted like the blueberries back that could be found near Ponyville, but with an unusual bitter aftertaste. “Mmm, thanks Mr Squirrel!” Ditzy exclaimed to the expectant creature, which appeared to be waiting approval of its offering. Upon hearing her thanks, it turned and ran over to the bush it had disappeared under earlier, beckoning with one arm for Ditzy to follow. It pointed to the berries hanging in the bush, and then to Ditzy. “Ooh, a whole bunch of berries! You’re really nice Mr. Squirrel. And smart too. I didn’t know squirrels were that smart.”
“I’m not, I’m just a squirrel” said the squirrel.
“What?” Ditzy looked back from the butterflies that had momentarily stolen her attention.

The squirrel cocked its head, regarding Ditzy with a stare, and ran away.
“Oh yeah, squirrels can’t talk” Ditzy giggled, leaning in to pick up a berry. She chewed it for a moment, trying to remember what she was thinking about before the squirrel interrupted her.

She was suddenly reminded by a horrifying scream.

“Ditz? Ditz, you okay?”

Ditzy looked up from Fluttershy’s unconscious form to see Dash standing over her. The blue mare was gazing down worriedly at her. Ditzy looked back to Fluttershy.
“Not really” she said quietly.

Rainbow moved closer to her, putting a wing across her shoulders.
“Ah, don’t cry Ditz, she’s going to be fine” Dash told her, trying to be reassuring. But Ditzy did not appear to be listening. “Look, I’ve seen stuff like this happen before when out on weather patrol. I mean, we haven’t got a full med team out here, but after a day or two they wake up and they’re usually fine”
“Usually?”
“Yeah, most of time” Rainbow immediately realised that this was a bad thing to say.
“But Flutty isn’t like most of them...”

Dash looked down at the body. It was true, Fluttershy was different from other pegasus. Most notably, she spent most of her life on the ground. Rainbow remembered often having trouble convincing her to take off because walking took too long, and often having to remind her that she had wings.

It had turned out that Fluttershy did not like flying in front of Angel, and some of the slower and more vertically challenged animals, who seemed to think she was showing off.
‘Well she’s not showing off to anypony now.’ Rainbow thought ‘That wing’ll never heal up’

She pulled her wing off of Ditzy, causing the grey mare to look over in confusion.
“Do you think these berries are poisonous?” Rainbow asked, indicating the small pile she had brought back with her. “I found them a minute ago, didn’t think to taste ‘em”
“No, they’re good. They’re the ones Mr Squirrel gave me” Ditzy informed her.
“...right” Dash said, reaching for a berry “I hope you’re right”. She bit down on the green skin of it, chewed and finally swallowed. “Well, I don’t feel poisoned”.

Ditzy got up to get herself a berry. As she walked, she never took her eyes off Fluttershy.
“She’s going to be fine Ditz, trust me” Rainbow said, having noticed where her gaze fell.

Ditzy simply picked up a few berries in her mouth and began eating.
“Do you think we could mush up these and feed them to her?” Dash suggested.
“Uh...maybe” Ditzy replied. She swallowed her own berries and picked up another two. Sitting down, she crushed them with her forward hooves, and then held the result before her. The chunky green mess on her hooves was regarded with some interest before she looked to Rainbow Dash with a half smile on her face. Without waiting from a response from Dash, who had raised a wary eyebrow at the sudden smell this action seemed to have generated, Ditzy pushed her hooves towards Fluttershy. She waved them under her nose, wafting the acrid smell back and forth in the hopes it would shock her awake.
“I don’t think that’s working” Dash noted. “But nice try” she added. Her companion’s mood lifted slightly once this had been said, happy that her effort was appreciated. Dash picked up a berry for herself, and opened Fluttershy’s mouth. “Hey, could you put this in her mouth?” Dash asked, as Ditzy began licking the berry off of her hooves. Once she was done licking, Ditzy shuffled closer and took the berry carefully in her hooves. Dash held Fluttershy’s mouth open wide. Ditzy pushed the berry in, and Dash manually simulated chewing, followed by tilting her head and rubbing her throat to try and get her to swallow it. “That’s seems alright” Rainbow reported, checking her mouth for remaining berry. “Some of it got stuck on the teeth but I think it’s a bit safer than making her swallow it whole.” Rainbow looked over to Ditzy. “Let’s give her another one”

Ditzy reached for another berry, and the procedure was repeated, with Dash taking care to properly crush the berry inside Fluttershy’s mouth before she swallowed it. Rainbow called for another one berry.
“There’s none left” Ditzy told her.
“What? I thought I got more than that!” Dash exclaimed.
“Maybe you ate some of them while you weren’t looking?” Ditzy suggested.

Rainbow gave the grey mare a look that was equal parts confusion and unamused glare. Ditzy responded by looking back with her customarily skewed eyes.
“Maybe I just dropped a few” Dash said, looking away. “It’s kinda hard to carry those things in your mouth without crushing them”.
“They were in your mouth? Ew” Ditzy said accusingly, before sticking out and brushing her tongue of any potential Rainbow related infections.
“How else was I gonna carry them?” Dash responded. “And you’re going to get dirt on your tongue doing that”

Ditzy stopped brushing, looked down at her tongue, and pulled it back inside her mouth.
“Do you want me to go find some more berries?” Ditzy asked.
“Not right now” Rainbow said, looking up “It’s about noon now I think, so we can give it a while before we go get something to eat.”
“Oh, okay”
“What?”
“Nothing” Ditzy said “I just thought I could help somehow”
“Hey, hey, hey, you are helping” Dash insisted. “I just don’t want you wandering off now I’ve found you, and we can’t just leave Fluttershy on her own if I want to come with you”
“Okay” Ditzy mumbled.

Rainbow looked up again. There were a fair few clouds drifting past up in the sky, some large and fluffy, some more stringy.
“Hey, Ditz” Rainbow nudged her friend “You remember those really bouncy clouds we used to set up around Ponyville?”
“Yuh – huh” Ditzy nodded.
“What’s the betting that big one up there is even bouncier” Dash pointed towards the biggest cloud she could see.

Ditzy’s face lit up.
“Come on, get on my back, I’ll take you up there” Rainbow offered.
“What about Flutty?”
“She’ll be fine for a minute on her own, now come on, get on”

Ditzy clambered unsteadily onto Rainbow’s back, and held on around her neck.
“Your mane feels like hay” Ditzy commented with a grin. Unsure whether to take it as a compliment or not, Dash simply shook her head and kicked off, quickly speeding up high into the air. The air rushed against her face, and for a second Dash let her eyes closed and just enjoyed her flight. But she knew she could not go for a joyful flight whilst everything was as it was. Grudgingly, she did a little spin and landed on the cloud, depositing Ditzy upon it, who stumbled dizzily for a moment before she stood firm.
“Okay, I’m going to come back up for you in a little while” Rainbow informed her “If you need me for anything, I don’t know, if you see something or you get bored or you fall off and can’t glide just...yell.”

Ditzy smiled at her. Taking that as her cue to leave, Rainbow smiled back and nose dived off the cloud. Ditzy leaned over to watch the multicoloured streak disappear towards the ground. Once the colours had faded, she wandered further towards the centre of the cloud. With a little bounce, she tested the cloud, and found herself launched into the air. She let out her delight with an excited squeal as she bounced higher. The cloud was warm, and every time she landed her hooves were treated to a moment of fluffy heat. She giggled like a filly being tickled. All of the bad moments of the past were washing away. For now there was only the bouncing.

Down on the ground, Rainbow Dash curled up next to Fluttershy. From above she could faintly hear the giggles and squeals of the ecstatic Pegasus. She smiled.
‘Maybe it’s not so bad out here’ she thought.

Ditzy bounced until she forgot about the world. But eventually, she tired of moving up and down. Her legs had begun to ache a little. She trotted over to the edge of the cloud and looked down.
“Rainbow Dash!” she called. “I want to come down now!”

No response came.
“Rainbow Dash!” she called again “I said I want to come down!”

Still no response.

Looking down, Ditzy realised she couldn’t see the river. She began to glance around. Her knees began to shake.
“Rainbow Dash!” she yelled, stepping back onto the cloud. “Rainbow Dash, where are you!”

Rainbow stretched her legs out.
“Ugh, that was a good sleep” she told herself as she got up. “Right, better go get Ditz”

She was about to take off when she noticed something different about the sky.

The clouds had moved.
“Uh-oh” Rainbow muttered. She scanned the sky for Ditzy’s cloud, but could not see it. Her eyes darted across the sky, desperately seeking out her friend. She quickly braced her legs and shot up into the sky. In a matter of seconds she had broken through the clouds and began spinning around, trying to look in every direction at once. “Ditzy! Ditzy, can you hear me!” she yelled. But the only response she received was the cold howl of air. In every direction there were dots of fluffy cloud, any of which could be the one containing Ditzy.

She could only hope that she had not tried to fly back.

Rainbow called out again, just in case she could hear, but again no response. Rainbow looked down at the clouds, and hoped the wind had stayed blowing in the same direction while she was asleep. After taking a moment to work out which way all the clouds were heading, she tore off through the sky, leaving a multicoloured trail in her wake. Rainbow’s head jerked from side to side, scanning each cloud for a grey shape. Some cloud’s had dark patches, some got in her way and she had to change course to check them. Rainbow became more and more desperate as she got further away. She could hear herself breathing almost as fast as her wings were beating, her pulse raced. Every part of Rainbow’s mind flared and screamed at her for letting Ditzy go.
“Ditzy where are you!” she called hopelessly to the clouds around her. She stopped suddenly, glancing around. ‘How long was I asleep?’ she asked herself ‘she could be miles away by now’.

She shoved the thought from her mind. There was no time to worry about that. She had to find her. Rainbow charged off again.

A grey speck appeared in her vision. Dash instinctively locked on to it, turning sharply in mid air without as much as slowing down.
“Ditzy!” she screamed. The grey speck did not move. Dash raced towards it, getting closer and closer until she could see the details.

It wasn’t Ditzy. It wasn’t even a Pegasus. It was just patch of grey cloud.

Rainbow’s wings slowed, she dipped in the air, slowed.
“No” he muttered “No, no, no”. Rainbow drifted downwards. Her legs hung limply below her. “Where are you?” she asked the clouded sky, her voice cracking. Her legs brushed against a cloud. Following her legs, Rainbow collapsed onto the cloud. “No, don’t cry” she sternly told herself, screwing up her face “You will not cry Rainbow Dash, you’re better than this!”

She looked up at the lowering sun.
“With Celestia as my witness, I will find you!” Rainbow dragged herself to her hooves. “You hear me!” She beat her wings down, smashing the cool air below her. Dash rose into the air, her face set with solid determination.
‘She can’t be much further’ she told herself. “Just keep going!”

She flew on. How long she flew she had no idea. All she knew was she was flying. Every dark patch in the ever darker sky she darted to, searching and searching for the abandoned mare.

Until finally, a patch of grey, topped by a mane of gold.
“Ditzy!” Rainbow screamed. The grey shape turned to her, and waved. Within a second, Rainbow had crossed the gap between them and barrelled Ditzy to the ground. “There you are” she said, holding Ditzy down onto the cloud “I’m so sorry I left you”
“It’s okay Rainbow Dash” Ditzy said. “I like it up here”
“Well, I’m going to have to bring you back now” Rainbow pulled Ditzy back onto her hooves “I’ve got to look after the both of you now”
“You left Flutty alone?”
“She’ll be fine for a minute, remember?” Dash shook her head, not even trying to argue. “And I bet she’d want me to go find you at all costs. She’d do anything for her special somepony, and I bet you’d do anything for her”

Ditzy nodded. Rainbow smiled.
“Come on, get on” she said “Let’s get you back before she wonders where you are”
“But she’s unconscious...”
“...I know Ditz...I was just joking around”
“I was always told not to joke in serious situations”
“Oh just get on, would you?”

Rainbow took her time taking Ditzy back. She flew under the clouds, gliding most of the way. Once or twice, she got close enough to a cloud that Ditzy tried to reach out and grab it. The second time this happened, Ditzy pulled a chunk away with her hooves, and merrily shoved it in her mouth. Rainbow let her do it. The cloud was full of water, and the more she drank the better. But that was not why she immediately let her friend do it. She was simply too relieved to have found her to care. Twice in as many days she had been flying around the sky trying to find the same mare. And each time she had been rewarded with success. Rainbow quietly hoped that she wouldn’t have to do it again.

Rainbow looked down. The land below slid by, forest and river rolled away beneath her, until finally, the bamboo clearing came into view. Rainbow angled herself down, letting gravity pull her in. As much as she enjoyed the tug of the night wind on her mane, right now she just wanted to put all four hooves on the ground. With a little flap of her wings, she slowed herself, halted in the air, and let herself land. Ditzy slid off her back, landing in an undignified heap in the grass. Rainbow just looked down at her and smiled.

But she was not going to sleep. Not now. There were two girls in her care, and they could not be left unguarded. Rainbow walked around Ditzy and began gently tugging her leg, pulling her over towards Fluttershy. After this task was completed. She remembered how quickly they had run out of food earlier. There were bushes nearby, most of which in sight of the two mares. With a single glance down to make sure that her charges were alright, she trotted over to them.

Rainbow rummaged through the bushes until the sun finally dipped below the horizon. By the time the golden light had gone and Luna had raised the pale moon above her, Dash had collected a large amount of berries, all piled in front of Fluttershy’s snout. Dash was proud of her work, and sat down between the river and the others. She would not lie down, knowing that if she did she would sleep. She had to stay awake, if only to make up for her failure earlier.

The only problem was staving off boredom. By the time the moon had reached its peak Rainbow was bored out of her mind. She groaned loudly at the lack of excitement, or entertainment, that her usual fast moving lifestyle demanded. Every now and then, a rat or rabbit or some other woodland creature had poked its head into sight, undoubtedly investigating the strange appearance of three pegasi in its’ woods. A small chorus of hoots alerted Rainbow to the presence of a pair of owls flying in unison above her head. They circled her twice before departing together. Dash grew silently envious of the birds. It seemed that even animals were finding something to love. The nearest Rainbow had was a fangirl crush on the Wonderbolts.

She scorned herself mentally. Her ‘appreciation’, as she termed it, for the Wonderbolts was a matter of professional wonder at their amazing flying skill and obvious talent.

But still, the thought lingered. Rainbow asked herself why she had never found anypony to be with. ‘Simple, no stallion dared to approach somepony as radical as myself’ Dash told herself. ‘Or mare for that matter’ she added, remembering the unconscious couple a metre from herself. ‘It only matters if the stallions do it, I don’t swing that way’ Dash reminded herself. ‘Although, I don’t think I ever made myself available’.
“Hoo”

The hoot, so close by, startled Rainbow out of her thoughts. An owl, apparently in possession of bravery nearing suicidal tendencies, had landed by the berry pile and begun pecking at it.
“Hey! Get outta here!” Dash yelled at it, shaking a hoof like an old stallion shooing fillies from his garden. The owl let out an indignant hoot at her and held its ground. Rainbow got to her feet and advanced. “Shoo, go on, move!” she demanded kicking in the direction of the owl with her forelegs. The owl finally seemed to get the picture and took off. Rainbow watched it go, making a mental note to keep a watch on the skies for any more invasive owls.

Another hour passed. Rainbow was shivering in the cold. She looked around to see if there was anything to light a fire with, but then Rainbow remembered that she had never got the hang of fire lighting and gave up looking. Having failed there, she decided to move closer to Fluttershy. She was surprisingly warm.
‘Maybe she’s getting better’ Dash thought. She looked at the one piece of bamboo that still pierced her body. ‘If we start moving, that’s going to be a problem’ Rainbow looked to the yellow mare’s wing, which was still stuffed with leaves. ‘I suppose we could pad it’ she theorised ‘I dunno’.

Her thoughts settled again. Feeling acutely thirsty, Rainbow stood up and wandered to the water’s edge. She lowered her head down and drank deeply. As she pulled her head out, she watched the ripples spread across the water, distorting the mirrored moon in its surface. It reminded her of a scene in one of the Daring Do books she had read in Twilight’s library, where the titular mare had been stuck in a jungle with a wounded buffalo and had to stay up guarding it. It was one of the slower points of the novel, and Dash had skim read it, but the moon in the water reminded her of Daring’s thoughts as she gazed up at the moon. She called it the “ultimate treasure in a sky full of wonders”. Dash looked up to the moon. She had always wondered what it was like up there, but never tried to fly high enough. She had always been deterred by the freezing cold, or the thin air, or somepony falling to their doom.

But to land on that white orb was the ultimate goal of the pegasi since they first looked to the sky at night. Rainbow had been told that once, when she was a filly.

And from her time as a filly, a tune drifted into her head. She remembered it vaguely, and still knew the words. She remembered it was a song that had no music, only words, to be remembered by voice alone throughout the ages. The melody was slow, and the song old.

And before she knew it, she found herself singing.

“Do you fear, the tales of the past?
In the far future our legends will last.
And tell of the days when we fought and when we stayed.
When out flew the pegasus soldiers so brave.

No matter what the trial and no matter what’s at stake,
The feeble and the mighty fly together for our sake.
With a trial for these stallions and mares who are so brave,
And through their great commitment all our fears will be allayed.

They fight for the kingdom and they fight for the clouds.
They fight for your live and they battle for the ground,
In defence of the innocent, the young and of the old.
So to our foals their legend will be told.”

Rainbow tilted her head back, and shut her eyes, letting the song flow from her memory.

“So sing.
With me,
The song,
Of the free

So sing, my dear.
With me.
The song
Of the free.

Should you take our foals and the ones who cannot fly
Every last one of them is not afraid to die.
And if you think that you can escape from our sight.
We take it as a challenge and prepare for a fight.

We’ll bring them home and clear the threats away.
The soldiers of the pegasus shall succeed this day.
Through any kind of storm and through any king of rain.
We will fly on t’wards the morrow facing any kind of pain.

If you burn up the land and boil the sea away.
The sky remains our homeland and forever our domain.
When the ground below is engulfed in flame,
The beautiful sky remains our rightful claim.”

Another voice joined Rainbow’s. Dash turned to see Ditzy standing and staring towards the sky, continuing the song.

“So sing
With me.
The song
Of the free.”

Rainbow smiled at Ditzy, who returned it. And with all of her heart, Rainbow dived back into the song. Their voice’s harmonised together in a beautiful chorus.

“So sing my dear
With me.
The song
Of the free.”

Ditzy stopped singing. Rainbow’s voice lowered, as did her gaze. She looked into the swirling mirror at her hooves as she entered the final verse.

“The tales of the future, the tales of the past.
The tales of the strongest and the bravest and the fast.
Their stories will guide you through the world so vast.
So sing up to the heavens and make your song last.”

Rainbow found herself looking into the sky again.
“That was the first song I ever learned” Dash said aloud “You know that, Ditz? When I was little I would sit and listen to my mother sing it long into the night.” Rainbow smiled at the memory. “I used to sit there and grin like the happiest thing in the world and afterwards, every time, she would say to me “You can have a great song too, Dashie”. And I believed her. Why wouldn’t I?”

Rainbow turned around to face Ditzy.
“But now, I guess, if we ever get back from this...there’s not going to be much time for singing, huh?”

Ditzy stood quietly.
“Where’d you learn it?”
“Erm...” Ditzy began, searching her memory. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard it for years. I stopped hearing it altogether after Dinky was born. Seemed a bit weird to sing about a pegasus in front of a unicorn”

They both grinned a little. Dash let out a chuckle.
“Do you want me to sit up?” Ditzy asked suddenly. “Watching, I mean. You look really tired.”
“Ditz, I got this” Rainbow said, waving a hoof dismissively.
“You sure?” Ditzy leaned towards her. One of her eyes lolled downwards, noticing the pile of berries “And you got food too!” she squeaked. “You do too much”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
“You sure you can stay awake until morning?” she asked.
“Uh-huh” Ditzy nodded energetically.
“Alright” Dash said “I guess I could do with some rest. Try not to eat all the berries, and if we run low there’s some more in the bushes over there.” She gestured with her hoof the direction of the berry bushes. With that, she trotted over to Fluttershy and settled down. “Oh, and don’t let any animals eat them either. There was an owl earlier that thought it was being clever. Night Ditz.”

With a yawn, Rainbow fell asleep, leaving Ditzy to stare blankly into the cold night.

Chapter 4: Pegasi and Preparations

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Chapter 4

Ditzy managed to stay awake for the rest of the night, attentively watching over the other two ponies and occasionally watching a passing animal too. Whenever a creature got too close, she would growl playfully at it, and then watch as it stopped, evaluated its opponent, and then wandered off.

She never saw any owls. This disappointed her a little, but the overabundance of ground based creatures the scuttled around in the night made up for it. When Rainbow awoke in the morning, Ditzy proudly reported her animal encounters in the night.

Rainbow just stared up at her. She had been conscious for all of twelve seconds and was already being bombarded with a stream of varyingly detailed accounts of night activities of, as Ditzy put it, “really adventurous squirrels who must have seen what a good guard I was being”. Rainbow leaned sideways to see if the berry pile was still intact. It was, much to her surprise.
“You look silly with that smile” Ditzy said. “Its like somepony’s giving you a massage. But I’m not giving you one, and Flutty isn’t so you must have learnt to do it yourself. Can you teach me to give myself a massage?”

Dash stared blankly for a moment.
“What...” she uttered, before chuckling slightly. She pulled herself groggily to her feet and shook her head. “You know what, never mind” Dash said, noticing that Ditzy was about to begin speaking again. “I’m sure you did a great job”

Ditzy beamed and nodded her head rapidly. When her head finally stopped moving, her eyes took another moment to stop rolling around in their sockets. Dash moved to the berry pile and helped herself to a few of them.
“You know, we can’t stay here forever, we’re going to have to try and get back to Ponyville sometime” Rainbow told her. “You know that right?”

Ditzy nodded again, slower this time.
“Only problem is... we got a lotta problems” Rainbow continued. “First up, we have no idea where we are...”
“Yeah we do!” Ditzy interjected.
“Do we?”
“Yeah! We’re in a forest!” Ditzy chirped. Rainbow facehoofed. “Bordering on a load of big deserts” she added.

Rainbow looked up.
“Deserts?” she asked. Ditzy nodded. “I didn’t see a desert when I was up looking for you. And the only deserts I know of are around Appleoosa, and I don’t remember a forest anywhere near there.”
“Isn’t there a really big desert up north somewhere?” Ditzy asked.
“I didn’t do well in geography, Ditz, I have no idea” Rainbow said, quietly wondering if Ditzy, for all her simplicity, had actually managed to clue herself in as to where they were during the chaotic and uncontrolled trip here.
“Yeah, there is, a real big one” Ditzy stretched out the “e” in real, sounding like a pleading foal for a moment. “I don’t think may ponies live there though.” She lowered her head.

Rainbow just looked on. She began to realise that she had been wrong about Ditzy, she was beginning to appear much more capable to Dash than previously assumed.
“How do you know all this?” Rainbow asked.
“I once got stuck in a fence for two days with a map over my head” Ditzy beamed.

Rainbow mentally erased her previous thought, this was still the same Ditzy she knew.
‘Oh well, might as well make the most of it’ she thought. Then she asked aloud “How big was the map?”
“Umm, about this” Ditzy said, balancing on her back hooves and holding her forelegs out to trace out a large rectangle in the air.
“No, no, I mean how much land did it cover?”
“Oh, I don’t think it had all of Equestria in. Most of it though” Ditzy said.

Rainbow nodded slowly, assuming Ditzy was right, she was glad to be in the same country as she was before.
“Alright, so we have a vague idea of where we are, that’s good” Rainbow corrected her earlier problem “But we still don’t know exactly where we are”

Ditzy opened her mouth to say something.
“And if you say “here” I swear I will buck you into the river” Dash stated forcefully.

Ditzy shut her mouth and quickly stepped further away from the water.
“Alright, problem two: Fluttershy here. Now we could just carry her around, but I don’t know about that thing in her. I mean, you said it’s nowhere important but I don’t think pulling it out would be a good idea, especially after what happened to her wing. So I say, until she wakes up, one of us carries her on our back. Problem three is food. We can’t rely on finding stuff to eat and drink every day. I mean, clouds can be rained for water, and we can follow rivers but otherwise we’re going to need a way to carry food around with us.” Rainbow finished her list of problems, staring intently at Ditzy.
“Erm...we could use bags?” Ditzy offered.
“Can you make bags?” Rainbow queried. “Because I can’t”
“I can try” Ditzy offered, and without waiting for approval, wandered towards the water edge. Reaching it, she glanced left and right, searching for something. After a moment, she spotted something on the opposite bank. Without a second thought she happily plopped into the slow moving water and slowly began to bob across to the other side. Rainbow watched the yellow mane bounce in and out of the water, and noticed that, despite the tiny current, Ditzy was floating downstream. With a sigh, Rainbow took off, flew over, grabbed Ditzy around the middle and hoisted her out of the water, depositing her on her target shore. Ditzy smiled her thanks and shook herself, spraying water into the air. Then, with her damp mane plastered across half of her face, Ditzy wandered down the bank, her head stretched out forwards, trying to spot again what she had seen earlier. Ditzy wandered up to a large plant with leaves the size of large water lilies that neither pegasus immediately recognised. Ditzy hopped and flapped her wings to gain a little height, wincing with her wing strokes, and latched her mouth around the base of a low leaf. She bit down on the plant, it was soft and tasted like tainted water, separating the leaf from the rest of the plant, and dropping her back to the ground. She spat out the chunk of stem from her mouth and stuck her tongue out, making gagging noises.
“You alright there Ditz?” Rainbow asked, lowering herself down beside her.
“That tasted icky” Ditzy told her, pulling her tongue back inside her head. “Look” she continued, gesturing a hoof towards the giant leaf. “If we fold it up, we can make a bag out of it”

Rainbow looked from the leaf to Ditzy and back again.
“You know what Ditz” Rainbow said, an impressed tone in her voice “Sometimes I think your parents gave you the wrong name”
“I know, I should have been called Huggs-a-lot!” Ditzy chimed in.
“Why?”
“’Cos I like hugs” Ditzy said, leaning in and giving Rainbow a neck hug. Rainbow pulled away, her face in a mix of surprise, suspicion and acceptance.
“Anyway” Dash said, untangling herself from the other mare. “This could work. We just need to work out how to fold it properly”

At this, Ditzy moved forwards and began fumbling with the leaf. She tried to lift it with teeth and fold over an edge, but a wet sound, like damp paper being torn, informed her that she had ripped the leaf. She looked down at the ruined leaf and sighed. Rainbow put out a hoof and pulled her back by the shoulder.
“Go keep an eye on Fluttershy, I’ll deal with this” Dash said, smiling. Ditzy grinned back, torn leaf still in her mouth, and jumped into the river. Rainbow approached the leaf, ignoring the splashing noises to her right, and began to think.

After a few hours, Dash had made little progress with the leaf. Ditzy had sat down beside Fluttershy and kept up a one sided conversation with her unresponsive body. Every now and then Rainbow would glance over at Ditzy, and was once caught looking, earning her a wave and a goofy grin from the other pegasus. Ditzy also glanced at Rainbow, but could not see any progress from where she was sitting, and every time she looked a voice in her head told her:
‘Hey, look after Flutty!’ This order slapped Ditzy’s mind into shape every time she looked away for more than a moment. She sat beside Fluttershy’s head, stroking her mane and feeding her berries.

She ran out of berries quickly though. Which left her with one less activity to occupy her time.
“No, darnit!” came Rainbow’s cries of displeasure as she ruined another of the giant leaves, followed by a splash as her frustrated whirl sent her into the river. Ditzy giggled to herself, raising a hoof to her mouth to hide it. “Hey!” yelled Rainbow as she surfaced. Ditzy opened her mouth to call back.

A dainty grunt made its way to Ditzy’s ears. She sat still with her mouth half open. A moment later a groan no louder than a rabbit’s cough made its way up from ground level.

Ditzy’s ears shot up at the first sound, and at the second her head jerked down. A grin spread across her face.
“Flutty!” she cheered. On the other side of the river, Rainbow Dash spun around. “Flutty, you’re awake!”

