My eyes refused to be blinked as I looked on at the Doctor, whose body was now letting off light that seemed like an explosion, yet not. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sweetie Belle looking on, not comprehending what was occurring. I heard steps and Babs ran up, saying “Apple Bloom we...” She noticed the Doctor, “won.” After that, a last burst of light occurred, and where the Doctor had been lying a moment ago, a gray earth stallion now laid.

“What?” I heard Ditzy say, but almost as if to respond, the stallion got up, and started rambling.

“Oh come on, still not ginger!” The stallion said, almost oblivious to anypony else’s presence. “Gray, that’s new.” He said, looking at his hooves.

“Um... You alright?” I asked, a little worried.

“Oh I’m just great! Not ginger though, that’s a ripoff if I ever saw one.” The stallion said, continuing rambling on.

“Right, let’s just go and see how everypony else is doing.” I said, and I led the stallion along with the rest of us back to the main group, which looked like they had been through the hay. Everypony else looked a bit oddly at the stallion, and Phalanx asked something.

“Who’s that?” He asked, curiosity prevalent in his voice.

“I’m the Doctor, don’t you remember?” The stallion said, seemingly surprised. The stallion’s eyes turned over to the gray pony with the bowtie from earlier, and he asked a question. “Can I use your bowtie?” He asked, and everypony just looked on.

“Uh, I guess.” The pony gave him the bowtie and he put it on. He then noticed the stares.

“Oh come on, haven’t you ever seen a bowtie before?” He asked incredulously.

“No, you just look kind of...” Ditzy said, probably searching for words.

“Fantastic?” The stallion asked, eager to finish her sentence.

“Sure.” Ditzy replied.

“Great! Then it’s official!” He said, turning back to look at everypony else. “I wear a bowtie now. Bowties are cool!”

“Okay then,” Rainbow Dash said slowly, “Let’s just pretend that this did not just happen.” Everypony else seemed to agree, and decided not to mention the bowtie. I noticed there was a dragon watching the whole exchange as well.

“I think we need to start thinking about how we’re going to get into Canterlot.” Babs said, trying to change the conversation.

“Ah agree.” I said, and Babs nodded.

“If I could borrow a changeling, along with Shining Armor, and Phalanx Spear, I would like to get some strategizing going.” Babs said, and Cocoon stepped forward, along with the others. As everypony got off to start repairing things, and the like, I thought of what Sombra had said. What did he mean by that? I mean, one part of me said that he was just trying to confuse me, but another part knew that he was telling the truth.

“Something on your mind?” Scootaloo asked me, and I decided to reply.

“When Sombra was there, he talked to me for a moment.” I explained to her and Sweetie, “He seemed, different, like he wasn’t evil. He told me that Ah should watch out for the ones who Ah think are mah friends.”

“Well, considering the fact he probably wanted to kill you, and he stopped to say that, he might have been telling the truth, but right now I think we need to get some rest. We’ve been getting ready to be attack for a while, and then did.” Sweetie Belle said, and we decided to follow her suggestion. I laid my head down, but for once, something good awaited me.

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        I was in a forest, on a dirt path. It seemed to be a bright day, and I could hear the animals in the distance. I followed the point up to a familiar hut, and I recognized it as Zecora’s. As I walked up to it, the door opened, and standing there was the zebra herself. “Ah, do my eyes not betray me? Come in, Apple Bloom, you have much to see.” Zecora said, gesturing for me to come in. I knew this was a dream, but I decided to let things take their course, it was the only solace I had in awhile. “Apple Bloom, you need not be so quiet. What you believe is a dream, is quite the opposite.” She said, and I stopped.

“What?” I asked, not believing this wasn’t a dream.

“Apple Bloom, sometimes what believe is a dream, is nothing but a different reality.” Zecora said.

I decided to humor the dream Zecora, and asked her a question. “Zecora, what do Ah do?”

“What do you mean, little Apple Bloom? Everything shall be done quite soon.” She replied.

