An unmistakable sense of nervousness weighed down Rarity's hooves as they carried her towards Sweet Apple Acres. The evening sun gradually sinking below the sky was a consistent reminder that the hour was less than ideal for her to be walking in this particular direction. Surely by this time, Applejack would be seated at dinner with her family, not likely expecting any visitors, and there was something that seemed decidedly impolite about showing up unannounced at somepony's doorstep at such a late hour. Still, it had to be done. Her busy schedule would not allow for any further delay. If that dress was not at least under construction by tomorrow afternoon, she would fall behind. And she was loathe to falling behind on her schedule...
But what if Applejack refused? Once more, this question cycled within Rarity's mind, just as it had all throughout the day, acting as a lingering deterrent for her will to ask. But she was now completely out of time—it could not wait any longer. Though she had briefly considered asking early the next morning, she quickly realized that would have meant asking Applejack to drop everything on a whim to help her. The very least she could do was allow Applejack time to prepare, and to perhaps even discuss it with her family, who would certainly not be too thrilled by her decision if she agreed...
Assuming she agreed, of course. Rarity could not help but admit to herself that Applejack had just about every reason imaginable to refuse. Besides, what if she was busy tomorrow? What if her family was too uncomfortable with it? And worst of all, what if she was left offended or angry at the implication that she would be expected to agree to such a risky, life-threatening endeavor?
Eventually, Rarity crossed through the white, covered archway and entered the borders of Sweet Apple Acres just as the final rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the hills and brought the day to a silent and peaceful close. She gradually neared the Apple family barn-house, her steps slowing significantly as her nervousness intensified, not knowing what was going to transpire in the next five minutes. When she finally stopped at the door, she paused for a moment to exhale a deep breath before firmly rapping upon it.
Within moments, she heard approaching hoofsteps from inside the house, followed quickly by the door swinging open to reveal the very apple farmer she had come to see.
"Good evening, Applejack," Rarity greeted, smiling apologetically.
Applejack's eyes widened. Rarity was perhaps the last pony she would have expected to be knocking on the door at such an hour.
"Uh, evenin', Rarity," she replied, returning the smile nevertheless.
"Forgive me for coming by so late, but I was hoping I could speak with you for a moment," said Rarity. "Unless I happened to catch you at an unfavorable time."
"Well, I was just 'bout to sit down to dinner, but I suppose I could spare a moment," replied Applejack. "Wouldya like to come in?"
"Actually, I'd rather you came out," answered Rarity, looking uncomfortable. "It's kind of....well, I'd simply prefer it if your family didn't overhear us."
Applejack raised a curious eyebrow as Rarity took a few steps back to allow her space to step outside. Shrugging to herself, Applejack stepped out of the barn-house and closed the door quickly behind her.
"I reckon this must be serious, then," she said. "Is it somethin' to do with the map?"
"Well...no," Rarity said, feeling slightly less nervous now that Applejack's family could not hear them. "It's a personal favor, and one that I admittedly have no business asking of you."
"Oh?" said Applejack, awaiting the explanation. Rarity exhaled another nervous breath.
"A client of mine wishes for me to design a dress made with labridyne silk, which I regrettably do not possess. Since labridyne silkworms can only be found in a few remote places in Equestria, this type of silk is quite expensive. And though the client is willing to pay substantially for this dress, if I placed an order the silk, I would still likely end up paying more than I would receive for it."
"Uhh...sorry, Rarity, but I don't think I have any of that silk to loan you," Applejack said with an apologetic frown.
"Oh, no, of course not. That's not what I'm here to ask you," Rarity said quickly. She exhaled again before continuing. "It just so happens that the Everfree Forest is one of the places where labridyne silkworms can be found. They are known to produce layers upon layers of silk within their own nests. I have a map of the forest showing where a silkworm nest is located. It's just a little north of the old castle. What I ask is that you accompany me there, just for protection."
Applejack blinked with surprise, now understanding why Rarity seemed so nervous.
"You want me to go into the Everfree Forest with you? Just to collect some silk?"
"I know I have no right asking you to do this," Rarity said, nodding sorrowfully. "However, I would compensate you for your help, of course. You'll not only receive a cut of the profit I make from the dress, you'll also receive an advance payment of 150 bits."
Applejack casually shifted her mouth left and right, her uncertainty showing clearly in her face. She casually looked upward to see the moon and stars making themselves visible as the evening gradually stretched on into night.
"I dunno, Rarity," she said hesitantly. "This seems like a mighty foolhardy thing to do. I've never even been past the old castle."
