Willowbrook was broken.
For as long as anyone could remember, the village wasn't really the safe haven it was meant to be. It never felt safe or comforting or relaxing or homey at all; not the way it was suppose to at least. Ever since the ponies settled on the land Willowbrook was built on, it was instantly a magnet for assaults of all kinds by the minotaurs. Still, Willowbrook had never suffered such tragedy as the village ponies saw before their eyes that day. Everywhere they looked, death and destruction was around them on a scale they had never seen.
This was by far the worst attack they had ever suffered. What was worse was it truly seemed like this time there was no coming back from it. Willowbrook had sustained all sorts of terrible damage before, but it was never anything the ponies couldn't handle. They usually had whatever was wrecked repaired or replaced in two or three weeks. This time, however, was much different, for whole sections of the village had been destroyed.
Huts had been smashed to pieces, wagons had been crushed, a multitude of bridges had fallen, and several trees that had once stood tall were now barely more than splinters. Fire and smoke could be seen everywhere and there were several impressions left in the ground by canon fire, bombs, and so on. On top of all that, several bodies laid sprawled out all around belonging to those either dead, near death, or injured to a lesser extent. Anyway you sliced it, the scene around Willowbrook was horrible and was more than enough to crush the heart of any good pony. Even those that didn't live in Willowbrook would surely shed tears for the poor villagers who might as well have lost their home.
Three of these ponies were Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, who walked along as they gazed in despair at the destruction left all around them. Despite getting their share of bumps and bruises, the trio of mares had, for the most part, come out of the latest attack by the minotaurs pretty okay. Yet while they were mostly in tact physically, their emotional states were a whole other story. These ponies had seen a lot of horrible things happen in the relatively short time they'd been friends. So many times their somewhat unofficial roles as heroes for good had taken them to places and stakes they could've never imagined.
The times they failed, however few there may have been, always felt like an extra strong punch to their hearts and this was no exception. Like other times involving a kaiju conflict, this seemed to cut the Equestria born mares extra deep. So much devastation was laid at their hooves despite their best efforts to protect and defend the innocent. It didn't get any better for the trio of mares the further they walked. From the very start of their day to that moment, everything they and those around them had to endure made Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy feel more and more sorrow.
One sight that was somewhat uplifting was several uniformed and non-uniformed ponies trying to aid the many ponies who laid prone on the ground. There were officers and medical ponies all around, but even if they could help mend wounds and pull ponies out of the dirt, they couldn't fix their broken spirits. It almost seemed like nothing would be able to at this point. Even Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity were uncertain if they would be the same after what happened. They weren't the only ones affected either, for not too far away two giants grieved in sad silence.
Fluttershy looked back behind her, to see Godzilla and Anguirus there standing faraway. She knew instantly that something was different about them both, for neither of them acted like great beasts over all creation. They didn't seem like they were the relaxed, laid back animals of nature they were on their down time either. No both Anguirus and Godzilla were feeling the barreling depression of what happened to Willowbrook just like all the ponies around them were. Both wore overtly sad frowns on their faces with Godzilla even having his head hung low in sadness while his arms dangled at his sides.
Anguirus looked just as upset, yet he also seemed to be concerned as he looked up attentively at Godzilla. It was clear that there was nothing that could lift the spirits of the distraught kaiju king who stood dismally hunched over. Fluttershy recognized just how upset Godzilla was over the horrible misfortune Willowbrook had suffered. While she knew nothing would really be able to make him feel better, the yellow furred mare still felt she should go at least try and comfort him somehow. It was because Godzilla was so inconsolable in fact that Fluttershy felt she should be with him.
She had become too close to him to let him grieve alone or at least without her by his side. As far as Fluttershy was concerned, Godzilla needed another friend and so did Anguirus, so she would go to them like a good friend would.
"Rarity, Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy said as she turned to her two pony friends. The two mares then looked to Fluttershy. "I wanna go check on Godzilla and Anguirus."
Pinkie Pie and Rarity then looked pass Fluttershy and at the sulking monsters. Instantly they understood where their friend was coming from and nodded their heads understandingly.
"Okay, Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie said.
"Take care," Rarity said.
"Of course, you too," Fluttershy said before flying off.
As Rarity and Pinkie Pie continued on in the opposite direction, Fluttershy sang her song to signal Godzilla that she was coming. As soon as the mighty kaiju's ears picked up the pony's soft and sweet voice, they perked up as he looked to her. Seeing Fluttershy coming to him felt like both a blessing and a curse. He was happy Fluttershy was coming, but clearly saw she was as upset as he was. Both kaiju and pony tried putting on braves faces for each other to express their happiness at being reunited.
But both parties knew neither could truly be happy after such a terrible event occurred. Plus they were both right in the middle of the aftermath pf the tragedy. Still, Godzilla wasn't going to turn away such a good friend coming to try and comfort him. Fluttershy certainly wasn't the type to turn away either, so the two awaited the moment they would be reunited. Godzilla even stretched out his hand and held it open for Fluttershy, who gently landed on her friend's nearly thirty foot wide palm.
Fluttershy and Godzilla looked to one another, gazing into pairs of sad eyes. Godzilla's trembled in a way that absolutely could not come naturally to a kaiju like him. The depression he felt was so overpowering that he was unable to stop himself from openly weeping. Fluttershy had not been dry eyed since the minotaurs had left and even when trying to put on a brave face for Godzilla, she was unable to hide her true sadness. All she could really do was gently rub a hoof against Godzilla's palm before then walking over to hug and lightly kiss his thumb.
That was when the soft breaths of Anguirus reached Fluttershy's ears. Even those somehow sounded overtly sad to the pegasus who turned to see the visibly upset kaiju staring up at her. Though Fluttershy smiled, it conveyed the same overtaking sadness that was felt all throughout Willowbrook. Both Fluttershy and Anguirus turned to Godzilla who knew right away what they wanted. He lowered his hand closer to the end of Anguirus' snout so that Fluttershy could hug and kiss it to comfort the four legged monster as much as possible.
All around, the immense sorrow of those who lived in or at least fought to protect Willowbrook was felt. Families had been separated, some even to a permanent end. Homes and other structures that took a long time to build and had been put to good use for the greater cause were all lost. Personal items that had meant so much to several ponies and other things needed just for basic survival were all gone, too. Though there were relief efforts of all kind, even they couldn't lift the dark mood that had befallen the village.
There were still many tears shared amongst the despondent masses that had just experienced the disaster that shattered Willowbrook. But there were still slight saving graces amongst the scenes of horror that was once Willowbrook. Some of the bodies that had fallen in the battle actually managed to get up. One such body was the tan furred Earth pony stallion Thunder Jack. He had been laying face down in the dirt for some time before waking just enough to roll over onto his side.
Slowly TJ's consciousness returned to him as he groaned and his eyes began to flutter open. As TJ rolled onto his back and looked up, he found that his vision was very blurry, though it got better as time passed. It was when his vision was completely clear that he saw two very familiar mares walk up to him.
"Hey ya, TJ," Applejack said.
"Hey, big guy," Rainbow Dash said. "Need a hoof?"
"Please," TJ said.
"We'll do ya one better and give ya two hooves," Applejack said.
The two mares each extended a hoof to their fallen friend who gladly accepted both. Applejack and Rainbow Dash slowly pulled TJ up until he was standing again.
"Thank you both," TJ said as he rubbed the back of his aching neck.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack's smiles turned to looks of concern and surprise.
"Oh, Nelly!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Whoa, dude, that's one gnarly shiner!" Rainbow Dash said.
"What?!" TJ asked in surprise.
Applejack looked and found a broken piece of glass on the ground. She picked it up and handed it to TJ. He looked into the glass to see his reflection. Right away TJ saw the large black eye his friends had been talking about.
"Holy cow, who hit me?!" TJ asked.
"You mean, 'what'," Rainbow Dash said.
"A timberwolf stepped on one of our exploding traps," Applejack said. "One of the pieces came flying and smacked you in the side of the head. It knocked you out cold."
"We would've helped right away, but we had our own stick mutts to deal with," Rainbow Dash said.
"It's okay, I understand," TJ said. "Thank you both for helping me and all of Willowbrook, too."