On the floor, Fluttershy’s eyes had begun to open. Her fragile eyelids slowly peeled themselves back from the bloodshot eyes.

Light seared into Fluttershy’s eyes. There were no shapes in her sight, just blurs and the glare of sunlight. Somewhere, she could hear somepony calling to her and calling around her, she could hear something echoing in her ears, bouncing around incoherently. Her body felt like it was made of leather, rubbing against itself as she tried to move.

A jolt of pain hit her. Fluttershy tensed her entire body, slamming shut her eyes and gritting her teeth. Something grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her still. Fluttershy resisted the urge to squirm.

She could feel it inside her. Pushing up through her midsection. The solid shaft amongst her delicate insides. She could feel bits of it pushing out into her, pressing against her lungs, her stomach, her thin muscles. Every slight move of her body jolted it.
“Fluttershy!” a voice called through the blur of sound. “Fluttershy are you alright?”
“...” Fluttershy weakly tried to open her mouth, but her jaw would not move. From the back of her throat she managed to grunt, but even her feeble voice grated her dried throat.
“Fluttershy?” she heard again, but could not make out the rest of the words. They collided in her ears and made a buzz of noise that hurt to hear. But she heard her name amongst the mess of sound. Somewhere in her mind flickered a thought.
‘Somepony needs you’ said the thought. She pushed it back. Her body was stiff and unresponsive.
“Don’t leave us” came a familiar voice by her ear. Something brushed against her face. It felt like a snout nuzzling her. “Flutty”
‘Di...’ The voice in Fluttershy’s head said. ‘I can’t just leave you. But it hurts so much...oh. Don’t be scared Fluttershy, its just a little pain. Everypony has to deal with –‘
“Ah!” she squeaked, she had tried to stand, and had got as far as moving a leg beneath her. The voices started up around her. One of them vanished off into the distance, towards the sound of water.
‘Be brave Fluttershy’ she told herself. ‘You’re needed’

And with that, she forced open her eyes once more.

“Flutty” Ditzy cheered, diving back towards Fluttershy’s face. She nuzzled the awakenng pegasus’ face and cooed quietly to her partner.
“Ditzy...please” Fluttershy coughed weakly “A ... a l...space please”

Ditzy pulled away from her marefriend and cocked her head. Fluttershy smiled weakly up at her.
“I was worried about you” Ditzy stated, as if somepony had ever doubted her.
“I’m sure you...were” Fluttershy said between coughs. “Can ... I ... drink please? If ...not much...trou...trouble”
“Here” Rainbow Dash flew into view, holding in her front hooves a folded leaf. She held the leaf towards Fluttershy. “Tilt your head back”.

Fluttershy did as instructed. Rainbow leaned forwards, keeping herself from falling with her wings, and tilted the leaf. Out of the folds came a small stream of water. Fluttershy felt the sun warmed liquid slide down her throat.
“Thank you.” She said quietly, still pausing for breath “Erm...if you don’t mind me asking...who’s ...ack....who's idea was it to use ... leaf as a ... bucket?”
“That was me!” Rainbow said proudly, throwing the leaf aside and standing triumphantly, completely ignoring her thought that Fluttershy should try to talk less. Ditzy gave her a confused look. “I mean, yeah, Ditz had the whole idea of using it to carry stuff, but I did most of the work.” Dash deflated slightly by the end of the sentence, having noticed Ditzy look across with a confused gaze.
“You ... could have ... just used a peice of cloud.” Fluttershy told her. "They have ... water in"

Ditzy hung her head disappointed.
“Oh but it was a good idea nonetheless, I’m sorry” Fluttershy blurted, before coughing heavily into the grass.
‘Don’t talk much’ Fluttershy told herself. ‘You’ll just hurt yourself’

Ditzy leaned in and straightened out Fluttershy’s mane with her nose.
“It’s okay Flutty” Ditzy whispered. “You rest, okay?”

Fluttershy smiled. She quietly reminded herself that the grey pegasus always seemed to have someone else’s interests at heart. She told herself that Ditzy was the best pony she could have hoped to find. As Ditzy continued to straighten her mane, Fluttershy pushed her head up slightly. In response, Ditzy brushed her head down the side of Fluttershy’s face and gently laid her head against Fluttershy’s neck. In the back of her mind, Fluttershy noticed Ditzy’s breathing slow down, as did her own, until they both breathed a gentle rhythm together.

Rainbow stood a little back and watched. It was cute to watch, but Rainbow knew there were more pressing matters. She cleared her throat loudly.
“Oh ... did you want to ... say something ... ack ... Rainbow?” Fluttershy mumbled.
“Yeah, I did” Dash said “Now, you might be wondering where we are. The answer to that is, I’ve got no idea” Rainbow took a moment to see the shrinking look on Fluttershy’s face, mentally scolding herself for enjoying it. “However, Ditz seems to think we’re in the north, and I see no reason not to trust her . . . erm . . . reasoning”

Ditzy gave her a large grin. Rainbow returned a small smile.
“So, if we’re going to get moving, we had better start soon. If we can make a bag to hold some food and pad up that thing sticking out of you, we should be able to start heading south” Rainbow continued. “Do you know how to make a bag Fluttershy?”
“Erm, I ... used to make one's for ...Angel” She offered.
“Great, if we can make a bigger one of those, that’ll be awesome” Dash smiled. “Back in a second.” Without another word Rainbow took off and grabbed another of the giant leaves.
“There’s already a leaf right here” Ditzy pointed out as Rainbow returned.
“Yeah...well...we might have to double the thickness of it. Don’t want it getting broken easily do we?” Rainbow congratulated herself on her quick thinking, before laying the leaf down in front of Fluttershy. “Okay, what do I have to do?”

In spite of the aches and pains of recently regaining consciousness after being impaled, Fluttershy managed to overcome them to direct Rainbow in making the bag for their food. It was simple, and had to be held in the mouth because there were not enough vines nearby to make anything more than a basic handle. Ditzy gathered a pile of berries and plopped them in the bag. Rainbow lifted it, testing the strength of the leaf and vine combination. Once satisfied at its quality, Rainbow put it down again.
“Alright, that’s great” she said “Now we should probably get moving sometime soon. With any luck, we’ll get somewhere else before the sun goes down”
“But what about Flutty?” Ditzy chimed.

Rainbow looked down at Fluttershy. Her punctured rear leg was nowhere near healed, and probably would not for a long time, but it was not bleeding. The red stain down her leg was enough to remind Rainbow of the dangers of walking on wounded limbs.
“We can carry her” Rainbow decided “Whoever hasn’t got the bag will carry Fluttershy.”
“That wasn’t what I meant” Ditzy said “I meant what about the thing in her belly?”

Fluttershy twitched at the reminder of the bamboo sticking through her, and let out a small whimper along with it.
“We’re just going to have to pad it and hope” Rainbow said “I thought I said that already”
“W... what about ... those big leaves?” Fluttershy asked timidly, Rainbow looked down at her curiously “Never mind”
“No, carry on, what were you going to say?” she said.
“It’s nothing, really” Fluttershy insisted.
“Fluttershy...” Rainbow said sternly.
“Well, um, okay ... If you get ... ahem ... one of those big leaves and ..." she paused to daintly cough up a small amount of phlegm "wrap it around me, and stuff it with smaller leaves and ... leaves and ... grass ... like padding” Fluttershy said, her eyes shut and a hoof tapping as she tried to remember each bit of her idea.
“That should work, just a minute” Dash darted off to gather the materials required, leaving a rainbow of colour around the clearing as she stopped in various places to grab leaves. Ditzy sat with Fluttershy, stroking her mane. Soon enough, Rainbow had returned with the materials, and laid them out next to Fluttershy.

It was an awkward procedure. First, the large leaf was placed beside Fluttershy, and then covered in a layer of grass and smaller leaves. After that, the two mobile mares carefully moved their friend onto the centre of the leaf, and then pulled the rest of the leaf up around her thin body. Ditzy held the leaf together at the top whilst Rainbow used the last of the vines not used in making the bag to tie the top together. Content, the two stepped back and admired their work.

It looked somewhat like Fluttershy was wearing a corset.
“I like it” Ditzy announced.
“This isn’t a fashion show, Ditz” Rainbow said, before turning back to Fluttershy “Do you think that’s good enough?”
“Yes, um...it should hold fine, thank you” Fluttershy said.
“Great” Dash smiled “Ditzy, grab the bag and any berries we missed around here, I’ll get Fluttershy onto my back, and then” she paused momentarily, unable to resist a little dramatic speech “we can go.”

Chapter 5: The Journey of the Stricken

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Chapter 5

It had taken several minutes, but Fluttershy was soon mounted upon Rainbow’s back, held in place by her own weak arms and Rainbow’s unfolded wings. Her head hung down beside Rainbow’s neck, brushing Dash with her mane. Rainbow looked over to Ditzy, who had finished scouring for berries, and had also acquired a squirrel. The confused mammal stared down from atop Ditzy’s head, flicking it’s gaze between Dash and Fluttershy.
“Uh, Ditz,” Dash pointed at her head “You’ve got some squirrel on you.”
“Only some? Did a bit fall off?” Ditzy said, her right eye drifting up to look at the top of her head “Hey mister squirrel, you okay up there?” she asked. The squirrel squeaked a response. Ditzy seemed to understand and grinned.

Fluttershy emitted a strained giggle. The squirrel cocked its head at her. Fluttershy raised her head a small amount to look at it. For a moment the two stared at one another.
“You’re...adorable” Fluttershy told the squirrel before drifting her head back down. The squirrel stared at her for a moment.
“Okay, Ditz, I’ve got to ask. Why is there a squirrel on your head?” Rainbow said.

Ditzy tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders slightly, dislodging the squirrel and sending it tumbling unceremoniously to the ground.
“I just looked up and there he was” Ditzy claimed.

There was a moment’s silence as Dash stared suspiciously at the mammal.
“C...Can we keep him?” Ditzy asked.
“I don’t think so”
“Why?” she whined.
“Because” Rainbow explained “We’re going to need all the food we can get. And that little thing’s just going to eat it all”.
“No he won’t! He’ll be a good squirrel” Ditzy protested. “Aren’t you Mister Squirrel?”

The squirrel chirped something. Ditzy grinned back at Dash. It seemed to have said something good, perhaps promising it would find its own food.
“What’d it say?” Rainbow asked.
“The blue one ... is right, I’m a bit... of a ....oh that’s disgusting” Fluttershy translated. Giving the squirrel a weak glare at its choice of language. The squirrel hung its head in shame. “It’s...okay squirrel ... I forgive you”

The squirrel looked up and gave at the nearest to a smile a squirrel can give. Rainbow glanced back at her passenger, surprised that The Stare worked when she was this weak. It also concerned her that Fluttershy would immediately stare down a squirrel whose only crime was that it had sworn a little, but she may have simply taken offence to self depreciation. However, Rainbow quickly dismissed this as bad judgement, probably due to the amount of blood she had lost. Rainbow made a mental note to call Fluttershy out on power abuse if she did it again.
“The squirrel stays here” Rainbow commanded. Ditzy let out a disappointed noise, sounding like a petulant foal being denied its dessert. “Oh don’t do that!” she snapped “It’ll slow us down. Now come on, let’s go.”

Rainbow turned to leave, checking the sun above to get a bearing on her intended direction. After a moment of staring she worked out which way was south and began to trot confidently in that direction. She quickly reached the tree line and began to nose her way around the bushes.

She glanced back to make sure Ditzy was following.

But Ditzy was still standing where she had been left, with the squirrel sitting patiently on her head. It sat in between the stands of her golden mane like a bird in a nest, curled up and comfortable.
“Come on Ditz, leave the squirrel and get over here” Rainbow said, turning around to face her.

Ditzy did not reply.
“Come on, let’s go”

Ditzy screwed up her face, forcing her thoughts into order.
“Ditzy, don’t make me come over there and drag you home” Rainbow warned, eliciting a squeak from Fluttershy.

Ditzy slowly hung her head. The squirrel scampered down the back of her neck and onto her back.
“No” Ditzy uttered.
“What did you say?” Rainbow said, advancing.
“I said, no” Ditzy said, raising her head slightly. “He wants to come with us, so he’s coming.”

Rainbow gritted her teeth and snorted. She widened her stance, hoping an intimidating look would put Ditzy in line.
“I’m going to say this one more time” Dash said slowly. “You put that squirrel ... on the ground ... and come with me”
“Why?” Ditzy snapped. Her head shot up and she stared straight at Rainbow, both eyes fixed resolutely on the blue mare.
“What?”
“Why do I have to leave him out here all alone? What gives you the right to say he sits here and starves to death when we go home and eat everything around here? If it were a pony, or me or Flutty, you would bring them with you, so why not him? What’s so different about him?”

There was a strange, slow pace to Ditzy’s speech. She thought about each sentence before she said it, giving each phrase time to sink in.

Rainbow was at a loss for words.
“I...I...” she tried to say something in her defence. But she knew Ditzy was right. She had no real reason to say no. Maybe the squirrel could find its own food as they went along. And it would keep Ditzy happy. “I’m sorry” Dash managed.

Ditzy continued staring at her.
“Keep him.” Rainbow relented “Just, don’t let him get in the way, okay?”

Ditzy did not reply immediately. Rainbow looked over at her with defeated eyes.

Then Ditzy nodded curtly, picked up the bag of berries in her teeth and began to step forwards. The squirrel ran back up to her head and sat there.
“But Ditz, I’ve got to know. Why do you even want him so much?” Rainbow said “You’re going to make Fluttershy jealous.” she added, letting out a weak chuckle at her own little joke.

Ditzy put the bag back on the ground.
“He wants to come with us, and we don’t have the right to say no” Ditzy asserted.
“Did he tell you that?” Rainbow said. She doubted the grey pegasus had picked up the animal language skills her marefriend had.
“I think so...” she said doubtfully. Ditzy then looked up at the squirrel and asked “You do want to come along, don’t you?”

The squirrel squeaked.
“Fluttershy, what’d it just say?” Rainbow asked.
“Yes...he wants to come” Fluttershy told her.

Rainbow sigh inwardly.
“Fine, just ... come on” Rainbow hung her head slightly as she turned back to the trees. ‘What the hay was that?’ she asked herself ‘I had absolutely no reason to get like that. Eurgh, this is the last thing I need right now’

Rainbow Dash’s quiet reflection lasted a few minutes. As she thought, Ditzy followed behind, with the bag alternatingly being hung from a wing on in her mouth when either began to ache, her attention switching regularly between the squirrel, her marefriend, and the dense foliage around her. Her eyes panned across plants of all heights and shapes. But she quickly grew bored at the lack of variety. Nearly everything was green, with only the occasional coloured flower providing an interesting sight for her. Ferns and leaves, wet with condensation and the rain of the storm a few days prior, reached out at her from all around and brushed against her face, and battered the squirrel riding atop her head with a series of wet impacts. They walked for longer than they cared to try and time, pushing through the undergrowth. More than once a thick wall of trees meant they had to take a dip in the river to advance without turning back and losing their bearing.
“You know” Ditzy said, after their third splash in the river, having stopped for a break “This river’s going the same way we are”
“Yeah” Rainbow agreed “This thing runs more or less straight south quite a while”
“How do you know that?”
“Remember when I came to find you on the clouds?” Dash asked. Ditzy nodded a response, which only avoided throwing off the squirrel by its little brain expecting the movement and telling it to hold on for its life. “I had a little time to look around as we came back, you can see pretty far when you’re that high up”.
“Oh” Ditzy mouthed “That’s cool”

For the next hour they trotted along in near silence. The only sounds were the rustle and wet slap of the leaves they brushed against and the gentle sound of water flowing down the river. Fluttershy listened to the sounds of nature as she was bobbed up and down by Rainbow’s moving back. The movement was rhythmic and strangely lulling, although she would later come to the conclusion that her drowsiness came more from her blood loss than Rainbow’s movement, but she had no such thoughts at this time. She simply took in what her ears heard and her body felt. The leaf wrapping around her midsection was doing a good job of padding and keeping still the bamboo still embedded in her, but it made noticeable pokes and movements inside her as they travelled. More than once Fluttershy had asked Rainbow to try not to move so fast. Fortunately for her, the blue mare had heard Fluttershy’s timid, strained voice and quickly obeyed. Rainbow was itching to fly away and stretch her wings, Fluttershy could tell. Every now and then Rainbow would twitch her wings, as if she were to flap them, but suddenly remembering why she should not. A little guilt began to build up in Fluttershy’s head, regretting that she had effectively grounded her friend, who loved nothing more than to soar.

She did not voice that thought. As the drowsiness took a hold on her, she forced the thought to the back of her mind and let sleep embrace her.

Ditzy’s legs twinged. She drifted to a standstill and gently put the bag she carried on the ground.
“Can we stop?” she called out. Rainbow stopped abruptly and turned around.
“What’s the matter, you tired?” she asked. Ditzy nodded a little.
“Uh-huh” Ditzy said.

Rainbow gave off a little smile and stretched her legs a little. Ditzy grinned back hopefully.
“Yeah, I suppose we can do with a sit down a while” Dash admitted. She then turned her head and nudged Fluttershy with her snout. “Hey, Fluttershy, you awake?”

Fluttershy did not respond. Dash quickly looked to see if she was still breathing, and relaxed a little when she saw the fragile chest expanding and contracting. Tearing her eyes from the adorable pile of yellow and pink atop her back Dash saw Ditzy lay down on her front by a bush, extending a wing as a ramp for the squirrel, who had recently taken up residence on Ditzy’s back to avoid being thrown off again, to run down to the dirt at Ditzy’s hooves. Once the squirrel had disembarked from its haphazard transport, Rainbow called her over. Before long, they had managed to slide Fluttershy off of Rainbow and place her gently on her side in one of the less muddy areas of the ground.

They had stopped in what could be described as little more than an area of dirt and mud, which was in turn filled with thin trees that stuck up above them like the candles on a chocolate birthday cake.

The thought of cake brought the image of Pinkie Pie dancing gleefully into Rainbow’s mind. She briefly remembered that there had been a cake the night before the storm, a fluffy cake stacked several layers high.

The vestiges of her memory told her it had mainly ended up spread over the roof of a neighbouring building.
‘So that’s what happened to it’ Rainbow thought as she found herself remembering a few more fragments to the riotous night. But in the middle of her half interested memory, she was once again finding a terrible thought there.
‘What if the ponies who owned that house were caught in the hurricane?’ she asked herself ‘I ruined their last day’

And without warning, a little tear rolled out of her eye. Hurriedly, she wiped it away.
‘Gotta stay strong Dash, don’t lose it’ she told herself. She glanced around, Ditzy was sitting by a barely awakened Fluttershy, and chatting merrily with the quiet mare. Rainbow sighed inwardly, glad they hadn’t seen her moment of weakness.

A squeak by her hooves informed her of a witness. The squirrel was staring up at her, twitching its nose. Rainbow gave it a glare. The squirrel seemed to understand and hopped away wordlessly.

With a grunt of contempt for the animal, Rainbow wandered over to the food bag and dunked her head in, grabbing a small mouthful of food, before wandering over to the edge of the river. She sat.

And just stared. The water flowed away before her. And in it she saw herself, sitting there, staring back.
‘Hey Dashie’ she thought at her reflection.

The reflection didn’t talk back. Rainbow wondered for a moment why she thought it really would have.
“Dash” called Ditzy, dragging out the ‘a’ sound. Rainbow lifted her head to look at Ditzy, grunting a complaint about getting some rest. “Fluttershy wants to say something” Ditzy added, gesturing towards the mare at her hooves.

That got Rainbow’s full attention. She quickly swallowed the berries in her mouth and moved to Fluttershy’s side.
“What is it?” She asked gently.
“I...I don’t want to impose” Fluttershy whimpered. Rainbow noted inwardly that Fluttershy was not pausing as much as earlier and thought she might be getting used the pain. “But ... I was just ... wondering...” she trailed off.
“What is it?” Dash said, leaning closer to hear the soft speech of the broken pegasus.
“Um ... I just thought that ... maybe you ... if it's not” she paused to wheeze a little “Not too much trouble to find a ... um ... a doctor?”
“Ah” Dash said. “I don’t know if there are any out here”
“Oh...” Fluttershy said, barely audible even in the quiet of their surroundings. “Oh dear...”

The squirrel gazed on at the weakened mare as Rainbow began rapidly guessing what may have changed in her condition since she woke. It glanced between the three mares, Ditzy, who stood beside the two and stared on awkwardly, as if she felt left out, Fluttershy, who repeatedly denied the things Rainbow listed, and Dash, who’s guesses at medical problems other than the obvious injury were becoming somewhat unrealistic, and her voice began to sound strained.

But the squirrel knew the area, and knew where help might be found. But first it would need to confirm how far away they were from it.

And without another word, it scampered off eastwards.

Chapter 6: Approaching the Grasslands.

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Chapter 6.

“Mister Squirrel!” Ditzy’s voice rang out through the trees. Always the same two words, again and again. The sound dislodged birds and disturbed rats within half a mile.
“Mi-ster Squirrel!” she yelled again, dragging out the words. Whilst she meant it to let the squirrel hear her better, all it did was irritate the ponies standing behind her. After a moment of quiet, Ditzy took a deep breath.
“MisterSquirrelifyoudontcomebackyouwon’tgetfedandthenyou’llgohungry!” she called.

Behind her, Rainbow rolled her eyes and went back to making sure Fluttershy’s corset-bandage was secure. It was still holding firmly, and Rainbow did not think that taking it off would be very beneficial to helping.
“What if... um ... the wound is .... infected?” Fluttershy asked when Rainbow voiced her observations.
“Ah ... that’s a good point” Rainbow admitted. “Um... I’m not really one to know about all that”
“You only have to... see if it’s all... you know.” Fluttershy said.
“Fluttershy” Rainbow said quietly, laying a hoof on her friend’s shoulder “I just think we should hope”

Fluttershy laid her head on the ground and sighed inwardly.
“Oh... alright then” she said.

Something in that sentence perturbed Rainbow. The blue pegasus removed her hoof ran through possible meanings of Fluttershy’s words in her head for half a second, before starting to protest.
“Hey, it’s not that I don’t want you better” Rainbow said, moving to look the mare in the eyes. “It’s just... I don’t know.” Rainbow searched for the right words. “Have you ever had, with the animals, the situation where it’d do more damage to interfere?”

Fluttershy gave a tiny nod in response.
“It’s kind of like that, see...” Rainbow trailed off. But she appeared to have got her point across. At her hooves, Fluttershy closed her eyes. There was a short moment of quiet between the two, which would have been complete silence were Ditzy not still yelling for her favourite squirrel. Rainbow began to watch the grey pegasus as she jumped between trees and tried to call up them. She made a point to stop Ditzy if she tried flying, especially as they didn’t know how badly her wing was damaged internally.
“Um...” Fluttershy began. Rainbow turned her attention back to her. “Thank you... I think”

Rainbow cocked her head.
“What’s wrong?” she said.
“Oh, it’s... nothing, nothing really” Fluttershy weakly insisted.
“Fluttershy...” Rainbow said, her voice lowering slightly.
“Mister Squirrel!” yelled Ditzy again.
“Oh for crying out loud” Rainbow rounded on the grey pegasus. “The little guy isn’t coming back, okay! Just pack it in for a minute would you? I’m trying to talk to Fluttershy!”

Ditzy stopped mid step and glared at Rainbow. Rainbow cleared her throat sheepishly.
“Sorry” Rainbow said quietly “Ditz, I just want a little quiet, then you can go back to your...shouting”

Ditzy lowered her suspended hoof and snorted dejectedly.
“They don’t care about Mister Squirrel” she muttered to herself as she trotted to inspect a wheat-like plant growing near one of the trees.

Rainbow shook her head and settled her eyes on Fluttershy again, silently chastising herself for getting worked up so easily. Before she began speaking to Fluttershy, a little thought appeared in her head, claiming that she had not been doing a good job as the de-facto leader of the group. She banished that thought, wondering idly what ‘de-facto’ actually meant.
“Fluttershy, what’s the problem?” she said, settling down on her belly in front of Fluttershy.
“It’s just that... um... ah... you never used to be... uh... careful with things like this” Fluttershy mumbled.
“What?” Rainbow said defensively “I’m always careful. Me, I’m the most careful pony ever!”
“You told Twilight to go for a run to work off a broken leg”
“Okay, so I’m not the most careful one out there”
“And... you bucked Scootaloo into a tree when... she crept up on you”
“I don’t like being startled!” Rainbow protested.
“She was in hospital for a week”
‘I wondered where she had vanished to...’ Rainbow thought, before opening her mouth again “So, I’m not that careful all the time, what’s the point?”
“I, um... I think that... Since we came here, you’ve been... different.”

That got Rainbow Dash’s full attention. The excuses and thoughts prepared in her head for any example Fluttershy could have brought up vanished. Unconsciously, she leaned in towards Fluttershy.

Nopony spoke for a second. Eventually, Fluttershy decided to elaborate.
“I, um... I think you’re... scared”

Rainbow rose to her hooves.
“What? Me? Scared? No, don’t be stupid. I’m not scared.” She said. “I mean, look at me, do I look scared to you?”
“Um... no?” Fluttershy guessed, her eyes focused on an area around Rainbow’s hooves.
“That’s right” Rainbow insisted with a triumphant grin on her face “And I” she continued, moving forwards to push Fluttershy up to a sitting position “am going to get us all back home, fright free, okay?”

Fluttershy looked up with a nervous smile.
“O-kay?” Rainbow asked again.
“Okay” Fluttershy said. Slowly, her eyes began to look around the area behind Rainbow. “Oh... where’s Ditzy?”

Rainbow quickly glanced around, scanning the trees for her. After a moment, she called out the missing mare’s name, and when no reply came, the grin dropped sharply from her face.
“Ditz?” she called out, quieter.
“Yeah?” came a voice from behind her. Rainbow spun around to see Ditzy paddling in the river. She consciously held in the sigh of relief she wanted to let out at seeing Ditzy. “Can I call for Mister Squirrel now?”

Rainbow heard a small snicker by her hooves. She glanced down, seeing Fluttershy smiling at her marefriend, and pieced together the situation.
“You saw her move, didn’t you?” Rainbow said accusingly.

Fluttershy nodded slightly. Rainbow let out a snort of discontent.
“You... you were scared though” Fluttershy pointed out.
“Ah, I... No” Rainbow insisted. “I wasn’t scared. I was just... erm... curious. Wondered where she’d gone.” She chuckled nervously and turned away. “Anyway, we better get going again” She said, hurriedly changing the subject “I reckon we can get a bit further before the sun goes down”

Without waiting for a response, Rainbow began to heft Fluttershy into a semi standing position, in preparation to get her mounted upon Rainbow’s back. Fluttershy pawed ineffectively at Rainbow’s flank, trying to pull herself up, but to no avail. Rainbow quickly called Ditzy closer to help lift her on. Ditzy happily trotted over and helped lift her marefriend, and once she was secure proceeded to grab the bag of berries.
“Thus hip lihg” Ditzy said, trying to talk with the strap of the bag in her mouth. This earned her two confused looks from her companions. Eventually she got the idea they didn’t understand, and repeated her sentence.

Rainbow blinked twice quickly, before leaning towards her slightly. Ditzy rolled her eyes, each pupil moving in a different direction.
“Ih hread ‘Thus hip...” she started.
“Ditzy, take the bag out of your mouth” Rainbow said. Ditzy obeyed, setting the bag on the ground before her. “Right, now say it again”

Ditzy took a deep breath. Rainbow rolled her eyes at the theatrics.
“I said ‘this thing’s light’” Ditzy said.
“The food bag?” Fluttershy asked.
“What? That had loads in earlier!” Rainbow squawked, she then cleared her throat before continuing. “I bet that little furbag ate a load of them before he took off”
“Mister Squirrel isn’t that mean!” Ditzy said defensively, as if Rainbow were accusing her directly of the berry theft “He’s not even big enough to hold all of them inside him or he’ll get fat and roll around and won’t be able to climb trees”
“Maybe he had friends visit while we weren’t looking” Rainbow growled “Ether way, let’s just go. If we see another berry bush or something else to eat we can have that”. She began to set off, again without waiting for an answer. Fluttershy sighed inwardly at this particularly irritating trait of Rainbow’s, and thought herself lucky that she her hasty mounting had placed her in a position that didn’t hurt when Rainbow stomped off. Ditzy swept the bag up in her mouth and quickly followed, trotting happily behind her.

