Chapter 1: A Haunting in Canterlot
Chapter 1: A Haunting in Canterlot
Four streaks of dark clouds roared across the orange and red sky, arcing lighting as if they were fingers reaching out from within. The stormy trails twisted across one another, turning skyward, then downward, in a tangled yet orchestrated pattern.
The crowd of candy-coloured ponies watched in awe as the Wonderbolts’ show started in the evening sky above them. Sounds from the herd below varied from 'ooohs,' 'aaahs,' giddy laughter, stunned amazement and just about everything in between as they watched the spectacle overhead.
In sharp contrast, a rainbow trail cut through the act of the Wonderbolts and immediately drew any competing attention from the audience.
The other team members moved alongside the one with a rainbow mane and the group cut upwards, stopping several thousand feet above the stadium in which they were performing. Appearing so small that, from such a distance, no details could be discerned regarding what they were up to at that height.
The drove of ponies gasped as it appeared the entire team seemed to fall from the sky, holding formation as they started to gain speed and headed directly at the audience.
The four cloud-trailing pegasi pulled away in separate directions, making a cross in the sky, leaving only the rainbow pegasus left careening towards the herd of ponies that were unsure of whether the leading pony was going to pull up in time.
The distance was still great between the spectators and their varicoloured entertainer, who suddenly rocketed forward at an even greater speed as light and sound tore open the sky behind her.
It was the Sonic Rainboom.
The crowd roared to life as the rainbow pony cut hard over the viewers' heads. The daring Wonderbolt pulled herself back into the sky to write “BOOM” in the air with the rainbow trailing behind her. She then moved back into formation with her companions to finish the show.
When the last of the sun set over the horizon, the show was over.
The rainbow pony landed with the other Wonderbolts on the launching platform, which was situated on the far side of the stadium. She looked back through her goggles to watch the spectators slowly mill their way out of the bleachers.
The other four ponies started chatting eagerly, congratulating each other for another show well done.
"Great job, guys!" A mare with a red-and-yellow-striped mane spoke up first, her voice matching her excitement, "Did you see their faces?" Her mane was pulled back into a ponytail with evenly cut bangs that sat over her eyes, which were covered in goggles.
"Tell me about it, Fireball," A stallion with a blue-and-white-striped mane responded nonchalantly, "I was actually a little worried about that diving maneuver: No matter how many times we practiced it, I kept seeing something bad happening." His mane was short, standing up in what appeared to be an uncontrolled mess.
"Of course you were, Louman," a mare with an orange mane responded. "If you weren't worried about that, you would have been worrying about the glare from your goggles blinding somepony." Her bangs hung across both sides of her face, held in place with hair clips, coming to just below her eyes, and the portion at the back of her head stopped just before touching her back.
"And you're saying that wasn't a danger, Sunset?" Louman retorted. "Luckily, nothing did happen this time."
"Nothing has ever happened and never will. Quit being such a worrywart. I'm sure it's your worrying that's keeping us from performing in the main event," a mare with a green mane chimed in, "It seems like we've been doing the closing events for years!" Her mane fell down one side of her face, coming down to the bottom of her jaw line, while the back hung loose and parted across her back.
"That's because we have, Lucky Shot," the rainbow-maned mare spoke. "Good job, guys. But we still have to work on being a little tighter on that descent. I think you guys pulled away too soon." Then the rainbow mare pointed a hoof at Louman. "And especially you. You pulled away first."
"Sorry, Captain..." Louman responded. "It's just that was the first time we performed that stunt for an audience. I was worried that somepony might get hurt."
"We did that stunt I don't know how many times in practice and nothing bad happened." Sunset hoofed Louman in the shoulder. "Why would something bad happen tonight?"
"Well, unlike you guys and the Captain," Louman sighed as he started walking in from the dock, "I don't like being reckless."
"Show some respect for Rainbow!" Lucky Shot piped up again. Her voice was fairly quiet and, to be fair, she was smaller than the others, but not by much. She trotted up to Louman.
Fireball giggled. "You haven't seen reckless in the Captain." She started to walk in as well.
"That's right, you were a Wonderbolt before all of us, Fireball," Sunset chimed in while trotting beside Fireball.
Rainbow Dash walked with Fireball and Sunset. "Fireball has got that right; I used to be way more reckless and got myself into much more trouble."
"Wait, you mean to say that you were even more trouble before you joined the Wonderbolts?" Lucky Shot turned her head to look at Rainbow Dash. "Is that even possible?"
"You have no idea, Lucky Shot." Fireball smiled, enjoying knowing something that nopony else did. "Now, let's get that autograph session over so we can get out of these costumes and get something to drink."
"I'll make that an official order." Rainbow chuckled as the group rounded a corner. "And if nopony asks about what I was like before the Wonderbolts, the drinks will be on me."
"Alright!" Lucky Shot hopped quickly, losing her balance momentarily and bumped into Louman.
"I'm going to need one after this," Louman stated as he saw the congregation of fillies and colts in the lobby.
"That's a good sport!" Sunset grinned widely and lead the team to meet their admirers.
The moon stood high in the sky as the team of Wonderbolts walked down a busy thoroughfare within Canterlot.
"So where do you guys want to go?" Fireball turned her head to the other ponies. She had vibrant blue eyes that could now be seen without the uniform's goggles covering them up. The cutie mark on her flank looked much like the sun, but was red, which stood in contrast to her yellow coat.
Lucky Shot, her green eyes practically glowing, jumped up and over to Fireball. "What about that new restaurant that just opened up?" Her cutie mark was a clover set on a red target over her yellow coat..
The herd stopped and moved off to the side of the road, being mindful of the swarm of ponies and not wishing to be in the way while they talked.
"I've heard good things about the place. People say they have the best apple pies in Equestria." Sunset mentioned, her yellow eyes looking contemplative. Her cutie mark matched Fireball's, yet was yellow with a cloud around the bottom of it, which stood out in stark contrast to her red coat.
Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself inside her head at the mention of the fruity dessert. She stood a moment, ignoring her friends to identify this alien feeling. Her face scowled some as she closed her eyes forcefully at the thought of home baked pies. In a bid to distract herself, she wandered across the street to pull herself out of the rut she was quickly digging.
As she cut through the few ponies that milled along the road, her mind went to the times where she would wake up to the smell of home baked goods, all laced with the distinct scent of cooked apples. A cheerful southern mare would call up, pointing out that there were only so many hours in the day and the best hours were when the sun first rose.
