Cultivating Love (Book 5)by LotusTeaDragonChaptersPrologue: Tis AutumnChapter One: Daring DohChapter Two: The Sunny Side of the MountainsChapter Three: Dark and Stormy? I Hate That Cliche!Author's NotePrologue: Tis AutumnSoft petals wafted gently upon the breeze, a glowing, flowing inhibition completely removed from the fleeting hearts that had removed them from their stems as portents of what was to come; the mother garden long passing away into the aether, and perennial moodiness, that was summer. Autumn was making itself known, and it was surely a time of change, and the welcome appearance of the flower petals signaled a clarion call, announcing its imminent arrival. To an outside observer, the soft grace by which those florets floated so freely seemed almost angelic in a sense, as if each petal was waited upon by a winged cherub carrying it aloft. Nothing betrayed that notion of gracefulness, regardless of what must have been, for them, a chaotic and tumultuous test of resiliency, one that seemingly went on and on without end, as they were shoved upward into the altitude, and then dropped, as if by a careless foal, downward toward the unyielding earth below. And so it was a unicorn filly, eggshell blue, sporting a golden mane and tail, who found herself staring at the errant petals with bated breath, watching them jostle and toss about, zigging and zagging upward as they were caught on the updrafts of warm air pockets, only to drift downward after that warmth had fled to other grasses, alighting softly to rest upon a pile of leaves that had been gathered nearby. The filly approached the leaf pile with great care, as not to cause the objects of her curiosity to scurry away before they could be examined thoroughly, and with a critical eye. Using her magic, she quickly removed a magnifying glass, and pair of tweezers from the saddle pack around her waist. With deft, precise movements, she successfully lifted one of the petals with the aforementioned tweezers, and held it up to the magnifying glass, the instrument enlarging the appearance and detail of her own rose colored irises, in the process. For a few moments, nothing was heard as the filly closely examined the bit of flora, save for her light breathing and, if you listened intently, the cogs furiously spinning inside of her young, agile mind. “Mhmm,” she began, speaking softly as not to disturb the sample, “perennial, polypetalous structure, independent of the parianth, white in color, light scent, indicative of insect or avian pollination methods, yellow particulate remaining along the outer edge; ah, Nipponanthemum nipponicum, more commonly known as the Neighpon Daisy.” Reaching back with her hoof, so that she could continue holding the sample and the magnifying glass in her magic, she grabbed her notebook and pencil. With them, she quickly jotted down the relevant information, making a quick sketch of the petal itself. Returning the notebook and pencil to her pack, she removed a small glass tube, intent on gathering up the sample in order to add it to her collection of various leaves and petals. After many years of study and hard work, she had amassed quite the collection, with it taking up several large binders that she kept in her drawer; her treasure trove of botanical data. She had just lifted the sample to the lip of the tube, when she heard an odd noise coming from nearby. She cocked her head to the side, and swiveled an ear in the direction of the offending sound. If she didn’t know any better, it seemed to be some kind of whistling sound, though she was certain the wind hadn’t gained significant enough velocity to create an audible byproduct of its movement. Which could only mean one thing: she quickly glanced at the leaf pile, and put two and two together, but before she could react by jumping out of the way, the leaf pile exploded into a maelstrom of tiny twigs, and vibrant fall foliage. She shielded her eyes, holding on to her black rimmed glasses with her magic, in order to prevent them from flying away from her, letting go of the cylinder, it hitting the ground, and rolling away from view. Once the colorful carnage had settled, she frenetically began looking around for her sample. Pushing aside a clutch of leaves here, a bevy of them there, turned up no sign of her prize. Frustration mounting, she grabbed a nearby pointy stick, and began poking what was left of the leaf pile. “Zephyr Blossom!” she called out, indignation in her small voice. “You come out of there right now!” Poke. Poke. “I know it’s you!” she added, poking the pile for emphasis. A yelp was heard as the stick apparently zeroed in on its intended target. “Ouch! Quit it, Apple Flutter! I’m getting out, I’m getting out!” Apple Flutter stopped her ministrations with the pointy stick, tossing it aside and sitting on her flank, placing her hooves on her hips. This was her traditional pose when she wished to scold her younger sister. True to form, a second later, a golden furred head, with eggshell blue mane, popped up out of the leaf pile, her green eyes filled with scorn. “What’s the big idea of you poking me with a sharp stick?!” “What’s my big idea? What’s your big idea, Zephyr?! You jumped in the leaf pile and now my flower sample is gone!” Zephyr Blossom shrugged. “So what? Who cares about some dumb old flower? Why don’t you come jump in the leaves with me instead of nerding it up on such an awesome day?” Apple Flutter gave her sister a scathing look, and crossed her forelegs. “I’m supposed to be the responsible one. I am the oldest, you know.” Zephyr rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, older by what? Two whole minutes?! Give me a break!” Apple Flutter’s retort was interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice echoing from the other side of the rolling hills of their farm. “Apple Flutter! Zephyr Blossom! Y’all come on back to th’ house now, it’s supper time!” Before she could act, Apple Flutter heard her sister already on the move. “Race ya!” Zephyr shouted as she shot out of the leaf pile, high tailing it for the house. Apple Flutter sputtered as she tried to gather her things together. “That’s not fair! I’m carryin’ my science equipment! You’re cheatin’, Zephyr! I’m tellin’ mom on you and she's gonna swat you good!” Finally getting her botany kit together and stowing it away properly in her pack, she made a bee-line for her sister, determined to catch up before the other sibling could reach the porch, and claim what Apple Flutter would surely consider a tainted victory at best. Still, it being harvest time, and autumn settling in, the activity was welcome. You had to be on your hooves and ready at any moment for the situation to change. There was no time for loitering or languishing, not when it came to the lifeblood of the ponies that had made their home there. Such was the inevitability of life, the harvest, and sisterly competition, that one found on the Apple family farm. Chapter One: Daring DohCHAPTER ONE: DARING DOH She saw it from the protective cover of her boulder: a creature beyond the edge of the vale, where the green grasses became golden stalks of wheat. Massive, it