Priorities

Chapters

Priorities
Decisions
Calling Home
The Monster in the Mountains

Priorities

"Uh... sir?"

The nervous call went unheard, the violent winds drowning his shout out completely. Globe Trotter groaned, realizing he'd have to make his way across the slippery, ice coated deck. The earth pony waded through the snowstorm towards his employer... or was it partner? "Vector!"

"What?" came the irate reply. Emerging from the almost blinding curtain of snow and powdered ice appeared a pegasus, wrapped up in so many sheets and scarves he may as well have been a ball of yarn on hooves. The metal gear protruding from his head was still perfectly recognizable, however, and never failed to put Globe on edge. "I'm in the middle of things! Where'd my flask go?"

Globe swallowed nervously. "Is the ship ready to go yet?"

"Of course! We're flying as we speak!" Vector replied sarcastically. "Of course it's not fixed! If it was, do you think I'd be freezing my flank at this sorry altitude?!"

Globe narrowed his eyes under his thick, nearly opaque snow-goggles.

"Sarcasm doesn't help anypon—..." he began, but was interrupted by a horrible, distant noise, silencing him entirely as he froze in horror: a long, dull roar like an animal screaming in pain.

Even Vector went serious for just a second.

The loud, inequine moan rattled the metal structure of the airship, only intensifying Globe's worries: years of travelling had given him sharp survival instincts, and he didn't like the idea of being anywhere near the source of that noise. "It's getting closer!"

Vector Velocity grunted and fiddled with the gear in his head. "Well, don't just stand there. Get the bloody telegram working. Send an SOS. And find my whisky flask!"

In Ponyville, all the lights had been extinguished in every house... every house but a solitary tree that stood alone near the centre of the town, where the windows let a flickering light illuminate the street weakly.

The library felt particularly oppressive that night: the wooden walls almost seemed to bend inwards like a cage around the small alicorn princess sat at it's centre, fussing over a mountain of open books. Twilight was on her third coffee that day... and she was on the verge of asking Spike for a fourth... or even giving up and heading to bed.

The reports she had gotten over the past week were sketchy enough... but now, she had received a particularly ominous call for help: one she couldn't ignore.

"What do you think about all this... Spike?" she asked. The little dragon popped his head around the doorway.

"Hmm?"

"About these rumours in Neighpal, and the call for help. You know... about the—..."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Abominable Snowpony, I know." Spike waved his talons back and forth derisively as he leant against the wall. "I think it's bogus."

How very... direct, Twilight thought. "Any reason why you'd think it's bogus? We've been getting reports for a whole week now..."

"Because, Twilight, if there was such a thing as an Abominable Snowpony, you'd have read about it," Spike told her. "And you haven't, so that settles that."

Twilight looked back at her books, her eyelids drooping downwards, unable to keep themselves fully open for long. If only I shared Spike's confidence in my knowledge... but there's just so much I don't know...

"I think we should organize a trip," she eventually declared. "Investigate the site ourselves. I've never been to Neighpal, after all."

She scanned the books another time. Nothing but rumours... unconfirmed suspicions. But if something really is messing the towns up... and then there's that distress call.

"You expect everypony here to drop everything to follow up on a few rumours?" Spike asked her with a chuckle. "Well, I know for a fact that Rarity is busy. She was talking to me about her new hat line all day..."

"Oh, I know, I know... But I'm sure Fluttershy would jump at the chance to see the Snowpony up close," Twilight replied. "And Pinkie'll probably enjoy a trip. And of course Rainbow Dash is always up for adventure."

Twilight smiled. "And that's all we need, right? Me and Rainbow can guarantee our safety against danger... and the other two will be great helps in their own... areas."

Spike raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "And I suppose you expect me to go t—..."

"Pack your things, Spike! I'll organize the details immediately."

The little dragon sighed. "You know, dragons don't like the cold."

Twilight stood up, wobbling slightly as fatigue began to set in. "We'll find out what's causing all that property damage... and save the ponies of Neighpal!"

"Is it even really that bad? I mean, what is there to wreck in Neighpal?" Spike asked as Twilight busied herself around the Library, packing books and research items of all sorts. "Isn't it just a big pile of snow?"

Twilight scoffed indignantly.

"And a few hundred historical landmarks, and a fascinating cultural history! As a Princess, I've been told that the whole country is in a panic! They don't know what do do about this monster." Twilight puffed her chest out, proudly. "Well, the elements of harmony... minus Rarity, and probably Applejack too... are just the ponies for the job!"

She deflated a little. "That... didn't sound as good as it did in my head..."

Spike shook his head, exasperated. Sometimes he felt like the only sane pony... dragon... in Ponyville.

"Whatever you say, Twi'. But you won't be able to go anywhere comatose."

Twilight frowned briefly, before a wave of fatigue hit her like the Friendship Express. "Oh, right..." she muttered, before releasing a long, relentless yawn. "I'd better get some rest, huh?"

I've been poring over these reports for hours...

"Not to mention you can't round up the girls whilst they're asleep," Spike added, walking out up the stairs to his bed. "So you might as well get some shut-eye."

As the caffeine wore of, Twilight flew up after her assistant, and threw herself on her bed. I'll recruit Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rainbow in the morning... and ask Applejack and Rarity for good measure. Even if they're busy... I might... as well...

But before she could follow her thoughts to completion, she fell asleep.

Twilight woke up slowly, her eyes drifting open at the average speed of a snail. She briefly wondered why it was that no matter how late at night she stayed up, she always found a way to wake up at the crack of dawn.

Snowpony... coffee... trip... Oh, right... Twilight sat up with a start. I have an expedition to organize

She leapt out of bed, her hooves clattering across the wooden floorboards as she quickly bushed her mane on her way out. I'll need supplies, a map, probably a guide, train tickets...

"Spike! I'm going to go find Fluttershy and Pinkie!" she exclaimed, still thinking hyper-actively. "Hold the fort while I'm gone!"

"You're getting them to go on your little trip?"

"Of course! I'll need them," Twilight explained. I'll need somepony who's used to dealing with animals after all...

She looked out towards the Everfree forest: friend or not, she knew who she wanted for this particular job. "And I know just where to start."

"An airship went missing?"

Fluttershy hadn't taken long to get intimidated by the prospect of a long and dangerous voyage, and when Twilight had mentioned the downed airship, she had panicked.

"Not missing... just crashed," Twilight explained, as reassuring as possible. "And... also not communicating anymore."

"But that sounds awful! And you think that some poor snowpony is responsible?" Fluttershy asked. "It doesn't sound right at all."

Twilight nodded. "Well, that's part of why we need to investigate. I'm not even convinced there is a Snowpony."

It wasn't early morning anymore but it still hadn't been long since she had woken up, and coupled with going to bed late the night before, she still felt a little tired, and often stopped to yawn. Fluttershy noticed that her eyes looked a little grey, and bit her lip, concerned.

"I don't suppose you'd like some tea?" Fluttershy asked. "I, well, I was going to make some for a few of the animals anyway..."

Since when do animals drink tea? Twilight wondered. "Yes, thank you. I could use it."

Fluttershy smiled warmly and led her inside, past the vast number of critters that populated the area. Twilight paid special care not to accidentally walk on a squirrel or mouse... they were everywhere..

"So, tell me more about this Abominable Snowpony," Fluttershy said, her face brightening with interest. "Whatever could it have done to earn such a mean name?"

"I don't know..." Twilight began, trotting into the house after her. "Probably scared some tourists. But these days, ponies are finding their barns and crops trampled, and nothing but giant footprints are left behind."

"How awful!" Fluttershy exclaimed, although Twilight was almost certain she was worried on the Snowpony's account. "Will it really be a dangerous trip?"

Twilight sat down grumpily. "Probably. Neighpal is famous for avalanches and bandits."

"Oh, dear. That sounds..."

Twilight nodded. "Like a really fascinating place to visit!"

"...scary..."

"Exactly! In a sense." Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I suppose I've acquired a bit of a taste for adventure these days..."

She decided that it would be best to reassure her friend before she got even more nervous. "I'm sure it'll be fine! Like a... ski-resort..."

Fluttershy sighed, obviously just a little embarrassed at being patronized. "It's fine... I'll go. If ponies are scaring a poor Snowpony, I really should be there." Fluttershy nodded with determination. "It's important to be there for ponies who need you. Even when they're Snowponies."

Twilight smiled. "Glad to have you onboard! Now I just need to get Pinkie."

Twilight looked at the sun: it was almost noon. If Applejack is busy too, that'll leave just the four of us... and Spike, of course. That'll only just be enough, by my estimations...

It was at that moment that Fluttershy heard the kettle begin to whistle alarmingly. "Oh my! The tea!"

I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check on that tea... next up: Pinkie Pie!

Whilst Twilight had been prepared for pretty much any surprise Pinkie could throw at her (which was a lot), she was finding the whistling increasingly annoying. It was loud, it was tuneless, and for some reason, it came completely out of the blue.

Confetti she had expected. Whistling, no.

"Could you stop that, please?"

Pinkie didn't stop whistling. What she did do was begin talking at the same time. "Where's Neighpal?"

"It's—..."

"Is it far? Is it cold? Or is it a tropical island?"

The whistling continued.

Sweet Celestia, make it stop...

The Sugarcube corner was apparently bustling with activity... much as it usually was. Not that Twilight had the opportunity to check for herself... Pinkie had ambushed her before she even crossed the welcome-mat. If this had been any other pony, Twilight would have found it suspicious.

"It's mostly mountains... the Himarelayas, in fact... could you please stop that?"

"Ooh, like a ski-resort?"