"Nor have I," Rarity said with an acknowledging nod. "However, to me, it's well worth the risk. With any luck, I'll be able to collect enough silk to make much more than one dress. I could only imagine the boost in business I would receive if word got around that custom made garments of labridyne silk are available at Carousel Boutique."
"So why ask me?" Applejack inquired curiously. "I don't mind that you did, but I would figure you'd ask Twilight first since she's got all them nifty spells which could help if you were to come across somethin' dangerous out there. Or did you ask her already and she turned you down?"
"No, I didn't ask her," Rarity said with a shake of her head. "The truth of the matter is that there's nopony I would feel safer with than you, Applejack. I could hardly believe the story you told us about how you saved Apple Bloom from the monster that tried to eat her, but after our little tussle with the Bugbear, I now realize that you possess quite a lot of skill when it comes to dealing with dangerous beasts."
"Oh..." Applejack muttered, poorly suppressing a blush from the flattery.
"So...what do you say?" Rarity asked, biting down on her lip.
Applejack stared silently into her nervous, yet hopeful eyes.
"Lemme just ask you one question," she said after a few seconds had passed.
"Yes?" Rarity replied.
"If I were to say 'no', would you still go anyway?"
Rarity cast her eyes down, realizing that she may have just received her answer.
"I...I suppose I would," she answered with a silent sigh. "I really need that silk."
"Well, then that settles it," Applejack said, nodding. "I'm goin' with you."
Rarity looked up at once, confusion rushing over her face. "Really?"
Applejack nodded again. "If you still plan on goin' without me, I figure I might as well go. I'd much rather know for myself that you're safe instead of havin' to wait for you to return. It'd save me a heap load of worry."
Rarity smiled warmly. "Applejack..."
"You don't need to pay me anythin', either," Applejack said. "I just wouldn't feel right acceptin' money from you."
"Well, I wouldn't feel right putting your life at potential risk without offering you a reward in return," replied Rarity in disbelief.
"If you truly believe this venture is worth it, then I'm happy to do it for free," Applejack said. "Bein' able to help your business grow will be its own reward."
Rarity blinked incredulously, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. Of all the variations of this conversation she had rehearsed within her mind throughout the day, not once had she envisioned a scenario in which not only did Applejack agree, but also refuse to accept payment.
"Are you...absolutely sure about this, Applejack?"
"I'm sure," Applejack answered with a smile.
Rarity squealed and threw her forehooves tightly across Applejack's neck.
"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! I cannot even begin to express how much I appreciate this, Applejack!"
Applejack chuckled. "It ain't nothin', Rarity."
"But it isn't nothing, it's everything!" Rarity cried as she released her. "I'm going to repay you in some way. I absolutely refuse to allow you to do this for free!"
"If you insist," Applejack said, grinning. "So when do we leave? Not now, I hope?"
"Oh, of course not, dear," Rarity answered with a chuckle. "I really need to get started on this dress by tomorrow afternoon, so I would prefer to go sometime in the morning. Of course, if that's not a good for you, I could allow some wiggle room in my schedule."
Applejack rubbed her chin in thought. "Well, I do have some mornin' chores to take care of first, but I'm sure I could finish those up quick and meet you by ten."
"Very well. Ten it is," Rarity nodded. "We'll meet where we usually enter the forest."
"Well, then, it sounds like we're all set," affirmed Applejack.
"Umm...actually, there's one more thing," Rarity said, looking uncomfortable again. "Your family. I suppose you'll tell them about this and you have every reason to, of course, but...do you think they might not want you to go?"
"Oh, you don't need to worry none about that," Applejack said reassuringly. "They know I've been in the forest plenty o' times before. I don't reckon they'll have any doubt that I'll come back this time, too."
"Well, that's certainly a relief to hear. I'd hate to cause them worry," Rarity said as the last traces of nervousness in her body faded away. "I truly cannot thank you enough for this, Applejack."
"Yer quite welcome, Rarity," said Applejack. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow, then."
"Indeed," said Rarity. "Good night."
With that, Applejack retreated back inside the barn-house to finally sit down to dinner while Rarity trotted gleefully back to her own home from beneath the lunar rays of the moon, her mind reveling in victory.
****
The following morning provided a sunny and relatively cloudless sky. It was the kind of weather that most ponies would have likely opted to use for holding a picnic or going for a swim, rather than venturing deeply into a dangerous forest on a quest for silk. But neither Rarity nor Applejack could have asked for more ideal weather for embarking upon a journey within the Everfree—the forest was shadowy enough without a heavily clouded sky blocking what little sunlight managed to penetrate through it.
