(Trigger Warning: Murder)

“Pinkie Pie! Wake up!”

Pinkie woke up, gasping for air. In her dreams, the griffon claws were closing on her throat, slowly breaking it. She touched her neck, feeling the scars still there. She looked up and found the worry face of Apple Bloom staring at her.

“Yah were screaming in your sleep...”

Pinkie smiled, a tired, old smiled; and lift the filly and put her back on the floor. She looked around and found Cheerilee looking at her, holding a filly on each arm. She silently asked Pinkie if she was okay and Pinkie nodded. Her sad smile disappeared as she took a look around, at the dozen of fillies and colt earth ponies, all piled together in the caravan.

“Auh! Your stupid hat is poking me! Take it off!” Diamond Tiara complained.

“Ah´m never taking mah hat off! Ah´m keeping it safe fer mah sister!” Apple Bloom replied.

“Like she would ever return for it...” Silver Spoon murmured.

“She will!”

“Girls, stop it!” Cheerilee yelled.

“She is coming back. Ah´ll find her again. Right, Pinkie?”

Pinkie didn´t answered her. She simply patted her head, making the big hat cover her entire face. Pinkie could tell she was sobbing.

Suddenly, the van stopped.

“Get out,” an unicorn ordered, peeking inside.

“Have we reached Manehattan?” Cheerile asked.

“I said...out!”

Pinkie and Cheerilee obeyed, helping the kids come down the vehicle. When they felt the snow on their hooves the younger ones smiled a little, being their first time watching it. The two adults mares however looked worried and they walked to the edge of the road, to take a look at the mountain valley near them.

“ What is this place?” Cheerilee asked.

“The Crystal Mountains. I was stationed here a year ago,” Pinkie explained.

“Isn't this unicorn territory? Why did you bring us here?” Cheerilee asked the driver.

“This is as far as Trixie would go,” she replied.

“What? My father paid you tons of bits to take me to safety! This isn´t safe!” Diamond Tiara yelled but got a slap in response.

Cheerilee helped her stand but decided to not take actions against Trixie. The unicorn's magic and the two heavy earth stallions that pulled her carriage were enough reasons not to.

“This is the safest route to Manehattan. Unicorns will never venture into those mountains,” Trixie explained.

“She is right. The crystals magic interferes with their magic. Those rocks have magical properties the same type that the alicon in their horns, making them reject each other,” Pinkie said. When she noticed the looks of the fillies she added “I grew up in a rock farm.”

Cheerilee sighed and told the kids to grab their few possessions while she handled Trixie the final payment. But before they left, a voice called from above.

“Ho-hold it right there...”

The voice belong to a pegasus soldier, obviously an explorer that was doing surveillance maneuvers, judging by the delivery bird she carried on her shoulder. She had a bright yellow coat and a long pink mane. Pegasus were supposed to be the bravest warriors in Equestria but she looked more fragile that the fillies.

“What are you doing here?”

“I´m simply a merchant delivering supplies on my way to the northern kingdom. I have immunity according to the treaty signed by Princess Platinum and Commander Hurricane!” Trixie quickly said.

The soldier took a look at Cheerilee and the small children and raised an eyebrow.

“But why is an unicorn travelling with earth ponies?” she asked.

“They are my assistants. Yes, they help carry heavy stuff and that. You know, that´s the only thing earth ponies are good for,” Trixie said, desperate to get out of this situation but the soldier wasn´t sold.

“I better tell my superior...” she said and was about to handle a note to the bird when Pinkie suddenly jumped over her.

“Wa-wait!” she tried to plead but Pinkie took a nearby rock and smashed it against her head.

Pinkie repeated the motion, again and again. Cheerilee grabbed the children in a tight hug and make them close their eyes, but Apple Bloom didn´t. She watched for a full minute as Pinkie kept smashing the rock until the pegasus stopped moving.

Meanwhile, the bird took off, probably returning to the pegasus station. Trixie tried to blast it with a magic beam but she failed.

“Damn! It got away!”

“Maybe if you have better aim...” Diamond Tiara snickered, trying to get a little payback at the unicorn.

Trixie growled but decided to ignore her, jumping back at her wagon and ordering the earth ponies to pull.

Cheerilee made sure the kids were alright and helped them put on their scarf and vests. Apple Bloom walked next to Pinkie who had stopped attacking the pegasus. She got a good look on the soldier´s smashed face and almost puked. Pinkie turned over to her and Apple Bloom backed down in fear.

Pinkie said nothing, she moved past her and grabbed her saddlebags. She nodded at Cheerilee and headed for the mountains. Cheerilee asked the kids to hold hooves and follow her.

Apple Bloom however stayed behind, she stayed for a while, staring at the dead pony. Cheerilee called for her and Apple Bloom turned to leave but before, she placed the hat on the pegasus, covering her face.

The pegasus remained there in the snow, slowly being covered in white.