"Yes, Pinkie, just like a ski-resort..."

"Are you guys out yet?!" Pinkie screamed suddenly, causing Twilight to flinch and cover her ears.

Once Pinkie has quietened down, Twilight shook her head, almost at the end of her tether. "So... ahem... do you want to come?"

Pinkie grinned. "Of course! I love skiing!"

Twilight let out a relieved sigh. So I'll have at least three ponies on this expedition... but I really need a tough mare like Rainbow as well.

"Great. We'll be leaving as soon as possible." Twilight hesitated. "Do you know where Rainbow would be right about now?"

"Of course! Rainbow tells me lots of things!" Pinkie replied, bouncing up and down a few times. "She told me about the yoghurt, about this meany-pants journalist, about barrels, about..."

That'll be a no... Twilight silenced Pinkie quickly before she went on, stuffing her hoof in the pink pony's mouth before more nonsense spewed out. "Nevermind. I'll find her myself. After I find Applejack... I always know where she'll be, at least."

Pinkie nodded enthusiatically. "Sure thing! I know where she is too!"

Twilight nodded, absent-mindedly. With a start, she remembered about a friend she had forgotten.

"I don't suppose you could tell Rarity we'll be leaving for a few days?" Twilight asked. "I may not have time to run over before her store closes..."

I imagine it'd be rather strange having all your friends disappear on you at once...

"Of course!" Pinkie replied. "You know me, I love delivering messages."

"Great! We'll be underway in no time at this rate!" Twilight smiled. I'll brush up on some defensive spells, too... no sense being caught unawares. But first, to the acres!

The grass felt nice... kind of stringy, Rainbow thought to herself as her hooves glided across the ground, twisting as she moved. Her stomach muscles tensed as she span forwards, skimming just above the ground as she delivered a solid roundhouse kick to the closest tree... a tough old oak, one that Applejack was sure could take a beating from Rainbow.

The pegasus darted back, her wings keeping her aloft just long enough to put a reasonable distance between her and her imagined adversary. I'll be ready for next month's selection for sure, she thought with a smile. She stretched her forelegs out before her, forming a solid, but elegant guard.

Ready for anything... she thought.

"What's that move, then?" came a familiar voice. Rainbow didn't move a muscle: she was too focussed on her practice.

"It's not a move: it's a guard," she explained. "It's the position I use when I'm preparing to move."

Applejack trotted up to her, and leaned forwards, well past Rainbow's defences, amused. "That 'so?"

Rainbow swallowed. Where she is, she could do anything to me. "Yup. But it's no fair if you start behind my guard."

Applejack gave Rainbow a vicious grin, and a split-second later, she barrelled into Rainbow, using her weight to pin Rainbow to the ground. Yup... saw this one coming...

"Fightin' ain't about bein' fair," Applejack told her with a smug smile. Rainbow pouted.

"Cheat."

Applejack's bones dug into Rainbow's flesh, and her muscles bound Rainbow together tighter than any rope. Mmf... I could stay here for a while...

"I'll have the talk with Twi' done today," Rainbow said, becoming more serious. "No sense dragging this out, right?"

Applejack loosened her grip, and all of a sudden the binding coils of muscle loosened and felt more like a heavy blanket of warmth, only slightly sweaty from the effort. I'll never stop myself from noticing these sorts of things...

"Really?" Applejack asked. "You're serious 'bout settlin' down?"

I get the sense she still doesn't believe me...

"I'm fine," Rainbow declared. "You know I've been running myself ragged these past months... Going on trips nopony really needs me for. Gotta' prioritize," she said. "Focus on what's important."

"But ya'll love adventurin'..."

Rainbow leant upwards and cheekily licked Applejack's nose with a chuckle. "You're my adventure, now."

Rainbow stared at Applejack for a few seconds, then laughed uncontrollably. Applejack scrunched her nose, confused. "Wh-what?"

"You just went so red!" Rainbow exclaimed in-between laughs. Applejack's grip got much tighter all of a sudden. "Like a big tomato!"

"I ain't funny!" Applejack retorted, her face growing even redder, her furious blush spreading across her whole face. "Ya'll caught me off guard..."

Rainbow managed to suck in just enough breath for one final, defiant retort:

"I remember somepony saying that it wasn't about being fair..."

And then all oxygen disappeared entirely.

"I am not... not goin' red! And I'm not funny!" Applejack continued, somehow becoming even more comedic the more she suffocated her marefriend. Rainbow slapped her forelegs desperately.

Air...!

The pressure around her windpipe was slowly taken away, and Rainbow spluttered furiously. "You really have to work on your hugs..."

"My hugs ain't the problem, it's you makin' fun of me."

"Well, I can't help it. You make me laugh." Rainbow shifted her weight slightly, making herself a bit more comfortable, trapped though she was. "You know, you've had me pinned here for a while now. I might be getting comfy."

Rainbow's wings curled around Applejack's back like a curtain brushing against a windowsill, light and delicate like a soft breeze. The farmpony shivered slightly. "Rainbow, we're outside."

We're ponies... we love being outside. Rainbow gave Applejack a winning smirk, and leant upwards as best she could towards Applejack's neck.

"So? Nopony is around—"

"I'm around!" came a sudden cry from not far away, cutting through the atmosphere like a rusty pair of scissors."Please don't do anything... else..."

Rainbow's heart stopped for just a second as her eyes went wild with panic.

Is that... Twilight?!

Rainbow realized that her muscles were so tense they were on the verge of cramping. Slowly, Applejack removed herself from Rainbow, allowing the pegasus to sit up straight. She looked about as shocked as Rainbow: neither of them had expected to be caught quite so off guard.

I think I just had a heart attack...

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her uninvited guest trot down a hill towards them. Was she spying on me?

"I thought you had Pinkie run interference?" Applejack asked under her breath. She didn't look cute and funny any more. No, the mood was most definitely ruined, thought Rainbow.

"I did! We agreed that if anypony came, she'd whistle and we'd escape!"

"That ain't interference! That's just warnin'!"

Twilight was well within earshot now, and the pair went quiet. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Twilight babbled. "I was just here to ask if Applejack wanted... to go to Neighpal... for a Snowpony"

Applejack tilted her head, redder than ever. "N-Neighpal? Snowpony?"

Dammit, I didn't mean for this to happen... why can't I ever get five minutes alone with AJ without getting interrupted? It's bad enough with her family, but now the Sugarcube corner this morning, and this...

"It's, um, for a, um..." Twilight stuttered, unable to form her words properly, oblivious to Rainbow's frustration. She was blushing furiously as well. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little surprised..."

"Really?" Rainbow quipped sarcastically. I'd never have been able to tell from that stutter.

"Me and the girls are going out to Neighpal to investigate an Abominable Snowpony," Twilight blurted out. "I understand if you're busy..."

Despite everything, Rainbow's curiosity was piqued.

What's this about an Abominable Snowpony?

Applejack nodded, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "Yeah... I am, actually. There's a business deal comin' up, see..."

Twilight nodded understandingly, but Applejack still looked torn. "I'm sorry an' all, but you know I ain't got as much spare time as the rest of ya'll..."

Rainbow stepped closer to Applejack resolutely. I guess the cat's out of the bag now... might as well get this over with. "I'm busy too." She wrapped her hoof around Applejack's body, causing her to feel a little better about refusing to go on that mess of an adventure. "In fact..."

Rainbow took a deep breath, as if preparing to jump off into the deep end of an ice cold sea.

"I quit."

Applejack tensed up, her anxiety returned, but this time it wasn't because she had been discovered in a compromising way. C'mon, we couldn't keep this up forever, Rainbow thought. We needed to have this talk for a while now.

"Quit what?" Twilight asked, puzzled.

Rainbow gave a decisive nod. "I quit being an element of Harmony. I didn't want to say anything, but... I want to dedicate more of my time to AJ."

She rested her head against Applejack's own. "I've proven that although it'll slow me down, I still can work towards being a Wonderbolt and be an Element of Harmony... And all that's fine, y'know, 'cause the adventures are fun and awesome. But I can't balance all that and have a steady relationship. And that's what we are, right now... steady."

Going steady... has a nice ring to it.

"But..." Twilight began. "You don't have to choose between those three things! It's okay to... compromise..."

"Twi', I've been compromising since I put on that amulet-thing. I was on the fast track to being a Wonderbolt, but these days I have to divide my time between you and the girls, my job, and my ambitions. That's all fine..." Rainbow explained. "But things have changed, and I shouldn't have to balance my relationships and everything else. This is way more important."

"More important than being a national hero?" Twilight asked, frustration beginning to twist her voice, elevating her pitch and quickening her speech. I knew this wouldn't go smoothly...

"I just want to be loyal to myself for a bit," Rainbow said. "I'm awesome, no question there... but I can't do everything, and I'd like to be more than just 'the element of Loyalty'. I want to be with AJ, and be the fastest flyer in Equestria, and I can't do that if I'm always off going on wild goose chases to Neighpal."

"...that may be so," Applejack interjected, "But I'm also a busy pony, and I can't afford to go off on adventures every other weekend."

"Not to mention," Rainbow continued, "How long do you expect us to keep this up? We've... been thinking about the future, and things."

My future, specifically.

"It's all just talk for now, but, well, y'never know, right? I belong here, now."

Applejack and Twilight were both silent. Rainbow jutted her jaw forwards, expecting some kind of rebuttal.

It never came. Twilight deflated, her surprise and frustration gone.

"Well..." she began. "I guess I can understand. But what about the others? What we do is dangerous, and—..."

"And you need me, right?" Rainbow interrupted. "Twi', I'm not doing this for you any more. Like I said, I think it's time I be loyal to myself for a while. And I belong to Applejack."