was, sporting a wide trunk, with four long, thin arms waving up and down, as it threatened the village before it. A monster so menacing that, if gazed upon forthrightly, would chill the very blood of lesser ponies. Apple Flutter, however, was no ordinary pony. She was a seeker of knowledge, skilled in the art of stealth, and possessing a sharp mind that absorbed facts and figures without the slightest effort. She was a great adventurer, hero to many, and envy of all who shared her profession, which was that of a hero. Well, not just a hero, but something even greater, something better than just hero. Um, adventurer hero? Wait, that’s not it. Hmm... “Did you eat all of the choco-nibs?” The unwelcome and intrusive voice tore her away from her crucial inner monologuing as well as the unsightly visage of carnal destruction waiting for them across the field, and forced her focus onto her traveling companion: her dumb sister. Apple rolled her eyes as she turned to face her companion. “Can’t you see I’m trying to concentrate, Zephyr? Here we are,” she began, as she spread her forehooves wide as if to encompass the entirety of their environs, “surrounded by demonic forces set to unleash their vile abominations onto the center stage of the world, destroying all of pony kind in their wretched wrath, and all you can do is complain about my alleged eating of the choco-nibs.” Zephyr stopped poking at the empty packet, tossing it on the ground as she gave her sister a half-lidded stare in return. “Oh, is this what we’re doing again? We’re doing this?” She asked. “Doing what? What do you mean?” Apple replied, a face of innocence framing her question. “Oh, you know, this so-called adventure?” she held up both hooves, making air quotes as she said the last word. Apple Flutter shook her head sadly, keeping her eyes on her errant sibling. Some ponies just weren’t born with the spirit of discovery that marked the truly great from the truly... less great, probably. “If you don’t like living on the bleeding edge of danger, you didn’t have to come along, you know,” she retorted, dropping to her rump and grabbing a bottle of grape soda from their shared saddlebag sitting next to her. She took a long drink, and then hoofed it over to her sister. She didn’t really want to share, but she had discovered early on in their entwined childhoods that an ounce of prevention was easily worth the forestalled pound of cure. Zephyr shrugged. “What can I say? I like spending time with you,” she said before taking a drink. “I have a soft spot for ponies in need of guidance.” “I’m in need of guidance?!” Apple asked with unrestrained incredulity, “are you saying that I, your big sister, am incapable of leading? I will have you know,” she snapped as she got to her hooves, “that I am an impeccable leader, adroit in experience and skill, and fully capable of controlling not only my destiny, but that of my little sister’s as well!” She hmphed as she dropped back to her rump. Zephyr raised an eyebrow. “Little sister? I was born before you were. You were practically the runt, really. What a shame, too, all of that talent went to me.” “Don’t you call me runt, and yes! As we both know, I am the most capable between the two of us. It was I, after all,” she added, putting a hoof to her chest, “who learned to tie my saddlebags all by myself, and before you did.” “Only cause mom showed you before she showed me.” “Nuh-uh.” “Uh huh.” “Nuh-uh!” “Uh huh!” “Nuh-uh infinity!” “Uh huh infinity plus one!” “Hey, you can’t-” A heavy rustling in the nearby bushes caught their collective attention, and they turned toward the sudden noise. Zephyr nearly dropped her soda, looking to her sister. “What was that?!” Apple Flutter shook her head, put a hoof to her lips and got to her hooves, her boulder giving her ample cover as her eyes darted about, taking in any sign of immediate danger. She yelped, jumping into the air, when she felt something brush her flank, and collapsed into a heap of trembling filly, her hooves covering her head. “Sorry, that was my tail!” came an aggravatingly familiar voice from behind her. “Sssshhh!” Apple quipped, much more harshly this time, as soon as she realized the voice belonged to her sister. “Sorry!” Zephyr stage whispered, as she scooted up next to Apple Flutter. “I thought I told you to sit and wait!” Apple Flutter whispered with vehemence in her voice. “All you did was put your hoof to your lips and shake your head!” her sister retorted sotto voce. “Don’t you recognize the universal sign for sit and wait while I look around?!” Apple replied, her hoof to her forehead in disbelief. “That wasn’t the universal sign for sit and wait, the universal sign for sit and wait is to put your hoof out and then motion downward.” “Oh, please,” Apple retorted, “it says right here in Professor Ignoble Thesis’ ‘Comprehensive Semaphore and Signaling Guide’,” Apple said as she grabbed the book sticking out of her bag and opening it to a heavily highlighted page, “that putting your hoof out and motioning downward is the universal sign for ‘be seated’, which is only used in slightly formal situations requiring indirect non-verbal communication, and since we’re in a very informal setting, I doubt that a signal like that would apply to this situation.” Zephyr rolled her eyes. “Professor Ignoble Thesis is a hack. He was discredited around the time Dr. Wayward Compass proposed the new, more streamlined ‘Signals and Signs: A Required Reading for the Erudite Unspoken’, which, I might add, outsold your vaunted Professor Thesis’ book two to one, and reached the Canterlot best-sellers list twice; the first time was for the initial printing, and then again for the 20th anniversary of its publication.” Apple Flutter narrowed her eyes. She could handle being shorter, she could handle being the younger sister, she could even handle being possibly wrong about some things, maybe, if such an event were ever to feasibly present itself, but no one, no one said anything derogatory about Professor Ignoble Thesis! That stallion was a living legend! Well, he was dead, and probably a hermit in his final years, so a dead, hermit legend, but definitely a legend nonetheless! “That’s it!” she growled, as she leapt forward to tackle her sister to the ground. Before Apple could get her sister into a foreleg hold, a blood curdling scream echoed through the meadow, and brought them back to their surroundings, chilling them down to the marrow. In one motion, together, they bolted upright and to their hooves. “What was that?” Apple squeaked. Zephyr just shook her head, indicating that she didn’t know, and that she didn’t want to know. The two fillies remained silent and stock still, looking like no more than two fully realized pony statues standing out in the meadow, the tall grasses acting like devoted followers giving alms to their stony benefactors. At least that’s what Apple was thinking as she stood there. Zephyr just wanted to go pee really badly, and she would have, if she didn’t also think she was able to get attacked by a wild animal, or whatever it was that caused the scream that had ended their fun. So she waited in silence. Apple, meanwhile, had