The next morning, Stephan and the Zebrataurs herd all woke up and went outside all together and Brandon decided to make and do a challenge for all the male Zebrataurs in the herd (and Stephan) - a long race from Mount Aris to the Crystal Empire, and when all the males in Brandon's herd accepted doing the long racing challenge, Brandon confirmed that the decision is final and that all the males must prepare for the long racing challenge, which he will start at noon, but Stephan, however, was the only one who is unsure if to accept doing the long racing challenge or not.
And so, before noon came, Stephan asked Brandon if he can not be part of the long racing challenge, but then Brandon said to him "I'm afraid you will have to join us, Stephan. You don't really have a choice but to accept the long racing challenge.", but then Stephan asked "But why?", and then Brandon explained "Since you're also a male like any other male Zebrataur in my herd, you must do the long racing challenge with all the other males in my herd, Stephan.", and this made Stephan frown before he then said "Fine. I will be part of the long racing challenge. I promise I won't fail you, Brandon.", and then Brandon smirked evilly to himself before he said to Stephan "That's my good brother!", but when Stephan heard what the Zebrataur leader said, Stephan gasped in shock when he realized that Brandon just called him his brother, but then the teenage male centaur shook his head repeatedly and snapped out of his shocked state and then he said "I promise I won't fail you during the long racing challenge, Brandon.", and then he turned around and walked away from Brandon and joined up with the other males and prepared himself for the long racing challenge.
When noontime came, Brandon, the male Zebrataurs and Stephan were all ready to begin the long racing challenge (and since they all already arrived at Mount Aris), and then Brandon spoke up and said to all the males in the herd "All the males, listen up! We're going to start our long racing challenge from here (Mount Aris) all the way to the Crystal Empire! When all of us reach there, we're going to start a new mission, but I will tell you what kind of mission it's going to be only when we all finally reach there!", and then Biff came up to his side and added "All the males - follow Brandon! All the females - follow behind and help make sure that none of the males gets lost!", and then Brandon said "The long racing challenge is starting now! All the males - are you all ready?", and then all the males (except for Stephan) said "We're all ready!", and then Brandon said to them all to stand in a row, and once all the males (and Stephan) did as he said and stood in a row, Brandon then counted down "Five, four, three, two, one!" and then he yelled "let's go!", and when all the males (and Stephan) all heard what he said, they all started to trot and gallop as fast as each and every male from Brandon's herd can, and this is when the long race from Mount Aris to the Crystal Empire finally began.
All the male Zebrataurs and Stephan trotted and galloped after Brandon, who led them all from the front so they can follow him, while the Zebratauresses all followed behind to make sure that none of the males accidentally goes astray and gets lost, but in mid-race, however, Stephan accidentally started to slow down due to himself getting tired from trotting and running so fast since he and herd first started to move out at the beginning of the long racing challenge, and it didn't took long before the centaur finally collapsed on the ground and started to inhale and exhale heavily in great defeat, thus prompting two Zebratauresses which are, in fact, the only two female members left in Brandon's herd (since Brandon banished Layla) to come to his aid.
When the two Zebratauresses reached Stephan, they tried to help him up, but because he trotted and galloped so fast too much, he couldn't stand back up on his hooves on his own, and despite the two Zebratauresses tried to help him, Stephan is still too weak and is unable to stand back up on his hooves, and when Brandon turned to look back and saw Stephan and the Zebratauresses staying behind in midway, Brandon then ordered Biff to lead the rest of the herd forward and continue towards the Crystal Empire, and when Biff listened and told the other male Zebrataurs to continue forward on their way to the Crystal Empire, Brandon returned back to Stephan and the Zebratauresses to see what's wrong.