I sighed, and explained myself. “There’s Phalanx, who Ah don’ know ‘bout. Then on top of that, Rabil knows Ah can see him at times, he knows about us. And Ah’m not sure we’re even gonna be able to get into Canterlot!” I noticed my vision getting the slightest bit blurry.

“Now, now, little Apple Bloom, the answer is simpler than soup.” Zecora said, and I didn’t know what to think of the soup part. “Trust me here, you must realize your own thoughts about the guard Phalanx Spear.”

“Why is he so darn important!” I asked, demanding to know why everypony kept on saying that about him.

“You shall see in due time, little Apple Bloom. But for now, I must bid you goodbye.” She said, and in the distance I heard a voice shouting.

“Wake up!” I heard the voice shout. I turned to look at Zecora, and asked her something.

“Are ya real? Ah mean, this is a dream.” I asked, and she smiled.

“Of course, little Apple Bloom. That does not mean it is far from the truth.” She said.

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        “You are such a sleeper, Apple Bloom.” I heard Scootaloo say as I opened my eyes.

I turned to look at her, and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.” I apologized.

“Thought you might wanna come have a look at the plan we’ve come up with.” I heard Babs say, as she stood near us.

“Of course.” I said, and I followed her into a room where a map had been laid out, and Phalanx seemed deep in thought. Shining Armor and Cocoon nodded to us as we walked in.

“Basically, from what we understand from what some of the changelings have gathered, we’re going to have a hard time getting into Canterlot.” Babs said, pointing towards where Canterlot was marked. “It’s been heavily fortified, and ever since they learned the changelings and dragons were with us, they’ve doubled that fortification, and made sure to have counter-espionage.”

“Counter what?” Scootaloo asked, and I was thinking the same thing.

“Counter-espionage, measures to prevent spies from infiltrating.” Phalanx spoke up, not taking his eyes off the map.

“The best approach appears to be the most direct, the path through Canterlot’s main gates.” Babs said, and I frowned.

“That’s dangerous, can’t we go over the mountains or somethin’?” I asked, and Phalanx seemed to realize we were there, looking up at us.

“If we were to, we could not all make it, and second of all, they may be guarded as well. This way, we have a full attack force from the start.” Babs said, and I realized one other problem.

“What about Manehattan?” I asked, and she seemed to be expecting the question.

“Everypony’s helping us out, right now, if we don’t do this, we’re going to be living on borrowed time.” Babs said.

“Fine, then we oughta get movin’, Rabil certainly ain’t sittin’ around.” I said, and Babs nodded.

A few hours later, a few hundred ponies had surprisingly gotten everything together, and were ready to go. Not including the hundreds of dragons, and the hordes of changelings. The Doctor still seemed to be acting abnormal. When I had run into him, Ditzy, and Dinky, he was wearing a bow tie and top hat.

“It’s a top hat, not the best I’ll give you that.” He had said, “Still, it would’ve been nicer to have the fez, fezzes are cool.”

“Just trust me on this one, Doctor.” Ditzy had said, barely containing a smile.

“What about the TARDIS?” I asked, and he responded relatively quickly.

“I locked it up, we can’t fit everypony in there, and if anypony does find it, they won’t be able to get in.” He had replied.

Back to leaving, my original group started moving first, we were moving through a forest, following a dirt path, and I noticed that the group was a bit smaller than the last time I had seen them. There were now, including Phalanx and Shining Armor, seven guards left, the battle must have taken too many lives. “Apple Bloom, listen.” I heard my father say, and I turned around to look at him. “I... I really don’t know what to say about Phalanx.” He sighed a bit, “But you know what, in the end, it’s your opinion that counts, nopony else should try to make the call for you.” The thing was, is that I was still conflicted, on one hand, I had a near impossible task to complete, while on the other, there was something important about him. Both to me, and to some others.

In the corner of my eye I saw something purplish zoom by, and I asked Scootaloo, “Did you see that?”

“See what?” She asked, obviously not seeing it.

