Cloudy Skies and Distant Lands

Chapters

Bon Voyage
Crash Landing
The Memo
Crossing Paths

Bon Voyage

[Shipping | Adventure | Grim-dark | Sad]

Chapter 1:

*Note* This is the second fic in my series, if you have not read the first story this one will not make sense! Please read "Fading Colors" before reading this one! Fading colors can be found under stories on my page here on Fimfic.

Day 1

Celestia's sun was just starting to peak above the horizon, their rays cast out across Equestria bringing forth the dawn of a new day. However, Rainbow Dash was already out of bed. Today was a special day for the cyan Pegasus and she had made sure to be up early for it.

Rainbow Dash dropped her saddlebag onto her cloud table. Flying off to her bedroom, the cyan Pegasus returned carrying a nice sized brown pouch and little box matching the color of her coat. She placed the items into the saddlebag, before tossing the saddlebag over her back and fastening it tightly.

"This is it!" Rainbow Dash told herself aloud.

Months of planning and preparation all boiled down to today. For today was, the day she would put to action plan 'Big Apple'. Rainbow Dash had been waiting for this day to come for a while now. It did not take the Pegasus long to realize that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Applejack. She wanted to tell Applejack months ago, but being an awesome pony, Rainbow Dash constantly tried to find equally awesome ways to purpose. She thought about writing it in the clouds, only to find it to hard spell with clouds. It seemed like no idea she came up with was good enough for her liking. That is until a couple months ago, when Applejack mentioned to her about going back to Manehattan for a vacation. Dash knew right then, just how she was going to propose. Ever since that day, Dash had been planning non-stop and saving every spare bit she could.

Here was the day, one day before their one-year anniversary. Dash had finally raised enough bits to put the plan to work. However, to put her plan to work, Rainbow Dash needed a method of transportation and the all-important wedding ring. However, Rainbow Dash was a step ahead, already having it all planned out. The cyan Pegasus had asked Rarity to make her the ring a month ago. Unfortunately, the cyan Pegasus could not find the time to ask Twilight about a teleportation spell. She would have to find out today.

Opening the door to her cloud castle, Rainbow Dash stepped through. She took in a deep breath, allowing the crisp morning air to fill her lungs. The sweet aroma of apples filled her nose, washing over her every being. She enjoyed waking up to the smell of apples every morning; she had been doing it ever since moving her house above Sweet Apple Acres months ago.

Dash looked over the cloud's edge, directly below was the roof to the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. The Pegasus knew that her mare would already be at work on the farm. Rainbow Dash tried carefully to be sneaky; she would not want Applejack to ruin her own surprise. Dash leapt off the edge, spiraling into a downward dive. The cool morning air rushed past the Pegasus, blowing her rainbow mane frantically in all directions. Dash loved the feeling of the wind; it made her feel completely free. Seeing the ground approaching fast, Rainbow Dash pulled out of her dive, leveling off just above the treetops. No signs of Applejack, Dash thought to herself as she flew off towards Rarity's Boutique.

Applejack had just finished loading the last bucket of apples onto the cart. The sudden rushing sound of wind stole her attention. Glancing to the sky, Applejack could see Rainbow Dash flying off towards town in a hurry.

"Just where is she headin' off ta so early?" Applejack questioned aloud.

"That is strange…," answered Big Mac, from beside Applejack.

"WAA!" screamed the earth pony, as she tripped over her own hooves. "Don't scare me like that, Macintosh…" hissed Applejack, as she pulled herself back on all fours.

"Yer worried Aren't ya AJ?" Mac asked calmly, returning his gaze from the sky to his sister.

"Ah, don't wanna lose her Mac… This last year has been great. Ah just don't want it ta end." confessed Applejack, sadness clearly present in her tone.

"Ah, wouldn't worry about it, she cares a lot about ya sis." Mac told the earth pony, keeping his calm but stern tone.

"Yer right Mac, yer right…," replied Applejack, as she watched the rainbow trail disappear into town.

Rarity was sitting at her workstation. A new order had just come in from Canterlot. Business certainly picked up in the last year for the dressmaker, more or less because of word getting around about her fabulous Gala dresses from last year's Grand Galloping Gala.

A knock at the door drew her attention away, causing the dressmaker to miss a stitch.

"Oh, just great…" complained Rarity, knowing she would have to start work all over again.

Regaining her composure at the possibility of a new client, Rarity fixed her mane as she walked to the door.

"Come in," she called, opening the door with her magic.

Rainbow Dash stepped through the doorway to Carousal Boutique, saddlebags around her flanks allowing her room for wing use.

"Hey Rarity," exclaimed Dash cheerfully, hugging the unicorn.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash," replied Rarity, returning the friendly gesture. "I take it you're here to collect the ring?" the unicorn asked, lowering her tone.

"Yeah! You have it done right?" Dash exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement.

"Of course, dear. Wait right here." replied Rarity, walking over to her workbench.

After a couple seconds of searching, with many items flying about, Rarity returned. "Here it is dear." Rarity dropped a case lined with black fabric into Rainbow's hooves.

Dash opened the box. Inside was a hoof ring. The ring itself is 24 karat, pure gold, infused with magic to make it glisten and shine brightly. Engraved On the side of the band read the words "Applejack and Rainbow Dash". On top of the band rested a big heart-shaped gem. The left half of the gem was pure emerald, matching Applejack's eyes. The right side of the gem was pink sapphire, perfectly matching Rainbow Dash's eyes. Just when Dash thought she had seen the best ring ever, Rarity reached over and tilted the ring. The light rays caught the ring in such a way, reflecting back a rainbow of colors from the gemstones.

"Oooh…" expressed Dash, lost in pure amazement at the ring's intense beauty.

"It is definitely my best work," confessed Rarity, complimenting herself.

"Rarity… it's beautiful…" replied Dash, returning the ring to its case and placing it in her saddlebags. "How much do I owe you?"

"Oh, for you darling, it's nothing. Just make me proud. That's thanks enough dear," Rarity insisted.

"Really? Wow, Rarity… thanks so much,"

Reaching out, Dash pulled the unicorn into a crushing embrace.

"It's, ugh, really n-no problem, dear," sputtered Rarity, as the Pegasus crushed her in a powerful embrace.

Dash released her death grip, dropping Rarity back to the floor.

"Well I would love to stay and, uh… help you work. But I have to get to Twilight's." admitted Dash.

"Twilight's? Whatever for?" questioned Rarity.

"I'll tell you and the girls later, it's a surprise," Dash called back to the unicorn from the doorway. "Bye!" the Pegasus yelled, as she shot out of the door towards the library.

"Step one, Acquire ring from Rarity. Check," announced Dash, as she flew towards the marketplace. "Step two, tell Applejack to meet me later." the cyan Pegasus retorted mentally, weaving in and out of the city streets.

Coming into view up ahead was that familiar apple stand Dash had come to know so well. The cyan Pegasus' face came alive with joy at the sight of the mare behind the stand. Dash doubled her efforts, her patience having long left her behind. The cyan Pegasus felt so close now; as she watched the apple stand grow larger.

"Hey, Dashie!" shouted a joyful pink pony, stepping in front of the speeding Pegasus.

With a powerful beat of her wings, Dash put on the brakes. The backward thrusts of her wings managed to slow her down quite a bit before making impact with the party pony. The force of impact sent the pair tumbling through the marketplace, crashing to a halt inside Sugarcube Corner. During the tumble, Dash's saddlebags came open, spilling its contents on the floor of the sweet shop.

"Ugh…" cried the dazed voice of Rainbow Dash, as she shook her head, trying to regain her composure.

The force of impact had sent the cyan Pegasus skidding across the floor, smacking headfirst into the front counter of Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh dear, would you like some help?" questioned Mrs. Cake, peaking over the counter at the cyan Pegasus lying on the floor below.

"I'm fine," replied Dash angrily, as she righted herself back on four hooves.

"Hey Dashie! What's in this bo-?" sang Pinkie, stopping mid-sentence as she began to shake violently.

At the sight of Pinkie's sense, Dash knew something big was about to happen. Taking her opening, she lunged towards the box, only to find that Pinkie was now finished her spasms, and stood ready to catch her in her arms. Pinkie caught Dash mid dive, swinging her around and pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Oh Dashie! You and Applejack are getting married!" Exclaimed an overjoyed Pinkie Pie, as she jumped up and down still holding Dash tightly.

"Pinkie! Let me go!" Dash urged, as the familiar dizziness feeling begun taking over her mind.

The pink earth pony did as asked, dropping the Pegasus to the floor. Rainbow Dash scrambled to collect the contents of her saddlebags, which were now scattered over the establishment. Pinkie Pie was once again hopping around, clearly overcome with excitement at her discovery.

"This calls for a super, gigantic, humongous, enormous, mega party!" Exclaimed the pink pony, hopping so high her head almost hit the ceiling.

Returning the last of her belongings into the bags, Dash turned to look at the bouncing pink pony. "Pinkie! You have to promise me not to tell Applejack about this, alright?" explained Dash, her face showing just how nervous she was.

"And just what in tarnation are ya keeping from me?" Applejack questioned, stepping into Sugarcube Corner.

"A-Applejack?" Dash stammered, turning to face her mare.

"Are you alright sugarcube? That sure was some tumble ya took," asked Applejack, walking over to her mare, offering her a gentle nuzzle on the cheek

"I'm fine, thanks," replied Dash, returning the loving gesture to Applejack.

Applejack broke the embrace, causing Dash to offer the earth pony her attention. "Dash, what are ya keeping from me? Ya'll know ya can trust me, sugarcube," the earth pony offered.

It was clear to Dash that the earth pony was feeling hurt. The Pegasus looked Applejack in the eyes as she spoke, "Applejack, meet me on the hills outside your farm tonight. I promise that I will explain everything there." begged Dash, hoping to cheer up her filly-friend.

"Alright, sugarcube, but it had better be worth tha' wait." teased Applejack, giving Dash a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Oh, it will be!" replied Dash, flaring her wings and taking a confident stance.

"I love surprises; do you love surprises, Applejack? Huh? Huh? Do you?" interrupted Pinkie, as she bounced in between the couple.

"Ah reckon, ah do love surprises," answered Applejack, glancing towards Dash with a sly smile. "Ah'll cya tonight, RD." Applejack stated, stopping in front of Dash. Applejack planted a hard kiss against Dash's lips, catching the Pegasus off guard. The earth pony broke the kiss prematurely, causing Dash to become more flustered. The earth pony continued towards the exit, glancing back one last time from the door and giving Dash a wink before stepping out.

Rainbow Dash felt her nerves calm, now that Applejack was gone, the Pegasus did not have to worry about her surprise heading astray. Dash looked around, by this point, Pinkie and Mrs. Cake had disappeared. Shrugging it off, Dash collected her saddlebag, fastening it tightly to her flank. Bursting through the door of Sugarcube Corner to the marketplace, Dash rocketed off towards Twilight's library, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"Coming!" called a voice from behind the library's oak door.

The door opened a couple seconds later, revealing a baby dragon.

"Oh, Hey Rainbow Dash," acknowledged Spike, motioning for the cyan Pegasus to come in.

"Hey Spike. Is Twilight around?" asked Dash, stepping into the library behind the dragon.

Dash quickly glanced around the library's main floor; surprisingly the library was clean today. Instead of the usual mess of books from Twilight's study binges, the shelves were all in order. The cleanness putting Dash on edge, the Pegasus was not used to seeing the library in such a good state.

"This way," commanded Spike, leading Dash down a few steps towards the guest bedroom.

Spike opened the door to the bedroom, motioning Dash forward. The cyan Pegasus complied, the door shutting behind her. Dash jumped at the sudden sound of the door closing behind her, nerves completely on edge.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash. What brings you by today?" questioned Twilight; the lavender unicorn was sitting at the end of the room behind a giant oak desk. Piles of books littered the room, covering the bed and most of the floor.

"Gees Twilight, and here I thought you had cleaned up the library." laughed Dash, her nerves having calmed down.

"Well seeing as how this room never gets used, I thought it would make a great study room." Twilight answered happily, having made a clear observation.

Dash rolled her eyes at her friend's demeanor. Pushing a stack of books aside, the Pegasus sat down on the bed.