Ditzy soon found that the best way to keep herself entertained on long walks was an inner monologue, as Rainbow was rarely in a mood to talk and was dashing on ahead, and Fluttershy was unwilling to talk. However, Ditzy often found her own thought’s irritating and ended up focusing on the environment around her. She let her eyes roll around freely, allowing her to observe a slightly more of the forest than most could from her position. Throughout her life, she had become used to the effect one of her eyes moving independently had on her eyesight, and naturally compensated for it. Surprisingly, this did not affect her ability to walk in a straight line. As long as Ditzy could see a particular object, in this case the gently bobbing tail of her marefriend, in one eye she could head in the general direction of it by simply not paying attention to the other eye and making a few course corrections. Of course, if she could see them in both eyes, even if only just, she didn’t have to focus as much, and so Ditzy found herself looking back rarely, in case she managed to get lost the moment she turned her head.

That sort of thing had happened before, and she wasn’t fond of it, despite the adventures it brought.
‘Finish this adventure before you go starting new ones’ Ditzy told herself ‘That’s what mummy used to say.’ She tilted her head as she tried to remember the exact line her mother had used, keeping an eye pointed at Fluttershy. ‘That’s it’ she thought ‘mummy said to not “go wandering off on your own so bloody often, and at least wait until you’re home after the last excursion before wandering off again!”’ At the time Ditzy did not know what excursion meant, but assumed it was relevant, and could not see how blood was related to the frequency of something, but nonetheless had taken the lesson to heart. After her mother’s advice entered her ears, Ditzy resolved to try and stay close to ponies she trusted, but first she had to find a dictionary and look up excursion.

Ponies like Fluttershy.
‘Five weeks’ Ditzy thought to herself. ‘That’s how long Flutty says we’ve been together. Seems shorter. Maybe that’s just something that happens with this kind of thing, maybe time goes silly when ponies love each other. Nah, that’s silly. But if a silly thing is silly, does that make it normal or super silly? But what if normal things are considered silly by silliness and so double silliness is silly to silliness too which makes it normal... my head hurts’

Fluttershy turned her head to check on Ditzy. She had mentally drifted somewhat, and had begun gazing upwards, except for one eye that was trained on Fluttershy’s rear.

This made her wonder just what Ditzy was thinking about.
“Ditzy!” she called weakly, as the grey mare’s path began to curve. Fluttershy saw the little twitch of the eye focusing on her that betrayed the fact it was being used exclusively, and smiled as Ditzy got back on course in time to avoid a tree. ‘Try not to think and walk’ Fluttershy thought, but wisely decided not to say it out loud, for fear of upsetting her. ‘Oh look at you, you’re barely even focusing. At least she hasn’t dropped the food bag’ Fluttershy continued internally, turning her head back to look where they were going, and trying to ignore Rainbow’s mane lightly flopping onto her face in the strong breeze. ‘Well at least you won’t be walking into any more trees’ she noted upon seeing that the number of trees decreased ahead of them, in a more pronounced manner than it they had been since they last stopped, possibly, Fluttershy theorised, because they had begun to move away from the river. Fluttershy could see the orange ball of the sun closing in on the horizon through the foliage to her right, and wondered when they were going to stop for the night. Rainbow advanced tirelessly beneath her, silent and determined to carry on until sight or limb failed her.

Fluttershy closed her eyes. She tried not to think, and just relaxed. The bamboo inside her felt like a numb lump dragging at her insides and her damaged wing still stung, but Fluttershy had learned to push these to the back of her mind. A lifetime’s experience of bullying had taught her to bottle her anguish and pain and carry on with head held low and avoiding eye contact. And now, her experiences helped her suppress her pain, the worst pain she had felt in her life at first, but now reduced to a hum in her brain and a sting that would not go away over the course of her time free of her almost sacrificial looking landing spot a few days ago. She assumed she must have done this near automatically whilst unconscious, as when she awoke there was surprisingly less pain than there was in the short time she was conscious and held above the ground on the bamboo.
‘That’s not good’ Fluttershy thought ‘Well, it’s good that I can do it, but I really shouldn’t be so used to this that I do it in my sleep. Oh my, I’m criticising myself again. Rarity told me to stop doing that. Bad Fluttershy, very bad Fluttershy. Oh, wait... I’m doing it again.’

She was eventually roused from her bout of self criticism and scolding by a strong wind against her head, and a small chuckle from Rainbow Dash.
“Hey Ditz, grab a look at this!” Rainbow called. Fluttershy heard Ditzy drop the bag. Interested, Fluttershy opened her eyes.

Ahead of them lay the open land. For miles in front of them was grass. Short in some places, head height in others, all of it swaying back and forth as waves of air rolled over and around the mounds and hills that filled the landscape, rolling gently up and down from the horizon to where the ponies stood. In the distance to the west, the river drifted away between the hills, obscured briefly between two mounds before opening into a great lake in the distance. The sun burned across the land, turning everything a peculiar shade of orange and casting long shadows in the dips and crevasses ahead.

They stared for a moment at the sight.
“It’s just like the hills outside Ponyville on a Saturday evening” Rainbow muttered with a smile.
“It’s... beautiful” Fluttershy agreed.
“It’s all movey” Ditzy grinned, leaning from side to side to try and match the grass’ movements. She soon began giggling and ran forwards.
“Where are you going?” Dash called after her, still smiling...

Ditzy’s reply was a high pitched laugh as she dived into a large path of tall grass and began rolling around in it. Fluttershy shifted slightly.
“Go join her” Fluttershy said. “I’ll, um... look after the bag.”

After a suspicious stare, Rainbow carefully removed Fluttershy, and then took to the air. Fluttershy’s mane whipped back in the updraft as Rainbow stretched her wings for the first time today. She soared into the sky, wheeling sideways at the peak of her ascent, before diving back down towards Ditzy, who received a shout of warning before certain blue projectile sent her rolling through the grass, both ponies laughing with glee.

Fluttershy watched on from by the tree line and smiled. The sight of her two friends darting at one another, occasionally taking to the air and wheeling around brought a smile to her face. Ditzy’s wing no longer seemed to be bothering her flight, and the thick grass softened any bad landing she made. The two shapes tussled playfully in the grass, like a pair of kittens practicing fighting and pouncing on one another. Whenever one took to the air, the other would either stare up and grin or give chase.

Reaching out with one hoof, Fluttershy hooked the food bag and pulled it closer, allowing herself to pull out a few berries. She popped them into her mouth one at a time, chewing slowly, and closing her eyes to concentrate on the taste. She swallowed and laid her head in the grass. It made a good pillow, supporting her head and bending gently away as she laid on it. Before long, there was a rustle, and Fluttershy felt something lie by her side. Opening her eyes revealed a golden mane and grey coat, which Fluttershy nuzzled affectionately, shifting a little closer to lay against her.

There was a moment of quiet between them, overlaid with the quiet sound of the wind in their ears.
“Did you have fun out there?” Fluttershy asked, barely audible.
“Uh-huh” Ditzy said “Dash is still out there, flying”

Fluttershy looked to the skies to see a dark dot circling above them.
“Why did you stop?” she said.
“You looked lonely” Ditzy replied.
“Well, I’ve got you now... to keep me company” Fluttershy whispered. From her position with her head across Ditzy’s neck, she saw the grin spread across Ditzy’s face at that, and shuffled a little closer in.
“I won’t leave you Flutty” Ditzy promised “Not even slavers’ll pull me away”
“Slavers?!” Fluttershy whispered, her eyes widening.
“Where?” Ditzy said, tilting her head up and looking around.
“Oh... nowhere, I just, um...” Fluttershy trailed off, before gently hitting Ditzy on the head with one hoof. “You got me all scared there”
“Sorry Flutty” Ditzy said.
“It’s okay” Fluttershy said “The meaning was there. And you’re here.”
“Yeah.” Ditzy agreed “Shame Mister Squirrel had to leave though”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s fine” Fluttershy reassured her “He’s lived out here all his life... he probably knows the forest like the back of his paw”
“Maybe he hasn’t lived here all his life.” Ditzy theorised “Maybe he got ran away from a home where a pony looked after him and now is lost and lonely.”
“If they looked after him, why would he run away?” Fluttershy queried.
“They didn’t do it very well, they forgot to feed him, and often left him alone for hours”
“Oh, well that’s not very nice at all” Fluttershy said, humouring her marefriend.
“Uh-huh, and when they go out, they leave traps for the squirrel to stop him finding the food”
“...What kind of traps...”
“Mousetraps, but with nuts in because squirrels don’t like cheese”
“That’s just mean... but if Mister Squirrel got caught in a trap, he wouldn’t have been able to run around and climb up on you” Fluttershy pointed out.
“Ah, see, that was because Mister Squirrel is secretly a spy squirrel, working for Canterlot” Ditzy said, grinning “But he has a bad memory and so he’ll never tell you anything about it”
“He can’t be a very good spy then, can he?” Fluttershy was visibly trying not to giggle.
“That’s why he got sent so far away from Canterlot” Ditzy claimed “So he never had to do another mission, and could live the life of the normal squirrel he thought he was because he kept forgetting he was a spy”

Fluttershy snorted and began laughing quietly.
“Okay, I made that last bit up” Ditzy admitted, which only made Fluttershy laugh harder. Before long, Ditzy joined in with her own chuckle, and soon the laughter died away.

Ditzy stared up at the sky as the sun finally dipped below the horizon. Above the sparse and wispy clouds, the stars came out, twinkling in their little patches of darkening sky. Ditzy tried to pick out a few constellations, trying to remember the ones Fluttershy had taught her. But for her this was impossible, she was simply distracted by the view. In towns like Ponyville, and even up in Cloudsdale, there had always been lights from nearby houses and required a trip outside town to get a clear look at the sky. Here however, there was no excess light, and in the sky shined more stars than Ditzy had ever hoped to see. She began to draw her own constellations in the sky: the donkey, the lamp, the cake, the Princesses and the burning tree were all images she found by connecting the shining dots. She liked these new constellations, but knew she would probably forget about them. Nonetheless, she smiled, because she had at least tried her hoof at constellation creation.

Once she gave up with the balls of light Luna had scattered across the night sky that evening, Ditzy began to admire the moon that had risen over the hills. Every now and then, a winged shape would pass in front of it for a moment, before darting back into the black of the night. Ditzy smiled at the sight, a reminder that she was not alone, along with the mare resting upon her.
“I love you Flutty” she said.
“I love you too Ditzy” Fluttershy replied.

And as they briefly touched lips in the grass, the fireflies ascended from the forest to light the grasslands with their mystical glow.

Chapter 7: Encounter at Night-Time

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Chapter 7

Rainbow burst through the cloud, leaving a small trail of coloured light and wisps of fluffy cloud in her wake. She wheeled up against the sky, silhouetting herself against the stars. Her mane flowed out behind her, rippling in the winds that jostled her flight. Rainbow turned herself over, her belly up to the moon, and gazed down. Beneath her, the punctured cloud was drifting apart, revealing the rolling hills beneath her. Rainbow looked down at the expanse beneath her, seeng it specked with a faint layer of light. Curious, Dash tilted her head and angled herself down into a gentle descent, gliding down at a comfortable angle, circling until she was close enough to see the lights rising out of the trees. She hovered just above the forest and glanced around, seeing the little motes of golden light dart around.
“Fireflies” she muttered, smiling contentedly. Her momentary fears allayed, she scanned the treeline until she found the gold-lit shapes of her companions, who appeared to be playfully reaching out for the bugs as they gathered around the unfamiliar arrivals. Rainbow gazed for a moment, watching Ditzy dab at the air and Fluttershy lie peacefully beside her. Rainbow rose back up into the air, spiralling upwards into the sky, dimly realising she had burst the only cloud in the nearby sky. The thought hung around in her mind for a moment.

Rainbow looked around the sky, gazing through the dark for shapes. Her eyes trailed over the faintly glowing forest to a peak, sticking up out of the trees like a castle in a village. She had seen it out of the corner of her eye during the day, in glimpses between the trees, but had not paid it much attention. Now, she flapped her wings and propelled herself towards it. She slowly gained speed until the mountain rushed up at near blinding speed. As she approached, she angled herself upwards and swept up the side of the mountain, barely skimming the rocks that jutted out at various angles. It took only five seconds for her to scale the height of the mountain at this speed. Rocks sped past her, sometimes missing by just inches.

The mountain's summit passed her, and her passing launched a small cloud of snow into the air. Rainbow arced back, looping in a slow curve, letting the land roll away beneath her until the world was finally the right way up, before neatly landing on the mountain’s peak. Rainbow twitched slightly as her hooves were embraced by the layer of soft, cold snow that lined the hardened ground.

For a moment she simply stood there. The icy wind froze the stray moisture in her mane and chilled her to the core.

But Rainbow did not care. She just looked out. She stared into the distance. From up here, she could see for miles. Her eyes followed the river they had loosely followed on the way up, tracking its winding journey through the forests until she lost it in the trees. Her eyes drifted across the landscape. Most of it was trees, for miles and miles just trees, stretching away to her left and right for untold miles. However, in front of her, in the direction they had come from, was something different. It was hard to make out in the dark, but Rainbow honestly believed she could see an end to the overgrown landscape, and nothing beyond it.
‘Maybe that’s where I landed’ She thought to herself. A short mental journey later, Rainbow was almost sure that that was where she had crashed. A barren area, where the trees were dying and grass brown, bordering on this luscious forest. Rainbow tried to remember the place in more detail, but to no avail. As she recalled, there was nothing else to remember, it was just an empty land.

Rainbow sailed through the air, steadily decreasing altitude until she pulled up and dropped lightly onto the grass. To her right, Ditzy and Fluttershy were sleeping, with Fluttershy’s hoof reaching over and around Ditzy, holding her close. A spark of envy lit for a moment inside Rainbow’s brain. She hastily squashed the thought and trod a circle of long grass flat, slowly turning on the spot and stamping down. Once an appropriate bed had been made she curled up in it.

After half an hour of twitching, rolling and squirming in an attempt to get comfortable, Rainbow groggily sat upright, flicking her ear in an attempt to dislodge the grass she blamed for keeping her up. She glanced around. The fireflies still flitted around the skies, but were no longer paying any attention to the ponies in their midst. Rainbow gave a glance to the sleeping ponies beside her.
‘Somepony has to make sure nothing gets them’ she reasoned ‘and I’m the only one for the job’. She stood triumphantly for a moment.

Silence gave its empty applause for her. Rainbow swung her gaze around the hills before her. In the dark they did not seem like hills any more. They seemed more like covers, a cloth over an object, hidden from her.

She screwed up her eyes and shook her head. Now was no time to be thinking like a poet, her brain decreed vigilance.

And yet a few persistent thoughts would not leave her mind.
‘Where am I?’
‘Is there anypony else out here?’
‘Why am I so alone?’
“Stop it Dash, nothing good’ll happen if you think like that” she said.
‘Where am I?’
‘Is there anypony else out here?’
‘Why am I so alone?’
“I’m on the way home, that’s where I am” she told herself.
‘Where am I?’
‘Is there anypony else out here?’
‘Why am I so alone?’
“I’m somewhere in the north, like Ditzy said”
‘Why am I here?’
‘Is there anypony else out here?’
‘Why am I so alone?’
“I’m...I’m...There’s got to be somepony out here. Maybe we’ll see a village somewhere if we keep going”
‘Why am I here?’
‘Is there anypony at all here?’
‘Why am I so alone?’
“I’m here”
‘Why am I here?’
‘Is there anypony at all here?’
‘Why am I so alone?’
“I’ve got Fluttershy and Ditz with me, I’m not alone”
‘Why am I here?’
‘Is there anypony at all here?’
‘Then why do I feel it?’
“There’s got to be somepony there”
‘Why am I here?’
‘Is there anypony at all here?’
‘Then why do I feel it?’
“There’s got to be...”
‘Why am I here?’
‘Is there anypony at all here?’
‘Then why do I feel it?’
“At least they have each other”
‘This is unfair’
‘There's nopony here’
‘I'm so alone’
“What have I got?”
‘Nothing’
“Nopony to keep me company” Rainbow sniffed “Nopony to sit beside”
‘Nothing’
“Nopony to stay”
‘Nothing’
“Nothing ever lasted...”
‘She won’t last either’
“She’ll be fine”
‘Why did you stay?’
“I couldn’t just leave them!”
‘Why did you stay?’
“They’re my friends.”
‘Why did you stay?’
“I didn’t want to leave them”
‘Why did you stay?’

Rainbow screwed up her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Because I was lo-“
“Go to sleep Rainbow Dash” Ditzy called groggily. Rainbow glanced across, guessing that she was not fully conscious, and the sunk sheepishly to the ground.
‘They don’t want you’
“Shut up brain” she hissed.

For a while she sat in silence. The night became still. The grass stopped moving. Her mane stopped flapping. Rainbow glanced around warily. Her ears snapped up. Shapes and shadows shifted in the dark.

In the distance, the shifting dots of light suddenly came together and swarmed towards the forest. They streamed overhead and hid in the depths of the forest, their passing rustling the leaves and momentarily covering Dash with their golden light. She flattened against the ground as they flew over her head, afraid something unwelcoming might spot her.
“Something’s got them creeped.” she murmured. The last of the fireflies sped overhead and left the grass dark and silent again. Rainbow slowly raised her head to stare out into the moonlit hills.
After a few moments of searching, the moon hid behind a cloud, leaving Dash to blink in the blackness. Her eyes flicked up to the cloud, seemingly the only one up there, which had drifted firmly over the moon. At a glance, it seemed like it would take at least a minute to pass. Dash closed her eyes and listened for a moment.
No sound.
The night hung around her. Dash squirmed and opened her eyes. The silence was uncomfortable. It stood around her like a wall. It cut her off, pushing in and trapping her in the unnatural calm. Dash stared out into the dark.

And something in the dark stared back.
“Ditz” Dash hissed, her gaze straight ahead. “Fluttershy. Ditz wake up! Fluttershy!”

A tired groan answered her, but no real reply came.
“Guys...” Dash said, keeping her voice low. “Come on, wake up”

The thing came closer. It slid through the grass, almost appearing to pass through it without disturbing it.

Dash strained her eyes and ears, but could hear nothing and see nothing in the black.

Nothing except the silver lights that stared at her. The lights slid through the grass, smoothly coming closer and closer.
“G...guys!” Dash said, louder “Guys wake up!”

The lights advanced.

Twenty metres.

Dash began to back up, her legs stiff and unwilling to move, protesting every instinct to run with the demand to be brave. Her wings slowly extended out to their full length.
“Wake up!” Dash shouted. Her head was locked, she could do nothing but stare.

Fifteen metres.
Her legs screamed at her to run. Every muscle in her body locked up.

Twelve metres.
The lights moved smoothly, like they were flowing in a river. They did not move in a straight line, but swirled in the air. Their indistinct shape slid up and down, sometimes back and forth, but always advancing.

Seven metres.
They moved fast, impossibly so. Back and forth, their movements random.
“Hey, shift off!” Dash yelled, trying to force her face into an expression of determination, but her twitching lips and shaking body betrayed her.

Two metres.

The lights flared, retreating a moment, and then charged forwards again.

Ditzy awoke.

It was still dark.

Above her, the stars glittered in the sky, like reflective beads had been scattered on a dark sheet. The silver moon sat lazily amongst them, half concealed by a large cloud. Ditzy lay on her back, with the grass in the edge of her vision. Fluttershy’s foreleg was draped across her chest, and Fluttershy herself had curled up around Ditzy’s side. Ditzy gently pushed the leg off and rolled onto her front. Her ears raised up. There was an unusual quiet to the air. A breeze, barely noticeable, not even powerful enough to move the grass, flowed around her.

But no sounds. Glancing around the air, Ditzy remembered fireflies before she had fallen asleep. But there were none around now. She wondered where they had got to. A faint smile flickered across her lips at the memory of her last early evening in the presence of the insect mounted lights.
‘They flew everywhere’ she reminded herself.

This jogged another thought in her brain. Flight.

The last she had seen of Rainbow Dash was when she was flying up with the stars.

Ditzy looked around again, scanning the skies with one eye whilst the other skimmed the ground, searching for anything blue or even remotely pony shaped in the moonlight.

Nothing presented itself to her sight. All she saw were the beautiful hills. Ditzy no longer saw them as beautiful. They were treacherous, and hid her friend away from her. A chill ran through Ditzy’s body, making her shudder, flicking her wings out momentarily as she did so.
“Rainbow Dash?” Ditzy called. “Rainbow Dash?” Ditzy gazed around, turning quickly on the spot. With one eye she saw the moon finally cast away the obscuring cloud.

Then came the screaming.

The sound pierced the air like a burning poker shoved through a piece of parchment, ripping at the unnatural calm and lighting Ditzy’s brain into a frenzy. She leapt back, her wings extending and her eyes wildly spinning around, searching desperately for the source of the agonising screeches. The screams continued, raking through the night. At Ditzy’s side, Fluttershy awoke and joined the screams, cowering behind Ditzy. Ditzy raised a hoof to hold her, still searching.

Something was moving in the tall grass. The moonlight seemed to focus on the shifting blades. Something was moving around just under the edge. Something frantically running back and forth. Something screaming at the top of its lungs. Something that suddenly stopped quite a distance away.
The screaming stopped. The something changed course. It was now heading towards Ditzy. It came closer and closer, seemingly galloping. Ditzy could see its outline as it came closer. It was a familiar shape, head bowed and charging. Ditzy pushed Fluttershy back, who whimpered quietly and clung to Ditzy’s back.
“Wait...” Ditzy murmured, squinting at the thing advancing rapidly towards them through the tall grass.
“Ditzy...” squeaked Fluttershy “Run!”

The creature leapt into the air, marking itself against the silver moon, spreading its wings and diving towards Ditzy at impossible speeds. It crashed into her, knocking both her and Fluttershy to the ground and pinning them to the ground with a cyan hoof on each chest.
“Are you two alright?” Rainbow shouted in their faces, her eyes wide and her pupils dilated. Her mane was dishevelled, with bits of grass and twig sticking out of it. Her coat was muddied and her teeth were scored with scratches and chips, as if she had been biting rocks. Her mouth hung open as she breathed heavily, seemingly struggling to draw air into her lungs.
“Fine, thank you” Fluttershy whispered, her eyes shut and her head turned away.
“You’re both fine?” Dash yelled, rapidly switching her gaze between the two mares.
“I think you’re hurting Flutty...” Ditzy pointed out, with a strange half smile on her face.

Rainbow practically launched herself off of the other ponies, rearing up on her back hooves and nearly falling backwards. She stumbled a few steps on two hooves, before turning and collapsing into a small heap. Ditzy sat up and leant over Fluttershy.
“You okay?” she said quietly.
“I’ll be fine” Fluttershy replied. “Just let me... catch my breath.” Fluttershy pushed weakly against the ground. Seeing her marefriend struggle, Ditzy put her forelegs around her and lifted the wounded mare to a more comfortable position. “Ditzy...” Fluttershy said “Can you... check the ba... bandage, please?”

A whimper behind her caused Ditzy to turned her head, cocking it to one side quizzically.
“Can it wait a second, Flutty?” Ditzy asked.
“Oh... um, yes”

At that Ditzy turned fully towards Rainbow Dash, who was curled up into a ball a metre away, and was sobbing.
“Rainbow Dash? You okay?” Ditzy asked, hesitating. She dared not step forwards. Rumour had it that Dash had a tendency to lash out when upset.
“I tried to get it to go” Dash sobbed. Snuffling noises came from the face hidden behind Dash’s front legs. “I tried to make it go away. But it wouldn’t leave... it... it...” Rainbow broke down, her speech descending into unintelligible noises.
“What? I don’t get it?” Ditzy said.

Rainbow slowly dragged her hooves away from her face and gazed into Ditzy’s eyes, tears running down her face.
“S...something was h...here. It w...would...n’t go”

Ditzy looked around in the dark.
“I don’t see anything” she told Dash.
“It’s watching” Dash hissed “It’s always watching as long as we’re in its land it can see and it knows what we do and wants to know what we’ll do and how we survived and oh Celestia, get it out of my head! The eyes! The eyes! The-“

Rainbow Dash was cut off by a hard buck to the head from Ditzy. As Rainbow settled into unconsciousness, Ditzy simply stood, shaking like a spinning top in an earthquake.

Chapter 8: The Fortress Behind the Mountain

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Chapter 8

“I think she broke it”
“Broke what?”
“The bamboo...eek! It hurts”
“Sit still”
“It hurts...”
“Flutty, stop it, please”
“But...”
“Just hold still and let me look”
“...”
“I have no idea what I’m doing”
“Ditzy!”
“Sorry, I thought I might be able to help”
“Well... thank you for... trying”
“It’s okay! Shame that this thing is still sticking-“
“Eek! Don’t touch it! Hurts...”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry”
“Just...leave it...please”
“Okay, sorry, sorry. Are you alright?”
“I’ll be... uh... fine”
“Flutty?”
“...”
“Hey, don’t go to sleep Flutty. Wake up. You’re bleeding again. Flutty? Flutty? Flutty, wake up!”
“...”
“Hello?”
“...”
“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in-”
“ARGH!”
“Stop screaming!”
“What are you doing?!”
“I was just having a look inside...”
“Well...don’t!”
“Sorry Flutty I just thought-“
“Just...oh dear...blood.”
“Flutty? Are you asleep again?”
“...”
“Hmmm”

Four pairs of eyes gazed on from the trees.
“Why does she torture her companion, so?” the first voice mused.
“Perhaps she is stupid, or too dull to know” a second replied.
“Look into her eyes, they would frighten me some” a third voice said “If not for the distance over which we have come”

The first voice turned to the squirrel that stood with them.
“Tell me, my friend, are these the ones?” the first voice asked. The squirrel nodded enthusiastically and chirped in the affirmative. “Then I do believe that our work is done”

Ditzy glanced up from her intrigued prodding of Fluttershy’s wounds. Across the trees before her, three shapes carefully pushed their way through the leaves and branches. Each was hooded, wearing a plain brown garment that cast the face in shadow and concealed the body. The one on the left also had a pair of saddlebags. They spread around her in a wide arc, maintaining their distance. In the faint light of sunrise to Ditzy’s right, the figures were visible only as imposing shapes. Ditzy’s eyes swivelled around to try and watch them all, but quickly locked on a familiar character emerging from the bushes behind them.
“Mister Squirrel!” Ditzy cheered. The squirrel cocked its head and scampered forwards, running around Ditzy’s legs for a moment before darting to Fluttershy’s side.
“I must ask you as to her condition” said the central figure, stepping closer to Ditzy “Her survival is our current mission”
“What?” Ditzy said. “Who are you ponies?”
“You must trust us, we are here to assist” claimed the figure to the right.
“So tell us what happened to those in our midst” the central figure finished.
“Well, okay...” Ditzy said apprehensively. “Flutty there landed on a really hard plant and its kinda been stuck in her for a while. And Dashie over there just got kicked in the head”

The three cloaked figures cocked their heads in confusion.
“Don’t ask” Ditzy told them. “Wait... why are you here?”

