You thrash about in your… where are you? You feel around, finding nothing but wood. If there’s one thing you do know it’s that you’re moving. You must be on a wagon of some kind. Another shake wakes you fully as you try to sit up. ”Stay down, we ain’t outta the woods yet.”
“Applejack, why-?”
”Just quiet down and be still.”
You can’t be still. “Where’s Rarity? What happened to her? Wh-“
”She’s fine sugarcube. I’ll explain later.”
That’s no good. You need to see for yourself. Your chest throbs painfully, keeping you on your back. You feel yourself slipping back. “You better…” You fall unconscious again, the rocky wagon easing you down. She better…
~~~
You open your eyes again to darkness. Sitting up awakens the dwelling wounds on you. You groan feeling around in the hay. A barn. Where the fuck is there a barn in Ponyville? You massage your wrist, thankfully unbroken after the encounter. Your jaw is sore as all hell, but you’ll be talking just fine. Poking yourself in the stomach feels like you’re being stabbed. Not a good sign.
The barn door creaks open, light pouring in from the gap. You hold out your hand to block the blinding light. ”You ‘wake there?”
“As much as I’ll ever be.”
You recognize the voice as Applejack, the mare coming over to you. ”How ya feeling?”
“Like a group of thugs beat the shit out of me.”
”Understandable. Here,” she pulls at your waist, “Put your arm around me.”
“No funny business?”
”Not today.” You comply with her, grasping her side. She starts dragging you along, your jeans grinding against the floor. She peaks outside the barn before continuing. ”Have to make sure we’re not being watched. Dangerous times for you.”
“I was built for danger.”
”You’re still being rebuilt. We need to take some precautions.”
“Where are we going?”
”The house. Someone wants to talk to you.” You enter the house, Applejack setting you up on a chair. ”I’ll get her real quick.” She moves to the door, a pink blob jetting out from it. Oh lordy. She wraps her hooves around you before you can react. You smile, forcing down the pain. ”I’ll leave you two alone for a minute.”
“Thanks AJ,” you wheeze. She shuts the door, leaving the two of you alone.
Her hair deflates as it clicks closed. ”Are you alright?”
You rest your head on her shoulder. “As good as you can expect.”
She notices your pain, releasing her grip. ”I didn’t see-“
“Don’t worry about it. It was worth it.”
She looks down at the floor. ”I was so worried about you…”
“It’s fine. I’m safe.” No, not the tears. “Pinkie…”
”I’m sorry it’s just-“
You grab her and pin her against you, ignoring the pain. “Do you feel that beat Pinkie?” She nods. You wrap your chin around her neck. “As long as yours still beats, so will mine.” A wet dribble rolls down your neck. “You have my word on that.” She pulls you tighter. Damn she smells good. “Baking recently?”
”Just the usual stuff. It gets lonely by myself.”
“I’ll make sure to drop by.” Something’s off, you can feel it. “You’re not the only one who came to see me are you?”
”Yeah, Twilight’s in the other room.”
“Alright,” you pull away from her, “Can you get her for me?”
She nods, backing out through the door. Twilight pokes her head out, “Anon.”
“Come on in, bring the others.” The three of them pile into the room, Pinkie returning to her bouncy self. She may fool them, but not you. They look at you expectantly, waiting for you to start. “What happened last night?” They turn to Applejack. “You were there?”
”I was. I stumbled upon that alley you were in on my way out of town.”
“And what did you see?”
”I saw you lying on the floor, three stallions knocked out around you.”
“And?”
”The uh- Mysterious Mare Do Well was there too. She told me to get you out of town.” Your mind is still a little full of fuck right now.
“The Mysterious who?
”Mare Do Well,” Twilight explains, “She’s a local hero of sorts.” Yeah, the hero who knocked you off a mountain.
“What happened next?”
“Well I loaded you onto my wagon and pulled you home. The last thing I saw was Rarity and the Mare leaving through the front. That’s all I know.”
You rub your jaw as Applejack finishes her story. Well that answer’s one question, but you still have another. “Then where am I?”
”Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Not in Ponyville?”
”Far from it.”
That’s no good. “I’m going back.”
Pinkie jumps right out of her seat, “No you are not!”
“I won’t run from them. It’s not in my nature.”
