Twilight walks down the dirt path way protecting the wagon from the back. Here detection spell has yet gone off while their group have been traveling. Twilight walks dawned in a purple robe with a start on the back of it and a rod that amplifies her magic to a bigger area on her right side. It's held by a strap that goes around her body that also has two different runes on them. One runes makes it so it can't be burned and the other makes sure that if she loses it it'll come back to her.
To her right is Applejack who cares a hammer on her back and wears steel hoof shoes on her fore hooves and back hooves. Leather dawns the front part of her frame giving her that strong imposing look. Honestly she doesn't need the hammer, but when she slams it into somepony. Along the hammer is a green rune and red rune. They're used as a magical property for the hammer after they got them during a quest Celestia had sent them on to fight a couple of trolls holding a cave close by Ponyville.
"How's it going up there?' Twilight asks leaning over to look down the left side of the cart to see first Fluttershy's glorious flank as it better molded in the tight leather armor. Two dagger dangle off of either side of her flank.
"It's all good up here!" Rainbowdash replies who wears nothing other than her bow around her body and a quiver of arrows close to her right flank.
The bow is made from some old wood deep in the private sections of Celestia's garden. The bow is suppose to be near unbreakable. The string is made of spider silk found only in the apple range. It was amazing to watch as Celestia crafted that bow. Before their very eyes. Rainbow didn't really like the idea of using such a "pussy weapon" as she put it, but soon found that it was too her liking very fast as she tested it out in the training area.
To Rainbow's right walks Rarity who wield a coiled whip around her waist that goes well with her white cloth clothing that hangs loosely off of her figure. It gives her a certain appeal really. She also caries around a book of different spells that has helped out in a lot of situations. Magic that enchants the body from penetration and fire. Twilight would do it of course, but she usually is too busy freezing enemies as Applejack slams a fist or her hammer through them.
And last but not least. Pinkie Pie hops along the right side of the cart as her usual pink self. She wears leather armor that hugs her greatly in all the right ways. On her right side is a enchanted bag that holds millions of things and never gets bigger. Celestia had called it an inventory bag that can be taken anywhere and can have anything taken out of it that they put in. It took them quite a while to figure out how to work it. Pinkie, of course, caught on a lot faster than everyone else so she became their carrying unit as well as the messenger. She usually uses her power of the unknown to fight which still creeps everypony out when it happens.
"Good to hear! The town should be coming up pretty soon." Twilight says nodding her head before looking at Applejack who surveys the land.
The good thing about having Applejack with them is that she remember the land like the back of her hoof when after she visits it at least once. She has always been using her earth pony magic despite ever knowing it. Now with her hammer she has been even more connected with the earth.
"Yea we're pretty close. Over the hill and we should be able to see it." She says nodding her head.
"Glad this has gone with a set back." The stallion, who's pulling the care, says shaking his head, "I'm surprised no bandits have showed up."
"That's because you have us protecting you! As long as we're here you'll be fine!" Rainbowdash says confidently.
"Plus I'm pretty sure the bandits know we have this road on lock down." Twilight says nodding her head.
"Man that is boring..." Rainbowdash says shaking her head as they come over the hill, "Why can't there be something... more... interesting... Uh... Twilight?"
"Hm?" Twilight walks around the care that has stopped with Applejack going around the other side.
Twilight stands in between Fluttershy and Rainbowdash. They look out to see their destination being over run by a couple of other ponies and a few griffin. They all wear black with white lines going across them.
"Oh boy." Applejack says standing on her hind legs as well as take her hammer off her back.
Rainbowdash flies up and takes off her bow and nocks an arrow, Fluttershy moves to their left and seems to melt into the shadows, Twilight connects her magic to the rod and starts up her teleportation spell, Pinkie pulls pies out of nowhere and puts on her war face, rarity floats her book in front of her and start putting enchants on Twilight and Applejack, and the stallion in the cart simply cowers in his seat afraid of going down there.
Twilight teleports her, Rarity, and Applejack down at the front of the town. Two griffins notice them right off the bat, turn, and go forward to rip them apart with their metal capped claws that rip faster and deeper than just using their talons alone.
Applejack acts first and swings her hammer into the ground sending up to pillars of earth into the griffin's gut. Twilight acts next firing two fire spell setting the two on fire and flailing on the ground.
"Alright guys. Find the leader, save the civilians, and kill the baddies along the way." Twilight says walking forward and pulling the fires from the bodies and blocking a group of killers from a corner pony.
"Right!" Applejack says raising her hammer above her head and placing it on her shoulder, "Lets see who wins this time."
"If Fluttershy and Rainbowdash are competing than we might have no chance." Twilight says shaking head as roots ensnare a couple of bandits and sink them into the ground as knives appear in each of their heads.
