Applejack and the others marched behind Twilight, Alejandra and Tala. It was a sight to see. Although the griffon's newness to her body was obvious to see in Ponyville, it was a completely different matter in the Everfree.

She didn't fly, but she had the predator's prowl to a science, and she wasn't the only one. Twilight's movements were not those of previous care-free (or even stressful visits). Gone were the wide-eyes, slightly fearful looks of before… now replaced with a wary air of anticipation.

Among the trees and underbrush, black vines slithered, but did not attack. But even this small reprieve didn't do much to encourage the group.

"I can't believe Twilight is doing this," Fluttershy whispered.

"How so, darling?" Rarity asked, voice also low. "It seems natural that after some training to fight… what we saw… well, that she'd act differently in situations like these."

"I know." Fluttershy sighed. "But I'm now more worried about what state she's in… right now were hunting these vines and the Tree of Harmony but… what will happen after that?"

Applejack glanced over at her. "What do you mean? Ah don't get it. She just wants to get this done with, and Ah sure don't blame her."

"Yes," Fluttershy said, "but what happens when there is no fight to fight?"

"Then we take her home," Rainbow Dash said firmly. She glanced at the others. "Twilight is not the first soldier to go home. So when this is over, we make sure she feels welcome and we make sure that she knows that we're there to talk to her."

"And I have just the perfect cupcakes for that!" Pinkie added with a grin.

The group stopped when they reached the edge of a bubbling lake, eyeing it doubtfully.

"Well that's not ominous," Alejandra said leaning down to watch a bubble inflate and pop. "Are we sure the gases aren't toxic?"

"We've been here before, they aren't," Twilight replied, studying the area. "I guess we have to cross… we can use the rocks on the surface to do that," she added, jumping on top of them.

Immediately the supposed 'rocks' shook and Twilight jumped back, as a huge alligator-like creature emerged from the water, roaring at them.

"A cragadile!" Rarity screeched, "run!"

The group scattered, but the reptile had already chosen its victims, chasing after Twilight and Spike, who found themselves against a tree.

"What do we do now?!" Spike gasped.

"Stand behind me," Twilight ordered.

A shot echoed in the forest, and the cragadile roared as its side was suddenly showered in blood.

"No!" Fluttershy's voice followed. "It's an innocent creature!"

"Get out of the way!" Alejandra shouted. "It's about to eat our friend!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. Her horn flashed, and the cragadile was suddenly catapulted over the forest with a surprised, and very un-cragadile-like squawk. Besides her, Spike blinked when he heard a distant splash.

Behind the area where the huge beast had been, Fluttershy was hovering, forelegs open right in front of Alejandra, who was holstering her gun and glaring at the pegasus.

"What the funk were you flamboyantly thinking, you flaggegasting piece of furniture stamp! I could have shot your furnacing face off! Of all the frakking scattering things to do, that's high up there with eating a lit dynamite stick!"

"Alejandra, calm down," Twilight ordered.

"Foam you, Twilight! She jumped right in front of my gun! If I hadn't been paying attention, your friend would be dead!"

Fluttershy had paled at that, but she didn't back down. She landed and glared at Alejandra. "And what gives you the right to decide who lives and dies? We entered its territory! Twilight stepped on its tail! It doesn't deserve to die for that!"

Alejandra seemed surprised by the intensity of Fluttershy's argument, but rather than backing down, she leaned forth, snarling angrily. "So what? We just let it eat Twilight? I can see how your fanning logic works. We save the dangerous, instinct-driven creature and lose our friend, who happens to be one of two remaining princesses in this fudgelike world!"

"Fudgelike?" Pinkie asked. "Oooh! I like fudge!"

Fluttershy's eyes had gone wide and she stammered, but shook her head stubbornly. "This… this is Equestria! It's not your world! We don't go around killing for pleasure! We don't enjoy watching innocents die!"

Alejandra's claws dug trenches in the soft ground. Her feathers and fur bristled, and the others noticed worriedly that both Twilight and Tala flanked Fluttershy, facing Alejandra, who had gone deadly quiet. The griffon had closed her eyes, and was shaking, a deep, low belly-growl slowly escaping her beak.

With slow motions she turned and walked past the others, reaching the edge of the lake, and jumping across with a leonine leap, aided by open wings. She didn't stop.

Fluttershy sighed.

"You have no idea, how close you were to death," Tala said softly.

"I knew she could kill me when I flew in front of her weapon," Fluttershy retorted.