"I wish we had been more help," Applejack said, her face suddenly becoming as solemn and forlorn as those all around her.
TJ looked to see Rainbow Dash's face conveyed the same feelings as Applejack's.
"Hey, girls, come on, it's okay," TJ said. "We've dealt with this kind of stuff before. We always rebuild after, we'll be fine."
The mares continued to look sad as they turned to each other and then back to TJ.
"Maybe you should look at your village, sugarcube," Applejack said.
"Wh- What, what are you talking...?"
TJ found himself unable finish his sentence when he finally got a chance to look around at the state Willowbrook was in. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened when he saw exactly how bad the desolation that befell his town was. The fires, the smoke, the blast marks, the massive amounts of debris, and the ponies lying prone or standing and looking distraught as could be, TJ's saw it all. Having to take in so much dreadfulness all at once immediately started to take its toll on his emotions. He felt his heart start to pound ever harder to the point where that was all he could feel.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack both looked to their islander friend with great concern. They watched him as he walked away while continuing to gaze at the near desolate environment around him. It was then that a flash of realization struck Rainbow Dash, who then turned to Applejack.
"Yo, AJ, I need to go find my mom," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm worried about her and wanna check to make sure she's okay."
"Go right ahead, Rainbow Dash," Applejack said. "Good luck to ya."
"Thanks," Rainbow Dash said before she took to the air and flew away.
Applejack then turned to check on TJ who was still feeling the heavy beats of his heart. They were very painful and made TJ feel like his heart was either going to sink deeper into his chest or that is was going to burst into pieces. That was not the only toll TJ's emotions took on his physical being either. TJ's whole body shook so hard it felt like it would crumble. It was like his emotions were bottling themselves up inside only to explode to see if it would break him.
While that never happened, TJ did start to feel like the emotional stress was starting to squeeze at the sides of his head. He was absolutely devastated by what had happened to his once beautiful home. Tears began to stream from TJ's trembling eyes as he hung his head and lightly sobbed. Applejack, ever the supportive pony, walked up to her fellow Earth pony and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Instantly TJ reached for his friend's hoof and rubbed over it with his own.
TJ wiped away a few tears before looking to her orange friend who offered him a friendly smile. It didn't last long, for Applejack's face quickly turned back to the sad sorrow that TJ's own expression conveyed. TJ appreciated his friend's effort, though he knew she was just as upset as he was. Still TJ tried his best to show his gratitude for Applejack's care with a smile of his own, but he was just too sad. Despite both ponies' best attempts at subversion, their emotional states couldn't help but be focused on the tragedy of Willowbrook just like everypony else around them.
While at first TJ and Applejack only had each other to turn to for comfort in such a dark hour, that would soon change. A shadow fell over them that blotted out the light that shined through the branches of the giant trees that still stood. The Earth ponies looked up to see Princess Twilight Sparkle slowly and gently lowering herself down to them. Such a sight gave both ponies a small burst of joy they so desperately needed, though it didn't last long. They saw through Twilight's attempt at a smile that she felt just as horrible about what happened as anypony else.
But then they saw an extra strain of concern cross the violet mare's face. Clearly she had seen something that upset her even further than she already was. Even when Twilight Sparkle landed in front of TJ and Applejack, she kept the same grief stricken and worried look on her face. TJ and Applejack looked to each other questioningly until they both realized Twilight Sparkle was actually looking at something in particular. It took them just the tiniest bit longer to realize her eyes were locked dead ahead on TJ himself.
Applejack stepped aside and watched as Twilight Sparkle moved in closer to TJ. Twilight didn't stop until she was face-to-face, up close and personal with the stallion. This allowed TJ to get a very in-depth look at the massive amounts of emotion swelling within the princess's eyes.
"Look what they did to you," Twilight Sparkle said in a hushed voice.
"Hmm?" TJ replied.
Twilight Sparkle reached out a hoof and very lightly touched just underneath TJ's injured eye.
"Poor baby, they got you really bad in the eye," Twilight Sparkle said. "Oh, your poor face."
"Don't worry, I actually think it's an improvement," TJ said. "When I was born, I looked like Solomon."
This actually managed to get an extremely short chuckle out of Twilight Sparkle and Applejack both. The light hearted moment was quickly snuffed out by the overpowering feelings of depression that ran rampant all throughout the area.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, TJ... about everything," Twilight Sparkle said.
Twilight, TJ, and Applejack all looked out at the horrible sight of the demolished Willowbrook yet again. They just couldn't help but look and see that everywhere there was an ugly reminder of the terrible battle Willowbrook had undergone not too long before.
"This... This just can't be," TJ said. "We've always been able to take a hit and come back... But this... It's never been this bad before."
"This is awful," Twilight Sparkle said as she looked on.
TJ turned to the alicorn mare.
"Do all kaiju attacks get this bad in Equestria?" TJ asked.
"Even worse most of the time," Applejack said. "But that could be because there's usually more to destroy... Sorry, y'all."
"No, it's okay," TJ said. "I know what you meant."
"You're right, too," Twilight Sparkle said. "A kaiju's path of destruction usually spreads out much farther. Still... this attack somehow feels more... personal than some of the ones from the past. I can't explain it."
"Oh, I know how come, Twilight," Applejack said. "It's the same for me, too."
"Imagine how I feel," TJ said. "It was never the perfect home... But it was home... and now it's practically all gone. Most of what's left is a smoldering reminder of just of truly evil the minotaurs are... What the heck are we suppose to do now?!"
After screaming in anguish, TJ openly sobbed, triggering Twilight and Applejack to rush to his side. But even in trying to comfort him, they too sobbed.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't protect your village, TJ," Twilight Sparkle said in between sobs.
"I'm sorry, too," Applejack said. "I never wanted anything like this would happen to your village, so I did my absolute best to protect it."
"We all did," Twilight Sparkle said. "I guess our best just wasn't good enough."
TJ looked up and watched as his friends wept in regret. Suddenly his mood swung a little. His priorities were no longer to mourn his village, but to comfort Twilight Sparkle and Applejack.
"It's not your fault this happened, girls," TJ said. "If anything, you were a saving grace in this whole thing. If it weren't for you girls and Godzilla being here, this probably would've been a lot worse. So don't blame yourselves, because I sure as heck don't."
Twilight Sparkle and Applejack both wiped away tears as they looked to TJ gratefully.
"Thank you, TJ," Twilight said.
"You're sweet, sugarcube," Applejack said.
"Don't worry, girls," TJ said, "it's gonna be okay... somehow."
"Twilight, Applejack!" Rarity voice called from afar.
"TJ!" Pinkie Pie's voice called out soon after.
Twilight Sparkle, TJ, and Applejack looked to see the two mares that had called their names running to them. Once everyone was all together, they greeted one another with hugs and words of concern. Then after telling each other they were okay, they all spoke about how happy they were to be reunited. But then their moods turned solemn once more as they turned back to the desolation around them.
"The damage is horrible," Rarity commented.
"Unfortunately, yeah, it is," TJ said. "Willowbrook... is in ruins."
"What did it look like on your way here, Rarity?" Twilight Sparkle inquired.
"Basically what we see around us now I'm afraid," Rarity responded.
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Twilight Sparkle said. "But I knew you would. So everything you saw was destroyed?"
"No, not everything, just... a whole lot of almost everything," Pinkie Pie said.
"What about the villagers?" TJ asked. "How are they?"
The sadness on Pinkie Pie and Rarity's faces grew.
"I'm sorry to say, but that was the worst part," Rarity said. "We saw..."
Rarity was unable to finish her sentence, for her sadness overtook her and she began to weep. Applejack put a attentive hoof around her grief stricken, white furred friend.
"We saw a lot of ponies lying down, TJ," Pinkie Pie said. "A lot of them looked like they weren't going to get back up again either."
"No," TJ said in a voice barely above a whisper.
"It's like Rarity said before, the situation is basically the same everywhere," Pinkie Pie said as she waved a hoof around. "There's a lot of ponies hurt or... lost... But there's still a lot of ponies trying to help them. Some of those ponies aren't even wearing uniforms and they're still trying to help out. Heck, even some ponies that are hurting are still trying to do their part."