Rarity awoke cheek-pressed against her design table, her red, horn-rimmed glasses lying flat upon her most recent sketch. The prospect of finally getting the chance to stitch a dress with the rarest known silk in Equestria had left her with enough excitement to keep her up for most of the night, drawing up sketch after sketch, unable to pick one that would have best displayed the magnificence that the labridyne silk deserved. She groaned with frustration as she groggily stared through each of her sketches, eventually choosing to put her decision off until she returned.
With plenty of time to spare before ten o' clock, Rarity treated herself to a morning bath, hoping to preempt the dirt and general filth that her coat would inevitably pick up from traveling through the Everfree. She then poured herself a cup of tea and sat down to a light breakfast of eggs and toast, conversing with Opalescence about her unbridled excitement as the apathetic cat licked at her own tea, paying Rarity little mind. Nearly a half hour before ten, Rarity grabbed her pink, mostly-empty saddlebags and headed out of the boutique, hardly able to wait any longer to begin her quest.
Meanwhile, Applejack had lost no sleep, unbothered by the notion of taking another trip into the dreaded forest yet again. Once finished with her morning chores, and after sitting down to a far more hearty breakfast, she grabbed her green saddlebags that she had packed the previous night, containing two equally long sets of eight-foot rope and a canteen of water. As she headed out the door to meet Rarity, Granny Smith advised her to be careful and mind herself, repeating what she had said the previous night when Applejack had told her family over dinner that she would be going into the Everfree Forest in the morning.
"I'll be more careful than a quick-footed jackrabbit in a den of sleepin' timberwolves," Applejack replied, much to Granny Smith's satisfaction.
She then stepped out into the clear, flawless weather with only fifteen minutes to spare before the hour reached ten. Fortunately, that was all the time she needed. Their most consistent entrance to the Everfree was located just east of town hall. It was where she and her friends had entered to find the Elements of Harmony during their very first venture into the forest, and then the Tree of Harmony a year later. It was marked by wide a patch of dirt which bridged over a stream of murky water, beginning a long trail that stretched on deeply into the forest, far beyond a point where it was possible to see where it ended.
When Applejack arrived there, she found Rarity already waiting for her, reading through a medium-sized book that she was levitating in front of her face.
"Morning, Applejack!" Rarity sang as she looked up to notice Applejack approaching.
"G'mornin', Rarity," Applejack replied. "You all ready to head out?"
"Just a moment," she said, turning her attention back to the book.
"Uhh...what's that?" Applejack asked, eyeing the book curiously.
"It's a book on basic defensive spells that Twilight loaned me yesterday," Rarity answered without turning away from it.
"Defensive spells?" Applejack questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Rarity cast her a sly look. "Oh, come now, darling. Surely, you did not expect me to simply act as a damsel in distress if we ran into any danger in there, did you?"
Applejack chuckled nervously. "Uhhh...well..."
"Alright, I admit that I'm not quite proficient with this sort of thing," Rarity said with a sigh. "But still, I could certainly stand to be a bit more well-practiced when it comes to personal defense."
"Aw, don't sweat it, Rarity," said Applejack. "I'm here to make sure nothin' happens to you in there."
"Oh, I know," Rarity said with a hesitant nod. "But—"
"You don't need to worry about a thing," Applejack interrupted, smiling with assurance. "Just trust me."
Rarity frowned, looking unconvinced. That's not true, Applejack...
After a momentary hesitation, she closed the spellbook and stored it into her saddlebag. "Well, I suppose I'm ready, then."
"Then let's move 'em out!" Applejack exclaimed.
The two ponies stepped over the threshold of the forest and eventually disappeared into the thick, innumerable trees. As expected, the unmissable scent of dank forest reached their noses almost as soon as they entered, just as it did every single time they entered the Everfree. Also as expected, the golden rays gleaming from the morning sun were hindered by the hundreds of dark green leaves hanging from each of the trees overhead, leaving their path shaded and opaque.
Rarity levitated the map from her saddlebag and slowed her pace to stare at it.
"We've been to the castle several times now, so I don't think we'll need any assistance getting there," she said. "Of course, we'll take the quickest route, avoiding both the river and the Manticore den. From there, I estimate that it's only about a ten minute walk to the silkworm nest once we pass it. Overall, this trip should last no longer than two hours—one hour there, one hour back."
"So where'd you get this map, anyway?" asked Applejack.