”You were lucky to escape alive once, Filthy Rich won’t slip up again,” Twilight says.
That name. “You know he did this?”
”The whole town does. That’s why you aren’t safe there.”
“They’ll just turn me in?”
”Filthy Rich has money and power. A dangerous combination.”
“He proved that alright.” That bastard can just flaunt himself in public and there isn’t a thing you can do about it. Laugh it off. Once you get better, you’ll take him down. You always win in the end.
”It’d be best if you stay here with Applejack. She’s out of the way and it’ll be a while before they find you.”
“Don’t have much of a choice now do I?”
”Just stay safe. That’s the only thing you need to worry about right now.”
“I promise.”
”Pinkie promise?”
You smile, raising your hand. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
”I’ll get your stuff from Rarity’s when I can. They’re watching all of us.”
All of them? “Then why am I safe here? You could’ve led them straight to me.”
”We already thought about that trust me. I teleported my way here, and Pinkie… well she Pinkied her somehow.” You get that, there’s no escaping her.
“And what about Applejack? They’ll be nosing around here as well.”
“Don’t look so concerned sugarcube. I made my feelings about you rather clear, they won’t suspect me for a while.” They took every possible precaution to get you here. They’re the closest thing you’ve had to friends.
“Thanks girls. You really pulled me out of the fire here.”
”No problem, but it’d best if we got going.”
“Keeping up appearances and so forth, I get it.” Twilight disappears in a flash of light, Applejack stepping outside. “Pinkie.”
”I need to go as well, don’t I?”
“Yeah. I wish you could stay.”
”Just tell me you’ll be safe here.”
“Will that make you feel better?” She nods. “I’ll be safer than Angel is at Fluttershy’s.”
”Good enough for me.” She hugs you again. ”Until next time.”
And just like that, she’s gone. “Until next time.”
Applejack struts in, dropping a parcel at your feet. ”Get up and get going. You stay here, you work here.”
“But- I can’t walk.”
”What do you think those are for?” You unwrap the package, pulling out a pair of crutches. ”Twilight thought you could use ‘em now. Though I don’t know how.”
“I can take a guess.” You place the crutches beneath your armpits and hoist yourself up. You find a stable position and put more and more weight on your legs. Finally, after some scouring you find the correct ratio. “Where to first?”
”Try and keep up.” You swing yourself after her. By now your eyes have finally adjusted to the light allowing you to view your surroundings. You’re definitely not in Ponyville anymore. The barn and house sit in a vacant lot, surrounded by an orchard that expands for god knows how long. You struggle to stay behind her. Getting used to using crutches is harder than it sounds. You head through the trees, deeper into the orchard.
You come across a series of buckets, apples packed inside. ”You ever bucked an apple tree before pretty boy?” Poking fun at your bruises, classy.
“Can’t say that I have.”
”Well there ain’t much to it.” She back up to the tree. ”Put your weight in the hips, get on them forehooves and- WHACK!” Apples pour down from the tree tops filling the buckets. ”That’s all there is to it.”
“Well that’s nice to know.”
”Try it,” is this mare serious?
“I can’t move my legs.”
”Afraid you can’t do it?”
“More like worried that I’ll break something.”
She rolls her eyes and moves onto the next tree. ”Then you get to carry the buckets.” Joy to the world. She puts a rope around your waist, tying the other end to the buckets. You manage to move them with enough force, following Applejack. ”Come on, we’re burning daylight.” That’s what you were hoping to do.
~~~
The sun sets in Equestria, signaling the end to a hard day’s work. You collapse onto your bed, sweat pouring down your face. ”Dinner’s in five, look presentable.” Your chest is on fire, your arms are shaking and you’re fairly certain you’ve contracted malaria. Dinner sounds damn tasty at this point. You weakly go and shower off, the stench of sweat still strong on you. They don’t have any bathing creams or shampoos like the others did. But they have to make do with what they have, can’t blame them for living.
Slipping back into your sweaty clothes leaves you feeling grimy and nasty. You find the Apple’s sitting around the table waiting for you. “Took your sweet time now didn’t you.”
“Apologies I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
The filly at the end of the table stares at you. ”What are you?”
“Just a man trying to get better.”
”Works for me.” That was easy enough.
A familiar stallion walks through the door, bumping a platter on the table. ”Anon.”
“Big Mac.”