"It really is quite inspiring," Rarity said as she wiped away some tears. "Seeing so many ponies persevere and come together to help each other despite everything truly warms the heart."
"One thing I can't get over is seeing some of the other ponies," Applejack said. "They don't look too hurt or nothing, but they just walk around aimlessly and stare blanker than a sheet of white paper. They're like lost little puppies without a bone to bite or a dog house to hide in. I don't know why, but that breaks my heart almost as much as seeing how many ponies got hurt or lost their lives."
"I know what you mean, Applejack," Twilight Sparkle said. "It's like they've given up, but their bodies refuse to give them a moment's rest. It may not seem like it because they can walk, but they need help just like everypony else here does right now."
"We tried to help a little on the way here," Pinkie Pie said.
"But we really wanted to find you all and make sure you were okay," Rarity said.
"Well, now that we're all together, we can all help together, too," Applejack said.
"My thoughts exactly," Twilight Sparkle said. "Rarity, Pinkie Pie, do you know where Fluttershy is right now?"
"She went to go check on Godzilla and Anguirus," Pinkie Pie said.
"That makes sense," Twilight Sparkle responded.
"What about Rainbow Dash, where's she?" Rarity asked.
"TJ!"
"TJ!"
The tan furred stallion and his friends all looked up to see Rainbow Dash and Firefly frantically flying down to them. Neither pegasus pony bothered to land, choosing instead to stop and hover a few feet above the group on the ground.
"You need to come with us to your house right now!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Why, what happened?!" TJ asked, a hint of panic in his voice.
"It's your sister and your mom!" Firefly explained. "They were hit and hit bad!"
"Oh, no!" TJ said, the panic in his voice rising.
TJ ran as fast as his hooves could take him. He was ahead of the other ponies traveling on hoof, but Rainbow Dash and Firefly were flying and easily outpaced everyone else. When the group came up to TJ's house, both pegasi scooted to the side to let TJ be the first to enter. There were some uniformed ponies outside the mostly destroyed front of the hut, but they didn't try to stop any of the approaching ponies from getting in.
"Mom, Muse!" TJ shouted as he entered his house.
Just ahead of him, Muse and Moon Bright both sat in chairs as they were examined by medical personnel. Everypony turned to see TJ and the others had entered the hut. TJ's heart sank at the sight of the physical condition both his mother and his sister were in. They looked like they had been through the mill several times, each one causing them more bodily harm than the last.
"TJ," Muse and Moon Bright managed to say through emotionally shaky voices.
The Earth pony stallion hurried over to his family and embraced them. His trembling body wanted to squeeze Moon Bright and Muse, but he did his best to control himself given their state of health.
"It was horrible," Muse said. "They came in and they..."
Muse was unable to finish her sentence before her crying overtook her. TJ looked pass his family and saw even more of the damage that was done to their home. While Willowbrook may not have been safe, that hut was still sacred ground as far as TJ was concerned. It came the closest of any place to feeling like home and now it had been all but destroyed. This caused TJ even more emotional anguish, which made his body shake even harder.
"Who was it?!" TJ asked "Who did this to our home? Who did this to you both? Why hurt you two?" Muse and Moon Bright couldn't find the words to answer TJ, which made him more angry than he already was. "Who was it?!"
TJ's screaming voice seemed to be the key to unlock both mares' voices.
"It was Khaos Fury and Dark Lightning!" Moon Bright blurted out in a sobbing voice. "They came in and they... they knocked us around like we were worthless rag dolls."
Moon Bright continued to cry as she buried her face into her son's shoulder. Muse hung her own head on top of TJ's other shoulder as she cried into her hooves. All three family members' bodies shook like they were standing on top of an industrial conveyor belt. All anypony else could do was look on sympathetically while doing their best to hold back their own tears. Whether it was the uniformed ponies, the medical ponies, or the mares of the Mane Six, not a single one of them didn't feel their heart wrenching.
All of them had suffered in one way or another and so did so many other ponies. This truly seemed like it was the darkest hour and that nothing could possibly make it worse. Unfortunately, it about to get a lot worse.
"TJ... they took the Alpha Stone," Muse managed to say in her saddened state.
TJ slowly pulled back to stare at his sister, allowing her to see the horror on his face.
"What?" TJ said in a voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, it's true," Muse said. "They came in, blasted us and slapped us around several times and then took our Alpha Stone."
"Oh, my gosh!" TJ exclaimed.
"It's worse than that!" Moon Bright managed to say. "They did it all while using an Alpha Stone of their own! That's how they destroyed so much of our house and got passed our guards!"
"Are yo kidding me?!" TJ's body convulsed like an epileptic pony. "They have their own stone?!"
"And now they've taken one of the main things that was protecting our village," Muse said.
"I don't believe it," Twilight Sparkle said as she looked on. "It wasn't bad enough not knowing they already had at least one Alpha Stone. Now we know for certain they have two."
"One they just took from the village," Pinkie Pie added on.
"Which leaves us with none to fight or defend ourselves against them," Firefly said.
"Th- th- This can't be real," TJ said through a shaky voice. "Muse, y- y- you can't be serious."
Muse stared hard at her brother, allowing him to gaze into her eyes, red from shedding so many tears. This allowed him to how important the situation and the words she spoke were.
"We're dead serious, TJ," Muse said. "None of us would ever mess around about something like this. Khaos Fury and Dark Lightning of all ponies came in here, knocked us on our flanks with the beating of a lifetime and stole our Alpha Stone. And they did it while showing off that they had a stone of their own... No, TJ, this is more serious than it's ever been."
"Oh, great, as if there wasn't enough to deal with!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Not only do the minotaurs have a huge army, not only do they have giant monsters, not only did they destroy the town and kill hundreds of innocent ponies, but now this! Now they also hold not just one, but two of the most powerful things in probably the whole known universe! Could today get any worse?!"
"I'd hate to make it so," Rarity said, "but the minotaurs already having a stone makes me wonder if they have any of the others."
The immense horror already on everypony's face increased drastically as Rarity's suggestion ran through their heads.
"Oh, my gosh," Twilight Sparkle let out. "We... We're practically helpless now. What can we do now that the minotaurs have such power at their disposal?"
"Look what they did to you," TJ said as he looked grief stricken at his sister and mother. The other ponies turned their attention back to the family, looking on with pity and sorrow. "They treated you like dirt."
It was then that a small team of uniformed ponies tried to enter what was left of the hut. One of the ponies in front of the group held a piece of paper and a clipboard in her mouth.
"Chief Moon Bright, we have the first list of casualties here," another pony at the front said. "Unfortunately, we expect more names to come before the day is-"
Several different ponies met the team halfway, cutting them off from Moon Bright and her kids. They all spoke in hush tones telling the team it wasn't a good time. Firefly ended up taking the list to read through herself before sending the newest uniform ponies away to continue the duties they were assigned.
"I know it sounds wrong," TJ said, "but I would've handed them all four stones myself if I thought it meant sparing you from this fate."
"Doing that would condemn the world to much worse," Muse said. "That's why we fought as hard as we could to keep it from them... But our best wasn't good enough... Now everyone is doomed."
"And it's all my fault," Moon Bright said as she continued to sob.
"No, it's mine for not being here to protect you," TJ said sadly.
"No, it was our fault," Applejack insisted as the other mares of the Mane Six agreed.
"You brought us here to protect you all," Twilight Sparkle said.
"And we didn't even come close to doing it," Rarity said. "We failed."
"If you want to blame anypony, just blame us," Rainbow Dash said. "It really is our fault."
"No, it isn't," a soft, yet somehow still firm voice said. Everypony looked to see Fluttershy had arrived. "I just found out for myself that the minotaurs actually used some sort of fake scent to lure Godzilla and Anguirus away. It was because of that and that alone that things went as bad as they did. If the kaiju weren't lured away, then they would've come to our aid much sooner.
"They'd have easily chased off the minotaurs and the rest of their goons and we wouldn't have had to spread out so far. We could've stayed close so that we could've protected Moon Bright, Muse, the Alpha Stone, and the villagers altogether."
"Those mother buckers!" Rainbow Dash growled. Everypony else shared the anger felt by the blue coated pegasus. "I can't believe it! I can't freaking believe it! Is there really no lows they won't sink to?!