formulated a strategy. She stopped imitating the statue they would build to her one day, and motioned to Zephyr to follow her. She knew Zephyr understood when her sister’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Excellent. Communication established. Turning slowly, and peeking around the boulder once more, she motioned for Zephyr to follow her. Crouching down as low as she could, she began crawling through the tall grasses, looking for any sign of danger. At first she couldn’t hear anything and was about to turn around, when she finally took note of the light crunching sound of dirt behind pushed aside. Good. Her sister was following orders. After what felt like the longest minutes of their lives, the fillies managed to crawl their way to a dry stream bed, situated on the outside of the Everfree forest. They knew never to go into the forest, and the bed acted as a visible boundary to keep that from happening by accident. They continued moving along the stream bed, watching for any overt sign of wild animals. This close to the forest, a pony never knew what could be found out here. Finally, they made their way to a log that had jammed itself along the bank of the stream bed, back when it had been used to move logs down the river toward Trotston, before the Ponyville Droughts had taken away the flowing water and replaced it with fine silt, and had turned a tiny logging village into a ghost town. Pressed up against the massive log, the fillies peeked over the top, taking in what lay on the other side. “Well, hello there, young fillies! What y’all be doing out in this neck o’ the woods?” The fillies screamed as a black hoof reached toward them. *** Chapter Two: The Sunny Side of the MountainsApplejack woke with a start. She sat upright, breathing heavily, sweat glistening against her fur as she gathered her wits about her. She looked around quickly, scanning for any sign of danger, but saw only the basic furniture one would find in any standard hotel room. Her breathing began to calm as she realized what had happened: she had experienced a nightmare. She exhaled, letting the sting of panic ease out of her chest. She looked to her left, and saw Rainbow Dash still asleep, snoring away, her face half buried in an overstuffed satin pillow. “Dash,” Applejack whispered. There was no response, so Applejack prodded at the pegasus. “Dash,” she said, adding a little volume to her voice. Still, her wife didn’t budge. Applejack pushed harder, causing the pegasus to shift positions, but otherwise remain asleep. Applejack frowned. “Consarnit, Rainbow, wake up!” she said, giving the mare a firm shove. Finally, the recalcitrant mare’s snores were silenced as her head popped up from the pillow, facing the opposite direction of her spouse. “Wha?” the sleepy pegasus asked, addressing the room in general, with fog in her voice. “Who’s that? Is it time for breakfast?” “It’s your wife, Dash, and no it’s not really time for breakfast just yet. Ah’m sorry to wake ya up, sugarcube, but I was hopin’ I could talk to you for a spell.” Rainbow Dash yawned loudly, stretched her legs as she turned over to face her lover, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Yeah, sure, AJ. You know you can talk to me any time you want.” She yawned again. Applejack winced slightly, knowing that they had stayed up very late the night before, and that Dash was the last to crawl into bed. “Ah really am sorry, hon. Ah just wanted to talk to you. You see, I, uh, had a nightmare. A bad one.” The earth pony rubbed the back of her neck as she spoke, as if ashamed to admit such a thing. Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. She sat up in the bed, and leaned in to hold her mare. “What was it about, AJ?” Applejack sighed, and took a cleansing breath. “Ah dreamed the fillies got into trouble, and were foalnapped by some hobo pony out toward Smith lake, where the old creek bed done went dry last summer.” Dash nodded, both in understanding and for Applejack to continue. “They was just playin’ around, like they always do, and heard some kind of noise. They went adventurin’ towards the sound, and this hobo pony grabs ‘em all sudden-like. That’s when I woke up. Them screamin’ was the last thing I heard before I did.” She shivered, and Rainbow Dash pulled her close, holding her, and rubbing her back as she kissed the orange mare on the forehead, comforting her like one would a young filly. “It’s okay, AJ,” she whispered, “nothing’s happened to our fillies. They’re safe back in Ponyville with Twilight.” Applejack put her head against Dash’s chest. “Ya think so?” she asked, “ya don’t think they done got themselves into trouble and are bein’ held hostage by some evil hobo pony?” She sniffed at the thought. Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle. “Nah. They’re probably given Twilight all kinds of heck, but come on, she’s the most powerful Alicorn outside of Celestia and Luna-” “What about Cadance?” Applejack asked, rubbing her itchy muzzle with a hoof. Rainbow Dash smirked. “Cadance is cool and all, but she’s all about lovey dovey things, and Twilight has shot lasers out of her horn. I don’t think anypony would be stupid enough to take that on even on their best day.” Her words began to build Applejack’s confidence. “Yeah, I suppose yer right, Dash. Nopony in their right mind would take on Twilight.” Applejack began to pull away, but Rainbow Dash leaned in and kissed her beautiful wife right on the lips. It was returned with equal measure. After a few moments, their lips parted. Rainbow Dash looked in her partner’s eyes, smiled, and spoke so softly that only Applejack could hear. “You know what?” she asked. Applejack smiled. “What, Dash?” Rainbow Dash smiled back. “I bet breakfast is ready.” Applejack gave her lover a half lidded stare. “Really, Dash?” Rainbow Dash started giggling. “Yeah.” Before she could say anything else, an over-sized pillow came crashing down on top of her head. Without waiting, she leapt forward and tackled her attacker. “Ack! Dash, let me go!” Applejack called out, as her wife pushed her down on the bed, and began tickling her. “Nope! Not until you apologize for hitting me with the pillow!” Dash replied, a grin on her face, her hooves snaking all over the orange mare’s barrel. “Ah-ah-apologize, Da-ash! N-now let me go, c-consarnit!” “Nah, I changed my mind,” Dash replied, increasing her efforts. “Wh-what?” came the earth pony’s response. “D-dash, Ah’m gonna get mad!” Dash immediately stopped her tickle attack, instead pinning the orange mare down, and kissing her passionately. Applejack’s resistance from the tickle fight melted away instantly, her eyes closing in delight, as she wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus. Before they could continue down that avenue, however, Applejack’s eyes shot open, and she pushed Rainbow Dash to the side, leaping off the bed. “Hey!” Dash called out in surprise, as the orange mare ran past her. “Sorry, Dash, Ah got some quick business to attend to!” said the mare as she bolted into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Rainbow Dash’s giggles and snorts had calmed down by the time Applejack returned from the rest room. Giving the rainbow maned pony a glower, she grabbed her hat from the bed post, and perched herself on the edge of the bed. Dash scooted over to sit next to her, draping her foreleg over the lovely mare’s shoulder, and kissed her gently on the cheek. “How ya feelin’?” Applejack sat in silence for a moment, before responding. “Better.” A smirk appeared on her muzzle. “You’re right, you know. Sometimes Ah think Ah worry too much over the fillies. They’re smart, and they got good heads on their shoulders.