The elderly lady licks her chops, “Dig in everypony.” Roasted greens and apple slices are thrown about the room in a hurry. Applejack chews nonchalantly on half a turnip.
”That there’s Granny Smith and Applebloom. You already met Big Mac.”
“Indeed I have.”
”You waiting for an engraved invitation?”
“Excuse me?”
”Dig in for Celestia’s sake.”
“I think I’ll wait until things aren’t quite as… chaotic.”
She gulps down her bite, going in for another one. ”Suit yourself, but there may not be any left by then.”
“I’ll take my chances.” And boy was that a mistake. Not fifteen minutes later and they were licking the scraps off the floorboard. Not literally, but damn did they clean off that platter.
”Told ya to dig in.” The old lady chuckles, and you join along with her.
“I’ll take your word from now on.”
Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom begin cleaning up the mess. ”Come on in the back sonny, there should be some left over.” You thank the old mare and follow her into the kitchen. She presents a small bowl of greens which you tend to gratefully. ”You’re not as bad as they say boy.”
“Ma’am?”
“They said you was some kind of freak. An evil thing from the forest. They was wrong.”
“I’m afraid they weren’t ma’am.”
”I have a feeling about ponies, and I get a good feeling about you.”
“Nobody’s perfect.”
She turns your jaw painfully until you’re looking dead at her. ”I know what you’ve done. They think me a fool, but I listen real close. You’re Anon, that adventurer.” The old girl has a surprisingly strong grip. ”There’s good in you yet child. Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise.” She lets go, “Apple Pie?”
You smile, shaking your head. “I think I’ll just head off to bed if you don’t mind.”
”But of course, don’t let the hay roaches bite.” Hay roaches? You don’t want to know.
~~~
You lay down in bed, sleep quickly finding you. A day of exhausting work will do that to a guy. It doesn’t last very long before you’re awoken again. ”You smell like Ursa filth.”
“If only it was that good.”
”I’m glad to see you’re safe here.” Safe, that’s one way to put it.
You sit up, your ribs aching. “Why do you even care?”
”Because.”
“Yeah, that’s an appropriate answer.”
”Does it really matter why?”
“To me? Yeah it does. You almost get me killed, you read me bed time stories and turn around and save my life? Why?”
He searches for the answer, only to answer a question with a question. ”Why did you save Fluttershy?”
“Because.”
”That’s an appropriate answer.” You see what he did there.
“I guess- in some way, I thought I could atone somehow. By doing a good deed I could make up for what I’ve done.”
”And would you do so again? If you knew what it meant?”
“Break my bones, get poisoned, attacked by a mini dragon, and get beaten by a group of thugs? Yeah I think I would.”
”Then I guess we’ve got more in common than you thought.”
“I guess so.” You reach out your hand towards him. “Hand it over.” He chuckles, taking the Daring Do book from his bag and giving it to you. “So… Chapter 14 was it?”
~~~
You wake up sore as all hell again. It’s been a week since you started staying here and are you paying for it. Applejack has you working your ass off. When you aren’t working, you sleep, and when you don’t sleep you manage to grab a bite to eat. Since all you really do is pull shit you’ve had more time to think about the past. Not really something you’ve looked forward to doing. With the things you’ve done, a man would’ve blown his brains out in self-hatred. Fortunately, you don’t have a gun.
The familiar whack catches you off-guard as apples rain from the sky. You tie the knot around your waist as Applejack moves on. She really only cares about the apples, her name is Applejack after all. You set the barrels around the tree and take a minute to wipe the sweat off your face. ”Don’t even think about taking a break. We still got half a field ta go.” You sink lower on the ground, giving your legs more of the weight. All this movement has caused a little awakening in your lower body, but it’s not as much as you’d like. They have been recovering rather quickly you wager. Another whack signals you to keep moving.
~~~
You finally get to the house, Applebloom out front. ”Ya got a package here Anon.” A package? Works for you. Applejack takes Applebloom inside, do all their names have to do with apples? You unwrap the package, a couple sets of clothes packed inside. You open the letter. ”Dear Anon, I’m sorry I couldn’t apologize in person, but I’m ashamed of how things turned out that night. I hope you can forgive me. Everypony deserves a second chance. I made some new clothes for you as well. Applejack likely has you wearing yours out. Stay safe. The best seamstress in Equestria, Rarity.”