"They put hundreds of innocence in danger just for a stupid rock! Well, I don't know about all you, but I for one am not gonna just stand here and cry while they get away with it! I don't know how, but I'm gonna fight and fight and I won't stop fighting until I've pride all four stones from those dull ended horn heads!"
Everypony screamed in agreement with Rainbow Dash's sentiment. None of them wanted to just let the minotaurs get away with the atrocities they committed. Previously any angry drive for retaliation was overtaken by their immense sadness. Now everypony's anger, their very fury was awakened like never before.
"We're not gonna take this sitting down!" Applejack exclaimed. "We may not have been able to protect you, but you can be dab gum sure we're gonna avenge ya!"
Everypony cheered in agreement.
"They took away so much from you poor ponies," Rarity said. "Well, while we may not be able to get it all back, we'll take what we can from those dreadful barbarians!"
"And we'll take down any of them that get in our way!" Pinkie Pie added on. "We'll come in like a wrecking ball and break down their walls! We'll show them everything we've got, drive them wild and drive them crazy! We'll show them we're not gonna take it anymore! In other words, we're gonna show them we're really ticked off and we're gonna do something about it!"
Everypony cheered even louder, except for Twilight Sparkle who had been quiet almost the whole time. TJ took notice of this and looked to the alicorn mare curiously. It didn't take him long to realize she was deep in thought.
"Now that just leaves the question of how we're gonna do all this," Applejack said. Everypony grew quiet as they turned to the cowgirl. "Sorry, y'all, but the truth is the ball's in their court. They've got just about everything going for them. I mean, what do we got that they can't fight back with using their monsters and the Alpha Stones?"
Everypony stood in silence as they thought over what Applejack said and more importantly, how they could find a solution to it. They knew how going forward that any plan they thought of required careful thought and absolutely perfect execution.
"Well... we still have Godzilla and Anguirus," Rainbow Dash said.
"So what, we just let them do all the fighting for us and hope it all turns out?" Applejack said. "I know why you'd turn to them, Rainbow Dash, I really do. But I'm afraid the minotaurs have more power than even they can deal with on their own. As ridiculous as that sounds and what I'm about to say next sounds, I don't feel right just leaving it to them alone."
"Well if we can't just depend on two gigantic giants, who else can we depend on?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Well, maybe we could try to get more help from Equestria?" Rarity suggested. "We could get Celestia and Luna to send a royal brigade?"
"No, trying to do that will take too long," Rainbow Dash said. "We need something else."
"Well, we still have the plan," Firefly said.
"Huh?" several ponies let out as they turned to the pink coated pegasus.
"Yeah, you know, the plan Twilight and Moon Bright thought of," Firefly said. "Remember, where we sneak into the minotaurs' base and blow it up from the inside after getting out the hostages? All we really need to do is modify it to also trying to grab the Alpha Stones before we head out. If we cant' we say screw it and blow them to kingdom come along with all those two hoofed monstrosities."
"You don't think that might be more dangerous to try and do now?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, I hate to keep beating this point in, but the minotaurs have two Alpha Stones and those are only the ones we know of. Then there's the fact that they're probably even more on guard after just pulling off something so big as what they did this morning. Add that to what they already had going for them and it almost seems like a crazy pony's quest to try and do this."
"Plus and I hate to say this," Applejack began, "but after that attack today... I don't think we'll have as many ponies available to help us with the plan as we originally wanted. I'm sorry... but Willowbrook was hit hard... and that means we'll be lacking a lot of extra hooves for one reason or another. I hate to say it, but at the moment, the whole thing sounds just about impossible."
"So then that means there's nothing we can do?" Muse asked. She looked around hopelessly, seeing several other ponies shared her feelings. "Are we all doomed?"
"What am I gonna do now?" Moon Bright asked in a shaky voice. "For so long I fought to protect Willowbrook and everypony in it. Then I find out I was also fighting to protect ponies far beyond the island's shores. Now... Now... Willowbrook is barely a shell of its former self and I've probably lost half the ponies in it. What am I suppose to do to protect whatever ponies are left?
"How can I shelter them with what little those monsters with horns left us? What lies ahead for those ponies so far away now that the minotaurs have so much power to throw around?... It's absolutely hopeless."
"Chief, Moon Bright!" a frantic voice called from further away.
Everypony turned to see both a uniformed and a non-uniformed pony running into the hut.
"No, I told you guys this isn't the time to hand the chief casualty lists," Firefly said in frustration.
"That's not it at all, commander, you've got it wrong!" the uniformed pony assured. "Ma'am, this pony just came here from Seaside Hoof. He has information on a... frankly shocking development in the town."
Everypony looked far more attentively than before as the non-uniformed pony stepped forward.
"Chief Moon Bright, ma'am, my name is Granted Block," the pony said. "I've lived in Seaside Hoof all my life. In all that time I had to put up with the tyrannical rule of the minotaurs who ran the town like slave traders. I lived in fear my whole life and I never got used to it. I thought I would have to deal with that kind of life forever.
"But then something strange happened this morning. Myself and most other ponies in Seaside Hoof woke up to find... that the town seemed to be almost completely deserted by the minotaurs."
"WHAT?!" several ponies shouted out at the same time.
They all pulled in closer and listened far more carefully.
"Did you just say there aren't minotaurs in Seaside Hoof at all right now?!" TJ exclaimed.
"None that we could find," Granted Block said. "We looked high and low. We even looked in areas the minotaurs had been abundantly clear they didn't want us in."
"They weren't even in the restricted areas?" Moon Bright said in disbelief.
"Except for us ponies, there wasn't a soul anywhere at all," Granted Block said.
"So then... wh- what does that mean?" Fluttershy asked.
"I think we all know what it means," Rainbow Dash said. "Since they got the Alpha Stone from us and wrecked Willowbrook, the minotaurs are already planning to make their big move!"
"Are you sure?" Rarity asked.
"You think so?" TJ said at the same time.
"Absolutely," Rainbow Dash answered. "Come on, think about it. The minotaurs just launched a major attack on us where they gained a huge advantage by stealing our Alpha Stone just as they abandon their town? The question isn't if they're making their move, it's how long do we have?!"
The gravity of what the rainbow maned mare was saying hit everyone hard, shaking them to their very cores. They were already angry and depressed, now their panic was increased to a higher level, too and they didn't know if they could handle it.
"Well then if that's true, what are we suppose to do now?!" a frantic Muse asked.
"We do just as Firefly said and go along with the plan."
Everypony turned to Twilight Sparkle, who had been the one to speak, breaking her silence. They saw the hard, focused, and determined look on her face, which made them somewhat uncomfortable. None of them were used to seeing Twilight Sparkle so serious. It shocked everypony to hear someone usually so level headed as Twilight suggest something like she did.
"Are you serious, Twilight?" TJ asked.
"You're darn right I am, TJ," Twilight Sparkle replied. "We're going to take what bombs we have left from Wolfhard and sneak into the minotaurs' base just like we planned with the monsters being a distraction. The only difference is we're going to focus on finding the hostages and the Alpha Stones first. I've seen what the power of just one can do... and I've felt it, too. That's why I know more than one would be enough to transport all the hostages out of the volcano and somewhere safe.
"Once everypony in the volcano's caves are safely away, that's when we'll set off the bombs and destroy the base completely."
"But Twilight, we can't!" TJ said. "There wouldn't be enough ponies here to help us do this."
"That's why I'm not asking for any," Twilight Sparkle said. "I'd rather they all stay here and help move you to Seaside."
"WHAT?!" everypony let out.
"That's right," Twilight Sparkle said. "You heard it yourself, there aren't any minotaurs there. A town like that is a much more secure place than Willowbrook is right now. Heck, it would've always been a better location if it weren't for the minotaurs that live there. But now they're gone, which means it's your chance to move in and reclaim the town for yourself.
"It's fully in tact, hasn't suffered any sort of damage at all. There's other ponies there I'm sure would be willing to help you with your sick and injured. Plus, they probably have facilities there better suited for medical assistance anyways. I'm telling you, it makes more sense for you all to relocate there."
"But so soon after what happened?" TJ asked.
