"The war was always at the very front of our minds...how could we just ignore it?

I regret many things in the thousands of years I have been in existence...but I regret this most of all.

It wasn't enough that we had to wage war with the Gryphons...even though they attacked us first.

No...what I regret is the fact that I agreed to this project...I shouldn't have volunteered this particular subject...

Oh Gods and Goddesses above what have I done?"

- Princess Celestia of Equestria

"Ok this is a really shit idea," Carrot Top growled, staring with an utterly terrified expression towards the front door as the work horse removed the last barrier board holding it in place. Big Macintosh looked away from the door to grimace at Carrot Top as she went on "Wanna know why? Because it's really, OBVIOUSLY, a shit idea!"

"Well if ya'll got any better suggestions, Ah'm all ears." Macintosh grumbled, looking back towards the door and putting a hoof on it "Because as far as ah know, this rain here isn't gonna last forever...and Miss Dash was certainly hell bent on getting us to go to the town hall."

Carrot Top scoffed, looking towards Twilight who carried Spike and Catie on her back, and then to Rarity who stood next to her. "Really!?" she spat "We're really going to trust the note of some random Pegasus making a shit ton of noise, and actually go through with this bullshit plan to, correct me if I'm wrong, run THROUGH THE OPEN STREETS OF PONYVILLE IN THE FUCKING RAIN!?"

Twilight sighed, shaking her head and extending a hoof towards the yellowish-orange mare "Look," she said "I know Rainbow Dash very well, she's one of my best friends. She wouldn't just launch us in some random direction without good reasoning behind it! There must be something at the Town Hall that we need to get or somepony there we need to meet, and with as much noise as this storm is making it'll be the perfect camouflage!"

Rarity nodded, opening her mouth to add in her own two cents "Seems those nasty little monsters outside dislike the rain anyway, didn't you see them scrambling for cover earlier?"

At this, Carrot Top only groaned and waved a hoof about frantically as she said "That's my POINT! That bird-brain up there went and stirred up the fucking hornet's nest! They're all running around out there scared and panicked and what not, what's to stop them from still attacking us!? As far as I can tell the whole 'hunting pattern' thing Macintosh came up with is bullshit now anyway, considering they attacked Twilight here AT NIGHT! How do we know that they won't get used to the rain too!?"

"We don't..." Macintosh muttered, putting a second hoof up on the door and shouting "Which is why we need to move quickly and quietly. Ah can hold off maybe two or three, but speed's gonna be the major factor here. The quickest way to the Town Hall is up the street, past the market square to the right, and straight on towards the Town Hall." He took a few breaths, looking towards the door and back at the group, muttering "Ya'll ready?" After the group nodded Macintosh turned his gaze towards the door, whispering "Alright...one..................two...........THREE!!!"

As Macintosh shoved the door open, the thunderous sounds of the rain echoed in Twilight's ears...her vision brightening and splashing the color of pure white in her eyes.

She had never been more happy to see the beautiful sun...even if it was shrouded behind thick storm clouds, she could still feel its heat. The solid stone beneath made her hooves ache, and she longed to plant them in the soft grass of the outside. The metal doors she had shoved open were now dripping with rain water, wetting the ground as she pushed her cheek up against the concrete wall and took in a breath of fresh air. Behind her, the muffled sounds of ponies screaming and Afflicted screeching reached her ears....the only world that registered in her head being "RUN!"

"Twilight, RUN!!!!" Rarity shrieked as a clap of thunder boomed out overhead. Twilight shook her head quickly, looking around at the buildings that were moving around her.

"W...wha?" Twilight began to say, Spike's voice quickly cutting her off

"Why are you slowing down!? TWILIGHT GO THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND US!!!"

