I have a new story up on fimfiction, and if you like this one I think you might enjoy that one. Give it a look right here!

Rarity huffed and puffed, her many skittering legs moving as fast as they were physically able to do so. Her muscles ached, and a stabbing pain had begun to emanate from her lower right side, adding to her existing struggles. Worse still, the backpack she had thrown over her shoulders felt as though it now weighed a ton. Though uncomfortable on its own, it was only half as heavy as the supplies draped across her abdomen.

Just to add insult to injury, the ground was muddy, riddled with puddles, and overall quite swampy. Cloying hunks of earth stuck to nearly every inch of her body, the dark, almost black gunk quickly becoming quite the eye sore. The terrain was probably the worst possible match up for her morphology, as her pointed limbs constantly needed to be wrenched from the muck, forcing the arachne to stop frequently in order to free her trapped legs before hurrying after the departing forms of her friends. They strode easily through the harsh wilderness, their skill and vastly superior physicality giving them an edge. In fact, they didn't even have to run like Rarity and merely walked along at what looked like a relatively slow pace.

Despite this, Rarity was completely unable to catch up with the group, causing panic to well in her chest. A feeling only made worse by the fact that the sun was beginning to set, and the swamp was growing more intimidating. The already long shadows became deeper, and the distant howls of hungry animals seemed to close in around the seamstress.

Rarity tried to speed up and finally walk alongside her distracted friends, but found herself immediately mired in mud. The first two of her limbs were stuck fast, the thin, pointed legs sinking a good four inches into the ground. Rarity braced her back half and tried to free herself, only for more of her body to end up gripped by the sucking earth.

“Wait, stop!” Rarity shouted before grunting and trying to escape once more.

Yet no matter what she did and no matter how hard she pulled or shifted, she only managed to sink deeper. The squelching mix soon managed to swallow her legs all the way to their base, leaving Rarity with few options and a growing urge to panic. With one last heave, Rarity attempted to pull herself up using her forehooves, but those too were gobbled up by the swamp.

Rarity gritted her teeth and flexed her muscles, trying in vain to remove her hooves from the muck. The effort just made things worse, as Rarity soon ran out of strength and fell face-first into the mire. The lingering scent of rotting eggs and foul food immediately filled her nostrils while at the same time, mud covered her almost completely.

“Help! I’m sinking, please!” Rarity screamed at the distant shapes of her friends to no avail. “Girls! I’m stuck! You have to help me!”

Rarity’s panic surged briefly before dying when she saw the shadowed faces of her companions turn to her. The group seemed to talk amongst themselves for a moment before walking towards Rarity at a relaxed pace.

“Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was going to be swallowed up by this dreadful swamp and left behind,” Rarity muttered.

The arachne tried her best to ignore the unpleasant sensation of being covered in mud, but that was a hard task. Harder still when she realized that she was indeed slowly sinking deeper into the mud that surrounded her. Relief came in the form of a rope being tossed mere inches from Rarity’s mouth.

“What? But I can't grab it?” Rarity asked.

Looking up at the silent, shadowed faces of her friends, Rarity saw no trace of pity.

With a sigh, Rarity opened her mouth and reached out, grabbing the rope as best as she was able. Once she had bit down as hard as she could, Rarity braced herself for what she knew was coming next. A second later, the rope tugged tight before immediately sliding through Rarity’s teeth. The arachne tried to hold on, to bite a little harder, but no matter how hard she did so, her efforts were ultimately in vain.

With a squelch, her face landed back into the muck, right back to where things started a minute earlier. Rarity pulled her head from the mud and tried to shake off the worst of the gunk, only for the stuff to remain fixed to her face. The sole part of her that was free were her eyes, allowing her to observe her friends as they looked down upon her in disappointment.

“I’m sorry,” Rarity muttered through the muck which matted her fur. “I’m not strong enough.”

Twilight shook her head and gestured towards Applejack, who in turn grabbed her rope. She then turned it into a lasso and threw it around what little of Rarity’s waist that was still free. Applejack then pulled hard, tightening the length of coarse material around Rarity’s misection to a frightening degree.

“Now, Applejack, maybe we should go slow and-” Rarity tried to say.

Rarity’s proposition was cut off when the arachne was wrenched out of the muck by a powerful tug. One so strong that it was enough to pull Rarity completely out of the mud in a single go. In fact, the force was so great that Rarity became briefly airborne before landing face-first into a mud puddle.

With the air forcibly expelled from her lungs, Rarity pulled her head up and sucked in as much oxygen as she could. Before she could even get the chance to fully gather herself, Rarity found that she was moving, only not under her own power. Applejack was trotting away, having begun to drag the arachne through the mud, uncaring as to just how unpleasant this experience was.

“Wait, stop!” Rarity shouted between gasps. “I can walk!”

Nobody seemed to care, and due to just how quick her companions were walking, Rarity was completely unable to get back up. She tried a few times, but always found herself pulled to the ground before she could stand, body dragged through the mud yet again. The only saving grace was the fact that the rope had worked its way up over Rarity’s ribs, allowing her to breathe more easily.

