Chapter 1

After Sombra's army conquered Equestria he seated himself onto the Canterlot throne assuming control over all of Equestria, he has put up wanted posters for Twilight Sparkle and her friends including Princess Cadance as well as Princess Luna he knows that only those few are a danger to his reign, "I don't care how long it takes you I just want them found and in chains they are the only ones that will stop me on their own decisions because six of them are the elements of harmony and Cadance will try to rally the Crystal Empire's army to regroup and Luna is the rightful heir to the throne that I sit on at this moment if she returns then all the ponies in the empire will rebel!" King Sombra finished as one of his generals leave to start the hunt for the companions and the Princesses. King Sombra returns to his throne which he stole and begins speaking to himself, "If the elements escaped they will surely try to overthrow me from my rule, but, without Luna they will never get Canterlot back."

Meanwhile...

Twilight was running across a field in Sweet Apple Acres to grab some apples for herself and her friends who have been hiding since Sombra took over Equestria, suddenly a dark pegasus pony flies over the fields with a light hanging from its neck searching for the "fugitives" Twilight ducked below an apple tree just as more pegasi flew over the fields "That was too close," Twilight exclaimed to herself quietly. As soon it was safe to move Twilight came out from under the apple tree and made the long walk to her secret location,
she gave the secret knock and the door opened with a Pink maned yellow pegasus pony standing behind it, "Oh...oh Twilight it's you, I was getting worried about you," said a concerned Fluttershy. "I'm fine Fluttershy really, are any of the others back yet?" she asked the shy pegasus pony who has been scarred by the pain of war. "No...not yet Twilight they have been gone longer than you have." replied the yellow pegasus, Twilight sighed at this fact. She had sent Pinkie and Rarity to do recon on the forces of Sombra and sent Applejack and Rainbow Dash to try and find Cadance in the reported sightings areas and some were far from their hiding place, she had gone to gather more food for the gang after heir food supplies were running low. Suddenly a knock on the door grabbed Twilight's attention she walked to the door and heard it was the secret knock, she opened it and found that it was Pinkie and Rarity behind the door.

"Rarity, Pinkie I'm glad you have returned, what have you gathered from your recon?" Twilight said with delight and hope that their search was not in vain. Pinkie Pie spoke first, she was not her usual bouncy fun type, "King Sombra has put a bounty on our heads and on the heads of Cadance and Luna as well," Pinkie saluted raising her fore hoof to her pink head and her mane was straight instead of bouncy and poofy like it usually was. Then Rarity spoke up, "The fact of the matter is that no one knows where Luna or Cadance is darling." the war has even taken a toll on Rarity she was no longer purely white like always was she was covered in a layer of dirt that made her appear gray, her mane and tail was now muddy from the months she had spent hiding under the ground and doing recon. Suddenly another secret knock at the door, however, this one was hurried though, quickly Twilight opened the door to see Rainbow Dash with a distressed look upon her face Twilight opened the door and Rainbow Dash ran in with Applejack on her back. "What happened?!" Twilight asked distressed.
Rainbow Dash replied as she set an unconscious Applejack on the medical table where Rarity was getting the medical supplies ready, "We were looking for Cadance and all of a sudden a battalion of dark ponies ambushed us I was lucky to get unscathed, but, Applejack was hit by an arrow just as we were about get out of there, luckily she was hit in the side and not her chest." Twilight responded, "Thank Celestia you two are allright..." she cringed at mentioning her now departed mentor in the magical arts' name, as they gathered around Applejack, who was now in bandages, they saw the pieces of the arrow that had struck her in a bowl of water and blood that floats within the water since the arrow tip was in her body.
Twilight turned to Dash and asked about Cadance, "So did you find Cadance the area?" Rainbow Dash looked at the map hanging behind Twilight, "You better put another 'X' on the map because we definitely didn't find her in that area," Rainbow dashed pointed to the spot she and Applejack searched in. "Clop! That's the tenth spot we've looked at, it's been months since we last saw Cadance." Twilight expressed in anger. Suddenly Rarity spoke up "Twilight darling I think we should begin hiding the base," Twilight snapped out of her anger and replied to Rarity, "Yes your right Rarity it's time to hide the base, Pinkie, Fluttershy grab the camouflage and pull it over the base," she instructed her friends.

Pinkie and Fluttershy walk out of the base to grab the camouflage to hide them and the base from Sombra's forces, Twilight turns to Rarity after they leave, "How is Applejack Rarity?" she asked concerned. "Well she'll live, she's lucky that the arrow didn't hit any major arteries or major organs so she'll be able to recover quickly thank Celestia," Twilight cringed at hearing the name that Rarity just spoke, "Oh... I'm sooo sorry darling I didn't mean..." "It's fine Rarity," Twilight interrupted as Rarity was apologising. The door to the base opened again. "The camouflage is now in place Twilight." said the Pink pony saluting to her friend, Twilight nodded towards Pinkie to stop saluting, she looked over to Rainbow Dash who had not left Applejack's side ever since she brought her into the base. Twilight turned to the rest of her friends with concern, " Girls I'm worried about Dash, she hasn't left Applejack's side ever since she brought her back from the ambush." "I think she's just worried about her that's all darling," Rarity responded looking at her friend by the medical table. "Your right Rarity she's looks super duper worried," Pinkie said as well. Twilight heard the hoof steps of multiple battalions walking above them.