Rainbow Dash looked over herself, her body much more slim than it was when she lived on the farm where she did much more strenuous work and built muscle. Now all the lack of physical work had made her more streamlined and agile. Her face scowled and her hind leg kicked some dirt on the ground around.
Even as Rainbow Dash subjected herself to her wandering thoughts, the conversation just across the street continued.
"The only bad thing I heard about the place is how crowded it is," Louman spoke up, "do you think they have cider?" He had pale blue eyes that matched his coat. His cutie mark was of an arc of blue and white light emanating from a dark cloud.
"What's wrong with a crowd, Louman?" Lucky Shot inquired. "If there isn't a crowd, then there isn't really any fun!" She grinned from ear to ear.
"And without a crowd there isn't any trouble," Louman rebuked Lucky. He wouldn't admit it, but he had a terrible feeling in his gut for the prior couple of days, and he just couldn't shake it. It had gotten even worse since the end of their show.
"Well, since it is getting pretty late, I don't think crowds are going to be a problem." Sunset shrugged. "Most ponies are probably heading to bed."
"Well, Captain," Fireball smiled, "what do you think?" Fireball's smile faded as she looked around. "Where did Rainbow go?"
"She was just here a second ago," Lucky Shot stated, flapping her wings to rise above the slowly dispersing herd of ponies to look around. "There she is!" Lucky Shot pointed towards their team leader across the road.
"What is she doing over there?" Louman groaned as the herd started to make its way across the street. With the time creeping later and later into the night, there were not many ponies left wandering down the road. Irregardless, Sunset still felt the need to apologize to those milling down the road.
"Captain, what are you doing over there?" Fireball asked, quite concerned as she observed what looked like sadness in Dash's eyes, "Are you okay?"
"Just thinking. Did you guys decide where we're going?" Rainbow Dash asked as she rubbed her hoof on the ground, dodging the question.
"Yeah, we're going to the new restaurant!" Lucky Shot smiled, attempting to lift Rainbow Dash's somber mood, "Remember, drinks are on yo~u!"
Rainbow Dash forced a smile, "That's right. C'mon, let's go."
And so they went towards their intended destination, down the myriad mess of roads that comes with an aging capital. They slowly made their way past historical stone buildings that stood proudly next to their more modern counterparts.
It didn't take much longer than they would have liked to find the new restaurant. As they had expected, there wasn't much of a cluster of ponies at this time of the night.
Something about the building reminded her of Ponyville, but she just couldn't put her hoof on it. It had been about five years since she was last there. A well of emotions started rising up in her at the thought of friends that she had not seen in such a long time. As much as she had hated the thought of leaving them all behind, her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt had to come first. Living with regret was not something Rainbow Dash ever wanted, but at the time she was choosing between two roads with no middle ground, and still left feeling like she did something wrong. She quickly shook her head to focus back on the fact that she was there with her teammates to have a good time.
Rainbow Dash took a moment to look up and read the sign: “The Fabulous Candied Apple: Restaurant and Drinking Establishment.” The building had three separate entraces. The boutique was to the right and the grocer was to the left leaving the bar to be in the middle.
The herd wandered in, attempting to hold their composure as they walked into the establishment. The place was mostly empty except for a few stallions guffawing in one corner and a couple sitting in a booth. The place was warm, colourful and seemed to have that feeling of home.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-One Year Earlier-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
A great apple tree shook as a pair of hooves struck its base, hitting at a carefully-aimed point on the trunk so that the tree only shook but did not sway to the pressure, nor strike too low as to disturb only the ground.
As vivid green apples fell to the ground, Applejack's voice rang out, full of praise in a soft southern accent. "That's the mark, Apple Bloom!" she cried out, raising herself on her hind legs to do a celebratory kick into the air.
"I did do it, didn't I?" Apple Bloom beamed as she looked at the apples that had fallen around herself and the tree. "I still can't believe it took so long to get it right."
"Practice always makes perfect, baby sister." Applejack grinned from ear to ear, "Now not only can you grow the biggest apples in Equestria, you can buck 'em, sell 'em and make the work around 'ere a little easier on the lot of us."
Apple Bloom just couldn't contain her excitement any longer and she started to run around, jumping and squealing around the tree. "I can't believe that I can finally help around here!"
The younger sister now stood almost as Applejack's equal in height and stature. She had adopted a ponytail much like her older sister’s that was tied off at the end with her signature red ribbon. On her flank, her cutie mark could be seen as a tree with a single, solitary red apple on it.
Apple Bloom’s cutie mark came about when Applejack and Big Mac decided to expand the farm a few years before and learned quite quickly that Apple Bloom had a green hoof. The trees she planted and took care of had the biggest, juiciest apples that grew much faster than the other trees. From that spring on, she was given exclusive responsibility for taking care of the farm with the rest of the family as her assistants in the endeavor.
Apple Bloom's ability in regards to applebucking, on the other hoof, was quite lacking and had taken since that spring to develop fully.
"Well ya know that all the work won't be completely up to you and me," Applejack started. "If Big Mac weren't always runnin' off to see Twilight every five minutes, he could be considered half a hoof 'round here."
As if mentioning them had summoned them to their positions, Twilight's signature teleportation spell placed her just a few meters away from the pair of applebucking sisters as Big Mac carried several bushels of apples.
The late summer air blew about them, kicking up many of the fallen leaves that had accumulated from Apple Bloom’s bucking, seeming to fly around Apple Bloom and causing her to jump up, startled, and run over to Applejack.
"Speak of Nightmare Moon," Applejack muttered as she shot a glare towards Twilight who levitated a bushel of apples off of Big Mac's back. "Are you two lolly-gaggers finished with that field yet? You ought ta been done hours ago."
"Eeyup." Big Mac grinned.
"This is the last of the apples now," Twilight sheepishly grinned, "Sorry it took so long, we kind of got... distracted."
Apple Bloom looked at the mismatched pair, greatly confused. What could have distracted them out there? was her only thought.
Applejack pressed a hoof against her forehead. "Honestly, you two. I thought having you move in, Twi, would keep Big Mac from running off every five minutes, but it's barely made a difference. If anything, he's more distracted now."
"I'm sorry, AJ." Twilight looked at the ground and rubbed her hoof in the dirt before looking up again. "I'm just still so new to this farm life, and Big Mac is taking all the time he can to teach me things." Twilight bit her lip. "I promise we'll get better."