Twilight turned her head, noticing that they had already moved down the street...and watched as two Afflicted galloped towards her from the rear. Gasping, Twilight turned back forward and dashed forward with as much speed as she could muster while Spike and Catie hung on for dear life. Macintosh galloped past Twilight from the front, turning and kicking out his back hooves as the first of the Afflicted closed in. The Afflicted's head snapped backwards, its neck snapping as the hit connected. The second one screeched and dove towards Macintosh, hoping to get a quick kill. It's wishes were shattered however as Macintosh turned to face the beast, throwing out his front hooves and grasping both sides of the its head. With a flick of his hooves, Macintosh twisted the neck of the second Afflicted and cracked its neck, killing it instantly.

Carrot Top was well in the lead, galloping as fast as she could as Rarity and Twilight struggled to keep up. Twilight's mind was in a flurry of thought as she tried her best to keep Rarity's pace. What just happened? Did she...hallucinate or something? Was she having a vision? If so...where in the hell was she?! "Carrot Top, slow down!" Rarity shouted, her voice barely carrying over the sound of the rain. The mare in front seemed to not hear her, a panicked expression on her face as she pushed her self forward, wanting to get to Town Hall as soon as possible. Of course...being in such a state...somepony's tend to forget the minor details of their surroundings. The positioning of certain buildings or overturned kiosks...the trash that littered the streets...the glint of steel from the opening of an alleyway.

"CARROT TOP!!!" Rarity shrieked as a sword swung out from the alleyway, cutting right through Carrot Top's neck. Rarity and Twilight skidded to a halt, with the lavender mare nearly losing her lunch as she shouted back towards the little ones "Cover your eyes, don't...ugh...don't look!". The two mares stared forward in horror as Carrot Top's head rolled from its body, hitting the muddy streets and rolling away slightly. The body continued to run for a few more seconds before the legs finally gave out from under it, sending the whole form tumbling into the ground. Twilight tried her best to keep it together...but the frozen expression of terror on Carrot Top's decapitated head was too much for Rarity, who promptly lost her lunch and vomited all over the ground in front of her.

"Keep movin'!" Macintosh growled, watching as a staggering Afflicted with a sword clenched in its mouth made its way out of the valley "There's nothin' more we can do fer her! She's dead! GO!" Rarity choked out a sob as the group charged forward, with Big Macintosh taking the lead. He leaned his head down, picking up a stick off the ground with a quick snatching of his teeth. He narrowed his eyes at the approaching monster, mumbling as loudly as he could towards the two mares behind him through the stick "Come up to the left o' me! Don't stop runnin'!"

Twilight and Rarity nodded, galloping up to the left side of Macintosh, the work horse angling his head slightly and going over his move in his head. He'd have to catch it just right...or end up without a head, just like poor Carrot Top. As the Afflicted closed in, Macintosh swung his head upwards, the stick passing smacking the blade upwards and clobbering the Afflicted right up in the chin, clothes-lining it. The diseased pony let out a loud screech as it back-flipped into the ground, landing on its neck and twisting as it went down, dying immediately from a cracked neck.

The three of them banked to the right into the next street, the Town Hall building in sight. "I see it!!!" Rarity shouted, her statement inspiring them to gallop harder and faster.

"Keep goin'!" Macintosh roared "And don't look back!" Of course...her curiosity getting the better of her...Twilight turned her head, looking back behind her. Her pupils shrank as she stared towards the wall of bodies behind her...the forms of at least thirty or so Afflicted running up the street with more and more emerging from nearby buildings or alleyways.

"There's too many!!!" Twilight cried, watching as more and more joined the masses. Macintosh looked back with a large grimace on his face, and planted his hooves in the ground, skidding to a halt. "What are you DOING!?" Twilight cried, watching as Macintosh turned to face the Afflicted, his eyes narrowed in determination.

"Keep going Twi'!" Macintosh barked, his eyes scanning around for an escape alleyway or a street he could use.

Twilight skidded to a halt as well and rushed back as she screamed "Are you out of your mind?! You can't fight them all!"