Wow, that sounds corny.

"RD, you don't 'belong' to me," Applejack whispered. "And there ain't no need to give up on your adventure's just yet if ya'll don't want to..."

"AJ, we talked, and I decided. I know it sounds weird," Rainbow said, loud enough for everypony to hear, "But this is the kind of pony I want to be. I can't be out there and be here at the same time."

This has been an awkward conversation, Rainbow thought. First I get interrupted with AJ, then this argument... I just want it to end so I can get back to having a nice, conflict free day where I do awesome things and practice cool stuff without... crazy stuff happening...

Twilight took a step back, reflecting on the situation, her awkwardness beginning to ease away. "It's fine, I know now. I suppose that means I'll be heading to Neighpal without you..."

Both ponies nodded. "I'm afraid so. The farm needs me..."

"And I need AJ," Rainbow finished.

Twilight glanced at the sun: it was well past lunchtime. She smiled. "Well, I'm glad I know. I'd love for everypony to know when we get back, though. I think they'll all be very happy for you..."

Rainbow and Applejack both nodded. "Sure... we were just kinda' unsure how to tell them."

Although, admittedly, we did tell Pinkie...

"Well, that'll be the first thing we do when we get back!" Twilight exclaimed energetically. "It'll be perfect!"

Rainbow grinned, relieved. She had been worried of an argument, of Twilight failing to understand something so simple as this... but she didn't, and everything was fine. I'm being paranoid...

"But now," the alicorn went on, "I need to get everypony and everything together! There's a real mystery out east, you know."

Please don't tempt me...

"So, I'll see you guys in a few days, okay?" she finished. "Again, I'm sorry I barged in..."

"It's fine, sugar'," Applejack reassured. "Next time, we'll be sure to go inside... where there're doors that can be locked..."

Twilight gave them an awkward smile, and turned on her hooves. "Bye! We'll bring you back a souvenir!"

Rainbow chuckled. "Bring back something cool! Like a Neighpal sword or something!"

And whatever you do, don't get hurt without me...

Jeez, did I just think that? They'll be fine.

Right?

The snowstorm had cleared, and the sun shone weakly onto the stranded airship. It's metallic hull shimmered gently, and every hoofstep could be heard for miles around.

Globe Trotter felt like a sitting duck.

"Vector! When is it fixed?!"

There was no answer. There never was, the first time. Why he couldn't have found a more reasonable employer, he'd never know. "Vector! Boss?"

"The engine is heating up. We'll be at the next town in a few hours."

The pegasus engineer's head popped out from a small trapdoor. Frost had spread across his mane, and that disturbingly placed cog in his head. How had that even gotten there? "I was going to have a drink while we wait."

"It's not even three in the afternoon!"

"I meant coffee."

Globe sighed with relief. Sometimes, he worried about the belligerent pegasus. "All right, then."

He clambered down into the much warmer underbelly of the airship. It was dark, sure, but far more comforting than the vast expanse of snowy peaks and ice... and those footprints.

"Oh..." Vector began. "I got a message back from Equestria," he said, pouring some viscous black fluid into tin cups. It looked slightly like engine oil. "We'll be having guests up here by tomorrow. The Princess herself, no less."

Globe almost spluttered. "I'm sorry? Did you say—"

"Princess Sparkle."

"Oh," Globe muttered, his face falling, and his hope replaced with disappointment. "Not one of the real Princesses, then?"

"She's real all right," Vector corrected, adjusting his gear. "Just 'cause she isn't as tall as the others... not to mention, I hear she comes with a heck of a posse."

Vector pulled out a small bottle from a drawer, and began to twist it open. Globe widened his eyes, aghast. "You said you'd just be drinking coffee!"

"I know what I said. This is going in the coffee."

Decisions

Twilight scanned her map, barely paying attention to the back-and-forth chatter between Pinkie and Fluttershy: she had seen the scenery before, and all she really wanted was to figure out where she'd find her hotel once she reached Kathmanedu, and how long it would take her to get to her destination: she didn't mind train rides, but she knew that this would be a very, very long one.

A shadow loomed over the map, darkening the letters and making the lines and dots almost unreadable. Twilight glanced up.

"So, where are we going?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head to the side adorably. "And what's this about a Snowpony again?"

"Um, yes..." Fluttershy began. "I'd really like to know more about this trip."

"Like what?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy lapsed into a brief moment of thought.

"Well, who sent the SOS message, what village are we going to..." she explained. "That sort of thing."

Hmm... good point.

Twilight rummaged around her bags and pulled out the small scrap of paper she had been sent. "This is the message: I had been recieving letters about damaged property and rumours of some strange giant monster for a while, but this is what prompted the trip." She held the message up so she could read it properly. "A telegram from a small research airship exploring the area. They were downed due to a mechanical failure, and then apparently encountered the Abominable Snowpony, or 'Yeti'."

She cleared her throat as her audience listened attentively... even Pinkie Pie. Spike had read the message before, but that didn't mean he wasn't doing his best to offer thoughts on the matter... even if he did think it was bogus.

Airship broke down in Himarelayas STOP

Encountered Abominable Snowpony, Globe freaking out STOP

Send help STOP

Also I am rerouteing power from telegram to engine so if you want to communicate back just STOP

Sincerely Vector Velocity STOP

Spike frowned. "Explain who these guys are, again?"

"Apparently, they're researchers... or at least, that's what the paperwork said," Twilight told him. "I don't know much about them, though. One of them is an explorer, the other some kind of scientist."

"Isn't cutting off communications rather... risky?" Fluttershy asked.

Well, apparently nopony told these guys.

"Snowstorms, monsters, avalanches, and icy, bitter cold..." Spike muttered gloomily. "Why'd I let you bring me along again?"

"It's too bad Rainbow couldn't come," Fluttershy pointed out. "I'd have felt much better with her around. Or Applejack. I don't know what I'd do in an avalanche."

"I'd scream and run around like crazy!" Pinkie exclaimed, as if thrilled by the concept.

"I know it's a shame Rainbow dropped out on us," Twilight said, "But I'm sure that between myself and Spike, we can handle most problems we can encounter. Dragon-fire can melt snow, right?"

"Not if everything around me is frozen soli—"

"Exactly! So there's nothing to worry about!" Twilight said, cutting the young dragon off before he could dampen Fluttershy's spirit's even further. Not to mention my own. "And besides, once we find the expedition and the village, we'll have plenty of help!"

"Rainbow, it's morning!"

Applejack wondered if the real reason Rainbow had decided to stay at home was so she wouldn't have had to catch the early train out east. As expected, the pegasus had been sleeping in.

"Morning weather never changes!" she'd argue. "So I'll only ever need to get up after eleven!"

And Rainbow was holding true to that philosophy today: it was well past ten o'clock and the pegasus was nowhere to be seen.

Applejack shook her head to herself, ever amused by her lazy, fun-loving partner. What do I see in her? Besides an exciting, loving, energetic mare, of course.

Applejack was going over her notes and charts for the business meeting in two days: she wasn't a born mathematician, but that didn't mean she couldn't learn on the job. Just countin' coppers, really, she thought. Addin' and multiplyin'.

Except this time, she had gotten help from Rainbow Dash. And whilst she was no real maths-machine herself, she sure did know how to power through numbers. Applejack had been almost surprised at her explanation:

"Flying manoeuvres is more than just flapping wings and hoping for the best. There's this whole science behind it, and although I kinda' forgot all that, it did involve some weirder sums than this."

It was a bit strange realizing that some ponies were skilled at more than one thing, and a humbling one. All too often, Applejack found herself thinking she was a bit of a one-trick pony: farming and apples being all she was good for, whereas Rainbow... Rainbow was exciting.

'Course, when I tried telling that to Rainbow, I got myself laughed at. As usual...

Rainbow had mistakenly thought Applejack was joking. She always found something funny about Applejack, and it was beginning to wear thin. Maybe it was just her way of trying to make her feel better, or maybe she was just a bit dense. Probably both.

"Rainbow!" she shouted again, her irritation beginning to show. "It's half past ten! Breakfast went cold ages ago!"

This time, she heard the sound of a very lazy pegasus stirring upstairs. Applejack rolled her eyes. Finally...

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" came the exasperated reply. Applejack's ears flickered as she paid close attention to the sound of Rainbow whizzing through the corridors of her house. Unlike the rest of her family, there were no hoofsteps: instead, there was only the silken smooth sound of feathers gliding through the air as one of the few flyers skilled enough to fly indoors made her way to the kitchen.

And with that, Applejack turned her attention back to the deal.

"Hey there!" Rainbow greeted. "Done pestering me to get up?"

Applejack sat down, hunching over her pile of charts and numbers. "I only pester 'cause I care."

"Yeah, right," Rainbow snapped, both playfully and grumpily. "Do you want pancakes?"

Applejack hesitated. "Pancakes? Why pancakes? I already made—"

"Which you also said went cold," Rainbow interrupted. "Also, pancakes have something that apple-confectionery doesn't," Rainbow went on, and opened the fridge with a flourish. "Pancakes have this!"

Applejack looked up and saw Rainbow holding out a bottle of milk. "Eh... okay..." She replied, not at all sure if this wasn't some sort of joke. Rainbow rolled her eyes, as if she had to explain something to a child.

"Applejack, what is it I do for a living?" she asked.

"You work for a livin'?" Applejack quipped. Rainbow narrowed her eyes, although she was most certainly amused by the retort: Rainbow enjoyed conflict, for some reason, and Applejack was more than happy to oblige.

"I fly. Dangerously. And what happens when you fly dangerously?"