"Eeyup," Big Mac added with a little more enthusiasm than the situation required.
"Eh, you two know that I can't stay mad at y’all," Applejack grinned. "Just don't forget that we have responsibilities and I don't want to waste any of the crop like we did last year."
"Don't worry, this year's harvest will be the best one yet!" Twilight whinnied and trotted over to her friend, putting a hoof around her in a hug.
"Of that, I have no doubt, sugarcube." Applejack smiled and returned the hug.
Barely a second had passed before Apple Bloom's voice was heard calling out for a group hug that found Applejack and Twilight crushed between Big Mac and the energetic young mare.
Several hours had passed and the sun was starting to set for the night, with moonrise seen on the opposite edge of the horizon.
A knock on the Apple family door caused Apple Bloom to shout out, "I've got the door!" A few seconds had passed when younger mare called out again.
"It's for you, Applejack!"
"I'll be right down!" Applejack called back as she walked out of her bathroom. Her mane was wrapped up in a towel and her tail whipped back and forth against her flank, wringing out the remaining water.
As she came down the stairs, she found her mouth turning to a smile as she saw two mares standing at the door.
"Pinkie! Rarity!" Applejack trotted down the stairs. "What brings you two 'round these parts?"
"Actually, we're here on business." Rarity smiled back, the trio bringing themselves into a hug.
"Ya don't say?" Applejack mused as they pulled out of their hug. "Well come on in, let's get into the kitchen and I'll getcha a nice glass of cider," she said as she led the group into the kitchen.
"Oh, goody! I love your homemade cider, AJ!" Pinkie Pie grinned and performed a quick hop, appearing to be more contained than she once was in prior years.
"That's one of the reasons that we are here. Actually," Rarity started as she took a seat at the table, "You make the most divine cider this side of Equestria."
"And you are the best cook I know, next to Mister and Missus Cake of course," Pinkie added with a quick nod.
Applejack poured a round of ciders for the trio and sat herself down at the table as well. "Maybe that's true, but what does it have to do with business? My business is a farm, not a bakery or a bar."
"That may be true now," Rarity started, her horn glowing as she raised the glass to her lips and took a dainty sip, whereas Pinkie simply picked up the mug with both hooves and took a solid swig. "But Mister and Missus Cake are looking to expand and open a franchise, or at least invest in a business, in Canterlot." Rarity took another taste. "Pinkie and I were talking with the Cakes about it, and the idea for a bakery and bar came up. Well, Pinkie and I just thought of you as the best candidate as not only an investor, but also being able to run the shop in the most efficient manner."
Pinkie nodded as she took another swig of cider, her cheeks quickly becoming flushed. "And seeing as how you got Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Twilight to run the farm, you've got nothing to worry about if you leave!"
"But what does that have to do with you, Rarity?" Applejack asked, taking a large swallow from her cider. "And Pinkie, haven'tcha learned to slow down?" she shot a glare at Pinkie, "Set down that mug and try to at least taste it."
Rarity thought for a second before responding. "Truth be told, I've been wanting to move to and open a boutique in Canterlot, but I haven't quite been able to get the funds together." She sipped her cider once again, "Even though my dresses sell quite well in Canterlot, delivery charges make the ordeal quite costly, and, if I were to be in Canterlot to make my dresses, I could continue to sell the clothes at the same price but be able to drive a higher profit." Rarity nodded, shifting her flank on the chair quickly. "With my projections, I'd be able to pay off the Cakes' loan in only a few years."
"Well that makes plenty of sense now," Applejack smiled. "But I can't just leave this farm, not right now at least."
"That's okay," Pinkie piped up, "We're actually only looking at storefronts next week. We won't be able to open a shop until at least next spring."
"She's right, you know." Rarity smiled at Pinkie and then turned back to AppleJack, "It will take at least six months after buying a patch of land to have it renovated and worked into a place of business. But we still need some more money to cover the potential overhead. Just to have some breathing room." Rarity looked at her cider and took another sip, ashamed that she was here drinking her friend's homemade brew and asking for money.
"I, eh," Applejack rubbed a hoof on the back of her neck, "Unless this harvest turns out really good, I can't really spare the money." Applejack stared at her cider a moment before looking up at Rarity, "How much do ya need?"
Rarity swallowed hard and looked at Pinkie before looking back at AppleJack, "About eighty-thousand bits."
Applejack nearly fell off of her chair and took a moment to breathe. "Eighty-thousand? Sweet Celestia, that is a lot," Applejack mumbled.
On a good harvest, the Sweet Apple Acres was able to rake in about 100 thousand bits. On an average year, they could rake in sixty-thousand bits.
Applejack was wrestling with herself. She wanted to help her friends, and investing in a business would be a smart move if it did well. They were early into applebucking season and, with what had been harvested so far, they had about twenty-thousand bits. If the rest of the season went as it had started, they might have been able to pull in 120 thousand bits.
"When would you guys need this money?" Applejack asked, deciding at least to see if she could do it.
"Not until the spring." Rarity answered, smiling as a gentle blush hinted at her cheeks.
"I'll see what I can do. I'll have to talk to the family first, but I'll give you an answer tomorrow." Applejack nodded before taking another sip, shrugged, and then downed the rest. “So how is Sweetie Bell doing?”
“Oh, she has taken quite the liking to Fluttershy and her little animal habitat,” Rarity started to answer, “I can’t possibly understand why she likes hanging around those critters so much, but she does none the less.”
“Well, she really did like helping out Fluttershy with waking up the animals and cleaning up their homes during the last few Winter Wrap Ups,” Pinkie Pie added.
Idle banter continued through the group as they all finished their drinks. Finally, Rarity and Pinkie Pie expressed their gratitude for the beverages and thanked Applejack for considering their proposal before having to excuse themselves.
The night itself wound on as Applejack talked to the family about the investment and what it would mean for the winter should they go through with it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The bell over the bright pink door rang as the door swung past it. The soft, clear ring was brief but subtle enough not to bother the rest of the denizens of the food and beverage establishment.
A bright pink pony with a nearly matching curly pink mane turned around to face the front door from her position behind the bar. She was about to speak up that they were about to close before she spied a rainbow-maned mare in the group of five ponies that had just walked in. At the sight, she turned herself around and placed both of her hooves over her mouth to keep from squealing in delight.