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed, “plus, what kind of trouble could they get into? They’re with Twilight! She’s the most powerful pony in Ponyville!” Applejack nodded, and punched Dash lightly on the shoulder. “You’re right, sugarcube.” She jumped down off of the bed, and straightened her hat. “Why don’t we go grab a little breakfast, and see more of the city?” Rainbow Dash grinned, and jumped off of the bed, gliding to the floor. “I thought you’d never ask!” * * * “WOO!” Apple Flutter yelled as the wind whipped through her mane. “Go higher, Zephyr!” In response to her sister’s demands, Zephyr Blossom pulled back on the control yoke; the lighter than air craft shuddered, but obeyed the command, its buoyant form soaring over the budding trees of Whitetail Woods. Zephyr pushed gently on the stick, causing the craft to level out. The treetops below them blurred, as they gained speed, the magic from Apple Flutter’s horn continued pouring into their single propeller. The plane itself was a simple construct: painted a candy apple red, it had a single pair of wings, fuselage built out of two apple barrels glued together, with a wooden propeller mounted to the front. The landing gear consisted of an old set of caster wheels lovingly donated by Scootaloo, that had once belonged on her old scooter. She thought they were building a wagon. She may have been given that impression by two fillies who wanted to keep their construct a surprise. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. Of course, their proudest feature was the seal of a rearing filly wearing a cape painted on the sides. The official seal of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, of which Zephyr and Apple were President and Co-Chairpony, respectively. “Do ya think that’s enough, Zephyr?” Apple called out to her sister, who sat in the cramped cockpit seat behind her. “I’m kinda getting tired now.” Zephyr looked down at her speedometer, which was nothing more than a chalk outline of a real speedometer. Realizing she should have installed real gauges in the plane, she merely shrugged. They were in the air, and it didn’t really matter so much now. “Yeah, go ahead, Apple!” Zephyr yelled over the roar of the wind. “We should be able to coast on the air current for a while!” Permission from her sister given, Apple Flutter released the propeller from her magic grip, letting her horn rest. Leaning back in her seat, she glanced around her, looking at the scenery below. They had already managed to clear Whitetail Woods, and in the near distance, she could see the school house. Well, she could kind of see the school house. Neither of them wore any kind of flight gear, and the wind was making it difficult to see anything. “You know, now that I think about it, we should have brought some goggles!” she called back to Zephyr. “Why would we bring bagels?!” responded the amateur pilot. Apple rolled her eyes. “No, not bagels, goggles. Goggles!” Zephyr nodded, “Yeah, goggles would have kept your stupid mane out of my face!” Apple turned to face her sister, a frown on her lips. “Well, I can’t help it if my hair is like mommy’s!” Zephyr’s retort was cut short when the craft jolted. “What was that?” Apple asked, her face still in that same frown. “Don’t ask me!” “Why wouldn’t I ask you, you’re the pilot?!” “It’s not like I can see around you, with that mane of yours flicking around in my face!” “Hey! I already said-” A loud bang silenced the bickering as the aircraft began to angle downward, both fillies turned to look behind them. “Sweet Smoky Celestia! The tail stabilizer fell off the plane!” Apple cried out. “I have eyes, Apple!” Zephyr called out, panic in her voice, as she grabbed the flight yoke. “Well, do something!” called out Apple, who was began searching for something to grab onto should they manage to land. “I am doing something! Use that magic of yours and fire up the propeller!” “I can’t!” “Why not?!” “I get magical hiccups when I’m nervous!” “Magi-, try anyway! We don’t have much of a choice! We need propulsion!” Concentrating her magic on the swinging propeller, Apple focused her thoughts, envisioning a spinning blade in her mind, until her magic aura began to surround the propeller. She hiccuped, and her aura faded. Grunting, she focused again. The propeller, gripped in her magic, began to spin slowly. “Hurry, Apple!” Zephyr called out from behind her, “I can’t hold us level! We’re starting to go into a dive!” Apple doubled her concentration, sweat beading on her forehead, and then into her eyes. The blade that had begun to spin was cut short as her magic was disrupted by the sudden burning sensation. Reaching up to rub her eyes with her hooves, she hiccuped, and a burst of magic fired from her horn. This caused the propeller to begin spinning at an accelerated rate. “Alright!” called out Zephyr, as the propeller began pushing air back under the wings. Her celebration would be short lived, as a loud crack was followed by the blades of the propeller spinning away from the craft. “Oh no!” Zephyr’s plaintive cry rang out. “What is it?!” came the panicked reply of her sister, still rubbing her eyes. “No time, just grab on to something, we’re going down!” The fillies screamed as the aircraft began its rapid descent. Zephyr, in a desperate bid to prevent them from becoming a permanent crater in Ponyville’s rolling hills, managed to pull back on the yoke just enough to skim the topmost trees. With a resounding crash, the aircraft came down in a clearing, skidding across dirt and mud, leaving a fifty meter long gouge in its wake. Apple was hunched down, her hooves covering her head, while Zephyr struggled to hold the yoke upright so that the plane would stay level as they took an unwelcome bobsled ride across the bog. Finally, with a sickening splorch, the craft came to a stop in a shallow creek. The water rushed around the plane, taking some of the mud and other detritus with it as it continued onward. Silence ensued. After a few moments, both fillies looked up at one another. “You okay, sis?” Apple asked her sister, her voice hushed and hoarse. Looking around, she nodded her head absently, her eyes wide. “Yeah, I’m okay. You okay?” Apple nodded, a small frown on her muzzle, the hint of tears at the edges of her eyes. “Mhmm,” was her response. Zephyr licked her lips. “Good, at least that’s one thing going right for us.” Apple looked up, and took a glance around them. “What do you mean?” She asked her sister. Zephyr sighed, and looked her sister in the eyes. “Because we’re in the Everfree forest.” <(/)*()> Chapter Three: Dark and Stormy? I Hate That Cliche!Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Author's NoteSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Prologue: Tis AutumnSoft petals wafted gently upon the breeze, a glowing, flowing inhibition completely removed from the fleeting hearts that had removed them from their stems as portents of what was to come; the mother garden long passing away into the aether, and perennial moodiness, that was summer. Autumn was making itself known, and it was surely a time of change, and the welcome appearance of the flower petals signaled a clarion call, announcing its imminent arrival. To an outside observer, the soft grace by which those florets floated so freely seemed almost angelic in a sense, as if each petal was waited upon by a winged cherub carrying it aloft. Nothing betrayed that notion of gracefulness, regardless of what must have been, for them, a chaotic and tumultuous test of resiliency, one that seemingly went on and on without end, as they were shoved upward into the altitude, and then dropped, as if by a careless foal, downward toward the unyielding earth below. And so it was a unicorn filly, eggshell blue, sporting a golden mane and tail, who found herself staring at the errant petals with bated breath, watching them jostle and toss about, zigging and zagging upward as they were caught on the updrafts of warm air pockets, only to drift downward after that warmth had fled to other grasses, alighting softly to rest upon a pile of leaves that had been gathered nearby. The filly approached the leaf pile with great care, as not to cause the objects of her curiosity to scurry away before they could be examined thoroughly, and with a critical eye. Using her magic, she quickly removed a magnifying glass, and pair of tweezers from the saddle pack around her waist. With deft, precise movements, she successfully lifted one of the petals with the aforementioned tweezers, and held it up to the magnifying glass, the instrument enlarging the appearance and detail of her own rose colored irises, in the process. For a few moments, nothing was heard as the filly closely examined the bit of flora, save for her light breathing and, if you listened intently, the cogs furiously spinning inside of her young, agile mind. “Mhmm,” she began, speaking softly as not to disturb the sample, “perennial, polypetalous structure, independent of the parianth, white in color, light scent, indicative of insect or avian pollination methods, yellow particulate remaining along the outer edge; ah, Nipponanthemum nipponicum, more commonly known as the Neighpon Daisy.” Reaching back with her hoof, so that she could continue holding the sample and the magnifying glass in her magic, she grabbed her notebook and pencil. With them, she quickly jotted down the relevant information, making a quick sketch of the petal itself. Returning the notebook and pencil to her pack, she removed a small glass tube, intent on gathering up the sample in order to add it to her collection of various leaves and petals. After many years of study and hard work, she had amassed quite the collection, with it taking up several large binders that she kept in her drawer; her treasure trove of botanical data. She had just lifted the sample to the lip of the tube, when she heard an odd noise coming from nearby. She cocked her head to the side, and swiveled an ear in the direction of the offending sound. If she didn’t know any better, it seemed to be some kind of whistling sound, though she was certain the wind hadn’t gained significant enough velocity to create an audible byproduct of its movement. Which could only mean one thing: she quickly glanced at the leaf pile, and put two and two together, but before she could react by jumping out of the way, the leaf pile exploded into a maelstrom of tiny twigs, and vibrant fall foliage. She shielded her eyes, holding on to her black rimmed glasses with her magic, in order to prevent them from flying away from her, letting go of the cylinder, it hitting the ground, and rolling away from view. Once the colorful carnage had settled, she frenetically began looking around for her sample. Pushing aside a clutch of leaves here, a bevy of them there, turned up no sign of her prize. Frustration mounting, she grabbed a nearby pointy stick, and began poking what was left of the leaf pile. “Zephyr Blossom!” she called out, indignation in her small voice. “You come out of there right now!” Poke. Poke. “I know it’s you!” she added, poking the pile for emphasis. A yelp was heard as the stick apparently zeroed in on its intended target. “Ouch! Quit it, Apple Flutter! I’m getting out, I’m getting out!” Apple Flutter stopped her ministrations with the pointy stick, tossing it aside and sitting on her flank, placing her hooves on her hips. This was her traditional pose when she wished to scold her younger sister. True to form, a second later, a golden furred head, with eggshell blue mane, popped up out of the leaf pile, her green eyes filled with scorn. “What’s the big idea of you poking me with a sharp stick?!” “What’s my big idea? What’s your big idea, Zephyr?! You jumped in the leaf pile and now my flower sample is gone!” Zephyr Blossom shrugged. “So what? Who cares about some dumb old flower? Why don’t you come jump in the leaves with me instead of nerding it up on such an awesome day?” Apple Flutter gave her sister a scathing look, and crossed her forelegs. “I’m supposed to be the responsible one. I am the oldest, you know.” Zephyr rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, older by what? Two whole minutes?! Give me a break!” Apple Flutter’s retort was interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice echoing from the other side of the rolling hills of their farm. “Apple Flutter! Zephyr Blossom! Y’all come on back to th’ house now, it’s supper time!” Before she could act, Apple Flutter heard her sister already on the move. “Race ya!” Zephyr shouted as she shot out of the leaf pile, high tailing it for the house. Apple Flutter sputtered as she tried to gather her things together. “That’s not fair! I’m carryin’ my science equipment! You’re cheatin’, Zephyr! I’m tellin’ mom on you and she's gonna swat you good!” Finally getting her botany kit together and stowing it away properly in her pack, she made a bee-line for her sister, determined to catch up before the other sibling could reach the porch, and claim what Apple Flutter would surely consider a tainted victory at best. Still, it being harvest time, and autumn settling in, the activity was welcome. You had to be on your hooves and ready at any moment for the situation to change. There was no time for loitering or languishing, not when it came to the lifeblood of the ponies that had made their home there. Such was the inevitability of life, the harvest, and sisterly competition, that one found on the Apple family farm.