“Wait! Stop, please! I can walk!” Rarity continued to yell.

Her screams were met with silence, as the rest of her friends continued to walk along without a care in the world. Completely unfazed by her suffering, the group didn't even look back at Rarity as she was pulled uncaringly through the swamp. Her already damaged hair was ruined, her fur coated with the muck, and the supplies Rarity had been carrying were lost.

Tears fell from her eyes as Rarity’s heart hammered loudly in her chest, panic coursing through her. She wanted to continue screaming, but for some reason she knew the act was completely useless. So she settled in and merely allowed herself to be dragged onwards, her head occasionally pulled through a mound of wet earth or a mud puddle.

It felt like her torment was without end, as minutes passed unceasingly, her destination seemingly forever out of reach. Then the ground became hard, and the rope fell slack, allowing Rarity to stand up for the first time in what felt like forever. This was made difficult due to the sheer amount of stuff that was now stuck to her, including a considerably lengthy tree branch.

“Come on, get off of me,” Rarity cursed, tugging at the hunk of wood bitterly.

With a soft squelch, the branch was removed, and Rarity was free of at least one small burden. There were far, far more that still plagued her, but the largest irritant was now gone.

“You could have at least slowed down,” Rarity muttered.

The arachne glanced up at her friends to find that their faces were still shrouded and unreadable. What she could see were their bulging muscles, bristling weapons, and aura of power that surrounded them all. Leaving the unarmed, unarmored, and skill-less seamstress feeling rather naked in comparison to her friends.

“Don't worry,” Rarity began while wiping her face, “I assure you I’ll carry my weight. Now then, where is this ruffian?”

Rarity looked around the area, searching for any sign of the foe they had been sent out to deal with. Her friends followed suit, and together the group noticed a single solitary figure standing atop a hill. Draped in the armor of a royal guard, the mare’s face was blank and unreadable beneath her all-encompassing helmet.

Immediately the air grew tense, weapons were drawn, and spells readied, all while their foe remained impassive. Standing proudly atop the mound, she simply waited, her horn glowing faintly while Rarity’s friends arrayed themselves before her. Then like a rubber band pulled too tight, the tension broke, and as one, everybody but Rarity charged up the hill.

The arachne tried to follow the second she figured out what was going on, but again, she was left behind. In fact her friends had been so quick to depart that they had kicked up a cloud of dust so large that Rarity was temporarily blinded. Now sputtering and confused, Rarity stumbled forward, unable to see where she was even walking.

A sudden bump knocked Rarity onto her side and also tripping Pinkie Pie while she had been fighting. Tempest Shadow brought her hoof down on the troll’s head with enough force to knock Pinkie Pie unconscious. The sight of her friend going limp made a surge of guilt and shame well in Rarity’s chest.

“I didn't mean to. I couldn't see,” Rarity mumbled while stumbling backwards.

She nearly ran into Applejack a moment later, but the farmer dodged aside at the last moment. She then ran past Rarity and engaged Tempest Shadow, launching into a flurry of rapid attacks. Tempest blocked, weaved, and otherwise negated the assault before retaliating with a blast of kinetic energy.

Knocked backwards, Applejack seemed temporarily off-balance and struggled to gather her bearings. Giving Tempest Shadow more than enough time to rear up and prepare to stomp on her. Rarity saw this and immediately moved to help, her mind latching onto the idea of throwing something.

So she bent over, scooped up a big rock, and threw it at Tempest Shadow before she could strike Applejack. While the stone was in flight, several things happened in rapid succession, first of which was Applejack’s recovery. The pony had steeled herself and was moving to dodge, all while Tempest Shadow’s hooves descended downward.

Rarity’s projectile struck her friend in the side with just enough force to put her back into Tempest’s shadow. The royal guard used her strength to knock Applejack senseless, and then, with a blast of magic, sent the farmer flying back into the swamp.

“I didn't… that was…” Rarity whimpered, more tears coming to her eyes as she stumbled backward, unaware of just how ridiculous everything seemed.

More of her friends sprinted past her, with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy engaging Tempest Shadow at close range. Again, Rarity wanted to help, but she stifled that urge and simply closed her eyes, hoping she didn't have to see what came next. A sudden explosion made Rarity look to her friends just as they were sent careening down the hill, covered in flames.

“H-how?” Rarity asked.

It didn't matter how, because at the end of the day, it had been Rarity’s choice to stay back that had led to that outcome. She had been too useless, too focused on just making dresses and other silly things to cultivate a strength that would actually help. As always, she had been turned into nothing more than damsel in distress, bumbling her way through a fight without contributing anything worthwhile.

In front of her Twilight was fighting quite well, her spells matching Tempest Shadow blow for blow. Even then, while neither had managed to hit one another, Rarity knew it was only a matter of time before her friend lost. Their foe was simply too strong for any of them, and perhaps even all of them, to fight.

Sure enough, the struggle lasted only a minute more before Twilight was hit by a bolt of lightning. Twilight's body shook as electricity coursed through her being, all while Rarity just stood there and watched. Seeing her victory arrive, Tempest Shadow rose up once more, her magic flaring as she prepared to finish the stunned Twilight.