"So, uh… Twilight, see the reason why I came here is… to ask you for a favor." Dash admitted nervously, tapping her hoof against the bedpost trying to keep calm.

"A favor? Well sure, let's hear it," insisted Twilight, the unicorn's curiosity clearly having been piqued.

"Well, I was hoping you could teleport me and Applejack to Manehattan, tomorrow...," urged Dash, scratching the back of her head. All of her plans were riding on Twilight's answer; she needed the unicorn to say-

"Sure, I can do that." Twilight happily replied.

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much Twilight! You have no idea how much this means to me!" exclaimed Dash joyfully, flying over to the unicorn and crushing her in a constricting embrace.

"N-no, prob-lem, R-Rainbow." stuttered Twilight, struggling to get air from the death grip she found herself lock in.

Just when Twilight thought she would pass out from lack of air, Dash released her. Twilight fell to the ground, desperately grasping for any air her lungs could get.

"Hehe… Uh, Twilight? Are you ok?" questioned Dash, helping the lavender unicorn to her hooves.

"I'm fine, Rainbow. But I do have a lot to prepare for this teleport, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." instructed Twilight, digging through the piles of books.

"Alright, no problem. Thanks again Twilight!" exclaimed Dash from the doorway.

Once clear of the library Rainbow Dash flew towards home, she still had a weather shift to work after all. Good thing for Rainbow Dash, clearing the clouds came natural to her. The cyan Pegasus estimated it would take her until dinnertime to finish.

Rainbow Dash walked into the doorway to the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse, her estimation was spot on. Applejack had just finished placing dinner on the table. Rainbow Dash walked over and joined the rest of the Apple family around the Table.

Over the last year, the Apple family became accustomed to the cyan Pegasus. All of them have been more accepting to her and Applejack's relationship than Dash would have thought. At first Apple Bloom had many questions, Dash did not mind though. She liked how curious the little earth filly was. However, Applejack found her little sister's questions to be very annoying, and often sent the filly on her way.

Rainbow Dash found herself still trying to adjust to her new residence, it was however just temporary. She and Applejack started building a new home for themselves six months ago. The house, which sat on the far side of Sweet Apple Acres, close to Fluttershy's cottage, was set to be completed in just a couple of weeks. Until then, Dash kept her belongings in her cloud castle, which she and Applejack relocated to the farm. On most nights, the cyan Pegasus would stay with Applejack here in the farmhouse. Dash could not complain though, every moment she spent with the earth pony made her feel complete. No matter what happened, as long as Applejack was around Dash felt invincible.

Dinner was over quickly, the general topic of conversation being about the day's antics. The couple stepped out of the farmhouse, Celestia's sun hung low in the sky casting shadows far across the ground in front of them. Blue sky danced and intertwined with the bright pink and orange dying rays of sunlight. At the end of the sky, opposite the sun, Luna's moon was just starting to peak above the horizon. The late afternoon air had turned cold, but still held with it that clean crisp scent of apples. Beauty was of the essence tonight, Rainbow Dash had made sure of that.

"Applejack, you go on ahead, I have to get something," insisted Dash, turning to look at the farmer pony beside her.

"Alright, sugarcube, don't keep me waiting too long," teased Applejack, leaning in and nuzzling the cyan Pegasus.

"I'll be a flash! They don't call me Rainbow Dash for nothing!" the cyan Pegasus boasted, taking to the sky with a back flip.

"Hehe, yer silly ya know that?" stated Applejack, a huge smile plastered upon her face.

Staring up at the floating Pegasus, the couple locked eyes. Each becoming lost in the other's soul, it was magical. The connection their soul's felt was beyond comprehension, a mystical euphoric feeling crept up on the pair. As the moment started to pass, the couple was able to get a grip on reality.

"You know you love it!" Dash exclaimed flirtatiously, giving the earth pony a wink as she started to fly off towards her cloud castle.

"That ah do," Applejack mumbled to herself, as she watched Dash disappear into the cloud house.

The earth pony started towards the hills that lie just behind the southern part of her orchard. Applejack's stomach was doing rolls, she was clearly nervous. Dash had been acting different around her for the last couple of days and it worried her. Applejack tried to play it off; however, her mind had different ideas for the earth pony. Often making her think the worst, she had come so close to losing Dash a year ago. Thoughts of that night came flooding back to the earth pony. Applejack could remember it so vividly; she had never felt so lost in all of her life. The thought of Dash being gone, tore her up inside.

Before she realized it, Applejack found herself atop of the hill where she confessed her love to Dash just over a year ago. In all honesty, the hill had not changed much. Flowers covered most of the little knoll, grass growing freely having long been un-kept.

Rainbow Dash touched down across from Applejack, somehow the earth pony could not help but remember the familiarity of the situation at hand.

"Applejack, before I give you your surprise. I want you to have this," explained Dash, reaching into her saddlebag and pulling out a little cyan blue box.

Applejack took the little blue box in her hooves, her head buzzing with wonder as to what could be contained within.

"Are you gonna open it? Or just stare at it all night?" Dash questioned. Looking beyond the box, Applejack could make out the sincere look of curiosity upon Dash's brow.

Taking in a deep lungful of air, Applejack opened the box. Inside sat a small, fragile looking cyan feather. The feather itself seemed to glow faintly as the sun's fading rays encountered it.

"Dash… It's so beautiful," stammered Applejack, lost in the feather's intense beauty and color.

"It was the first feather I shed; I never thought I would pass it on." Dash admitted, intently staring at the feather Applejack held in her hooves.

"If it means so much to ya sugarcube, I couldn't possibly take it," the earth pony insisted, offering the feather back to Dash.

"That's just it Applejack, its Pegasus tradition to pass it on when we find our true love." Dash explained, gently pushing Applejack's hoof back.

Dash noticed tears forming at the corner of the earth pony's eyes, the cyan Pegasus opened her mouth to speak. Only to find her voice cut off, Applejack sprang forward pressing her lips tightly against Dash's own. A brief moment of shock washed over the Pegasus, the feeling was quickly forgotten as a new feeling, one of pure bliss washed over the Pegasus.

Time felt forgotten; moments turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours. In all reality, the kiss had only lasted a few seconds. They broke the embrace, staring at each other, a flaming passion burning deeply inside the couple. The couple stayed that way for minutes, their breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Ah know just the place for it, sugarcube," announced Applejack, placing the small cyan feather securely in the rim of her hat.

Rainbow Dash smiled, a weight felt lifted from her shoulders. Applejack had accepted her feather; the simple gesture meant so much more to the Pegasus.

"Alright, on to the main event!" exclaimed Dash, performing a quick back flip.

"Hehe, let's hear it RD!" replied Applejack, her tone alive with excitement and curiosity.

"Well, I just so happen to have planned us a three day vacation to Manehattan!" boasted Dash, standing confident with a hoof raised to her chest.

"Rainbow…"

"Is something wrong Applejack?" Rainbow Dash questioned her expression full of concern.

Before Dash could react, the earth pony leaped forward. Arms wrapped around Dash, pulling her into a constricting hug.

"It's perfect, Dash." Applejack admitted, softly nuzzling the cyan Pegasus' mane.

As the fading rays of the sun lit the sky before them, Applejack and Rainbow Dash cuddled together upon the hill. They stayed that way until Celestia's sun was far below the horizon and Luna's moon shone brightly in the now darkened sky. Reminiscing back on what was surly the best year of their lives.

The air was cooling, almost soothing against their coats as they walked toward the farmhouse. As the couple approached the farmhouse, they could make out Big Mac talking to two tall pegasi.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash closed the distance; slowly Applejack was able to pick out the features of the two pegasi. The Pegasus on the left was a stallion, with a deep purple coat. He had a short half-green, half-orange mane. The other Pegasus was obviously a mare, she had a dark blue coat, and her mane was a mixture of red and yellow. Applejack could not help but feel like she knew that mare; she just couldn't put her hoof on it.

"Here she comes now." Big Mac announced, pointing his hoof towards the couple.

The two pegasi swung around, Mac returned inside, closing the door behind him.

"Dashielle!" called the blue-coated Pegasus, stepping forward towards the approaching Rainbow Dash.

Dash stopped in her tracks, frozen in shock at the sight of her parents.

"M…mom, Dad?" stammered Dash, lost in the many thoughts her mind was now producing.

"Princess Luna told us you were living here in Ponyville. Your mother and I just finally got the time to drop by." Dash's father explained, his tone stern, almost military like.

"You seem to have found yourself a nice stallion too. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you came around." Dash's mother added, smiling softly at her daughter.

Applejack found the thought of Dash being with Big Mac to be hilarious. Failing to hold in her giggles, the earth pony burst into a fit of laughter.

"What is so funny, young lady?" questioned Dash's mother, she was obviously not amused at Applejack behavior.

"Ah'm sorry ya'll, my head just got the best of me." Applejack chuckled, covering her face with her hat to hide her embarrassment.

Dashielle! Is that feather what I think it is?" yelled Dash's father, spotting the feather on the brim of Applejack's hat.

Rainbow Dash slowly nodded her head in agreement, tears slowly making their way out of her eyes.

"And here I thought you had changed dear. Why can't you be more like your sister?" demanded Dash's mother, glaring daggers at her daughter.

"Do you really want to disgrace your whole family by going through with this? What did we ever do to you?" Dash's father scolded, the anger in his tone seeming to jump out and strike the distraught cyan Pegasus.

"What did you ever do? You hated me for who I am! And right when I needed you the most, you left!" snapped Dash, tears streamed down her face as she flared her wings towards her parents.

"Everypony just calm down." pleaded Applejack, stepping in front of Dash.

"Stay out of this earth pony," sneered Dash's mother, threatening Applejack.

"Don't you buckin' talk to her like that!" shouted Dash, rocketing towards the blue Pegasus.

Applejack predicted Rainbow Dash's move, catching the Pegasus' tail in her mouth.

"Ah, suggest ya'll best be leavin' now, if ya know what's good for yerselves," insisted Big Mac, as he stepped back out of the farmhouse.

"He's right dear, let's get out of here." demanded Dash's mother, taking flight.

Without saying a word, Rainbow Dash's father took after his wife, flying away into the distance. Before they were too far away, he cast one last look back towards his daughter. Just like that, the two Pegasi disappeared into the night sky.

Applejack released rainbow Dash's tail from her jaws, the cyan Pegasus immediately flew straight into the farmhouse leaving Applejack alone with Big Mac.

"Ah haven't seen her worked up like this, since ah was in that dreamland." Applejack stated, trying to push the thoughts of what happened a year ago away.

She could not stand to see Dash upset, it felt like somepony dug a pitchfork into her heart.

"What do ya reckon they meant, bout the whole disgrace the family thing?" Big Mac asked his sister, casting his gaze towards the open farmhouse door.

"Yer guess is as good as mine, Big Mac," Applejack muttered, dropping her head. "Ah'm going to go check on her." Applejack sighed, walking towards the farmhouse.

As Applejack approached her bedroom, she could make out the soft sobs coming from behind the closed the door. The earth pony stopped before the door, put on a strong face and entered.

"Dash? Sugarcube?" called the earth pony, as she slowly stepped into the room.

Lying on Applejack's bed, head buried deep into the pillow was Rainbow Dash. The earth pony walked over to the bed, hopped up and cuddled into the crying Pegasus.

"Let it out Dash, ah'm here for ya." Applejack whispered into the Pegasus's ear. The earth pony returned to nuzzling the back of Dash's neck.

"They hate me so much, Applejack. I wish they never came back," sobbed the cyan Pegasus, turning over to face the orange earth pony.

Applejack locked eyes with Rainbow Dash; she could see the sadness resonating from deep within the Pegasus. Applejack knew she had to do something to cheer Rainbow Dash up.

"Shh, forget about them sugarcube. Focus on me" Applejack whispered calmly, blowing out the lantern on the nightstand.

Applejack's bedroom plunged into darkness; the soft sounds of crying swiftly changing to those of lips meeting in a passionate embrace.

Day 2

The first rays of dawn broke the darkness, casting a shimmering beam of light to penetrate the window of Applejack's bedroom. Dash's sleeping face intercepted the beam of light, causing her to stir from the newly felt warming sensation. Rainbow Dash's eyes fluttered open, squinting hard against the blinding light that had awoken her. Dash rolled over, blocking the sun from her eyes. Applejack still slept soundly, her chest slowly rising and falling with every calm breath she took.