"Twilight GO! Ah'll catch up! Ah'll meet you later, ah promise!" Macintosh shouted, turning his head towards her.

Twilight shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes as she shouted back "Macintosh don't do this! Please! Forget them, we can outrun them!"

Macintosh shook his head "Yes we can, but they'll just follow us to the Town Hall and swarm it once we get inside! Ah gotta lure em' off! Ah swear to Luna ah'll be back for you!"

The unicorn wouldn't have it though, planting a firm hoof down and letting the tears fall down her cheeks as she cried "Macintosh we've already lost one too many ponies today! I can't lose you too!"

The Afflicted were getting closer and closer, Macintosh's patience wearing thin as he roared towards the lavender mare "Yer not gonna lose me! Ya'll know ah'm tougher then that! Get yer ass MOVING Twi'!" He turned his head to look forward, swearing as The Afflicted let out a unified cry, its horde like echo blaring across the entire town. He turned back to look into Twilight's eyes and shouted, a pained look on his face "Twilight don't ya'll get it!? It's the end of the world! What do we have left except our hearts and our lives?!" Twilight blinked, a surprised expression on her face. What was he talking about? "Ah ain't gonna let these bastards have my life, NOPONY and NOTHING is gonna take that from me...but mah heart...my heart ah can give, give for safe keeping!"

Before Twilight could speak, move, or even breathe, Macintosh pushed his head forward, pushing his lips against Twilight's and kissing her as the thunder crackled and boomed overhead. Though the kiss lasted only for a split second, it felt like an eternity to Twilight, her mind not all too sure if the electricity running through her veins was from the lightning discharges above or from the sudden shock of the moment. "Ah'm comin' back for mah heart!" Macintosh shouted as he pulled his lips away "Take it and go! RUN! RUN, LUNA DAMN IT ALL, RUN!!!"

Twilight stared at him with wide eyes, her hooves carrying her backwards as if they were operating on a mind of their own. Her vision turned away slowly from a determined looking Macintosh and floated over the buildings, moving until they settled on the Town Hall. With as much speed and power as she could muster, Twilight bolted forward with a speed unlike any she had ever thought possible.

Perhaps it was from the Afflicted chasing her...or the adrenaline in her system...or maybe it was just her imagination. But to Twilight...deep in her mind and heart she knew that she ran with the speed that she did...because she not only carried with her the lives of two innocent creatures of Equestria...but also the heart of Big Macintosh, the work horse of Sweet Apple Acres.

The taste of sweet apples lingered on her lips as she charged forward like a mare possessed, the town hall growing larger and large before her. After several moments, Twilight could see the form of Rarity waving at her frantically at her through the torrential rain, ushering her forward quickly. As the lavender unicorn bounded up the stairs, she took a moment to look behind her...back towards the spot where she had left Big Macintosh. It was hard to see at first with all the rain, but what she saw displayed only a clear message to her.

Big Macintosh and The Afflicted were gone.

~*~

The two unicorn's panted as they entered the dimly lit entrance hall of the building, falling to their haunches and heaving for air. The sounds of barriers and wood being replaced clacked loudly behind them, with two voices accompanying it.

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

"Right up there, yeah."

"I got this board, hold this here?"

"Got it...alright that looks secure"

Rarity looked over towards Twilight, wincing as she saw tears streaming down her face. Catie and Spike slid off her back as the lavender mare wept trying her best not to let her pain show but failing miserably. "He'll make it Twilight" Rarity whispered, putting a hoof on her shoulder "Trust me...he will." Twilight looked to Rarity, her eyes doubtful for a moment...but eventually she nodded and slid into the comforting hug of her friend.

Rarity rubbed a hoof up and down her spine as she turned her head to the voice of a colt "You all ok?" She gasped as she took in the sight of him, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her.

"Twilight..." she whispered, "Look!"