Time slowed, the second realization settled into Rarity’s mind, and a million thoughts soon began to whirl within her skull. She wondered what was going to happen to her, if she was next, and if Tempest Shadow was going to kill her. Rarity didn't even consider fighting back, as she knew in her heart that she was useless, especially when compared to her friends.

Rainbow Dash was fast, strong, trained with a blade, and a long standing member of the night guard. Pinkie Pie had incredible regenerative powers, training in the mystical art of shamanism, and strange, unique abilities all her own. Applejack, though not a fighter by trade, boasted an incredible physicality that put her on par with the others. Even Fluttershy had talents no others could hope to replicate, on top of a natural skill with animals that made her an excellent teammate.

And then there was Twilight.

Powerful beyond measure, undead, and with incredible necromantic spells under her command, Twilight was their leader for a reason. She was a one-mare wrecking crew and stronger than any single one of her friends by a wide margin.

Rarity was none of those things.

She was weak, unskilled with any manner of weapon, and barely able to throw a rock more than a few meters. She shouldn't have even come, at least if she hadn't been present, her friends would have stood a chance. Yet here Rarity was, standing in the way of her companions’ victory, as per usual.

It was enough to make the arachne wish to lay down in the mud and wait for Tempest to deliver the killing blow. Rarity didn't though, as a small burning possibility sat at the center of the void that was her heart. The seamstress’ mind, though mostly consumed by darkness, clung to that small question that continued to smolder deep down inside.

What if? What if she stopped trying to match her friends and instead simply helped them? It was true that Rarity had never been good with conflict, but in the end she didn't need to be. There were people who were trained for that exact outcome, while Rarity herself never intended for such a thing.

Rarity remembered the assistance she had given in the past, the puzzles she had helped solve, and the help she granted. Though not nearly as flashy as the others, Rarity’s actions had been integral to their success. Just like how her friends’ decisions, in turn, had been necessary to get them as far as they had.

Though their roles were larger than Rarity’s own, that never invalidated Rarity’s contributions. No matter how small, Rarity had helped them one and all at some point or another. So with time rapidly speeding back up, and Tempest Shadow’s horn flaring bright, Rarity did what she always did.

Contribute, help, in any way she could.

Lighting the small nub of her horn, Rarity yanked Tempest Shadow’s helmet down, covering the unicorn’s eyes with metal. Thrown off and confused, the royal guard abandoned her attack, giving Twilight enough time to get back up.

Now on her own four hooves once more, the undead mare charged a powerful spell, one Rarity knew instinctively would take time. So the arachne threw herself into attacking her foe in a rather untraditional manner. Instead of powerful punches, sweeping slashes, or the use of a strange ability or skill, Rarity distracted her foe.

Using her fine eye for detail, the arachne tugged Tempest Shadow’s armor in odd directions, disrupting her movements. Rarity even used her thread to cover the soldier’s face when she had finally managed to set her helmet straight once more. All of this seemed to work, as by the time Tempest Shadow had blasted Rarity aside, Twilight had readied a spell of her own.

One which took the form of a beam so powerful that it incinerated Tempest Shadow completely, leaving nothing behind.

“Well, that sure was eventful,” Rarity murmured to herself.

Rarity picked herself up and dusted herself off before apprehensive glancing at her friends. All of whom had overcome their injuries and had gathered around the arachne. Their blank masks of shadow melted away, revealing smiling faces and bright, shining eyes.

“You're all okay! Thank the stars!” Rarity exclaimed.

“And it's all thanks to you, Rarity,” Twilight declared. “You're an integral part of this team.”

Rarity smiled. “Thank you, Twilight, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that.”

Rainbow Dash spun around and slashed her sword in a wide, curving arc. The blade slammed into the simple straw and wood target with enough force to hack off a good chunk. Despite the strength of the blow, Rainbow Dash was still in motion, never losing the momentum she had built up.

The muscles in her hooves tensed and her wings flared and pumped hard, putting her out of range of the spinning dummy. Before she even hit the ground, Rainbow Dash was already moving, diving in close and bringing her sword into a powerful upward strike. She then leapt off a segment of the target before it had a chance to finish a rotation, kicking it firmly and putting herself out of range once more.

Over and over she dove back in, only to weave her way back out again, the mare unburdened by her heavy armor. Though it weighed Rainbow Dash down and slowed her movements, she had trained to the point that she barely noticed it. In fact, she knew the strengths of her protective covering so well, that she was easily able to deflect blows towards the hardened parts of it.

Heavy hits, which could have done significant damage to the pony, did nothing but ding off polished steel, leaving the mare to continue twisting, turning, and striking away with her sword. Like her armor, Rainbow Dash’s weapon was heavy, but years of training and drills allowed her to heft the blade with ease.

Over and over she heard the swish, thunk as her attack struck true, another hunk of wood sent flying. By the thirteenth strike, the simple dummy was beginning to rattle on its mounting, only half of its tube-shaped limbs remaining. By the twentieth hit the thing was shaking so badly that it almost looked like it was angry in a way, as if enraged by its inability to hit Rainbow Dash.

