Steel clangs against steel in the late afternoon, and with it comes the light chuckles, firm instructions and praise. In the middle of a circle of grass, next to a used campfire, Blueblood is swinging his blade in slow, easy to follow motions against Pipsqueak, who is clutching his short blade with both hands and flinching and taking a step back with every strike. Next to Pipsqueak is Button, and he is trying to twirl his sword, but keeps dropping it. Sitting on a rock, watching the scene below is Shining Armor and Twilight, both of whom are eating their bread with the former keeping his canteen handy and the latter stroking her pipe. Next to the two is Rarity fighting boredom.

“One. Two. Two. One,” says Blueblood in tune with his swings and being sure not to overpower Pipsqueak with his swings. He smiles proudly when his next barrage of swings are blocked. “Good! Your turn, Butters.”

“It's Button,” says Button.

Blueblood swings his blade against Button's, and it falls right out of his hand and slides across the grass, coming to a stop at Scootaloo's feet. She claps slowly and shakes her head.

“You hit too hard,” says Button.

“Your grip is too weak,” says Blueblood. He returns the short sword to Button Mash and guides his fingers around the hilt, making sure the foaling's fingers are good and tight. “Remember, the sword is more than a weapon. It is a part of you. It is a companion, a guardian, and you never want to lose such things. Especially if they were made for you.”

“But remember, if the sword is terrible you get rid of it and get another one,” says Shining Armor bluntly, this earns him an eye roll from Twilight, which he completely ignores.

“Or you can forget the blade and go with range,” says Braeburn as he takes a seat next to Shining Armor and puts a lot of emphasis in placing his crossbow between his legs. His eyes then flick to Applejack when she walks past him and starts cleaning up the mess of plates and cookware that surround the charred pit. “What're ya doing?”

“Cleaning the mess,” says Applejack.

“Did Davenport tell you to do it?”

“...No...”

Breaburn frowns skeptically, and while this goes on Rainbow Dash watches Sweetie Belle with the most vicious of looks and keeping her hand on her weapon. The unicorn foaling is braiding Fluttershy's hair, and while the braiding is nice -and Fluttershy does seem to be enjoying it- the Colored Witch is ready to strike in case that little demon attempts to rip off her sister's head.

“I think I might be on to something,” says Sweetie Belle. “What if when this is all over I open up a place that makes manes pretty for everypony, not just nobles?”

“Wouldn't that be expensive?” says Twist.

“It will be, but maybe I can ask the Rich's for a loan.”

“Don't do that,” says Apple Bloom, her hand massaging where the Amulet is stored. “Yer better off just working from your house.”

“My house,” says Scootaloo. Apple Bloom, Twist and Sweetie Belle look at her, and she glances back at them. “It is my house.”

“Didn't you take over an abandoned shack?” asks Spike.

He is sitting across from Flash, looking at some cards in his hands, so he does not notice the sharp look Scootaloo is giving him.

“I made it work,” says Scootaloo.

“After I helped you fix it so it wouldn't fall on you from the first storm,” says Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo waves her hand dismissively. “Whatever. I did all the hard stuff.”

Apple Bloom's brows and lips scrunch, but she remains silent and turns her attention to the nearest person in their party. It just happens to be Davenport, and he is watching Blueblood train Button Mash and Pipsqueak with a heaviness in his eyes.

“You're doing better. You have to move you're feet, though,” says Blueblood, keeping up with his slow advancements on the two foalings, thus forcing them to step back while blocking. “Keep moving your feet.”

Seeing this, Davenport gets up and walks towards the back, away from the group, but when Applejack tries to follow him he holds out his hand and keeps walking in silence, leaving her by Braeburn. However, Apple Bloom is the only one to see this, and despite her wanting to walk after him, her feet keep her panted, and her eyes find their way on Flash when he tosses a card down in front of Spike.

“Your move,” says Flash.

“What? No, you can't use that card,” says Spike.

“Why not?”

“You didn't make enough sacrifices.”

“I did to.”

“Did not.”

“Did to.”

“Did not!”

“Did to!”

Spike snorts flames. “Did not!”

Flash narrows his eyes. “Did to!”

Twilight gets up and with her magic she levitates the cards away and puts them in a neat stack inside a small sack.

“Okay, enough of that game,” says Twilight. “Has anyone seen Pinkie Pie?”

“Why? Do you miss her?” says Spike, his tone sour like his gaze on Flash.

Twilight frowns and puts some tobacco in her pipe. “No. She's just the kind of mare that causes trouble when she doesn't have a leash.”

“Ooh, kinky,” says Pinkie Pie right in Twilight's ear.

Twilight yells and leaps away dropping her pipe and tobacco, and clutching, and she, Spike and Flash stare at Pinkie Pie while she snickers and picks up the pipe. After brushing it off she bows slightly and holds the pipe out to Twilight with both of her hands.

“Your pipe, Madam Princess,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Were you dropped as a baby?” asks Rainbow Dash.

Once Twilight hesitantly takes the pipe Pinkie Pie straightens out and looks at Rainbow Dash. “I don't think so, but who remembers anything as a baby?”