"I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think you had to," Twilight Sparkle said. "If Rainbow Dash is right and the minotaurs are making their move, then everypony needs to stick together and be as safe as possible."
"Uh..." TJ let out as he thought hard about the current situation.
"Come on, TJ, you know I'm right," Twilight Sparkle said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up," Rainbow Dash said. "Twilight, if you don't want any Willowbrook ponies being apart of the sneak in plan, then who exactly were you planning on going in?"
"Just us, Rainbow Dash," Twilight Sparkle said.
Everypony gasped as they stared at Twilight Sparkle with even greater surprise.
"You mean-?"
"Yes, Applejack, I do," Twilight Sparkle said. "Just you, me, and everyone else that came here from Equestria."
"But... why?" Fluttershy managed to say.
"Because the Willowbrook ponies need everyone here," Twilight Sparkle said. "Whether they go to Seaside Hoof like I think they should or stay here, either way they all need each other. Plus the less amount of ponies going in, the less ponies there are for the minotaurs to potentially capture or worse. There still needs to be a team of ponies to try and pull this off, otherwise I'd probably try going in all by myself."
"You know we'd never let you do that," Rainbow Dash said.
The rest of the Mane Six all spoke in agreement.
"Which is exactly why I'm asking just you girls to go with me," Twilight Sparkle said. "More times than not, we've accomplished the goals we set out to do as a team. There's no reason for me to believe that would change right now when it probably matters the most."
"But what about me?" Firefly asked.
"Me, too, Twilight, I wanna go with you," TJ insisted.
"They need you both here a lot more," Twilight Sparkle said firmly. "That's especially if you all will follow my advice and head for Seaside Hoof."
"Twilight," Moon Bright started, "even if I wanted to go ahead with that, which I'm still not sure about, how would we do it?"
"Make sure you transport those in need of medical aid first," Twilight Sparkle said. "Have what healthy ponies you can spare transport them in wagons with efficient food and water among other things. Then focus on the women and the children next along with what supplies you can spare. Keep personal effects to a minimum, safety and care needs to be the priorities above all else. Everything after that, after all the sick, hurt, women, and children, everypony's taken care of is when you can spare efforts for other things.
"I know it seems like I'm rushing you and being a little harsh, but I truly believe in my heart of hearts this is the way to go about dealing with the situation. Also think about this, Seaside Hoof is further away from the minotaurs' main base. If something really is about to happen at the minotaurs' headquarters, a freaking volcano, then I want everypony as far from it as they can get."
"Say we were to go ahead with your plan, Twilight, how do you expect me to arrange and organize everything?" Moon Bright asked. "I can't lead these ponies in my current condition. I could barely lead them on my own before."
"I don't expect you, too, Moon Bright," Twilight Sparkle said. "I was actually thinking that you be one of the ponies riding with the medical convoy. Like you said, you can't do it right now. Unfortunately circumstances have forced us to temporarily choose a new leader."
Everypony gasped as they looked at Twilight Sparkle with much bewilderment. The things she was saying before already seemed so unreal to everyone. Now they felt she might have gone too far and was being incredibly bold to say what she had about Willowbrook's leadership. Moon Bright also looked rather surprise, yet she also seemed to have an air of understanding about what the princess was trying to say. It was clear the light blue unicorn was conflicted, but which side she took would only be decided when next she spoke.
"Well then, Twilight... who would you pick to lead in my place?" Moon Bright asked.
"Twilight, I-"
"Not you, Muse," Twilight Sparkle said, cutting her fellow alicorn off. "You're not ready yet, not even for a temporary position like what I'm suggesting. It's too much for you to take on as a first time leader... But trust me, your time will come."
"I understand, Twilight," Muse said. "But if it's not going to be me, then who did you have in mind? What pony would be fit to lead?"
"Not pony, po-nies," Twilight Sparkle explained.
She then set her sights on TJ, slowly followed by everypony else. The stallion was slow about it first and just stared on. Slowly he realized that everypony was looking at him, to which he stared back in surprise and alarm.
"Me?!" TJ asked in a semi-panicked manner.
"Not just you," Twilight Sparkle said as she turned to another pony. "You, too... Firefly."
"Say what?" Firefly asked with a tinge of shock.
"Them?!" Muse asked in shock.
"You mean, you want us to be in charge of... everything?" TJ asked in disbelief.
"Yes, along with some of the higher ranking officers here like Commander Hard Rock," Twilight Sparkle explained.
"But... why us?" Firefly asked.
"TJ, you're the chief's son and you seem to have a strong connection with the ponies here," Twilight Sparkle said. "I've seen it several times while I was on this island. The ponies here will follow you if you ask them to and as long as you have ponies that can help you along the way. Firefly, you have the natural conviction and charisma that it takes to be a leader. Plus I know you yourself are a high ranking pony here.
"I know you can do it. I know we can all do this together if we agree and commit to this... But I can't force you all. This is a decision you have to make on your own."
The room fell silent with everypony appearing to be unsure how to proceed. Even the onlookers that weren't directly involved with he conversation looked like they were caught between a rock and a hard place. Everypony knew they were in a desperately dire position and felt like they were just barely hanging onto the edge of a cliff. Any decision any of the ponies made was guaranteed to play a significant part in how the inevitably coming conflict would play out. It was a lot of responsibility and a lot of the ponies were still very unsure even after Twilight Sparkle explained everything to them.
"You know this could all very well fail, right, Twilight?" TJ asked.
"I know, TJ, but any plan always has that potential," Twilight Sparkle said. "Anything anyone's ever said or planned always has the potential to fail just as much as it does to succeed. I'll say right now that a lot of the things I planned didn't always work out exactly the way I wanted or down right failed altogether. Some of my plans were even dead on arrival. But if we don't take chances on our ideas, then we might as well have said 'I surrender' a long time ago."
Everypony looked on as they thought even deeper and harder on how to proceed going forward.
"Granted, are you sure there weren't any minotaurs in Seaside Hoof?" TJ asked.
"None whatsoever," Granted said. "Even some of the very few ponies that work night jobs said they noticed less minotaurs around as time went on. They never saw them leave, but when the sun came up and we all looked, the minotaurs were all gone."
"Hmm, and Fluttershy, do you think Godzilla and Anguirus will go ahead with this plan?" TJ asked.
"I already know Godzilla will do anything we ask," Fluttershy said. "I'm pretty sure Anguirus will go along with it, too."
"And what about you all?" TJ asked as he looked around to the rest of the Mane Six, several of the uniformed ponies, and his family.
"Twilight, we said it before and we'll say it again," Applejack said.
"We're with you," Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack said together.
Twilight Sparkle smiled in appreciation.
"I'm still not completely sure about all this," Firefly said. "But I will do whatever I must to protect those I care about. You're all my friends and family and if you all agree to this, then so will I."
"Do you think the rest of the village will go along with this?" Muse asked.
"We'll just have to wait and see depending on how the rest of this meeting will go," Firefly said.
"TJ?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she looked to the Earth pony stallion.
He looked to be very conflicted, but as time went on, that seemed to fade little by little.
"I'm not sure about my role as a leader," TJ said. "But you clearly believe in me and your vote is the one that counts to me the most, Twilight. I'm willing to give it a shot if everyone else ends up agreeing to it."
"We're with you, sir," a uniformed pony said as others nodded their heads in agreement.
"I have faith in you, big brother," Muse said with a sweet smile. "I also trust you, too, Twilight."
"Then that leaves only one left," Applejack said.
Everypony turned to Moon Bright, who instantly seemed more uncomfortable than before.
"What do you say, crescent?" Firefly asked.
It was obvious she was still trying to come to a decision, but was having a lot of trouble. She was conflicted, highly stressed, and still in a lot of physical pain. Anypony would feel like they wanted to be somewhere else being another pony if they were in her position. Despite all her tribulations she was dealing with, however, Moon Bright still knew she had to make a decision no matter what.
"I'm honestly not sure of anything anymore," Moon Bright said. "That's why I'm taking it out of my hooves. For now, I'm no longer the chief of Willowbrook. Until I'm confident I can return to my position and do it right, I leave our leadership in the capable hooves of my son and the other major leaders of our community. I know they can do it or else I wouldn't have given them all positions of authority before." Moon Bright then looked directly at her son as she walked up to him.