"You crash," Applejack replied, unsure where Rainbow was going with this. The pegasus nodded.

"Nailed it! Now, this may come as a surprise, but when you crash, sometimes you break bones. And what helps strengthen bones?"

Not crashing, perhaps...

"Dairy!" Rainbow concluded. "And there isn't much milk in apple tarts, is there?"

"RD, there's about as much milk in apple-tart pastry as there is in a pancake, so there ain't much difference, really." Applejack replied, causing Rainbow to glower at her.

"Yes, but I want pancakes."

"Vector?" Globe Trotter began as the airship began to slowly gain altitude, hovering ever so slightly above the snowy mountaintops. "Why haven't we received any further communications from the Princess? I'd have thought they'd keep in touch."

Vector shrugged. "I turned the telegram off. I wanted heating instead."

Is he serious?

"But... anything could have happened! We could have been attacked by that... that thing! We could have called for—"

"Called for help again? I'm not a wuss," Vector grunted. "Once is quite enough. This is embarrassing enough as it is. Oh, and the telegram is also broken now, too: I needed the parts to make a microwave."

Embarrassing? *Broken*? Is he for real?

"But— we needed that!"

"You weren't complaining when we had hot porridge earlier, though, were you?"

"But sir!"

"Hey! I'm no 'sir'," Vector grumbled. "If my predictions are correct, I'll only have my knighthood in three years..."

Globe rubbed his eyes angrily. Why couldn't he have been hired as a guide by a more reasonable pony? Somepony who didn't treat a dangerous voyage high above Equestria like a walk in the park, and treated a Celestia-darn Abominable Snowpony like an unruly poodle. It had to be that disgusting chunk of metal in his head: it was messing with his brain for sure.

"I... whatever," Globe grumbled. "What do you think that thing was?"

"Well, we know it leaves footprints and likes to yell a lot," Vector pointed out. "It could have been my uncle Cog. All it needs is a smoking habit..."

Globe shook his head, exasperated beyond belief.

Vector peered down the side of the ship, then grinned like a shark. "Good! We have enough altitude!" he snapped out a small compass dramatically, and cantered to the prow of their vessel.

And there, he stood, motionless.

"Vector?"

"Which way is north again?" the eccentric pegasus asked. Globe sighed.

"Follow the red arrow, Vector."

Well, at least I'm here for a reason: for all his intellect, Vector Velocity couldn't find his way to lunch.

"Excellent! And which way do we want to be going?"

Globe Trotter snatched the compass away with an irritated grunt, and took the wheel of the ship. "How about you drink yourself unconscious whilst I fly the ship?"

Twilight ached everywhere. And by everywhere, she meant everywhere. Her neck, her back, her legs, and most uncomfortably of all, her flanks, which had been sat on for well over twelve hours straight. She hadn't exercised at all during the train-journey, so despite it being pitch black outside the Friendship Express, she couldn't even get a wink of sleep.

Fluttershy didn't seem to have that problem though, and neither did Spike. Both were fast asleep, curled up on their respective seats, despite being jostled slightly by the train bumping over the rails.

Twilight had long since stopped trying to see anything out the window: everything was black, minus the small strip of earth made visible by the light of the window, running alongside the tracks. It was absolutely covered in snow.

It must be freezing out there... she thought to herself.

"Next stop: Kathmanedu! Next stop, Kathmanedu!"

Twilight's ears pricked up: that was their stop! The capital of Neighpal, and soon to be their headquarters during their investigation. Twilight leant to the side and gently shook Spike awake. Pinkie followed suit and grabbed Fluttershy, rattling her from side to side like a rag-doll.

"Spike, we're almost there!" Twilight whispered.

"Wakey-wakey, sleepy-baby!" Pinkie screamed.

Spike's reptilian eyes drifted open, taking their time to focus in the dim light of the train. "Is it time for us to freeze to death now?" he asked gloomily.

"Well, aren't you of the 'cup half-empty' persuasion," Twilight retorted. "But yes."

"Aah!" Fluttershy screamed, finally reacting to Pinkie's assault. "What's happening? Pinkie, stop shaking me, please!"

Pinkie grinned enthusiastically. "There's snow everywhere! It's just like Hearths Warming but all the time!"

The train began to slow down, grinding to a halt. Each pony (and dragon) grabbed their luggage, and wrapped the warmest scarves they could find around their necks. They were under no illusions about how cold it would be: very.

They trotted to the door: even though it was still closed, the air drifting through the cracks and ventilation was freezing, and managed to elicit a shiver from Fluttershy.

And then the doors opened:

Even though the breeze along made Twilight wince, it was beautiful. The snow coated the truly unique, beautiful buildings. It was like Ponyville at the height of winter.

"Oh, goodness..." Twilight mouthed as she leapt off the train. "We should travel more often..."

It wasn't snowing just then, and the air was almost completely still aside from the gentlest of breezes: it was like the whole place was under some sort of spell, put to sleep in an age of permanent winter.

"Let's get to the hotel," Spike grumbled in between shivers. "I can't feel my claws and I can't see a thing."

Way to ruin the mood, Spike...

"We'll find a guide to take us up to the mountains tomorrow. For now, let's just... unpack, and try to get some rest," Twilight suggested, using her wings to hug her sides, holding the freezing air at bay. Spike was right about one thing: it was cold.

"This is so exciting! This is the furthest I've been away from Ponyville!" Pinkie told them as she bounced after Twilight. "Let's send the others postcards!"

"How do animals even survive up here?"

With a whole lot of fur, Twilight hypothesized. "We'll do all that tomorrow: for now, to the hotel!"

I bet Rainbow would have loved to be here.

Down in Ponyville, away from the snow and ice, night blanketed the town. The valley was pleasantly cool, although the Apple Family's farmhouse was warm, and cosy. Rainbow was on the verge of sleep, curled up on her side of the bed, blearily staring at wall opposite her, thinking of nothing in particular.

It had been a pleasantly uneventful day, she had been quick to tell Applejack. Plenty of time to practice, and plenty of time to enjoy pancakes with her.

It was just before Rainbow fell asleep that Applejack suddenly spoke, her voice drawing drawing Rainbow's attention, without warning.

"What do you see in me?"

The question took Rainbow quite by surprise. Her muscles were aching from a day's worth of flight, and another afternoon's worth of fighting practice. She hurt everywhere, and was tired to boot.

She wasn't prepared to answer such an out of the blue question.

"Uh... 'cause you're awesome?"

Applejack didn't reply instantly, and instead drifted under the sheets a little more, as if she were hiding. "Promise not to laugh?"

Rainbow shrugged.

"I make no such promise."

"It's kind of a serious question, is all," Applejack told her, sulking slightly.

Rainbow heard the tone in her marefriend's voice, and for the first time in ages, decided to put on a serious face. "Uh, 'kay."

"Do you think I'm boring?"

"Why would I think you're boring?" Rainbow asked, puzzled.

The half-closed curtains let in the starlight just enough for her to make out Applejack's face... or rather, the top half of it. The rest was under the sheets. "I'm just a bit confused, sugar... ya'll aren't exactly the 'normal' type. You have everythin' you wanted already: excitement, flyin'..."

Rainbow slid up towards the earth pony, nestling herself comfortably next to her. "What makes you think I don't want more than that? I'm a pretty greedy filly, y'know."

"But what do I have that you don't?" Applejack asked.

Mmff... she's so warm.

"I'll tell, but only if you don't laugh."

Applejack nodded. "Sure thing."

"You have a family."

Applejack looked taken aback. Rainbow instantly regretted her confession: she hated awkward talks. She pressed her muzzle against Applejack's neck. "You're so cu—"

"Are ya'll deflecting?" Applejack asked, stopping Rainbow in her tracks.

"Is it working?"

"What do ya'll mean I have a family? I know for a fact you have one too."

"Well, yeah..." Rainbow began. "But they live in Cloudsdale, and we're not nearly as close as you and your family. I guess I kinda' envy that... just a little bit."

She rolled over onto her back, keeping her wings firmly pressed against her sides so's not to disturb Applejack. "And it's 'cause I went off and became an Element and had adventures and stuff that I lost contact with them," she admitted. "And that's part of why I quit."

Applejack was silent, retreating inside her own mind to think. Rainbow knew that face: it would take her a while before she came to a decision on what opinion she had.

"Tell me when you're done," Rainbow said, and closed her eyes. "Preferably in the morning."

Even more preferably, early afternoon. Seriously, what is it with her family and waking up early?

Vector leapt to the ground lazily, only using his wings as much as he needed to. He was very economic in his movements, Globe found... which was strange considering he wasn't economic with the food, the drink, and most worryingly of all, the airship's power supply.

"Come on Globe! I'm willing to bet our reinforcements have arrived by now."

Oh, goody...

"And what gives you that impression? You really did a number on our telegram, you know!"

"Friendship express takes twelve hours to get from the Heartlands to Kathmanedu... they'd have probably left the morning following our SOS, if they left at all."

Ugh, another one of his famous 'deductions'... worse thing is, he'll probably be right...

"So, what about it? Even if they are here, they'll be asleep!"

"Well, we find their hotel and wake them up!" Vector exclaimed vehemently.

Oh, sweet Celestia, he's serious...

"Vector, you're talking about a Princess!"

"Well, according to you, she isn't a 'real' Princess, so it'll all work itself out."

"It's still rude! Besides," Globe went on, "I'm sure that the Barrel Scraper is still open at this hour..."

Vector hesitated. Then he groaned. Then he stamped his hoof in the snow.

"Dammit', Globe! Fine, drinks at the Scraper, then we wake Twilight up!"