As rainbow Dash waited for the earth pony to wake, she could not help but feel nervous. Today was the day that she would purpose to Applejack. Dash felt mixed emotions about the whole situation; on the bright side, she was happy, excited, and just plain thrilled. On the other hoof, however, she felt like a nervous wreck.

"What if it doesn't work out?" the cyan Pegasus thought to herself.

"Don't worry, it will." encouraged her mind.

"Thanks- hey! Wait a minute, your nice to me now?" Dash mentally questioned herself.

"Yeah well, you're happy. That's all I want."

Applejack stirred, causing Dash to cut the conversation short.

"Mhm, good morning sugarcube." yawned Applejack, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Giving the earth pony no time to recover, Rainbow Dash found her chance. Pressing her lips hard against Applejack's, leaving her no room for oxygen. Applejack's heart missed a beat at the spark of passion delivered from her lover, sending shivers up her spine. Their tongues intertwined, dancing back and forth in a passion only true lovers knew.

Breaking the kiss, Dash could not help but giggle. "This reminds me of last night," whispered the cyan Pegasus flirtatiously, drawing a giggle from the earth pony.

"Ah'm glad ya came around sugarcube. Just try not ta be so loud next time," teased Applejack, smiling slyly at Dash.

"Oh please! If you hadn't buried your face in the pillow, you would have woken the whole house!" exclaimed Dash, lightly punching the earth pony on the shoulder.

Applejack blushed; there was no point in hiding it. Dash knew all of her buttons and every time she would take them to their limit. Knowing she lost this argument, but not wanting to admit it, Applejack changed the subject.

"Well sugarcube, today's the big day. Happy one year, sugar," the earth pony announced, reaching over, pulling Dash into a tight embrace. "Ah love ya, RD,"

"I love you too, AJ," Dash replied, throwing her hooves around the earth pony, returning the gesture.

"What should ah pack fer Manehattan?" questioned the earth pony, breaking the embrace and hopping out of bed.

Applejack made her way to the closet, digging through its clutter to find her saddlebag.

"I was just going to bring money and a few snacks." Dash replied, sitting up in bed to get a better look at Applejack.

"Well, ah guess ah'll do tha same," the earth pony thought aloud, finally finding her saddlebag.

"Well I'll leave you to it AJ, I have to pack myself." Dash admitted, hopping out of bed and opening the window.

"Alright sugarcube, ah'll be waiting,"

Rainbow Dash nodded to the earth pony; jumping out the window, she took flight. The morning air felt damp against her ruffled coat, desperately in need of a shower. Flying up towards her cloud castle, Dash remembered something. Setting her new course for the library, Dash double-timed it.

"Twilight, wake up!" shouted the cyan Pegasus, as she shook the unicorn.

"Ugh, not now Spike!" commanded Twilight, looking for that extra beauty sleep.

"Twilight, it's me, Rainbow Dash,"

Dash continued her onslaught of rabid shaking; the unicorn was starting to break consciousness. Twilight's eyes fluttered open, staring straight up at the Pegasus.

"R-rainbow Dash?" Twilight screamed, falling out of bed at the shock of seeing her friend.

"How did you get in here?" demanded Twilight, picking herself up off the floor.

"Your window was open," explained Dash, smiling nervously.

"Ugh! Fine, I'm up! Now, what is so important that you had to wake me?" questioned Twilight, obviously annoyed from being awake at such an early hour.

"You have to teleport me and AJ today, remember?" asked Dash, her tone showing more nervousness with every passing word.

"Of course I remember Dash, how could I forget about two of my best friends?" questioned Twilight, becoming annoyed with the nervous Pegasus.

"Hehe… Sorry Twilight, I'm just…" Dash paused, lost in thought for the best word she knew to describe her feelings.

"Nervous," finished Twilight. Walking over to her dresser mirror, the unicorn began brushing her hair.

"Yeah, nervous," repeated Dash, scratching her head with a hoof.

"I don't see why you're so worked up over this trip anyway, it's just a vacation right?" asked Twilight, putting the brush down and retuning her attention to her friend.

"Well… I'm planning on asking Applejack to marry me," revealed Dash, chuckling nervously.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash! That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard," exclaimed the lavender unicorn, clapping her hooves together in excitement.

"Yeah, well, just make sure this teleport goes smoothly," urged Dash, making her way back to Twilight's balcony.

"No problem Dash, I will start preparations immediately!" assured Twilight, levitation a spell book out of the bookcase.

"Oh and Twilight, please don't tell AJ about my plan," pleaded the cyan Pegasus, poking her head back in the balcony window.

"You're secret is safe with me, Rainbow!" reassured Twilight, offering her friend a smile.

"Thanks," called Dash, taking to the air back towards her cloud home.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash approached the library, saddlebags adorning both of their flanks. Packed and ready for their adventure to the Big Apple, the couple continued towards the library.

Rainbow Dash knocked on the familiar oak door, turning to Applejack she smiled. The earth pony returned the expression, topping it off with a quick nuzzle to Dash's cheek. The oak door opened, revealing a small purple and green dragon.

"Come in you two!" insisted Spike, motioning the two ponies inside.

"Surprise!" five voices cheered in unison, their respective bodies popping out from behind various pieces of furniture.

The unexpected shock sent Rainbow Dash and Applejack flying into the air, crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

"What are all you girls doing here?" questioned Dash, regaining her composer. The Pegasus climbed back to her hooves, turning to help Applejack up.

"We wouldn't miss this for the world, Dashie!" Pinkie pie exclaimed, hopping around the room joyfully.

"Honestly darling, of course we would come to see you two on your way," insisted Rarity, fluffing her hair.

"Well thank ya'll, for coming," grinned Applejack, joining the others in the middle of the library.

A large white circle was drawn on the floor in the center of the library; two lines ran through it, creating an 'x' pattern inside the circle.

"Hey Twilight, what's with the freaky cult circle?" questioned Dash, poking at the circle curiously, drawing a giggle from Applejack.

"It's part of the teleport, for your information," Twilight indicated, levitating a book over to herself.

"Alright you two, step in," instructed Twilight, flipping through the book to find the correct page.

Fluttershy pulled Dash aside, whispering into the Pegasus's ear.

"Umm, is that your first feather on Applejack's hat?" questioned the timid Pegasus, her voice barely audible to Dash's ear.

Dash nodded in response, all eyes in the room now fixed upon her and Fluttershy.

"Oh I'm so happy for you!" exclaimed Fluttershy, forgetting her usually quiet demeanor.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," replied Dash, joining Applejack in the center of the circle.

"What was that about sugarcube?" whispered Applejack, curious as to what could have made her timid friend so excited.

"You will find out later today," promised Dash, giving her mare a wink. Turning back to their friends Dash continued, "We will be back in three days, gals,"

"Bye Dashie! Bye Applejack!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, madly bouncing up and down in place.

"Goodbye, darlings," cried Rarity, whipping a teardrop from her eye.

"Oh, please be safe," urged Fluttershy, a look of concern plastered upon her brow.

"Alright girls, stand back!" instructed Twilight, pouring forth magic from her horn.

Twilight shut her eyes, concentrating hard on the teleportation spell. As the lavender unicorn gathered more magic, a ball of magical energy started to form upon the end of her horn. As the intensity of the spell grew, so did the ball of magic.

Rainbow Dash watched as the ball doubled than tripled in size. The light became too bright for her to bear, closing her eyes, the cyan Pegasus tried to shield herself from the blinding light.

The ball of magic shifted forward towards the circle, making contact with the two ponies inside. Twilight yawned as she gave one last pulse of magic, sending the couple off to their destination.

Twilight collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, the spell had taken more magic than she had expected.

"Applejack and Rainbow Dash are getting married!" Pinkie Pie screamed, throwing confetti above her.

"Darling, you knew?" Rarity questioned, following the bouncing pink pony with her eyes.

"Dash told you gals also?" questioned Twilight, finally making it back to her hooves.

"Why of course darling, who else would have made her such a beautiful ring?" Rarity boasted, tossing her mane aside with a hoof.

"This calls for a super, mega, awesome, spectacular, gigantic party!" shouted Pinkie, as she continued hopping circles around the room.

"Oh yes, they deserve a party," added Fluttershy, smiling at the thought of Rainbow Dash and Applejack getting married.

"Alright girls, let's get to planning!" instructed Twilight, levitating a massive book on parties over to herself.

The remaining Elements of Harmony gathered around the book, flipping through the pages, they picked out the very best ideas, cramming them together into one mega party.

Far outside Equestrian borders, deep down within the earth, the darkness stirred.

"Do you feel that? Master?" hissed the darkness.

A deep rumbling came from inside the earth; the sounds of rocks grinding against one another boomed and echoed throughout the cavern.

"Who awakes me from my slumber?" the demonic voice boomed, shaking the ground as it spoke.

"Master, it's the Elements of Harmony, there are new bearers," the darkness whispered.

"Yes, I sense it…" boomed the voice, as it focused hard on the faint trace of magic. "The bearers of Loyalty and Honesty are close by. Yes, very good, the time is nearing, awake the others." commanded the voice, smiling softly to itself.

Knowing that the time was nearing, the voice sat patiently, waiting for the Elements to make their next mistake.

Crash Landing

Cloudy Skies and Distant Lands

[Shipping | Adventure | Grim-dark | Sad]

Chapter 2:

A strange weightless sensation overcame Applejack; she glanced around, noticing that her hooves were slowly rising off of the library floor. A blinding light sprang forth, temporarily disabling her vision. The earth pony's world began to spin, a heavy feeling of nausea sputtered into life from the pits of her stomach.

The apple farmer senses took over betraying all logical thoughts, convincing her that at any second, the magic carrying her would give out. Dropping her into a never-ending abyss, where she would be doomed to fall for eternity. Afraid of her own mind's insecurities, Applejack pleaded silently for the ground to return.

A few moments later, the familiar feeling of being earthbound returned to Applejack. A reassurance of safety overcame the earth pony, calming her overactive thoughts. She opened her eyes, her vision blurry and spinning. Trying to walk forward, she began swaying back and forth uneasily. Failing to regain her balance, the apple farmer started to stumble forward. Nausea got the best of her, as she crashed headfirst into the dirt below.

"Uggh."

Lifting her head from the dirt, Applejack cast a long glance around. Thoughts buzzed around in the farmer's mind as panic took over. "This ain't Manehattan." She stated aloud, wondering where she had landed.

Applejack forced herself to stand, attempting to overcome the dizzy spells that continued to assault her mind. Finally, her dizziness began to subside. Able to get a good look at her surroundings, Applejack spun around on the spot, taking in all the liveliness of the jungle.

A warm breeze blew past, relaxing Applejack's tense muscles. The air felt sticky and humid against her pelt. The wind carried with it the sweet crisp aroma of nature, as well as new scents the earth pony had never witnessed before. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, letting the scent of the great jungle invade her every being. A brief moment past, exhaling, the farmer returned her deep green eyes upon the forest before her. Lush green vegetation of all shapes and sizes unfolded as far as she could gaze. Trees stood tall, blocking out most of the sunlight from above, heir shadows cast their down across the jungle floor. She stood in amazement of the surrounding jungle; a unique location, unlike anything she had ever laid eyes upon. She relished in the warm peaceful sensation the primeval forest gave off, stunned by the utter beauty of such a place completely untouched by the hoof of civilization.

"What do you make of all this, sugarcube?" Applejack asked Rainbow Dash, while continuing to survey the surrounding vegetation.

A calm silence replied to the earth pony, and soon, Applejack realized that the rainbow-maned Pegasus was nowhere in sight.

Confusion sunk its jaw into the depths of the earth pony's brain, elevating her heart rate. Applejack began to breathe rapidly, beads of sweat building up across her brow. A snapping sound came from behind her, reacting instantly, she swung around in a fit of panic. Upon further investigation, she discovered nothing, leaving her with a feeling of uneasiness. Frantically she searched for any signs of life within the dense jungle.

"Rainbow Dash?"

An animal cry rang out off in the distance, setting Applejack's nerves on edge.