She did so, very slowly, and gasped as she caught sight of him. His armor was a shining black and purplish color, with his helmet arching with a sort of fin resting on top. His eyes were a gleaming yellow and he wore a determined yet weary look on his face. It wasn't that the two unicorns knew who he was...but rather, WHAT he was. "The Lunar Guard..." Twilight breathed in awe "You're one of Luna's Royal Guard!"

The guard nodded, snapping a quick salute and declaring with a firm voice "Captain Shadow-Mane, at your service...now, is this all that made it?"

Rarity held Twilight a bit tighter as she started to cry again and nodded, whispering "Yes dear, we...we lost one, and another will be joining us later on once he's done luring off those dreadful monsters." Captain Shadow-Mane nodded, turning on his hooves and heading down the hall. He stopped however as Rarity called after him "Wait, hold on!" The Captain turned his head as Rarity gently let go of Twilight, walking up and cocking her head in confusion "What are you all doing here...if you don't mind me asking? Why is Rainbow Dash making this storm? How did you even get through the shield surrounding Ponyville?! Why were we sent here?"

Shadow-Mane held up a hoof to silence her, sighing as he spoke gruffly "It will all be explained, right now I just need you and your friends to follow me to the Rotunda, we're short on time and the Diamond Dog isn't going to stay interested in helping us for long."

"D...Diamond Dog?" Rarity whispered in concern, Twilight and the others joining her at her side.

The Captain nodded with a grimace and turned, walking back down the hallway as he said "I don't like it either...but we have no choice. Anyway I-" he stopped, looking back towards the unicorns for a moment and staring at them intently. "Hold on..." he whispered, his eyes widening "You...you're an Element of Harmony, aren't you?"

Rarity nodded, motioning towards Twilight "She is as well, I am the Element of Generosity and Twilight here is the Element of Magic."

"Thank the stars!" Shadow-Mane breathed "We had hoped you two had survived...this will make the Princess very happy."

"Princess Luna?" Twilight asked, a tinge of hope in her voice.

Shadow-Mane nodded with a smile and said "The one and the same! She made it very clear that you two were top priority for the evacuation, and she was afraid that something might have gone wrong in the agonizing time it took to organize and put this all together."

"E...Evacuation!?" Rarity breathed "We're leaving Ponyville!?"

Shadow-Mane nodded once more, but frowned slightly "Yes...although it's a little bit more complicated then that. It took a lot of time to get in here and get everything ready...considering we're also here to ensure the diseased ones outside are eradicated. There's far too many to kill by hoof and blade alone...so I'm afraid to announce that Ponyville is going to have to become our weapon."

"What do you mean?" Twilight whimpered, sniffing and letting her tears dry at last.

"In time...I promise everything will be explained" Shadow-Mane whispered "In the mean time, follow me to the rotunda, there's at least a hundred other survivors here, you might find someone you recognize."

With that, the group moved at a brisk but comfortable pace through the front hall. They passed by the front desk area which was currently being manned by several of the Lunar Guard, a few bowing respectfully to Twilight and Rarity. A right turn at an intersection led them to a long hallway with most of the doors open. Inside, ponies whined and groaned as their wounds or ailments were treating, nurses and medics rushing about and trying to ensure everypony was ok...and that they weren't infected.

"It's like a refugee camp..." Rarity whispered in sadness as they passed by a room containing a heavily bandaged colt, his cries of pain making Twilight's ears hurt and her belly ache. After five minutes of turning and walking, the rotunda finally opened up to them, revealing a massive gathering of the survivors. Ponies sat, laid, and walked about everywhere. Some cried, some chuckled at each other's terrible attempts to lighten the mood. Twilight turned her head and gave a little wave as she spotted Lyra holding a weeping Bon Bon, her attempts to keep her calm obviously failing.

"Hey Twi'...good to see that you made it" she said, offering her the best smile she could.

"You too Lyra...hang in there ok?" Twilight replied, nodding her head towards her.

