We were making good time, considering we were slogging through a forest that could almost pass for a bayou if it were wetter. The first hour we had just fast walked, the trail they left behind was clear as day. Even a cub scout could have followed the markings on the ground and the broken plants.

Long into the second hour, just as we were getting ready to break from our short rest, Cort glanced over at me. “Something is bugging me, Lieutenant.”

I lifted an eyebrow at that. “Can we go back to Shane and Cort, please, and what's on your mind?” I squatted down to look at a few snapped off weeds. They were starting to get smart, moving slower and making attempts to mask their trail.

“Why are they walking rather than flying? If they were flying one could carry Apple Bloom, they would make twice the time and leave no trail.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Thinking on his words and rolling the notion over in my head. Truth of it is, up until now, I was running on pure hate and rage. I just wanted to find the ones that hurt Applejack, and took Apple Bloom. However, he had a point, a pretty big one to be precise. How the hell did I miss that?

“You thinking what I am?”

The unicorn returned a nod. “Ambush. They know someone is coming after them.” he took a front knee next to me and examined the couple of weeds that had clearly been stepped on. I had been showing him how to track and how to spot little signs of where someone had walked.

“Shane, ah think they know we are after them.”

I looked up and around, then nodded my head. “Hour more in, that is where I would set up. I am willing to bet one of them is in the air, treetop level, looking for signs of pursuit. From here on out we travel under the canopy and off the trail.“

I picked up a stick and began dragging it along to create a simple drawing on the ground. “We zigzag like this, go out from here two hundred yards, then come back in line, pick up the trail, head back out diagonal, come back in perpendicular,” glancing to make sure he had the plan. Cortland looked at me and gave a nod.

---

I released a slow exhale as I pulled my head back in behind the tree, glancing over at my unicorn companion. We had found them, four hours into the chase. Right now we sat behind a huge old tree with a trunk that must be seven feet in width. We were looking slightly down, I would say twenty feet of drop, and three hundred yards out from a makeshift camp. The height and way the terrain was laid out gave us almost a perfect view between the trees. However, it meant that they would see us if we tried to approach without some kind of cover.

“I count three. One in the air, two by the fire. Looks like they have Apple Bloom tied down to a pole.”

He gave a nod as he slid his crossbow off his back as quietly as possible. “Ah saw two more this side of tha' camp. Don’t make no sense, Shane. They know someone is comin', right?”

I gave a nod and was about to turn back to look again. Just then, a noise at our back caught my ear. Both of us spun in that instance. I brought the Winchester up, my thumb clicking the hammer back as I shouldered it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cort’s crossbow up and aimed.

From the brush, a body was thrown. It landed with a dull thud. It was a gryphon, and he looked bad off. His eyes were shut, and his beak looked like someone had thrown acid on it. First glance said he was breathing still, however.

What followed the wounded avian out wore a dark brown cloak and walked on all fours. It spoke from inside its hood and I knew, I knew who this was.

“This one had strayed away to relieve himself. I thought I would make sure he did not find you, and make you part of his zoo.”

My brow furrowed as Cort glanced at me, then I whispered softly. “Zecora, what are you doing out here?”

She lifted a hoof and slid her hood back. I had talked with her on a few occasions and was sure to thank her for being instrumental in my first meeting with the ponies. “They have taken Apple Bloom, my friend. I could not sit and wait, I knew they were using her as bait.”

Cort lowered his crossbow, and I had without thought dropped the hammer of the Winchester back to safety. Looking over at her, I gave a little nod.

“This is not going to go peaceful, Zecora, are you sure you want to be part of what is going down?”

Her olive eyes flashed and she gave a frown. “Peace and harmony is what we desire. However, a friend is in need, and others could expire.”

Cort glanced over at me. “Your call, LT.”

I nodded at him and looked at her. “What did you do to him?” gesturing to the gryphon.

“A simple brew I hit him with,” replied Zecora as she reached into her cloak and tugged out a sickly bluish-green fluid inside a small glass container. “With the root of thornwood, and leaf of poison joke, I made this gift.”

Again, I gave her a nod. “All right. We wait for sundown, then we move in,” glancing at her, then at Cort, making sure they both understood as I used my finger to draw on the ground. “Cort, I am going to have you circle around as dusk sets in. Try to get in here,” I tapped the crude drawing on the dirt.

“Zecora,” I began, looking at her now. “I need you here, you will grab Apple Bloom, then run. Run as hard as you can, as fast as you can. Get her back to the farm, then send help. Tell them where we are.”

She gazed up into my eyes sternly. “We must move fast, my human friend. For if they escape with Apple Bloom there is no telling if they will make her will bend.”

I exhaled and nodded as Cort spoke up. “What about this guy? They are going to come looking for him.”

My focus set on the zebra once more. “Any thoughts on that, Zecora?”