The group of five ponies wandered over to the bar, opting out from sitting at one of the many multi-coloured tables that were expertly positioned to make use of the most space. The wood flooring, surprisingly, didn't carry the sound of hooves walking across it very far.
The pink pony sat behind the bar, thinking of the best way to greet her old friend before being broken from her thoughts by the clear rapping of a hoof on the bar counter. She took a deep breath and hopped up to a standing position.
The jumping was quite unexpected to the group and all but Louman took a step back in surprise. Louman's eyes were closed at the time, as he was in the middle of a yawn.
“Welcome to the Fabulous Candied Apple!” the pink pony greeted the group. She wore a large smile as she turned to Rainbow Dash. “How long has it been, Dashie?”
Rainbow Dash had been taking the most time to come to terms with who had jumped into her view without warning as she had instantly recognized the signature mane. “Too long, Pinkie,” Dash answered as she moved into a more comfortable position at the bar. “How have you been?”
“I've been doing super duper great,” Pinkie responded, grinning from ear to ear. “I get to run my own business with my best friends so it's like having a party every day!” Pinkie turned to look at Dash's companions. “I'm sorry about that; can I get you guys anything?” she asked quickly, hoping they didn't notice she had forgotten to take their orders.
Louman was the first to speak up. “Yes, I think we'd all like a round of ciders on the Captain's tab.”
“And I would like a piece of apple cinnamon crumble too!” Lucky Shot quickly added, practically bouncing in her spot while thinking of her late snack.
“Apple crumble and five ciders,” Pinkie mumbled while writing down the orders on a pad of paper. She turned her head back to the team, “Anything else?”
Sunset and Fireball both shook their heads, agreeing that they were just fine with the cider.
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie set the pen down next to the pad and turned to face Dash, “Do you want me to tell AJ that you're here?” she asked before tearing the order from the pad.
“AJ is here too?” Dash responded, knowing the question was already answered but unsure how to be comfortable with the revelation. “Maybe later; just not right now, Pinkie.”
“Don'tcha worry; your secret is safe with me!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she walked from behind the bar and turned down a hall.
“Now she is one excitable mare,” Fireball observed.
“I'm just surprised she didn't explode,” Rainbow Dash added with a giggle.
“Speaking of Pinkie,” Sunset cut in, “how do you know her?”
“Do you want to pay for your drink?” Dash raised an eyebrow to add emphasis to her question.
Sunset was about to respond but a bouncing Pinkie Pie coming around to the bar cut her short.
“Alright, let's get you all some drinks,” Pinkie stated just before she set six mugs onto the bar counter. “So who are your friends, Dashie?”
Louman eyed the extra mug Pinkie Pie set on the counter as Dash answered, pointing a hoof at each of her teammates as they were introduced. As they became acquainted, Pinkie produced a hose from behind the bar and filled each mug with cider using a nozzle that could be activated when she bit down on the trigger.
When all the mugs were full, Pinkie placed the hose back behind the counter and pushed the mugs of cider to each pony, leaving one in front of herself.
“Why are there six ciders when there are only five of us?” Louman inquired, pointing a hoof at the glass before Pinkie for emphasis.
“Well I am going to want a drink while Dash tells me why she ran off without saying good-bye.” Pinkie answered as she leaned onto the counter-top facing Rainbow Dash.
The rainbow-maned pony rubbed her hoof at her ear as she looked at her team and then back to Pinkie. “Well... Um...”
Before the sentence could be finished, a clear and loud crash of porcelain smashing on the floor drew everyponies attention to the end of the bar where Applejack stood, her mouth agape.
Pinkie Pie's ears folded down as she looked at Applejack with a very guilty expression adorning her face.
Applejack quickly found her voice and asked. “What are ya doin' here, Rainbow Dash?”
“I take it you guys aren't friends?” Sunset asked, looking from Applejack and then to Dash, curiosity now chewing at her mind.
Pinkie grabbed her mug with both hooves and took a large swallow of her drink. Louman and Lucky Shot took from her example and did the same, knowing that whatever was coming next would either be entertaining or a disaster.
Dash took a sip of her cider before answering Applejack's question. “I should be asking you the same thing,” she responded coldly, looking down at Applejack with an unhealthy mixture of emotions swirling behind her eyes.
“What in the hay is that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked with restraint, nearly biting her tongue with some of the more cruel things that wanted to slip out of her mouth. She turned to Pinkie Pie and asked in an equally enraged manner, “Why didn'tcha tell me she,” Applejack pointed a hoof at Rainbow Dash, “was here?”
“Don't bring Pinkie into this,” Rainbow Dash spoke up, “I asked her not to tell you.”
“And why is that, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack turned back towards Rainbow Dash, “Ahm I not good enough to be in the lofty presence of an esteemed member of the Wonderbolts?”
Louman took another swallow of his beverage, taking note of how the bad feeling he had for the last few days had simmered down a touch. He reached out a hoof and tapped Sunset on the shoulder. “I think we should step outside for a bit, give them some privacy.” He whispered.
Sunset turned her head to look Louman in the eyes, “And miss this? No way, this is so much better than being at my parents for the holidays,” she responded with a smirk before turning her head back to look at the pair of what used to be old friends.
Louman sighed before noticing his mug was near empty. An initial thought that his mug had a hole in it was squashed by the fact that the counter was still dry.
“What? No. I just didn't want this,” Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof on the floor for emphasis, “to happen out here, in front of my team.”
Applejack snorted and was about to respond when Lucky Shot quickly piped up, “Um, I don't mean to interrupt but I was wondering if I was going to get my order?”
Applejack looked down to the mess on the floor before her. The scowl on her face disappeared as she sighed and looked over to Lucky Shot. “Ahm sorry bout that.” She then shot a glare at Rainbow Dash, “Don't think we're done tradin' words,” she said before turning around and headed into the back.
Silence quickly spilled across the restaurant and Fireball looked around the room, noticing the other ponies that were there not too long ago were quite inexplicably missing. She looked back at Rainbow Dash, “Are you alright, Captain?” she asked, worry decorating her face.
Pinkie had pulled a broom from behind the bar and proceeded to clean up the pieces of plate and apple cinnamon crumble that was on the floor rather than where it was intended to have be placed. Louman eyed Pinkie as she cleaned, wondering what else she kept hidden away behind the bar.
“Ya, I'm fine,” Rainbow Dash answered, averting her gaze away from her teammates.
“Hey, when you're finished there, could I get a refill?” Louman asked Pinkie Pie.