Why is it so cold? Rainbow thought as she woke up. She shouldn't be cold: she was nestled closely to the mare next to her, but despite the warmth of Applejack's fur and flesh, Rainbow still felt like shivering. Like she needed to move.

She glanced at the window, and winced when she saw that the sun wasn't even up yet. What is this? Is this morning?

Rainbow stopped herself from wriggling closer to Applejack: she didn't want to wake her up, after all. Not when she already got so little sleep as it was...

I need to fly. If I'm awake, I might as well do something...

Doing something... now that sounded like a good idea. It occured to her that she hadn't even crashed once yesterday.

I could use some good adrenaline... maybe a coffee, too.

Rainbow silently leant towards Applejack and kissed her, enjoying the scent of her mane before sliding carefully out of the covers.

Is this what normal ponies do? Get up early?

Rainbow Dash had no idea: but what she was sure about, was that if she didn't get her blood pumping through her veins, she'd freeze to death.

"See you, AJ," she whispered as she tiptoed out of the room. "I'll make you pancakes later."

Now, let's gain some altitude...

Calling Home

Crisp Cleaner was not a pony liable to being spooked. Nor was he a pony that had a habit of jumping to conclusions. He had a reputation of being a cautiously sceptical, if simple, pony, not at all prone to believing in wild fantasies and urban legends.

But when he looked at his trampled crops, the only crops he had, kept safe in a small allotment just outside Kathmanedu, his potatoes squashed and his carrots ruined, he was shaken just enough to be ready to believe in anything. And the first thing he saw were a set of giant, misshapen, hoofprints imprinted in the snow and upturned mud.

Crisp suppressed a shiver. "The Abominable Snowpony..."

Applejack woke up, as she always did, just after dawn. Outside by the barn, the rooster had just finished crowing, and if the farm animals were up and about, so was she.

But for the first time in months, she couldn't hear the sound of loud, obnoxious snoring, rattling her eardrums like bricks on cement. Neither could she feel the soft prickle of feathers, or smelly morning breath on the back of her neck.

It felt strange, and lonely.

"Rainbow?" she asked, quietly. Had she just fallen out of bed?

The pegasus wasn't exactly known for being good at staying in one place. This wouldn't be the first time she had tossed and turned in the middle of the night, Applejack reflected. She leant over the edge of the mattress, hoping to find Rainbow sprawled out on the floor, but no. Nothing. There was no sign of her marefriend anywhere.

"Huh."

She rolled out of bed, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Rainbow never got up early. Never.

She flattened her mane against her neck as she trotted out of the bedroom, not caring to brush it. She thought she could smell something... a slightly burnt smell, she thought, rich and acidic.

Coffee?

Applejack cantered to the kitchen, where she found, to her amazement, no less than four empty mugs, stained brown from the coffee they had previously contained, and a mess of papers covered in scribbles and numbers. Her business documents.

"Oh, sweet Celestia!" Applejack exclaimed. "Has she gone and ruined 'em?"

She rifled through the charts and tables, and she was relieved to see that all the things she had previously done were unchanged... no, wait. There were a few red markings near the side...

Has Rainbow been... correcting me?!

As she investigated further, she realized that the scribbles were in fact poorly drawn charts. She's gone and done everything... messily, but still...

A small, yellow scrap of paper caught her attention. Applejack reached out and found it was a tiny memo stuck to the side of the table.

"Got bored, did maths," she read. "Gone flying, back for lunch."

What is this? It's barely seven o'clock!

Applejack heard Big Macintosh's lumbering hoofsteps from behind her. She looked back and saw him peer through the doorway, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"Somethin' up?"

"I don't know, Mac'."

I have no idea.

Four thousand feet above Ponyville, in a small hotel room, Twilight awoke to the sound of commotion on the other side of her door.

It took her a few seconds to remember where she was: the unfamiliar walls and distinctly chilly breeze made her slightly uncomfortable. Oh, right... Kathmanedu.

She could swear she heard shouting from outside: shouting, and the sounds of a scuffle. Twilight took a moment to think, before realizing that without Applejack or Rainbow, she was the one best suited to go and investigate.

Especially since I'm a princess now...

She cautiously crept towards the door, unsure if this was an argument... or a fight. Please let it just be an argument...

If she listened hard enough, she could just about make out the sounds of voices on the other side.

"...let me go... crazy... Vector, help!"

Help... danger!

Twilight was about to spring into action, but before she could even move, the door imploded inwards, knocking her to the ground. Dazed, all she could make out was the colour pink.

"Look who I found!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, thrusting a confused and battered stallion towards the battered princess. "I found the expedition, I found the expedition!" she sang joyfully.

"Wh-who is this? Oh, are you Princess Sparkle?" the stallion asked. Twilight appraised him as quickly as she could: he was a well built, slightly boring looking earth pony stallion, looking at her with pleading eyes. "Tell your bodyguard to let me go, please... my name is Globe Trotter."

Twilight groaned and got to her hooves, realizing that more ponies were on their way in. She recognized Fluttershy, that was for sure, and Spike... but there was also a tall, lanky looking pegasus.

"You must be the Princess. Thanks for answering my distress call. Do you want breakfast? I could use another drink."

Applejack ambled towards the centre of town, humming softly to herself. Not the chipper humming she'd do whenever she was in a good mood, but instead the thoughtful drone she'd make that irritated everypony around her as she worked through the day's events in her mind.

She had a very good idea who to turn to for advice, although she was almost certain that Rarity wouldn't appreciate being treated as a relationship counsellor. But Applejack had nowhere else to turn: on any other day, she'd have buried herself in work, but Rainbow had kindly removed that distraction for her. And though her family would help her through thick and thin, there was one thing they knew nothing about.

Being an Element of Harmony. Feeling like the entire world rested on your shoulders was alien to them.

There was so much being an Element forced on Applejack. Sometimes she wondered if it was fate that had decided she wear that necklace, or instead a quirk of circumstance.

If I had said anything else to Twilight as she hung from that cliff, would I be who I am today?

But she was stuck with it now. Bound to be the best friend she possibly could, and bound to the fate of Equestria. No, there was no way even Granny Smith, with her years of experience, would understand quite what that felt like, and the strain that put on a relationship, no matter how important it made Applejack feel.

But Rarity would. Even though she never showed it, Rarity would know what Applejack was going through. All she had to do was ask her for advice, right?

Maybe. Rarity was an odd bird, sometimes.

It was almost noon. Applejack wouldn't have long before Rainbow would get back to the acres, like she had told her in her message. Applejack intended to be back by then: she didn't intend for Rainbow to learn about her worries just yet.

The Carousel Boutique had just appeared around the corner. She braced herself for the conversation to come.

She trotted up to the colourful double doors and turned the door-handle. It was a shop, after all: no sense knocking politely.

Ding!

"Rares'?" she called. The shop was empty, much to Applejack's relief.

"Yes?" Rarity shouted back from someplace invisible, probably one of the many back rooms. "Is that you, Applejack?"

"Yup'." Applejack trotted through row upon row of clothes that made up most of the boutique.

"An Applejack visit? Is it hat season already?" Rarity called back jokingly. "I'm in the back, darling, just give me a minute. I'm a bit tangled up here."

Applejack stopped dead in her tracks. She knew better than to interfere with Rarity's fashion problems.

She couldn't help but admire the colours and lines of Rarity's creations, dazzling even her. I'm surrounded by athletes and artists and princesses. How do I compete with that?

It took a moment, but eventually Rarity emerged from her 'workshop', picking out the odd strand of thread from her otherwise flawless mane. Her spectacles were precariously balanced on top of her nose, as they always were when she was working.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked. "You normally never visit outside of our carefully scheduled play-dates."

"It's about relationships," Applejack told her. Rarity's face suddenly fell.

"Oh, no. You can't go and treat me like some sort of marriage counsellor!" she exclaimed, backing away. "I've not had the best track record with romantic endeavours..."

Applejack sighed. I expected as much. She hasn't quite been the same since Trenderhoof...

"Rarity, I got nopony else to talk to. You're the only one here who's also an Element of Harmony. You know what I'm goin' through."

Rarity quietened down, but remained suspicious, eyeing Applejack cautiously. "From what I know, Rainbow is still in town. Can't you please do me a favour and ask her instead?" Rarity grumbled. "I know you wouldn't think so, but I swear she's got herself a coltfriend. I caught her buying flowers two weeks ago, and she even came here to buy some items from the back room..."

Right... I remember those.

"Well... I can't ask Rainbow. She's... sorta' the pony I need to ask about."

Rarity hesitated, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as Applejack bit her lip.

"You didn't... do anything I'd regret, did you, dear?"

The small hotel restaurant was barely large enough for the five ponies (and dragon) that were sat around a round wooden table, each with cups of hot, steaming coffee, tea, or in Pinkie's case, hot chocolate. Vector Velocity's cup gave off a distinctly chemical odour, and made Twilight gag when she tried to identify it.

So, this is the research expedition?

The didn't look like much. Globe Trotter was plain: brown mane, brown coat, brown eyes. If it wasn't for his rather colourful cutie mark of a map and compass, he might have had nothing interesting about him.

Vector Velocity was more interesting, but not in a good way. His breath felt like chemical warfare, and his pale coat was stained with oil grease. Some of his fur was burnt black around his hooves. But the most distinctive thing about him was his head. Protruding from his skull was a large, metal gear, the kind you'd find on an old factory machine. It couldn't be natural: if Twilight was correct, it was going through several critical cerebral areas.

"So, how are you finding Neighpal?" Globe asked her, breaking the silence as innocently as possible.