They weaved in and out of the crowd, passing by the far left wall of the Rotunda, to which several of the Lunar Guard were stationed. They formed a large circle around something, and when Rarity peered closer, she discovered it was actually a giant hole. "The Diamond Dog...he's in there?" she asked, looking towards Shadow-Mane who in turned nodded.

"Yep...he's down there.," Shadow-Mane sighed "Stubborn bastard though...demanded all sorts of medals and honors for doing this for us"

"Um...what exactly IS he doing?" Rarity asked "Besides digging of course."

Shadow-Mane stared towards the hole as they walked by, his voice weary as he spoke "Escape Tunnel, it's going to lead all the way to Sweet Apple Acres if he can dig it just right. We had him locked up in the Canterlot Dungeons for a whole array of theft crimes...guess karma had a different idea for him, since he, by some miracle..., got a chance to help us."

"Sweet Apple Acres?" Twilight breathed "Does that mean Applejack's still alive?"

"Of course!" Shadow-Mane laughed "She's a tough sumbitch." Rarity and Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as Shadow-Mane went on "Definitely wouldn't want to mess with her...she's got a sick way of staying alive and keeping those bastards at bay."

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked, a tinge of nervousness to her voice.

"Well..." The Captain started, his voice dripping with a hesitant tone. They walked towards one of the back rooms as he spoke "It seems the infected are a bit smarter then we took them for...they understand the concept of danger and know when a target is a lost cause, that it's not worth it because it'll only end up in their deaths if they try to attack." The unicorns nodded as they walked into the back room, a single table resting in the middle along with six chairs. "Anyway..." Shadow-Mane coughed before plopping himself in one of the seats, motioning for them to do the same "Seems the Element of Honesty caught on to that, and uh...well let's just say she'd make a great soldier in the army. The infected are scared of that farm, and for a good damn reason...that's all I'm going to say about that."

The rest of the group took a seat as Shadow-Mane cleared his throat, waiting until they got comfortable before he spoke "Alright...everypony else already knows what I know, so let me just bring you up to speed........"

He took in a deep breath and began... "The Infection started two months ago...we know that. From where we have no idea, but we have reason to believe that it was pony-made. Our officials tell us it may have been an 'under the table' project funded and directed by Princess Celestia to develop some kind of bio-weapon against the gryphons, but now that they know we're suffering from some kind of outbreak, they don't want ANYTHING to do with us anymore. Can't use diseased land, you know? Anyway, shortly after the outbreak...Princess Celestia, with the aid of her court mages, managed to cast down shields across every major city in Equestria, from Appleloosa all the way to Manehatten. When she discovered that only Ponyville had been attacked, she released the hold on the other cities but kept a quarantine on Ponyville. Oh the army was moving EVERYWHERE in those two months, slaughtering any afflicted that had managed to get outside the quarantine zone before the shield dropped down. Ponyville was successfully contained...but when we asked for further orders, Celestia just....well..."

He seemed to struggle with the words, to which Rarity whispered "Go on...it's ok."

Shadow-Mane took in a deep breath and sighed, finally confirming Twilight's worst fears "She told us to come home, and leave Ponyville alone...that the situation would rest until she was ready to advance the next stage of the plan."

"That FUCKING BITCH!" Twilight shouted, slamming her front hooves on the table and causing everypony and Spike to jump in fright.

"T...Twilight!" Spike stuttered, his eyes wide with amazement.

"I KNEW that bitch left us here to die! I KNEW IT, and she had a good motive to!" Twilight roared "Her little science project got out of hand and she tried to sweep it under the rug! She was going to keep us here until...until...." she trailed off, her eyes widening as the pieces of the jigsaw slowly slid into place, a gasp ringing out of her as the group stared towards her in curiosity and alarm. "Shadow-Mane..." Twilight whispered "You said Ponyville was going to be used as a weapon...which means you were going to destroy Ponyville with fire and burn out the Afflicted...along with us! Thus, killing any chance of reinfection! Celestia ordered us all to be executed didn't she!!!?"