“Coming right up!” Pinkie answered, finishing her task quickly before going behind the bar and filling the request. Placing the mug back in front of Louman, she took a drink from her cup before speaking again. “I'm really sorry about that Dashie.” She leaned onto the countertop.
A shrug was Rainbow Dash's only response, leaving the herd in silence until Applejack came back out a few minutes later.
She slipped behind the bar and set the plate in front of Lucky Shot whose smile contrasted with the group’s solemn expressions.
“Sorry for freaking out like that,” Applejack spoke, closing her eyes to think a moment as she leaned onto the counter with Pinkie Pie. “I just haven't seen ya since you left all in a huff and I suppose ahm still bitter 'bout that.”
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it, thinking better of starting another shouting match. She picked up her mug and took a swig, not having anything to say.
“So what's new? Got a marefriend?” Applejack asked, hoping for a particular answer.
“My barn door doesn't swing that way.” Rainbow Dash responded coldly.
Applejack grinned as she spoke. “Now I know you're yankin' mah chain.”
“No, I am not,” Rainbow Dash finally looked at Applejack to see her grin, “why would you think I was joking about that?”
Sunset held her mouth closed, gritting her teeth behind tight pressed lips to keep from interrupting as her face slowly started to turn red from the strain.
“Well I don't think a break up causes yer barn door to suddenly swing in the other direction,” Applejack answered, annoyance entering her voice as her eyes narrowed.
Sunset just couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore and blurted out before Rainbow Dash could have a chance to speak, “You guys used to be a thing? But you're both mares!”
Applejack looked at Sunset perplexed, “Ya'll didn't know?”
“I didn't know she was into mares.” Sunset put a hoof over her mouth as she started to giggle to herself which received a prompt glare from Fireball.
“I'm not like that,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “That was a one time thing. I thought I was, but I know I am not.” She brought her hoof down on the countertop with enough force to cause all the drinks to shake. “I was young. I was stupid. I realized my mistake and I learned from it.” she finished her statement before consuming the rest of her cider.
“What do ya mean when ya say mistake?” Applejack asked as Rainbow Dash produced a large number of bits which she set on the counter before Applejack.
“I mean that we were a mistake.” Rainbow Dash stated plainly. “C'mon guys, lets get out of here.” She corralled her team as she turned around to walk away. The polychromatic pony turned her head to look at her two old friends, “It was nice seeing you again, Pinkie. I'll see you both around I guess.”
Lucky Shot took up the last bit of her snack in one quick bite, swallowing hard before speaking, “Thanks for the snack and drinks!” She smiled before joining her teammates.
“Come back soon, guys!” Pinkie waved, a half smile hanging on her face.
The response from the herd of wonderbolts was a jumbled mess of “sure, will do,” and “we'll see.”
Applejack made her way to the back, not bothering to watch her old friend leave again.
Pinkie watched the southern pony walk around the corner a moment before heading to the front door to lock up and turn the sign on the window to show that they were now closed. She cantered back over to the bar and moved the mugs into the glassware washer.
She almost had them all in the machine when she was interrupted by a loud bang emanating from the back that seemed to shake the whole building. Panic filled the pink pony's eyes as she ran to the back to find the source of the offending sound.
Pinkie pushed herself through the swinging door and stopped as soon as she entered the kitchen.
It was a fairly large room, tiled floors in a checker pattern of red and white that went up against the clean, white walls. There was a large shelf leaned up against one wall with two doors on either side of it. One door was painted white aluminum with a handle to pull open so one could enter the cold storage room. The other door led to the front of the grocer portion of the building which sold fresh fruits and vegetables from Sweet Apple Acres.
The wall that held the door leading to the restaurant, which was directly across from the wall with two entrances, also had a shelf against it and it was full of baking necessities and dry goods. Perpendicular to that wall was the dish pit that was equipped with three sinks.
Across from the dish pit was three stove-top ovens with a large counter before them that held all the cookware for the food that was made there.
Pinkie glanced around the room, wondering what it was that had made such a loud noise before she noticed the massive dent on one of the stove doors accompanied by the sounds of sobbing coming from behind the cluttered work station.
She walked over to the sound slowly, speaking up as she got near, “AJ, is that you?” She asked, being quiet so as to not startle whoever was there.
“Leave me alone,” Applejack responded between fits of tears.
Pinkie peered around the corner to see the distraught mare lying on the floor, her front hooves covering a face which was darkened with moisture from what little was exposed. “Is there... Anything I can do?” Pinkie asked, rubbing one of her front hooves on the other.
“Is that really all I am; a mistake?” Was the only response from the crying pony, her body quivering.
“No, no you're not, AJ.” Pinkie moved over to Applejack and laid down next to her and put a leg over her friend. The pink mare pressed her face into Applejack's mane and hugged her friend.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The following morning, as the sun just started to rise over Equestria, Rarity groggily roused herself from sleep where she had been laying on a plush, ivory coloured, shag carpet in the bellows of a regal airship that was docked at the Canterlot Airship Harbor.
As she rose to her hooves, a wave of nausea rose over her as well causing her to rock slowly to each side as the room seemed to slowly spin about her causing her face to appear as though green and her knees wobble. She decided now was a good time to make her way into the nearest restroom before her stomach decided to jump right out of her throat as she feared it might do.
The mare managed to make her way to the room with the facilities she required without incident but much like clockwork she jumped towards the toilet just as her stomach emptied itself of whatever remained from the night before. Between heaves, she mumbled to herself about how she was never doing that again and how she hoped she didn't miss the porcelain altar that she was now crouched in front of.
Tears blurred her vision as she rose to stand again, turning around the narrow room to face the sink and mirror. Her horn glowed faintly simultaneously as did the tap that turned to release a torrent of water. Using her hooves, she splashed water across her face before turning her face to rinse her mouth and take a drink from the tap.
She sighed and using the magic focused from her horn, she brought a towel over and dried her face off. The unicorn opened her eyes and stared at her face in the mirror. By all of her own definitions, she was a disaster; her hair was disheveled, her face off colour and her make-up smeared.
She took a glance at the towel she had levitating next to her face and cursed under her breath. The towel was once pristine white but was now stained with a myriad of colours not limited to off white, purple and pale blue.
Rarity washed her face off once again, this time more thoroughly before using the opposite side of the previous towel to dry herself. Setting the towel in a nearby waste bin, she opened up the mirror to reveal a medicine cabinet with a brush, various make-ups, perfumes and cleaners.