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack shrieked, frantically looking for any signs of her marefriend.

Applejack's concern for the cyan Pegasus's safety took control her mind. She took off galloping, saddlebag swinging wildly as she sped through the dense jungle. Sounds from all directions exploded into life, following the earth pony as she tore through the dense vegetation.

Up ahead, the light jungle trail seemed to disappear, leading to a wall of dense shrubbery. Applejack gathered her speed, leaping forward at the last possible second. Time seemed to slow as she cleared the top of the bush, landing perfectly on the other side she skidded to a halt. Surveying about, the earth pony realized she stood in the middle of a clearing. Knee-high grass stretched all across the clearing, blowing freely in the warm wind. Exotic flowers of all shapes and sizes grew all around like weeds.

"Where am ah?" Applejack announced aloud, observing the world around her.

The rhythmic beating of her own heart thumped loudly in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. Applejack felt her breath starting to catch up, slowly relaxing her nerves with every exhale. Her mind however, still flowed with many unanswered questions, "Ah hope Dash is alright."

"Of course she is, she's a strong pony." Applejack reassured herself internally.

"But she's not invincible." Her self-doubt warned.

A snapping sound pierced the quiet atmosphere, drawing the earth pony's attention. She surveyed the surrounding area, desperately searching for the source of the noise. There! On the other edge of the clearing, a bush shook uncontrollably. Squinting for a better look, Applejack could see something, or somepony hiding within its foliage.

Thoughts rang out in Applejack's mind; risk the approach? Knowing it could be a dangerous wild animal. Alternatively, run away and not get the help she might, deeper into this seemingly endless jungle. Weighting her options, Applejack decided it was for the better if she tried to make friends with the stranger.

Slowly, she approached the shrubbery along the clearing's edge, noticing the movement cease as she drew closer. Cautiously, Applejack poured all her attention upon the shrubbery, carefully taking note of the obscured beings movements.

Another sharp snapping sound rang out, this time far off to her right. Applejack instantaneously turned her attention in the direction of the noise, listening to the echo it created deep within her head. Another snapping rhythm rumbled into life from a different direction, closely followed by the stalking movement of more shadows. Multiple creatures were working to surround the earth pony.

Feeling helpless, alone, lost, and in danger, panic gripped Applejack tightly. She made a beeline to her left, galloping across the meadow, propelled by the will to live.

Alas, the creatures in hiding revealed themselves. Various ponies sprang forth into the clearing all around Applejack, blocking off any hope of escape. Trails of dust flew into the air, as Applejack tried desperately to stop her forward momentum. When the dust settled, Applejack stood rooted on the spot. For the first time, she was able to get a good glimpse at the other ponies. Each pony wore a different wooden tribal mask, painted with various red and green colors. As the mysterious tribe continued to grow closer, Applejack noticed that they all carried a spear, attached to a foreleg. Slowly, they were closing in, trapping the earth pony. Panicked thoughts flushed over her again, enraging her muscles with a powerful surge of adrenaline. Suddenly, her instincts took over, propelling her forward. The apple farmer charged at the gap between two of the ponies, colliding with them, she burst through galloping wildly off into the forest.

The sound of her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears, each breath rushing in and out greedily. Her muscles ached and burned, for a relief from their strained usage. Glancing about behind her, Applejack could only make out the dense jungle. Her mind released its paranoid grip, giving the earth pony control over her body again. With each step taken, her body strained from exhaustion. Slowing her pace, Applejack came upon a wall of dense vegetation. Lazily, she pushed through the plants, reappearing shortly after on the other side. The apple farmer collapsed for exhaustion, allowing her body some rest.

A loud animal call sang out, setting the surrounding jungle ablaze with the return calls from various animals. The earth pony waited nervously, watching for any signs of the savage ponies from before. The bush behind her moved, without hesitation, Applejack took off running. Casting a glance back over her shoulder, a little bunny hopped out of the shrubbery before scurrying off in the opposite direction.

Failing to watch where she was going, Applejack tripped over a fallen tree. Her forward momentum sent her airborne, tossing head over hoof as her limbs flailed helplessly.

Smashing into the ground, the earth pony began rolling down the steep hillside. Slowly, Applejack began picking up speed as she tumbled further down the hillside. Flipping head over hoof, Applejack's world begun to spin as she continued to build speed, ripping through dense vegetation with ease. A sharp cutting sensation lashed out, wrapping itself around Applejack's waist. The vine's thorns dug deeper into her flesh, while gravity continued to haul the apple farmer closer to the bottom of the hill. As the vine entangled in her flailing limbs, it pulled tighter around her waist, driving a flame of white-hot pain throughout her body. Suddenly, the creeper snapped, returning all the lost momentum to the earth pony. With each roll and bump, the thorns dug a little deeper, sending signals of agony to Applejack's brain. The suffering grew too much to bear; with her world fading, she managed to catch a faint glimpse of the rapidly approaching river as she continued to tumble down the hill, before blacking out.

"Whoa… What happened?" Rainbow Dash questioned aloud, rubbing the side of her face. Hauling herself off the ground, she swayed uneasily. Unable to obtain her balance, the cyan pony stumbled, landing hard on her side.

"Ow." She cried, as the contents of her saddlebags did all but soften the fall.

Carefully, Rainbow Dash slowly righted her stance. Feeling her vertigo pass, the Pegasus glanced about, absorbing the surrounding area. The sky lay overcast with dark gray clouds, blocking out most of the fading sun's orange rays. The weak sunlight that did manage to penetrate the cloud barrier reflected off the ground, creating a gloomy affect over the barren land. Removing her eyes from the sky, Rainbow Dash studied the land formations around her. Rock and stone covered the earth all around. Very little trees and vegetation lay around, the ripe green standing out easily among the neutral gray rocks. Instead of flat even grounds, mountains, tall and steep surrounded the horizon in all directions. Far off into the distance, a tall castle shaped structure stood taller than the clouds themselves. The faint rays of sunshine glimmered off the building's shiny metal, magnified, and then returned to earth.

"Hey, AJ? Do you have any idea where we are?" Dash asked, her gaze still focused on the landscape.

"Applejack?" she called out again, surveying the surrounding area for a sign of the orange-coated earth pony.

Unnerved by the lack of response, Rainbow Dash rocketed off into the sky. "Applejack!" she cried again, listening intently for any sort of response.

Silence, a faint gust of wind picked up, emitting a low whistle that engulfed the quiet atmosphere of the already empty wasteland. The cyan pony's patience ran out, she sped off, searching for any signs of her lover.

Rainbow Dash searched hectically for the earth pony, her hawk-like eyesight barely able to keep up with the blistering speed she was flying at. Unsatisfied with the vast amount of space she already covered, the cyan Pegasus raced on, unaware that her flight path was leading towards the ancient castle.

As she flew closer to the stand-alone building, a thunderous roar exploded over the land. The sudden commotion of noise caused Rainbow Dash's wing to contract, as her muscles shut down from pure fright. The Pegasus screamed, flailing her limbs as she fell towards the ground helplessly. Straining hard against her muscles, she fought for control of her body. The unmatched rhythm of flapping wings pushed its way into Rainbow's ears, engulfing even the sound of her own shrieks. Suddenly, the sensation of falling vanished from her senses, replaced by the all familiar rush of flying. Stunned by the sudden change in feeling, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. Seeing the sky blocked out, as the body of a huge being slowly lowered her towards the ground.

"Besterik zer dira esta facendo aqui?" boomed the dragon, gently placing the Pegasus on the ground.

For the first time, Rainbow Dash was able to catch a clear glimpse of the winged beast. The dragon's white scales shimmered brightly in the gloomy fading light of the sun. In various places, faded scars stood out against his shinny white tone, obvious wounds of battles long past. Rainbow Dash back away uneasily, as the dragon unfurled his brown wings, extending them to full length. Suddenly, he learned in close, his deep blue eyes meeting hers, staring intently into them. Silently, he watched her intently as she continued slowly backing away.

"Nire izena e, Draak Rei." He spoke, stepping toward the Pegasus.

"W-what do you want from me?" Rainbow Dash questioned, continuing to back away from the approaching dragon.

The beast stopped in his tracks at the sound of her voice. Turning away, he coughed loudly before resting his vision back upon the small Pegasus. "Beg my pardon. I simply wished to know which language to acknowledge you in. Equestrian? Hmm, it is indeed been too long a time since I have had need for it, perhaps too long."

"Whoa… You speak Equestrian?" the rainbow-maned Pegasus questioned, her expression of fright quickly diminishing to one of astonishment.

"Indeed I do. I am Draak Rei, king of the dragons, ruler of Lurrak Del Drac. Or as you would call it, The Dragon Lands. It is my pleasure to meet you, miss…" bowing his head, he paused, waiting for the Pegasus to reveal her name.

"Uhh… Pleased to meet you D-draak Rei. My name is Rainbow Dash." She replied confidently, standing tall in the face of such a huge beast.

"Miss Rainbow Dash, and to what do I owe the pleasure of such a unique visit from one of Celestia's many citizens, hmm?" Draak questioned, returning to a standing posture.

"Well… Hey! Wait a minute, how do you know the Princess?" Dash questioned, her pride getting the best of her.

"My, my. Quick with the temper are we? Do you forget who you are talking to?" the dragon questioned, smiling slyly as he moved closer to Rainbow Dash.

"S-sorrry… I'm not used to speaking with full grown dragons. The only one I've met seemed pretty mean, what's your get up?" she questioned, carefully watching her tone.

"I have lived a long life Rainbow Dash, I used to be young and foolish, quick tempered as you will, much like yourself. I did not have my position handed to me, you see these scars?" he questioned, pointing to one of the many scars adorning his tail. "These scars are from previous battles I have braved through to obtain my current position as king of the dragons. However, that was a long time ago, even before your Princess ruled Equestria. I am old now Rainbow Dash, I have no reason to fight the foolish battles of the young. But enough about me, I am still yet to know why you have ventured so far away from your home, into the dangerous depths of my land."

"Well, I sorta got teleported here, by accident…" she admitted, scratching at the back of her head uneasily.

"Ahh, a very drastic circumstance indeed. Well, I am glad that it was me you ran into, the other dragons would not be so kind. If you wish, I can send letter to the Princess right away and have her send a chariot for you." Draak told the Pegasus reassuringly.

"I can't…" Rainbow Dash said quietly, turning away from the dragon to face the vast mountain landscape.

"But of course, you were not alone when your spell went awry, were you?" questioned the great dragon, seeming to see right through the pony's defenses.

"No, I wasn't…" Dash replied, sighing loudly as she returned her gaze to the great dragon.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you there. I may have heightened senses, but even dragons cannot decipher the location of lost loved ones." The dragon king stated, turning his attention to the sky as a distant call rang out.

"How did you-" Rainbow Dash started, but found herself cut off as the king spoke with a more rushed tone.

"I am old Rainbow Dash, with age comes wisdom. That look in your eyes, it's the look of true love. Whoever you have found, is the one you wish to settle down with, is it not?" he questioned, looking from Rainbow Dash to the sky uneasily.

"Wow you dragons are good…" Rainbow Dash said surprisingly, as she wondered just what the king was doing.

Chuckling lightly, he continued, "Indeed we are, look. Rainbow Dash, there are dragons on the way to my location. I hate to cut your visit short, but these lands are no place for a pony. You see that mountain range not far from here?" Draak questioned, pointing south towards the closest set of mountains adorning the horizon. The cyan Pegasus nodded in agreement, signaling that she could, in fact, see the mountain range just on the horizon. "Good, I want you to fly as fast as you can to that mountain range. Just over their peaks, you will find a mountain valley, which leads to a great jungle. Make it to the jungle and you will be safe from dragon territory." The elder dragon explained, as another roar rang out, this time much closer.

Rainbow Dash paid the approaching cries no mind, her own mind was deep in turmoil. Conflicted between the decisions of staying to look for the earth pony, or leave without her. "I can't leave… not until I find her." the rainbow-maned Pegasus stated confidently, knowing that Applejack would do the same for her.

"I'm afraid you have no choice, if you stay here, you will surely be killed." He warned, glancing over his shoulder to the sky above.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." The cyan Pegasus stated, casting a confident glare towards the dragon.