Shadow-Mane leaned back in his seat as Twilight leaned over the table, throwing her venom-dripping words at him with a snarl. He looked into her rage-filled eyes, a calm expression growing on his face. "Twilight Sparkle..." he whispered "You are correct...those were our orders...but!" he said quickly as Twilight prepared to go on "Know that we refused the order. Princess Luna belayed Celestia's order, even raised her guard to enact a full on rebellion against Celestia's Royal Guard. We guarded the outside of Ponyville with our lives Miss Sparkle, and our plan has always been evacuation. The only problem is that it took so long to gather enough magic and unicorn's to power up a shot large and powerful enough to blast a temporary hole in the shield and the wall...that's why it took us two months to get in here. We managed to get the train to Canterlot in here by moving the tracks with our combined magic, and used Sweet Apple Acres as the front for our offensive. Once we've confirmed that every survivor has been evacuated...THEN we'll burn down Ponyville. I hate to see this town go but...it's the only way to be sure."

"What about Celestia?" Rarity whispered, her eyes tearing up as she thought about the soon-to-be fate of her boutique "What happened to her?"

"Well..." Shadow-Mane muttered, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof out of embarrassment "We...don't know..."

"Don't know!?" Twilight shouted, causing Rarity to jump once more "How do you not know?!"

"She disappeared without a trace, we have no idea what happened!!! She was gone right after her Royal Guard fled for the hills!" Shadow-Mane pleaded in his defense, trying his best to answer her question without letting her get more out of control.

"How do you just lose a Princess!? She's the ruler of Equestria, you don't just lose in alicorn like you do a misplaced pair of socks!" Twilight barked, drawing a sigh out of Shadow-Mane.

"Look..." he muttered "I'm as confused about that as you are Miss Sparkle. The only thing I have to go on is that maybe she's hiding out somewhere, perhaps in the bunker or facility that she used to create this virus."

"Perhaps that's where it all started, is that facility." Rarity said, taking a nervous glance towards Twilight before looking towards Shadow-Mane "Something must have gone wrong...or there was an accident. Somepony might have gotten infected with their weapon and spread it through the bunker..."

Shadow-Mane rubbed a hoof under his chin and muttered "That would explain the source of the outbreak...I don't see any other way it could be possible. If that's the case, then that means that this facility has to be within range of Ponyville, it would explain why no other town was hit."

Rarity nodded as Twilight sat back in her seat...her mind quickly piecing together facts and clues to form...to form a realization that she wasn't sure could be believable. Some of her nightmares were just legitimate nightmares...but for the others...like the one she had about Catie's parents and the sudden vision she had about a concrete entrance way...

....she was seeing visions of the past...or the future...or something relevant to what had happened to Equestria. Did that mean she was actually at the facility...? Did she KNOW about the virus!? Did she help CREATE IT?! The thought was too unbearable for Twilight, her logic trying to quickly kill that theory. 'No...no that wouldn't be right!' Twilight thought, 'I would have remembered something like that...there's no way I helped in this endeavor...and if I did...I'll redeem myself by killing every single one of these infected bastards myself...along with that fat ass Celestia...'

"SIR!" came a male shout from the now open doorway, a Lunar Guard poking his head through.

"Yes? What is it Nightfire?" Shadow-Mane replied.

"The Dog says he's done, we've begun lining up the survivors," Nightfire began, looking over towards Twilight and Rarity "...but I knew you had the Elements here so..."

Shadow-Mane smiled, nodding his head and getting to his hooves. He walked up and patted Nightfire on his shoulder, speaking "Good work Night, you go ahead and help with the line, I'll get this group through the tunnel."

"Yes sir!" shouted Nightfire, his retreat to the rotunda hasty. Shadow-Mane turned his head towards the group and nodded, watching as Spike and Catie clambered back up onto Twilight's back.