Only a minute later, it had lost all its arms, leaving the thing defenceless. By then the tumbling noise of gears had turned into a high-pitched whine, the dummy seemingly protesting its imminent demise. Then with a final spinning slash, Rainbow Dash chopped through the middle-most point of the straw creature and cut it in half.

With its internals now exposed, the mess of gears now sputtered and stopped, unable to continue on. After a few seconds, it finally ceased twitching, the hunk of battered wood and smoking innards releasing one last screech before finally resting. Rainbow Dash took a second to look over her handiwork before smirking to herself and relaxing her previously tense stance.

Flicking out her blade, Rainbow Dash gazed down at its edge, inspecting it for anything out of place. Though the abuse she had put it through would be inadvisable for most weapons, she was a member of the night guard and had excellent gear. So it was no surprise that she saw no notches, scratches, or other damage had been done to her scimitar.

Her armor had similarly come to no harm and required only a brief brush with her wings before it was clean. Even most of the polish remained, allowing Rainbow Dash to appear nearly parade-perfect after her workout. The only thing that had been defaced in any manner had been her mane, which was weighed down by sweat.

Rainbow Dash breathed heavily, her lungs and muscles burning from the stresses put upon them. The minor aches and pains were little bother to the thestral however, who had, again, long since gotten used to their presence. To her those small annoyances were signs that she had done a good job, and that she might be able to push herself even further next time.

“Not bad,” commented a familiar voice.

Rainbow Dash turned towards the source of the sound and found that she was indeed in the presence of her friend Twilight Sparkle. The undead seemed her usual mix of distant and distracted, likely contemplating something Rainbow Dash didn't have a hope of understanding.

Standing almost twice as tall as Rainbow Dash, it was hard not to be intimidated by the mare. Even more so when Twilight let her focus slip and accidentally released the aura of fear which hung around her constantly. Rainbow Dash had always been unbothered by this, though she could certainly understand why some may find the unicorn scary.

She had long, spindly legs, very dark fur, a shattered stump of a horn, and she rarely if ever breathed. This was apparently some urge that remained at the back of Twilight's mind despite her status as not exactly alive. Either way, it unnerved most when Twilight would suddenly take a big breath out of nowhere, all just so she could properly sigh.

More than that, the mare was also otherworldly, and she could easily see through someone when distracted. Rainbow Dash doubted this was literal, but either way, it was downright unpleasant to have those smokey orbs staring unblinking at you. Despite the fact that Rainbow Dash knew that Twilight herself was a good person and had a good heart, the thought remained.

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash added a bit of flourish to the act of sheathing her blade. “Though I think the word you are looking for is awesome.”

Twilight chuckled. “It was decent, I’ll give you that, but awesome? I’m not so sure.”

“Pfft, whatever,” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “I doubt you could do any better.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How much would you be willing to bet?”

“Three rubies and an emerald,” Rainbow Dash challenged. “Unless that's too rich for your blood.”

“Nah, I can handle it,” Twilight declared. “So, what are the rules? Defeat the enemy the fastest?”

“Without getting knocked back, injured, or using magic,” Rainbow Dash stated.

Twilight nodded. “I can do that.”

“Well then, miss professional, show us how it's done,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Gladly,” Twilight declared.

The unicorn then stepped forward and extended a foreleg towards the broken dummy. The limb then went slack and several dozen ethereal copies reached out towards the pile of splinters. Each one grabbed a different piece and slotted it back into place, rapidly reassembling the dummy in a matter of seconds.

Once done, the target looked completely normal, and Twilight gave it one glance before nodding her head. With that out of the way, one of the ghostly appendages handed her one of the extra swords from a rack near the sidelines. She then gave it a few test swings, each one of which was harder and faster than the last, until the wind whistled audibly with every swipe.

Confident that she had done all that she needed, Twilight used her necromantic powers to put the dummy back into motion. Each of its many tube-shaped limbs began to spin, creating a whirling mass of straw-covered wood. Which Twilight didn't attack, or at least not right away, as the undead mare simply stood there, staring intently at her inanimate foe.

Seconds turned to minutes without Twilight so much as blinking. She just remained motionless, seemingly studying the machine as it continued to turn in place. It was enough to make Rainbow Dash wonder if her friend had suffered some kind of aneurysm for zombies.

Then Twilight struck, leaping forward in a burst of speed that put even Rainbow Dash to shame. Immediately Rainbow Dash felt concerned for her friend's safety, as the twirling wooden limbs were not gentle to those that got caught in them. Yet when Rainbow Dash looked, she found that each one of the limbs were turned away from the charging unicorn.

Allowing Twilight to sprint directly up the dummy and swing the blade with both hooves in a large, downward arc. Though strong, Rainbow Dash knew her friends wouldn't be able to deliver enough force to make that kind of attack a good idea. There was no way Twilight could defeat the wooden object in a single attack, meaning that she was going to get caught in its arms.

Rainbow Dash readied herself to leap in and help her friend, only for the impossible to happen. When the weapon struck home, it did so with such power that the dummy stood no chance of survival. There was no deafening crack as metal met wood, only the swoosh of a powerful strike and the sound of a sword deftly cutting through its target.