"You've made me very proud over the years, TJ. Your brave, strong, loving, and you're more stubborn than an ox just like me." This got a chuckle out of everypony, including TJ himself. "You've got the heart and determination I always hoped you would. I know you don't consider yourself a leader, but it's only for a little while.
"I know you can do it, but do you?"
"I'm certainly gonna try," TJ said.
"No, don't try," Moon Bright said. "Either do it or don't do it. There is no try."
"Ooh, that was good," Pinkie Pie whispered to Rarity. "She should write that down before somepony steals it."
"In that case," TJ said, "for the sake of everypony here, with Firefly and the others by my side, I know I can do it."
"That's my boy," Moon Bright said. She quickly hugged TJ before turning her attention to Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Mane Six. "Twilight... you and your friends were brought here to help. You came because you've had to deal with situations like this several times before. I have to trust you know what's best, which is why I'm stepping aside.
"I can only hope that you're right about how to go forward... I also hope everypony comes out of this the best they can, including you six brave young fillies."
"Thank you, Moon Bright, for believing so strongly in us," Twilight Sparkle said.
"We won't let you down!" Rainbow Dash proclaimed boldly.
"You know that's right!" Applejack agreed.
The rest of the Mane Six spoke in agreement while also swearing that they would succeed in bringing down the minotaurs once and for all.
"Then there isn't any time to waste!" TJ said.
"TJ's right!" Firefly agreed. "We need to do a quick, but thorough sweep of the whole village. Give what slight aid we can to the ponies, especially the injured and sick, then prepare them for transportation."
"I'll head back to Seaside Hoof and let them know so they can be ready to assist," Granted Block said.
"I'll take a squad and accompany you," the officer who originally brought Granted offered.
"Firefly, you take the captains and handle the rescue and retrieval operations," TJ said. "I'll coordinate with Twilight, Hard Rock and our other higher ranking officials."
"We'll help with looking for and preparing the ponies who need some doctorin'," Applejack said.
"Then we'll get together with Wolfhard to get those bombs before we head out," Twilight Sparkle said.
"We got a lot to do everypony and we don't know how long we have to do it!" Firefly said urgently. "So we need to hurry up and make this happen asap!"
"Alright, let's move out!" TJ said.
"RIGHT!" everypony else agreed.
And like that, they were all off to take care of business.
"Well, there they are," Wolfhard said as he handed out the last pack containing several of his new explosives to Fluttershy.
He had handed the first five packs of his experimental bombs to the other mares of the Mane Six.
"Thank you, Wolfhard," Fluttershy said sweetly.
"You're perfectly welcome, ma'am," Wolfhard replied. "Yeah, I know I was originally suppose to only give you gals forty bombs, but this is going to be a very dangerous mission. It's even worse since you girls are going alone. So I decided to just give you all sixty bombs I managed to make."
"Thank you, Wolfhard," Twilight Sparkle said. "I know they'll play a big part in determining how everything turns out."
"Thank you, princess, for everything, you and your friends have done here," Wolfhard said.
"We're only doing what a good pony would do," Rainbow Dash said.
"And what a good friend would do, too," Fluttershy added.
There was a momentary pause where Wolfhard just looked on appreciatively as the Mane Six smiled to him.
"Well, that was the last of my stuff I just gave ya," Wolfhard said. "The rest of it is packed away on one of the wagons. I better head over there and make sure everything's handled with care... which I suggest you do with those bombs."
"Are you sure these will make a big boom?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I mean, they're only the size of small beach balls."
"Trust me, they'll do the job," Wolfhard said confidently. "Just one of those bombs could light up a whole hoofball field. They may not look like much, but they got it where it counts."
"Be sure and look out for yourself, Wolfhard," Twilight Sparkle said.
"I'll be looking out for everyone around me, just like a friend would," Wolfhard said with a smile.
"How very great of you, darling," Rarity said. "But still do try and take good care of yourself, too."
"Will do and you all be sure and do the same for each other," Wolfhard said before heading off.
"Well, looks like we got what we came for," Rarity said.
"Do you really think these bombs will be enough to take down the whole base?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Not just the bombs, but we'll also have each other as well," Twilight Sparkle said.
"Not to mention we also have big back up from Godzilla and Anguirus," Pinkie Pie said.
"Yeah, I guess you guys are right," Rainbow Dash said.
"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash, darling, it's natural to be nervous," Rarity said.
"Nervous?!" Rainbow Dash let out defensively. "I'm not nervous! I'm the most un-nervous pony you're ever gonna meet!"
"It's okay, Rainbow, we're all nervous," Applejack said.
"And that's just scratching the top of it," Pinkie Pie said.
"I'm bordering on terrified myself," Fluttershy said through chattering teeth.
"We're all concerned and even scared to a degree," Twilight Sparkle said. "But we have to go and do this if we ever want a chance of putting a permanent stop to the minotaurs. Now are you all with me?"
Some mares just nodded their heads while others said, "Yes" in their own way.
"Then I guess we should check in with TJ and Firefly before we leave," Twilight Sparkle said. "Fluttershy, would you please go to let Godzilla and Anguirus know we're almost ready to go?"
"Yes, Twilight, I will," Fluttershy said.
"I'll hold your bomb pack for ya while you're gone, Fluttershy," Applejack offered.
"Thank you, Applejack," Fluttershy said as she took off her pack and extended it to her friend.
"Not at all," Applejack said as she took the strap of the pack in her mouth.
With that, Fluttershy took off to go find the two great beasts that would accompany the Mane Six to Pony Tale Island's one and only, but still very massive volcano. The other mares watched her fly for a few moments before they took off on their own path to find the ponies currently in charge. They made their way through the wreckage of what was left of Willowbrook, which was now busier than ever. Any wagon that had not been destroyed in the recent raid was now being used to load up the ponies that formerly lived in Willowbrook and lots of other cargo, too. It had been three hours since the meeting at what was left of Moon Bright's hut.
Since then every able bodied pony was working as hard and as fast as they could to fill the wagons located all over the demolished village. The Mane Six had helped out as best they could before meeting with Wolfhard to receive the bombs they meant to use against the minotaurs. In all the time they were out working amongst the masses it wasn't any easier looking at the devastation and the effect it had on everypony. Now walking to find TJ and Firefly, it still wasn't easier looking around. It was clear to see everything that happened still had a very strong effect on everyone.
There was still loss, confusion, sorrow, sadness, and overall depression. But nopony had anytime to recover from it because they had to get themselves ready to leave for Seaside Hoof. When TJ and Firefly announced they were going to leave for the once minotaur infested town, nopony was happy about the decision. Even after it was explained the minotaurs left the ponies were still upset because none of them were in any sort of condition to deal with such an operation. Eventually they all realized it was for the best, despite still not wanting to deal with pretty much anything at all.
The hope going around was that after they all reached Seaside, it would be the beginning of better times for them. In the same announcement TJ informed the ponies of Willowbrook that the Mane Six, along with Godzilla and Anguirus, would be going to deal with the minotaurs. While several ponies were conflicted about this, they tried to fight through it and push on so they could head for a hopefully more secure location. The Mane Six continued to watch everypony around them as they kept working hard so that they could finally leave. Despite all that, it didn't seem to take that long to find TJ, who was talking amongst several other ponies.
TJ looked to see the Mane Six coming and quickly wrapped up his talks with the ponies around him before excusing himself. The Earth pony stallion then made his way over to the mares that were coming to see him. TJ saw the grim expressions the Mane Six had on their faces and they saw his. Both parties knew neither was having an easy time, nor were they looking forward to what came next.
"So the medical convoy is already on their way to Seaside," TJ said.
"That's great," Twilight Sparkle said as enthusiastically as she could muster. "It's really impressive how quick you were able to put that together all things considered."
"Well, you stressed it yourself how important it was that the sick and injured get taken care of first," TJ said. "I agreed with you completely and made sure they got what they needed to get going... It's totally not just because my mom is with them."
Everypony managed a short chuckle.
"How's she doing?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Yeah, how is Moon Bright?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"About as good as you can expect right now," TJ said with a sigh.
"Right, that's understandable," Twilight Sparkle said.