"Cold," Spike grumbled. "I miss Ponyville."

Fluttershy coughed nervously.

"Um, can I ask about the... Abominable Snowpony?" she asked. Fear flashed across Globe Trotter's face. How can an explorer be put off so easily? Twilight wondered.

"Sure thing," Vector replied, taking a swig from his mug, like it was toxic. Then again, it might be. "That said, we don't know much. We saw footprints, and our ship got knocked around a bit."

"And we heard it roar!" Globe added, suppressing a shudder. "It was inequine!"

"Just like ninety-nine percent of things that aren't ponies," Vector pointed out.

Twilight put her cup down, silencing their bickering before it began... again. "And what about the broken property we've been hearing so much about?"

Vector shrugged. "I have no idea. I generally keep my airship well above Kathmanedu, so we don't get much trouble."

"Well, we need to start somewhere," Twilight explained. "Can you remember where it was you got ambushed by the Snowpony? Approximately?"

Globe nodded. "Not that I'd ever want to go there again, but... I can get you there."

That gives us two leads. It'd be best to follow up on both.

"Well, count me out," Spike declared. "If flying ends up taking me even higher, I'll get so cold my tail will fall off."

"Well, then you can stay here," Twilight said. "We should check out the damaged property for clues. You could handle that."

Spike narrowed his eyes, suspiciously. "And in the meantime..."

"I'll head up in the airship with Vector and Globe Trotter. We should be able to work twice as fast."

Fluttershy shuddered, as did Globe Trotter. Neither seemed too thrilled with the plan. Vector and Pinkie, however, broke into wild grins at the prospect of getting closer to the Spowpony.

"Are you sure splitting up is... safe?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sure it is!" Vector exclaimed. "It's just a little snowpony, after all!"

"Plus, we'll be in an airship! Unless it can fly—"

"Or unless we crash again," Vector interjected. Pinkie nodded enthusiastically.

"Or if we crash," Pinkie corrected, "then we'll be safe!"

Twiight leant back, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "And you can make sure we don't crash, right?"

"Last time was not my fault," Vector exclaimed defensively. "That mountain came out of nowhere."

"On a clear day... without any clouds..." Globe mumbled under his breath.

"Then that settles it," Twilight declared. "Pinkie and Spike can say here and look for clues. If things go wrong, I have a short-range communication spell I can use to contact Spike. You remember the mind-melding spell?"

Spike nodded. "Sure thing, but I'd rather things don't go wrong."

You and me both, Spike.

"And in the meantime, me, Fluttershy... and you two, of course... will head up to the mountains to look for any sign of this 'Snowpony'."

Vector adjusted his gear, smiling viciously. "I'll fix up my tranquillizer gun."

"And I'll hide the rum," Globe added, eyeing his colleague suspiciously.

Applejack nursed her tea anxiously as she explained everything to Rarity. The unicorn listened, attentively, only ever interrupting to ask the occasional question if she didn't understand.

Applejack felt very, very awkward. She had expected to feel awkward, though. She wasn't accustomed to laying her personal life before her like an open book: it made her feel vulnerable, more vulnerable than she liked to feel.

Eventually, Rarity nodded, satisfied. "I can't imagine you'd have just come over to tell me for no reason," she pointed out. "You said you had a problem, didn't you?

Applejack tilted her head, confused. "Ya'll ain't mad I didn't tell you sooner?"

Rarity smiled, and shook her head. "Not especially. I imagine you had your reasons, yes? Not everypony can be as forthright as moi."

Oh, good, Applejack thought. She's speaking foreign' now.

"Well... recently, me an' Rainbow had been talkin'. 'Bout where we were goin', that sort of thing. We kept comin' back to the same problem: we spend so much of our time gettin' chased by hydra's, fightin' monsters, travellin'... it's not really the sort of lifestyle you want for a stable relationship," Applejack explained, sadly. "So, she quit."

That elicited a reaction from Rarity. "She what? She quit being an element?"

Applejack peered down into her drink gloomily. "I think she tried. I'm not so sure. And it's more'n that."

Rarity raised her eyebrow, sceptical. "How is there more? Rainbow's going to have a hard time just 'quitting' being an element, you know. We don't exactly get given a choice."

Applejack nodded. "I know! I don't know how Rainbow is goin' to last. She needs adrenaline... this mornin', she weren't even in bed. She never gets up early."

"Rainbow got up early? Is that all?" Rarity chuckled, shaking her head. "I think you may be panicking a bit soon, darling."

"Rarity, I'm worried 'bout her." Applejack shifted her weight, defensively. "Rainbow quit because she thought I were worth it. Well, I never agreed with her on that lil' point. My priority is RD, an' always has been."

Rarity hesitated for a second. "So... let me just organize things in my mind a bit. Rainbow wants to stop adventuring because she wants to be with you, and you want Rainbow to keep adventuring because she'll enjoy it more?"

Applejack opened her mouth, ready with a witty retort, but it didn't come. Instead she sighed. "No, not quite. I'm also worried that I want Rainbow to keep adventurin' 'cause I'll enjoy it more."

I've spent most of my life as a farmer... but with Rainbow, with Twilight and the others... I can be exciting!

Rarity stared at Applejack. Finally, she ran her hoof through her mane.

"Oh, dear. This is why I dislike counselling."

Dear Mom Rapidfire,

Hello! It's me. I'm just writing because I'm still in Ponyville How are things in Cloudsdale? Ponyville is doing great: the weather is stable and I'm on the fast track to becoming a Wonderbolt again.

I know that you were never really happy about me being an Element not having a steady lifestyle, but I'm in love with in a relationship with somepony, and I was wondering if we could meet at some point in the near-ish future.

I'm really serious about her, and I'm also really serious about us patching things up. I'm tired of being on my own and I don't know how our family drifted apart like this, although I get that the way I live my life probably hasn't helped. But I've changed, or am trying to change, so can we please try to sort something out?

I'm sure Applejack would be really exited excited to meet you.

Rainbow Dash leant back in her chair, distancing herself from her letter. Her mouth twisted into a scowl.

This has to be one of the worst letters I've written.

Rainbow let her head slump down to the table. "This is why I hate communication."

Everything was coming together at last... she had taken the first step towards getting her family back. She had walked away (or so she had hoped) from being constantly on the move. Sure, she imagined that if Equestria was in serious peril, she'd have to step up... but only as a last resort. Twilight could find herself another element of loyalty.

Why did she get stuck with Loyalty, anyhow? Sure, she wouldn't give up on a friend... but neither would Applejack. That wasn't how they rolled.

Rainbow heard hoofsteps behind her, interrupting her thoughts. Applejack! It's lunch!

Rainbow panicked, and quickly grabbed the letter in her hooves and crumpled it up, trying to destroy any possible trace of her failed letter.

She swivelled around in her chair, desperately trying to appear innocent. I don't need her knowing I want to have my parents over right now... it's too soon!

Applejack trotted into the room, a serious look on her face. Mere moments after Rainbow noticed, she gave Rainbow a happy smile, masking her previous concern flawlessly. "Heya'! You got up early today."

Don't remind me... I need another coffee... and some oats...

"Yeah, I did. I dunno' why. Felt really cold, too."

Weird. I feel better now, though...

"You doin' okay?"

Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah. Guess I must have eaten something weird last night, or something."

Rainbow noticed Applejack's eye flicker towards the bundle of paper in her hoof, but she said nothing. Rainbow sighed with relief. She didn't need to explain that to Applejack just yet. It could wait.

"So..." Rainbow began. "Lunch?"

Applejack smiled. "Sure thing. If you ever feel weird, be sure to tell me, 'right?"

She trotted up to Rainbow, nuzzling her mane. Rainbow frowned, confused. What was Applejack playing at? She was acting weird. Then again, Rainbow reflected, so was she.

"Sure thing, AJ." Rainbow returned the affection, leaving her doubts forgotten. She was just concerned for her, right?

"Sure thing."

Fluttershy was shivering, despite standing right next to the engines and being wrapped in three layers of heavily insulated clothing. Twilight hypothesized that she might not be cold: there was more than one thing up at this altitude that would cause a pony to shudder.

Night hadn't quite fallen yet, but the sun was setting over Equestria, bathing the mountainsides in mesmerizing pink light.

"Why do I have to come on this dangerous trip again?" Fluttershy asked, as if expecting the Snowpony to jump at her from every shadow. Twilight sighed.

"Because you're the one who's an expert on animals. If we do encounter the Snowpony, we'll need you more than anyone!"

"That or my tranquillizer gun!" Vector countered.

"Both," declared Globe Trotter. His hooves were blue from the cold, but he still held the wheel with an expert grip. He didn't even seem to mind the icy winds all that much. Not as much as Vector, that is. The pegasus scientist kept on adjusting his head-gear and rubbing his hooves together, expelling fog out of his mouth with every halted breath.

Twilight didn't feel much warmer.

"Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Like footprints!" she replied. "You said you didn't actually see this Abominable Snowpony, did you?"

Globe nodded. "Yeah, but what else could it have been?"

"Freak wind?" Fluttershy suggested hopefully. Vector laughed.

"Wind that leaves behind giant hoof-prints? That would be a bit fat no."

"Speaking of wind, we're going to get a bit of a breeze up here," Globe warned. Twilight groaned: he was right. The wind was picking up, and it chilled her to the bone.

"I was actually wondering if it might have been some other creature. There are a lot of them that are rumoured to live up in the mountains, like dragons, beastponies, phoenixes..."

"Ain't no beastponies up here," Globe replied. "They're tribes moved north after Kathmanedu was built."

"Besides, we'd have dragons from this altitude. They aren't exactly subtle, you know."