Inch after inch of wood was split in half, descending an unparalleled distance down the target’s middle. Surely, Rainbow Dash thought, it would stop sometime soon, as the wood was strong, and Twilight didn't even have the necessary training. Apparently no weightlifting or experience was required, as Twilight's blade continued its downward descent.

Until it met the ground with a dull thump, the blade sinking a good two inches into the dirt. For a moment there was only the sound of clattering wood and metal as cogs popped out of the bisected dummy. Though if one listened closely enough, they could have also heard Rainbow Dash’s jaw hitting the ground.

Twilight gripped the handle of her weapon and hefted it out of the ground with a single firm tug. With the flat of the blade resting against her shoulder, Twilight trotted over to Rainbow Dash. Wearing a wide smile on her face, the undead oozed confidence, while Rainbow Dash felt smaller than ever.

“I win,” Twilight declared.

Rainbow Dash bit her tongue and reached into her bag.

“Keep them,” Twilight interrupted. “I have more than enough of the things already.”

The thestral bit down even harder, nearly drawing blood.

“So,” Twilight muttered, spinning the sword around. “What else were you up to, other than playing with your dummy?”

Rainbow Dash smirked, her confidence returning as an idea formed in her mind.

“Well,” Rainbow Dash began. “I was thinking of going on a little run.”

“Oh? Mind if I join you?” Twilight asked.

“Of course. Though that's a little boring. How about we make it a race?” Rainbow Dash offered.

Twilight smiled. “Sounds like fun. Where are we going?”

“There's a path just over there,” Rainbow Dash replied, pointing to a spot near the edge of the training area. “I warn you though. It's a pretty tough trail.”

“I think I can handle it,” Twilight declared.

The unicorn sunk the blade into the ground and began to trot towards the start.

Rainbow Dash snickered under her breath, stopping to shed her armaments before following Twilight. Standing at the entrance of the route, Rainbow Dash noted that it was just as intimidating as the last time she had seen it. Overgrown, barely managed bushes overflowed from either side, and thorns were a common, almost constant obstacle.

She knew from experience that the path would turn suddenly, and there were more than a few fallen trees that blocked the way. It was harsh, mostly uphill, and shifted suddenly on the whims of the forest. Danger was ever-present, so much so that it was only really used by the more veteran night guard.

It was perfect.

“Ready?” Twilight asked.

“On three,” Rainbow Dash replied, crouching down and flaring her wings. “One, two, three!”

With a burst of movement, the thestral launched herself forward, tearing deep gouges into the ground. Her wings pumped three times, not quite getting her airborne, but giving her enough speed that she would easily outpace anyone. Rainbow Dash’s entire body moved in harmony, years upon years of running guiding her on a deep, instinctual level.

She almost felt a little bad for Twilight, who was likely struggling to even run with those long lanky legs. It was enough to even make Rainbow Dash a little curious, and she glanced over her shoulder. Only to be so shocked that she nearly ran into a tree.

Twilight was not in fact, a million miles away, but rather only a few feet behind Rainbow Dash. Somehow the barely coordinated unicorn she knew had been replaced by someone far different. Whoever this was, she was fast and knew how to use her wide gait to pour on the speed at an alarming rate.

Bushes were dodged, fallen trees leapt over, and obstacles avoided with a deftness even Rainbow Dash was envious of. It was so distracting that the thestral very nearly tripped over an exposed root and had to slow down slightly to compensate. Putting her neck and neck with the undead unicorn who seemed completely unfazed by the difficult terrain she was bounding over.

For the first time in awhile, Rainbow Dash had to give it everything she had, something she hadn't done in years. Heck, now that she was thinking about it, Rainbow Dash was fairly certain the last close race she had been in was when she was a foal. Ever since discovering her talent for speed, she had dominated nearly every competition she had taken part in. To be pushed this hard by someone she had underestimated was enough to make Rainbow Dash reconsider how she saw herself.

It wasn't okay that Twilight was stronger than her, but Rainbow Dash could accept that given the circumstances. The unicorn wasn't technically alive, after all, so she had the advantage in a lot of fields. But this? This was who Rainbow Dash was, being the fastest was integral to the thestral’s very self image.

Immediately the urge to cheat and fly came up, but Rainbow Dash dismissed it with no hesitation. Despite her feelings and current crises, Rainbow Dash was loyal to her friends and the trust they had in her. So she ran, even while her mind whirled with unanswered questions and enough self-doubt to make her heart hurt.

Those feelings turned from sadness to outright rage when Twilight managed to turn a corner faster than Rainbow Dash. For doing so put Twilight a good distance ahead of the thestral, who could not simply ignore the sharp sting of the poisonous bush that obscured part of the path. Rainbow Dash, unlike her friend, was still alive and could not brush aside the neurotoxin like Twilight was able to.

She's cheating! Rainbow Dash thought to herself. She can use her natural gifts while I’m stuck on the ground, unable to use the two things that could give me an edge.