"No." Tala flew closer and landed on Fluttershy's nose. "She wouldn't have shot you. She might be just a Squaddie, but I heard that she was trained by one of the best gunfighters in XCOM. I don't mean then. I meant when you opened your mouth and said what you last said."

"Tala…" Twilight said, "Please catch up to Alejandra. I trust, of anyone here, you can talk her down from doing something sensational."

"What's wrong with sensational?" Rarity asked.

Twilight blinked. "No, I meant… stupendous. Superfluous. Skeptical..." she sighed. "Spam. The sounding spell is affecting my friendly speech." She glared at Tala. "You know what I mean. Go stop her before she does something we might all regret."

"I'll go with you," Rainbow Dash said suddenly, surprising the others. "I…" she trailed off looking down at Fluttershy and sighing while shaking her head. "I don't want to be part of this conversation."

Tala nodded and flew off, Rainbow in tow, while Twilight turned to face Fluttershy, who was smiling at her. "Aww, it's nice that Rain—"

"Stop it." Twilight took a deep breath and opened her mouth to say something, then she seemed to think about it, and closed it. After two more attempts, she slowly released a breath. "Fluttershy… I love you as much as I love everypony else here. I'm happy to be back here and to be surrounded by all of you. But what you just said was beyond cruel."

Fluttershy's hoof went to cover her mouth and her eyes widened, just as Applejack spoke up. "Now, hold on, Twilight… Ah understand defending your friend, but, she was—"

"Doing what she was trained to do," Twilight interrupted. She shook her head and her ears folded back. "I-I know it's hard. That I'm different… that I have friends who are nothing like who we know here. But they're not monsters without remorse, and neither am I."

"We never said you were, darling," Rarity said, "And we… understand that it's hard, with the combat and the bloody battles, but you have to see that your friend was about to kill that cragadile."

"I know, and that is why you girls don't get it," Twilight replied, "even if we know that there's other ways, and ignoring the fact that you can't just… dismiss your training without knowing these alternatives… we're soldiers… she more than I.

"Before she joined XCOM, she was a guerrilla fighter… monsters that you don't know will kill you if you don't kill them first. It's not malice, in her case it's years of ingrained survival instinct." Twilight reached up and brushed Fluttershy's mane carefully. "I know that you don't want the cragadile hurt. Neither do I.

"Neither would she, if it wasn't attacking. When the threat is gone, there is no reason for her to fight, but Fluttershy… what made you think it was okay to accuse her of enjoying killing and watching others die?"

"I…" Fluttershy let the sentence die, eyes watering at the frustration and hurt she felt. "I just couldn't let her kill him, Twilight."

"Of course not," Twilight said, smiling a little, "You're you. I wouldn't expect any less. But what I do expect from now on, is just to remember that Alejandra doesn't know your ways. She doesn't know that you can communicate with most animals… and more importantly, remember that her mission is to protect me… she won't take risks without knowing that there are other solutions."

Fluttershy looked down. "Okay. I'm sorry, Twilight, I didn't intend to hurt her."

Twilight took a deep breath. "With how different our worlds are, I'm surprised it took this long… and Fluttershy?" she added, "What you did? Jumping in front of her gun? That was very brave… but if she had shot, you wouldn't be here… please, next time don't do that?"

Fluttershy nodded, just as Applejack stepped forth. "Twilight, Ah understand the point you're tryin' to make, but don't you think maybe with the danger you were in, it might be better for you to wait this one out? After all, this time the cragadile was controlled but—"

Twilight interrupted her by raising her hoof. "First, no. And second, what exactly did you do to protect me this time around?"

"Ah was about t—"

"More to the point," Twilight observed, "I took care of the giant lizard. I know where you're coming from, Applejack, but I'm not the same Twilight Sparkle that flinched when throwing a hoofball."

Applejack considered her for a moment, before chuckling. "Ah guess you're not, after all. But you understand why Ah say that, right, Twilight?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, but remember what I said earlier: The reason we've been able to achieve all we have, is because we've worked together, and because of our bonds and friendship. If Equestria is to be saved… then we're doing it together."

"Well, I for one need a massage," Rarity said walking past them, "and that will not happen here."

"Oooh! I wonder if the Tree of Harmony plays music?" Pinkie asked, hopping after the unicorn.

Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy looked at each other and giggled, turning around to follow after the others.

Things were different, but their friendship was still as strong as ever.