"There is no risk in staying. Only certain death. I shall keep a watchful eye over my land for the next couple of days, if any other ponies have been spotted, I shall know about it, and I will send her your way. You have my word Rainbow Dash, moju paraula." Draak promised in his native tongue.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to protest, only to find her own voice cut off as another thunderous roar exploded over the land. A dark blue dragon circled overhead, blocking out the already scarce rays of the retreating sun. The Pegasus stood frozen in fear, as the dragon above locked onto her, beginning his manic decent right at her.

"Go, now!" shouted the Dragon King as he intercepted the speeding dragon in midair.

Adrenaline poured into Rainbow's bloodstream, not wasting any time, she kicked off the ground towards the mountain range. The battle for control raged on, as Rainbow Dash sped away from the fighting dragons.

A loud cry rang out, catching Rainbow Dash's attention. Continuing to speed away, she cast a glance back at the dragon scuffle. Just as she looked back, a stream of searing hot flames shot forward towards her. Taking evasive action, the Pegasus dropped altitude, avoiding the approaching wall of fire. The dark blue dragon became angered, beating his powerful wings faster, serving to close the distance between the two. Returning her attention to flying, the rainbow-maned Pegasus fought hard against herself, heavily panting for breath as she tried to maintain her near supersonic pace. The distant mountain range now opened up before Dash, as she ripped through the sky, powering onwards to the valley just ahead.

Another roar bellowed from the beast, followed by another trail of flame. Quickly, Rainbow Dash pulled right, narrowly avoiding the dragon's flaming breath. "Almost there." She told herself internally, pouring every ounce of strength into her wings. The cyan Pegasus blazed over the mountain's peak, kicking up a layer of snow and sending it cascading down its length. Rainbow Dash cast a glance into the valley, becoming lost in amazement at the sheer volume of trees that adorned the land. Without realizing it, the dragon had caught up to her. The beast lashed out, smacking the Pegasus right out of midair. The force of impact sucked all breathe from the Pegasus's lungs, desperately she gasped for air as she fell helplessly towards the jungle below.

Across the valley from the falling Pegasus, gallons of water endlessly poured over a waterfall. As Rainbow Dash tumbled through the air and towards the ground below, she caught a faint glimpse of something drop over the falls, before blacking out.

A deafening ring awoke Applejack from her unconscious state, combined with a sharp pain releasing from her abdomen. As her senses returned, the sound of rushing water replaced the steady ringing in her ears. Something splashed against her face, and her coat felt wet and cold. Opening her eyes, the earth pony stared up towards the overcast sky. Breaking her vision from the sky, she noticed that she had fallen into a river. Squirming around under the waters control, she felt helpless. Shaking herself into full awareness, the apple farmer cast a glance downstream. The raging roar of the river grew louder, her mind burst into fears of a waterfall ahead.

Her fears became a reality, as she took note of the water dropping off the edge of the world. Realizing time was of the essence, Applejack started to swim herself to shore. Pain sunk its jaws into her limbs with each powerful movement she took; she ignored it, continuing through gritted teeth. After many agonizing strokes, she gave up it was no use. The current moved to swift and bore too much strength for the toned earth pony to break from its watery grasp. Up ahead, a single branch hung out over the water, just feet from the edge of the drop. Carefully, the apple farmer removed her saddlebag. Opening the bag, Applejack dumped the contents of the bag into the water. With the bag now empty, she gripped the strap of the bag with her teeth and proceeded to swing it in circles above her head.

"You only got one shot AJ, make it count." She told herself, eyeing the tree branch.

Applejack waited for the right moment; finally, she tossed the bulk part of the saddlebag. The bag latched firmly onto the end of the branch, holding tightly as the current continued to pull the earth pony closer to the waterfall.

The dead branch bent heavily under the new strain, slowly, a few small cracks appeared, growing large as they moved down its length.

The cracking of the branch grew louder, as it continued to bend. "Uh oh." Applejack said through gritted teeth.

With one final snapping sound, the branch gave out, once again the earth pony found herself carried away by the overpowered current. Gazing down stream towards the waterfall, her stomach sunk low, realizing that she had to go through with the drop.

Anxiety mixed with panic, as Applejack knew not of what was to come after taking the plunge. Unable to bring herself to watch as she went over the approaching drop, she cast her glance out over the valley before her.

Against the overcast sky, the fading rays of the sun illuminated two figures in the sky. Squinting, the earth pony saw what appeared to be a dragon, chasing after something. Focusing on the smaller object, she caught a glimpse of it just before the dragon swatted it from the sky.

"Rainbow Dash?" she asked aloud, with a cracking tone, as some of the welled up panic escaped.

The falling pony disappeared from the sky, hidden by the treetops below. Applejack watched as the dragon took after its prey, swooping down below the canopy.

Suddenly, the earth pony felt a strange weightlessness. Looking down, panic once again gripped her tightly. The river now left behind, she found herself falling, falling towards the lake below at blistering speeds. Far below, the water smashed into a lake, creating a thick mist of water vapor. Smashing into the lake, the apple farmer became lost in the gallons of water, swallowed up by the roar of the falls.

The everlasting sun beat down upon the eternally green grass, stretching on for miles in every direction. In the very center of the world, a circle of six friends gathered around a mysterious floating orb. The orb functioned strangely, allowing the six to see into it, into another world, the living world.

"The time is upon us, so it seems." The spirit of Magic stated, glancing to the other five.

"So what are we waiting for, contact the Princesses." The element of Honesty demanded, casting a stern look to the others.

"I agree, its time the Princesses knew of the grave danger closing in." The element of Loyalty spoke, offering a reassuring nod to the spirit of Honesty.

"Is that how you all feel, then?" the spirit of Magic questioned, watching as all the elements simultaneously nodded their heads in agreement. "Then it is settled, the Princesses shall know. Let us begin the ritual."

The six friends focused on the orb, calling upon an ancient magic to guide them to the home of the Princesses. Inside the castle behind a magically sealed door, sat six representations of the six spirits now looking down upon the world. The elements channeled their energy into the five necklaces and one tiara, suddenly; they began to glow, emitting a high-pitched hum. Deeming their job complete, the six broke their concentration on the spell.

"Now we wait," the spirit of Laughter giggled, jumping up and down with excitement.

"So you see Luna, th-" Before Princess Celestia could finish her sentence, the study door burst open.

"Princess! Something… is happening, with the… the elements," the royal guard stated, panting between words.

"So the day has finally come." The Princess of the sun stated, gracefully walking towards the exit.

"What are you talking about, sister?" Luna questioned, hurrying to catch her big sister.

"Come with me Luna, you will find out." Celestia promised, walking out of the study, and on towards the hall of the Elements.

The Memo

Cloudy Skies and Distant Lands

[Shipping | Adventure | Grim-dark | Sad]

Chapter 3:

A low-pitched tone resonated throughout Canterlot Castle, spreading to the far reaches of the castle grounds. The magical frequency operated in a strange way, growing quieter the closer one drew to its source.

A lone guardspony stood strong in front of the Hall of the Elements. The two Royal Princesses approached the guard and halted mere feet in front of him. Celestia bent down to match the guard's eye-level. "Make sure nopony enters," said Celestia to the royal guardsman. Without breaking his forward stare, the guard gave a slight nod in agreement and stepped aside to allow the princesses access. Celestia brushed past the pony and motioned for her little sister to follow. Once inside the hall, the Princess of the Sun used her magic to shut and lock the door.

A single red carpet ran down the length of the hall and stopped in front of a large purple and pink door. The door itself was framed in solid gold that stretched halfway up the wall. The Princess of the Sun knew the décor like the back of her hoof and paid it no mind as she started her walk towards the hall's end.

Luna quickly caught up with her sister and stepped into place beside her. "Tia, I have heard that sound before," she said.

Celestia chuckled slightly. "Indeed you have, little sister, a very long time ago," she said and returned her sister's confused expression with a gentle smile.

With every step the princesses took, the low-pitched hum decreased in volume, and carried with it the natural sounds of life.

The volume level produced by the call began to decrease. Luna's nerves stood on edge as she registered the eerie shift in pitch. "Sister, is it just me, or does the sound grow softer the closer we get?" she asked.

Celestia came to a halt mid-stride; elegantly, she turned to face her sister. "Luna, the sound is a call; a call to the Eternal Lands. It grows quieter because to access the Eternal Lands, one must hear death. True silence."

Luna contemplated the name for a moment. "The Eternal Lands? That sounds familiar," she said.

Celestia sighed uneasily. "Sister, I wanted to keep this from you for your own good. However, it seems like tough times are ahead for Equestria. Y-"

Luna's face filled with concern. "What do you mean, Tia?" she interrupted.

"I was just about to expla-"

"Sorry."

Celestia spun around and slowly made her way over to one of the many windows that adorned the special hall. Exhaling lightly, she glanced out across the land. The Hall of the Elements was built with view in mind, positioned high in the castle, allowing for a beautiful view of the surrounding lands. Celestia dragged her eyes across the palace garden and stopped them ever so often to take in further details of the many statues that stood tall in the moonlight. After a brief moment, she turned her vision to the night sky and watched as the stars twinkled silently against the darkened atmosphere. "Luna, do you remember when we discovered the Elements of Harmony and how we used them to stop Discord's rule over Equestria?" she asked without removing her vision from the sky.

The Princess of Night took stance beside her elder sister. "Yes, I remember big sister," she said.

Celestia lowered her gaze to the tiled floor. "That was our first trip to the Eternal Lands, Luna."

"Does that mean?" Luna asked as she watched her sister's expression change.

Celestia exhaled deeply, closing her eyes in an attempt to regain her composure. "Yes, sister, it means that we… died." The elder sister paused briefly to release her pent up breath yet again. "The raw magical power of the Elements of Harmony, combined with our magic, was enough to turn Discord into stone. However, the sheer force of power consumed us both instantly."

Luna was getting frustrated at her lack of memory. Anger built up inside of her that severed only to shorten her fuse. All of her anger came rushing out in a fury as she stomped her forehooves into the ground over and over again. "Then how are we-why can't I remember?" she demanded.

"In the Eternal Lands, we met with the spirits of the Elements of Harmony. The spirits silently watch over the world today, keeping a close eye on how things are running. We may run the kingdom and raise the sun and moon every night and day, but ultimately, they are the ones with the power to do fate's bidding. Every day, they do their best to watch over the land and interpret the messages from the Pool of Magic."

Luna calmed down enough to let her anger subside for the time being. "The Pool of Magic?" she said.

"The everlasting source of magical energy; it is said to have spawned the very first life forms. The original six reside in the Eternal Lands, the place that is rumored to hold the Pool of Magic. There they read the magical currents that come from the pool whenever someone in the living world casts a spell. Each current tells a different part of the past, present, or future, and they do their best to piece it together into a timeline."

The Princess of Night cast a long, drawn-out glance over the land. "How do you know so much, sister?"

A tense silence filled the room for a moment before Celestia spoke. "In the thousand years you spent on the moon, the Elements called for me in the Eternal Lands many times. During each of my visits, they would tell me something new about the history of Equestria. They told me of how they saw that the Pool of Magic foretold a new leader. Surely you remember the time when we tried combining our spells?" she asked with a quick smile aimed at her sister.

"I believe so, sister," said Luna as she returned her sister's smile with one of her own.

Celestia bent down slightly and gently nuzzled her sister's cheek before continuing. "The Elements told me that they read the magical current we produced. That current of magic revealed to them a picture of us ruling over Equestria, sister." She paused briefly to allow herself a moment to keep her emotions in check.

Thinking that her sister had finished speaking, Luna began to reply. "If magical currents are produced by the casting of a magical spell, how do non-Unicorns produce magical currents?" she asked.

"That was one of the first questions that I asked the Elements myself. As they've told me, the miracle of foal birth produces a strong magical current, no matter what the race. A pony also produces a magical current when they achieve great feats in their lives, such as gaining a Cutie Mark. After interpreting our combined magical current, the Elements carefully planned out fate's decision to have us rule. They hid the Elements of Harmony in a place where we would find them. We stood up and conquered Discord. However, we perished in the process. Once we arrived in the Eternal Lands, the spirits of the Elements granted us immortality, just like every previous ruler. They sent us back from the Eternal Lands so we could rule Equestria and bring peace once again," said Celestia.