She knew just what you needed, besides a bath. You put the clothes in your room and head down to eat. You dive right in this time, knowing there wouldn’t be anything left if you waited. One must adapt to the circumstances. You give a nod to the family after helping clean up and go to bed. Sleep is the prime desire in your life right now. It’s too bad even that isn’t what it used to be. You dream, but what you dream of scares you more than it should.
~~~
You bolt out of bed in a cold sweat, falling flat on your face on the floor. Another nightmare. Fucking perfect. You don’t remember what it was about, but you don’t need to. Some things are best left forgotten. You take a quick shower and get ready for work, another long day ahead of you. Whack. Whack. Apples. Buckets. Move. A simple drawn out routine. “Applejack, can I ask you a question?”
”Well ya just- *whack* “did partner.”
“Can I ask you three questions?”
”Shoot.”
“If I were to… go back to how I was. You’d off me right?”
”I don’t follow.”
“Y’know, kill me.”
She shakes her head, “Ponies don’t kill. It’s an unspoken rule.”
“What if you made a promise to, how about then?”
”I guess I’d have to keep that promise. Why you asking? You ain’t planning on rampaging about again are ya?”
“I certainly hope not.”
She stops at a clearing, the sun having fallen beneath the mountains. ”Let’s take a rest here yonder.” You plop down to the floor, your legs trembling painfully. ”Take in the sight pretty boy, it don’t get much better than this.” You lie down on your back next to Applejack. You admire Luna’s work, the night’s sky was certainly majestic. Funny, you never took the time to admire the little things in life. And here you are, looking at the stars with a person who hates your guts. Well, after all this you can’t really say she does. Not really.
“Make me a promise okay AJ?”
”Don’t spoil the mood.”
“Promise me.”
”I ain’t gonna do it Anon. No matter how much you ask.”
“Then I’ll have to do it,” you mutter.
This gets her attention. ”Don’t you dare. Ya hear me? Don’t you dare.”
“I deserve as much. You know I do.”
She gets to her hooves. ”You know what you’re bein right now? Selfish, that’s what. Only thinking about yourself, and for the record I was the one who first said to help you.” What? No, she hated you. ”You may have been a pain in the flank, but there was good in you. We showed you a kindness, and you returned the favor.”
“Bullshit. I’ve been a dick.”
”You gave Fluttershy company. You became friends with Twilight. Rarity wants to keep you as her personal chef now.”
“Quite the accusation, but none of that really-“
”Pinkie Pie.” Your heart skips a beat when you hear her name. ”The others may not have noticed, but she’s been perky lately, more than usual. I don’t what it is you did, but you made her happy.”
“I miss her…”
”Then don’t go having them thoughts like just now. She couldn’t bare it.” She plops down again, still slightly flustered. ”Now shut up and enjoy the stars.”
You smile, looking back to the sky. “Yes ma’am.”
~~~
You find yourself back in Ponyville, sword in one hand. “I know where you’re hiding!” Why are you saying that? You look around, following your instincts. You try to stop yourself. You try to stop it before it begins. But it’s useless. You round about into an alleyway. The tearful cries of your prey only invigorating you. You’re a monster.
You kick over the garbage can, two fillies bumbling out. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. No… You sheathe your sword and grab them both by the neck. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Let’s get reacquainted.” Drop them you bastard!
”Why Anon? You were our friend.”
You boom out a fiendish laugh. Were you really like this?” “Sorry, but Anon doesn’t have any friends.”
You knee Sweetie Belle in the stomach, knocking her out cold. “Just my one Big friend, his name’s Johnson.” You begin undoing your pants. STOP! “Don’t bother, just enjoy the show.”
This isn’t real, it can’t be real. You lick at her tears, the salty liquid strong on your tongue. “She sure tastes real.” He wipes himself off, moving onto the next filly.
You can only watch helplessly as this fiend does as he pleases. You want to stop him, but you can’t. He tightens his pants, grinning at his work, the two fillies unconscious beneath him. ”Why Anon?”
You look to the door before you, her voice chilling your heart. Don’t go in there. Please don’t. “I want to see this.” He opens the door, Pinkie Pie standing on a chair in front of you.
”I never wanted this to happen.”