Twilight walks forward with Rarity at her back and Applejack to the right fighting off a brute as he swings his club like a new born. He slams his club down and Applejack side step and slams her hammer into the ground and through it before it slams into the brute's gut sending shards of dark through him and splatting the ground with blood.
At first Twilight and company had found this all this to be too much gore and overly morbid. Now it just seems like an average day to them. To most ponies like themselves as well.
A bandit comes at Twilight brandishing a sword and raises it to strike. The bandit stops with his sword above his head before his body falls one way and his head the other.
"Thanks Fluttershy." She says as she sucks the fire from a nearby house to the ground behind her, "Make sure you watch Rainbowdash as always. Don't want her trying to show off and get innocents killed."
She gets no reply, but she knows Fluttershy has heard her. Their elements link them together more than just friendship wise. Yet nobody else knows that and that's how they would like to keep it.
"Retreat!" Somebody yells, "Regrad is dead!"
The griffins, of those that remain, fly off and leave the ponies scrambling for an exit. Unfortunately most of the exit points are on fire so they find themselves trapped. The pegasi try to fly off to only find Rainbowdash there with her bow and three arrows notched with red tips. This makes them fly back down and stand beside their cowering partners.
"Alright girls good job." Twilight says banishing away the fires and stepping forward to confront the group, "Alright. So now that you guys are clearly out matched, how about we make this easy? Jail or execution your choice."
The bandits immediately throw down their weapons.
"Good choice."
Twilight sets her mug down and gives out a content sigh. Rainbowdash are still slamming away mugs of ale while Fluttershy watches them and sips from her nectar of choice, a honeyed tea. Pinkie is celebrating with the band as she sings her merry songs and Rarity makes her sparkle with her spells.
All seem so great and so familiar. This had to be the third town they've saved. Sure after the first one it felt great and the second almost better. But this one... It just feels so old. So used and washed up.
The fact that they're here is because of Celestia sending them out to discover the world. All that they've really found are hints at certain things. They haven't even gotten a clear shot at where to go since they started. Twilight had suggest that they go to the old castle for their first stop, but her vote was denied by Celestia as she gave them a job of exploring a natural phoenix breeding ground. They stopped a band of rogue dragons, but nothing else. From there people kept asking them to do things and they became more and more known.
"Hey Fluttershy..." Twilight speaks up, "Do you ever get the feeling as if something big is going to happen?"
"Always." Fluttershy says shaking her head as Rainbowdash and Applejack head butt each other before grabbing their heads and rubbing them in duo pain, "And I hope we're sober for whenever it happens."
Twilight nods her head in agreement. She shakes her head and walks to the front of the tavern where she orders a room for everybody. They happily decide to give them a room for free. Twilight will always admit that this is the greatest thing about being heroes.
Free stuff.
Twilight finds herself once again drunk and wit her head laying against Applejack's chest. Applejack's hoof strokes Twilight's mane as she always does when they're like this. Twilight always loves the feel of Applejack's chest. Broad and strength it emanates comforts her a lot during the night. At first none of this happened when they agreed to sleep in pairs. But after a while of talking through the night and getting to know one another, things got more complicated and comfortable.
Eventually Twilight found herself always being comforted and stalked on by Applejack. The two started to like each other more than just friends and they can even feel it in their elements. The bond between magic and honesty was growing stronger and still grows stronger to this day.
Twilight feels a surge through her and gives out a sigh. A sign that Applejack easily recognizes. Applejack lift her hoof from Twilight's mane and chest. Twilight rolls out of bed and onto her hooves where a burst of magic comes out of her horn and in the form of a projector. Before the two Celestia stands as a prerecorded message.
"Hello Twilight. I have been picking up an increased motion of magic near a cave you and company should be near to. The cave is named Vortex for it special black crystals that seem to absorb the light that enter the cave. As you probably know, the cave was first found by Starswirl the Bearded and his partner.
Some ponies say that in that Cave Startswirl left something in there that only the brave can find. We have tied to find allegations about that, but nothing has ever came up.
Till now. There seems to be a lot of motion going against the cave now and we want you guys to investigate on it and anything else you find. I await your response."
The magic ends from Twilight's horn as the message ends. Twilight sighs and climbs back into bed and lays against Applejack in her same position. The stroking continues and she feels her hoof replace itself back on her chest spreading a warm feeling throughout her body.
Twilight gives a content sigh before she starts humming a lullaby for the both of them. Applejack enjoys the vibration through her hoof from Twilight chest. The two hum together as they lay in their bed enjoying each other's company.
As always they find themselves off to a drunken slumber. Just like some of the others in their rooms. Fluttershy finds herself sleeping peacefully with Rainbow laying on top of her and Pinkie spooning Rarity.
They sleep through another calm and peaceful night unaware of the days that lie ahead.