Chapter One: Daring DohCHAPTER ONE: DARING DOH She saw it from the protective cover of her boulder: a creature beyond the edge of the vale, where the green grasses became golden stalks of wheat. Massive, it was, sporting a wide trunk, with four long, thin arms waving up and down, as it threatened the village before it. A monster so menacing that, if gazed upon forthrightly, would chill the very blood of lesser ponies. Apple Flutter, however, was no ordinary pony. She was a seeker of knowledge, skilled in the art of stealth, and possessing a sharp mind that absorbed facts and figures without the slightest effort. She was a great adventurer, hero to many, and envy of all who shared her profession, which was that of a hero. Well, not just a hero, but something even greater, something better than just hero. Um, adventurer hero? Wait, that’s not it. Hmm... “Did you eat all of the choco-nibs?” The unwelcome and intrusive voice tore her away from her crucial inner monologuing as well as the unsightly visage of carnal destruction waiting for them across the field, and forced her focus onto her traveling companion: her dumb sister. Apple rolled her eyes as she turned to face her companion. “Can’t you see I’m trying to concentrate, Zephyr? Here we are,” she began, as she spread her forehooves wide as if to encompass the entirety of their environs, “surrounded by demonic forces set to unleash their vile abominations onto the center stage of the world, destroying all of pony kind in their wretched wrath, and all you can do is complain about my alleged eating of the choco-nibs.” Zephyr stopped poking at the empty packet, tossing it on the ground as she gave her sister a half-lidded stare in return. “Oh, is this what we’re doing again? We’re doing this?” She asked. “Doing what? What do you mean?” Apple replied, a face of innocence framing her question. “Oh, you know, this so-called adventure?” she held up both hooves, making air quotes as she said the last word. Apple Flutter shook her head sadly, keeping her eyes on her errant sibling. Some ponies just weren’t born with the spirit of discovery that marked the truly great from the truly... less great, probably. “If you don’t like living on the bleeding edge of danger, you didn’t have to come along, you know,” she retorted, dropping to her rump and grabbing a bottle of grape soda from their shared saddlebag sitting next to her. She took a long drink, and then hoofed it over to her sister. She didn’t really want to share, but she had discovered early on in their entwined childhoods that an ounce of prevention was easily worth the forestalled pound of cure. Zephyr shrugged. “What can I say? I like spending time with you,” she said before taking a drink. “I have a soft spot for ponies in need of guidance.” “I’m in need of guidance?!” Apple asked with unrestrained incredulity, “are you saying that I, your big sister, am incapable of leading? I will have you know,” she snapped as she got to her hooves, “that I am an impeccable leader, adroit in experience and skill, and fully capable of controlling not only my destiny, but that of my little sister’s as well!” She hmphed as she dropped back to her rump. Zephyr raised an eyebrow. “Little sister? I was born before you were. You were practically the runt, really. What a shame, too, all of that talent went to me.” “Don’t you call me runt, and yes! As we both know, I am the most capable between the two of us. It was I, after all,” she added, putting a hoof to her chest, “who learned to tie my saddlebags all by myself, and before you did.” “Only cause mom showed you before she showed me.” “Nuh-uh.” “Uh huh.” “Nuh-uh!” “Uh huh!” “Nuh-uh infinity!” “Uh huh infinity plus one!” “Hey, you can’t-” A heavy rustling in the nearby bushes caught their collective attention, and they turned toward the sudden noise. Zephyr nearly dropped her soda, looking to her sister. “What was that?!” Apple Flutter shook her head, put a hoof to her lips and got to her hooves, her boulder giving her ample cover as her eyes darted about, taking in any sign of immediate danger. She yelped, jumping into the air, when she felt something brush her flank, and collapsed into a heap of trembling filly, her hooves covering her head. “Sorry, that was my tail!” came an aggravatingly familiar voice from behind her. “Sssshhh!” Apple quipped, much more harshly this time, as soon as she realized the voice belonged to her sister. “Sorry!” Zephyr stage whispered, as she scooted up next to Apple Flutter. “I thought I told you to sit and wait!” Apple Flutter whispered with vehemence in her voice. “All you did was put your hoof to your lips and shake your head!” her sister retorted sotto voce. “Don’t you recognize the universal sign for sit and wait while I look around?!” Apple replied, her hoof to her forehead in disbelief. “That wasn’t the universal sign for sit and wait, the universal sign for sit and wait is to put your hoof out and then motion downward.” “Oh, please,” Apple retorted, “it says right here in Professor Ignoble Thesis’ ‘Comprehensive Semaphore and Signaling Guide’,” Apple said as she grabbed the book sticking out of her bag and opening it to a heavily highlighted page, “that putting your hoof out and motioning downward is the universal sign for ‘be seated’, which is only used in slightly formal situations requiring indirect non-verbal communication, and since we’re in a very informal setting, I doubt that a signal like that would apply to this situation.” Zephyr rolled her eyes. “Professor Ignoble Thesis is a hack. He was discredited around the time Dr. Wayward Compass proposed the new, more streamlined ‘Signals and Signs: A Required Reading for the Erudite Unspoken’, which, I might add, outsold your vaunted Professor Thesis’ book two to one, and reached the Canterlot best-sellers list twice; the first time was for the initial printing, and then again for the 20th anniversary of its publication.” Apple Flutter narrowed her eyes. She could handle being shorter, she could handle being the younger sister, she could even handle being possibly wrong about some things, maybe, if such an event were ever to feasibly present itself, but no one, no one said anything derogatory about Professor Ignoble Thesis! That stallion was a living legend! Well, he was dead, and probably a hermit in his final years, so a dead, hermit legend, but definitely a legend nonetheless! “That’s it!” she growled, as she leapt forward to tackle her sister to the ground. Before Apple could get her sister into a foreleg hold, a blood curdling scream echoed through the meadow, and brought them back to their surroundings, chilling them down to the marrow. In one motion, together, they bolted upright and to their hooves. “What was that?” Apple squeaked. Zephyr just shook her head, indicating that she didn’t know, and that she didn’t want to know. The two fillies remained silent and stock still, looking like no more than two fully realized pony statues standing out in the meadow, the tall grasses acting like devoted followers giving alms to their stony benefactors. At least that’s what Apple was thinking as she stood there. Zephyr just wanted to go pee really badly, and she would have, if she didn’t also think she was able to get attacked by a wild animal, or whatever it was that caused the scream that had ended their fun. So she waited in silence. Apple, meanwhile, had formulated a strategy. She stopped imitating the statue they