He still hated waking up. Today was no exception. Only today, Stranger didn't have the comfort of waking up inside his own home. 'Where the hell am I? Oh right.' He pushed a blanket off of himself, and brought himself sitting upright. Scanning the room, he was lying on the floor. Suddenly, he really missed his mattress. Lying next to him was the sleeping form of Sweets, soundly snoozing, the rising and falling of her body giving off a facade of innocence.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to just get out of there. So he pulled himself to his hooves, and began slowly stepping towards the door, trying to keep his hoofsteps as light as possible. This wasn't helped, however, by the floorboards creaking horrendously loud. He cursed himself with each step, constantly glancing back behind him, certain that the mare had woken up. With each glance back, however, he found her to still be lying where she had been the moment before.

Nearing the door, he softly pushed it open, with the door making a horrible screeching sound as he continued pushing, cringing with each passing second that the sound lingered. Once the opening in the door was wide enough, Stranger took one last glance back to Sweets. How she was still sleeping through all that, he would never understand. Walking through the house though, he felt a pang of guilt for the mare.

Her home was almost completely bare. It brought up the question as to what she could be spending her bits on, but he certainly wasn't about to go ask her. Stranger would have felt a little more sympathetic towards Sweets, but the niggling thought of how she chose to live her life gave him a feeling of justification for never offering her any help. Not that it mattered much either way; Sweets, like every other pony, followed Bandit Law. 'You look after you, and I'll look after me.'

Pushing open the front door and stepping out into the sunlight once again, Stranger's eyes recoiled at the intense light. His eyes certainly hadn't adjusted to the morning just yet. Looking out to the horizon, he saw what was once his house atop a far off hill, now just a dark pile of charcoal, seemingly mocking him with a small trail of smoke lingering upwards into the air. He wasn't sure what it was that compelled him to, but he found himself dragging his hooves through the dirt towards the black smear on the landscape he used to call home.

It was a long walk, which gave Stranger time to let his mind wander. Thinking about it, he couldn't stand spending another night around that foul temptress. He needed to change his living arrangements, and soon. All that could wait, though. What was important at the moment was his destination. Why it was important, he hadn't a clue. As far as he could rationalize it, he was just looking for closure.

Stranger bought the house when he first moved into town. Those weren't the happiest of times for him. He hadn't wanted to come to town on his own either, but good fortune never did shine down upon him. That day was truly a blur to him. All those years ago, he and his family trekking up and down the mountains, through the deserts, just trying to get away. Then a sandstorm engulfed them, bandits attacking, and...

Stranger shook the memory from his mind. It wouldn't do him any good to get caught up in his past right now. He needed to stay focused on what he needed to do right now. 'Speaking of right now...' He stood atop the hill, staring down at the charred remains of wood at his feet. Looking around the piles of ash, he noticed it to be devoid of a few things. Things that shouldn't- couldn't have burned away.

'Bandits', he thought to nopony in particular. His house was always a target from the thieving bastards. Not that it felt very important to him anymore. He had no use for belongings without a home to keep them in; It would have just made him an easier target. In a way, the house burning was a bit of a relief. It was a burden he was no longer responsible for. Sure, it had brought resulted in a slew of new problems, but Stranger found a moment of content in the thought. Then, something caught his eye.

A piece of paper, flapping in the breeze, held in its place in the dirt by a small rock. His curiosity getting the better of him, Stranger grabbed the paper and read it. Then, he read it again. And again, and again, and again. He was in shock; The moment that he had been both fearing and hoping for had presented itself to him. He began galloping back towards Coolidge Springs. He had a lot to do, and only so much time to do it.

---

My Old Friend,

It really has been too long since we've seen one another, hasn't it? It's almost as though you are trying to hide from me. You didn't think I gave up, didn't you? I think we both know that was never going to happen. I have spent too much time and lost too much trying to chase you down. I must commend you though, you have eluded me for nearly half a decade in this backwater town. But, all things must come to an end, no? The only question now, is how you would like this to end. I have something you want, and you have something I want. I am quiet tired of playing this little game of cat and mouse, and I am willing to strike a deal with you. One week from today, we will meet. You know where I'll be. Come alone and unarmed. You will bring it to me, do you understand? Or I will kill her.

~Helio

---

Gathering supplies was the first thing on his check list. Frosty was kind enough to give him some food and water for his trip, and Blindside lent him one of his hunting knives. The letter stated to come unarmed, but he wasn't about to walk into anything completely blind and unable to defend himself. Stranger was all set to head out, except for one minor detail in his way; A town full of angry ponies.