Her mane is flat, skin turned grey, a rope tight around her neck. Please don’t. Anything but that. You step in front of her, her eyes red and puffy. ”I never…” You reach out and take a hold of her hoof. You just smile.
“I did.” You kick the chair, blackness surrounding you. “Men like us never change.”
~~~
“NO!” You jump out of bed, even making a few steps before you collapse. You grab your chest, your heart feeling like its going to break through your ribs. A ruckus comes from the hall, Applejack bursting through.
”Anon what’s wrong?” You can hardly breathe, let alone speak. You sob silently in your hands, Applejack comforting you. ”Take it easy big guy.” Were it so easy…
~~~
You step out of the house, breathing the fresh air. Applejack gave you the day off. Nice of her to do so. You silently crutch your way into the orchard. The apples will be fully ripened next week. The tantalizing sweetness already soaks the air. Giving one last look around you find what you’ve been searching for. It’s a beautiful tree, the apples are nice and plump as well. It’s perfect.
You lie down next to the tree, fumbling with your hand. Things are so peaceful here. You can almost hear your dad and sister calling you. You had run away from them, losing them in the trees. It was the first time you had the guts to leave. They found you weak and alone, crying for forgiveness. Your dad carried you home, your sister holding your hand. You were just a child, but here you are again, a grown man. Still the child…
”Anon?” You look up, Applebloom standing in front of you.
“What are you doing up at this hour?”
”I could ask you the same thing.” She sits beside you, her oversized bow flopping about, making you laugh a little. ”You got the day off?”
“Yeah, your big sis let me off.”
”Why?”
“Grown up things.”
”Is that what that’s for?”
“What?”
”The thing you’re holding, is that the grown up thing?”
You look down at your hands, the rope tied in a hangman’s knot. “You could say that.”
She shrugs, “So what do you plan on doing today?”
“I’m thinking about leaving.”
”Leaving? Like on a vacation.”
You shake your head. “No, not like a vacation.”
”Can I come to?”
“NO.” She flinches at your tone. “Sorry, but you can’t go with me.”
”Then why don’t you stay here? I don’t want you to go.”
You laugh, patting her head. “You don’t know what you want.”
”Do you?”
“Well yea…” Really? Is this what you really want?
”I may be a kid, but I know I don’t want you to go.”
“I may not have a choice.”
She snuggles into your lap. ”Everyone has a choice.”
Men like us never change. Everyone has a choice. Which one is it? “I guess I don’t have to go so soon.”
She perks up, hopping up and down in your lap. ”I knew you wouldn’t leave.” You drop the noose and stand up on your crutches. ”Come on, let’s have some fun.”
“I’m up for some of that.”
She leads you through the orchard, eventually coming to a tree house. It’s just like you remember. You lift the filly onto your shoulders and climb up. She helps you reach the top. ”Let me be the first to welcome you to our headquarters.”
“Headquarters for what?”
”The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” She pulls you inside, another filly already inside.
”Anon!” The filly hugs onto your leg.
“Nice to see you Sweetie Belle.”
”I was so worried when you didn’t come home.”
“Don’t be. I’m safe and sound.” She’s relieved to hear you say that. ”I brought you a present!”
“Really? That’s nice of you.”
She fetches a basket from the corner. You pull of the cloth to reveal a stack of pancakes. ”Just like you made them.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
”I wanted to.” You give her a brief hug. ”Go on, try them!” You take a chunk and savor the flavor. It’s been a while since you had anything that was greens or apples. You take another bite, a feeling of dread washing over you,
Something isn’t sitting right. You can feel it in your gut. Of all the things you’ve learned in life, doubting your intuition is not one of them. You swallow, the fillies picking up on your fear. “Sweetie Belle, how did you get here?”
”I just walked here.”
You can hear Twilight’s voice in your head, ‘They’re watching all of us.’ A creak turns your attention away. Someone, or somepony is outside.
You hush your voice. “I need you to listen carefully, stay out of sight, and be silent.”
”Anon what’s-“
“Now.” You don’t mean to scare them, but you need them safe. You take up position just beside the door, propping yourself against the wall. Taking one of your crutches you lift it over your head, trained on the door. The handle shakes, sweat forming on your forehead. It turns, the door shifting open. Your breathing slows.