would build to her one day, and motioned to Zephyr to follow her. She knew Zephyr understood when her sister’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Excellent. Communication established. Turning slowly, and peeking around the boulder once more, she motioned for Zephyr to follow her. Crouching down as low as she could, she began crawling through the tall grasses, looking for any sign of danger. At first she couldn’t hear anything and was about to turn around, when she finally took note of the light crunching sound of dirt behind pushed aside. Good. Her sister was following orders. After what felt like the longest minutes of their lives, the fillies managed to crawl their way to a dry stream bed, situated on the outside of the Everfree forest. They knew never to go into the forest, and the bed acted as a visible boundary to keep that from happening by accident. They continued moving along the stream bed, watching for any overt sign of wild animals. This close to the forest, a pony never knew what could be found out here. Finally, they made their way to a log that had jammed itself along the bank of the stream bed, back when it had been used to move logs down the river toward Trotston, before the Ponyville Droughts had taken away the flowing water and replaced it with fine silt, and had turned a tiny logging village into a ghost town. Pressed up against the massive log, the fillies peeked over the top, taking in what lay on the other side. “Well, hello there, young fillies! What y’all be doing out in this neck o’ the woods?” The fillies screamed as a black hoof reached toward them. ***
Chapter Two: The Sunny Side of the MountainsApplejack woke with a start. She sat upright, breathing heavily, sweat glistening against her fur as she gathered her wits about her. She looked around quickly, scanning for any sign of danger, but saw only the basic furniture one would find in any standard hotel room. Her breathing began to calm as she realized what had happened: she had experienced a nightmare. She exhaled, letting the sting of panic ease out of her chest. She looked to her left, and saw Rainbow Dash still asleep, snoring away, her face half buried in an overstuffed satin pillow. “Dash,” Applejack whispered. There was no response, so Applejack prodded at the pegasus. “Dash,” she said, adding a little volume to her voice. Still, her wife didn’t budge. Applejack pushed harder, causing the pegasus to shift positions, but otherwise remain asleep. Applejack frowned. “Consarnit, Rainbow, wake up!” she said, giving the mare a firm shove. Finally, the recalcitrant mare’s snores were silenced as her head popped up from the pillow, facing the opposite direction of her spouse. “Wha?” the sleepy pegasus asked, addressing the room in general, with fog in her voice. “Who’s that? Is it time for breakfast?” “It’s your wife, Dash, and no it’s not really time for breakfast just yet. Ah’m sorry to wake ya up, sugarcube, but I was hopin’ I could talk to you for a spell.” Rainbow Dash yawned loudly, stretched her legs as she turned over to face her lover, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Yeah, sure, AJ. You know you can talk to me any time you want.” She yawned again. Applejack winced slightly, knowing that they had stayed up very late the night before, and that Dash was the last to crawl into bed. “Ah really am sorry, hon. Ah just wanted to talk to you. You see, I, uh, had a nightmare. A bad one.” The earth pony rubbed the back of her neck as she spoke, as if ashamed to admit such a thing. Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. She sat up in the bed, and leaned in to hold her mare. “What was it about, AJ?” Applejack sighed, and took a cleansing breath. “Ah dreamed the fillies got into trouble, and were foalnapped by some hobo pony out toward Smith lake, where the old creek bed done went dry last summer.” Dash nodded, both in understanding and for Applejack to continue. “They was just playin’ around, like they always do, and heard some kind of noise. They went adventurin’ towards the sound, and this hobo pony grabs ‘em all sudden-like. That’s when I woke up. Them screamin’ was the last thing I heard before I did.” She shivered, and Rainbow Dash pulled her close, holding her, and rubbing her back as she kissed the orange mare on the forehead, comforting her like one would a young filly. “It’s okay, AJ,” she whispered, “nothing’s happened to our fillies. They’re safe back in Ponyville with Twilight.” Applejack put her head against Dash’s chest. “Ya think so?” she asked, “ya don’t think they done got themselves into trouble and are bein’ held hostage by some evil hobo pony?” She sniffed at the thought. Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle. “Nah. They’re probably given Twilight all kinds of heck, but come on, she’s the most powerful Alicorn outside of Celestia and Luna-” “What about Cadance?” Applejack asked, rubbing her itchy muzzle with a hoof. Rainbow Dash smirked. “Cadance is cool and all, but she’s all about lovey dovey things, and Twilight has shot lasers out of her horn. I don’t think anypony would be stupid enough to take that on even on their best day.” Her words began to build Applejack’s confidence. “Yeah, I suppose yer right, Dash. Nopony in their right mind would take on Twilight.” Applejack began to pull away, but Rainbow Dash leaned in and kissed her beautiful wife right on the lips. It was returned with equal measure. After a few moments, their lips parted. Rainbow Dash looked in her partner’s eyes, smiled, and spoke so softly that only Applejack could hear. “You know what?” she asked. Applejack smiled. “What, Dash?” Rainbow Dash smiled back. “I bet breakfast is ready.” Applejack gave her lover a half lidded stare. “Really, Dash?” Rainbow Dash started giggling. “Yeah.” Before she could say anything else, an over-sized pillow came crashing down on top of her head. Without waiting, she leapt forward and tackled her attacker. “Ack! Dash, let me go!” Applejack called out, as her wife pushed her down on the bed, and began tickling her. “Nope! Not until you apologize for hitting me with the pillow!” Dash replied, a grin on her face, her hooves snaking all over the orange mare’s barrel. “Ah-ah-apologize, Da-ash! N-now let me go, c-consarnit!” “Nah, I changed my mind,” Dash replied, increasing her efforts. “Wh-what?” came the earth pony’s response. “D-dash, Ah’m gonna get mad!” Dash immediately stopped her tickle attack, instead pinning the orange mare down, and kissing her passionately. Applejack’s resistance from the tickle fight melted away instantly, her eyes closing in delight, as she wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus. Before they could continue down that avenue, however, Applejack’s eyes shot open, and she pushed Rainbow Dash to the side, leaping off the bed. “Hey!” Dash called out in surprise, as the orange mare ran past her. “Sorry, Dash, Ah got some quick business to attend to!” said the mare as she bolted into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Rainbow Dash’s giggles and snorts had calmed down by the time Applejack returned from the rest room. Giving the rainbow maned pony a glower, she grabbed her hat from the bed post, and perched herself on the edge of the bed. Dash scooted over to sit next to her, draping her foreleg over the lovely mare’s shoulder, and kissed her gently on the cheek. “How ya feelin’?” Applejack sat in silence for a moment, before responding. “Better.” A smirk appeared on her muzzle. “You’re right, you know. Sometimes Ah think Ah worry too much over the fillies. They’re smart, and they got good heads on their shoulders.