She sat down and tapped her hoof to her chin, before looking over her shoulder at the gryphon laying there. “One idea comes to mind, a dry sandbar I did find. On the other side of it, lays a field of poison joke, that should do in this bind.”

Looking at the unicorn next to me and then back to her, I translated her words. “So, dump him in the field, they find him, think he has eaten something... it should hold until nightfall. Make it happen.”

She gave a nod and, with earth pony strength, hefted the larger avian across her back and slunk off into the brush once more.

“Shane, she gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

I chuckled some. “The rhymes get to me, but past that she is as good a person as they come.”

He muttered, “pony.”

I glanced around the tree to make sure no one was reacting to anything. “Shut up, Cort.”

---

The plan was set in place. From where I was on my belly, pressed down into a slight defilade covered in leaves and brush, I watched the shadows and counted down in my head, hoping like crazy that Cortland and Zecora had moved into place. As I reached zero, I eased the hammer back, hearing it click and lock. I called out in a loud voice...

“Canterlot Rangers, you are surrounded! Throw up your claws and give up!”

Things went south real fast. Of the four I could see, two launched into the air. I noted one had a spear the other a crossbow. The two that didn’t go up spun in my direction, trying to see out and find me. The bigger one on the ground yelled over his shoulder. “Kill the filly!”

My gut dropped and I came up on my knees. Things were happening so fast now. The rifle came up and I aimed in the forty yards at the big one that appeared to be the leader. He was just bringing his crossbow up as I pulled the Winchester’s trigger. A plume of smoke and fire billowed out the barrel, the round smashing into his forehead, exiting and taking what little brains he had with it.

Inside, I went dead. I was never forced to kill, never had taken a life, though I could not stop, not yet. My hand worked the lever as I stood up, starting to move. As I did I heard someone screaming, a gryphon stumbled out from behind one of the tents into the firelight, clutching and clawing at his face. He tripped and fell over a peg. I watched him crawfish around and I figured he was out for the count.

Something cut across my leg, and I bellowed out. Looking down I could see the crossbow bolt laying on the ground, a big gash in my pants with quite a lot of blood already welling up. Snapping up, bringing the rifle along with my gaze, but just as I was about to fire something struck the gryphon in the side. He spiraled down, crashing with a sickening meaty thud.

The last one in the air yelled out, “I give up! Don’t fire!” even as I brought up the Winchester to aim at the one left by the fire. I saw he had thrown his spear aside and was already moving to the one that had fell from the sky yelling loudly. “Dad! Dad, can you hear me?!”

I had to swallow the bile welling up, I was still flying on adrenaline and pain, even as I hobbled up I yelled out. “Cort! Find Apple Bloom, see if Zecora got away!” I leveled the old Winchester at the gryphon landing. He set his spear down and moved over to the corpse with a bullet wound to the head. One look and the young gryphon turned and puked, spraying his dinner across the ground.

“Dad!” I glanced over. The one that got shot from the air was up, but barely, cradling his wing to his side, a crossbow bolt in the meat of it. He glared at me but made no stupid moves.

“Go on, stand with the others there, you boy!” I pointed at the one that called out. “Check on your buddy there, and where is the last one? The one from the field?”

I saw the shock as they put things together then the older one snarled and gestured. “S-sleeping in that tent, he was too injured to move tonight. Do you plan on killing us? L-let my son live, and I will take his punishment.”

I gave a snort as Cort came into view of the fire's glow. “They got away clean except for that poor sap,” gesturing to the one with the burned face. He was still breathing, so that was a thing.

I watched the unicorn turn his head and spot the dead one. That, combined with the boy throwing up, caused Cort’s face to turn completely green and he too hurled what little dinner we had eaten. I wanted to puke too, though I managed to hold it down. I had seen far worse in highway accidents.

“No one else has to die, you are all under arrest by the authority of the Canterlot Rangers. You will be treated for your wounds and held over for trial.”

The older looked at me and gave a little snarl. “You fired your one, what do you think an empty musket is going to do?”

As he reached out from his unwounded side, reaching for a spear that was on the ground, I snapped the rifle up, and in another billow of white smoke, bright yellow and orange fire, and the snap of a round going off filled the clearing, the round smashed into the spear, sending it skittering off in two directions, the shaft broken with bits of wood fiber flying around like shrapnel.

I worked the lever again and glared at him even as he recovered from his flinch. “I ain’t going to fire a second warning shot. We understand each other?”

He gave a nod then glanced at the two boys helping the one on the ground still. “You boys listen to the creature here. No fighting back, you understand me?” and I watched them give a nod each.

By this time, Cort had recovered, and he sent up a bright red flare from his horn. It shot far into the sky before bursting with a booming crack, igniting the sky for all to see for miles. He glanced at me even as he reloaded his crossbow. “S… sorry about that, Lieutenant.”

I shook my head dismissively. “We all get that first time. Just breathe and keep watch, we will deal with it after the backup arrives.”