“Well, I think we ought to take a breather for a few minutes.” Phalanx said, pointing towards a clearing. We decided to, and as I took a step in, the purple shape from before landed on top of me, and I barely dodged a blade. It was Prince Blueblood, but he looked different. His skin seemed to be pulled over the skeleton, and its coloring was a blackish-blue. The thing growled in my face and as it took its blade out to try and kill me once again, I started to lift my legs to get him off, but Phalanx beat me to the chase. He tackled the former Prince over, and I rolled over, ready to help Phalanx.

Phalanx tried to swipe the blade out of Blueblood’s grip, but the Prince smashed one of Phalanx’s forelegs into the ground. The blade went down, but Phalanx brought himself up, bringing Blueblood to the ground. I started to run to help, but I felt hooves stopping me. “No! He’ll kill you!” I heard Shining Armor said. I knew he was right, but I couldn’t just stand and watch. As Phalanx tried to bring a hoof into the Prince’s face, a blade appeared through Phalanx’s chest. I escaped the grip of Shining Armor and hit the Prince’s neck with as much force as I could. I heard an audible snap, and he fell over, lying still.

“Phalanx, are ya okay?” I asked, for some odd reason dreading the answer.

“Apple Bloom, you need to go...” He groaned. “Just leave me here.”

“Sweetie Belle can heal you!” I protested, refusing to leave him here, and my vision was getting blurry, something I didn’t know .

“I can’t,  Apple Bloom, it seems like that blade isn’t letting anything work.” Sweetie Belle said.

“Then Ah’ll -” I said, but he cut me off.

“Just go... If Blueblood’s dead, Rabil will know...” He said, through labored breath. I knew better than to take the blade out, I knew from a time when I had tried to get my Cutie Mark in medical stuff, that worked out well. But that didn’t matter.

“Why did ya save me?” I asked, wondering why anypony would sacrifice themselves for me. I was just a, I didn’t even know a word to describe it.

“Well, I know you have to stop Rabil... But I couldn’t let you die... I love you...” He said that, and with that, he ceased to move. I definitely was in tears now, and I whispered something that I didn’t really know I was going to say.

“Ah think Ah do too.” I whispered. Then, something moved and I snapped my head up. Everypony else was just watching me, and I could tell at least Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, who probably would deny it, were trying to hold back tears. Another branch snapped, and this time I knew it was from the opposite end of the clearing. I looked there, and a shape started forming.

“Very, very good work, if do say so myself, Apple Bloom.” A familiar voice said. “Although it is disappointing you weren’t able to help the one who loves you so very, very much.” It mocked the words it said, and Rabil himself formed.

I saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle try to get next to me, but they were knocked back by a shield of sorts. “What do ya want?” I demanded, and Rabil seemed amused.

“Oh it is nothing really, Apple Bloom. I am just here to warn you of the path you are taking, it may lead for others to have a, similar, fate, as your dear Phalanx here.” He said, with cheerfulness dripping from his voice.

“No wonder yer sister never trusted ya.” I said, and he instantly changed his demeanor.

“HOW DARE YOU MENTION THAT DECEITFUL, STUCK-UP, EXCUSE FOR A BEING!” He shouted in rage, and I smiled. Now he was the one being taunted, and unlike me, he was reacting to it.

“Why? Too afraid that ya might have been wrong about yer dear sister?” I asked, with a smug grin on my face, “That she might have actually cared about ya?”

His face contorted into what appeared to be similar to a feral animal’s snarl, and he replied venomously. “I was never wrong about my sister. She never let me help, she didn’t care about me. And unlike you, Apple Bloom, I can see through the smokescreen of lies.” With that he melted back into the ground, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle dashed in.

“You okay Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle asked, and I turned to look once again at Phalanx, and I shut his eyes.

“Come on, help me bury him. He deserves tuh rest in peace.” I said, gesturing to Phalanx, and once again my vision became blurry. “Ah’m sorry, Phalanx.”