When Brandon reached Stephan and the two Zebratauresses, he saw Stephan is struggling to get back up on his hooves, and then the Zebrataur leader asked "What's wrong with you now?", and then Stephan begged "Please help me! I'm tired and I can't keep up with you! You gotta help me!", but then Brandon said in an insulting tone "So is that it, white centaur? Are you saying you can't keep up with the rest of the herd?!", and then Stephan said "Well, I'm afraid so.", but then Brandon said "Then I guess that's it, white centaur! If you're too weak to keep up with the rest of the herd, then you're no longer a member of my herd!", and when Brandon said that, Stephan gasped in shock and then asked "How could you say that?", and then he added "I thought we're brothers like you once said we were!", but then Brandon said "Oh, please! How could I even call a white centaur like you my brother?! I don't even need you anymore! And as a matter of fact, Stephan, I never even wanted you to be one of my herd at all!".
When Stephan heard the Zebrataur leader who once called him his brother saying such mean words to him, the centaur gasped in shock to realize that Brandon never even cared about him at all, and then Stephan cried "How could you? I thought you did cared! My father even agreed that I can join you and with you as a part of your herd!", but then Brandon said "You're wrong, Stephan! Your father and I faked everything for you!", and then he added and explained "The real plan was to get you to turn against your real friends! But when you're at least expect, we will dump you behind for good!", and when Stephan heard what he said, he cried "You can't mean it, Brandon!", but then Brandon said evilly "Believe me, Stephan! I do mean it!", and then he added "It was been fun for a while for all of us to have you here in the herd, but now you've outgrown your usefulness!", but then Stephan struggled up to his hooves and then he grabbed at Brandon's hand with his own, and then he cried and begged "Please, Brandon! Don't go!", but then Brandon smacked the centaur's hand away from his own hand using his other hand and said evilly "Goodbye, Stephan!", and then he said to the Zebratauresses "You two, go ahead and catch up with the males!", and the two Zebratauresses obeyed and then they started to trot and gallop away, thus leaving Brandon and Stephan alone with each other.
Then, Brandon said to Stephan "Now I have one last thing to give you, Stephan!", and then he turned tail and kicked dirt in Stephan's face, thus prompting him to say "Yuck!" and then he wiped away the dirt from himself in pure disgust, before Brandon turned with his head back to him and evilly said "This!", and then he added "See you never, Stephan! I hope I will never meet you filthy white centaur ever again!", and then he finally turned with his head away from Stephan and finally started to trot and gallop away, thus leaving the heartbroken white centaur behind. However, Stephan cried for him to come back and help him by calling "Brandon! Don't go! Please, I beg you! Don't leave me alone!", but the cruel and heartless Zebrataur leader ignored his begging calls for help, and so he just continued to trot and gallop forward in the direction the rest of his herd already went - to the Crystal Empire, and thus finally leaving the poor and heartbroken Stephan all alone.
Once Brandon was gone, Stephan struggled to stand back up again, and after a few failed attempts, Stephan finally managed to successfully get back up on his hooves, but instead of following in the direction where Brandon and the herd went, Stephan decided to wander off in a different direction, because now he's all alone and he's also on his own once again. Eventually, after walking and wandering off slowly for quite a while, Stephan finally found a small lake where he can drink from and also to use it to drown his sorrows.
However, he wasn't alone for long as Stephan suddenly heard a familiar female voice calling for him, but in that case, it wasn't Bluebell this time - but was his own mother instead. When Stephan heard his mother's voice, he turned to look up and see his own mother's spirit flying down and landing on the lake's surface, and then Stephan asked her "Mother? What are you doing here?", but then Stephan's mother asked her teenage son "Where are these bad Zebrataurs who made a deal with your father to make you betray your real friends?", and then Stephan answered and explained "Well, they all left me behind. They don't care about me anymore. Now I'm all alone by myself and I have no friends at all.", and then he let out a sigh and added "Maybe I should just face it - I don't deserve to live anymore. I've already lost everything I had. Even you, mother.", and then some tears started to form in the teenage centaur's eyes.