The pony steps through, unaware of your presence. You pound the crutch over his head, the wood snapping in two. And he’s out like a light. You sigh and lean back against the wall. ”You okay Doodle Bug?” Shit, there’s more than one.
”Anon, who is that?” they ask, voices shaky with fear.
“A bad pony, is there another way out of here?”
”He’s not moving…”
Don’t go into shock on me. You touch his throat, his pulse steady but weak. “He’s not gone yet. Again, is there another way out of here?”
”It’s my fault, I lead him here.”
“No no no, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.” Not the tears, anything but the tears.
”I’m sorry!” She breaks into a downpour. You hold her head in your shoulder.
”Doodle Bug?!”
“It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.” You look to Applebloom, frozen in position. “Is there another way out of this place?”
”Wha- Well- I mean-“
“Those ponies want me to leave, not like vacation.” She straightens up, pounding into the floorboards. Underneath is a tunnel that leads down the trunk of the tree.
”Cutie Mark Crusader Escape Tunnel!”
“What would a headquarters be without one?”
”Doodle!”
“Hurry now, down the hatch.”
You place them into the hole. ”Let’s go Anon.”
“I can’t follow you.”
”No, you’re coming to!” You reboard the floor, keeping them safe from the others. They won’t pay for your crimes.
“You’ll thank me one day.” You drag the pony to the center of the room, taking up your position.
”Doodle Bu- What in Celest-“
You pivot through the door, crashing atop of the second pony. He hollers as you push the two of you over the edge. Going, going, going, stop. You roll off of him, the wind knocked out of him by your weight. He tries to get up, only to fall on his face. Taking your last crutch you pick yourself, limping back over to the barn. If there are two, there’s bound to be more. You see the house in the distance. At least there isn’t a swarm outside.
You manage to get through the door. You’re legs feel like they’re on fire, but you don’t have time to feel. ”AJ? Big Mac?” More noises from upstairs. You use the railing to get up, finding your way to the source. It’s just inside your room. You charge in, brandishing your last crutch.
”Time’s up partner.” Applejack’s packing your shit, and not giving a fuck. ”They know you’re here.”
“I already ran into two of them up by the tree house.” She stops and shoots you a worried look. “Don’t worry they’re safe.”
She takes your word on it. ”Don’t just stand around, help me.”
“Of course.” You stow what you have in a duffel bag. “Where am I going to go now? If they knew about you-“
”We already have the place set up. We just need to get you there.”
“We?”
”Us, Anon,” Twilight says from the doorway. It’s relieving to know she’s got your back.
“How did you know?”
”Rarity told me that Sweetie Belle was gone, I made a guess.”
“That’s not very scientific of you.”
”I was in a rush.”
“Touche, what now?”
”Now we get you out of here.” Twilight leads you downstairs, Applejack helping you make the trip. Only having one crutch is a bitch.
There’s already a chariot waiting for you outside. “The fuck do I need a chariot for?”
”Rainbow can’t fly with you on her back, so we have to improvise.”
“F-fly? What’s the big idea?”
”Look Anon, Rainbow’s house is up there in the sky, it’s nice, isolated, and better yet, safe.” Applejack has the plan, but didn’t think it through.
“I think you’re looking over a pretty big flaw with plan. I can’t stand on clouds.”
”Not yet you can’t,” Twilight boasts. Her horn shimmers as she focuses her magical energy. “Magic doesn’t work on me remember?”
”I don’t need to enchant you, just what you’re wearing.” Your clothing glows the same tone as her horn, the purple hue surrounding you. Why the fuck didn’t you ever think of that before?
”Hey guys, what’d I miss?”
”Thanks for coming on such short notice.” You look back to see a cyan Pegasus standing by the chariot. It’s no wonder how she got her name, seeing as how her mane was a mother fucking rainbow.
“So you’re my new guardian?”
She nods, “Name’s Rainbow Dash, good to meet you.”
“Likewise, you sure this spell will work Twilight?”
”I don’t… actually know.”
“Well damn there’s only one way to find out.” You load into the chariot and point to Applejack. “Keep ‘em safe you hear?”
”I’ll do my best.” You look down the road, a cloud of dust coming up the path.
”Remember that promise Anon,” Twilight says.
“Don’t remind me. Stay safe.” She nods as Rainbow pulls you into the air. ”Goodbye.”