That line of thinking soon spiralled out of control, and Rainbow Dash glared daggers at the backside of her friend. Twilight didn't have to worry about tiring, she didn't have to consider the many dangerous plants or even most obstacles for that matter. Her long legs allowed her to simply bound over things that were taller than Rainbow Dash was.

The anger gave Rainbow Dash increased drive, but even that wasn't enough to make up for the disparity. Twilight's lead was too great, and worse still, it just kept on growing, seemingly without end. It was enough to make Rainbow Dash want to cheat or quit, either way she wanted out of this situation as soon as possible.

As she rounded a bend and ducked under a low branch, Rainbow Dash realized something quite strange.

Namely that she would never have raced Twilight Sparkle in the first place, the other mare was, to be frank, a massive clutz. Even the balancing of her magic hadn't fully returned her natural dexterity, the pony’s mind having adapted to her poor coordination.

So challenging her like this was simply cruel and didn't make sense for Rainbow Dash to do. Not even if she wanted to embarrass the poor girl, as that was a level of mean that Rainbow Dash was unwilling to sink to.

With that realization sitting at the back of her mind, Rainbow Dash noticed that the distant sound of hooves was closer than she remembered. In fact they were right beside her, and glancing over revealed that a flustered Twilight was struggling to keep up. The unicorn had apparently forgotten that she didn't need to breathe and was huffing and puffing like she was trying to blow down a house.

Her hooves were constantly getting in the way of one another, and she nearly tripped every three seconds or so. It was like watching a newborn puppy run for the very first time, only Twilight was even more of a mess.

“Rainbow Dash, slow down!” pleaded Twilight. “I can't run as fast as you.”

“Sorry, Twilight, was distracted for a second there,” Rainbow Dash apologized, slowing her pace. “Is that better?”

“Yes, thank you,” Twilight replied. “I know helping me learn how to fight and not be a bumbling boob is a struggle, but try and have more patience please.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Of course. It's just old instincts, ya know?”

“Don't I know,” Twilight whined. “If I still had a beating heart, my fur would be a couple shades darker on account of me being one giant bruise.”

“You gotta learn quick, Twilight. I can't pull any punches,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“I suppose. I just wish we had more time,” Twilight murmured.

Rainbow Dash smiled. “Me too, Twilight.”

Pinkie Pie sighed contentedly as she settled into her chair, the slightly hard, well-worn cushion having become far more comfortable than it had any right to be. All of her aches and pains suddenly weren't quite so intense, despite just how recently she had gained them. Her muscles burned, and her body was riddled with more minor injuries, but all in all, it wasn't half bad.

Glancing out over the rest of her friends, Pinkie Pie noticed that feeling of relief in spite of their injuries was shared amongst everyone. Rainbow Dash had lost her breastplate and was sporting a shallow cut across her chest, yet wore a weak smile. Fluttershy, though not physically harmed in any way, was quite exhausted and struggled to stay awake. Rarity was haggard and had deep bags under her eyes, but her makeup remained perfect even without being reapplied. Applejack was perhaps the most beaten up and sported several missing sections of bark, still, like the others she was happy. Even Twilight looked like she had been put through the wringer, though she had only a few bumps and bruises.

The aura that hung over them was both light-hearted and slightly dour, though that second thing was dissipating with every moment. Their struggles and worries were over, all save for what they wanted to put into their empty bellies. Pinkie Pie herself had already made up her mind, but was sitting patiently and waiting for everyone else to decide.

“That sure was something, eh?” Applejack remarked. “Felt like I went three rounds with Celestia herself.”

“No kidding. Who knew an angry tree could put up such a fight?” Rainbow Dash added.

“Evergreens can be quite temperamental, you know. Especially this time of year,” Fluttershy commented.

“I thought they would enjoy summer? Who doesn't?” Rarity exclaimed.

“Apparently that spirit we exorcised,” Twilight replied. “Who would have thought he’d be able to possess a tree of all things.”

“Yeah, who knew he possessed that strength,” Pinkie Pie joked, already grinning in expectation of laughter.

Seconds ticked by without anyone even giggling at the pun, confusing Pinkie Pie somewhat. Most of her friends weren't huge fans of such quote unquote cheap humour in Rainbow Dash’s words, but both Applejack and Twilight loved those kinds of jokes. Twilight herself even stated on several occasions that she thought puns were the highest form of comedy.

Pinkie Pie gulped down the embarrassment she felt, and told herself that it simply hadn't been that funny in the first place.

“Say, did we ever find out what race that dead guy was?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Wasn't he a minotaur or something?” Applejack replied.

“He did use everyone and not everypony,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“I mean, most people do. It's really only those from outside the forest who don't,” Rarity added.

“True,” Twilight admitted. “Though I have a sneaking suspicion that he was actually from Canterlot.”

“Well, I think he was a pony. After all, he had fir!” Pinkie Pie declared, throwing up her hooves. “Get it, like the tree, and ponies have fur.”

The silence stretched on for several seconds without anyone uttering a word or even smiling.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Regardless, they are back into the cycle of rebirth, and we don't have to deal with them anymore.”