However, Stephan then felt a soft hand gently touching and stroking at his face and then wiping away the tears forming in his eyes, and when he opened his eyes saw his own mother's ghost actually touching him and trying to comfort him after he was been tricked by his own father and Brandon from the start, this is when the centauress said in the softest of voices "Shhh, it's okay, Stephan. You didn't lost everything. I know you still have Bluebell, and your little siblings as well, and also these human girl (Chloe) and Pegasus pony (Aylene) who are your best friends.", but then Stephan said "They're not my friends anymore. I have nothing left to do anymore. And soon enough, I will be joining you for all my failures.", but then his mother's spirit said to him "Don't say that, my son. You still have lots of years to live. You do deserve to have Bluebell as your future wife, and you do deserve to bring some kind baby centaurs to Equestria in the future, and so have your own children.", but then Stephan said "That won't happen, mother. In fact, I actually made sure that I will never be friends with Bluebell anymore, and neither with Chloe and Aylene, just like father wanted me to.", and when she heard what her son said, the centauress spirit asked Stephan "What are you talking about son? What did you do to Bluebell?", and then Stephan confessed and said "I yelled at Bluebell and I even dared to hurt her feelings, just like father always wanted me to do.".
When Stephan's mother heard what her son said, she gasped in shock and asked "Stephan, how could you do that to that kind centauress who loves you so much?", but then Stephan cried "Because I don't have a choice! I'm supposed to follow father, and Lord Tirek! If I don't follow their hoofprints, then I'm nothing but a disgrace to all of centaur kind!", but then Stephan's mother's spirit said "That's not true at all, my son! I was good before I died, and right now as a spirit, I still am as good and as kind like I was before!", but then Stephan said "Then what should I do right now?! I can't go back and apologize to Bluebell now! She may not want to forgive me anymore! It's too late!", and then he started to cry as he thought that there's nothing else left for himself to do anymore.
However, Stephan's mother's spirit started to touch lightly at her son's cheek and then she said "Oh, Stephan, nothing is too late. You can still apologize to Bluebell when she comes here to find you with everyone else by her sides.", but then Stephan cried "She won't forgive me! Nor will everyone else! To them, I'm now nothing but a ferocious monster! I'm not welcome anywhere anymore! The end is near and the time has come!", but then his mother said to him "No, it's not your time to go! You're still too young to die! You do deserve to live, and I love you, Stephan!", and when his mother's words touched his heart, Stephan tried to hug his mother, who then tried to make herself feel solid enough for her son so he can touch and hug her, before she then pulled him into a tight embrace.
However, once they let go of each other and broke their tight embrace, the mother centauress then said to Stephan "Go and find your real friends and apologize to them, but you also need to warn them all about what's going to happen in the Crystal Empire.", but then Stephan asked "Brandon and his herd were all going there, so can you please tell me what's wrong?", and then his mother's spirit answered and explained "Brandon and his herd, they are the problem! They want to attack the Crystal Empire!", and when heard what she said, he then gasped in shock and asked "What?! So Brandon and his herd were all planning to attack and then rule the Crystal Empire?!", and then his mother's ghost said "Yes, I'm afraid so! Now go and find your real friends, apologize to them and tell them all to go to the Crystal Empire to stop Brandon and his herd before they can all reach its central part - the Crystal Palace, where Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and their daughter, Flurry Heart, all live!", and then she added "Stephan, you must save the Crystal Empire!", and then Stephan said "Of course I will do something about this! Brandon betrayed me, so I'm going back to my real friends and have my revenge on that evil Zebrataur for tricking me into turning on my real friends against my will!", and then Stephan's mother's ghost said "That's my boy! Now go and take care of yourself! Find Your real friends and tell them about Brandon's plan to attack and rule the Crystal Empire!", and then Stephan said "I will! Goodbye, mother!", and then his mother's spirit said "Goodbye, Stephan! I wish you good luck!", and then she started to fade away until she completely disappeared into thin air, thus leaving Stephan alone once again.
Then, Stephan made everything up in his mind and said "I will have my revenge on you, Brandon! When I will find my real friends, I will apologized to all of them and then I will tell them all about your evil plans to attack and rule the Crystal Empire! When my real friends and I we'll all find you and your herd in the Crystal Enpire, I'm going to make sure you run away and will never return! I promise that, Brandon, I will stop you from trying to do whatever you want, and I will also promise I foil your evil plans and make sure you won't mess up with anyone else ever again!", and then the young centaur started to walk away from the small lake and then he began to search for Chloe, Aylene, Bluebell and all the others, who are all his real friends.