She brought out the brush using her magic before closing the mirror and attempted to fix her hair. Rarity gritted her teeth as she worked out knot after knot, attempting to regain her gentle curls that were signature to her image. Once she was satisfied enough with her work, she replaced the brush and brought out the make up she wished to use. Applying the eyeliner, shadow, mascara and blush until she smiled at herself in the mirror.
“Now you finally look like a mare that belongs here.” She complimented herself.
She then placed back the make up and removed a small bottle with a label that read Dragon Slayer; a scent of her own making to go with a fashion line from a previous season. Rarity had named it as such after using Spike as a judge; all of her recipes had him giddy but it was the concoction for Dragon Slayer that knocked him off his feet. She spritzed it over herself quickly before setting it back in it's previous position. She closed the mirror and nodded to her reflection with a grin.
“Now you look absolutely darling,” she whispered before giggling to herself.
She turned around and even though she was facing the doorway out of the restroom. Her dizziness returned a moment but quickly passed as she slowly made her way through the large room in which she woke. Rarity slowed down and noted the mess: Pillows and cushions that were once on furniture meant for relaxation were strewn across the room along with blankets, sheets, curtains, glasses and a solitary empty bottle of vodka, imported from the Zebra lands, laid all on the floor in an incoherent mess.
The white unicorn returned to her walking speed as she turned towards her current destination which were the stairs that lead up to the deck of the ship. She made her way up the winding stairway to be greeted by the morning sun which, to her, seemed to have the intention of scorching her retinas and thus she squinted her eyes in a bid to see where she was going.
Across the deck, a white stallion unicorn with a blue mane that parted just above his large horn stood next to a railing on the side of the ship overlooking the Canterlot Harbor. He took a puff from his pipe and smiled over at Rarity. His eyes, one of which was adorned with a monocle, lit up as he saw her.
“Good morning, my dear. How are you feeling this morning?” Fancy Pants asked with a smile, holding the pipe to the side of himself using his own magic.
“I've seen better mornings, darling,” Rarity answered, unamused by the sun's lighted attempts to blind her. “How is this morning treating you?” She asked in turn, her eyes slowly opening as she gradually adjusted to the outside world.
“Much better now that I've witnessed the greatest fashion designer in Equestria finally rise from her beauty sleep,” he answered before taking another draw from his pipe, using the magic focused from his horn to ignite a small flame above the pipe to burn the substance held within.
“I'm flattered. I do have to apologize but I really must get going back to the boutique to work on next seasons designs,” Rarity spoke, a blush that was not from the make-up warming her cheeks, “I'm already quite a ways behind so I hope you do not mind if I skip out on our morning chit-chat.”
“Not at all, my dear,” the stallion responded, bowing his head quickly before adding, “The pleasure was all mine.”
Rarity could only nod as she made her way off of the small airship. She looked back up at the ship as she stepped off the gangway to see Fancy Pants wave to her from behind the railing that lined the deck of the white with purple trim yacht. She returned the gesture with a wave of her own before turned back to walk up the harbor towards town. She glanced up at the nose of the ship and saw the name Fleur's Fountain.
She cursed under her breath as she picked up her pace, passing through the gateway that lead into shipping sector of Canterlot. Warehouses, storage facilities and security offices littered throughout the area as ponies of all races moved crates large and small from place to place.
Leaving there was no small task but passing through the heart of downtown Canterlot was a journey in and of itself. The morning commute was out in full strength as ponies made their way to various destinations; be it a breakfast date, early morning shopping or work. Everypony had a place to be and Rarity was very much one of those ponies and as such, was stuck moving with pace of the herd between her and the Fabulous Candied Apple.
The only respite of the long walk and large crowds was that it gave her time to think about things other than work. It was also an oppourtunity to see what everypony was wearing, to give her an edge on what was becoming popular and to beat the tide.
This morning though, she was not looking at the fashion of the upper class around her. Instead, she looked to the morning sky, getting lost in gentle drift of the clouds across a vivid blue.
She bit her lip, thinking of where she was at and how she got there. Was she just like those clouds; influenced by the whims of the weather ponies and not really open to choices of their own?
“Oh, Rarity!”
Rarity snapped her head back down to level as she sworn she heard somepony call her name. She couldn't see who was calling to her but she tried her best to walk off to the side of the road, following where she was sure the voice came from.
“Rarity, over here!” The voice called again and this time, Rarity could easily discern who it was.
Rarity turned her head to look for the mare calling her name.
There sat an older mare at a small table at a corner cafe, a smile adorning her face with a pair of simple blue rimmed glasses sitting on her snout before her blue eyes. Her pale yellow mane was mostly streaked with gray, giving away her age. She waved a hoof in a bid to convince Rarity to come sit with her.
Rarity smiled back and walked over to the older mare, recognizing her as Abstract Exhibit.
“Good morning, Abstract. How are you this fine day?” Rarity greeted without pause as she took a seat across from the other mare.
“I'm doing quite well, Rarity. Thank you for asking.” Abstract motioned to a waiter to bring another cup for her guest. “How are you today, you are looking a touch under the weather?” She asked before bringing her small cup to her lips to take a sip.
“Oh, I've just been so busy that I've neglected my health a touch,” Rarity ran a hoof through her mane as she spoke, “It's hardly anything to worry about.” A fresh cappuccino was placed before her as she finished brushing back her mane.
“If you say so,” Abstract responded, setting her cup down. “So, I noticed you did not RSVP to my charity art auction for this evening. I was just hoping to see if you were able to attend.”
“Oh yes, my apologies. I've just been so wrapped up in trying to have my fall fashion line ready that it completely escaped my mind.” Rarity levitated her cup to her lips and took a quick taste of her drink. “I will most certainly be able to attend.”
“Excellent, I'm so glad to hear that you will be there.” Abstract smiled before finishing her cup. “You do remember that the festivities start at the fourth hour?”
“Of that, I have not forgotten,” Rarity also finished her drink, she eyed the cup briefly noting how small they were at this cafe. “I can assure you that I will be there no later than fashionably.” Rarity smiled, getting up to her hooves.
Rarity was about to leave some bits on table when Abstract spoke up, “No need dear, that was my treat.”
“Well thank you very much.” Rarity curtsied quickly before speaking again, “Sadly, I must be off. I will see you tonight.”
“Of that, I hope.” Abstract smiled and motioned to waiter for a refill.