Suddenly, the squirrel began squeaking rapidly. The lead figure sped over to Fluttershy and began inspecting her wounds.
“We must get her to safety fast. With blood lost like this, she is unlikely to last!” the figure declared, motioning to the one with the saddlebags, who hurried over, pulling a collapsible stretcher from her saddlebags and assembling it beside Fluttershy.
“Hey, what’re you doing to her!” Ditzy objected, stepping towards them, but was pushed gently back by the third figure, who intercepted and turned her away.
“Please, I urge you, do not interfere. Instead please assist with the poor mare here” the voice beneath the hood, seemingly male, said. As he said it, he gestured towards Rainbow’s limp body.
“Um...okay” Ditzy said, still wary of the cloaked figures. She trotted over the Rainbow, keeping an eye on the cloaked figure beside her.
“A knock to the head, was that the affliction?” The figure asked. Ditzy nodded. “Then first to establish the patient’s condition.” The figure pushed Rainbow onto her back, quickly scanning for injuries, before lowering his head to the mare’s chest and listening. “A heartbeat, excellent, and her breathing is good. But the marks on her face may warrant a hood”
“She’s not that ugly”. Dizty grinned at her own joke, but received what she assumed to be a stern glare from under the hood of the cloak.
“The situation is grave, do not be in jest. Now help me to move her and we’ll do the rest” the figure commanded, and hoisted the limp blue body onto his back. Ditzy helped lift the mare, and made sure Rainbow was in a comfortable position. The figure called out to his associates “Are we ready to depart?”

The two other hooded figures finished hoisting a newly bandaged Fluttershy onto the stretcher and then onto their backs, before turning back and answering in unison.
“Indeed we are, let us do our part”

A few moments after they had departed, Ditzy ran back into the grass, picked up the food bag in her mouth, and galloped back to join her new companions.

The walk through the forest was largely silent. The hooded figures led the way, following a beaten and well worn track in the trees. The two carrying Fluttershy strode ahead, carefully limiting their speed as not to bounce her unnecessarily. Behind them came the one carrying Rainbow Dash, and behind him Ditzy, upon whom sat the squirrel. The food bag swung from Ditzy’s mouth, occasionally brushing against her chest. The forest was nearly devoid of sound. Unlike the Everfree forest, the only other wooded area Ditzy had spent a large amount of time in, which had always seemed to be teeming with life. The near silence, interrupted only by the steady beat of hoof on dirt, scraped away at Ditzy’s thoughts. The quiet bored her, and the walk was long. Casting an eye upwards revealed the tip of the Squirrel’s tail hanging over the edge of her mane, unmoving. The Squirrel had fallen fast asleep.
“Hurw lung are weh walkern fur?” Ditzy asked the figure ahead of her, forgetting to remove the bag from her mouth before speaking. The figure, turned its head back slightly to look at her.
“Not long now, my grey coated friend” the figure began, apparently understanding the meaning of Ditzy’s words “Our walk is nearly at an end”
“Uh, ukkay!” Ditzy grunted cheerily.

The walk continued for a short while, before the path opened out to a lake. Ahead, a mountain loomed, its snow capped peak piercing the slowly lightening sky. The sun was barely visible over the trees, but it had still risen a good distance beyond the twilight state Ditzy’s first meeting with the figures had been in. The water stretched ahead, its glistening surface reaching to the mountain’s base and slipping gently around it. The figures stopped at its edge, pawing gently at the ground with their forehooves.
“I think this place is good for rest” one of the figures carrying Fluttershy declared.
“To stop for a moment would be best” the leader figure agreed, and began to lower Fluttershy’s stretcher from her back. The figure holding Rainbow also relieved himself of his burden, gently laying her by the water’s edge. The figures busied themselves making sure Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were in stable conditions, and refilled their canteen of water, after using it to wash Fluttershy’s wound. The bandage was replaced in short order and both unconscious ponies were watered lightly from the canteen. Ditzy gazed on with a small amount of awe. She had little experience in field medicine, and was impressed by the clinical manner in which the figures all went about their business, as opposed to the soothing manner in which Fluttershy dealt with all her animal patients. Ditzy sat breathlessly as the figures completed their checks in near silence.
‘Maybe they can’t do the rhyming thing with short sentences’ Ditzy thought. Soon, she had drifted off into her own thoughts, with one hoof half into the food bag at her side, paused halfway through reaching for a snack.
“Madam, I must ask, are you alright?” the leader figure asked, drawing closer to Ditzy. Dizty snapped out of her thoughts and focused on the figure, nodding quickly. “Good, I’m afraid that you gave us a fright”
“Nah, I just drift every now and then” Ditzy told them, plucking a berry from the bag and shoving it in her mouth, before giving the figure a grin stained with berry juice. The figure nodded curtly and turned toward Rainbow Dash.
“I will carry the blue one from here” The figure commanded, and then turned back to Ditzy “To our destination, we draw quite near”
“Then why did we stop?” Ditzy asked, getting to her hooves.
“The village of which we currently seek, is located beyond that mountain’s peak” the figure said.
“We’ve got to climb the mountain?”
“No, that is wrong. We must simply go beyond”
“What, fly? I don’t think I can fly right now. My wing’s all twingy”
“No I mean we must go around, if our village is to be found” the figure claimed, hefting Rainbow onto her back. Ditzy looked over the lake at the mountain, noting that the lake was probably going to take at least another hour to cross go around. For a moment she thought about suggesting swimming over to save time, but silenced herself when she remembered she did not like swimming.
“Makes you wonder why I jumped in the water a few days back...” Ditzy said, voicing her thoughts aloud.

The three figures stared at her, unsure quite how to respond.
“What?” Ditzy said “What happened to going, are we going to try swimming it? Because that would be a really bad idea, I don’t think you guys can swim, at least...I don’t think they can. Zebras can’t usually swim...”
“Wait, have you met us before?” the leader figure said suddenly, flicking back the hood to reveal the black and white striped head of a female zebra, her mane held in bands. “Have you had contact with the village, or more?”
“More?” Ditzy said, wondering if that word had been added simply for rhyming purposes. “I only know one zebra...well apart from you guys”
“Where are you from, little mare? A brethren of ours may have strayed somewhere” the male zebra said, flicking back his hood to reveal a hardened head, scarred in several places, and his mane hanging loosely around his head.
“Ponyville, it’s down south somewhere”
“Equestria? But that is to the north” the leader zebra claimed “Have you been travelling away from your source?”
“Source? No I wasn’t born there” Ditzy said, receiving a trio of glares “Well, we were trying to get back there though, I could have sworn we were up north though?”
“Apparently you were mistaken” the only still hooded zebra commented.
“The wrong path, you must have taken” the leader finished. “We will show you the correct way, and help you go, but not today.” At this, the leader turned to the others and nodded. They hoisted Fluttershy onto the stretcher and quietly set off. Ditzy was at first confused, but soon followed, picking up the food bag and glancing at the edge of her mane to confirm that the squirrel was still sleeping there. They walked along the lakeside, keeping a steady pace. Ditzy often looked into the water, picking out fish and insects in it, and giggling when a large trout plucked a fly out of the air with an impressive little leap.

Before long, the group had reached the other side of the lake. The mountain was now behind them, and Ditzy could see a narrow passage of rocks and dirt crossing from the mainland to the island mountain. Beside the crossing was a small wooden sign, but Ditzy was not close enough to read it and did not want to risk straying too far from Fluttershy’s body for long enough to go and read it. Thinking this, Ditzy sped up a little and stayed closer to the stretcher upon which Fluttershy lay.

She knew there was no helping her, not at the moment, but Ditzy felt that if she stayed close, maybe Fluttershy would sense her presence, and maybe she would begin to feel better. Ditzy closed her eyes for a moment and stopped, transferring the food bag to her wing, before catching up and drawing close to Fluttershy.

For the rest of the journey she whispered gently in Fluttershy’s ear.

The village gates loomed. They were a pair of impractically large wooden blocks, joined to the towering log wall by equally impressive hinges. At the base of the gate, the grass had been stamped away by repeated use, leaving only bare dirt. Trees reached up at the tips of the walls, stretching over, but never quite passing the sharp top of the walls and gate. The wood was scratched and worn, the weather seeming to have taken its toll on it, and yet the mighty wall stayed up.
“You know” Ditzy began “with wooden hinges like that, something big enough can probably just break through, snap the hinges. Even if there’s a bar on the other side... still wouldn’t hold up”
“Yes, well...it’s mainly to scare.” The male zebra said, coughing quietly as if embarrassed “To attack something that large, most creatures won’t dare”
“Oh...that makes sense. Nice touch with those two spikes on the gate” Ditzy said.
“To make a spike that size would be too hard, no my dear, each one is a guard” the male zebra corrected her. As if to punctuate this statement, the two guards standing atop the gate called out in unison.
“State who you are, and why you are here, or else our might will be something to fear!” the guards bellowed.
“It is we, who were sent to help the wounded. You should let us back or else you’re deluded” the leader of the three zebras on the ground shouted back. She gave a little smile as the two guards darted from their posts. She turned to Ditzy “And by the way, our names if you wish. I’m Narta, he’s Tickanth and she is Cortrich” she pointed to each zebra as she formally introduced them. Tickanth nodded curtly at Ditzy, Cortich only snorted, her face still obscured by the hood. Narta finished her words just as the heavy gate began to grind open. Its lower edge dragged heavily against the ground as it slowly moved inwards, revealing beyond it a series of huts and tents, nearly a hundred of them, gathered around a single area of open space, in which several Zebras stood talking. Out of the gates rushed three zebras of smaller size than the three with Ditzy. They wore white and black robes, and attached to their ears were totems and feathers, which were also tied into their mane at seemingly random intervals. They quickly relieved the cloaked zebras of their burdens and hurried the limp bodies through the gate.
“Hey! What’re they doing?” Ditzy objected.
“At medicine, our witchdoctors are quite good. Without them your friends will be dead as chopped wood” Narta said quickly, putting out a hoof to prevent Ditzy from charging ahead. “Now please, let us enter, but please remain slow. The zebra is wary of one it doesn’t know”

Chapter 9: A Caring Culture

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Chapter 9

Hoofsteps crunched across the charcoal black ground. The howling wind blew a foul stench into the air, a stench not unlike rotting flesh. Across the ground lay scattered pieces of wood, broken and twisted. The charred remains of tree trunks sat in the ground everywhere, and not a single tree grown. The ground was pockmarked with craters and small piles of dirt, most of which had little wooden boards, all burnt down to a fraction of their original size. Clouds rolled over the sky, blocking out the sun. A choking smoke drifted through the air, obscuring any vision and choking the lungs.

Fluttershy came level with a burnt stump, watching as a little flame burnt away at the last bit of vegetation upon it. The flame flickered and died before her eyes. Hesitantly, Fluttershy lifted her hoof and tapped at the twig the flame had occupied. It crumbled to her touch. Fluttershy pulled back her hoof sharply. A fine black ash coated her bright yellow hoof, like a macabre shoe. Slowly, she lifted her shaking hoof to her face and sniffed.

The smell of burning made her recoil. Placing her hoof back on the ground, she moved her gaze. Her eyes focused on the dips and pits and little hills in the ground. Almost without notice or the hard and uncomfortable ground or the grim situation around her, Fluttershy walked impassively over to the nearest one. A broken piece of wood stuck out of it, scorched and burned. Beside it lay a small plaque, curled and marked in the heat. Fluttershy tilted her head to read the inscription.

She could not make it out clearly, but something in the back of her mind told her that a name and a date was inscribed on the plaque in ashen letters. Then, something clicked in her mind.

It was a grave.

Fluttershy looked around, looked at the hundreds of markers and mounds across the nightmare landscape.

They were all graves.

Rainbow Dash groaned. Her head felt as if it had been packed with expanding foam and the launched at a wall. Groggily, she lifted one hoof and laid it against her forehead, letting out another groan as she did so. She waited a moment before she tried to open her eyes, deciding that, wherever she was, she was comfortable. The moment of quiet was appreciated, and when she did finally open her eyes Rainbow was mildly surprised to find a ceiling above her. It appeared to be made of plants, thatched and made into a working shelter. Branches had been used to strengthen it, and poked out of the ceiling in a few places. Once she grew tired of inspecting the ceiling, Rainbow rolled her head to her right, finding a simple wall, from which hung totems and other items of unusual origin. Rainbow rolled her head the other way.
“Hi!” Ditzy chirped, her face mere centimetre’s from Rainbow’s. Rainbow jolted, struggling to remain composed despite the splitting headache and sudden shock. Ditzy just sat there, grinning as if her mouth were being held open by an invisible stick.
“D...D...Ditz...” Rainbow stammered.
“Yeah?”
“Wh...what are I doing here? Where...where is here?” Rainbow groaned suddenly and clutched her skull “And why do I feel like somepony kicked me in the head?”
“Well...” Ditzy began “That’s either because you fell of the zebra’s back on the way here... or... because I bucked you in the face”

Rainbow tilted her head, grunting in confusion.
“Wait...what, Zebras?” she said.
‘Well played, me’ Ditzy thought to herself.
“And why did you kick me?”
“Stupid brain, you got smug too early” Ditzy muttered.

Rainbow stared on as Ditzy began one side of a heated argument with herself.
“Great, she’s crazy” Rainbow grunted.

Tiring of the partially vocal squabbling in front of her, Dash slowly looked around the room. The hut was somewhat spacious, with room for several beds and room to walk between them, as well as several small tables tucked in corners and against the walls, upon which lay instruments and herbs of unknown usage. One of the walls had a large rectangle missing, leading into a darkened room, another wall was marked by two large flaps, around which shone beams of golden light. Most of the beds were empty, apart from the one directly behind Rainbow’s pillow, which occupied a space close to the door.

Upon it laid Fluttershy. She was lying peacefully, a light brown blanket pulled up over her soft shoulders.
“Ditz...” Rainbow said, staring at Fluttershy. “Ditz is she alright?”

Ditzy stopped just before she slapped herself in the face.
“What, Flutty? Yeah she’s fine” Ditzy said, smiling calmly.
“But, what about the...” Rainbow trailed off, pointing at her own belly.
“The what?”
“The bamboo”
“Oh!” Ditzy said “They took that out and patched her up”
“What?”
“Yeah, turns out zebra medicine is really good. Although they did say she’s not going to be flying anytime within a year, and told us not to make her work too hard or she’ll reopen the wounds, but you were asleep for that bit so I had to remember, and they said that she shouldn’t be in as much pain now, because there’s nothing sticking in her, and they said that I’m a nice pony for looking after you two, but then they said I was mean for kicking you, but then they forgot all about that when I pointed out Fluttershy, and they were really nice, and they gave us food, seriously, look!” Ditzy rambled, finishing her initial fountain of words by pulling out the food bag, which now contained several interesting herbs and items, salted and wrapped.
“Whoa...nice” Rainbow said, staring at the little packages that filled their somewhat shoddily made bag.
“I know” Ditzy said, beginning again. Rainbow inwardly noted to never let Ditzy get talking ever again as she started to rattle off what she had been doing for the past day, which appeared to consist mainly of sitting in the tent with them, going for walks, and teaching the zebras songs from Ponyville, which Rainbow doubted had been taught with any degree of skill or accuracy. “But anyway, I slept in here the night, because they didn’t have many spare places, and I didn’t really want to leave you guys alone, because that would be kinda mean-” Ditzy was cut off by Rainbow waving a foreleg in her direction.
“Ditz, that’s great and all but, please be quiet” Rainbow groaned “You’re giving me a headache. As well as the one I already had. And you still haven’t explained why you bucked me in the head”
“I’m getting to it!” Ditzy objected.
“Uh, never mind” Rainbow told her. “I got a feeling that I just don’t want to know”
“That’s probably brain damage”
“Not helping Ditz”

There was a moment’s quiet. Rainbow relished it, before sighing gently and sliding out of her bed.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be out of bed yet!” Ditzy objected.
“I’m also supposed to be looking after you two, which I can’t do from here” Rainbow reasoned.
“Still...” Ditzy said, frowning as Rainbow stretched out in front of her.
“Trust me Ditz” Rainbow said, smiling mischievously “If they complain, say I hit you”
“But I don’t have any hit marks”
“Are you seriously asking me to hit you?” Dash asked incredulously.
“No, my wing just got fixed properly, I don’t want that going again”
“Oh yeah, what happened with that?” Rainbow said, her care for her friend overriding her need to explore “You seemed to be able to glide on it last time I saw you try”

Ditzy extended her damaged wing, revealing a splint attached to the underside.
“I can fly in small bits” she explained “Well, I could. I haven’t tried since we got here. Witchy says I shouldn’t fly at all really, apparently I’m dangerous enough on the ground”

Rainbow nodded slowly in agreement. Ditzy didn’t notice.
“Who’s Witchy?” Rainbow asked, holding up a hoof for silence.
“I don’t know her name. Narta called her a witchdoctor, so I just went with that” Ditzy said.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a sec.” Rainbow held out both of her front hooves this time, balancing briefly on her back legs. “You’ve been letting some witch have a go at me whilst I was out?”

Ditzy tilted her head.
“I don’t think she’s actually a witch. She hasn’t done anything spooky” Ditzy said, thinking aloud. “I mean, I haven’t seen anything spooky. So maybe she’s really good a hiding it. Unless you count the herbs and stuff, and the powders... and then there was that thing with the frog-“
“What thing with the frog?” Rainbow squeaked, her eyes widening.
“Well” Ditzy began “Turns out that frog spit is really good for treating infected wounds if you mix it with a few other things”

Rainbow stopped listening. She turned her head to Fluttershy.
“That reminds me.” Ditzy continued “Turns out Flutty had an infected wound. I didn’t know, but apparently the green stuff growing on it was bad.” The pair of them moved a few paces to stand by Fluttershy. “She asked you to check for this kind of thing a few days back, I heard her”

Rainbow hung her head slightly, bracing herself for the question.
“Why didn’t you tell her?” Ditzy asked, lowering her head to catch Rainbow’s eye “Or me?”

Rainbow swallowed.
“Rainbow Dash?” Ditzy’s voice lowered to just above a whisper. “You okay?”

Rainbow shut her eyes.
“I’m sorry Rainbow Dash” Ditzy said morosely. “I didn’t mean to-“
“Save it Ditz” Dash cut her off.

There was a moment of quiet between the two friends. Outside, the rattle of a cart sounded, mixed in with the murmurs of everyday life. Above it all, Rainbow’s heavy breathing stood out.
“I didn’t tell you guys because,” Rainbow began “because I didn’t want you two to get scared. And don’t say you wouldn’t have, because you would. And then I‘d have to deal with a paired of scared pegasi on top of everything else.” Rainbow’s head snapped up and glared into Ditzy’s eyes. “And I am not going to be brought down by you two losing your cool in a situation like...this.” The last word was practically spat at Ditzy, and the moment it left her lips Dash’s voice cooled.
“Flutty knows what she’s doing” Ditzy pouted. “She knows how to treat a wound”

At that, Ditzy turned around and wandered towards the door.
“I’m going for a walk...you coming?” Ditzy asked, peering over her shoulder “You might as well look around”
“No, no I’ll stay here thanks” Rainbow said, watching the mesmerising rise and fall of Fluttershy’s chest beneath the blanket. Ditzy shrugged and turned away, pushing open the flaps that formed a door and exiting into the burning sunlight.
“Miss Dash, I implore you, with your injured head” came a voice from the corner. Rainbow whirled around to see a zebra, clothed in a white and black gown and with his mane tied back. The zebra stepped out from the shadowy room, making her way around the beds to Rainbow’s side. “You should not be venturing away from your bed.”
“You’re... the witchdoctor, right?” Rainbow said. The zebra nodded.
“Also known as a shaman, but you would still be correct. Now sit and tilt your head here, it is what I’ll inspect” the zebra instructed. Rainbow did as was asked of her. For a few minutes the zebra examined her skull and asked questions in the frequently confusing rhyme zebras were fond of using. Before long, Rainbow found herself silently pleading that the endless wordplay would end. The situation seemed more like a lyrical ballad than a medical examination.
“You know, stallions don’t usually get to touch me like this” Rainbow complained quietly. The zebra seemed to ignore the comment and carried on with his speech.
“And so tell me how you got this injury” the witchdoctor finished, releasing her head and sitting on the bed opposite Rainbow Dash.
“Well, it’s kind of a weird story” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
“The tale told by young Miss Doo, was that a madness came to you.”
“The last thing I really remember is landing next to Fluttershy and Ditzy, and then I couldn’t sleep and then” Rainbow paused. She blinked quickly and screwed up her eyes, trying to get a memory through the roaring cloud in her mind. “Lights, just two lights in the dark and... I don’t know, a sort of...” Rainbow trailed off again.
“Please Miss Dash, I wish to know more, please describe the lights you saw” the zebra leaned inwards, his brow furrowed.
“They were, um, silvery, kind of indistinct, you know? Like they weren’t really there.” Rainbow began to fumble at her words. “A...and they seemed to always be sort of, close, even though I could see they were half a hill away they felt... close. Like they were in my eyes. No. In. In my head. Nyeurgh.” She shuddered suddenly.

The witchdoctor grabbed her gently, but firmly, by the forelegs.
“Are you sure that is what you saw?” he asked “Would you swear by Gods or Law?”
“Yeah” Rainbow said, glancing at the hooves against her. “What’s going on?”
“I must leave, but I shall return, events have taken a foreboding turn.” The witchdoctor said, his attention evidently on something other than his patient. He quickly span around and galloped outside. Rainbow took a moment to consider the worried tone in the zebra’s voice before he left.
“Weird” Rainbow remarked, dropping onto the floor and trotting over to the exit. She carefully poked her head through the flaps, squinting and blinking in the sunlight. She gazed around at the huts and tents, gathered close together in rows, all circling a central point on Rainbow’s right. The witchdoctor was galloping towards the village centre. Zebras turned to watch, an excited murmur rose as zebras everywhere began to theorise.
‘Note to self, high speed shamans are bad’ Rainbow thought. Several zebras had begun to look to Rainbow Dash, her head poking awkwardly from the hut. Normally, the attention would be welcomed, but there was something in their stares she did not like. Rainbow began to retreat back into the hut, her eyes flicking between the striped faces watching her and the witchdoctor, who appeared to be desperately pleading with an important looking zebra, waving his hooves and gesturing wildly as he spoke.

With one final glance around, Rainbow ducked inside. She shook her head slightly and gritted her teeth, trying to force a memory. Something about the lights she described had spooked him.
“Maybe he’s seen them too” Rainbow wondered aloud.
“Hey Rainbow Dash” called the familiar voice of Ditzy, pushing her way in. “Why’s everypony talking about you?”
“I honestly have no idea, Ditz” she replied. “I think they just don’t like trauma induced amnesia”
“Do you know what any of those words mean?”
“Yeah, the witchdoctor taught me them a minute ago”
“Oh...lucky you” Ditzy said, wandering towards Fluttershy. “I bet Flutty knows what they mean too”.

Then, as if cued by Ditzy’s words, Fluttershy opened her eyes. Ditzy dived close and stared into the widening orbs, grinning wildly. She barely noticed the silver lining fade from Fluttershy’s iris.
“Hey!” Ditzy cheered. Fluttershy jolted slightly, which brought a grin to Rainbow’s face, but recovered and smiled back quickly.
“Hello Ditzy” Fluttershy said quietly. Ditzy nuzzled her, squeaking happily.
“Are you okay now?” Ditzy asked “Sorry about the whole pokey thing, but I don’t need to do that now because they took the bamboo out!””
“What?” Fluttershy squeaked “Who took it out? Where am I? Help...”
“We’re in a zebra camp, not entirely sure how we got here myself” Rainbow told her.
“Oh... you mean, like Zecora?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t think its very likely this is the same group she’s from” Rainbow said “Still, at least we’re already used to that rhyming thing they do”
“’That rhyming thing’ is a cultural aspect and really should be respected” Fluttershy said sharply, her voice still quiet but with enough force to make it clear she was serious. Rainbow took a step back and very quietly apologised. Fluttershy turned back to Ditzy. “So how did we get here?”
“Mister Squirrel came back with three of the zebras, and it turns out he went and found them because he was scared you were going to die, and he didn’t want that at all, so he ran to here, got help, and found us a little after Dash went crazy and I kicked her in the head.”
“Why does that keep coming up?” Rainbow sighed, rubbing the still present hoofmark on the side of her head.
“Well” Fluttershy said, still smiling gently “I guess it was a good idea to keep the squirrel with us then”
“Yah-huh!” Ditzy said, nodding rapidly. “So...” she continued, her head coming to a halt “what was it like being all sleepy from blood loss?”

Fluttershy thought about the question for a moment. For a moment her mouth twisted in grim recollection, before returning to its former gentle smile.
“It’s a bit like going to sleep” Fluttershy said.
“Did you dream?” Ditzy asked.
“Of course I did” Fluttershy replied.

Fluttershy laid quietly on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Ditzy had filled her in on the events of her time unconscious and given a detailed account of the village outside. Despite what she had heard about zebras, and her only experience with them being the reclusive one in the Everfree forest, Fluttershy could not help but feel an interest in the locals.
‘After all’ she reasoned, lightly pawing the safely wrapped wound, now empty of life threatening bamboo and sealed with a strange ritual held whilst she was unconcious ‘They saved my life, the least I could do is pay some attention to their culture. Maybe I’ll learn something to tell Angel all about when I get home, and maybe I could discuss the culture with Zecora too. Oh I’m getting excited just thinking about it!’ She turned her head to look around the room. Night had fallen outside, and the room was lit by a small lamp, hung from the ceiling by a thin wire. Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep on her bed, and Ditzy had taken up residence on the floor by Fluttershy’s side. By the exit, a large zebra stood, his head held high and garbed with a reed covered headpiece. He reminded Fluttershy of the Canterlot Royal Guard in his unflinching stance and cold exterior. He had arrived when the witchdoctor returned, who claimed he was to keep away any who may disturb their rest. Fluttershy doubted the words, but the witchdoctor seemed to give off an aura of caring energy. She trusted him to do his art to the best of his ability, if nothing else. She could see him from where she laid. He sat in the adjoining room, busily flicking through books brought to him over the past few hours.

The guard caught Fluttershy’s eye. She pulled the blankets up around her eyes.
“Witchdoctor” rumbled the guard “your patient is awake. Is it not time for her medicine to take?”

The witchdoctor’s head perked up from his books. He glanced to Fluttershy, smiled, marked his page in the book, and busied himself with the herbs and tools on a nearby table.
“It is good for you that you are here” the witchdoctor said “Your time was nearly up, my dear”

Fluttershy peeked out from under the blanket.
“Nearly up?” she asked hesitantly.

The witchdoctor nodded, picking up a vial of freshly mixed liquid in his teeth and walking over. He gently placed it by her side and gestured to it.
“Indeed, your wounds were grievous and bloody” he told her “And the bandages upon it were getting muddy”

A thought struck Fluttershy. She let go of the blanket.
“Mr witchdoctor, um, sir. May I ask you something?”

The witchdoctor smiled and nodded welcomingly.
“Well, I never actually got a good look at the wounds and, um, it seems to be plugged with something right now, so knowing what that is might be good, also, more importantly um...” Fluttershy trailed off. The witchdoctor raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Um, was the hole, um, infected at all?”

The doctor scowled a little, and glanced at the two sleeping ponies.
“I am surprised they did not say, but the virus in those wounds should have killed you today” the witchdoctor claimed. Fluttershy squeaked in alarm.
“You told them first? Is there no such thing as doctor-patient confidentiality around here?” Fluttershy stammered, staring at Ditzy “No wonder she was so eager to know how I was, you must have terrified her!”
“You talk of what I did today as if it were a sin. It is custom in these parts to inform the next of kin” the witchdoctor explained.
“Oh...”
“Do not worry now, young mare. Please drink the tea I placed down there” he instructed. Fluttershy looked down and gripped the drink in her forehooves. She could smell it clearly, and it contained in it the smells of berries and herbs, with what might have been a spice of sorts. Slowly, she lifted the vial to her lips and took a sip.