It could still be anything. Spike was right... it's highly unlikely that it is an Abominable Snowpony, even though it is a possibility.

The wind continued to pick up, whistling through the pipes and devices on the airship.

"Where did this ship come from?" she asked. "I can't figure out how it works. Does it use magic?"

It makes a lot more noise than most magical machines. And I don't recognize the circuits, either.

"This is a Cloudsdale Airship," Vector explained. "They're designed for high altitudes. You probably know this, but the higher up you get, the harder it is to cast magic, unless you're a pegasus."

He tapped the side of the ship. "This isn't a pegasus, so we made them to run on lightning and wind instead. They're louder, slower, and uglier... but they work."

Interesting. I really should read up on this...

"They're also perfect for high altitude research..." Vector went on, but they were all suddenly jostled by another blast of wind.

"Ponyfeathers! Hold onto your hats!" Globe exclaimed. "We're experiencing unexpected turbulence! Please remain calm and don't—"

The vessel shook once again, interrupting him in the middle of his speech.

I have a bad feeling about this...

"Are we losing height?" Vector asked.

As if in answer to the pegasi's question, the ship hit the side of the mountain with a soft, but loud crash, gliding through the snow like a knife through butter.

"Oh, Celestia's shiny buttocks, not again!" Vector roared. "This wind isn't natural!"

We crashed... but how can wind make us crash? Something isn't right...

Twilight's horn flared. I need to tell Spike... this isn't some big furry pony up here... this is something else entirely.

"Oi, princess!" Vector shouted. "Thaumaturgic readings are going beserk! Whatever spell you're casting, do it quickly!"

Just a message... that's all I need...

Just a cry for help...

Letters, Rainbow thought. How do I write one to somepony I haven't talked to in over a year?

The evening was slow, and pleasant. Applejack was finishing her business speech... she'd be ready for Mr. Pants' arrival the next day. Rainbow was lying next to her, a fun and engaging book in her hooves. A small pair of glasses sat on her nose: a secret she had only shared with Applejack.

I guess it doesn't matter... I have all the time in the world, right?

All the time in the world...

Rainbow had to admit, she found the prospect of having a calmer, less eventful life a bit scary... strange, unnatural. She was always so used to getting everything done in under five seconds. Even though nothing that day was really all that different to her usual daily routine, it felt different. Emptier, but more fulfilling.

Did that make sense?

All the time in the world. Plenty of time to reconnect with her family, and maybe even have her own with Applejack, if she wanted. The thought gave Rainbow goosebumps: it scared her more than any stunt or monster. That's why it was exactly what she wanted.

It occurred to her that she was the fastest pony in Equestria... and that speed was a function of both distance and time. Now that she didn't have any immediate deadlines, was she destined to be the slowest pony of all?

And more importantly, did she even care?

"Hey, AJ..." she began, about to share her thoughts with her partner. She had promised, after all... but before she could begin properly, there was a flash of green light.

Both her and Applejack sat up with a start: this was magic. A small flare of green fire ignited the air in front of them. Fire they had seen before, many times.

Spike?

The fire burned away, revealing a letter that hit Rainbow square on the nose.

"Ow! What the hay, Spike!"

"A letter?" Applejack asked. "Why'd Spike send a message to us?"

Rainbow shrugged, and unrolled the parchment, reading it quickly. The more she read, the graver she became.

"There's trouble in Neighpal," she said, darkly.

Dear Rainbow Dash.

Twilight has run into trouble! Her airship (there's an airship now) crashed on the mountainside, and magic is going crazy up there. She asked me to call Celestia, and I have, but she can't get there as fast as you can.

I know you wanted to sit this one out, but I don't think that's an option any more. Before everything went quiet (magic nonsense) she hinted that this wasn't 'what she thought it was'. I don't know what that means, but I'm guessing that it's not some big pooffy Snowpony up there.

Please help!

Spike the Dragon

Rainbow passed the message over to Applejack.

Letters, she thought. They could come at the worst of times.

"AJ..."

"I know," Applejack replied. "You need to go. You ain't breakin' no promise if you do."

The pair looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds: Applejack's were hard and tough, ready for whatever the world threw at her. Rainbow's eyes, by contrast, were softer, almost tearful.

"Yes I am," she replied, and with a single flap of her wings, took to the sky.

The Monster in the Mountains

Not sleep... boredom. The kind of boredom you don't wake up from. Lying asleep until you feel the first pangs of hunger, or the niggling sensation of pain. The ice is so comfortable, so warm...

How does a creature that doesn't feel hunger feel the need to ever wake up? It has been centuries since it was given a taste of strife. Thousands of years.

A few weeks ago... months ago... that's when it had first felt hunger again. Something had woken up, something else, far to the west. A monster who's sole purpose was to create strife. Not long before that, a dark presence had returned from the sky... and then again a swarm that feasted on affection had cursed Equestria once more.

They hadn't lasted long: mere flickers of fear and anguish, but they were enough. Enough to remind the monster in the mountains what true conflict tasted like.

So, finally, after years of sleeping in the ice, the monster woke up from the ages of legend, alone and aching, and got to work.

It was mid-afternoon in Canterlot. The streets, partially empty, buzzed with the noise of dozens of quiet voices, calm and peaceful. This was an easygoing day. Vinyl Scratch might have called it boring.

In fact... she'd definitely call it boring.

She was sat at a table outside, a cup of steaming coffee in hoof, glaring at it from behind her glasses.

"Why am I here?" she asked herself.

As if to answer her question, a violent 'boom' erupted through the sky, causing her to flinch. The shockwaves of sound blew her mane back ever so slightly, like a sudden, sharp breeze.

Vinyl Scratch looked up: the sky was filled with colour, rippling through the clouds, as if it were a still pond and a stone had been tossed into it. A kaleidoscope of colour invaded Vinyl's vision.

"A sonic—..." she began, awed, but before she could finish, a rainbow shot across Canterlot airspace with the speed and ferocity of a bullet.

Spike held his head in his hands, his eyes peering out from between his talons at the mountain range looming overhead. How long had it been since Twilight had sent that message? An hour? Half an hour?

It felt like an eternity.

"Why did we split up again?" he asked, his voice reduced to a moan. "I thought she said that nothing could get her whilst they were in the air..."

"Because this way you could send a message to Celestia!" Pinkie exclaimed. "You wouldn't have been able to do that if you were under attack by evil, big, furry snowponies!"

Spike shook his head, slowly. "Twilight didn't know that... she just thought we'd be saving time..."

"I never said that's what Twilight thought. I was explaining why we actually split up, silly!"

"Pinkie," Spike began, angry, "This isn't some kind of stupid cosmic plan! Twilight's in danger and I'm stuck down here, freezing my scales off!"

Literally!

"But now," Pinkie went on, "We've called for help and we'll have our friends out of trouble before you can say 'treacle treat'! So there's no reason to feel bad, whether Twilight wanted us here or not, right?"

Spike's shoulders went slack, and he peered at the ground. A few snowflakes drifted down around his feet, which were so cold they had almost gone completely blue. Dragons really weren't suited to the cold: whenever they were up in the mountains, they were sure to be deep in a cave.

Oh, shoot... We didn't even find any evidence, Spike thought, briefly confused that out of all the things that had gone wrong, that was the one thing that brought him to tears.

In Appleoosa, Braeburn was almost knocked off his hooves by the sudden shockwave, his hat bouncing across the dirt as it flew from his head. A handful of apples fell from their trees onto the ground.

When he looked up, all he could see were a few tendrils of colour, already fading into the blue sky. He recognized what it was, though: an old mare's tale his cousin had insisted was real.

But it couldn't be: just a trick of the light, that's all it was.

High above Equestria, bursting through sound-barrier after sound-barrier, and already on her second sonic rainboom, Rainbow Dash grit her teeth angrily.

Partly because she had failed: she had known that it would be hard, quitting for good, but she had expected to last for more than a day.

Partly because she had left Applejack behind with a big business deal the next day.

And partly because she wasn't sure where Neighpal was. Somewhere east, right?

That's no Abominable Snowpony, Twilight thought as she backed up against the hull of the airship. Abominable Snowponies are supposed to be big furry ponies than roar at tourists... whatever this is is nothing like that.

A blizzard had picked up all around them: blinding everypony, and drowning out their cries. This was no natural snowstorm: it had arrived too fast and too suddenly, and struck with too much ferocity to be a natural occurrence.

There was only one explanation: whatever they were up against was highly magical in nature. Powerful enough to manipulate the weather, at least. But what could summon a snowstorm out of thin air? Twilight had been prepared for multiple eventualities, and had read up on dozens of monsters that this creature could be, but how many of them could do this? Not many. At least, not many that had been sighted recently...

There is an outlying chance that we've stumbled across a kind of monster unseen for centuries... that would explain why it evaded my research...

Twilight looked around desperately, hoping to catch a glimpse of Fluttershy, Globe Trotter, or even Vector Velocity. They were all gone: hidden from sight by the curtain of snow.

I'm on my own... she thought.

As if on cue, the snow began to change colour: first red, then orange, then yellow, green, blue and purple. To Twilight's amazement, each snowflake began to reflect the colours of the rainbow, illuminated by some unknown source of light.

What the—

It was then that the shockwave hit her: compressed air hitting her hard, knocking her sideways as she struggled to balance herself. The snow was blown away, clearing the mountainside in an instant, brushing the storm away.

That's a sonic rainboom, Twilight thought, amazed. But how?

Three rainbooms. Rainbow Dash had never flown so far as to have to break through the sound barrier three times. She shook her head, panting, sweat freezing on her coat before it could even evaporate properly.