"Discord once bore the Elements? How can that be? He's pure evil," said Luna with a tone of utter shock.

Celestia glanced at Discord's stone imprisonment just outside the window and gave a half-smile towards the slab of rock. Perhaps she was remembering back to a time when Discord was not evil, back to a time when she looked up to the immortal Draconequus. "Indeed he did bear the Elements. This is why he cannot be destroyed, only imprisoned in stone. After a long chat with the spirits, I discovered that Discord himself did not always use to be evil. In fact, he ruled Equestria peacefully for many millennia. However, he grew lonely from being the last of his kind and eventually became mad with power," she said.

Luna scrunched her face as she fought hard to recall the memories from all those years ago. "Sister, the last thing I remember is stopping Discord. After that, I can only recollect vague scenes. It feels as if something has clouded my memories," she said.

Celestia's composure slipped briefly as she recalled just what was clouding her sister's memories. A single teardrop fell from the corner of the Princess of Sun's eye and silently to the ground below. Luna watched intently as the tear rolled off her sister's cheek and barreled towards the floor. Luna was so wrapped up in the teardrop that the sound of her sister's voice, slightly horse and raspy, made her jump slightly. "We ruled Equestria for five hundred years before you rebelled, sister. But during those years your resentment grew, slowly filling you with hate until you snapped. The Elements knew you were far too powerful for me to defeat, so they summoned me to the Eternal Lands for a second time. When I got there, they bestowed the power of all six Elements on me. Since you are immortal, I imprisoned you on the moon for a thousand years. During that time, the magical energy from the Elements of Harmony worked hard to remove all the evil within you. A side effect from the magic also removed all the bad memories in your life. It is also the reason why we are no longer connected to the Elements," said Celestia. Tense moments passed without words. The low pitched humming from the end of the hallway continued to ring deeply in their ears, a pitch so low, that it managed to block out the sound of Celestia's teardrops as they splashed against the tiled floor. Celestia began to shake as she desperately tried to hold back most of her tears. "I'm sorry, Luna… It was the only way," she said.

Luna stepped in and closed the distance between her and her sister. She wrapped her forehooves around her sister's neck in and attempt to comfort the crying Alicorn. "Sister… I do not blame you. You did what you had to," she reassured.

"Thank you, Luna," Celestia said as her voice cracked from her emotional distress.

Keeping the embrace, the Princess of Night spoke again. "Tia, do you think that… our time will come like Discord's?" she questioned.

To Luna's surprise, her sister spoke as if she was ready for this question, which allowed her to regain some of her lost self-control. "The spirits refuse to tell me anything about the future." Luna released her sister, allowing her to continue. "We can only make an educated guess as to what will happen, Luna. All previous rulers faced the same fate. If fate repeats itself once again, so be it. We are immortal. Imprisonment in stone is the last thing we should let concern us," said Celestia.

The Princess of Night took a confident stance. "You're right, sister. We still have a kingdom to run after all," she declared.

Celestia chortled at her sister's bravado, drawing a sarcastic expression from her. "Come now, Luna, we have kept them waiting long enough. It's time for us once again to journey into the realm of the spirits." Without waiting for her sister, Celestia began to walk off in the direction of the hall's end.

Wasting no time, the younger sister trailed her elder sibling but came to an abrupt halt as she bumped into her backside, failing to notice that her sister had stopped.

Luna poked her head out from behind her sister. "Everything alright, Tia?" she asked.

Celestia glanced back to her younger sibling. "From this point on, sister, we will not be able to hear each other. Are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes," replied Luna as she walked past her sister and towards the door.

Together, the two princesses continued down the prestigious hall. The hollow sound of beating hooves on the carpeted flooring quickly diminished the closer they drew to the door. Their breath fell silent, and soft heartbeats quickly diminished to nothing. Pure silence took over Luna`s ears by the time the pair had reached the door. She cast her glance towards her sister. Celestia nodded back, pausing briefly before returning her attention upon the magical door. Carefully, Celestia slid her horn into the small hole in the middle of the panel. Suddenly, the door lit up; a powerful flash of blue light poured forth, lighting the surrounding area in a shimmering aura. Celestia stood proudly, basking in the welcoming glow of the magical light. Luna, on the other hoof, shied away from the glow, shielding her eyes from its brightness. A few seconds passed, allowing the magical glow to subside. The Princess of Night cautiously lifted her eye lids, revealing to her the almost empty room ahead.

The elder sister levitated the lone jewel-incrusted box from within the room, placing it gently upon the floor in front of them. Levitating the lid from the box, a final wave of silence cut through the air. The deep silence startled Luna; it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Sensing her sister's distress, Celestia placed a comforting hoof upon Luna's shoulder, reassuring the Alicorn. Turning to her elder sister, Luna smiled as her vision faded to white.

Hastily, a lone pony dressed in a hooded black cloak descended a long, dark spiral staircase within Canterlot castle, his horn producing the only source of light. His hooves echoed loudly against the stone steps beneath him. He kept a quickened pace as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and crossed the dark cellar of the Royal Castle. Finally, he came to the back wall of the long, dark room. The pony paused for a second, looking the wall over for something. He glanced right, squinting from the lack of light. There, just a few feet from him, a brick stuck slightly further out of the wall than the rest. The pony approached the brick, carefully pushing it in with a forehoof.

The wall began to shift backwards, spewing forth dust and little bits of rubble. The pony stood back, watching as the wall swung open like a giant stone door. After a few seconds, the dust settled, revealing another set of spiraling stairs. The pony stepped through the newly made doorway. Taking in a sharp breath of air, he discovered the change in atmosphere instantly. The air felt heavy and stale from lack of filtration. The dank smell of mold invaded his senses, making him cough lightly. Onward he pressed, down the new set of stairs. Despite the air quality, his pace was much more relaxed this time, almost as if he felt no danger as he continued deeper into the blackened subbasement of the castle. He kept his eyes forward the whole time, ignoring the horrid stench from the moss-covered stone walls. His shadow lay cast out against the rounded stone, creating an eerie atmosphere from the lack of light. Many circles of stairs later, he came upon a wooden door standing alone in the lower bowels of Canterlot Castle, hidden away from the curious eyes of innocent ponies.

Stopping in front of the door, the pony let his light aura fade out, leaving him in complete darkness. Concentrating, he sent out two pulses of magical energy at the door. Just like before, the door swung open. Inside, a row of lit torches hung from the sides of the narrow hallway. The pony stepped in, closing the door behind him. Slowly, he began down the dimly light hall, the hallow echoes of his stride now replaced with the sounds of crunching dirt beneath his hooves. As he drew closer to the hall's end, the pony started to hear voices from up ahead.

"He will be here any minute; then we will know if it's time," said a deep voice.

"Well he better be here soon or we might miss our only chance," complained another.

"There he is!" exclaimed a third.

Reaching the end of the hallway, the pony stepped forward into the room. Books and miscellaneous objects lay scattered about on multiple tables. Torches lined the walls of the tomb-like room, casting shallow shadows of everything the light rays came in contact with. In the center of the room, a circle lay traced upon the floor with magical energy. The energy gave off a bright white aura which seemed to pulse like the beating of a heart. Inside the circle, a Cutie Mark was drawn out with the same magical energy. A Cutie Mark that has not been seen for many millennia. The mark depicted was that of a Unicorn's horn with a single star placed just above its point.

The hushed conversations of the room's inhabitants drew to a close as the lone pony stepped into view. He glanced around the room, counting heads as he dragged his eyes lazily from pony to pony. The tension in the room built; nopony dared to make a noise. When he was finished, the elder pony counted a total of nine heads, all wearing the same hooded black robe as him.

At last, the old pony spoke. "For generations, our secret society has lived under the shadow of Princess Celestia's wings, waiting for the opportunity to rid that filth of a Princess from this world." The elder Unicorn's voice echoed through the room, carrying with it a hyped-up energy matching that of a young stallion. "We will succeed where our ancestors have failed, for the time has come, brothers. The time has come to call upon Xanthos, the last of the forbidden four, for she will instruct us on what to do next," he said. A smile crossed his elderly face as his brothers burst into cheers of praise and happiness.

A middle-aged looking Unicorn stepped towards the elder and proceeded to greet him with a hoofshake. "So, Northern Star, are you ready to begin the ritual?" he asked.

"Yes, Graphite, we shall begin," answered the elder. "Take your positions around the circle, everypony."

The cult scrambled into action, all taking their designated positions around the circle. Northern Star walked slowly to his place at the head of the circle, showcasing his modesty in the midst of the other's chaos. Without warning the elder's horn started to emit a dark-red magical glow. Not missing a beat, the remaining nine ponies joined in, their horns all emitting the same magical color. A single beam of dark-red magical energy expelled forth from all their horns. The energy collided in the middle of the circle, forming a huge floating ball of pure red. Gracefully, the ball of magic slowly descended into the circle. The ponies broke their spells, each stepping back from the circle. The magical inscription flashed blood red. It suddenly burst into flames, creating a ring of fire around the cutie mark. A transparent sphere rose out of the smoke, displaying a dark, empty cave.

A lone white Pegasus trotted down the main street of the underground town. Her coat, dull and dirty from the nature of the city, looked even shaggier from a couple of scars she'd acquired from injuries long forgotten. Her fiery orange mane and tail swung lifelessly at her side. Down the middle of each, a faded streak of crimson presented itself like a dying fire.

To her, the underground city held a unique sense of beauty to it, one that could only come from no natural lighting of the sun. Sure it was dark most of the time from the lack of torches, but she had grown used to it over the years. She glanced from building to building, reminiscing back to when the town used to be small. She spent the latter half of her childhood here. This was her home. Her mind became lost in old memories. She remembered watching as more and more ponies joined their underground hideaway. Their town had become a small community of ponies all sharing the same desire, a new leader. They would all sit and listen to Xanthos' tales of how she and her three sisters once ruled the land. How they met and spoke with The Six. Xanthos was boastful and proud. Even in the telling of her defeat, she managed to sound honored.

The Pegasus drifted back to her first day here. Xanthos had taken her in, raised her as her own. It did not take long to find out that Xanthos was no regular Unicorn. She began training the young Pegasus and teaching her how to use her special talent to its full potential. Over the years, Xanthos began to become attached to the Pegasus, even treating her as a daughter. The white Pegasus laughed silently to herself. Xanthos' voice boomed suddenly throughout the cave, shattering the Pegasus's thoughts. Quickly, she turned off the main street, galloping towards her master.

Far back in the depths of the underground cavern, an older Unicorn mare lay asleep atop a pile of dead hay. Suddenly, a ball of flames burst into life in the center of the room. The commotion awoke the Unicorn instantly from her slumber.

Xanthos jumped from her makeshift bed at the sound. "Sky! What is the meaning of this?" she yelled.

The mare glanced around her darkened room, finding no sign of the white Pegasus. As she dragged her tired eyes across the room once again, she spotted a transparent orb hovering in the air.

The old Unicorn approached the sphere. As she drew nearer, faces of other ponies appeared within.

"All hail Xanthos the Shining!" the ponies chanted at the sight of the Unicorn. With barely a thought, Xanthos lit her horn. Even in her weakened state, her magical abilities still came as a second nature to the old Unicorn. Her magical light stretched fully across the room, leaving no shadow. It was as if she had dragged the sun down from the sky and placed it upon her horn.

The white Pegasus burst through the door to Xanthos' room, a small trail of fire crackled lowly behind her. Blocking her eyes from the intense light with a forehoof, she spoke to her master between breathes. "Xanthos, master, what troubles you?" she asked.

"Ah, Sky, my dear, it's nothing. I was just startled by this unexpected visit." Xanthos practically spat the last word, narrowing her eyes towards the orb.

Skyfire slowly removed her shielding hoof to reveal her master. Xanthos stood, horn a glow, staring deeply into some sort of floating orb. The Unicorn's jet black coat shone glossily in the bright light, and her blood red tail and mane lazily flicked ever so often. Despite knowing the elder one for so long, this was the first time she had ever seen her in such good lighting. After a moment to regain herself, the Pegasus joined her master's side. "What is it?" she asked with a glance up at the Unicorn.