---

An hour and a half later, I was standing looking down at a white sheet with a blood stain growing on it. The alabaster alicorn next to me emit a slight noise and shook her head. “Did you need to kill him?”

I glanced over as I shooed the corpsman, pony, whatever, away from me with a wave of my hand. They had been trying to tend to my wound, but I had said a quick wrap was enough for now.

“He lifted his weapon, I gave a warning. I really had no choice in the matter.”

She exhaled once more then gave a nod to send the pony trying to tend my leg, again, away. “Under the Ranger charter, you have done what you had to. Lethal force was authorized and called for… I just wish it had not been.”

She turned and looked at me, ignoring the guards working around the camp. The gryphons were being loaded into a set of chariots for transport to the hospital.

“Shane, I….” she was cut off as a pegasus in the colors of Twilight’s guards landed and saluted her.

“My princess, word from Ponyville. The filly Apple Bloom and the zebrican Zecora have been found and escorted safely back.”

She gave a nod as I exhaled hard. “Thank you, Captain, return to your post and inform Princess Twilight we will be coming in soon.”

As soon as he lifted off, I glanced at the regal mare. “I need to get back to AJ.”

She shook her head. “No, what you need is medical attention, and to talk to one of the corpspony. You just had to kill somebirdy, Shane, and I can tell you are still chewing on it.”

I frowned. “I am going back to AJ, Princess.”

She took on a more hard stance. “You are not going to avoid this any longer. Shane, you are making yourself sick by avoid—”

I snarled and outright yelled at her. “I SAID, I AM GOING TO SEE AJ! ARE WE CLEAR ON THIS, PRINCESS?” glaring at her, looking her right in the eyes.

Around us, most ponies had come to a stop. After all, who in their right mind yells at the immortal alicorn of the sun, and beloved princess? Speaking of her, as I continued to glare back at her, her mien changed. That passive look she almost always sported dropped and she showed some emotion; a tiny touch of anger.

Had I any sense of self preservation right now, I would be scared out of my fucking mind. Yet, at this very moment, I had none, just my desire to get back to Applejack and away from the scene here.

In a cold, yet collected voice, she spoke, low and quiet. “Lieutenant, you will remember your place when you speak to me.” She laid her ears back, then continued. “Go, get out of my sight for now.”

I didn’t flip her off. Oh, I wanted to, but I didn’t. I just turned and grabbed up my rifle, calling over to my left. “Cort, stay here. Make sure they police up the lead and shells and see they are returned to me, two of each,” and I limped past the gawking solar solders. I didn’t look back as I walked off into the woods.

I didn’t see what went on, or hear the conversation.

“Princess, should I…”

Celestia simply shook her head. “No, Sergeant Apple, let him go. Anything we say or do right now will just exasperate his anger.”

The unicorn shook his head. “What made him yell at y’all? Ah mean you are trying to help him.”

The princess of the sun sighed and peered over at the worried-looking friend to the human. “Cortland Apple, he lost his family, his home. He was ripped into our world. He has been attacked, put on trial, fallen in love only to hate himself for it because of his upbringing. Now he has had to see the very pony he fell in love with near death, and been forced to kill somebirdy. He is beyond broken my little pony. That human has never faced his past, nor tried to move beyond it. I fear if he does not soon find help, he may never recover.”

Cortland Apple looked up at the alicorn goddess and back to where his friend walked off. “Ah won’t let him face this alone, Princess”

She gave a nod of her head. “I know you won’t, my little pony. That is why you wear that badge on your chest. I can think of no one stronger to help him than the Apple family.”

---

I shouldn’t have yelled at her, and I shouldn’t have stormed off. Once again, I let my emotions dictate my actions. I would find a way to make it up to her, and everyone… fine, everypony else.

My eyes lifted just as I crossed the line out of the woods. I could see the hospital about half a mile off. I had made sure to come out well away from where Twilight and the others would be thinking I would come out. Right up ‘til a voice popped up next to me.

“You know, for a human, you really are a downer.”

I came to a stop. I didn’t turn, I didn’t need to turn. I knew the voice, and part of me wanted to smack the crap out of its owner here and now. Turning slowly at last, I looked up at the taller creature before me.

“What do you want, Discord?”

He smiled. “Well, so you really do know all about us,” his eyes narrowed. “I want nothing for myself, Ranger,” his lion paw waved in the air, “but to give you some advice. Advice that I myself was foolish to ignore for thousands of years.”

I lifted an eyebrow “Go on… I have to get to Applejack.”

The Lord of Chaos shrugged and leaned down, looking right into my eyes. “Get help, find someone to talk to, before all that—” he poked my chest over my heart with a claw. “—eats you up, and there is nothing left for fair Applejack to love. I am keeping an eye on you, human. Think about what I said.”

With a snap, he was gone, and I found myself standing at the entrance door to the hospital. I muttered, “Could have done that a few hours ago when I was walking here,” before turning and walking in.