It tasted of the berries she had eaten from Ditzy’s bag of food.
“Was this made with berries growing near where you found us?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yes it was, they commonly grow. How was it that you came to know?”
“I’ve been eating them for the past few days. Maybe that’s what slowed the infection”

The witchdoctor considered this for a moment.
“Indeed, that theory may be true. If so, it is most lucky for you” he concluded.
“I’m sorry, I think I just made your friends bringing me here sound a little less heroic” Fluttershy said.
“Cortich and her friends are no friends of mine. Those one’s always cross the line” the witchdoctor said, a warning tone in his voice.
“Even to save a life?” Fluttershy asked. The witchdoctor did not respond immediately.
“I will speak of this no more tonight, please finish your drink and rest your sight” the witchdoctor said. Fluttershy quickly obeyed, quickly drinking her beverage and passing it back. He placed it to one side and gently pushed her down into her bed, pulling the blankets up around her.
“Mr witchdoctor, will the drink stop me dreaming?” Fluttershy asked.
“I do not know, I have not seen. In the morning we’ll see if you have been.” The witchdoctor said, his gentle smile placating any worries gathering in Fluttershy’s mind.
“I don’t want to dream...” Fluttershy muttered, as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 10: The Travellers' Rest

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Chapter 10

Two Days Later

“Let me see, let me see!” Ditzy cried happily, bouncing on the spot beside Fluttershy’s bed.
“Please, miss Doo, give me some space. The wound must heal at its own pace” the witchdoctor said.
“I know, I know” Ditzy said “But that’s boring. Flutty used to be able to go walking all the time! I want to show her around town too! Come on!”
“Your wing please, if you would” he said to Fluttershy - managing with practiced skill to carefully ignore the excitable mare by his side - who extended her damaged wing carefully into the air. The witchdoctor carefully unwrapped the bandage, discarding it into a reed bowl that sat on the bed. “It seems your reaction is nothing but good” he concluded cheerfully.
“Could there have been a reaction to the medicine?” Fluttershy asked.
“It is possible, but a rare to see, that wings and such may atrophy” he admitted. Fluttershy squealed and pulled her wing back, hurriedly checking it for any sign of the limb wasting away. “Relax my dear, the chance was low. To work with a pegasus is uncommon, you know. Experience is something we have in few shares, so please, provide any help you can give to your care.”

Fluttershy looked up from the wing.
“You really should have asked sooner if I had any reactions to these things” Fluttershy said quietly.
“Perhaps, but at least we can see that you are not dead, and you spend most your time asleep in your bed” the witchdoctor said, taking an obvious pleasure in the words. Fluttershy gave off a sheepish smile, and quietly apologised.
“Yeah, you’ve been really sleepy recently. You haven’t been this tired since-” Ditzy was cut off by the sudden appearance of a hoof in her mouth. Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed a luminescent red.
“Try not to move, for any task” the witchdoctor said, pushing Fluttershy gently down onto the bed and removing her hoof from Ditzy’s mouth “And something tells me that I should not ask”
“Please don’t” Fluttershy said quietly. The witchdoctor nodded and silently began his work again, bandaging the wing again and letting Fluttershy fold it back in. He asked her to roll onto her back and begun a similar procedure with the wound in her centre. Ditzy craned her neck, eager to see what had been placed to stem the bleeding. The witchdoctor politely pushed her back with a hoof to her collar bone.

Ditzy pouted, but let herself be pushed back. The witchdoctor reached for a small knife, telling Fluttershy to be still. He picked it up in his teeth and slid in under the bandage, with the blade facing outwards. With a quick tug, the knot of the bandage fell loose. The bandage flopped down onto the bed, comparatively clean compared to the last ones Ditzy saw replaced. A few tiny flecks of blood stained it, but nothing serious. Ditzy then looked up to the wound itself, seeing a strange tem placed inside it.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at it.
“Local plantlife” Fluttershy stated, as the witchdoctor opened his mouth to answer. As Fluttershy spoke, he busied himself with replacing the object “A sponge like growth known locally as Tee-mise that is found on several trees near the mountains. Since it is hard to get when growing naturally due to growing near the top of the – ah, careful – of the trees, any zebra outside the village is encouraged to bring back a–uh – any that they find having fallen off to the ground. Once cleaned and preserved, they can be cut to size and used for many things, such as – ah – kitchen sponges, bandage linings or even child toys”

Ditzy stared blankly for a moment.
“I’m sorry, were you going to say that?” Fluttershy asked the witchdoctor as he finished his work.
“It is fine that you said it, and I’m glad that you paid attention. Most do not care for medical information”
“Oh” Fluttershy said, her eyebrows raised. “Well, I don’t suppose they do. I look after a lot of cute little animals a lot of the time, and Ditzy here” she added with a giggle “so I had to learn medical procedures for most of them, and from that I learned how to work with ponies. But the medicine in this part of the world is amazing. In Ponyville we tend to use more tool based healing. Stiches and casts and needles and all that sort of thing. Out here it all seems so natural. I really could learn a lot from here!”
“And I would be glad to teach, if you would allow it. There is much to tell in the time that you visit” the witchdoctor said. Ditzy narrowed her eyes at him and flattened her ears, flicking her tail up behind her and curling her lips back.
“Ditzy, I’m sure he means nothing by it” Fluttershy said, noticing the signs. She turned back to the witchdoctor to continue. “I’m sorry, I think she thought you were being a bit...well, um, forward.”
“What? Oh I see, an easy mistake” the witchdoctor said, bowing his head to Ditzy “I apologise for any transgression I make”

Ditzy continued to glare.
“Ditzy, why don’t you go for a walk?” Fluttershy suggested “ I’m sure Rainbow would love to have you around. But right now we need to concentrate on the task at hoof”
“O-kay” Ditzy said slowly, straightening out. She planted a quick peck on Fluttershy’s forehead and then strode out, flicking her tail at the witchdoctor as she passed him.
“Oh dear, I think I upset her even more...” Fluttershy muttered. “Do you think you could let us have some time alone later?”
“Of course, I think that would be wise, just please do not disrupt the Temise”
“The plant? Oh, I think I mispronounced it earlier, Ditzy’s going to be confused about that too.”

Ditzy trudged down the street, her head bowed and tail flicking every few moments. She muttered to herself as she walked, quietly veering from topic to topic as she stared at the ground in front of her hooves. In the back of her mind she guided her legs towards the centre of the village. From it she faintly heard Rainbow’s voice proclaiming her exploits to a presumably enraptured crowd of the young and their parents, the latter of whom seemed to exist only to debunk such tales in private. Ditzy hated parents like that. Whenever she saw a parent explaining something with science that could be explained with imagination, Ditzy wanted to shout at them. Something inside her just hated the idea that the universe should be so simple and logical. However, like most of her mental distractions, this rounded back and her mind became stuck on Fluttershy.
“Stupid doctor person winning her over with body science” she muttered to herself.
“Excuse me!” chirped a little voice. Ditzy looked up to see a tiny zebra, barely taller than Ditzy’s knee, standing in her path. His mane was short, cut into a single stripe down the back of his chubby face. “If it’s not too much trouble. Are you the creature from outside the...oh...um.” The zebra looked at the ground and muttered to itself.
“Bubble?” Ditzy offered.
“That works!” the tiny zebra cheered. “But now I feel like a berk”

Ditzy chuckled quietly, eliciting a playful cry from the zebra.
“Then again, you don’t really have a bubble here.” Ditzy mused “Shame. I like bubbles, you can never have too many. Apart from when you fill a room with them and then your parents come home and you get yelled at because, apparently, foamy cushions are no fun” Ditzy stood slightly straighter “I disagree.”

It was the zebra’s turn to giggle this time. A high pitched little noise that attracted the attention of a zebra mare standing a few metres away. Ditzy looked up at her.
“Is this one yours?” she asked the zebra, cheerfully grinning. The mother nodded.
“I apologise for my son’s demeanour, he is only young, and his speech could be leaner” the mother claimed.
“It’s okay!” Ditzy said “He’s cute!”

The mother smiled briefly, but then returned to her serious expression.
“Could you please try to rhyme around the child?” she requested “I am trying to teach him, and you sound so...wild.” There was something about the way the last word was said that made Ditzy think it did not have the same connotation here as it did to her. She doubted they even had parties in this part of the world.
“Alright, I’ll give it a try” Ditzy said, pausing to think out her next sentence “...Although I’m not really sure why...”
“It seems you know little of culture, perhaps you would require a short lecture” the mother suggested.
“I don’t know, that sounds kind of boring...” Ditzy said, glancing down at the child, who was staring in awe at Ditzy’s cutie mark. “But I suppose I can’t be ignore...ing?” Ditzy shrugged her shoulders, giving up on finding a better rhyme.
“What’s this thing?” the son shouted, pointing at Ditzy’s cutie mark. He received a stern look from his mother before he glanced around nervously and hurriedly added to his question “Does it sting?”
“That’s my cutie mark!” Ditzy answered. “You get it when you work out why you’re here...park”

The mother glared.
“I got my mark inside a park” Ditzy said, attempting to justify herself. The mother sighed.
“A cutie mark appears on ponies and zebras, it is to them what we call the Zalekra” she explained to her child.
“Oh” he said “But it’s got all these colours! There are only the black ones on everyone’s mothers!”
“Quiet, child! That’s not always true!” the mother turned to Ditzy “Now, please, come with me, and I shall teach our ways to you.” She gestured towards one of the tents off of the main path. Ditzy nodded, smiled and trotted forwards.

Rainbow leapt out of her crouch and landed deftly in front of a group of zebra fillies, all of whom stared in wonder at the display.
“Bam!” she shouted “I was flying so fast that I broke light into a rainbow! I snatched Rarity and the Wonderbolts out of the air, just in time before they hit the ground!”
“Ooh” came the chorus of the enraptured audience.
“And that,” Rainbow said, finishing her tale and straightening up “is why everypony back home knows me as the most awesome pony around.” The sound of hoofbeats on the hard ground clattered around the open space. Rainbow surveyed her crowd with a smug smile. The crowd was filled with more adults than she expected to see, all of whom stared on with a curious expression, hiding the inane wonder of seeing a pegasus that was plastered upon the faces of their children. Over their heads, Rainbow could see Ditzy eagerly talking to a filly. Something tugged on her leg.
“Can you show us?” said a voice by Rainbow’s hooves. One of the fillies sat there, eyes wide.
“Or would it cause a fuss?” a slightly older filly finished.
“You want me to show you the Rainboom?”

Half the crowd nodded emphatically.
“Yeah, I don’t see why not” Rainbow said “That okay Chief?” she called to the tall, important looking stallion standing to the side of the stage. He looked to the crowd and then back at Rainbow, and nodded once. With a grin, she spread her wings to their full width and braced to take off. “You guys all ready?” she asked, pausing a moment for the unanimous response to die down. “Here we go”.

She kicked off, wings beating furiously, she rose high above the landscape, spiralling up in ever closing circles, a spectrum of colour beginning to form behind her. She passed above the clouds that dotted the mid-day sky, keeping an eye on the nearest cloud of suitable size. While she waited for it to drift beneath her, Rainbow took a look around. From this height, she could see forest in all directions, but also could see the dead lands in one direction, the mountain she had sat on three nights ago in the other, and beyond that mountain, the grasslands.

Into Rainbow’s head flashed images, of lights, of grass standing limply without a wind to blow it, of something trying to get in her head.

The cloud passed beneath her. Rainbow faltered in the air, snapping her out of her thoughts, and dived. She passed through the cloud, forcing it apart, and gave one final burst of speed, ripping apart the spectrum before her eyes and blasting apart the calm in the skies.

In her tent, Fluttershy heard the distinctive buildup whine and whip-like sound of the Sonic Rainboom. She stared up at the ceiling of the hut, fully expecting Rainbow Dash to come tumbling through it at any moment.
“By the heavens, what in the world??” the witchdoctor exclaimed, striding towards the exit as a wave of multicoloured light pulsed through it “It sounded dangerous, like an explosive was hurled.”
“Don’t worry, that’s just Rainbow Dash” Fluttershy explained “She has a trick where she goes fast enough to break the light spectrum”
“That is fascinating, I must admit. How does her body manage it?”
“I don’t really know... sorry.”

Outside, shouting had started. Panicked shouting. Over it all, Fluttershy could have sworn she heard cheering, and one firm voice demanding quiet from all present.
“Stay here, my friend, through this incident. I must go ensure this causes no accident” the witchdoctor said firmly, darting outside.
“Oh dear” Fluttershy said.

Night fell over the village. It came without further incident and slipped on like a wave slides onto a beach, unnoticed except by the few standing out in it. In the centre of the village, a fire had been lit. Around it gathered a large quantity of zebras, who arranged themselves in circles before a small podium, talking amongst themselves. Some of the younger ones chased one another between the legs of their parents and amongst the ropes of nearby tents. A light wind blew the smoke from the fire in a grey plume, drifting steadily north towards the dead lands before it spread too thin to see and became one with the fluffy streams of cloud that floated there, blocking the usually clear view of the stars with their strangely beautiful rippling shapes. Beyond them, visible through the gaps and holes in the cloud layer, was the moon, shining brightly again. It had begun to wane noticeably, but was still over half full, displaying a sliver missing, as if a sickle had been placed in silhouette against it. In the dark, a trio of crows circled above the village, squawking above the murmur of the night time activity below.

Ditzy looked up at the circling shapes. She could not make out the breed in the dark, but knew they were birds. In her head, she replayed memories of when she thought birds were demons, come to taunt her inability to fly at a young age.
“Never gonna get you up” squawked the memory crow “Always gonna fall back down”

Ditzy’s memory of herself leapt up at the crows in her garden, flailing wildly.
“I’m going to make it, I’m going to get you!” her filly self declared, flapping her tiny wings uselessly.

Ditzy tilted her head as she watched the grey and gold filly charge along beside her in pursuit of crows, the hard soil giving way to grass wherever the imaginary filly leapt. After her trotted a middle aged mare, her mane scraggly and eyes underscored by bags.
“Ditzy, come back here!” she called “Don’t run away”
“But mother! The crows are teasing me!” the filly yelled back.
“Ditzy, crows do not talk, neither do they tease, now get back here before I have to drag you home with your tail in my teeth”

Filly Ditzy stopped leaping and turned to her mother. Her eyes widened.
“But they do talk to me.” she said “All the time”
“Don’t be stupid” her mother chided, catching up and planting a light smack on the back of the filly’s head, making her eyes swing in opposite directions. “I’ve had just about enough of you for the day”
“But I’ve been the same as every other day” Ditzy objected.
“That’s the problem” her mother muttered.
“Wow” Ditzy said, snapping out of her thoughts “That flashback got sidetracked a bit”. She glanced around, spotting the medical hut a short distance away. She trotted over and entered quietly. Fluttershy was on her bed, quietly reading a book as thick as her head. The side room was empty, the usually ever present witchdoctor having decided to join the gathering outside.

Fluttershy noticed Ditzy standing in the doorway in the corner of her eye, looked up, and smiled at her.
“Hello Ditzy” she said.
“Oh, you ruined it” Ditzy said, stepping over to the bed.
“Ruined what?”
“You’re adorable when you’re reading” Ditzy explained, nuzzling Fluttershy.
“Well, I think I’ve read enough for today” Fluttershy marked her page and closed the book with a thud “Otherwise the room might just overflow with adorableness” she giggled quietly.
“Too late, you can sense the cute from down the road” Ditzy told her. “What is that thing anyway?”
“A medical manual, written by my doctor’s grandfather” Fluttershy said “Considering its age it’s in surprisingly good condition”

Ditzy reached for it to test the claim for herself. Fluttershy gently pushed her hoof away.
“It’s a fascinating read though” she continued. “Whereas Equestrian medicine moved towards more practically minded ways to cure ailments such as the use of needles and casts, the medicine out here stayed true to its roots as a ritual. Whilst it dropped the majority of the superstition around it, witchdoctors encouraged ponies to try and find a natural remedy for things, as nature itself will provide for somepony in need. You see, the zebras treat nature not as an environment, but a presence, sort of like a ghost that inhabits the entire world simultaneously, and manifests itself in the healing methods available to them.” Fluttershy stopped to breathe, barely noticing Ditzy’s mildly surprised look. “It’s a bit like those ponies who think Celestia causes all the good things in the world to work despite her saying she doesn’t.”
“Fluttershy” Ditzy said, holding up a hoof “Um, I understood about eight words in that entire thing”
“Oh...sorry. I got a little carried away.”
“I wonder why...”
“Oh Ditzy, don’t be like that” Fluttershy said, putting a foreleg around Ditzy. “Are you still upset about earlier?”

Ditzy nodded, scowling slightly.
“Oh, you poor thing” Fluttershy shifted to pull Ditzy up onto the bed and sat her down “You know I would never let him do anything with me, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but still...” Ditzy said.
“I know he sounded a little...suggestive” Fluttershy blushed up at the word “but that’s simply the way zebras talk. In order to fit their rhyme structure they often have to think of some incredibly vague or easily misunderstood words.”
“I know, I spent the last three days with them” Ditzy reminded her “Whilst you’ve been lazing around in here”
“With a stomach wound, a crippled wing and a leg I probably won’t be able to use properly for a year” Fluttershy said sternly.
“Oh yeah...”
“How could you forget that?”
“I didn’t forget! I just got distracted” Ditzy cried, rearing her head back.

Fluttershy settled into the bed again.
“Yes, you’ve been quite active the past few days. I never thought I would see you trying to fit into a new culture” Fluttershy remarked.
“Eh, I try” Ditzy said, lying down beside her.
“So...” Fluttershy prompted “Tell me what happened today.”
“Well, I was in here for a while, and then I got all mad and went out. And I met this little filly, who was really cute, and he asked me things. But anyway, his mother kept asking me to try and talk like she did, apparently it’s rude not to around here, which I suppose explains why nopony ever breaks it” Ditzy began, interrupted only by Fluttershy squeaking about her newly discovered verbal rudeness to the locals. “Anyway, I went back to her place, but before I got there, Rainbow went and blew up a cloud with that trick of hers. And when she did that everyone got all scared, but I was really excited, because I love it when she does that. But the zebra lady tried to get me inside, because she thought the sky was falling, and I had to try and explain everything and work out words that sound the same at the same time, and that hurt my head. Eventually the chief zebra took control of everything, and everypony calmed down, and Rainbow was told not to do it again, and I think your witchdoctor wants to cut her up, and she got questioned about how she got kicked in the head, and then they found me and asked a load of questions in the Chief’s tent, and I answered them because I like helping them. And then they let me come back out, although they weren’t exactly keeping me in the first place, there wasn’t even a guard. That’s another thing I like about this place, everypony is really free with things. I mean, possession or information kind of things, not emotional stuff, they lock up emotions like a puppy in a tinderbox in a well.”
“That’s a disturbingly specific example” Fluttershy noted.
“I’ll tell you about it someday” Ditzy promised. “Anyway, I know this because I saw a zebra in the village who kept looking over at this one with braids. I mean, not really my taste, but I can see why he would like her. He keeps taking glances and the mare with him kept pulling his face back towards her and complaining about him looking at other women, which surprised me a bit, but the moment she said this everypony glared at her. I don’t think they like people talking about emotions in public, especially the big ones”
“I can understand why they would.” Fluttershy said with a nod, taking advantage of the lull in Ditzy’s speech to remind her marefriend that she was listening.
“Yeah, but it’s kind of sad to see somepony like that. I mean, that mare was really possessive, you’d think they were married or something...wait...” Ditzy trailed off. Fluttershy rolled her eyes and sighed, pulling the grey mare closer.
“I hope you’re not looking too hard at any other ponies” she teased. Ditzy’s cheeks flushed a little.
“Me? Wouldn’t dream of it!”
“I know you wouldn’t” Fluttershy laid her head on Ditzy’s back briefly. “You’re a good mare”
“Yep” Ditzy grinned “Best there is”
“That’s an impressive boast” Fluttershy noted as Ditzy curled her neck around to embrace her. “Can you prove it?”
“Probably not” Ditzy said, breaking off, her eyes crossing. Fluttershy sighed quietly and pulled her back.
“You don’t need to prove anything to me Ditzy” She said.
“But you-”
“I know you’re the best mare I will ever have” Fluttershy whispered. Ditzy returned to her embrace. “And when we get back home we can lock the doors and have the whole day to ourselves”
“Oh, like on Hearts and Hooves day?” Ditzy asked excitedly. Fluttershy nodded.
“I’ll cook you your favourite food as well”
“What about the animals? Don’t they need feeding?”

Fluttershy paused. She pushed her mind back to the night they left Ponyville.

She whimpered slightly.
“Flutty?” Ditzy said, leaning close.
“They won’t need feeding Ditzy” Fluttershy said, barely audible. “Somepony else is taking care of them”
“Oh” Ditzy said cheerily “Good to know they survived. I mean, last I saw them they were in that little basement of yours. I didn’t think they’d get out to be h- Flutty... why are you crying?”

Rainbow sat on the ground near the fire, happily soaking up the heat. Every few minutes, one of the fillies would cease their games to stare at her with their inquisitive little eyes. They scampered on their way when Rainbow pulled an unusual face at them, causing them to giggle and depart.
“Good evening to you, my friend, Miss Dash. Is joining you a decision that is rash?” the witchdoctor asked, stepping to her side.
“Nah, go for it” Rainbow said, waving him down. “How’s Fluttershy holding up?”
“As well as she can be.” The witchdoctor assured her, before adding “On that you can trust me” when he noticed Rainbow’s incredulous look. “Her wounds are bloodless, and medicine applied. There’s nought else to do that is medicine derived.”
“I’ll take your word on that” Rainbow said, gazing into the fire. “She in there on her own?”
“For a time she was reading and sitting alone, but for a short time now she has Miss Doo to her own.”
“That...sounds incredibly unlike Fluttershy”

The witchdoctor gave raised an eyebrow at her.
“The last I saw they were sitting together, reading a book with arms like a tether” he said.
“I...think you just said they were hugging, but I can’t be sure” Rainbow said with a playful smirk. “But as long as they’re not...you know. I mean, she’s not really in a condition to and I don’t think she’s even interested in...you know.”
“And if an act like that turned to be true, what exactly would you do?” the witchdoctor asked, an edge of sarcasm creeping into his usually unwaveringly polite and vaguely cheerful tone.
“Well, I wouldn’t just charge in, that’d be weird” Rainbow said, ducking her head awkwardly and glancing around. Nopony was listening or at least paying attention other than another of the fillies, who was sent away with a glance in its direction. “I mean, I’d have to wait until they were finished and then...wait are they actually...?”

The witchdoctor smirked like a particularly satisfied frog.
“Touché” she said, realising how stupid she had just looked.
“Miss Doo and Miss Shy are a lovely pair” the witchdoctor said, staring idly into the fire.
“It’s just Fluttershy” Rainbow corrected. “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have a last name. At least, she hasn’t told anyone back home it if she has one”
“Home... is there anypony for you there?” the witchdoctor finished.

Rainbow relaxed her shoulders and snorted.
“Why do you want to know?” she said, restraining a snap in her voice.
“Mere interest, nothing more. But your reaction belies a heart so sore”

Rainbow looked up at the zebra, who simply stared ahead, seemingly disinterested.
“Well” Rainbow said, tracing a hoof in the dusty ground. “I don’t know if it’s the same as the whole thing Ditz and Fluttershy have but...”

The witchdoctor turned his head and looked down at her expectantly.
“I don’t want to talk about it” she insisted, flaring her wings and shuffling awkwardly. The witchdoctor snorted lightly and got to his hooves.
“I must check on my patient nightly. I will make sure she is doing nothing...unsightly” he announced.
“Yeah, sure, whatever” Rainbow mumbled.
“A word of advice, before I depart, it is wise not to talk publicly of the heart” he said, and quickly departed. Rainbow glanced after him, but saw only a few zebras looking uncomfortably her way.
“Great.” She sighed.

“Are you sure it’s safe for me?” Fluttershy asked, eying her leg carefully.
“As long as you are careful, and do not strain your leg, there will be no disaster and no reason to beg” the witchdoctor insisted.
“But what if I break it and then all your work was for nothing and I’ll be really really sorry oh please” Fluttershy begged.
“Why don’t you want to go outside?” Ditzy asked. “You’re usually the first one to go exploring. Is it the Rainboom? I can make Dash not do it again if you want”
“It feels wrong out there” Fluttershy whimpered. “Something doesn’t want me out there tonight”

Ditzy looked to the witchdoctor, a look of concern struck across her face.
“Is she crazy?” Ditzy asked.
“It may be a delirium from the loss of blood” the witchdoctor said, his hoof stroking his chin “Cannot be an infection for we cleared out all the mud”
“I’m not crazy” Fluttershy objected quietly “I just... know it’s a bad idea”

Silence reigned in the tent for a moment. Fluttershy breathed heavily on her bed, pulling the thin covers up around her. The wind blew at the flaps in the entrance, whistling through the gaps and ruffling their manes.
“I’m not...” she said “Listen, listen to the noises. You want to know why you live in this little forest with these walls and gates and guards? You’ve lived here all your life, never gone too far. I bet the crew that saved us were the furthest this tribe’s ever gone, am I right?”

The witchdoctor scowled.
“I do not take kindly to being insulted-” he began, but was cut off.
“Don’t you see?” Fluttershy squeaked. “Don’t you realise that your whole tribe is being held here? You’re an experiment! An experiment!”
“Fluttershy!” Ditzy snapped “Stop it!”

Fluttershy froze. She turned to Ditzy, the steely glint in her eyes fading and her jaw relaxing.
“Oh Ditzy, I didn’t scare you did I?” she said, her voice lowered to her usual gentle tone. “Oh, I’m sorry. I...I don’t know what came over me”
“Flutty, you’re acting weird”
“But Ditzy...” she reached for Ditzy, but her reach fell short. Ditzy stepped back, eying her carefully. The centimetres of air between them buzzed as Ditzy’s eyes aligned in a stare, her eyelids peeled back. It was not the raw power of Fluttershy’s Stare, but it was enough to make Fluttershy freeze for a moment. Ditzy’s eyes widened as she looked into her marefriend’s eyes.
“Hey witchdoctor, you got a mirror?” Ditzy asked, keeping an eye on Fluttershy, the other one rolling to look at the witchdoctor, who was squinting and leaning closer to Fluttershy’s head. “Hey!” she snapped. The witchdoctor jerked his view towards her and nodded. “Get it.” She ordered. After a moment’s hesitation he turned and trotted into the side room, glancing over his shoulder constantly. Ditzy’s eye rolled back and stared at Fluttershy again.
“Ditzy...” Fluttershy said, cowering, but unable to break eye contact. The witchdoctor returned, a rectangular mirror hanging from his mouth by a piece of string, attached at two corners. Ditzy snatched the string with her teeth and held it up in front of Fluttershy, still staring over the top.

Fluttershy slowly came out of her cower, leaning towards the mirror. Her eyes flicked down, catching sight of her reflection.

Her eyes shot back to Ditzy’s widened orbs. Slowly, she lowered them again.
“Oh my...” she whispered.

Cortich stood on the wall. The mighty trees, uprooted and carved into a walkway high above the city, doubling as a defensive wall. To her it was a grand statement, one of power, of dominance.

A statement the tribe did not need. Since the day she was born, the tribe had lived off the land, the town protected only by a moat and the Tribe Rangers. But the Rangers were not what she had joined twelve years ago. They used to be a group for foraging, for claiming what could be spared, what had fallen to the ground. It was their job to maintain things as a natural order.

The new chief had changed that. He was a paranoid stallion. The Rangers were now stationed as guards or used to watch the populace. It was the new chief who had demanded these walls be built.

Cortich tapped a hoof as she thought on the state of affairs. As soon as the walls had gone up, the Rangers had begun reporting increased activity in the woods. Animals became restless, moving away or fighting amongst themselves.
“Kara-Ha, the creatures gathered, just as you dreaded. Would I be right in saying they this way headed?” a young Ranger said, emerging from the darkened guardhouse.
“Thank you my Kara-Ko” Cortich said, gazing into the night “for this information. The knowledge you have provide will help serve the nation”
“Kara-Ha, if it is not too bold” the young Ranger said “What is the intention which you withhold?”
“To let us go back to the way we were” Cortich turned to the Ranger “When we were a tribe rivalling Tribe Myr.”

The mere mention of that rival tribe drew a hiss from the Young Ranger.
“Do not worry, our village may still be spared” Cortich said calmly “There is no reason to be so scared”
“I fear not Kara-Ha, least not for me” he replied “I am concerned only with the wellbeing of thee”

Cortich gazed at the Young Ranger. He was honest, and his loyalty endearing.
“The ritual tonight, you must attend” Cortich instructed “For yourself you must look for a calmer end.” The Ranger did not move. Cortich silently cursed her habit of leaving her mouth slightly open when she thought to herself. “And whilst you are down there, find Rainbow Dash. Tell her to come here, quick as a flash”

The Young Ranger bowed low and departed. His hoofsteps made no sound, as his training had demanded.