“Hey, you never know. They might turn out to be a jerk next time too,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Augh, let's hope they at least possess a different manner of plant. It's going to take weeks to get the smell of pine needles out of my mane,” Rarity griped, much to the amusement of her friends who chuckled at the arachne as she picked through her hair using magic.

“Well, at least we got to the root of the problem quickly, right girls?” Pinkie Pie paused, her smile becoming more and more fake by the second. “Right?”

Once more, the only response was silence, with only the distant clatter from the kitchen to break the quiet.

“You know what we need?” Pinkie Pie suddenly exclaimed. “Some food. I’ll go get some, and don't worry. I remember all of your favorite desserts!”

Pinkie Pie then hopped off her chair and hobbled away on three legs, trying to ignore the fact that no one said anything as she left. No requests for a drink, change on their usual orders, or a single pity chuckle for any one of Pinkie Pie’s jokes. It was enough to make the usually upbeat troll stop in the middle of the room, her smile faltering for a moment.

“They're just stressed and tired. That's all,” Pinkie Pie muttered to herself. “I mean, Rarity did almost die a few minutes ago, so they are probably just too on edge for jokes right now.”

“Good one, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed amidst a gale of giggling.

It sounded like everyone had joined in on the mirth and was eagerly laughing along to whatever humorous anecdote Twilight had shared. In fact, their laughter was so loud that Pinkie Pie briefly couldn't hear herself think. There was only the thunderous storm of joy that pounded at Pinkie Pie’s head, washing away the notions that they were simply too stressed.

When the noise died down, Pinkie Pie began to awkwardly stumble towards the counter, her gaze downcast.

“My jokes just aren't funny, that's okay,” Pinkie Pie whispered. “I know they’ve laughed at similar attempts at humour before, but things have changed now I guess.”

Pinkie Pie trotted up to the counter and gazed out over the wide array of treats hidden behind the thin barrier of glass.

“I’ll have an apple fritter, a nanaimo bar, a slice of strawberry cheesecake, a triple chocolate donut, and a chocolate eclair please,” Pinkie Pie listed off.

“Right away,” replied a voice.

Pinkie Pie didn't bother looking at the source of the affirmation and continued to stare off into space. Her gaze had settled on her reflection, though she wasn't actually looking at herself, rather she was staring off into space. Her mind whirled, and Pinkie Pie struggled to stay afloat the churning sea of questions that was now assaulting her.

Were they mad at her for some reason? Pinkie Pie couldn't remember why they would be, but the entire adventure they had just gone on was weirdly vague. She only really remembered there being a tree and some form of magic. So although possible, Pinkie Pie didn't think they were angry with her.

Which meant that they were disappointed in the troll, either that, or she just wasn't funny. Either possibility was unpleasant, and Pinkie Pie could feel her shoulders fall as her flat expression turned into a frown. Her dour mood spiralled further, but was stopped when she heard the clack of a plate being placed in front of her.

Looking up, Pinkie Pie noticed that the mystery person was nowhere to be seen, leaving behind only a small pile of treats. After a quick inspection to ensure they were all there, Pinkie Pie reached forward and bit down on the edge of the dish. There wasn't much room for her mouth so it was a bit difficult, but Pinkie Pie was determined to continue on in spite of this.

Stumbling awkwardly back towards the table on her three remaining hooves, Pinkie Pie tried to smile. A process which was unfortably difficult given the stress weighing down on her heart. In the end she managed a slightly forced grin, the troll determined to cheer her friends up after such a hard fight.

She gently placed the plate on the edge of the table and nosed it towards the middle.

“There you are, girls. Your favorite desserts!” Pinkie Pie declared.

No one reached for the treats and instead continued to talk animatedly to one another.

“You know, that entire fight really reminded me of our first adventure,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “The trek through the woods, the dead stuff, it was all eerily similar.”

“Yes,” Rarity agreed. “It was much akin to our first outing.”

“It feels like it's been years since then,” Fluttershy mused.

“No kiddin’,” Applejack added. “And despite how rocky things have been since then, I wouldn't give you girls up for the world.”

“And I wouldn't even be alive, or unalive for that matter, if it wasn't for you girls,” Twilight declared.

“You know I ain't a hugger, but this seems like a group hug type of moment,” Rainbow Dash offered.

The group all extended their limbs and joined in a wide circle, smiles adorning their happy yet worn faces. Eager to join the joyous occasion, Pinkie Pie leaned forward and tried to wrap a hoof around Applejack’s shoulder. Only to be brushed aside when Rainbow Dash beat Pinkie Pie to the punch.

“H-hey!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

The troll then tried to join on the other side of her farmer friend, but was interrupted by Twilight's hoof. By then the circle was complete, and the five females all exchanged a hearty laugh, their injuries all but forgotten. Locked out of the moment, Pinkie Pie sat on the floor and stared up at the group which had seemingly forgotten about her.

“We’ll make a hugger out of you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy teased.

Rainbow Dash brushed aside her partner’s hoof and leaned back in her chair.

“Yeah, right,” scoffed the thestral.

“Didn't you start the last group hug as well?” Applejack pressed, flashing her friend a wide smile.

“Hey, that was a hug between me and Fluttershy, you weirdos just decided to join us for some reason!” Rainbow Dash shot back.