Xanthos turned her gaze to the mare beside her. "An ancient communication spell, Sky. I haven't seen it used in many thousands of years," she remarked and returned her attention back to the orb.

"What is your purpose?" questioned the Unicorn.

"Xanthos, the legends are true. You still live," spoke the orb.

"Fool, I am immortal. I will never die!" boomed Xanthos, her tail flicking back and forth angrily.

"Of course. We do not mean to offend. But, if the legends are true, than you know of the Pool of Magic?" asked Northern Star, standing a firm ground.

Xanthos' anger dissipated instantly at the words. "Go on."

"Xanthos, your greatness, we are a part of the Princess's elite council, a set group of chosen masters of the magical arts. We serve to protect the Princess and her subjects; however, for as long as Celestia has reigned, our council has served another purpose unbeknownst to her: to locate the Pool of Magic and restore the forbidden four," said the old Unicorn.

Xanthos stood quietly for a while, staring blankly into the orb. "Does this mean you have found it?" she asked at last, a slight weakness present in her tone.

"After many years of research, we do believe so."

"Bring me the magical energy from the pool and the Elements of Harmony and I will grant your council ultimate power when my sisters and I reclaim the world," Xanthos promised with a bow of gratitude.

"It will be done, oh great one," said the old Unicorn. "But may I ask why you need the Elements? Surely the Princess will notice them missing?"

"And here I thought you kept up with the stories passed down over the years. The Elements of Harmony are keys to an ancient power even older than I. Bring them to me!" she demanded. "My camp lies beyond Equestrian borders. I will have scouts pick you up just to be sure you're not playing me for a fool," she hissed. "Now begone!" With a wave of her head, the orb disappeared.

"So… you may finally get your sisters back after all these years," Skyfire said calmly.

"Yes, then we shall conquer the world where we failed the last time," replied Xanthos, her tone deep and sinister.

Without warning, she cut the light, temporarily blinding Skyfire. The sensation of movement gripped tightly at the Pegasus; she closed her eyes tightly, knowing that Xanthos was teleporting her.

Opening her eyes again, Skyfire noticed that she now stood in a long tunnel, one she had never seen before.

"Where are we?" she asked her master.

"Come, Sky. It's time I showed you something." Xanthos started off down the tunnel. She lit her horn temporarily blinding the Pegasus once again.

A small tingling sensation crept its way up Luna's hind legs. It started off slow, building in intensity and speed with each passing moment. The feeling of constricted blood flow served as a wakeup call to the Alicorn, slowly releasing her from her unconscious state. After inhaling deeply to help her brain wake up, Luna exhaled sluggishly, producing a heavy yawn. Despite the lingering feeling of sleeping limbs, the Princess found her balance and pushed off the ground. Surveying her surroundings, the Princess of Night, took in for the first time, the true beauty of the world before her. She stood within a field of pure green grass, surrounded in all directions by evergreen trees. A lush wind blew past, bending the unkempt grass at its mercy. Looking to the tree's peaks, Luna caught her first glimpse of the sky. High above, a very different star shone down across the land. Squinting against its bright rays, Luna could make out the bright red tinge the new sun carried. As its rays expanded outwards, they created multiple shades of bright orange and red across the sky.

A strange feeling came over the Princess of Night as she continued gawking at the sky's beauty. The world's energy seemed to pulse into her soul with every inhale, bringing with it a comforting wave of relaxation. Luna did this now, letting the relaxation seep deeply into her body as she returned her gaze to eye-level. She allowed her eyes a moment to focus on the ground around her before letting that held breath gently escape from her lungs. She stretched quickly, starting with her forelegs and ending with the unfurling of her wings to full span.

Across the field from Luna, a narrow opening in the tree line stood easily recognizable against the dense trees on either side. Luna approached the small break in the trees with curiosity gleaming in her eyes. After reaching the clearing's edge, she peeked into the small opening. A dirt path, slightly faded from time, seemed to drag on forever. In places, the length of the grass on the trail matched that of the surrounding forest, making the path uneasy to follow. Tall evergreens lined both sides of the path far as the eye could see. Their thick, green needles blocked out most of the sun's red rays, giving the darkness ahead a reddish tinge. Intimidated by the pathway, the Princess of Night retracted her head from the opening. Glancing back to the field behind her, Luna's jaw dropped. In front of her, a seemingly endless row of trees now stood present.

"Where did the clearing go?" a puzzled Luna asked aloud as she tried to piece together what has happening.

Turning back to face the opening in the trees, the Alicorn peeked in once again. This time, however, she spotted a faint bright light in the distance. With a deep breath and a strong face, Luna braved the enclosed area. Once on the dirt path, she exhaled her pent up breath as her anxiety calmed. A rustling of branches rang out through the quiet forest. Startled, Luna whisked around, coming face-to-face with the trees behind her. With her entrance blocked, the Princess of Night was left with no choice but to move forward. With a nervous swallow of her saliva, she started advancing, using her magic as a light source against the creeping shadows of the blackened forest.

Luna pressed on, noting the eerie silence of the forest. A slick layer of sweat lay present on her coat. Her nerves stood on edge, anxiety at its peak. Further she traveled, waiting for the darkness to make its move, to push her over the edge. She allowed her eyes to wander from the trail in an attempt to keep calm. With her glance focused between the rows of trees, the dream realm made its next move. The ground below Luna vanished, dropping the Alicorn into the frigid black water below.

Caught off guard by the sudden plunge, Luna's magical concentration vanished. Everything went black. Deeper, and deeper, she sunk into the waters. Her brain panicked. Her body reacted. Desperately, she searched for a sense of up or down, finding nothing. Her lungs burned with a great desire for air. Luna knew she couldn't last for much longer. Instinctively, she opened her mouth to scream, only to have water replace air. She was choking now, desperately gasping for breath, as more water filled her lungs. Seconds ticked by, and Luna grew weaker. Her muscles convulsed violently, sending sharp signals of pain to her brain. With her vision fading, Luna braved herself for death's cold touch.

"Pbbthh!" sounded a muffled voice.

Luna barely registered the noise. She perceived the call to be the approaching hand of death. The Alicorn closed her eyes for what she thought would be the last time. Seconds later, the water had vanished. Light poured forth, illuminating her closed eyelids. Luna's body dropped lifelessly to the ground. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide. They searched the space above them, frantically fighting for an escape. The Alicorn's lungs burned ferociously, desperately trying to suck in the air. Staring up into the now bright sky, Luna's body remained still. A heavy presence made itself known to her, pressing hard against her chest. Water expelled from her lungs, exiting through her mouth and nose. Luna rolled over on the grass, violently coughing up mouthfuls of water. The sting of acid bit hard at the back of her throat as Luna doubled over again and emptied the contents of her stomach. Finally, she collapsed on her back, greedily inhaling lungfuls of air.

"Luna!"

Before she could register what was happening, Luna found herself whisked up into a tight, loving embrace.

"Sister?" Luna questioned the figure weakly.

"It's me, sister. I'm here."

They sat quietly. Luna shook immensely from shock, her face buried deep in Celestia's coat. She tried to cry but found no tears would come. The Princess of Sun stroked her sister's mane in an attempt to calm her.

"Luna, sister, what happened?" Celestia asked with a whisper.

Luna didn't answer. Instead, she continued to rest.

"This world is easily manipulated but does not take too kindly to the living," a voice unfamiliar to Luna said as he took a position next to the Princess of Sun.

Luna's vision swayed as she gazed up at the figure.

"Celestia and I were just catching up. It was my fault for leaving you alone," he apologized and offered Luna a hoof.

Luna accepted the offering and allowed herself to be helped up. Once on all four hooves, the Alicorn's vision started to clear, allowing her to pick out more specific details of the strange figure.

The stallion stood taller than Celestia herself. His coat resembled a color of a translucent light-blue with a blue mane that flowed gracefully like Luna's own.

The light-blue Alicorn chuckled lightly. "Yes, I guess I do look a bit… silly," he said with a glance at the Princess's facial expression.

"It… is rare that I get to see another Alicorn, besides my sister, is all. Not to mention you are…"

"See-through?" he interrupted.

"Yes," said Luna.

"This isn't my true form. I am but a spirit now. What I used to look like is irrelevant. I just thought you two would like a form that is more appealing to your tastes," he explained to her with a little wink for added effect.

Luna blushed. "I must look terrible," she stated. "I feel terrible…"

"Of course. Where are my manners? I am the spirit of the Element of Magic. You can call me Magic for short. Now, let's get you cleaned up and into some place nicer."

Luna blinked. When her eyes opened again, she stood in the middle of a room. A sudden wave of warmth washed over her. Surveying herself, Luna found that her coat was no longer soaking wet and matted, but dry and groomed. The soft crackle of fire sounded off to Luna's left. She glanced toward the fire, feeling its warm inviting hand pull her forward.

"How did we get here?" she asked as she watched Magic and her sister step towards the fire.

"I teleported us here. Come now, Luna. You know magic, do you not?"

Luna joined the others around fire. "Usually magic takes longer than just a blink of an eye," she remarked.

"Please, have a seat," the spirit said.

"But there-" Stopping mid-sentence, Luna glanced behind her. Much to her surprise, a huge pillow now lay on the ground. Baffled by the pillow's sudden appearance, Luna sat quietly.

The spirit chucked lightly at the Alicorn's behavior. "Luna, your actions are much like the first time you visited here. It seems not much has changed in 1500 years."

Luna fell silent, a blank expression plastered upon her face as her brain searched for a response.

"Uh, forgive me, I know the troubles you have faced," the spirit said with a sympathetic expression.

Having decided that her sister had had enough torment, Celestia broke her silence. "Magic, is there something important you called upon us for?"

"As a matter of fact there is, Celestia. However, in order for you to understand the future, you must first understand the past." With a flick of his head, their vision faded to black.

An orb of light appeared far in the distance, capturing Luna's attention. Rapidly, the object grew in size. Doubling, tripling, there was no end to its massive size. The Princess of Night braced herself. The light was very strong now, almost engulfing her. Another second ticked by, and the light seemed to dim. A new object floated in place of the light. The sphere was covered in lush green and blue. Earth. With the setting now established, Magic began his story.
"The Elements and I were among the first life forms to appear on the planet. Truth be told, we had no idea of how we came to be. We grew up, just like your species does today. However, once we matured, we stopped aging. It didn't take us long to discover that we possessed a great deal of magical power. Together, we used our raw magical energy to create numerous different species. The making of a creature is a very complex task. At first, we had no standard for how long the average life should be. The Dragons and Draconequus were created first and hold the longest lifespan. As the years progressed, we created different intelligent life forms. The Deer came next, after that, the Griffins. Then the Alicorns, Pegasi, Unicorns, and Earth ponies were created, followed closely by the Zebras."

A scene of great vegetation, all alien to Luna, appeared before her eyes. These early plants were colossal in comparison to those of today. Exotic flowers and trees sprung from the ground only to grow rapidly to their matured age. Dragons and Deer frolicked about and soon they were joined by others. Griffins and ponies of all types appeared. It became clear to Luna, that this was a time-lapse of the very beginnings of life.

"Time passed and we found it strange to watch the others around us grow old and die. Many thousands of years passed. Over those years, we built up a colony and we watched as all life flourish together in perfect harmony. Then came the day when some of the species wished to expand across the globe to find a new home. At that time the other spirits and I still wished to watch over everyone. Using our combined magical energy we created six rings, The Elements of Friendship. Each ring held its own special meaning: Love, trust, compassion, sympathy, support, and concern. Each of us took the ring that we represented. The rings were magical and allowed us to communicate far across the lands. At the time, we still did not know the full extent of our magical abilities. The rings did a lot more than we had planned them to. They possessed the ability to boost any magical charge, multiplying the power tenfold.

Once we realized what power the rings held, we decided to combine their power with our own. We created an artifact of incomprehensible magical ability, the Horn of Power. It was then that we discovered our lifespan. After the Horn of Power was created, we knew something was wrong. All of us felt weak, like we had lost a part of ourselves. We brushed it off at the time, thinking it to be just a side effect of the massive amount of magical energy we used. I kept the Horn of Power, and we all went on our separate ways to travel with the species as they spread across the land."

