Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo couldn't quite place an estimate on how long they'd been asleep but it couldn't have been too long, Rarity was screaming about something and essentially dragging them out onto the street.

As their vision began to adjust to these abrupt and unwelcome conditions they noticed they were moving very quickly, they were galloping—toward the exit of Ponyville. They could see debris missing them by mere inches, and if they glanced back, they could see a crowd of very unhappy ponies with torches and pitchforks, hollering obscenities.

It turns out that Spike had recalled seeing Twilight pouting over her conspicuous documents, he wasn't sure what but his vague description of their appearance was more than enough for Celestia to devise a plan: have her weakened, give it time, and then destroy the documents.  Twilight wasn't too keen on the idea and therefore was chased down by a spontaneous mob of angry ponies. How they or Rarity were implicated in any of this was beyond the filliy's understanding, and frankly they didn't have the energy to try to figure it out, the running—no sprinting was taking its toll on their tired, aching bodies. They grew scared as the mob drew closer.

“Rarity! What's happening!” Sweetie cried between gasps for air.

“No time! Keep running!” Rarity huffed as she charged forward, seeing her sister was lagging, she magicked her onto her back, Scootaloo managed to keep a decent lead so she continued on her own.

“They tried to torch my library!” Twilight gasped as she galloped like she never galloped before. “They were trying to destroy the papers!”

“TRAITORS!”  The crowed roared as they inches even closer. Rarity could feel her hooves growing weaker, she wasn't going on too much longer.

Sweetie Belle, panting madly had a brilliant idea. They were coming onto the entrance of Ponyville, a small bridge that sat over a moat. She smiled as she prepared for her next move.  The mob drew closer still, what was a mere fifty yards ahead seemed like an eternity, just a little more.  Just as Twilight's back hooves passed the bridge, Sweetie went for it, and sure enough it didn't take long for the bridge to damn near explode from the blaze which was set. The mob stopped dead in their tracks, some hurling their torches and pitchforks at the five who dodged them wildly.

They sedge subsided as Mayor Mare took to the front of the mob.

“We the citizens of Ponyville, upon the orders of the Princess, hereby declare you BANISHED from our village! You have betrayed this kingdom, you have betrayed this town, and are no longer welcome here!”

“YEAH!” The mob chanted.

“Wha-what did we do?!” Applebloom asked, clearly afraid and confused.

The mob simply continued to throw things at them.

“Please! Can't we at least discuss this? Is such a spontaneous act of collective punishment a bit drastic? The fillies at least?”

“No!” The mayor barked, “You have tainted their minds with such horrible traitorous blasphemy there is no hope for their future!”

“This is simply ridiculous!” Rarity lectured, “Why to drag us out of bed, chase us down the street without hearing of our crimes? Did you intend to kill us? What in Equestria has--”  She squealed as a flaming torch brushed her coat.

“If you know what is good for you, you will take our show of mercy and will leave at once!” Cheerilee had stepped forward now, she wore a hood.

“Ms Cheerilee?” The crusaders stood stunned and bug-eyed.

“I'm sorry girls.” The teacher stated reluctantly, “It is a shame you have been brainwashed to think such awful things of her highness, but that is no fault of our own. You all have done immeasurable good for this town and that is why we are letting you go.”

“But only if you make haste! Leave the perimeter of Ponyville at once!” The mayor jockeyed for the soapbox again.

“Good my ass! That little shit burnt the bridge!” hollered a random stallion.

“YEAH!” The mob boomed.

“Go! Now!” Cheerilee urged them, Twilight and company made their way into the Everfree Forest. The fillies were beyond crying, once they assumed safety, they plopped to the ground and were bawling.

Twilight and Rarity watched the fillies who had devolved to foals at this point, they looked at each other, than back at the small horizon of orange light that resembled the assembly of pitchforks, it began to dim every so slowly.  

They were unable to think of anything to say, it seemed that just moments ago they departed from a beautiful day into a wonderful sleep, that everything was finally on the upswing. Apparently not.

“Well so much for taking Fluttershy's advice.” Twilight said sarcastically.

“What do we do Twilight? I've never been on the run? A Lady must never put herself in such harrowing circumstances! What ever will we eat? Make shelter? Ho--”

“Don't you worry about that Rarity, we'll be fine. We'll just find a place around here—maybe we can find Zecora and she can help us.”

They turned their attention to the fillies who had calmed down and were now staring off towards their former home. If it was jarring and confounding to the mares, it was doing a number and then some on them. The three sat side by side, tails inanimate and faces blank, all gazing at what to them was still just a terrible nightmare that just needed to end. Sweetie Belle finally turned to the other mares and trotted over to them.

“What are we going to do sis? What's a 'traitor'?” She was doing her best to keep her composure.

“Well Sweetie Belle—a traitor is somepony who....somepony who....”  Rarity was having difficulty with this, as even she didn't really want to know what it was, though she did, the idea of confirming it would be less than comforting.