Rarity made her way back into the flowing crowd, heading home.
A couple of hours and several unavoidable hooves to her joints later, she was at her destination.
She walked up to the front door that led to the dining portion of the building. Oddly, the door was locked at the sign in the window said the place was closed.
“Could this morning get any worse?” Rarity whispered to herself and sighed. She turned around to walk away from the front doors and made her way around the building to go through the back. She walked up the alleyway towards the closest of three doors at the back of the building and produced her key. She slipped it into the lock and opened it with ease.
Stepping inside, she locked the door behind herself and flicked on a light switch, filling the hall with light.
She stood at a three way hallway. The way to the right lead to the restaurant and the left led to her studio. Curious as to why they were closed when it was clearly getting close to lunch time, Rarity walked down the right hallway, musing to herself about how Pinkie had insisted that all the hallways be painted a soft pink to make the spaces feel happier.
As she walked along the hallway, she came upon another intersection where she could either continue to go straight to a set of stairs that led up to the second floor or turn right to the main dining room of the restaurant.
Rarity came to the door the separated the hallways through out the back of the building and pushed it open. The lights were dimmed but the sunlight filtering through the windows gave the large space a warm feeling.
“Why are we still closed?” Rarity called out to Pinkie Pie who was by the bar, finishing her preparations for the day.
Pinkie Pie had an appearance of being disheveled, with stray hairs poking out every which way from her mane as she scrubbed at the bar with a bar towel. She glanced up and smiled at Rarity, exhaustion clear under her eyes. “Morning, Rarity,” The pink pony responded. “Had a bit of a crazy night.”
“That sounds none-to-good.” Rarity stated as she made her way over to the bar. “Care to share what happened?”
Pinkie threw the used towel into a nearby bucket full of other soiled linens before turning back to look at Rarity. “Turns out Dashie came to Canterlot and is a Wonderbolt.” Pinkie Pie yawned, covering her mouth with her hoof before continuing. “She showed up last night. It was just bad.”
“Goodness, is Applejack okay?” Rarity asked, her eyebrows furrowing as an expression of concern was drawn over her face.
“I don't know.” The visibly exhausted pony answered, walking around the bar and then towards the front door. “She's still asleep. I was going to check in on her but this place was just such a huge mess. We didn't have time to clean up at all last night.”
“Well worry not, I'll go and rouse sleeping beauty from her rest.” Rarity gave a quick wink and smiled. “As well, if you want to catch some shut eye yourself, I can take care of the customers while you rest until Turnip and Gracie get here.”
“Oh, you don't have to do that.” Pinkie smiled as she finally got to the door. “I'll be just fine.”
“My dear, you look like a mess.” Rarity stated flatly. “After I get AJ out of bed, I'm going to send you to take a nap in the least. It's not good to work when you are obviously so tired.”
The pink pony stomped her hoof. “I am not that tired!” She declared.
“If you say so darling, though I do not like seeing you so cranky.” Rarity nodded towards Pinkie. “I’ll be right back.”
With that, Rarity turned towards the door that lead to the hallway around back of the large building. She pushed through the door, turning to her left and headed up the stairs to the second level.
As she crested the top of the stairwell, she came into the living room which was decorated with a couple of couches, a few chairs and several pillows on the floor to lay out on. A large window dominated the the wall directly across from where the stairs came into the space.
From the stairwell, one could head left towards the living quarters or they could head right which would take one to the kitchen and other amenities such as the restroom.
Rarity chose to turn left, walking past the first door which had Pinkie Pie’s cutiemark in the center of it and then came to the door with Applejack’s cutiemark decorating the center of door. If she had continued down the hall, she would have eventually came to her own door.
Tentatively, Rarity raised a hoof and lightly knocked on the door before talking through the door. “Applejack, darling, are you alright in there?”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
On the other side of the capitol of Canterlot, at the great castle standing ever vigilant over the city, a chariot landed at the port hanging on a side of main portion of the fortress. Within the chariot were two ponies; one small, yellow with pink hair pegasus and the other a large, purple alicorn with a mane that appeared to be a portion of the night sky.
The alicorn stepped off the chariot in time with pegasus, a conversation starting to brew as they walked across the platform towards a large set of double doors to the castle.
“I do not mean to sound rude Luna, but are you sure we should have left those meetings in such a rush?” The smaller, yellow pegasus whom had three pink butterflies as a cutiemark asked.
Luna snorted before answering, “That was hardly rushed. We spent four days in talks about improving trade and we wound up talking in circles.”
“Yes, but, um...” The yellow pegasi started to speak as Luna’s horn glowed to open the doors before the pair, “They only wanted us to remove the tariffs from their products they export to Equestria.”
Luna stopped briefly as the doors closed behind the two ponies and she turned her head to look down at the pegasi. “Indeed, but Fluttershy, the Zebras use foal labour to produce those products and the prices that they would sell for could cripple our economy.” Luna spoke before she turned her head back to facing forward as they continued to walk down a large, marble finished hall, their hoof steps echoing down the corridor.
“If we were to remove those tariffs, competition would be tipped in the favour of their products simply on price alone.” Luna added.
Fluttershy only nodded as she walked next to Luna. They came into a fork in the hallway and turned left, heading deeper into the castle.
Luna glanced up occasionally to the stained glass murals that adorned the halls. Each one told a story in Equestria’s history, reaching far back to even before the founding of the nation.
“As much as you wanted a middle ground with the Zebras, Fluttershy, they cannot keep using foals for labor.” Luna glanced down at her companion. “Until they stop, we shall not drop the tariffs.”
Fluttershy nodded before speaking, “I suppose. But I don’t think we should be judging them when they had a plague just a couple of years ago.”
“That they did, but we cannot sacrifice our morals for the sake of trade, particularly because they refused our aid when we offered.” Luna glanced down at the polished marble floors, her reflection just visible on the stone surface.
Fluttershy glanced at the alicorn, about to speak when Luna’s face seemed to seize, startling the pegasus and causing her to jump back. Luna shook her head after a moment and rose her head, her eyes seeming almost distant.
“Luna, Are you alright?” Fluttershy tentatively asked.
“Yes, we are fine.” Luna said without turning her head. “Something is amiss so we shall have to cut this discussion short.” Luna finally turned to face Fluttershy. “The day is yours to do as you wish.”
