Author's Notes:

And so we begin a new chapter of ponies getting lost in Everglow. What adventures will they have? What typos will they produce?

To catchup folks coming in fresh, Applejack, after her own adventures in Everglow, was gifted a scythe by an evil god of tyranny and control, that bade her to bring order to Equestria. Applejack was corrupted by the thing, becoming less concerned with the subtle nuances of morality when it came to protecting her friends and family. She still wanted what was best for Equestria, but how she got there seemed a lot less important, so banishing the bullies felt like a perfectly reasonable means to get at the end.

You'll be happy to know she did eventually get rid of the scythe, but that has no bearing at all on this story.

Silver Spoon tilted her head at Sweetie Belle. "I guess you aren't a blank flank anymore..."

Sweetie blinked in surprise at the words. "I guess not..." She smiled at Silver Spoon. "Does that mean you'll stop being mean and we can be friends?"

Diamond Tiara shoved forward. "Of course not! Don't be stupid. Your cutie mark is lame anyway!"

Silver Spoon flinched back, looking not entirely in agreement.

Applejack heard the exchange and something in her burned as the fell influence of her scythe pushed her to justice at any price. That filly wouldn't ever change. She would keep right on hurting everypony around her, even as an adult. Somepony should do something about it... Somepony like...

Applejack marched up to the bullying twins. "Say yer sorry, right now."

Diamond Tiara turned up her little nose. "Make me."

"Ya asked for it." She pulled her scythe free and it seemed to buzz wildly with power. She knew it could rid her of these pests, but killing wasn't the right answer. It rarely was. No, a better idea came to her, and she swung the scythe just in front of the little fillies, rending the space between Equestria and Everglow. The rift was short-lived but violent, drawing the two fillies away to lands far removed from their home.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had no idea what was going on, only that something was squeezing and pulling at them violently. Abruptly, they arrived in a bank of snow a few feet from one another, the world lost to the darkness of being covered in the frigid fluff.

Diamond Tiara kicked her way to her hooves first, glaring around. "When I get my hooves on that country bumpkin! My dad's going to take her farm away!"

Silver Spoon rose to the sound of her friend's voice and came up out of the snow bank with a soft sputtering. "Where are we?"

Diamond Tiara did a circle in place. "I don't know. It's cold. Fetch my jacket."

Silver Spoon rolled her eyes lightly. "Why would I have your jacket? I'm cold too." She tapped at her chin before pointing down the slope. "Maybe it's warmer off this mountain?"

Diamond Tiara growled softly. "Don't tell me what to do! I'm in charge." She sat on her haunches and crossed her hooves a moment before pointing down the slope. "Maybe there's a town down there and we can get some ponies to give us a hoof."

Silver Spoon climbed out of the hole she made as she nodded. "Great idea, DT."

Her sarcasm was noticed and Diamond shoved at Silver's shoulders. "Don't use that tone with me! There's nopony else around here. Somepony has to take charge."

Silver shrank back a little. "And, of course, that pony would be you."

"Of course!" Diamond threw up her nose. "Now let's get moving before the snow absolutely ruins my mane."

Silver pointed an accusing hoof at Diamond. "It's your fault we're here at all! Why'd you pick a fight with them? Why'd you pick a fight with a grownup!"

Diamond swatted the hoof aside. "They were 'offended' by the truth, like they always are. They're a bunch of nopony losers and have to be reminded of that. We're better than them, we don't have--"

Silver shoved against Diamond, knocking her into the snow. "Shut up shut up shut up! They're enjoying a party while we freeze our flanks off!"

Diamond scrambled to her hooves with a furious expression, clopping her forehooves together. "You did not just shove me into the snow!"

Silver moved to do so again, only for Diamond to catch her leg in her mouth and bite into the tender flesh. Silver Spoon squealed in pain before grabbing at Diamond's mane and tugging it cruelly with her free hoof. Diamond returned the favor, yanking at Silver's mane and sending the two tumbling into the snow. They punched and kicked at one another with building fury and frustration, until both were left bruised and tired, and all the more cold.

Diamond's eyes filled with tears as she lay there beside her friend, the gravity of the situation starting to become more clear. "Nopony's coming for us. We're going to die up here in the icky snow and nopony will find us!"

Silver pushed up to her haunches, wobbling a little from the dizzying blows she had received. "We... have to get moving. We're... We're going to freeze to death." Tears stung at her eyes with terror, but the same fear got her up to her hooves, and she offered one to Diamond Tiara.

DT accepted the hoof and hauled herself up, and the two fillies began trotting down the mountain, hoping for any sign of civilized life at all in the white sea of snow. The only interruption of the carpet were juts of grey or black rock that poked free. The wind howled softly through the peaks, stealing their body heat with every gust, despite the best efforts of their fur.

While the biting cold seemed to be their worst enemy, their quiet march of sniffles was interrupted by a soft growl, barely audible through the wind. Diamond pulled up short and flashed her teeth. "We're not alone."