It didn't matter: she had made it. The snowstorm wasn't hard to miss: it stood out like a sore thumb. There was no way that was natural.

And now, here she was, flying above the downed airship, glaring down at the mare who had made her break her promise.

"Hi there," she called out with forced cheer. "Did you get into a spot of airship trouble?"

There was nothing left for her to do.

Applejack was sat down next to a tree, appearing to all the world as a pony without any cares at all. The harvest was over, and she had finished preparing for her business meeting the next day.

But Applejack was far from easy. Her thoughts drifted to the ominous letter from Spike one minute, to the tearful look on Rainbow's face as she left the next.

I could have sworn she'd have wanted to get out and about again... Applejack thought. There was no way Rainbow could quit her adventurous lifestyle without any hiccups, was there? She must have been doing it just to please Applejack.

At least, that's what Applejack had been afraid of.

I never needed... or even wanted... a reliable pony. Why'd Rainbow think I did?

Or maybe Applejack was just wishing she could be out there with her... doing heavens knew what in the Himarelayas.

It was all so confusing. There was no plan to what Applejack was thinking... just a lot of muddled thoughts and concerns. Rarity hadn't been any help... other than being somepony who'd listen to her and understand.

She obviously wants to be more than just an element, Applejack thought, trying to organize her thoughts. I guess she wants to make livin' here her priority... and was ready to sacrifice a lot to get what she wanted.

"What do I want, then?"

I want to be with Rainbow. That's priority number one, then.

Priority number two?

Does it even matter?

Rainbow Dash swooped down onto the deck of the aircraft, shivering slightly as the warmth left her muscles. You never felt cold whilst flying: you were always too busy moving.

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight exclaimed. "I thought Spike was supposed to contact Celestia?!"

Rainbow nodded. "He did, but he also sent a little letter to yours truly, too," she said. Rainbow had expected to be angry at Twilight for getting in trouble, but all she could think of, right now, was where the Snowpony was. "Tell me what's up. That wasn't a normal snowstorm."

Twilight nodded. Fluttershy and Vector poked their heads out from the underbelly of the ship. "It was influenced by magic. It couldn't have been a unicorn... it's highly unlikely one would be that talented in weather manipulation."

"It wasn't a pegasus either," Rainbow continued. "I'd have seen 'em."

Vector eyed his thaumometer, deadly serious. "Magical levels are still haywire," he said. "The storm might have been blasted away by that... colourful display of yours, but whatever is out there is still here."

Fluttershy swallowed. "We should get away, then!"

Vector looked around, and frowned. "We can't: Globe is missing, and can't fly. And unless this ship gets airborne, he'll be stuck here, whether we find him or not."

"I could just carry him," Rainbow declared.

The winds began to pick up again, whistling through the mechanical components of the airship ominously.

"Can you carry a full grown pony through that kind of wind?" Twilight asked, dubious. "And besides, we need to find him first."

Rainbow shook her head. "First, Fluttershy and... whoever... should get out of here. I'm the only one who's trained to fly through these kinds of storms: if one of the wimpier flyers gets caught unawares, you'll be trapped. No offence, Flutters'."

"Some taken," Vector replied tersely.

"Uh, whatever." Rainbow waved her hoof dismissively. "Also, you've got some metal stickin' out of your head there," she added, gesturing at the side of his skull.

"I know," Vector replied. "I'm told I was very painful for mother."

Rainbow winced, and subconsciously crossed her hind legs together slightly. "Dude, don't even joke."

Twilight interrupted the pair by stomping her hoof. "Fine! Let's get going, then. Fluttershy and Vector, head back to Kathmanedu. Me and Rainbow will stay behind and look for Globe Trotter... wherever he's got to."

Fluttershy nodded, only too glad to oblige. Her curiosity to see the Snowpony had died out as soon as the airship had crashed. Vector Velocity swallowed, uncertain.

"But the ship!" he protested. "And... and the ship!"

Twilight stomped her hoof in the snow, her princess wings flaring. "No arguments! We don't have long until that... thing comes back! Get out of here!"

Twilight's horn lit up, lighting the way for Rainbow to follow. "Keep as close to me as you can! If a storm kicks up, you should be able to see this, right?"

"Twi," Rainbow began, "I'm a weatherpony. Storms don't slow me down, magical or not."

"Yes... but they slow me down."

The air was frosty and cold... yet there was no wind. The air was completely still. Every time Globe exhaled, a plume of fog misted his vision, making it difficult to see. Besides that, he was freezing: explorer pony or not, he was not immune to the bitter chill. In fact, he wasn't immune to most things.

Why did I get stuck with exploring as a talent, anyways...

Globe looked at his surroundings: a cavern made entirely of ice, icicles hanging like teeth from the ceiling and a thin layer of dusty snow around his hooves. Some kind of tunnel.

And why did I get stuck with a madpony for a partner?

Globe Trotted shivered as he trotted down the caverns, careful not to slip on the treacherous surfaces. The wind whispered gently in his ear, keeping him uneasy...

Except there was no wind.

Globe widened his eyes. He knew he should be panicking, but he wasn't.

"Shhh..."

Globe couldn't stop himself from thinking of a metal gear, protruding from the skull of an exhausted pegasus.

The wind... the air, immobile and still, talked. The icy walls shimmered, showing him a distorted reflection of himself.

Fascinating...

"Boring, dull... simple and slow..." said the wind.

Globe's mouth curled into a vicious, toothy snarl... or was it a grin?

There was no wind, he thought.

How did that gear, that ugly obtrusive lump of metal, fit in Vector's head, Globe wondered.

"Oh, dear," Globe muttered to himself. "Things are just getting worse and worse..."

Rainbow Dash cantered behind Twilight, hoping to Celestia that her magic would lead the way. Her horn was glowing, and at the very least, she acted like she knew where to find Globe Trotter... whoever that was. Some stuffy scientist, she expected.

"Where are we going?" she asked, this time determined to get an answer.

"I don't know!"

The wind was much calmer than before, during the storm, but it was still beginning to kick up an awful lot of snow. Rainbow's visibility was decreased considerably, and she didn't like it one bit. "You don't know?!"

"My magic isn't working properly! I'm just looking around!"

Oh, ponyfeathers. So much for the element of magic...

"Do you have any idea where we're going?!"

"Up! I think the monster might be closer to the summit of the mountain!"

Rainbow frowned, puzzled. "What makes you say that?"

"Because... because..."

Rainbow caught up with Twilight and quickly overtook her. "Nevermind... it's as good as any other place to start looking, right?"

Twilight nodded resolutely, and after a brief moment of hesitation, continued her way up.

It was then that the snow collapsed beneath them, sending them tumbling into a cold, icy crevasse below.

Fluttershy and Vector were both flying, close enough to the snow that they might avoid the worst of the treacherous wind, but fearful of any monster that might spring up from the ground to get them. The tension was palpable, and neither pony felt like speaking.

And then they heard the roar of the mountain: a low rumble that shook the entire landscape.

"What's that?" Fluttershy asked, treading the fine line between caution and panic. Vector and her both looked up at the mountainside they were running from.

The airship lay on its side like the carcass of an old, deceased beast from ages past, and was already beginning to sink into the snow.

"That'll take weeks to excavate again..." Vector snapped, angrily. Fluttershy shushed him.

"Quiet!"

Slowly, but surely, the snow began to shift, just above the airship. It parted and moved like a swarm of eels, and shook tons of snow loose that came crashing down around the airship.

"An avalanche..."

"No, not quite." Vector covered his eyes with his hoof. "I can't see the others."

Fluttershy's heart rose in her stomach. Why do we always split up, she thought.

She swallowed her fears, and set her jaw. "Well, we'd better... do something about that..."

When Twilight came to, she realized to her dismay that she couldn't see anything. Her eyes felt like the jelly inside had been frozen solid, and her joints were like half-hardened cement.

She coughed and spluttered as she rose from the snowdrift, using her wings to brush the snow off of her coat.

"Gah!"

As the water leaked from her eyes, she began to blearily make out her surroundings. She was underground, certainly... but where?

"Where on earth..."

She saw icy tunnels, like the ones in the Diamond Dog's lair... but like glass. The monster's lair, perhaps?

"The more alone I feel, the colder it gets..." she whispered to herself. And it was then that it hit her:

Where was Rainbow Dash?

"Rainbow?"

Twilight wondered if she had gotten trapped under the snow, like she had, and dove into the pile of frozen water again, but to no avail: Rainbow Dash was gone.

"Rainbow!"

Applejack felt empty. Her room felt empty. She had to admit, it had felt that way for a while, but being left behind only served to make the sense of loneliness more pronounced.

"Ironic," she said to herself. "All Rainbow wanted was to settle down. All I want is to go out gallivantin' on adventures."

She looked over at her desk, covered with the hastily written business documents she needed for the next day.

"An' now neither of us got what we wanted."

She lay down on her bed, deep in thought. She hadn't wanted to be cornered by her problems like this: she had wanted everything to sort itself out, for Rainbow to do her own thing and be happy, and then Applejack could just take every day as it came... but that was impossible, apparently, since the last look Rainbow had given her before leaving had not been happy.

And that was not, as Rainbow would put it, cool.

Applejack shivered.

And besides... what if they're in real danger? How could I live with myself if the last thing I saw of her was that face?

Applejack got to her hooves with a determined snort and threw her hat onto her head. "No, I wouldn't."

She cantered out the door, leaving her papers behind. "Granny! I'll need ya'll t'take care of that deal I mentioned!" she shouted as she rushed down the stairs. "I got important stuff to take care of!"