“A traitor is someone who goes against the ideals of their society or country.” Twilight assisted, “In our case, we saw things we weren't supposed to see and I would assume whoever saw what we were doing, they saw it as a threat to Equestria itself.”

The unicorn filly looked as if that was decent enough, the other fillies had turned to listen as well though they still sat overlooking the now completely dark horizon that rested over Ponyville.

“So...we're banished?” Sweetie Belle asked, “Ms Cheerilee always told us that that meant you can't go home—that you did something so bad that--” The unicorn filly chocked up again, between the thought of her teacher from moments ago and the realization that this indeed was her fate, she ran into her sister's coat and began to cry again. Rarity held her, shushed her, stroked the sobbing filly's mane, anything to comfort her, though in a way she was trying to comfort herself too. Applebloom had cuddled up to Scootaloo and was crying into her shoulder.

Twilight stood there and observed her friends. She had done this. Had she not ever taken those stupid things so seriously and had them involved, she wouldn't be--

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud rustling from a distance. The second time all the ponies froze in fear. All except for Sweetie Belle who completely lost it.

“I thought they would leave us alone!” Sweetie Belle howled as she trembled violently, clinging to her sister's coat for dear life.

Soon though, the sounds revealed their source, one cyan and one light yellow pegasus came swooping down into the clearing they had found. Fluttershy had obviously shed some tears herself, they must've seen this all play out, helpless as to what to do.

“Oh my goodness, I'm so glad you're all okay!” Fluttershy was still shaken somewhat,

“I guess they were merciful...” Twilight acknowledged, “They could have very easily--” She decided to stop as the fillies were close by and didn't need anything else burdening their heads and their hearts at the moment.

“Merciful?!” Rarity almost snapped, “Are you fucking kidding me? They nearly killed us! If that barbaric, senseless, appalling behavior is what you consider 'merciful' than I'd die before I see what 'justice' is!”

“Probably would have you stupid cunt.” Rainbow muttered,

“Wha—Excuse me? You want to go and call me names you blow-hard! What do you have to loose? Oh that's right—nothing! You live in the clouds for fucks sake! You can just move your pretty little estate wherever you'd like! Me? I have but the fur on my back and my mane! My business? My home? My own parents? Hell for all we know they were part of the mob!  And may I add one more thing you self curiousus whore, don't you ever talk to me like that again!”

“Girls! Enough!” Twilight did not was this to escalate.

“Oh fuck off!” Rainbow retorted, on her feet now and in Rarity's face, “You of all ponies to call someone else a whore! Ha! Why don't you tell Sweetie Belle about your fantastic little adventure in the back of a rusty carriage huh? All the stallions that slammed you because they knew they could? Little prissy pussy is what they called you and you lived up to it pretty damn well.”

Rarity was just about ready to destroy that smug pegasus then and there and was poising too, when a white unicorn filly stood between them.

“STOP!” The filly was bawling, her voice was cracking at every sound, she hated fighting, and of all times right now. “Both of you please stop!” She broke down again and curled up into a quivering mass on the ground.

Rainbow and Rarity looked at each other shamefully, Rarity leveled down to her sister.  

“We're sorry Sweetie Belle, we—it just happens sometimes--”

“Well it doesn't need to happen now dammit!” Scootaloo trotted to her friends side, wings out in full ready to fight whoever got in her way. “Quit acting like fucking foals and let's try to at least make it through tonight!”

The two mares wanted to chastise her on her vulgarity but that would be a opaque act of hypocrisy so they opted otherwise. Rarity took her sister and found a tree to lay next to. She plopped down and pulled her sister beside her.  Rainbow Dash on the other hand was glaring at the offensive orange filly who still stood firmly where she was before, now glaring at her with nothing short of a look of disappointment. After awhile Scoots muzzled Rainbow’s hoof.  

“I'm sorry.” She said softly, “I-I just don't like seeing Sweetie Belle hurt....i don't like seeing anypony hurt.” Scootaloo herself felt some tears escape her eyes. The older pegasus recoiled her hoof in disgust, this parasite that just told her off is trying to suck up. Scootaloo noticed this and looked up to see the same look of disgust on the cyan pegasus' face.

Fluttershy, sensing trouble gestured Scootaloo to come to where she was. She scooped up the orange filly in her hooves and lay with her as Rarity did with her sister. Rainbow simply pouted and floated up to a high, thick branch of a tree and opted to sleep there.

Twilight cast her gaze to Applebloom who was still sitting at the vantage point, her head lowered now she was obviously crying as well. The mare trotted to her and put a comforting hoof around her.

“Hey.” Twilight began soothingly,

The filly looked up at her, her eyes were gleaming from a fresh stream of tears threatening to surge down her face any moment now.

“We'll be alright.” Twilight brought the filly into a hug where she too let herself succumb to her angst, anger, and depression.

They all eventually found sleep in this happenstanced clearing, none of them wanted to wake up, their lives, their love, their friends, had just been pulled from under them and it seemed that their loose bonds were already being torn at the seams. Still, they managed to find sleep. Next Chapter: A New Challenge Approaches! Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 49 Minutes