They left the room in a hurry, watching as the survivors formed two lines and prepared to descend into the tunnel. "Make way!" Shadow-Mane shouted, a small gap between some of the guards forming. He turned towards the two mares and muttered "You two first, move fast and quietly, and don't be alarmed if you see the Diamond Dog down there. He should be stringing up the last of the lanterns by now and making sure the exit is well secured."

Twilight and Rarity nodded, peering down the dark hole for a moment before leaping down. The drop was relatively short, and immediately they could see the insanely long tunnel before them, lit up entirely with lanterns. "Well..." Rarity sighed, staring down meekly at her mud covered hooves "Let's get walking...the faster we get there the faster we can be reunited with Applejack."

"And Big Macintosh..." Twilight whispered, the two of them beginning their trudge forward. Ponies followed in behind them, the line starting its long progression towards freedom. Occasionally, the thundering sound of galloping could be heard above, along with the occasional screech or snarl of an Afflicted. Nopony made a sound though...lest they alarm those above and tempt them to begin digging...

The wooden supports creaked a little as they pushed further down the tunnel, and for a good half hour, Twilight was left alone to her thoughts. Everything was starting to make sense now...the source, the abandonment, the visions. But what did it all mean to her? Why was she seeing these things? Was she hit with some kind of memory spell? She let out a quiet sigh through her snout, a headache pounding near the back of her head. She really couldn't care less...the effort it would take to actually go into deeper thought being too much for the mare right now. She'd worry about it later...and instead, focused on the bright future that would bring Applejack and Big Macintosh back into her life.

At long last, the end of the tunnel came into sight, as well as the Diamond Dog. He was resting on a patch of dirt near the mouth of the tunnel, a sly grin on his face as the mares approached. "How you doin' mon?" the dog chuckled with a gruff voice "You be thankin' me real good when you out of ta town, ya?" He was greyish in color, with deep blue eyes and a mud-soaked red vest plastered over his shoulders and furry chest. The two mares in front ignored him, rearing up with both hooves and reaching up for the entrance to the hole. Several pairs of Lunar hooves reached down, helping the two up and out into the daylight. The storm was ending fairly quickly, with the last of the rain drizzling town into the area.

When Twilight was pulled out, she let out a deep gasp. There in front of her, was the Sweet Apple Acres she missed. The Apple Trees looked as healthy as ever, and the farm looked mighty busy as well. Several platoons of Lunar Guard walked between the orchard and around the farm buildings that made up the center. "By the stars...Twilight...look." Rarity whimpered, her hoof pointing over towards the entrance.

Twilight's stomach heaved as she looked over towards the front gate and the fences...and towards the countless Afflicted that were strung up and dangling from spears that were rammed through them. They lined the front fences like they were some kind of sick, disgusting barrier. "Oh Luna save us," Twilight whispered in horror "Did...did Applejack kill all those ponies?!"

"I told you..." Shadow-Mane grunted as he pulled himself out of the tunnel, a stream of ponies following close behind "She'd make a great soldier...kills them like it's just another Applebuck Season. Ah...speaking of which..." he inclined his head towards the east side of the farm, near the buildings.

The two unicorns turned their heads...and smiled, smiled despite the fact that Applejack had taken to strewing about bodies across her front lawn as a deterrent. The joy of just seeing her was enough to outweigh the terror.

There, in the distance, stood a country pony of orange fur. Her Stetson seemed to shine in the sunlight as she waved excitedly over towards her two best friends. Her voice, as rich as the apples she grew and bucked, carried over and filled Twilight's ears, making her heart swell with joy as she caught sight of the train that rested a bit of a ways behind the large barn.

"Howdy there!"

It was Ponyville's last stand...their last pit-stop on the road to freedom.

A temporary refuge...and the main source of the food that sustained them for these long months.

A place where Twilight hoped Big Macintosh would come back for his heart...and for her.

A Farm.