“Actually, I think Rainbow Dash has a point,” Twilight offered.

“Finally!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Wasn't it someone else? Pink something?” Twilight wondered.

Rarity scratched her chin absently. “I’m not sure, but that sounds vaguely familiar.”

“Pinkie Pie! My name is Pinkie Pie!” shouted the troll.

“I thought it was a minotaur,” Fluttershy remarked.

“Yeah, that seems right. Pink Guy!” Applejack declared.

“That sounds correct. Weren't they like really strong or something?” Twilight inquired.

Fluttershy shrugged. “Who cares?”

“Good point,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Either way, they’re gone now.”

“Speakin’ of gone. I sure am glad we don't hafta trudge through them woods every time we go to the castle,” Applejack exclaimed.

“No kidding,” declared Rarity in an exasperated tone. “It felt like we were lost for months that time.”

“Oh, it wasn't that bad,” Fluttershy retorted.

“Yeah that was crazy, I’m glad my totems came in handy though!” Pinkie Pie yelled, sole remaining forehoof waving wildly in the air.

“It's too bad no one helped us. We could have really used a guide,” Twilight pointed out.

“Was Flutters and I not good enough for ya?” Rainbow Dash retorted.

Twilight shook her head. “That's not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?” Fluttershy prompted.

“I don't know. Like, I just wish we had someone who was more well-versed with the forest and stuff,” Twilight stated.

“Like me! I know almost everything about it!” Pinkie Pie screeched.

“Yeah, too bad we don't know anyone like that,” Rainbow Dash added.

“You do, you do know someone like that!” Pinkie Pie yelled.

The troll tried to wave her hoof in front of the thestral’s face but found that she was too far away and couldn't reach. So Pinkie Pie took a big step forward, only to end up no closer even after putting one hoof in front of the other.

“What? What's happening? Where are you going?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Noone moved to answer her, nor could they hear her, as the table was slowly sliding further and further away, leaving Pinkie Pie to scramble after it, sprinting towards the fleeing shapes of her friends. Yet no matter how hard she ran and how much she tried, the group continued to speed away from her.

“Wait, stop, please!” Pinkie Pie yelled into the ever growing darkness.

But they did not stop, nor did they slow, and in only a few seconds the group had vanished. Leaving behind a seemingly endless void whose sole inhabitant was Pinkie Pie herself. Who stumbled to a standstill, her strength fleeing her and leaving the troll slumped on what felt like the ground.

“Why did they leave me?” Pinkie Pie whispered to herself.

Tears dripped down the corners of her eyes, and her shoulders trembled. Her hair fell straight, and Pinkie Pie collapsed fully, quickly curling inwards on herself. Now in a tight fetal position, Pinkie Pie rocked back and forth while sobbing quietly.

“Why?” she muttered over and over, her mind running through an endless series of questions that all lead into one another.

They didn't want to be her friends anymore, which was totally understandable in Pinkie Pie’s mind. She hadn't really made very many friends since leaving her family in search of a purpose, only Zecora and even that was shaky. The zebra was her mentor, and though close, Pinkie Pie wasn't sure if she would call her a friend, at least not when compared to the others.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle.

When together, Pinkie Pie felt whole in a way that she had never experienced before. They made the troll feel welcome, accepted, and above all, loved. Yet they pushed her away, all seemingly because Pinkie Pie hadn't been able to help them on their first real adventure.

“I can't blame them, I guess,” Pinkie Pie murmured to herself. “I shouldn't have gone and got myself hurt like that.”

Though the sentence felt like it made sense, and that it was applicable to what she was going through, it was also off. Pinkie Pie tried to think back to those quiet moments they had shared since they had first really become friends. She imagined the conversations they had, and the experiences they had together.

“They have never been mad at me before,” Pinkie Pie paused. “Well, at least over that, anyway.”

Rolling onto her back, Pinkie Pie unfolded her three legs and stared up at the endless black veil hanging over her head.

“In fact, they thanked me more than a few times for helping them,” Pinkie Pie whispered, her voice growing louder with each word. “That's right, and since then I’ve gone on adventures that others have missed out on as well. Noone ever impugned them for not helping!”

Pinkie Pie sat back up. “None of my friends are mean enough to ignore me like that anyway. Not even when I accidentally threw up on one of Twilight's books was she that rude to me.”

“Did you say something, Pinkie Pie?” asked Twilight.

Pinkie Pie turned towards the unicorn and noticed that she was sitting beside the troll. A chocolate square hung in Twilight’s ethereal hoof, her gaze lingering on Pinkie Pie. Who glanced down to find herself seated at the table alongside the rest of her friends, all of whom were looking at the shaman.

“Nope!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed. “I’m just happy to spend time with you girls.”

“Nice job dealing with that weird curse thingy back there,” Rainbow Dash added. “You really saved our butts.”

Applejack chuckled. “The look on that big evil tree thingy’s face was just priceless.”

“It was rather amusing,” Rarity agreed. “I don't think he quite saw that coming.”

Twilight smiled at the troll. “I don't think anyone sees Pinkie Pie coming.”