Fluttershy bowed before Luna as she spoke, “Thank you, princess.” She stood back up and saw that Luna was gone. Fluttershy bit her lower lip, trying to think of not only where she was in the castle, but what she was to do with her free time. After some consideration, she chose to continue walking down the hall hoping that it would come to a location that she would be better at recognizing.
As she wandered along, the hard rapping of her hooves on stone echoing along. The few ponies she passed ducked their heads in her wake despite Fluttershy’s attempts at acknowledging them.
As she went along her way through the castle, Fluttershy came upon a four-way fork in the halls. A sign before her gave directions to specific portions of the building. She turned right to head to the foyer.
A few minutes later and she stood at a balcony overlooking the lobby. Great banners adorned with the symbols of the Elements of Harmony and emblems of the celestial sisters hung from the ceiling with a mural made of different stains of marble covering the massive floor space.
The image that was in the floor would only be seen as shifting colours from the ground but from above, the details could truly be appreciated and the full picture could be seen as the two sisters encircling the sun and moon.
Fluttershy turned away from the balcony and made her way down the nearby flight of stairs, bringing herself to the main floor. She stood there a moment, raising a hoof to her chin as she contemplated what exactly she would do with her remaining time for the day.
A smile spread across her face as she cantered across the large room and down another hallway. This particular hallway stretched on an immense length, going beyond the castle and into the mountain that it was built into. Fluttershy continued walking along, a merry tune on her lips as she hummed with the sound of her hoofsteps on the stone floors.
The passage had turned from being a polished marble to ancient looking stone before a set of stairs led upwards.
After some time, Fluttershy came to be in a large cave that was adorned with torches along the sides and the mouth to her left that was a sheer drop to the bottom of the mountain. Cool, crisp air blew in causing the flame of the torches to dance.
Deep, rhythmic breathing could be heard coming from deeper within the cavern. Fluttershy turned to her right, heading towards the sound of breathing.
“Um, Spike, are you awake?” Fluttershy asked, not quite shouting, but loud enough to cause her voice to echo briefly. She came to a large purple dragon with green spikes resting on a large pile of gems and precious metals.
The dragon’s head rose slowly as he stretched his large, leathery wings. His length was that of twelve ponies without including his tail. A hind leg moved kicking over several gems before he spoke. “But I don’t want to wrap-up winter Twilight...” The dragon said with a yawn. His voice was like that of his infantile self, just much deeper.
Fluttershy giggled briefly before calling out again. “I’m not Twilight silly.”
Spike opened his eyes drearily and turned his head to look at the pegasus standing at the bottom of his horde. He yawned again, rubbing his face quickly with his clawed hand before speaking, “Fluttershy?”
“Oooh, good job Spike,” Fluttershy cooed before apologising, “Oh, I’m sorry if I woke you from your nap. I can come back later if you’d like.”
“What, no, that’s okay.” Spike grinned, his sharp fangs sparkling in the firelight that was reflected off of all the stones he rested on. “I just wasn’t expecting company is all. How are you?”
“I’m okay, thank you for asking.” Fluttershy smiled meekly, turning her head a moment before looking back into the dragon’s green eyes. “How have you been?”
Spike stretched his back and tail, an audible crack was heard before he turned himself on his stash to be facing Fluttershy without turning his head. “Bored. Apparently Celestia has a task for me but she wouldn’t say when. Just soon.” He shrugged. “Speaking of the princesses, how was the trip with Luna?”
“Long...” Fluttershy sighed before continuing. “Four days of Luna being a stick in the mud.”
Spike chucked. “Luna is a stubborn old mare,” he responded, “I’m surprised you didn’t quit being her assistant.”
“Well I couldn’t turn down Celestia asking me to help her sister,” Fluttershy blushed as she spoke, “and she isn’t so bad once you get to know her.”
“Well, it has certainly made you less shy,” the purple dragon stated with smile.
“Oh yes, Luna is one that is hard to be shy around,” Fluttershy agreed enthusiastically, “She told me I had to speak up I don’t know how many times when I first started working with her.”
“Well, I would imagine it’s very different from raising animals.” Spike nodded his head slowly.
“Oh speaking of animals,” Fluttershy smiled, “Did Sweetie Belle reply to my letter?”
“Oh yeah,” Spike turned his head and reached his arm behind his horde and produced a letter that he set in front of the pegasus, “Came in just after you left.”
“Oh, thank you so much Spike!” Fluttershy flew up and put her fore hooves around Spikes neck. “You are the best,” she said before setting herself back on the cave floor, lying down on the ground as she unfurled the parchment. Her eyes moved quickly as she hastily read the letter.
As Fluttershy read her letter, above her, Spike made a face as though he were about to be sick. A large belch escaped his jaws with a brief flash of green flame. As the flame vanished a much larger letter floated before the dragon who quickly took it in his claws.He removed the wax sealing the letter and opened it quickly, reading it aloud due to a habit he had yet to break.
“Dear Spike,” he started, “that task I spoke of is now upon you. You are required to head south towards the ocean and search for the statue of Discord. The town of Hoover Bay has also broke contact recently. We also need you to investigate the road and the town as no caravans that have travelled there returned. Sincerely, Princesses Celestia and Luna.”
Spike looked away from his letter and spotted Fluttershy staring at him.
“Um, I guess you have to get going,” Fluttershy asked.
Spike nodded as he rolled up the letter and placed it behind his horde. “Duty calls.” He stated flatly. “It was nice having you visit. If you go to see Rarity, could you tell her I said hi and that I miss her?”
“Oh, of course I can and it was nice visiting with you as well.” Fluttershy smiled as she rolled up her own letter. “Hopefully that doesn’t take you too, too long.”
Spike stretched out his great wings as he responded, “It will take me no time at all. I mean, how long will it take to find one giant statue and visit with a town?” He scoffed.
“Well, be safe then.” Fluttershy leaned down and picked up her letter before turning around and leaving the cave.
Spike watched Fluttershy turn and leave before getting off of his stash of treasures. He walked along the length of the cave, heading towards the opening as he gently flapped his wings to warm them up.
He stood at the edge of the cave, this side of the mountain was almost completely flat going the entire way to the ground thousands of feet below. To his left, he could barely see a portion of the castle that peeked from around the bend of the mountain. From this height, he could barely make out the ocean in the horizon.
Spike leaned himself back, his foreclaws wrapped around the lip of the cliff as he gave two powerful beats to his wings before launching himself forward, flying into the clear blue sky.