"But she still seems to have confidence in me and Firefly running the show for right now," TJ said.
"And who can blame her?" Applejack asked. "You've been doing a great job so far?"
"Really?" TJ asked with uncertainty. Applejack smirked as she raised an eyebrow. "Right, honest pony, my bad."
"I hope none of you run into trouble on the way to town," Rarity said.
"If we're right in thinking every minotaur on the island is at the volcano, then we shouldn't," TJ said. "But we're still taking no chances. Every convoy escort is as heavily armed as we can manage right now. If there is anything out there we have to deal with, we'll be ready... hopefully."
"You'll be fine, TJ," Twilight Sparkle said.
"Yeah, maybe, but I'm a little more concerned about you fillies right now," TJ said. "You're leaping out of the frying pan and literally jumping into the fire."
"We know, trust me," Rainbow Dash said. "We discussed it pretty much the entire time we were working with the wagon convoys."
"I'm just concerned about you is all," TJ said. "A big part of me actually thinks I should be going with you girls instead,"
"I won't lie, a part of me actually wants you with us," Twilight Sparkle said. "But your place is here helping these ponies and leading them to safety. I truly do wish we could all stay together, but this is the way it has to be. If we ever want a chance at stopping these bulls and making sure everypony is finally free of their wrath we need t be as smart about it as possible. We'll be fine, TJ."
"Are you sure?" TJ said.
"No, but I didn't want you to be upset," Twilight Sparkle said. "Or at least more upset than you already are."
"Look, the truth is we're all gonna have to go through some stuff before this over," Applejack said. "How bad it's gonna be remains to be seen, but it's a hard fact we have to work through."
"Yeah, Applejack's right," TJ said. "Then the least I can do I suppose is wish you all good luck."
"Good luck to you, too, TJ," Twilight Sparkle said.
"I know you'll have trouble in there as it is," TJ said. "But please, Twilight, please, at least still try to spot my dad while you're in there... If he's still alive."
"We'll give it our all, TJ," Twilight Sparkle said. "It was never a question whether or not I would still look for your dad. I'm going to find him. And what's with this 'if he's still alive'? You seemed so confident he was still alive before."
"Well, now I'm not too sure," TJ said. "I'm not sure of anything really anymore... Except for my undying faith in you, Twilight Sparkle."
TJ gazed directly into Twilight's eyes as she gazed deeply into his. Both ponies' eyes were filled with emotion and even lightly trembled.
"So... guess we better be moving on," Twilight Sparkle said.
"I lov- I mean, I guess so, too," TJ said.
"Don't worry, TJ," Rainbow Dash boasted proudly, "we're all gonna come out of this thing on top big time, I know it!"
"With confidence like that, how could it be any different?" TJ said with a smile.
"You got that right!" Rainbow Dash said as the Mane Six turned and started walking away.
"You know, you could've told Twilight what you really wanted to, TJ!" Pinkie Pie called out. "Everypony already knows you two got the hots for each other!"
TJ and Twilight Sparkle both stopped dead in their tracks and looked around. They saw that several other ponies had stopped to stare at what was going on. Embarrassed looks were plastered on TJ and Twilight's faces as they looked back to one another. Both gave small smiles as they waved goodbye before moving on.
"Thanks a lot, Pinkie Pie," Twilight Sparkle grumbled.
"Happy to help, Twi, that's why I'm here," Pinkie Pie said as she walked along, singing the last part of her sentence.
Twilight Sparkle just groaned while Rarity and Applejack both put supportive hooves on her back. As embarrassing as it may have been, Pinkie's antics did sort of help Twilight forget the gravity of the situation. It helped the other mares in their group, too at least for a few seconds. Realization set in again about where they were going and what they had to try and do there. Another small distraction came, however, in the form of Firefly landing in front of the group.
"Hey, girls," Firefly greeted in a friendly manner.
The Mane Six all said hello equally as friendly.
"How can we help you, Firefly?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Well..." Firefly said, "I was wondering if you could give me a moment alone... with my daughter."
Everypony turned to Rainbow Dash, who's face was stone serious.
"I'm fine with that if you all don't mind," Rainbow Dash said. The other mares all agreed as they stepped away to the side. "So... Mom... what can I help you with?"
"Nothing really," Firefly said. "I just had a few things to say, Rainbow Dash."
"Oh... okay," Rainbow Dash replied.
"Is that alright?" Firefly asked.
"Absolutely, Mom, you can say whatever you want to me," Rainbow Dash agreed.
"Thank you, sweetie," Firefly said as a small smile crossed her face.
"Of course," Rainbow Dash said. "Well, what do you have on your mind?"
Firefly let out a big sigh.
"Oh, way too much to explain with the limited time we have," Firefly said. "I'm still gonna try my best to get it all out, though. Look... I know I haven't been the best mother in the world. I know I could've done better, made better choices with the situations laid out before me. But I want you to know despite all the rocky roads we've had to go through, despite us not getting off on the right hoof when you got here... I'm still really glad to have found you again."
"You are?" Rainbow Dash said in surprise. "Even after... everything?"
"Things just happen sometimes," Firefly said. "I know things with the minotaurs would've gone sour even if you weren't here, maybe even faster. That first day you and your friends got here probably could've been it if it weren't for you. Besides that, you had every right to be upset with me for as long as you were. I said it myself, I probably could've handled my situations better... and I truly wish I had.
"That way I could've stayed and watched you grow... I could've been a proud mother watching you go from a child on my knee to a graceful angel in the sky. But... even without those memories, which I still regret, I'm still so very proud of you, Rainbow Dash."
"You... You are?" Rainbow Dash said with a shake in her voice as her eyes trembled. "Even after... what I put you through, you're proud of me?"
"You bet I am," Firefly said. "Rainbow Dash, I already said you had every right to be angry and you still do... But you decided to stop hating me and that means more than anything that's ever happened to me before in my life. Well, except for actually having you on the day you were born. Even if you had not stopped letting me know what a bad parent I was, I would still be proud of the mare you grew up to be.
"And I would still love you with all my heart, my little Dashie."
The other mares of the Mane Six had been watching closely on the sidelines as the situation played out. By the end of Firefly's speech, most of them were on the verge of tears, their eyes trembling like they were reading a teen romance novel.
"Well... I got news for you, Mom," Rainbow Dash said as she stared directly at Firefly. Slight concern grew across the pink pegasus' face. "I decided a little while ago not to just stop hating you. Mom... I forgive you... and I love you, too."
A jolt of emotion was sent flying through not just Rainbow Dash, but all her friends on the side and especially Firefly. All their bodies shook as tears fell, no longer being able to hold back. They were all tears of joy and happiness that were accompanied by big smiles. But again, none smiled as big or was as joyful as Firefly at that moment with Rainbow Dash being the only one who came close. Finally, it became too much to bare and Firefly and Rainbow Dash both flew to each other, embracing as mother and daughter upon contact.
Both Rainbow Dash and Firefly never felt happier in their lives than they did that day when they finally made peace and hugged each other close as could be. At long last, Firefly truly had her daughter back and Rainbow Dash had her mother, her birth mother back. After so long, the bonds of parent and child had been restored between the two pegasi after being broken for so long; even longer than both mares realized. None of their bad blood from the past mattered anymore, though. Rainbow Dash and Firefly were just happy to have each other again.
Both mares lightly sobbed, still being just so happy to be mother and daughter again. Firefly managed to stop her tears as she let Rainbow Dash cry into her chest. She smiled motherly and lightly stroked her daughter's mane all the while. It felt so good to Rainbow Dash to have her mom do so. It even got her to cease her tears and smile as warmly as her mom did.
After a moment, both mares before embraced one more short time. Then the two released their hug and pulled back as they started wiping their tears away. Firefly reached out to try and help Rainbow Dash with her running tears, but the blue pony instantly lifted her hoof to stop her mom.
"Don't do it, you'll only make me cry again," Rainbow Dash said playfully.
"Right, sorry," Firefly said.
For a moment neither pony spoke and instead took in the immense emotion they felt. The other mares continued to hang back, not daring to interrupt what was a very beautiful moment.
"I think we both better move on and take care of what we got to do," Rainbow Dash said.