"From Zecora, actually," said Rarity, levitating it back into her saddlebag while returning to her normal pace again. "She's charted nearly the entire forest."
"Wow. I didn't think anypony was fool enough to do something like that," said Applejack.
"Well, she uses many of the plants in the forest as ingredients for her potions and herbal remedies," said Rarity. "I suppose it helps that she knows exactly where everything is."
"I guess that makes sense," noted Applejack.
"I figure I ought to tell you something," Rarity said with sudden discomfort in her voice. "When Zecora loaned me the map, she warned me that she had caught sight of something near the silkworm nest. I believe the words she used were: 'from behind the trees, I saw with my own eyes a slithering figure of such massive size.'"
"A 'slitherin' figure?'" Applejack questioned. "Like a snake?"
"I don't know," said Rarity. "She did not seem to get a good look at it. She told me that she hurried away from the area as soon as she saw it. I just truly hope that whatever it was, we do not encounter it."
Applejack nodded, now feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Me too."
As they moved through the forest, Applejack kept her awareness open for any dangerous creatures lurking in the bushes, while Rarity kept her awareness open for any puddles of mud lying in her path.
Part II - A Wave of Sorrow
"Look, another one!" Rarity boasted, and rushed over to magically pluck a red-and-silver petunia sitting like a weed at the base of a bush.
Applejack groaned with annoyance. This had been the fourth time Rarity had stopped to pick a flower within the last five minutes.
"In case you forgot, we ain't here for the flowers, Rarity."
"Oh, I know, dear," Rarity said, carefully placing the petunia into her left saddlebag with the three other flowers. "Still, it's quite a shame to think that all the beauty that grows in these woods can go ignored simply because nopony cares to enter them. In fact, I'd say it's downright criminal! These flowers could be absolutely perfect for a headdress!"
Applejack shook her head, chuckling to herself at how typical this kind of behavior was for Rarity.
"If you say so," she said apathetically.
They were now more than fifteen minutes into their two-hour trip, and no creatures, dangerous or otherwise, had yet crossed their path. Nevertheless, the forest still exhibited its typical eerie demeanor—bushes and shrubs twitched as they passed them, the leaves on the trees rattled without any wind, and strange, unidentifiable sounds could be heard in the distance. Every few minutes, their path was illuminated by patches of sunlight which managed to shine through significant gaps between the trees, granting them a vague sense of safety within the mostly darkened forest. But once their path led them into another tree-heavy area, the forest instantly shifted back to its dark and shadowy self, as though a massive gray cloud had suddenly been pulled over the sun, stealing their safety away.
They continued walking along their path, but it was not long before Rarity caught sight of a golden, shimmering light to the left, obscured only slightly by the bushes and trees that filled the distance between her and it. The light was reflecting off the petals of a small, golden daisy. Its stem protruded from out of a small shrub like a piece of golden treasure, waiting to be claimed.
"Oh, my stars!" Rarity cried in astonishment, squinting as she stared directly into the light. "It's an Equestrian Sunshine Daisy! I never would have expected to find one in a place like this!"
"C'mon, Rarity," Applejack said, sighing with more annoyance. "At this rate, we won't even be home in time for dinner."
"Just one more, I promise!" Rarity said, looking at her with pleading eyes. "I simply cannot let this one go!"
"Fine," Applejack said as she viewed the desperation in Rarity face. "Go on."
Squealing with excitement, Rarity turned and rushed in the direction of the shimmering flower, disappearing from Applejack's sight as she zipped past the bushes and trees to reach it. Applejack waited in place for several seconds, squinting her eyes forward at the path ahead, then shifting them warily around her surroundings, hoping not to see the menacing glint of a pair of hungry eyes staring back at her from within the bushes...
Before long, the seconds had stretched on into a minute. When Applejack looked back in the direction Rarity had vanished, she could no longer see the golden light, letting her know that the flower had been plucked. Yet for some reason, Rarity was still nowhere to be found.
"C'mon, Rarity!" Applejack called. "What in thunderation is takin' so long?"
She received no response.
"Rarity...?" Applejack called again, a sudden chill falling over her as she realized that she might have made a grave mistake by letting Rarity out of her sight.
Again, there was no response. In a panicked frenzy, Applejack hurried through the brush where Rarity had disappeared, her head moving swiftly in all directions as she searched frantically for her. Through a small patch of sunlight shining between a gap in the leaves just ahead of her, she caught a quick glimpse of the indigo of Rarity's tail from the other side of a tree, just a short distance away from where the flower had been. Rushing quickly around the tree, Applejack found Rarity standing entirely stiff, apparently transfixed by something in front of her. Her left saddlebag glowed brightly from the inside.