Rainbow watched on in amusement. Around the fire, a trio of musicians had gathered. They all had a kind of string instrument, unknown to Rainbow, which consisted of an ‘S’ shaped bend, raised in the middle, with fifteen strings attached at various angles along it. It was played in two ways. With a bow, somewhat like a violin, or by plucking the strings like a harp. Both methods were currently in use, creating a strange harmony that filled the air. Up on the podium, the Chief stood contentedly. Before the music he had given a short and difficult to follow speech about tradition, had not said anything since the music and dances began.

However, the zebras all seemed to know what he was talking about, so Rainbow decided not to ask him to repeat it.

The music swelled as three other zebras, each one dressed in feathers and a green and red robe, and each with a differing wooden face mask. Two of the masks were small and face fitting, with large teeth attached to them to make them appear as wolves. The other mask was larger, more elaborate, with curling streamers attached to it and paint smeared across it in a deformed face. Embedded in the face were two triangular mirrors, one on each side of the mask, the edges worn down to curves. The zebras danced around the fire, the wolf-dancers stayed close to the ground, growling and snapping at the audience. The large masked one stayed high, their front hooves attached to small stilts, giving her a strange looking height and unnatural looking way of moving, her front legs arcing out sideways and angling in whilst her back legs stayed together, appearing almost as if she were a tripod.
‘I wonder if I can do that’ Rainbow thought, staring at the zebra towering above her as she swayed about atop the stilts, each moment looking as if she would fall into the blazing fire or onto an unfortunate audience member, the movement causing her to dip and rise like a piece of paper caught in a wind. The mask reared back with some of the steps, the zebra inside giving out a roar as the music became a haunting, high pitched sound. The two wolf-dancers reared up and howled, stretching out their rear legs in a crude imitation of the tall one. The stilted zebra then began to lean backwards, rearing high and to the point where it appeared as if she were about to tip over.

The clouds parted, seemingly aware of the dance, giving Rainbow a view of the stilted zebra with her forelegs in the air, and still bellowing, silhouetted against the moon. For one monstrous moment, Rainbow saw the moonlight reflect off of the mirrors, forming two flashes of light in the air. Rainbow twitched in place as the mask’s gaze fell on her. The light had gone from the mirrors, but the dark shape etched itself onto Rainbow’s mind. Her lower jaw hung, her lips twitching. Every muscle in her body told her to move, to do something.

The mask looked away. Rainbow relaxed. She shook her head, trying to shake away any thoughts she felt lingering.

As those thoughts left, she felt a sudden sense of familiarity. Looking around, Rainbow found herself being able to name several of the zebras that sat nearby. She occupied her mind with naming several of them, mostly ones who had visited her and Fluttershy in the medical hut or had been in the audience during her demonstration earlier. At a glance, Rainbow thought that nearly every zebra in the village had turned out, excluding the guards who seemed to spend every waking moment atop the wall or venturing outside. She looked around again when she realised that only one that she could name was missing.
‘Hmm, would have thought Cai-Cai would be right at the front for all this.’ Rainbow thought to herself, lowering her head in time to avoid seeing the mask rear into the sky again, this time with the two wolf dancers bowing in reverence before it. The mask gestured with one stilted hoof, and the wolf-dancers followed the tip. Their bodies stayed rigid and let their heads move loosely, as if guided by a puppeteer. The stilted hoof fell, causing the two wolf dancers to leap into the air, twisting and landing facing outwards, growling loudly. This startled Rainbow back into watching. While she was watching the wolf-dancers, the mask vanished into the dark with amazing grace for something so powerful and unwieldy looking. As the music began to fade out, the wolf-dancers slid away around the podium to the thunderous applause of the crowd.

Several other zebras appeared, sprinkling various items onto the fire. Rainbow watched in mild confusion. There seemed to be some connection to the show before, but Rainbow could not place the significance of throwing spices and dead leaves on a fire.
“Rainbow Dash, I knew you would come” Cai-Cai said, settling in beside Rainbow.
“Is your entire race trained to sneak up on people?!” Rainbow hissed.
“A natural instinct, easy for some” she finished with a smirk.
“Yeah, sure” Rainbow said. “Where have you been anyway? I thought you would like the whole dance thing. You said you were good at it”
“I was in it, did you not see? The one in the largest mask was me” Cai-Cai said.
“I was wondering how that thing got away without me noticing” Rainbow said “I should have guessed it was because of miss dancer here” she playfully cuffed Cai-Cai’s shoulder. Cai-Cai shifted uncomfortably.
“Please refrain from doing that act. It’s not good to do and that much is a fact.” she warned. Rainbow glanced down at her hoof.
“Oh, right...heh sorry about that” Rainbow told her, adding mentally ‘Note to self: these guys are not as playful as the ponies back home’ She gave Cai-Cai and apologetic grin, which the zebra returned. “So what were you supposed to be playing there?” Rainbow asked.
“A spirit of the forest, or nature itself” Cai-Cai explained “I have the whole myth in a book on my shelf”
“Oh, cool” Rainbow said, running the performance through in her mind. She opened her mouth to say something else when a cough came from behind. Rainbow turned to see one of the guards standing over her, hooded and glaring.
“You presence is asked by Kara-ha Cortich” the guard said, leaning in and lowering his voice.
“It is wise to obey the Ranger’s wish” Cai-Cai advised.
“Alright” Rainbow said, getting to her feet “Where is this Kara-whatever pony?”
“Kara-ha Cortich” the Ranger insisted “is upon the guard wall. Get up there fast, and try not to fall”

Rainbow nodded and set off, trotting at a reasonable pace towards the stairway on the inside of the gate. She made her way up carefully, avoiding the more rickety looking steps. Upon reaching the top, she glanced around, spotting a hooded zebra standing a short way off and staring out into the forest.
“Hey, are you the one that se-“ Ranbow began.
“I am indeed the one that called you” Cortich cut in, still looking away “There is something we all need you to do”
“That depends what it is” Rainbow said hesitantly.
“You and your friends, depart from here. Take with you the town’s fear” Cortich told her.
“Fear? What do you mean?”
“Your stunt today was the final straw, now nature calls on its unseen law”
“Are you saying that I’m going to get attacked by a tree?” Rainbow asked, her eyebrow raised suspiciously. “Because that sounds kinda stupid, even for a threat”
“Believe me when I say that this is no threat” Cortich warned “It will come for you and all you have met. There is more to this than you can perceive, so I shall put this simply” she paused to allow a distant howl to rise into the night “leave” she finished.
“You’re crazy” Rainbow said, turning her back and gliding off the wall. Cortich did not react, and let her go.

Out in the wilderness, the howls came closer.

Chapter 11: A Flight to Remember

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Chapter 11

Rainbow glided from the wall, landing neatly in the streets. Up ahead, the zebras were still gathered around the fire, now listening to an elderly zebra whose grand gestures seemed to tell just as much of his tale as his speech.
“Eh, I couldn’t understand any of it anyway” Rainbow said, turning towards the medical hut. She ducked through the entrance, into the dim light within.

Fluttershy was sat on her bed, staring into a mirror laid on her pillow. Ditzy stood beside her, talking calmly to her. Rainbow glanced into the side room, inside which was the witchdoctor, hurriedly packing a pair of saddlebags.
“What the hay happened while I was out?” Rainbow asked, staring around. Ditzy looked around with a worried look on her face, her eyes slightly askew. “Ditz? What’s wrong?”
“Flutty had a moment” Ditzy said quietly.
“What do you mean?” Rainbow’s eyes flicked to the yellow pegasus, who still gazed into the mirror, shivering slightly in the cold. “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy did not respond. Rainbow drew closer, peering at the mare’s face as she approached.
“Fluttershy? Can you hear me?” Rainbow waved her hoof in near Fluttershy’s face, to no avail. “What happened to her?” she asked Ditzy.
“She just started shouting, and being really weird and then she...went all like this” Ditzy said, no louder than before.
“What...?” Rainbow mouthed, unable to picture Fluttershy raising her voice, let alone shout. She turned to the side room “Hey witchdoctor, what’s wrong with her?”

The witchdoctor picked the saddlebags up in his teeth and strode over, throwing it hastily over Raiinbow’s back.
“Hey, what’s the big deal?” she said, flaring out her wings to fend off the zebra.
“You and your friends must leave our care, particularly concerning miss Fluttershy there” the witchdoctor said with a barely restrained venom in his voice. Rainbow glanced between him and Ditzy.
“Fluttershy, care to explain?” Rainbow said.
“We need to leave as soon as we can” Fluttershy replied firmly, her gaze still locked in the mirror. “If we wait too long...bad things will happen”
“Bad things? What bad things?” Rainbow heard the slight trill in her voice, giving away her fear as she sensed an echo of Cortich’s words moments before. A voice in Rainbow’s head told her this was not just a coincidence of four ponies getting the same idea simultaneously, two of whom seemed to be all too welcome to let the travellers stay as long as they needed. ‘We do need to get back to Ponyville though’ she reasoned ‘But this is a bit sudden’. She spoke aloud to the witchdoctor, “What happened to letting her stay until she’s fit to move?”
“Changes in schedule had to be made, with luck in your favour her health will not fade” the witchdoctor growled.
“We don’t even know if she can walk!” Rainbow protested.
“Need to leave...” Fluttershy repeated. Rainbow rolled her eyes and stormed over, yanking the mirror out from her hooves.
“Hey!” she growled “Snap out of it!”

The breath caught in Fluttershy’s throat. Wordlessly, she slowly turned her head to face Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were watering, her lip quivering, staring with an uncomprehending gaze at Rainbow. The wet orbs gazed out, the pupils tiny and the eyelids pulled back.
“Fluttershy...what’s wrong?”
“I...” Fluttershy managed. Her eyes began to flick away, desperately searching around the room for something. “I... I ...I...”

A slight shove and pressure increase told Rainbow that something else had been hastily placed into the saddlebags across her back. She glanced back to see the witchdoctor closing one of the flaps, out of which stuck a grimy piece of parchment, rolled into a tube. Rainbow was about to protest when she heard something that made her freeze in place.

Wolf howls. Lots of them. But that was not what drove the nail of fear into Rainbow’s brain. What terrified her was how close they were, sounding almost at the entrance of the hut, she could imagine them sniffing around, catching a scent. She gazed at the witchdoctor, who was listening intently.

Another chorus of howls, coming from the other direction, as if answering the first. Everypony in the room turned to the new source of the noise.

A third series of howls, somewhere between the two, sounded across the night.

They were surrounded.
“Oh no...” Fluttershy squeaked, curling up. “We’re too late”
“Wha...what’s going on?” Rainbow asked, glancing between the others in the room. Ditzy shook Fluttershy lightly, the witchdoctor made his way silently to the door. “Guys”
“Quiet child.” the witchdoctor hissed “Be ready to run” He leaned out of the hut for a moment, glancing around. The zebras around the fire had ceased the ceremony. Some of them stared to the sky, some talked amongst themselves, the younger ones looked confused, the elder ones knew the sound, and held the young close. The witchdoctor drew his head back into the tent “A wolf pack this close is no cause for fun”
“But how are we going get out? There’s only one gate” Ditzy pointed out.
“Ditz, you’re a pegasus, fly” Rainbow chided.
“What about Flutty?” Ditzy said. Rainbow clicked her tongue against her teeth, scolding herself for forgetting the obvious disability.
“Um...” Rainbow started, but there was nothing in her mind to finish the sentence. No ideas came forth. Trying to get out on hoof was suicide, and flight was out of the question. But something floated out of Rainbow’s mind to her mouth. “How do we even know they’re going to hurt us. They could just be wandering around. We’re just getting worked up over nothing”
“I am afraid to say that is not the case” the witchdoctor said gravely “Howls signal death and us gone without a trace”
“Has this happened before?” Rainbow asked. The witchdoctor nodded. “And each time you hear the howls they attack?”
“Every time the howls are heard, death comes to the zebra herd” the witchdoctor warned.
“He’s right” Fluttershy said, still curled into a ball “The...the wolves want b...b...blood...i...i...its not clear.” She clutched her head, before suddenly shouting “What are you trying to say!”

Outside, shouts of Rangers and villagers went back and forth, the hoofbeats of zebras charging past echoed amongst the renewed howling. Rainbow moved beside Ditzy and tugged Fluttershy’s foreleg away from her head, pulled her head up, and stared into her eyes.
“How do you know that?” Rainbow said forcefully “What’s wrong with you?”

For a moment Fluttershy was silent.
“I see things...” she whispered. “I hear them. So loud. So bright.”

Another silence between the two, backed by the rising chorus of panic outside. The witchdoctor ducked outside again, assuring a concerned Ranger that the hut would be sealed.
“What? That’s ridiculous” Rainbow insisted. “Are you saying you get visions?”
“I believe her” Ditzy said quietly.
“N...not visions” Fluttershy whispered “Like s...somepony’s talking to m...me and showing me p...pictures. But... not with my ears or my eyes... and in a language I don’t speak”
“Well that’s useful” Rainbow growled, rolling her eyes. “Then what makes you so sure about all this? Is it the voices telling you to leave?”
“It...makes sense” Fluttershy said, cowering from Rainbow. “I don’t know why I just...I understand it”
“Fine, fine” Rainbow growled, turning away “We can work this out once we’re away. First we’ve got to get out.” She began to pace back and forth. Outside, the shouting and howling was mixed in with barely audible impacts. Suddenly, Rainbow tossed the saddlebags off her back, hurriedly passing them to Ditzy. “You can fly, right? Carry them”
“Miss Doo should not take to the air” the witchdoctor cut in “Please think through your plan with care”
“Look, either she takes that and tries to fly, or she walks and gets eaten. And since you’re so sure that those things are going to get into the village and kill us, and I find myself believing you more and more every time I listen to the noises out there, then it seems like the best choice.” Rainbow snarled. “So either help us out, or shut it”

The witchdoctor bowed his head grudgingly.
“Right, Ditz, you put that on, then help get Fluttershy onto my back” Rainbow ordered. Ditzy threw the bags over her back and moved to help. The witchdoctor, seeing Ditzy tug upon Fluttershy’s hooves, dived in to support the yellow mare’s body as she rose and stumbled onto Rainbow’s back. “You alright back there?” Rainbow called.
“Um... yes, just ... um,” Fluttershy mumbled into Rainbow’s ear “be careful with me please.”

Rainbow did not respond, instead she lowered her head and crouched a little, before moving to exit the hut. Ditzy copied her, keeping low to the ground, before gasping, spinning around and diving under Rainbow’s bed. She emerged a moment later with the food bag, now fitted with a better strap, hung about her neck, and hurried out after her friends.

Cortich shouted orders to the Rangers who ran past her position on the wall. She could see the wolves below, snaking through the trees with a grace of birds. Their outlines were grey shadows on a black background, lit only by the glow in their eyes and the glimmers of light reaching them from the beacons lit along the wall’s edge. One paused its co-ordinated calling and scanned over the wall near Cortich.

For a moment, the two locked eyes. Beast and Zebra stared into the soul of one another for a brief moment, and in each eye both contestants saw the drive to act, and the willingness to kill the one who dared come closer.

And although her face remained a cold mask of contempt to the creatures, Cortich could not help but doubt her survival.

Dash flared her wings, giving them an experimental flap as she waited for Ditzy to come out of the hut. Zebras ran between shelters, indecisive of which would give them the best chance of survival from the oncoming pack. Up on the wall, Rainbow could hear the shouting of orders being given, including one which sounded like an order to throw, which was immediately followed by a few squeals of pain and a deafening roar.
“We’re done for down here.” Rainbow said quietly, unable to resist watching a few of the terrified zebra galloping past.
“Relax, the Rangers are holding the wall” the witchdoctor advised, moving close and indicating for them to move along “Panic more if the gate starts to fall”
“Yeah, right, of course” Rainbow said, breathing heavily. “Ditzy, you ready?”
“I hope so” Ditzy offered.
“That’ll do” Rainbow said firmly “You going to be okay doc?”
“I have survived this pack before, and should well do so one time more” the witchdoctor smiled. Rainbow gave him a firm nod, and took off.

Fluttershy immediately began to slip down Rainbow’s back as they ascended. Dash reached backwards and grabbed Fluttershy’s hooves, holding them tightly around her neck. They slowly gained height, ignoring the shouts below, none of which were concerned with the rising ponies.

Ditzy saw the other two pegasi rise into the air and kicked off. Her wing twinged uncomfortably as she rose slowly, testing her weight on the barely mended wing. Contented, she rose up after Rainbow and Fluttershy. But she moved much slower. Rainbow charged ahead, rising and heading directly for the eastern wall.
“Oh my” Fluttershy muttered, gazing at the scene below. The Rangers line up where the wolf resistance was thickest, spears in hoof. Whenever one would attempt to scale the wall, the Rangers struck down, forcing the beast back to the ground. Rainbow slowed, taking a moment to watch the graceful lunge and snarling climb of each wolf as it leapt in a futile effort to reach the Rangers.
“They’ve got this one all under control” Rainbow noted “Maybe we don’t need to go.”

Fluttershy did not respond with words, instead she pointed to a tree a few metres from where the wolves were gathered around the base of the wall.

Pinpricks of light shone in the trees.
“Oh, that’s not good” Rainbow said. She glanced along the treeline, seeing pinpricks of light amongst the canopy dotted as far as she could see along the wall.
“Rainbow, help them” Fluttershy told her “Please, if you could, do something”

Rainbow flicked her gaze between the mare on her back and the Rangers below. Conflicting voices told her to assist the zebras and to get Fluttershy to a safe place.
“Just warn them, please” Fluttershy insisted quietly. With a nod, Rainbow banked in the air, sweeping down to pass the Rangers. Ditzy yelled out behind them, but Rainbow could not hear her.
“Look in the treetops!” she yelled as she flew close over head “They’re in the trees!”

The Rangers along the walls suddenly tore their eyes from the pack below, and saw the lights in the leaves in front of them. Some shouted angrily, some backed away, at least one screamed.

Cortich threw her spear. It shot into one of the lights and cut it out with a yelp of pain.
“Gather my Brethren, and aim your spears high!” she called, rallying the surprised Rangers “Aim for the glow that marks out their eye!” All around her, the Rangers began launching spears into the trees, eliciting a series of cries and growls from the targets.

Rainbow arced back up into the air, rejoining Ditzy.
“They’re going to run out of spears soon” Ditzy pointed out as Rainbow came close “Then there’ll be nothing to poke the thingies with”
“Wha...?” Rainbow stopped in the air, turning to the Rangers below. A quick look confirmed Ditzy’s point.

Before she could fly back and warn them, the wolves began pouncing. Out of the trees they leapt, landing on Ranger and wood alike with cut of yells and heavy thuds. The Rangers turned to the enemy in their midst, reaching for another spear to throw, but found nothing to hoof. Several looked on in horror as the wolves mauled their comrades.

The braver ones charged. They beat upon the thick hides of the creatures, bucking violently and biting whenever an opportunity presented itself. But each was no match for the wild monstrosities, who batted them aside easily and continued their feast, tearing chucks from their prey and roaring in triumph.
“Retreat for now, and hold at the stair!” Cortich ordered “The drop is a risk and they won’t leap to air”. Under her guidance, the Rangers backed slowly away from the ravenous beasts, letting each step go with a kick or a bite. All along the wall the wolves pressed their advantage, spilling into the Ranger’s ranks and tearing at their flesh.

Rainbow could only stare in horror. The wolves spread like a tide, beating at the Rangers and tearing them down and tearing them apart.
“Well, no going back now” Ditzy mused, watching the first of the wolves spilling into the village.
“We...we’ve got to do something” Fluttershy squeaked, hiding her eyes from the sight.

Rainbow just stared. Her mouth worked, contorting in a feeble attempt to form words. Below her, she saw one of the beasts approach the medical hut, hesitantly sniffing at the air thick with the multitude of smells the pegasi had grown used to in their stay in the village, only to stumble back as a flask shattered over its head. Glass embedded in its bestial face, the wolf dived in, smashing apart the beds barricading the entrance and bringing a fresh scream to the haunting symphony of screams and squeals that rose in the night.

She tore her eyes away from the scene and found her gaze on the still burning fire in the middle of the village, in front of which huddled a few mares, holding their fillies close and glaring defiantly at the ever tightening ring of teeth and fur that surrounded them. But no mere gaze could force them back. The creatures pounced, tearing at flesh and crushing bones. One of the wolves grabbed a filly in its jaws, biting hard and drawing a spray of crimson blood, coloured a burnt orange by the fire, alongside its terrified scream for its mother. The wolf swung its head from side to side, digging its teeth in harder, and then released its prey at the height of its swing. The filly was launched through the air, screaming at the dismembered corpses that lay around it as it sailed towards the flames.

Rainbow shut her eyes, covering them with her hooves. Her chest heaved. Tears began to build in her eyes.
“Stop it.” she cried through the sobs “Stop it... just...stop”
“We should go” Ditzy suggested, a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, and her eyes pointing everywhere except the sea of shining lights on the ground below. “Now”

Rainbow did not resist as Ditzy led her through the sky, guiding her slowly above the sprawling forest until she saw a suitable clearing. Upon landing, Fluttershy slipped off of Rainbow’s back, supported by Ditzy. Ditzy held Fluttershy close, trying to think of something to say. But no words came. There were no words to say. Nothing would ever remove the images they just witnessed from their minds. And so Fluttershy and Ditzy just held onto what they had, each other, in silence.

As they stood high, Rainbow Dash sank to the ground and wept.

Chapter 12: Silence.

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Chapter 12

For hours the night was filled with triumphant howls. The terrible noise flowed through the trees and through the grass upon the dry earth. The calm air froze with each new sound. The nightly chill swept across the land, and above shone the moon, impassionate and gleaming.

The trees were still, with no wind to shake their leaves.

The earth was solid, with no rain to let soften it.

The lamps went out, with no fuel left to burn.

And after several hours, the wolves were quiet, with nothing more to eat.

The sun began to rise above the trees. Slowly, it shone through the branches and played against the leaves, its bright glow illuminating the canopy.

Between the trees, shadows stretched and thinned, slowly being chipped away by the encroaching light.

It was in one of these shadows that Fluttershy lay. Her body hung limply in the grass, her head lying against Ditzy’s belly. A grey hoof sat against her mane, amongst the dishevelled pink mess that flowed from her head. Her eyes were closed, the eyelids tightly pushed against each other. Her mouth was shut, the teeth firmly clamped. Her legs were tucked up against her body, making herself as small as she could. Even in sleep she could not help but curl up against the closest thing she knew.

Ditzy shifted uncomfortably against the hard bark of the tree. With Fluttershy asleep against her, she could not move any more than a slight shuffle without waking her. But sometime in the night she had been overwhelmed by her exhausted mind and forced to sleep in such a position. Rays of sunlight began to play across her face, highlighting the marks under her eyes and the twin streaks running down her face. Her breath came gently, careful not to wake the mare beside her. With one hoof in Fluttershy’s mane, the other held her shoulder in a light grip. Even in sleep she would take care of her friend.

As the sun shone into her eyes, slipping between her eyelids as they groggily pulled themselves open, Ditzy opened her mouth to give off a small and silent yawn. Between her legs she saw the saddlebags sitting in a pile, with the food bag lying against them. Before her lay a small green area, hemmed in by trees and bushes. The grass was short and damp, clinging to Ditzy’s coat. With tired eyes she looked around. All she saw ahead of her hooves were the signs of nature. Trees that reached up to Celestia’s rising fire, flowers that dotted the grass as blue islands in the small ocean of green, bushes that lined the trees like a fence between gardens. But Ditzy saw no pony other than herself and the yellow mare beside her. In their sleep, Rainbow Dash had disappeared.

Rainbow swatted aside a fern, barging past without a care for the plants she trampled underfoot. Each movement of her legs bore more in similarity to a kick at the earth beneath her than a step. Her back was arched slightly and her head thrust forwards, her neck stiff. Her face was marked with tear lines and smears of mud. Her mane was beyond dishevelled, it was destroyed, with hairs leading in every direction, some of it seemed to be thinning slightly. She was dimly aware of her physical condition, somewhere in her mind she knew her time out here was having a negative effect on her.

But she did not care, she simply stormed on, with a snarl upon her lips and a cold fire in her eyes. She stormed on as fast as she could without breaking into a run, moving away from the sun, keeping below the trees where it was harder to spot her. Before long she would find what she was looking for.

Somewhere in her mind, if just for a moment, she remembered abandoning Ditzy and Fluttershy in the clearing, sleeping gently. This thought caused Rainbow to screw up her eyes in hatred. Her thoughts made it sound as if she never planned on returning. But she knew she would go back, but first she had to see something. She would have thought it better to leave it and go, but something told her to go, forced her to go. A voice in her head, speaking in a language she did not speak, and yet she understood it. It made sense, even if the sounds were not words and the things in her head were not anything she recognised, Rainbow knew that investigating took priority. Briefly, she wondered if she had made the wrong decision to leave them, even if temporarily, but reasoned that it was too late to turn back now. That was before she had left, now her mind was filled with a dual purpose: to see what was being shown to her, and get back to her friends before anything bad happened to them.

Fluttershy stirred from her sleep. Her back ached from the hard ground and her eyes were heavy as if she had never slept. Her breath came to her in long, dry gasps, her throat dry. Her mind a cloud of half remembered flashes and faded sounds. Ditzy lowered her head, attempting a weak smile for the yellow mare. All that came to her lips were a few twitches at the corner of her mouth. The weary eyes below her saw, gazed for a moment, and attempted a smile back.

But she could not manage it. The moment her lips moved her mind began to clear. The orbs of her eyes widened and stared, unfocused and glistening, as she gazed in silent horror at the things in her mind that played before her eyes. Visions swirled, until dispelled suddenly by a waving grey hoof. The hoof moved and gently clasped Fluttershy’s cheek. Beyond the fading sights, Ditzy’s eyes swirled into place and stared.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, anything about what she saw, but only succeeded in breathing out. Hearing the rasp coming from her throat, Ditzy pulled her hooves from Fluttershy and reached towards the saddlebags. She rummaged through them for a short while, eventually pulling out a canteen, filled with water. Gripping it in her hooves, she undid the top with her teeth and held it out for Fluttershy. The yellow mare leaned forwards slightly, brought her lips to the canteen, and let Ditzy tilt it enough for the water to trickle out. After a few sips, Fluttershy pulled away. Ditzy brought the canteen up and drank from it, enjoying the fresh taste. After a moment, she felt it being lightly pushed down, replaced with two large eyes.

Ditzy took the hint and closed the lid of the canteen before placing it back in the saddlebag. Carefully moving Fluttershy to one side, Ditzy stood up. She gazed around the clearing, searching again for her missing friend. With a strangely bouncy trot she made her way to the bushes. Much to Fluttershy’s confusion Ditzy turned around upon reaching the nearest bush, put a hoof to her lips, and then dived inside.

After a great degree of removed bush and seemingly disembodied limbs emerging from it, Ditzy emerged from the foliage. Twigs and leaves stuck out of her wings and mane at unusual angles. Fluttershy stifled a giggle. Ditzy shot her a small glare. Immediately silencing herself, Fluttershy could not help but sigh as Ditzy made her way to the next bush and dived in.

The walls were still up. The thick beams of wood stood high above her, scratched and dented at all heights. Rainbow stared up at them for a moment. It had never occurred to her while she had been within the walls just how high they were. She wondered for a moment how they had been erected, if some primitive form of heavy machinery had been used to help.

She would never know the answer to this, and like many questions in life, she would eventually forget she had ever asked it.

Rainbow turned her head to the spear protruding from a nearby tree. She pushed it experimentally with her hoof. The thin shaft bent slightly under the pressure. Returning her hoof to ground level, she lowered her body slightly and backed away. Her eyes scanned around, watching for movement. Her ears raised up, listening for the rustle of leaves as something passes by.