"It's time we worked out shifts for the night," Twilight said turning to the others now, she continued speaking shortly afterwards, "Rarity and I will take the first shift, then Pinkie you'll shift with Rarity when she wakes you, then Fluttershy when you wake her and then Dash when she wakes her." she finished and the others nodded in agreement, Fluttershy woke Rainbow Dash who had fallen asleep and she walked sleepily to her bed in the corner and went straight back to sleep the other three followed soon after. Time passed and the two on duty were silent to each other, then Rarity began to speak, "Twilight darling you cannot stay awake for so long it has been a week since you last slept, you have to sleep sometime..." but before Rarity could finish Twilight turned to her in agitation, "No Rarity I cannot sleep at all because every time I do I see Sombra's forces entering the base and taking you all captive and torturing you which tortures me inside, to see my friends in so much pain."

Half an hour passes until Rarity speaks again, "Twilight darling why do you think Rainbow Dash is so worried over Applejack?" Twilight turns to Rarity, "I think it's because she really likes Applejack and I mean in a very close friend way, not a special somepony though, but, very close to that." she ended her opinion. Two hours pass after that and Rarity grew tired and aroused Pinkie from her sleep so she could begin her shift with Twilight. The two spoke little, however, Twilight asks Pinkie about the recon she and Rarity did, "What else did you find out during your recon Pinkie?" she asked the pink pony who soon spoke shortly after the question was asked, "It turns out that Sombra is looking for Luna, but no pony knows where she is," "I thought Luna was killed by Sombra after he defeated Celestia," the purple alicorn stated. "Apparently not and he has taken the bounty off of Cadance for some odd reason," the pink pony said, this caught Twilight's interest, "So your saying that Sombra has found her," she asked with a quizzical look. The two discussed the topic for a long time then Pinkie grew tired as well and awakened Fluttershy for her shift with Twilight.

Unlike the other two Twilight and Fluttershy had nothing to talk about except for the fact of concern for Rainbow Dash and how she was taking Applejack being injured by an arrow. They sat on their rumps listening to the battalions of Sombra's forces marching above their very manes, "I just hope my animal friends are alright," the yellow pegasus said in a concerned voice. "Don't worry Fluttershy I'm sure they found their way to the Everfree Forest after you left, they are animals after all," Twilight said with reassurance towards her friend. "Thanks Twilight you always know how to cheer me up," said the shy pony.
More hours passed by and Fluttershy grew tired again and before she could wake Rainbow Dash her rainbow maned friend was already making her way beside Twilight.

"Rainbow Dash y...you're...a...awake..?" Fluttershy asked her friend concerned, Dash didn't even acknowledge her friends concern, she only walked past her with a stern face. "Twilight look after her p...please," Fluttershy whispered to her alicorn friend concerned. Twilight nodded at the concern and Fluttershy left to her bed, Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash who was standing by the medical table looking over the orange mare who was sleeping soundly on the medical table, Rainbow pulled a warm blanket over her friend. "Rainbow...?" Twilight walked over to her Rainbow maned friend stretching out a hoof to her friend's shoulder, but, Rainbow pulled away in anger, "Leave me alone Twilight!" Twilight stared on in shocked, Dash was now crying over Applejack, "It...it should've...been...me," she managed to say between sobs as tears were pouring down her face, which was a rare sight to see especially with Rainbow Dash, Twilight looked towards her friend, " Rainbow let me try and help..." before she could finish Rainbow turned to her in anger with tears streaming down her face, "Leave us alone! We don't need your help!" she turned back to Applejack.

The other three heard all the commotion and jumped out of their beds to try and calm RainbowDash down, but, they were stopped when Twilight held up a hoof to stop them approaching, Twilight had to deal with this, "Rainbow you're being selfish! Tell me what is wrong with you..." "Twilight shut up! You don't know how I feel about everything!" Rainbow snapped at her friend. "I only love her as a friend!" she continued, "Rainbow your voice says you love her as a friend, but, your eyes say you love her more," she said in a calming voice. Rainbow turned back to Applejack who was still sleeping, now she had a tone of sadness in her voice, "Please just leave us alone, I just want to be alone with her."

She silently cried over her friend, as her friends began to crowd around her an orange hoof began to stroke Rainbow's mane, Rainbow Dash looked up with her teary rose-coloured eyes to see Applejack awake and smiling warmly at her with beautiful green eyes staring into her own. "Rainbow... Ah'm fine an' Ah appreciate how you feel for me," she smiled warmly and leaned over to Rainbow and kissed her on the forehead. Rainbow Dash blushed slightly seeing her friend comfort her, where the other ponies couldn't.

Many more hours passed until the dark dawn rose, after the final time Celestia rose the sun Sombra used his unicorn magic to turn the sky into a dark red colour, much like an everlasting fire throughout Equestria. The battalions above the friends manes began to move away towards other directions. Twilight sighed in relief knowing that she and her friends have not been discovered yet. Pinkie Pie turned towards Twilight, "What are we going to do now Twilight?"

Twilight turned towards her companions and looked at the map hanging on the wall behind them and looked towards Rainbow Dash, who had now calmed down, "Where else haven't we looked for Cadance?" Applejack answered the question instead, "We haven' looked in the last place to expect her to be," Twilight now turned to Applejack with a questioned look on her face, "And where is that Applejack?" Applejack pointed to the map on the wall,
they all turned to the map to see the Crystal Empire's drawing that Applejack was pointing to.

"The Crystal Empire."