Silver smiled, hoping it was somepony friendly, at least until the lean form of a wolf stepped into view. It wasn't a timber wolf, at least, but that didn't make its teeth any less menacing. It was covered in white fur, adapted to the snowy environment, and somehow its teeth shone all the more brilliantly. "S-should we run?"

The question wasn't as obvious as it could be. Neither filly saw anywhere they could run to that the wolf couldn't chase, probably faster. Diamond advanced on it with all her false bravado. "Go away! I command you to go away!"

The wolf seemed surprised at the aggression of the small prey animal, backing up half a step before it reconsidered the situation and gave a low rumble of a growl, stepping towards Diamond with a flash of hungry teeth. It jumped forward at the little filly, and Diamond barely had time to squeal before she was dragged to the ground. Only the wild flailing of her hooves kept the wolf away from her throat.

Silver acted without thought, charging the wolf and ramming it with her head. The wolf and Silver fell together off of Diamond Tiara, who hurried to her hooves and ran away with all the speed she could muster. The movement only drew the attention of the wolf. It sprinted after her with a frightful speed, leaving Silver to chase after both of them, leaving a trail of frightened tears behind her.

The wolf jumped for Diamond's delectable flank and she lashed out with her hooves with all the strength her earth pony body could manage, driving them into the jaw of the beast with surprising strength. Unpracticed in the ways of battle, the sudden buck ruined Diamond's footing and she slid down into the snow.

The wolf let out a yelp at the impact, shaking its head. Silver careened into its rump, and her teeth found the flesh as her friend's had found her leg before. The sudden counterattack was enough to convince the wolf this meal was too costly to pursue. It shook free of Silver and dashed off into the snow, quickly lost to sight and seeking easier victims. Silver Spoon sank to her haunches, panting for air and shuddering as every gasp brought in more frigid mountain wind. "D-Diamond, are you OK?"

Diamond pushed back up to her hooves, shaking the snow free from her fur. "Yeah, we have to keep going. I refuse to die on some dirty hill! Oooo, when I see those lame-o Crusaders..." The anger seemed to fuel her, and she resumed the journey down the side of the mountain, leading the way.

Silver pointed far into the distance. In the growing gloom of evening, she could see a faint light in the valley ahead. "Look! We're saved!" Both broke into hopeful smiles and began galloping down, half-sliding through the snow in their rush to reach warmth and safety.

As they approached, they saw the light came from a small cabin. It stood alone in the thin forest, isolated in the mountains. Smoke curled upwards from a chimney, promising blessed heat. Silver Spoon got there first and banged a hoof on the door. "Please open up!"

"Open!" Diamond Tiara reached for the handle and found that it wasn't locked. She shoved the door open and the two quickly hurried inside and kicked the door shut behind them. The warmth of the interior was an immediate relief, and they sagged to the floor.

Silver Spoon sat up when the immediate sting of the cold faded to a soft throbbing, and craned her head in a slow survey of the room. There was an iron stove with wood in it, burning with a quiet crackle and pop. It was the only source of light, making the room quite dim, but blissfully free of winter's bite.

Diamond sat up and pointed at a bed across from the stove. "I'm too tired to keep walking. We should get some rest, even if it looks icky." The bed was a far cry from their usual standards, being comprised of what looked like straw with a thin sheet covering it.

Silver nodded as she approached it, looking around. She let out a trembling sigh. "Are we going to be alright?"

Diamond tilted her head. "Why wouldn't we be? We're not freezing anymore. We can wait for daddy to come find us. Is there any food in here?" She rose up on her hind legs and peeked up onto the shelves, spying jars that she couldn't see the contents of.

She reached for them, scooping them with her hooves. It was easier grabbing them than controlling them, and several fell against her, balancing on her chest as others fell to the ground. Most thudded dully, but one shattered, and a pungent scent of rot quickly filled the air.

Silver twisted her face in disgust. "Ew! Whatever's in those has gone bad."

Diamond slowly fell back to all fours, letting the rest of the jars clatter to the ground. Closer to the light, she could see they all appeared to be filled with something vile and black. She pointed to the door. "Get rid of the spilled junk."

Silver Spoon shook her head quickly. "You broke it, you get rid of it." She turned for the door and reared up, grabbing the handle in her mouth and tugging it open. "There, like, just push it out."

Diamond gave a withering look to limited effect before kicking the filth to the door quickly, not wanting to let the heat escape. Once the jar was removed, the foul scent it produced faded, and with the door closed, the heat started rebuilding.

Silver shuddered softly. "Diamond, like... what if your dad's not coming at all? Where even are we?"

"You're in my home." A chill ran down both their spines and they spun around to find the source of the voice, but no one was there.

Diamond clopped a hoof on the ground. "Who are you and where are you hiding?"

"I'm right here." The voice sounded female, and a little old. "It's been so long since my last guest, and so young. So lost... Poor little things."