“Where have you been?” asks Twilight.

Pinkie Pie bats her lashes at Twilight and leans against her, placing her hands over her heart. “Why? Did you miss me?”

Twilight scowls and pushes Pinkie Pie away. “No.”

“It's okay, we're still in the awkward after-glow thing. You'll warm up to me again and really start missing me.”

Twilight's eye twitches and her face turns dark purple as smoke rises from her mane and hands, and Pinkie Pie hops in the middle of the camp and claps her hands, drawing everybody's attention.

“Attention, Fellowship!” says Pinkie Pie. “I got good news and I got bad news. Good news is that I found one of the entrances to the Ammolite Mines. The bad news is that it is locked. The good news is that I can get it unlocked, but the bad news is that we might get brutally stabbed to death by heavily armored guards and the survivors repeatedly raped until we either kill ourselves or are killed out of boredom. The good news is that we can avoid that problem if I am able to talk to their leader first. But the bad news is that I haven't spoken to the leader in a long time. But the good news is that if I talk to her then we won't get brutally stabbed or raped to death. Or sold into slavery. So, who wants to go to Ammolite Mines and save a lot of time and trouble instead of going through an open field and facing possible heat strokes and lapse in sanity and or zero protection from Sombra's horde?”

The Fellowship has fallen stiff and silent, and let their wide eyes and sealed lips do the talking for them. After some long seconds of uncomfortable silence and an awkward gust of wind, Rainbow Dash's frozen state breaks down and she looks side to side before looking at Pinkie Pie with a confused snarl.

“Okay... What the hell?” says Rainbow Dash.

“A short cut using a mine that'll save us a lot of time and health,” says Pinkie Pie. “That's the what for the heck.”

“Time and health? What about getting stabbed or raped to death?”

“They won't violate the guys will they?” asks Flash, his eyes darting side to side.

Pinkie Pie pshaws and waves her hand at him. “No, don't be silly.”

Flash relaxes with a sigh, which gets him a punch in the arm from Rainbow Dash.

“That'll only happen if I don't speak to the leader first,” says Pinkie Pie.

Flash pales, and Rarity clears her throat and holds up her hand.

“Um, pardon me, Ranger, but how could you possibly know the leader?” she asks.

“Easy. The Ammolite Mines is a vassal kingdom of Lookout Mountain, and it was put under the watch of Maud, my sister, so if I get a chance to talk to her then we can avoid a lot of trouble,” says Pinkie Pie.

“I motion we keep to the course and not venture into dangerous territory,” says Blueblood.

“Blueblood's right. The Ammolite Mines is a dangerous place, and Apple Bloom's safety is important to us,” says Twilight.

“Which is why we take a path underground that will shield us from bad weather and open areas that offer zero protection against anything that will want to hurt her. Duh!”

“Right, we'll just go to an underground place with an army of sadistic rapists,” says Rainbow Dash.

“It does sound like a bad idea,” says Fluttershy.

“We will have an army watching our back and we can use their rails to save us a lot of time. The network will take us straight to Unicorn Ridge and place us two weeks from the Crystal Mountains at half the time it would take us on Blueblood's schedule.”

“Pinkie, you're insane,” says Shining Armor.

“Really? I'm offering everypony a golden road, here! Food, shelter, a literal army of protection, quick travel, and I'm the insane one?”

“Yes.”

“Will all this food and stuff be before or after we are killed or violated?” says Braeburn.

“I really don't want to get violated,” says Flash.

“None of us want to get violated,” says Twilight.

Pinkie Pie slaps her hand to her face. “Oh my Faust. I already said I wouldn't let that happen.”

“I don't think you did,” says Spike.

“I did. I completely did in all the ways possible.”

“That phrase doesn't make sense with the context of this conversation,” says Sweetie Belle.

“Shut up, scribe-worm,” says Rainbow Dash.

“Why not have the Bearer decide?” says Davenport, his cheek resting on his fist and his eyes distant. The group looks at Davenport, and without breaking face he barely points at Apple Bloom. “She's the one with the burden, so why not let her have some control of her fate?”

Slowly all eyes fall on Apple Bloom, and she looks back at the group, tense and nibbling her lip. Her throat feels stuffed and swallowing her spit feels like swallowing a ball of ice. She hears the voice of the Amulet whisper in her ear, but she cannot make out its works. She can only feel its icy claws sink into her.

Her hands squeeze the Amulet and she swallows once again, blinking wetness out of her eyes. She looks past the group and sees the sea of flatland. No tree, no cover, no structure in sight. It brings back the memory of trying to escape Star Swirl in the fog. With nowhere to hide she was lucky Sprinkles saved her, but she might not be lucky next time Sombra's agents go after them, and she does not want her last memories being of her new group of friends being slaughtered out in the open.

“Do you promise to keep us safe?” asks Apple Bloom, her eyes now on Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie bows slightly and flashes a smile. “I Pinkie Promise.”

“Okay... We'll go through the Mines.”