She heard nothing. She saw nothing.

And so, Rainbow began to move, keeping low, towards the wall. She drew close enough to lick it before stopping, her eyes centimetres from the splinters and grooves before her. Her eyes bored into the wood, as if she would find its very secrets by staring. But soon enough, a little voice in her head told her to stop, that staring at the wood would achieve nothing more than a simple sight. After a quick glance around, she began to move along the wall. Each step was slow, measured and precise. Her muscles were stiff, screaming to just go and look, but something in her mind held her back. It tugged on her limbs as she moved, making every step a struggle.

But still she carried on, she pushed through the voices and moved on. Before long, she found the gate. Looking up, Rainbow could see the arch above it still intact.

But the gate itself was gone. All that remained were chunks of wood scattered across the ground. Rainbow found her eyes travelling to where the hinges had been, but they had been completely torn out, taking with them a large chunk of the wall. Curious, she stepped forwards, but stopped when she felt her hoof land in something wet and soft. For a moment, Rainbow stood still. She did not dare look down. Inside her head, a voice tempted her to look down, taunting her with curiosity.

Rainbow shut her eyes. She gritted her teeth and focused on a thought. She forced herself to think of nothing, of it being simply a puddle.

She opened her eyes again. Slowly she began to lower her gaze. Her mouth began to move as she repeated to herself that it was just a puddle.

Water pooled around her hoof. She had stepped in a puddle, inside which a small Temise, the same thing that was inside Fluttershy’s wounds, had floated until Rainbow had stepped on it. Rainbow let out a breath she had been unconsciously holding, a smile coming to her face. Mentally, she chastised herself for jumping to such a conclusion immediately, remembering all the times Applejack had scolded her for flying ahead or assuming the answers immediately. Rainbow remembered fondly the slight strain on her tail every time the hat wearing mare would grab at her whenever she tried to fly away without thinking. Turning away from the gate, Rainbow nodded lightly at another memory passing through her mind. Her wings opened, spreading out in a feathery frame around her head. With a few quick beats, she took off, hovering just above the ground. She had seen what she came to see; now she only needed to return to Ditzy and Fluttershy before they awoke and let them be none the wiser of her trip. Rising into the air, she turned and made her way above the forest, feeling the cold air pummel its way through her mane. The air felt hard and stiff, like she was flying against a house, but she paid it no attention, dismissing it as freak weather in this part of the world.

Ditzy had given up on her search for Rainbow. She sat under the shadow of a tree, chewing half heartedly on a small treat from the food bag. Fluttershy sat a short distance away, carefully watching her marefriend. Between Fluttershy wanting to be left alone with her thoughts and Ditzy’s increasingly disgruntled mood, the two had barely communicated in the time since they awoke. Ditzy gazed at the sky, searching with her wayward eyes for any sign of her missing friend. She outright refused to believe Rainbow had been taken away, insisting to herself that she was a light sleeper and would have been woken by anything attacking. But that only left one option for Ditzy’s mind to comprehend, that Rainbow Dash had left them behind. She was unsure if this pained her more or less to consider than the possibility of a silent attacker, reasoning that the silent attacker would probably be trained to be instantly lethal, so pain would be somewhat nonexistent and would also prevent victims from crying out, which Ditzy assumed was a useful side effect in that line of work.

The arrival of a small blob in her vision refocused Ditzy to her view of the sky. She peered at the blob, realising it was heading this way. Fluttershy saw Ditzy’s face, and followed her gaze. The two stared for a moment before either of them realised what it was. Fluttershy gave a small choke of suprise, while Ditzy got to her hooves and strode towards the blob in the sky, waiting patiently for it to land. As the blob came closer, the colours along it could clearly be made out, an entire spectrum of light in the hairs of its body.

Rainbow Dash glided in, carefully alighting next to Ditzy and smiling happily. Ditzy opened her mouth to speak, too angry to bother keeping her eyes straight, when her rolling vision caught sight of something on the ground. Rainbow trotted towards Fluttershy, largely ignoring Ditzy. But Ditzy’s eye was locked on the ground where Rainbow had landed, trying to comprehend it’s existence. Her other eye moved to Rainbow, scanning her for any clues before joining the first eye in staring at the ground. Tentatively, Ditzy lifted a hoof and reached out. She touched at the ground and brought her hoof back up to her face.

The tip of her hoof was covered in red.

Chapter 13: Confrontation.

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Chapter 13

“What’re you staring at there, Ditz?” Rainbow asked cheerily, turning towards her. Ditzy gazed at her hoof with a confused expression. “Ditz? What’s up?”

Shaking slightly, Ditzy pulled her gaze away. Her eyes swivelled slowly towards Rainbow.
“What... is this?” Ditzy asked, holding her hoof out in front towards the blue mare.
“What’s what?”
“This!” Ditzy said, more forcefully, shaking her hoof in Rainbow’s direction.

Rainbow was quiet for a moment, inspecting the outstretched hoof with a critical eye.
“You got some mud on your hoof, big deal” Rainbow snorted.

Ditzy glanced at her hoof, then back to Rainbow. Ditzy’s eyebrow raised.
“Erm...” Ditzy began hesitantly “mud isn’t red”
“That’s right Ditz, mud is brown” Rainbow said patronisingly “I mean, it’s a different shade to the stuff back home, but still mud. Yeesh.”

Behind her, Fluttershy craned her neck to see the problem.
“Um, Rainbow...” she tried to say, ineffectually raising a hoof like a filly in a class room. But the other two mares paid no attention to the demure mare. “...Uh, Ditzy? Um...”
“ Rainbow...” Ditzy said slowly, her eyes fixed the purple iris’s of the pony before her. “Mud also isn’t runny with little chunks in it”
“What the hay are you going on about Ditz?” Rainbow said “I can see it right there, plain as day. Literally, right th-“ she paused for a moment, frozen in place for a second. “-ere, there.”

A moment passed. Ditzy’s eyes returned to her hoof, to which the offending substance stuck. A sigh came from Rainbow as she rolled her eyes and turned away, muttering incoherently about stress. Ditzy turned her eyes to Fluttershy, whose wide eyes stared fearfully back. Fluttershy’s legs trembled, threatening to buckle beneath her.
“You alright?” Ditzy asked, quickly trotting over and wiping her hoof on the ground.
“No...” Fluttershy said, leaning on Ditzy. “And neither is Rainbow”

‘The hay is her problem?’ Dash thought to herself ‘I know Ditzy lives up to her name but now she’s just getting weird.’ A second passed ‘Alright, that was mean’ she chided herself ‘But still...’

Rainbow made her way over to the saddlebags that lay unattended a short distance away. She flipped open the hessian flap and rooted around inside, unsure entirely what she was searching for. She rooted through the contents, pulling out the map, a few instruments of varying usage and several packages, wrapped in large and tough leaves, from inside it. Placing them on the ground around her, she began to inspect them. Unwrapping the nearest package revealed a small chunk of what appeared to be soap, a rough cube of light brown that was only identifiable by the word “Soap” being carved into the top. Rainbow sniffed it hesitantly, recoiled slightly, and dropped it back in to its wrapper. With a flick of her hoof, she recovered the soap with its’ wrapper and turned to the next item, a telescope. She picked it up and held it to her eye, scanning the clouds above her, pausing to admire the shapes that floated in the sky. Noticing one cloud that strongly resembled a monkey she let out a chuckle and lowered her gaze to Fluttershy and Ditzy, eyeing them through the lens.

She saw their mouths moving, hurriedly exchanging hushed words outside of her hearing. Ditzy stood higher, leaning over the ever shrinking figure of Fluttershy as her legs shook and brought her closer to the ground, only to be propped up by Ditzy. Rainbow felt her mouth twitch, clicking her tongue against her teeth. She drew her eye from the telescope and glanced down at herself, unsure quite what she expected to see, before returning to her view of the other two mares. She found her eyes drawn to Ditzy’s mouth. The lips flapped in short bursts. Rainbow tried to match words to the movements, but could only grasp an occasional guess.
“-no. Can’t do-” was all Rainbow could make out, as well as a mention of her name at one point. With a disappointed snort she dropped the telescope back on the ground and turned to the map. It contained upon it the whole of Equestria and the countries surrounding it. On the east and west were the great seas, and below a strange landmass Rainbow had never seen on a map. The whole map was marked in symbols, but Rainbow could make out some words here and there.
“Weird” Rainbow said to herself “would have thought the whole thing would be in the Zebra language. Wouldn’t think they have maps written in mainland Equestrian.” she glanced up at the other two again, before returning to the map. “Lucky me” she mumbled. Her eyes scanned the page, looking for clues as to her location. “That must be Ponyville there, there’s the border, Ditzy said we’re up north so...” she trailed off. “Wait a minute...”

Fluttershy let out a little gasp as she sank to the ground. Her sides ached and her legs were unused to standing after several days without use, as well as the shot of pain that consumed her every time she put pressure upon her rear right leg, which was filled with a Temise and bandaged in the same way as the wound in her body and wing. She shifted uncomfortably to avoid using the leg to steady her descent. At her side she felt Ditzy’s help her down, holding her up as she moved, talking gently to her.
“Hey, Ditzy, come over here a second!” Rainbow called. Fluttershy gazed up at Ditzy with wide eyes.
“I’ll see if anything’s weird about her” Ditzy whispered, before quickly pecking her on the forehead and trotting towards Rainbow, desperately hoping she had been joking a few moments previously. “What is it Rainbow Dash?” Ditzy called as she approached, slowing down and covering the last few metres between them at a slow walk.
“Remember” Rainbow began, dragging out the first syllable “when you said we were up north?”

Ditzy cast her mind back several days, recalling her discussion back at the river’s edge.
“Yeah” she eventually admitted hesitantly. As her memory came back to the present, she also remembered what the zebra’s had told her about their travel direction. “Heh...yeah” she said again.
“Look at this quickly, would you?” Rainbow said as she indicated the map with her hoof, her voice fluctuating slightly in pitch.
“Hey, we know where we’re going now! That’s great!” Ditzy chirped, letting out a grin.
“Which happens to be the complete opposite direction to where you said we should be going” Rainbow snarled, stepping over the map towards Ditzy.
“Really?” Ditzy said, cocking her head “That’s weird. So where are we going then?”
“You...said...north” Rainbow’s voice lowered with each word as she came closer. “Nothing up north but cold”
“Well, if you go north far enough you go over the pole and end up going south and then right round the planet, I think. I was never any good at geography” Ditzy said, temporarily forgetting her current situation. “But in any case I think I must have had the map upside down when I told you that, because I usually remember things really well”
“Nothing up north” Rainbow repeated. “We’re down south”
“You okay, Rainbow?” Ditzy asked, leaning back as Rainbow leaned towards her. She could feel the cyan pony’s heavy breaths against her face.
“You were wrong” Rainbow snarled. Then, without warning, she slid sideways and passed Ditzy, leaving the grey pegasus staring into empty space. “Don’t be wrong again” she finished as she left Ditzy behind.

Fluttershy gulped. She had watched the scene unfold, unable to hear anything that had been said, but she understood all intentions. She could see anger in Rainbow’s eyes, and fear, and briefly she saw around her iris she saw a ring of silver glinting in the sunlight.
‘I wonder what would happen if I got close. I wonder what I would see’ Fluttershy thought ‘No, I can’t do that to poor Dashie, I promised I wouldn’t use it on another pony unless... no, never use it on another pony ever again’

At the side of her vision, Fluttershy saw Ditzy turn around and hurry back towards her. Turning towards the speedily moving pegasus, Fluttershy caught a glimpse of the worry in her eyes.
“What happened?” Fluttershy asked quietly “Unless it was something private, in which case, you don’t have to say...”
“She’s not in a good mood” Ditzy said as she regained her breath from the short sprint. She cast a cautionary glance at Rainbow before turning back to Fluttershy’s confused expression. “Turns out we were going the wrong way. Heh, who knew?”
“What...” Fluttershy said flatly.
“We’re supposed to be going north, not south” Ditzy clarified, not noticing the scowl on Fluttershy’s face. “My bad I suppose”
“Yes Ditzy, it was very much your “bad”” Fluttershy said.
“Ah, you’re not mad too? Because you storming off would do no end of bad stuff to your leg” Ditzy said.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and listened to the world around her for a moment. The chirp of birds in the trees came and went, the wind swept through her mane and cast a faint whistle into the air, somewhere in the undergrowth a creature scampered past. She opened her eyes again. Fluttershy felt her shoulders relax, and her face soften.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be angry, you tried your best after all” Fluttershy told her marefriend. “But you really should be more accurate with things like this. We need to know where we’re going.” She saw Ditzy’s face droop. “But let’s just be thankful that Rainbow Dash managed to work out your mistake so we can get home”
“Yeah... about that... I’ve kind of known for three days”

Fluttershy just stared.
“My bad...?” Ditzy tried, chuckling nervously.

Rainbow rooted through the bushes. Somewhere within them she could hear a chirping noise, some animal native to these lands, something that would not be quiet. She pushed aside branches and shrubs with her forelegs, thrusting her head between the leaves.
“Get out here you little...” she growled. Something squeaked by her hoof. She swiped out, seeing a small shape bolt out from its leafy shelter and run away through the woods. She tried to identify it, but could only make out a dark, shapeless mass that slid around the trees and into the shade, where it vanished without a trace. “Darn it” Rainbow hissed. “Well, I guess I’ll never know what it was then. Weird looking thing. Probably just a squirrel”

Behind her, Rainbow heard Ditzy cry out a hurried apology. She turned to see the grey pegasus backing away hurriedly, tripping over her own legs, twirling around and spectacularly faceplanting into the grass.

Fluttershy sighed. Rainbow chuckled. Ditzy groaned as she tried to pull her wing through between her legs, where it had somehow managed to get stuck. With a roll of her eyes, Fluttershy shakily began to push herself up. She managed to rise to a near crouch when her legs buckled.

Rainbow saw this and dived, crossing the intervening distance in an instant. Her hoof appeared under Fluttershy’s chest, supporting her by the ribcage, avoiding her wound by a few centimetres. Fluttershy froze at the sudden support. She carefully looked around, jolting in surprise when she saw Rainbow. The blue pegasus did not return the gesture, instead she quickly came closer and held Fluttershy still.
“You okay?” she asked, her head close to Fluttershy’s.
“Um, oh no... I mean yes... don’t hurt me” Fluttershy squeaked.
“What?” Rainbow said “I’m not going to hurt you. What gave you that idea?”
“Oh, um, nothing. Just... let go please”
“O-kay” Rainbow said, gently releasing Fluttershy, who winced as her back leg took her weight. “Erm, Fluttershy, are you sure you’re alright?” she asked.

Fluttershy bowed her head.
“Um, it just hurts, that’s all” she said quietly, avoiding eye contact.
“Well, alright. But you know, if there’s anything wrong, you can tell me right?”
“...Right”
“Fluttershy, look at me”
“Oh, well, I’d, um...” Fluttershy mumbled, refusing to look up.
“What, do I have something on my face?” Rainbow joked. “Come on, look at me”
“I don’t think that’s really necessary”
“Fluttershy” Rainbow said sternly “Look me in the face. You know we can’t help if we can’t see your eyes.”

Fluttershy’s ears perked up at that.
“What did you say?” she said, her interest overriding her worry. Her head lifted slightly, but her eyes remained downcast.
“We just want to look you in the eyes when we talk to you”
“...what do you mean, “we”?”
“You know what I mean” Rainbow said, her voice suddenly jumping up an octave.

Something told Fluttershy she knew exactly what Rainbow meant. That same something that kept her company in her dreams. She found herself raising her eyes.

Rainbow smiled down at her. The purple irises took up most of Fluttershy’s vision.

And in them she saw fear, saw pain, saw worry, and saw hope. In the corner of those giant eyes there was a small glow of hope that somehow, against all odds, they would get home. Fluttershy’s lip twitched into a barely visible smile, just from seeing that was all Rainbow needed to keep going.

She tore her eyes away, unable to bear searching through a pony’s feelings like that. Her mind protested at the invasion of privacy and forced her head away. But another voice told her to move it back.

She nearly did.
“Hey, Fluttershy” Rainbow said, her voice becoming carefree and casual “Why were you looking in that mirror last night? I mean, it’s not like you had a bruise”
“Um, no reason”
“Fluttershy...” Rainbow goaded “Come on, you can tell me”

Fluttershy mumbled something.
“What was that?”
“Eyes” Fluttershy repeated. “Next time you feel strange, pour out some water into a bowl and look at the reflection, specifically your eyes. Please?”
“Alright, will do” Rainbow said, giving Fluttershy a playful hug and departing to help Ditzy to her hooves. Ditzy humbly accepted the help without hesitation, giving Rainbow a large smile that showed she now knew exactly how an upturned tortoise felt, which dropped the moment the cyan pegasus turned away.
“You think she has the same thing you had?” Ditzy asked “That glowy thing?”

Fluttershy nodded gravely.
“Well, we shouldn’t stick around here anyway. I’m going to see if we can get moving soon” Ditzy announced. With that, she trotted after Rainbow Dash and helped to repack the saddlebags.

Fluttershy watched them packing. The two were just as friendly as they had been before, no bad blood of their encounter, and no mention was made of Rainbow’s temper.
“Oh well, at least they’re still getting along” she mumbled.

Chapter 14: The Badlands Beckon

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Chapter 14

They began walking at noon. They found a northern bearing easily, and loaded Fluttershy onto Ditzy’s back, whilst Rainbow carried the saddlebags and the food bag across her back and around her neck. Ditzy had loudly wondered why they were walking instead of simply flying.

Rainbow had snapped at her, pointing out the possibility that Ditzy’s wing may strain with sustained flight, and arguing that Fluttershy should be kept stable if possible. Ditzy had no response to this, and silenced her complaint.

They walked on. The sun glowed above them. Fluttershy spent most of the journey admiring the local plant life, occasionally asking for the others to stop so she could inspect a piece of greenery they had passed. Most of these exotic plants had ended up either in the saddlebags or wound into Ditzy’s mane. As they walked on, Fluttershy busied herself with threading new plants in until she was satisfied.

It took a great strength of will for Ditzy to resist pulling them out. She had tried asking if the plants were a necessary addition to her mane, which received the quiet answer:
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was trying to make you look pretty... not that you’re not pretty already...”

Ditzy rolled her eyes, each moving a different direction, and waved a let out a small sigh.
“Go on then” she said. Fluttershy smiled and gently began her work on a new flowery addition, a small purple item that soon hung just below her right ear.

For three days they walked on, stopping only for food, rest and toilet breaks. All the time they walked in the same formation, Rainbow took the lead with the supplies, checking the map to makes sure they were going the right way, whilst Ditzy carried Fluttershy. Occasionally, Ditzy would ask if Rainbow wanted to swap the supplies for Fluttershy, just for the sake of variety. But every time Rainbow would decline, muttering about trust and weight.

After three days they reached a cliff.

“It’s so...dry”

Fluttershy’s statement was the only sound that came to the lips of the three ponies. They stood at the rocky tip of an outcrop. Below them the land stretched away into the distance, punctuated by mountains and rocks. The clouded over sky took on an orange glow in the afternoon light, as if the sand had taken to the air and formed the clouds in its own image. Behind them, the trees stopped abruptly, like a battle line against the barren wastes ahead of them, and the cliff face was No Pony’s Land. Under their hooves, the last traces of fading grass crunched and crackled in the whips of the wind. Far off in the distance, the horizon waved in the heat, twisting the view into a distant blur.
“Long way down” Rainbow muttered, leaning over the edge. At the foot of the cliff was nothing but rocks sand.
“We... have to go through that?” Fluttershy asked.
“Good thing we packed a lot” Ditzy noted.
“We didn’t pack it, the zebras did” Fluttershy pointed out.
“Good thing they packed a lot for us” Ditzy quickly said.

Fluttershy sighed and glanced along the cliff edge. It stretched away to either side, curving forwards slightly in a miles long crescent. The edge was somewhat jagged, with the rocky outcrops worn all but smooth by years of wind and sand.
“Well, we’re not walking round.” Rainbow said, following Fluttershy’s gaze “You feel like going for a glide?”
“Whatever happened to wingstrain?” Ditzy asked, but was cut off by Rainbow Dash.
“Try not to crash!” Rainbow yelled, and leapt off the cliff.
“Rainbow!” Fluttershy squeaked. Ditzy started forwards, but held herself back when she saw the blur of colour sliding across the landscape in front of her. She screwed up her face. The voice of reason in her head told her that doing something like that with Fluttershy on her back was practically suicide, but it also looked incredibly fun. “Take off first please” Fluttershy requested, as if sensing Ditzy’s desire to dive.

With an exaggerated pout, Ditzy spread her wings and flapped into the air. Fluttershy muttered about needing to preen Ditzy’s wings sometime, which nearly caused her to drop to the ground. After regaining her stability, Ditzy glided forwards, slowly descending down the cliff face in a wide, clockwise spiral. After several minutes of comfortable gliding, the wind tossing at the pony’s manes, blowing Fluttershy’s long pink mess into her eyes, Ditzy’s hooves slid into the sand, feeling its rough texture against her skin. She padded at it for a moment, turning in a circle. The sand was deep, much deeper than she could push her hoof into it.
“Heh, it’s soft and hard at the same time!” Ditzy grinned with foalish amusement. “You should try it!” she suggested, turning her head to Fluttershy.
“Oh I have a sandpit back at the cottage, remember?...” Fluttershy said, looking down at the end of her sentence. Her voice drifted a bit and her eyes became distant. But before Ditzy could fully register the change she snapped back to a smile and said. “But thank you anyway”
“It’s okay!” Ditzy chirped. “Come on, let’s find Dashie!” At that she began to trot away from the cliff, towards the silhouette that stood waiting halfway to the horizon. “Dashie, Dashie we’re coming to you. Dashie, Dashie away you flew!” Ditzy sang. Fluttershy recognised the tune as a foals song, used during games. Ditzy had changed the lyrics and spouted new verses every few steps. It took almost fifteen minutes to walk all the way to where Rainbow was waiting, muttering to herself with her head against a rock.
“Oh dear” Fluttershy said quietly “Is she alright?”

Ditzy shrugged.
“Hey Dashie! Come on, let’s go!” Ditzy called.

Rainbow’s body stiffened, her head lifted slightly in a sudden jerk. Her ears swivelled, shortly followed by her eyes, towards Ditzy. After a moment of tense silence, she relaxed, pulling up her head and smiling weakly.
“Took your time” Rainbow growled through her half smile. “This way”

Ditzy and Fluttershy exchanged looks.
“Are you going to say she’s letting this get to her or should I?” Ditzy asked the mare on her back, who gulped loudly, keeping an eye on the cyan pony walking slowly away from them.

After a few more hours of walking, the sun set. The three lay down by a rock three times as tall as they were. Around it, a small ring of grey wood stood. Trees long dead and ashen from the endless heat. A few branches had been pulled down and used in an attempt to light a fire, but to no avail. The wood was burnt and useless, and the stones they crashed together in the hopes of a spark brought forth nothing. Having tucked Fluttershy up against the rock, Rainbow and Ditzy came to the agreement of building a miniature hut. Over an hour they pushed the sand into a small wall and placed large branches into it, forming a rudimentary hut. The branches fitted together badly and there was little space inside, but it was a warm bastion against the unbearably cold desert outside, and that was all they cared for. The trio huddled together, Fluttershy in the middle, with Rainbow and Ditzy pressed between her and the flimsy walls of their hut. Ditzy snored loudly in the night, with Fluttershy’s head tucked underneath her chin and her hooves wrapped around Ditzy’s body.

Rainbow Dash stayed awake, listening to the echoing snores and gentle breaths of her companions. She shifted uncomfortably, her hooves pressed against her chest. Through the gaps in the branches she could see the sky, wrapped in a smothering cloud, far above her.
‘Wait a minute...’ she thought. Moving carefully, Rainbow extracted herself from the hut, and entered the cold. She stared up at the sky and hummed thoughtfully. ‘That’s just wrong...’

In her head, the voice told her nature could do what it wanted.
“No, no, no, it can’t do that” Rainbow said aloud, stepping away from the hut. “We’re in a desert, this place is dry and yet that sky looks like it’s about to pour with rain”

The voice asked why it should not.
“Because this place is always dry. It always has been! It’s the badlands, it hasn’t rained out here since it got scorched in the first place!”

The voice paused for a moment, and then asked what happened to the area.
“I don’t know. Something to do with the dragons I think. Ask Twilght, she probably knows”

The voice agreed to ask her. And then it turned Rainbow’s attention to the cracked and burned ground beneath her hooves, dusted with sand.
“You’re right” Rainbow muttered “It shouldn’t be like this. You’ve been hurt.” Rainbow’s voice cracked a little. She bowed her head. “It’s not fair.”

The voice reassured her, told her it everything was alright, and told her things would be fixed soon enough, with a little help from her.
“I’ll do anything” Rainbow muttered “This is wrong”

The voice soothed her. Held her in its loving embrace.
“Why don’t you hate us?” Rainbow asked “I... we all hurt you”

The voice told her she was helping.
“I’m helping” Rainbow repeated. “I’m helping”

The voice repeated it too.
“I’m helping, I’m helping”

The voice told her to get some rest, as they had a long walk home.
“Yeah...yeah I do... how far is it?”

The voice told her she would reach Fluttershy’s cottage within a fortnight.
“How do you know her name?” Rainbow said, curious.

The voice did not answer.
“Hey, you there?” Rainbow said, turning away from the ground and looking into the rolling clouds above her. “Hello? You there?”

The voice told her to go back to the hut.

Rainbow lowered her head and turned away. She trudged slowly back to her companions, but stopped short when she looked into the hut.

Fluttershy was awake, and staring directly at her.
“Who were you talking to?” Fluttershy squeaked, hiding behind her mane.
“N... nopony” Rainbow said. “I was talking to nopony”

Fluttershy gulped.
“What?” Rainbow said.
“I heard voices” Fluttershy insisted. “Well. I heard your voice...and...”
“You didn’t hear the other one” Rainbow finished “It was just in your head, right?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened.
“It’s speaking to you as well?” she whispered, giving a glance towards Ditzy, checking she was still asleep.
“What is it, Fluttershy?” Rainbow said, a threatening tone creeping into her voice.
“I don’t know, I only get it faintly” Fluttershy squealed, covering her head with her hooves.
“Fluttershy, it’s okay” Rainbow whispered, moving closer and placing a reassuring foreleg around the yellow mare’s shoulders. “It’s not going to hurt you. We’re helping it.”
“W...we are?” Fluttershy said, peeking up at Rainbows smiling face.
“Of course we are,” Rainbow told her through her unfaltering grin “and I know you’ll never pass up a chance to help a bunny when it’s been hurt, so why not this?”
“It’s hurt?” Fluttershy said, raising her head. “Oh no... what does it need?”
“It needs us to get home” Rainbow said, her grin spreading wider. “Then it can finish its healing”

Fluttershy cocked her head.
“What’s the matter?” Rainbow asked “Don’t you trust me?”
“No...I trust you Rainbow... I just...” Fluttershy trailed off, turning her head to look at Ditzy.

Rainbow followed her gaze, affixing her eyes on the sleeping mare. Ditzy lay oblivious to the conversation right beside her, one of her hooves trailed over to Fluttershy’s leg.
“She doesn’t have it?” Rainbow said.

Fluttershy shook her head.
“You asked her about it?”
“No... but she would have said if she did” Fluttershy admitted.
“Okay” Rainbow said, guiding Fluttershy’s gaze back to her “Let’s keep her out of this for now. It’ll be our secret, 'kay?”
“Are you sure? I...”
“Okay?” Rainbow said forcefully.
“Yes” Fluttershy squeaked.
“Great” Rainbow said, squeezing into place beside Fluttershy “Now let’s get some sleep. We’ve got far to go”

The sun rose over the desolate plains. A lizard scuttled over the rock that sheltered the three ponies as they slept in their fragile hut. The lizard looked down at the poorly made shelter, and then wandered off to find a meal.

It would starve to death before it found anything.