"Sakes alive, Rarity!" Applejack cried as she approached her. "You scared the apple seeds outta me! I thought you—"
She stopped, immediately understanding why Rarity was standing frozen in place. Lying just before her hooves was the decomposed carcass of a large cragidile which was tied up with black vines along all four of its limbs, as well as by its snout and its tail. Each vine was tied against several nearby tree trunks which circled its body with enough distance to leave it spread out widely across the ground. The rocky exterior of its body now appeared so loose and fragile that it seemed as though it would have crumbled entirely if given only the slightest touch.
Rarity trembled steadily, and it looked like she was only just barely suppressing a flood of tears from dropping out of her eyes.
"We....we did this..." she whispered.
Applejack felt guilt travel through her nerves as she stared into the now-empty eye sockets of the cragidle. She instantly remembered when they had stumbled across it, when it had closed in on Twilight, and when they had tied it up against the trees with the black vines they had found nearby. At the time, it had been nothing more than a threat that needed to be dealt with, but it now seemed more like a living being whose life was stolen away in a truly horrifying manner.
"Well, shoot. I certainly didn't mean for this to happen," Applejack said, removing her hat.
Rarity shook her head with disgust. "How could we have just left him tied up like this?"
"Well, if you recall, he did come quite close to swallowin' Twilight up," Applejack pointed out.
"That doesn't mean he deserved to die like this!" Rarity cried, finally allowing a few tears to release. "No living creature deserves to die like this!"
"You're right," Applejack said with a mournful nod. "I wasn't thinkin' 'bout it much at the time, but I had assumed he would be able to break free eventually."
"So did I..." Rarity admitted, wiping her eyes. "I didn't think these vines would be able to hold him for that long. Goodness, what have we done?"
"Somethin' we can't take back, no matter how much we want to," said Applejack, respectfully closing her eyes.
Rarity shook her head, suddenly wishing that they had not come across the golden daisy. It was certainly not worth making this discovery...
"So....what do you want to do?" Applejack asked, looking back at her. "I didn't bring any shovels with me, so I don't reckon we could bury him."
"Let's just untie him," Rarity said softly. "We simply can't leave him like this."
Applejack nodded in agreement, returning her hat to her head.
Like a wave of liberating sorrow washing over the scene, they carefully unraveled each of the knots around its limbs. Applejack untied the knots around its snout and right legs, while Rarity magically untied the ones around its tail and left legs. Once finished, they moved its fragile limbs closer to its body so that it no longer looked stretched thinly upon the ground.
"He almost just looks like big pile o' rocks now," Applejack said mournfully.
Rarity sat at the cragidle's side and opened her saddlebag to magically remove the golden daisy, placing it upon his back.
"I'm deeply sorry..." she whispered, her ears wilting. "You didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve this at all..."
Applejack plucked a nearby orange-colored daisy from the ground and replicated the action, placing it perpendicular to Rarity's daisy so that their stems were crossed.
"I'm mighty sorry, too," Applejack said, sitting down next to her. "We didn't mean to do this to you. We were just tryin' to protect our friend..."
After a moment of silence which was only broken up by Rarity's trembling breaths, the two ponies rose back up onto their hooves.
"Don't blame yourself too much," Applejack said tenderly, noticing how guilt-stricken Rarity still appeared to be. "We couldn't have just let him eat Twilight, could we?"
"No," Rarity said, shaking her head slowly. "But it makes me shudder to think about how it was just trapped here, unable to call for help, unable to do anything but wait to die. It's horrible..."
"It really is..."
Applejack could not help but think about the Chimera that she had saved Apple Bloom from just a few months earlier. She had left it trapped, its fangs embedded deeply in a thick tree trunk, and for all she knew, it was still there. And if it was indeed still there, it was surely also dead by now. Yet unlike the cragidile, the Chimera had been a sentient being, and the thought that she had left it to die made her slightly uncomfortable, even in spite of the fact that it was only seconds away from digging its teeth into her younger sister. As Rarity had said, nothing deserved to die in such a horrific way...
"C'mon, we should go," Applejack said softly after another few minutes had passed. "We've done all we can."
Rarity nodded, wiping any remnants of tears from her eyes. "Let's not tell Fluttershy about this."
"No argument from me," Applejack replied with a nod.
As they walked back to return to the trail from which they had departed, Rarity turned her head to take a final, sorrowful look at the cragidile before she could no longer see it from behind the thick trees and brush.