"Yeah, you're right... though I kinda wish you weren't," Firefly said.
"Me, too, Mom," Rainbow Dash said.
"But what we're doing is too important," Firefly said.
"Some pony that's awesome needs to make sure these ponies get to town safely," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, besides TJ, who else could do it, but you?"
"And I know a group of ponies who are gonna stop the minotaurs and save the world," Firefly said enthusiastically. "They have a particularly awesome pegasus with them that makes their team about... twenty percent cooler."
Rainbow Dash's eyes lit up bright before she shared another hug with Firefly.
"You really think we're gonna stop the minotaurs?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Sure, I do, don't you?" Firefly asked.
"Oh, I know we're gonna come out on top in the end!" Rainbow Dash boasted. "We got too much goin' for us, including an awesome support group fronted by my extra awesome ma!"
"That's the spirit, Dashie!" Firefly exclaimed happily. "Never doubted it for a second. I mean, if I can't have faith in my daughter or my friends, who can I have faith in? Now go on and do important things!"
"You do the same, Mom," Rainbow Dash said. "But... we'll still have time for more hugs and mother, daughter time later, right?"
"Absolutely," Firefly said motherly. "I love you, Rainbow Dash."
"Love you, too, Mom," Rainbow Dash said.
Firefly took to the air and flew away as Rainbow Dash turned back to her friends. As she approached them, she noticed her friends still trying to wipe away their tears. Rainbow Dash stood there for a moment and watched her friends sniffle back any other happy fit they might have. When she noticed most of her friends were smiling emotionally at her, Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes.
"Alright, alright, enough with the sappiness!" Rainbow Dash said. "We need to get busy and save the day already! That's what we're here to do, that's what we always do, and we gotta do it great! Now come on and let's do it twenty percent greater this time around just to impress everypony, whadda say?"
Everypony agreed very enthusiastically as they headed on their way. They walked for about five or six minutes before they were stopped yet again. This time both Fluttershy and Muse were both flying towards them. They were high up in the air, but lowered themselves down until they were standing in front of Twilight and the others. Muse waved to the five mares that stood before her who all waved back.
"Why aren't you with the sick and injured ponies, Muse?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I wanted to stay and give my brother and Firefly moral support," Muse explained. "I wasn't hurt nearly as bad as my mom was and I'm starting to feel a little better as it is. Besides, doesn't everypony need as much moral support as they can get right now?"
"I guess you have a point there," Twilight Sparkle agreed.
"Godzilla and Anguirus are ready whenever we are," Fluttershy reported. "They're just waiting for us at the edge of the village."
"Okay, good, thanks, Fluttershy," Twilight Sparkle said. "Are you really doing okay, Muse?"
"Well, I'm feeling better physically," Muse said. "But I don't think I'm doing okay per say."
"We can certainly understand that, darling," Rarity said. "To be blunt, we haven't been in the best of spirits either... But you Willowbrook ponies have a way of making us somehow feel better. First there was TJ, then Firefly, now you."
Muse smiled a little.
"Guess we Willowbrookers have a knack for moral support," Muse said. "Though I gotta think it's also something Ponyville ponies are good at, too. I mean, seeing you girls altogether right now is actually making me feel loads better. It really is amazing."
"Aww," the Mane Six said together.
"You're such a sweetie, Muse," Pinkie Pie said.
"No wonder you're so good at moral support," Applejack said.
"Thank you, girls," Muse said. "Listen, I don't know what's going to happen. All I do know is that I believe in you all and so do most of us here."
"They do?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Mm-hmm," Fluttershy and Muse said together.
"Muse talked about it with several ponies here," Fluttershy said. "Before she came and found me, a few of the village ponies stopped her and told her to tell us they have faith."
"Aw, that so sweet," Rarity said.
"Maybe not as sweet as my chocolate cake, but that might be because I use too much sugar," Pinkie Pie said. "Wait, scratch that, there ain't no such thing... Oh, but that was still real nice of those ponies, though. Sorry, lost my head."
"So what else is new?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I don't know if they believe because it's all they have left to believe in, but just know it's real for me," Muse said. "No matter what happens, I feel absolutely blessed to have met you and I wouldn't change anything between us. I love you girls like you were all my sisters."
The Mane Six all gathered around Muse to embrace her as they spoke nothing but kind words. The group hug lasted for a few seconds before everyone silently agreed it was time to disperse.
"You're a very special filly, Muse," Twilight Sparkle said. "You have the gift to inspire love and hope in others in a way most ponies only dream of. I'm glad we met you, too and I know none of us would trade it for the world."
Everypony spoke in agreement while Muse beamed happily.
"We love you, Muse," Fluttershy said. "I want you to know you will always be one of my closest and best friends ever."
Muse and Fluttershy shared a quick hug before the multicolored alicorn turned back to the rest of the group.
"Muse, as your teacher" Twilight said, "and more importantly, as your friend, I'm really proud of how much you've grown in such a short time. If you keep up the way you have been, you're gonna grow into an even greater alicorn than you already are."
"And that's saying a lot because you're already super awesome!" Rainbow Dash said with her special brand of enthusiasm.
"You're like if Super Alicorn and Mondo Alicorn merged together!" Pinkie Pie said while holding the comic books she was referencing.
"Pinkie, what are you doing with my comics?!" Rainbow Dash asked in alarm. "Do you realize the super merger event is worth-"
"Calm down, calm down, they're already back in your bag," Pinkie Pie said as she held out her now empty hooves.
Rainbow Dash stared in surprise, her eyes blinking a few times.
"How did you do that?" Rainbow Dash asked with slight aggression.
"It's Pinkie Pie, don't question it," Muse said.
Everypony except Rainbow Dash shared a group laugh.
"That's right, she can be taught!" Pinkie Pie said.
"You've learned rather well, darling, in more ways than one," Rarity said.
"Thank you all for teaching me," Muse said. "But more importantly, thank you for being such awesome friends."
Twilight Sparkle hugged Muse just before the others joined in for a final group hug. There was slight hesitation to end the embrace, but everypony knew they had to do it eventually.
"Better go find TJ now," Muse said. "Someone's gotta make sure he's doing his job right when Firefly's not around."
The Mane Six all giggled in reponse.
"I can't think of anypony better to do it," Twilight Sparkle said.
The other mares of the Mane Six all spoke in agreement before everyone said their goodbyes. With that, the Mane Six resumed their walk as they headed to the edge of the clearing that Willowbrook once completely filled. Unfortunately that was also when the heavy load of the Mane Six's current situation fell upon them once again. This time was different, however, as they seemed to be able to deal with it a little better than before. Sure they knew they still had a big task ahead of them and it was large burden on top of everything else that had happened already.
Still they knew they had each other to help carry the burden with and now they knew they had a lot of moral support going forward. They had a few quick, yet still comforting conversations with some of the friends they had made since coming to Pony Tale Island. It was through them that they now knew many other ponies also believed in them as they went to face the minotaurs head on. In fact, when stealing quick glances from those around them, it almost seemed like some ponies were taking the time to stop and smile at them. This was finally confirmed when they heard a slow, steady group of hooves hitting the ground.
The Mane Six looked to see the villagers around them stomping their hooves with more joining in as the rhythm got faster. Some ponies even began cheering and whooping with some even whistling. With all that going for the Mane Six, suddenly the big burden of their mission was pushed away. A large boost of confidence replaced the void left by the negativity they were feeling before. This even inspired the Mane Six to move faster as they rushed to where Godzilla and Anguirus stood waiting for them.
When the Mane Six looked up at the ever-so-mighty kaiju, they knew they didn't need to ask if they were ready. They could tell by looking at both the monsters' faces, Godzilla and Anguirus felt like they could bring down a whole mountain. That was good for the Mane Six because they knew that was something they may have to do.
"Let's go!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.
The Mane Six all called out loudly in agreement, letting any nearby know they were ready to take on the task ahead. They were nothing, however, when compared to Godzilla and Anguirus lifting their heads into the air and roaring as loud and monstrously as they could. It was Godzilla who took the first step forward as the group began to make their way into the forest. It was the first step on what was sure to be a hard, testing, daunting, and overall quite dangerous journey that the whole group was more than ready to take.