Inside the hut, Fluttershy awoke. Glancing to the ponies either side of her, she recalled the conversation last night. The memory seemed strange, with a dreamlike quality to it. Fluttershy pushed it from her mind, preferring not to think of it, and reached for the saddlebags. She quietly opened the flap and reached inside, searching for her breakfast. She found several wrapped sandwiches, but quickly replaced them.
‘It’d be rude to eat without them’ she thought. And so she sat between the mare she loved and the mare she shared a secret with. And she thought about home.

Ditzy awoke to find her face damp with tears.

Chapter 15: Blood.

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Chapter 15

Rainbow Dash stood, scanning the horizon. In front of her, the map was open, held down by four rocks. There were no landmarks, just hardened ground in every direction. The map held no clues, and the sky was too full of cloud to discern the position of the sun from ground level. By her hooves lay an open wrapper, rustling in the wind, that until recently contained a rudimentary sandwich made with flat bread and a wad of unidentified leaves. Behind her, she could hear Ditzy soothing Fluttershy, talking gently to her in half realised sentences and dysfunctional metaphors.

It seemed to be working. The sobs that had awoken the two mares were now dying down. Shortly, the only sound remaining was the wind in Rainbow’s ears and the shallow sound of her own breathing.

Ditzy emerged from the hut. She trudged over to Rainbow and gazed down at the map.
“You know where we’re going?” Ditzy asked.
“Same way as before I guess” Rainbow answered, pointing to her left, but looking the way they had come. “Just keep going until we see something we can use”

Ditzy snorted and smiled.
“That sounds like you alright” Ditzy said “Just keep going and we’ll get there.”
“Hey, don’t knock it, it works” Rainbow said. Her voice dropped slightly “We should get moving as soon as we can”
“What about Flutty?” Ditzy asked.
“Carry her, same as before” Rainbow instructed.
“But I don’t want to move her, she’s all...teary”
“Ditz” Rainbow said, rounding on her friend “You get in there, you convince her to get up and get going. Tell her it’s important.”
“You mean it wasn’t important already?”
“Just do it” Rainbow snapped, baring her teeth at Ditzy. Ditzy turned and hurried over to her marefriend.
“We’ve got to go now Flutty” she whispered, nuzzling Fluttershy’s forehead.

Fluttershy made a small noise, somewhere between a groan of acceptance and a squeak. Ditzy nuzzled her a little more.
“Now?” Fluttershy said, as if she had just awoken from a dream.
“You can sleep on the way” Ditzy told her “But Rainbow Dash wants us moving. And I don’t think she means in the fun way”

Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed. She pulled away from Ditzy and curled into a ball.
“Oh...sorry Flutty” Ditzy said, lightly pulling her out of her foetal position. “Sorry” she repeated “I don’t think being out here’s done much for my head”
“That’s not what you need to worry about” Fluttershy whispered. Ditzy cocked her head. “What about Dinky?”

Ditzy shrank back.
“I... I’ve been trying not to think about it” Ditzy said “I mean... she can look after herself, she’s a big mare and... and...” she trailed off. Fluttershy rose from the ground, her wounded leg crumpling beneath her and throwing her down with every movement, and moved to embrace Ditzy.
“I’m sure she’s fine” Fluttershy said, her neck pressed to Ditzy’s and her head laying between the mare’s shoulders. “I’m sure Cloudsdale moved before the storm hit”
“You think?” Ditzy said, pulling her head back to look Fluttershy in the eyes. A tear formed in the corner of her eye and ran down her grey cheek. Fluttershy paused for a moment before responding.
“I’m sure of it” she said, before kissing Ditzy on the cheek and wiping away her tears. “Just... imagine if we got back and she ran up to you and hugged you and had missed you”

Ditzy paused to think for a moment, then gave a little smile.
“That’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever imagined.” Ditzy giggled.
“Then let’s go and find her” Fluttershy said, pulling away, wincing as she accidentally placed a little weight upon her damaged leg.

Outside, Rainbow flicked her mane out of her eyes. It was getting in the way. She had never noticed it before, but when she stood still long enough it hung in her eyes like the wings on a starving bird. A small amount of thought was focused on wondering why she had come up with such a grim simile, but dismissed the thought. Her mind was focusing on home. It tugged in her head, stopped her from resting properly. She had only slept last night when tiredness had forced her legs to crumple. Something in the back of her head told her to keep watch, to keep her friends safe. The voice told her to rest when she could, but her mind told her to watch. It was a painful struggle. She put a hoof to her head, trying to force out the headache this caused.
“I can’t leave them alone at night” she reasoned.

The voice told her she was of no use dead.
“But I’m not going to leave them undefended”

The voice told her she was not thinking properly.
“You know why?” she hissed, keeping her voice low “Because you won’t let me think for myself.” As she talked, her lips began to twitch, giving her words a staccato edge.

The voice did not respond.
“You’re keeping me up, you might not mean it but knowing you’re there is not helping”

The voice was still quiet.
“Leave it Rainbow” she told herself “You’re letting it get to you”

Behind her, Ditzy emerged from their shelter, with Fluttershy mounted upon her back. Rainbow rolled up the map and stuffed it hastily into the saddlebags, which she threw over her back and grabbed the food bag. Without a word to her companions, she set off across the bare ground.

A few words of encouragement later, Ditzy set off after her.

“Rocks”.

Fluttershy sighed as she correctly guessed the answer to Ditzy’s latest way of passing the time, continual games of I-Spy. Unfortunately, the only things Ditzy had been able to spot were rocks and dust. It had been five days since they reached the badlands, and Fluttershy had begun to suspect they were going in circles.
“Couldn’t be” Rainbow had insisted, proving her point by flying high up into the air and yelling “I can see mountains over there” whenever she was asked. But after each repetition Fluttershy never saw any mountains coming over the horizon.
‘We’re going to die out here’ she thought to herself, every hour the thought filled her mind. The meagre rations they lived on, whilst unusually filling for their size, she knew would not sustain them. She could see Ditzy was beginning to struggle to carry her every day for the untold miles they covered. Beads of sweat dropped from the grey mare’s face, her entire body quivering when the days dragged on without stopping for rest.

Rainbow would not let them rest. She charged on ahead, often striding faster than Ditzy could keep up, forcing her to gallop to catch up. As was the case now. Fluttershy pointed ahead at the rapidly disappearing image of Rainbow Dash ahead of them and held on as Ditzy began to gallop, abandoning the game of I-Spy in favour of survival. Fluttershy gritted her teeth and held on tight as she felt her body smack against the charging mare’s back. For a few seconds, her wounds screamed. When Ditzy slowed to a light trot at Rainbow’s side, Fluttershy let out a small whimper and curled up as much as she dared.
“Flutty, are you okay?” Ditzy asked, looking back at the pained mare.
“I think it’s opened up” Fluttershy squeaked.
“What?”

Fluttershy’s eyes began to widen and cross. Ditzy glanced along her marefriend’s body, checking for anything that could be causing this.
“Rainbow wait up!” she called out “Flutty’s hurt!”

Rainbow stopped suddenly and darted to Ditzy’s side. She grabbed at Fluttershy, quickly moving her limbs and roughly inspecting her for any signs of further damage.
“Ah, no, please” Fluttershy squeaked as she was handled by Rainbow.
“There” Rainbow stated flatly, ceasing her rough movement. She stared directly at the bandage over Fluttershy’s stomach wound. A slow moving wave of red expanded across the bandage.
“Flutty!” Ditzy yelled, seeing the blood on the bandage. “Get her off me! Help her!” she screeched at Rainbow, who proceeded to drag Fluttershy to the ground and began tearing away at the bandage with her teeth. Fluttershy shrieked in pain and writhed beneath Rainbow’s hooves as the bandage was ripped into shreds. “Hey, stop it!” Ditzy yelled, grabbing at Rainbow and attempting to pull her away. She got a loose hold around Rainbow’s shoulders and pulled at her mane with her teeth. As the last shreds of bandage fell away Rainbow pulled back slightly.

Ditzy threw Rainbow backwards, pinning her to the ground and growling in her face.
“Stop it” Ditzy said, her clenched teeth muffling the words. “Stop it”

Rainbow glared up from beneath her. The pained cries of Fluttershy echoed in their ears as their gaze stayed locked.
“Get off me” Rainbow hissed, attempting to rise.
“No”
“Get...off”
“No” Ditzy said, punctuating the word with a small shove, pushing Rainbow’s shoulders down onto the hard ground again.
“Don’t make me hurt you”
“You already hurt her” Ditzy snapped, pushing her snout against Rainbow’s “I don’t care if you hurt me”
“I’m going to count to three...” Rainbow warned.
“I’m not counting” Ditzy said “Now stop it.”
“One...”

Ditzy headbutted her. Rainbow let out a short cry and mashed her teeth together. Her head fell back against the ground, hitting it with a sickening crack.
“Uh-oh” Ditzy said. She leaned down and looked at the side of Rainbow’s head. From beneath it, a small trickle of blood had begun to appear. “Ah...no, ah, I” Ditzy stammered “R...rainbow? Hello? I...I... Ah!”
“Ditzy...” came a quiet voice from behind her “What happened?”

Ditzy span around, her eyes rolling around, scanning the landscape for anything that could help.
“Ah, ah, Flutty, I...I... I...” Ditzy said, unable to form the words she needed. Her eyes caught Fluttershy’s wound, which glared from her stomach like a red eyed cyclops. Blood flowed steadily from it, pooling on the ground around her belly. “Wait” she managed to say, and dived towards the saddlebags. She flipped open the top and rummaged through, throwing aside wrappings of food and their canteens of water, until she pulled out a small box, upon which a leaf was imprinted. She quickly carried it over to Fluttershy and flipped it open, inside lay various vials and a roll of cloth. “Can you stand a little?” Ditzy asked, her voice trembling. Fluttershy tried to push herself up, managing only a few millimetres of height before she crashed back to the ground with a cry of pain. Ditzy wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy’s head and asked, with a tear in her eye, for her to try again.

Fluttershy pushed at the ground, forcing herself up the little distance she could manage. She felt Ditzy’s hoof helping her up, and bit her lip to keep herself from shrieking at the pain. She felt her bandages being pulled away.

Ditzy lowered her to the ground, lying her on her side. She could clearly see the Temise inside Fluttershy, bloated and red like a crimson pufferfish. Cautiously, Ditzy reached forwards with both hooves and clutched the sponge.
“Get another one first” Fluttershy squealed. Ditzy glanced up in confusion, before realising Fluttershy was right, removing the Temise without another one nearby to stop the bleeding was a bad idea. Ditzy leapt back to her hooves and rummaged through the saddlebags again. “Hurry” Fluttershy said weakly.

Fluttershy’s vision was blurring. She tried to focus on her marefriend trying so desperately to help, but only saw a swimming mess against a bright background.
“Hurry” Fluttershy repeated, barely audible even to herself, her body sinking against the hard ground.

She saw Ditzy turn back, a shape clutched in her mouth.

Then she saw nothing at all.

Ditzy sprinted back to Fluttershy’s side, dropping the fresh Temise beside her and yanking out the old one.
“No, no, no Flutty don’t go!” she shouted as she saw the yellow mare’s eyes drift shut. She grabbed the fresh Temise and slid it into the wound. The blood ran around it as it entered, but the sponge did its task as expected. The flow of blood ceased quickly. Ditzy flopped to the ground, tired.
“Flutty?” she said, half expecting an answer “You alive there?”

She received no response, but a small look over her resting body revealed the rising and falling of her chest.
“Yeah, you’re alive” Ditzy told herself, allowing herself a small smile of victory.

Over the next hour she busied herself with bandaging Fluttershy and Rainbow’s wounds without causing either of them undue discomfort. She had to lift Fluttershy several times to pass the long bandage beneath her and tied it off over her back in a manner that vaguely resembled a primitive saddle. Once satisfied that her medical assistance was up to her low standards of aesthetic beauty, as well as testing it was no longer being stained with blood, she turned her attention to Rainbow Dash.

For a moment, she was hesitant to help the mare who had treated Fluttershy so badly, consciously blocking out the thought that her running was what caused the wounds to open on her marefriend. Rainbow had deliberately been rough with Fluttershy, and that was what mattered.

However, Ditzy relented when she saw the trickle of red behind Rainbow’s head was beginning to dye her mane a deep crimson. She bandaged it and tapped her skull to try and hear if anything was broken, but eventually deduced that she could do no more until Fluttershy awoke.

And so she carefully dragged Rainbow over to Fluttershy’s side, placed the saddlebags on Fluttershy’s other side, and lay down the two unconscious ponies.

And then she waited for them to wake up.

Chapter 16: The Arrival

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Chapter 16

The day wore on. Every few hours, Ditzy would check the bandaging on her friends, retying them when the poorly tied wrappings came loose. The sun began to set, it’s golden rim melting into the horizon. Ditzy watched it set, nestled between her friends.
“Huh, sun sets in the north here” Ditzy said as she watched the sun descend into the group’s intended route. Not long after she said this, the sun’s glare forced her to look away. She turned from the light and faced the other way, gazing at the darkening landscape. The rocks slid into shadow and the dust faded to black as she watched.

The rocks moved. Ditzy cocked her head, peering into the darkness.

It moved again, separating from a larger rock. The shape slid out and stood alone. It’s edges blurred into the night. Ditzy lost sight of it several times as she stared.

It moved forwards. Bobbing slightly as it advanced, slowly and steadily, towards Ditzy.
“Who’s there?” Ditzy called. She widened her stance and lowered her body, her eyes glanced around. “Who’s out there?”

A voice floated back, but the wind carried away the words.
“Come where I can see you!” Ditzy yelled “Come on!”

The shape came forwards faster, moving at an ever increasing pace.
“I didn’t mean it you can stay right there!” Ditzy squealed, rearing up onto her hind legs, spinning in place, and diving behind her wounded friends.

The wind whistled in her ears. Her hooves were clamped over her eyes. Ditzy curled up into a ball, shivering. The cold bit into her skin. She bit into her lip to stop herself from crying out.
‘It’s not going to hurt you’ Ditzy thought ‘Just stay still. It’s not going to hurt you’

The thought circled in her head, repeating endlessly. The voice in the wind started to form recognisable words, but Ditzy ignored them.

Something touched Ditzy’s shoulder. She leapt backwards, her legs flailing as a scream echoed out into the uncaring dark. One of her hooves connected with something as she flew through the air with the elegance of a feathery brick. A thickly accented voice gave a small grunt in surprise.
“Miss Doo, please be careful, your hoof just gave me an earful” the voice said.
Ditzy ceased her violent flailing; her legs paused in an awkward position above her. After a moment her right eye opened slowly. Her yellow iris flicked around, searching for the source of the voice. A figure against the still darkening sky stood over her, the very last ray of sun escaping before Ditzy could make out any details upon it.
“Kindly lower your twitching hooves.” the figure politely instructed as it gently pushed down on Ditzy’s left foreleg. “You disturb the world with such frantic moves”
“Don’t hurt me” Ditzy squeaked, pressing her body into the ground as hard as she could “Take Dashie, but leave the saddlebags... or even better just leave us all!”
“I am not here to rob you, I came to assist. My home is no more and you’re lost in the mist”
“But there’s not enough water for mist...” Ditzy pointed out. The figure sighed loudly and shook what appeared to be its head. “Wait... was that one of those numbers of talking?”

The figure turned away and sighed again.
“A ‘figure of speech’ I believe you mean, now stand so their wounds can be seen” the figure said, gesturing towards the two still bodies nearby. “They appear to have been wounded once again. From that we asked for you to abstain.”
“Hey, I only head butted her this time” Ditzy said, her head popping up to keep the figure in sight as it slowly advanced on Rainbow Dash.
“We will have to check for the onset of Carise. Open your other eye and help me with this.”

Ditzy obediently opened her other eye and rolled over, pushing herself to her hooves. She hesitantly approached the figure from behind, her eyes flicking to Fluttershy’s body every few seconds.
“Miss Doo, do you know what the Carise virus does?” the figure said, its head nudging at Rainbow’s cheek and sniffing regularly. “It breaks down the mind and fills the body with pus.”
“She has been a bit strange lately” Ditzy admitted. “Wait...I shouldn’t be talking to you”
“Miss Doo, we have been through this situation before, the last time your friends were silent on the floor”
“You weren’t here last night... wait, were you in my dream? Because I had a really weird one where... “ Ditzy was cut off by a hoof ramming itself into her mouth.
“My name is Cortich, or perhaps you are too dim. Now help me help your friends you ignorant quim”

Ditzy was silent for a moment.
“You know I’m from the place that word originated, right?” Ditzy said, her face set in a glare.
“I apologise, miss Doo, I was not aware. Now please, I am tired, I just want to care”
“...Alright...” Ditzy said “but why’re you here?”

Cortich was silent, and simply scanned Rainbow’s body, prodding gently at her body.
“I mean, weren’t you up the wall with all the wolves and stuff?”

No response came.
“I mean, either you’re dead and I’m hallucinating or you did some pretty impressive escape manoeuvres”
“Please be quiet...” Cortich muttered, turning away from Rainbow and moving quickly to Fluttershy’s side.

Ditzy stood waiting for the sentence to end, her ears pointed forwards expectantly. After a short moment of silence, she gave a small cough.

Cortich muttered something inaudible. Ditzy leaned in, hoping the zebra would repeat it.

But the only sound she heard was a gentle sob.
“... Are you alright?” Ditzy asked.

Cortich wiped her face with her hoof, flung back her hood and turned to Ditzy.
“I am fine. If you could light a fire, please try it” Cortich said, her head gazing at Fluttershy’s body.

Words drifted on the wind, blurred and mumbled in the air. Fluttershy could not read them as they drifted past her eyes, or work out the sounds that reached her ears. She tried to call out, but the only sound she made was an incomprehensible noise. Her tongue felt alien in her mouth, like a parasite. It refused her commands to make sense and screamed its nonsense. The air around her swirled in shades of green, brown and blue. The colours mixed and split, twisting and flowing like oils in a fantastical whirlpool. Fluttershy tried to move her head, but found her body moving instead. She tried to move her body, only to find her legs and head moving the opposite direction. Images formed in the twisting colours, abstract and indistinct. But Fluttershy felt as if she knew them, a sense of familiarity came from them in the instant they existed before they were lost in the colourful fog that pressed against her eyes. The words floated around, written in a language she could not read. But she felt the meaning. It was imprinted upon her as she looked on each word. An indescribable blast of emotion, feelings never experienced by ponykind before.

Rainbow was kicking in her sleep. Cortich had told Ditzy that the length of her unconscious period was worrying her, pointing out that a simple headbutt should not have caused enough damage to silence her for more than half a day.

But they could not wait in the Badlands forever. Cortich had advised they continue moving. With Rainbow Dash mounted over Cortich’s saddlebags and Fluttershy mounted upon Ditzy, the group had begun its movement again. Ditzy initially questioned the direction of travel, before being told they had been drifting westwards since they entered the Badlands.
“How do you know that?” Ditzy had asked.
“I’ve been following you, and the trail you drag. I also can use the compass you have in your bag” Cortich said, pointing to the item hanging from her neck. Ditzy had found a similar item in her saddlebags, but had left it there upon seeing Cortich not only had her own, but could use it competently.

They walked side by side. But Ditzy was unused to the weight of both a grown pony and enough food for three, and regularly slowed enough for Cortich to wait for her to catch up. But even side by side, Ditzy never quite saw Cortich’s face clearly. Her hood was up against the beating sun, and her head bowed slightly to keep her face in shadow.

Night fell once more, and a camp was made. Cortich lowered Rainbow to the ground with a scowl only suitable for a pony that had been unconsciously kicked for most of the day. Ditzy was sweating with exertion as she unceremoniously fell to the floor and began to doze, using Fluttershy as a skeletal blanket. Ditzy could feel her ribs through the thin layer of skin and flesh. The saddlebags weighed in on her side.

Cortich lit a fire, allowing Ditzy time to get comfortable on the ground before walking over and gently removing Fluttershy. She laid the yellow body beside Ditzy, avoiding the confused gaze the grey mare gave her. Cortich turned away once Fluttershy was comfortably positioned, moving to her saddlebags and extracting a small package. She unwrapped the leaves and began to quietly feed on the grain within.

Ditzy extended a hoof and stroked Fluttershy’s mane, idly inspecting the back of her marefriend. She pawed at Fluttershy’s back, stopping each stroke as she reached the bandage. After a few minutes, she stopped moving and pushed a hoof under Fluttershy’s foreleg, feeling her strained breathing.
‘Wake up Flutty’ she thought, before adding aloud “Wake up”

Cortich looked up from her meal, observed the mares with a stern face, and returned to her food.
“Why won’t they wake up?” Ditzy asked, breaking the silence like a strong gust of wind breaks the stalk of a dried flower. Cortich rewrapped her food and placed it to one side. She glanced at Rainbow, and the turned her gaze across the small blaze to Ditzy. Their gaze locked, the pegasus’s eyes peeking out from behind the mess of pink.

Cortich opened her mouth to speak, but paused.
“They just don’t have it in them, do they?” Ditzy said.

Cortich nodded.
“They need time to find themselves, into their souls each one of them delves”

Ditzy nuzzled the back of Fluttershy’s head.
“She can do that” Ditzy claimed. Cortich let out a small noise, gesturing with a hoof for Ditzy to explain further. “She looks at you and she can see right into your soul.”

Rainbow flailed, trying to connect with something to hold, something to beat her wings against. No air to push on, she was not flying, she was falling in an empty space. With nothing she could do. It rushed past her, swirling in all directions. Shapes flickered in the fog that pressed against her eyes. Rainbow tried to cry out, vainly hoping that some other creature would hear her in this strange world, but she could not even understand what came from her mouth. She could not feel her teeth and her tongue as they formed words independent of her thoughts. Every thought gave a new image, bursting for a moment onto the fog before vanishing the instant it appeared. Her body was numb, it moved out of control. She could not see herself, she could not understand herself, and she could not feel herself. In the fog, something loomed, darkening the entire cloud. As it filled her vision, it split in two. One side glowed with a silver light. Rainbow sensed her body curl away from it. The other seemed familiar, like a long lost friend, but twisted into something she could not recognise. Both things surrounded each other, taking each other’s place and swirling with the fog. There was no sense of distance here, but each one felt close, and pressing in further. Rainbow tried to focus, to figure out where everything was moving, but everything moved simultaneously, every flow and thought she sensed, senses and would sense all came together. There was no time, but she perceived it anyway. Everything happened at once, and as soon as she had entered the fog, the things had her.

“You never looked her in the eye, did you?” Ditzy asked. Cortich shook her head. Ditzy stood beside Fluttershy, gazing down at her. “It’s weird, whenever you do, she can see right into you. Most of the time she holds back, or gets awkward and looks away...” Ditzy stifled a giggled “Sorry, it’s just... she looks funny when she gets all shy”. Cortich raised an eyebrow, waiting for Ditzy to stop. “Yeah, anyway, she doesn’t do it unless she has too, but Flutty here can see right down to the bottom of you. She’ll know what you love, what you hate, what you’re scared of...” Ditzy fell silent, looking out into the desert.
“Miss Doo, do you feel alright? Your face suggests you wish to take flight” Cortich said.
“I’m fine” Ditzy insisted, turning to the zebra and clearing her throat.
“No, you are not, do not lie to me. For your own sake tell me what worries thee”

Ditzy looked down, her hooves shifting awkwardly. For a moment she mumbled, but the feel of a hoof on her back, and Cortich’s unhooded head appearing in her view made her relent.
“We kind of had an accident with it” Ditzy said quietly, picking her words carefully “I wanted to know what it was like, and she wanted to know if she could use it to peacefully convince animals to help her, instead of just scaring them and... turns out it’s much easier to be scared than happy.”

Cortich thought for a moment.
“In conversation, I see why that would not rise. But it does explain your curious-“
“You finish that sentence and I stick your head in the fire” Ditzy growled, slapping away the hoof Cortich was using to indicate Ditzy’s askew iris.
“-I doubt those are lies” Cortich finished.
“Nah, it was lies... sorry.” Ditzy said, throwing off the zebra’s hoof and settling down beside Fluttershy. “Just... don’t mention the eyes, okay?”

Cortich nodded solemnly.
“My most sincere apologies, dear miss Doo. I-”
“And stop with the “miss” thing, my name’s Ditzy, alright?”
“-will say as such when I address you” the zebra finished. Ditzy gave her a small smile and lowered her head to the ground. “I’m afraid I have not asked how you three have fared, have you had trouble, have you been scared?”
“Well... apart from all this I think we’ve been... alright” Ditzy told her. Cortich turned to Rainbow Dash and cleared her throat. “What?”
“If nothing is wrong, then why are both hurt, forcing them to lie in the dirt?”

Ditzy’s smile failed. She bit her lip before continuing.
“Rainbow went a bit crazy” Ditzy said tactfully “Started ripping up Flutty’s bandage. I fixed it, I think, but still...”

Cortich stared at Ditzy, her face clearly showing her disbelief that Ditzy had told all there was to know.
“... And I might, only might, have taken that a bit personally and beaten her unconscious... again”

Cortich facehoofed.
“An understandable response, I must admit, but you must think these things through a bit.” Cortich told her “Miss Dash and your friend would do best awake. Their company is vital for sanity’s sake.”
“Are you saying I’m crazy?” Ditzy asked.

Cortich shrugged.
“I barely know you, and so I cannot say. And I feel we won’t last long past today” she said.
“What do you mean?”

Cortich appeared to ignore the question, and instead began gathering items from the nearby area. She filled a wooden bowl with dust and sand, placed it by the fire and surrounded it with small stones. From her saddlebags came a small bundle of yellow leaves and a fine grey powder, all of which was placed in the bowl. Ditzy watched on, attempting to guess what she was doing, but her cries of “ghost summoning” and “freaky witch stuff” went unanswered.

Cortich bent down to the fire and whispered something inaudible. She picked up a flaming branch in her teeth and gently dipped in into the bowl. The contents of the bowl lit in a large blue flame. Purple smoke twisted into the air and mixed with the grey wisps from the campfire beside it.

The flash of light from the bowl’s sudden ignition caught Ditzy’s eye. One pupil drifted down to the small blaze, the other stayed watching Cortich as the zebra moved gracefully in twirls and strikes at the clouded sky, muttering under her breath with every arcing movement. Ditzy opened her wings a little, taking a step back. The wind rushed under her unused feathers, forcing a shiver through her body.

Cortich plummeted to the ground, her cloak and hood billowing behind her body. Her hoof snuffed out the flame and buried itself in the debris inside the bowl. Her body flattened to the ground, her head to the ground. Ditzy squeaked in alarm, jumping into the air and hovering in place, her legs curled up around her body.
“Are you okay?” she called out to the motionless zebra.

The purple smoke vanished, whisked away by the air and hidden in the sky. The night stood silent, watching the zebra.

Cortich lifted her hoof.
“Look in here... for it is done” Cortich said, removing her hoof from the bowl. “For one of us, the prophecy has won”
“Prophecy? You were future-seeing?” Ditzy said, landing next to the bowl “Darnit, nearly guessed it” The zebra ignored her and began to peer into the bowl.
“Here, look and observe the pattern. See where lumps rise and the burnt twigs flatten”

The ashes laid in the bowl. Broken and blackened and burnt. The surviving fragments rose and fell. They formed a pattern. Its meaning soared from the bowl.

“Death” Ditzy whispered. She looked up at Cortich “One of us is going to die?”

Cortich nodded gravely.

You Can't Take The Sky From Me

by FailcopterWes

Chapter 1: A Storm is Coming

Chapter 2: The Setting Sun

Chapter 3: The Song of the Pegasi

Chapter 4: Pegasi and Preparations

Chapter 5: The Journey of the Stricken

Chapter 6: Approaching the Grasslands.

Chapter 7: Encounter at Night-Time

Chapter 8: The Fortress Behind the Mountain

Chapter 9: A Caring Culture

Chapter 10: The Travellers' Rest

Chapter 11: A Flight to Remember

Chapter 12: Silence.

Chapter 13: Confrontation.

Chapter 14: The Badlands Beckon

Chapter 15: Blood.

Chapter 16: The Arrival

AUTHOR'S NOTE