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed, “plus, what kind of trouble could they get into? They’re with Twilight! She’s the most powerful pony in Ponyville!” Applejack nodded, and punched Dash lightly on the shoulder. “You’re right, sugarcube.” She jumped down off of the bed, and straightened her hat. “Why don’t we go grab a little breakfast, and see more of the city?” Rainbow Dash grinned, and jumped off of the bed, gliding to the floor. “I thought you’d never ask!” * * * “WOO!” Apple Flutter yelled as the wind whipped through her mane. “Go higher, Zephyr!” In response to her sister’s demands, Zephyr Blossom pulled back on the control yoke; the lighter than air craft shuddered, but obeyed the command, its buoyant form soaring over the budding trees of Whitetail Woods. Zephyr pushed gently on the stick, causing the craft to level out. The treetops below them blurred, as they gained speed, the magic from Apple Flutter’s horn continued pouring into their single propeller. The plane itself was a simple construct: painted a candy apple red, it had a single pair of wings, fuselage built out of two apple barrels glued together, with a wooden propeller mounted to the front. The landing gear consisted of an old set of caster wheels lovingly donated by Scootaloo, that had once belonged on her old scooter. She thought they were building a wagon. She may have been given that impression by two fillies who wanted to keep their construct a surprise. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. Of course, their proudest feature was the seal of a rearing filly wearing a cape painted on the sides. The official seal of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, of which Zephyr and Apple were President and Co-Chairpony, respectively. “Do ya think that’s enough, Zephyr?” Apple called out to her sister, who sat in the cramped cockpit seat behind her. “I’m kinda getting tired now.” Zephyr looked down at her speedometer, which was nothing more than a chalk outline of a real speedometer. Realizing she should have installed real gauges in the plane, she merely shrugged. They were in the air, and it didn’t really matter so much now. “Yeah, go ahead, Apple!” Zephyr yelled over the roar of the wind. “We should be able to coast on the air current for a while!” Permission from her sister given, Apple Flutter released the propeller from her magic grip, letting her horn rest. Leaning back in her seat, she glanced around her, looking at the scenery below. They had already managed to clear Whitetail Woods, and in the near distance, she could see the school house. Well, she could kind of see the school house. Neither of them wore any kind of flight gear, and the wind was making it difficult to see anything. “You know, now that I think about it, we should have brought some goggles!” she called back to Zephyr. “Why would we bring bagels?!” responded the amateur pilot. Apple rolled her eyes. “No, not bagels, goggles. Goggles!” Zephyr nodded, “Yeah, goggles would have kept your stupid mane out of my face!” Apple turned to face her sister, a frown on her lips. “Well, I can’t help it if my hair is like mommy’s!” Zephyr’s retort was cut short when the craft jolted. “What was that?” Apple asked, her face still in that same frown. “Don’t ask me!” “Why wouldn’t I ask you, you’re the pilot?!” “It’s not like I can see around you, with that mane of yours flicking around in my face!” “Hey! I already said-” A loud bang silenced the bickering as the aircraft began to angle downward, both fillies turned to look behind them. “Sweet Smoky Celestia! The tail stabilizer fell off the plane!” Apple cried out. “I have eyes, Apple!” Zephyr called out, panic in her voice, as she grabbed the flight yoke. “Well, do something!” called out Apple, who was began searching for something to grab onto should they manage to land. “I am doing something! Use that magic of yours and fire up the propeller!” “I can’t!” “Why not?!” “I get magical hiccups when I’m nervous!” “Magi-, try anyway! We don’t have much of a choice! We need propulsion!” Concentrating her magic on the swinging propeller, Apple focused her thoughts, envisioning a spinning blade in her mind, until her magic aura began to surround the propeller. She hiccuped, and her aura faded. Grunting, she focused again. The propeller, gripped in her magic, began to spin slowly. “Hurry, Apple!” Zephyr called out from behind her, “I can’t hold us level! We’re starting to go into a dive!” Apple doubled her concentration, sweat beading on her forehead, and then into her eyes. The blade that had begun to spin was cut short as her magic was disrupted by the sudden burning sensation. Reaching up to rub her eyes with her hooves, she hiccuped, and a burst of magic fired from her horn. This caused the propeller to begin spinning at an accelerated rate. “Alright!” called out Zephyr, as the propeller began pushing air back under the wings. Her celebration would be short lived, as a loud crack was followed by the blades of the propeller spinning away from the craft. “Oh no!” Zephyr’s plaintive cry rang out. “What is it?!” came the panicked reply of her sister, still rubbing her eyes. “No time, just grab on to something, we’re going down!” The fillies screamed as the aircraft began its rapid descent. Zephyr, in a desperate bid to prevent them from becoming a permanent crater in Ponyville’s rolling hills, managed to pull back on the yoke just enough to skim the topmost trees. With a resounding crash, the aircraft came down in a clearing, skidding across dirt and mud, leaving a fifty meter long gouge in its wake. Apple was hunched down, her hooves covering her head, while Zephyr struggled to hold the yoke upright so that the plane would stay level as they took an unwelcome bobsled ride across the bog. Finally, with a sickening splorch, the craft came to a stop in a shallow creek. The water rushed around the plane, taking some of the mud and other detritus with it as it continued onward. Silence ensued. After a few moments, both fillies looked up at one another. “You okay, sis?” Apple asked her sister, her voice hushed and hoarse. Looking around, she nodded her head absently, her eyes wide. “Yeah, I’m okay. You okay?” Apple nodded, a small frown on her muzzle, the hint of tears at the edges of her eyes. “Mhmm,” was her response. Zephyr licked her lips. “Good, at least that’s one thing going right for us.” Apple looked up, and took a glance around them. “What do you mean?” She asked her sister. Zephyr sighed, and looked her sister in the eyes. “Because we’re in the Everfree forest.” <(/)*()>
Chapter Three: Dark and Stormy? I Hate That Cliche!Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