"Get out of the way, all of you. I'm going, and that is that." He spoke in a cold tone, his golden eyes glaring at each pony that stood before him.

"What are we supposed to do then!" One shouted.

"We're gonna be defenseless!" Shouted another.

Blindside was the one who decided to speak up against the crowd. "Look at you all! What happened to the town I grew up in as a little colt? This community used to be filled with respectable mares and stallions. We stood our own against beasts and nature alike. But look at you all, too afraid to protect yourself. Have some pride!" Stranger shot a glance at the old earth pony, and gave him a soft smile, before walking past a crowd of ponies, their heads hanging low to the ground as Blindside's head would turn in their direction.

'Seven days. I can't believe it. After all this time, it'll all be over in just a week. I can't believe I'm going to see my family again.' Stranger looked out towards the sunset. Out on the horizon, were the shape of a series of mountains, one of which, only a tiny speck he could barely make out, towered above the others. 'There it is. I just had to choose the tallest mountain, didn't I?' He chuckled to himself.

The passing hours become completely interchangeable; Stranger would walk, occasionally stopping briefly for a drink or a quick bite. The only thing that changed was his energy, mixed with the odd snake or coyote encounter. It was the first day of many, and it was exhausting to say the least. After walking for what seemed like an eternity, he tilted his head towards the skyline. The sun had long ago set, and the moon held its place high in the sky, illuminating the night.

Stranger suddenly became aware of his legs wobbling with each step as he trudged through the desert. He was tired, alright. Physically at least. His mind was still buzzing with thoughts. He was excited and terrified and excited at the same time. He wasn't going to be able to sleep, but that worked out in his favour. He could keep an eye on his surrounding while he regained a bit of strength. He walked over to a nearby rock face and slumped onto his haunches. The night wind was the only sound that could be heard for miles, leaving Stranger alone with his thoughts. 'Celestia, keep them safe for me.'

---

"Daddy, where are we going?" He looked over his shoulder to see Daffodil staring up at him, a look of worry and confusion on her young face.

"Don't worry pumpkin, we're almost there." He looked over to his wife, who's expression mirrored her daughter's own. The trio had been wandering through the desert for hours, and he was getting worried. He could see a sandstorm was coming in from the east, and they would be trapped in it before long.

"But Daddy, i'm tired. Can we please stop?" Her voice was pleading, begging him to give her aching hooves a rest.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Here. Hop up on my back and you can rest for a bit, okay? I'll let you know when we get there." He lowered his body to the ground, and felt the additional weight of a little filly now resting upon his back. "There. Is that better?" Daffodil rested her head on the back of his. He could feel the rising and falling of her chest on his back as she rested.

"Thanks, Daddy." She said, in a voice barely above a whisper.

The hours passed by, with not a word said between any of them. That was, until he noticed the sandstorm that seemed such a comfortable distance away not too long ago, was now closing in on them. He had no choice but to wake up his daughter, and together they began to gallop towards the shape of a small town on the horizon. But before long, bad turned to worse.

They were engulfed by the sandstorm. The sound of shouting and the hooves could be heard all around him. With all the sand whipping around made it impossible to do anything but look around, bleary eyed from the pain. He could make out one thing, though. Ponies. Dozens of them, their shapes moving around through the cover of the storm. Then he saw it. One of them grabbed his daughter. Another, grabbed his beloved. Despite the pain of sand tearing into his vision, he trudged through the fog of sand. A single sound caught his attention.

"Daddy!" The shrill cry told him exactly where his daughter was. He pushed as hard as he could through the storm, closing his eyes as he charged. Then he hit something. Looking up, he could quite clearly see a shape. A pony, larger than any he had seen before. It had a pair of magnificent wings and- A horn? Before he could inspect further, a blinding orange light enveloped the shadowy figure.

He was alone. Everypony else was gone. He got to his hooves, and looked around, calling out for any sign of his family.

There was nopony anywhere.

He was all alone.

---

Stranger's eyes shot open. His breaths were heavy, and he was coughing heavily from sand in his throat that was never there. The sun was shining brightly in the morning sky, beating down upon his coat- or rather, his cloak. He stood to his hooves, a powerful sense of renewed strength in him. Looking off towards the mountain peak that was his destination, he set out with a single thought in his mind.

'I'm coming for you. Both of you. I promise I'll get you home safe.'