A beam of white exploded into the sky. Lightning crackled, and thunder roared. Trees cracked and fell from the shockwave. Flowers uprooted and took to the sky like feathers caught in a breeze. Luna steadied herself as the shockwave approached her. With shut eyes and gritted teeth she waited. But the force never came. She opened her eyes again to find no sign of the shockwave. Down from the beam of light descended a translucent, rainbow-colored headpiece. Luna recognised the crown-like shape of the object. A hollow Unicorn horn extended from the crown's base, with swirls of color racing up the horn. Luna stood in awe of the artifact and watched in amazement as the color of the horn changed continuously. Magic's voice once again rang in her head.

"Another thousand years went by, and all the species were flourishing. We grew weaker, and they stopped coming to us for help. After realizing that they could live on their own, we decided to retreat back to our temple. The six of us lived in that temple holding on tightly to our last magical energies we possessed. The world was still young. It still needed a ruler. We drew up a map and split the world into four different sections each designed to have a ruler. So we sat and waited in that temple for hundreds of years before we found the perfect four."

Standing before Luna, a stone staircase rose up into the sky. At the top, a temple stood strong against the currents of time. Four ponies stepped around Luna and began ascending the staircase. She watched them hike up the absurdly high stairs. Two Pegasi, one Unicorn, and one earth Pony all climbed in unison, step after step.

"We called upon them to join us at our temple and they came. We taught them our ways over many years. Watched as they matured into four strong mares. Xanthos. I taught her all I knew about magic. She was the only Unicorn of the four. I selected her to lead the Deer and pony races in what is now Equestria and the Great Jungle. Vae'ei. A Pegasus elected to lead the Griffin Kingdom, trained by the Elements of Loyalty and Honesty. They taught her everything they could about flying. Ra'nouk, the second Pegasus of the four. She was the stronger flier, requiring no training. She did however need to learn a thing or two about generosity and kindness. She was to lead the Dragons and Draconequus in what is known today as the Dragon Lands. Then came the final of the four, Ahe'da'vii, an earth pony. She was chosen to lead the Zebra race in the far off lands. She was taught the ways of laughter to brighten the spirits of everyone around her. After we felt that their training was complete, we knew that our time had come. I had built us a chamber in the basement of our temple to serve as our resting place. In the center of the room, buried beneath the floor, lay the Horn of Creation, waiting for someone to discover it. Each of us, adorned with our rings of Friendship, our symbolic meaning of true friendship, put our magic together one last time."

The ponies disappeared over the top of the stairs. Moments later, a beam of light burst through the temple's roof. Luna watched the beam ascend to the stars above. Something inside the beam caught her eye. She squinted for a better look. Six orbs of light rode inside the beam, propelled into the skies by an unknown force. The light faded and the beam vanished. All was quiet. All was darkness.

"In our final moments, we discovered our true selves. It took us all those years to realize that we stood for perfect harmony. During the casting of our final spell, the others and I felt a special connection, one I have yet to feel again. Using our final traces of magical energy, we bestowed upon the four our own raw magical currents, granting them similar abilities. But, to keep the world in perfect harmony, we also created six representations of ourselves for whoever may rise to represent us. The four saw no reason for the Elements and left them on top of our caskets.

Everything faded away in an instant and we awoke here, a place we now call, the Eternal Lands. After many years spent wandering the colossal landscape, we discovered the source of all magical energies. Every so often, a ray of magic would shoot from the pool, allowing us to capture it's timeline of the past, present, or future.

"Time continued on and we watched over the four. They split up, each taking rule over their set district. Things went so well in the beginning. The population thrived. A sense of acceptable behavior was established, a sense of rule. But then the four grew bored with time. They didn't want to sit around watching for all eternity. We should have expected it. They began ruling with an iron fist and the world plunged into chaos. Harmony was broken. The Elements rang out, drawing in six bearers to find them and restore harmony once again.

The six marched into battle against the four, only to fall short. Their untimely deaths caused uproar from all over of the globe. The four, weakened from battle, snatched up the Elements of Harmony and went into hiding. They took refuge in our temple. It was there that they found the horn. They discovered the power of the horn. Power that we were afraid to use. They launched a worldwide attack, exterminating any and all who stood in their way. With the Horn of Power at their disposal, they built an army. War washed over the world, every race for themselves. The Deer, being the most magical of all creatures, were most susceptible to the horn. As a result, their entire species was wiped from the earth.

War waged on for a couple of years. The Draconequus would not stand for this. They set out to take down the four, but their magic was not enough, and all but one perished. Vowing revenge, Discord took it upon himself to vanquish this evil from the world. His journey lead him to our temple, to the Elements of Harmony. Discord took the four by surprise. Using the power of the Elements with his own magic, a great duel was held between the two sides. When the smoke had cleared and the dust settled. Discord stood victorious over them. All but Xanthos were turned to stone. She had managed to flee in the final moments of the battle. We called upon Discord and in the Eternal lands he met with us. We came to the decision to have him rule. We granted him immortality and sent him on his way. Harmony was restored to the world. Peace at last. Discord did what was right. He moved out of the Great Jungle and into what is now Equestria. Once there, he built a castle and locked away the horn in its basement. He then locked away the door's keys in our temple, hoping nobody would ever stumble upon the door they fit.

Discord was a great ruler, but he longed for companionship. He was a Draconequus living in a pony's paradise. He became lonely and started playing tricks on others to bring himself joy. His tricks grew nastier and nastier as time passed. The Alicorns had enough and threatened to dethrone Discord, but he had other plans. Discord attacked the Alicorn race and harmony was once again broken. Ponies went into hiding as Discord continued to wreak havoc over Equestria. Soon after, we pulled your combined magical current from the pool. You two were barely matured at the time, but it was worth a shot. We moved the Elements to a place where you would stumble upon them, and when you did, you knew. For the sake of your own, and all the other species, you two rose up and battled discord."

The scenes before their eyes dissipated and returned them back to the room.

"Is this what you called us here for, Magic?" asked Celestia.

"Now that you fully comprehend the past, you will understand my warning to you. The four seek to rise once again. But you two cannot stop them. No, it must be the six present representations of the Elements. They will be the ones to stop the world from losing harmony once more."

"But they're so young. They still have so much to learn. Surely it will be a death sentence?" said Luna.

"That's not what you said to Rainbow Dash about her trial, Princess. In fact, her and Applejack's trial has already begun, which for the most part could prove to be problematic."

"Their trial started?" asked both Princesses simultaneously.

"Indeed it has, currently they are lost just outside of Dragon territory."

Celestia hopped of her pillow. "What!" she cried out in rage. "Why was I not informed of this?"

"It is not my duty to do so, Princess. Besides, you know one should never interfere with the trial."

"How did they even get out that far?" questioned Luna, who had also taken to standing.

"A little spell mishap."

"Oh, Twilight…" Celestia sighed, dropping her tone.

"Do not blame her, Princess. Fate saw an opportunity and took charge. Whatever you do, you mustn't interact with the six until they get back. If you do, grave consequences can occur. Twilight and the others will come visit you soon. You need to point them in the right direction, it is important that they meet up in the jungle. Fear not for their safety. They are more than capable of making it back."

Celestia and Luna locked glances, their expressions exchanging silent words of worry and fear.

"Tough times are ahead, Celestia and Luna. Your kingdom needs you now more than ever. When the six return to Equestria from the Great Jungle, you will give them this information. Tell them that they need to find the six rings of Friendship that were stolen from our tomb many millennia ago. Combining the six rings with the six Elements of harmony will provide enough power to break the bonds of the four's immortality and destroy them once and for all."

The once inviting wooden room began to dissolve. The strange, silent wind of the afterworld washed over them like a wave. Once the room had vanished, the three stood in a familiar field of grass. A chill ran up Luna's spine as she recalled what happened only hours ago. A dark purple portal opened up in front of the three, illuminating the surrounding area in a mild lilac glow.

"It is time for us to part ways. For now," said Magic as he looked from one Princess to the next.

"Thank you for this warning, Magic," said the Princess of Day with a bow of her head.

"I do not wish for the world to suffer from old foes. They need to be stopped for good."

"Understood. Come, Luna, we have business to attend to." With that, Celestia stepped forward into the portal, disappearing into a haze of purple smoke.

The ghostly Alicorn turned to Luna. "Until we meet again, Princess," he said with a bow and held the position.

Luna stopped in front of the spirit. "Thanks for saving my life. It was nice to meet you. Again," she said with a shy smile. Without thinking, she leaned in and planted a kiss upon the spirit's forehead before disappearing into the portal after her sister.

Several Hours Earlier.

"Starlight, Nexus! Gather the supplies. It is time to travel into the Eternal Lands."

"Yes, Northern Star," chimed the two ponies. A flurry of hoof-beats echoed off the walls of the underground hideaway, sending a sign of compliance to the elder Unicorn.

"You know this is a very narrow opening, right?" Graphite asked the elder.

"It's our only opening. It's now or never."

The gray Unicorn nodded in agreement, moving to his next question. "Surely Princess will have the room guarded?"

"Ah, and that's where you come in my dear boy," said Northern Star. A slow, creeping smile formed across his lips.

"Guards! Guards!" Graphite cried out as he ran down the corridor towards the Hall of the Elements. Once in front of the door, he collapsed, breathing heavily.

"What's wrong, Graphite?" the guardspony asked as he rushed to the Unicorn's side.

The gray pony jumped back to his hooves and took off down the hall. "Its, Northern Star. He's collapsed!" he yelled back as the guard took off to catch him.

At the other end of the hall, two Unicorns peek around the edge. "Our time to shine," said the white Unicorn as he stepped into the hallway. A purple Unicorn reached out and clamped his teeth around the faded-yellow tail of his friend and pulled him back around the corner.

"Hey! What was that for!" he said angrily with a shove of the purple Unicorn.

The purple pony fell backwards, landing hard on his haunches. His light blue mane draped over his face covering his eyes.

"For Celestia's sake would you keep it down, Starlight, are you trying to get us caught?" he said as he blew the hair from his eyes.

Starlight began swaying back and forth in a joking manner. "Geez, Nexus, calm your mane. I'm just having a little fun," he replied.

Quickly, Nexus jumped to his hooves and forcefully stopped her friend's antics. "Careful! You don't want to smash those vials or Northern Star will have your head," he said.

"Fine, have it your way…" said Starlight as he began to skip down the hall.

Nexus took after him, cautious not to attract any unwanted attention.

"Here we are, the Hall of the Elements," said Starlight. He paused for a brief moment to study the door's lock. Once he deciphered the magical current used to lock the door, his horn began to glow and he shot a magical current of his own into the lock. The sound of turning gears filled the silent corridor, the sound was loud enough to make the two Unicorns freeze in fear, the sound stopped and the door popped open. The two ponies slipped through the crack and shut the door behind them.

Once inside, the two Unicorns made their way down the prestigious hall towards the Elements of Harmony.

"Are you ready, starlight?" asked Nexus, as he glanced from Element to Element.

"How much do you think these would sell for?" questioned the other Unicorn. Nexus turned to see he friend closely inspecting the Element of Kindness.

Nexus sighed loudly and threw his own hoof against his face in frustration. Without waiting for an answer from starlight, he began the spell to open the portal into the Eternal Lands.

With the spell concluded, he looked to his friend. Starlight was holding the Element on Generosity now. He bit down on the golden frame hard, testing the gold's authentication.

"Figures they'd put me with the idiot…" Nexus said without a care of his friend hearing the comment.

Starlight dropped the jewelry. "What was that buddy?" he asked as he turned towards his friend.

His eyes caught sight of the royal-purple portal that now floated just feet in front of him. "Whoa…" he said with a trail of his voice. Starlight reached his hoof out and touched the portal. Without warning, he was sucked up in a cloud of purple smoke.

Crossing Paths

Cloudy Skies and Distant Lands

[Shipping | Adventure | Grim-dark | Sad]

Chapter 4:

Day 3:

Bright early morning sunshine burst through the forest's canopy. The beams of light found their way to the ground and illuminated the undergrowth in a dazzling golden aura. Trees opened up to the warmth and the rushing river sparkled as the sunbeams reflected off its surface. The rising sun served as a wake up call for all the jungle animals; and soon, the waterfall's quiet roar was joined by all the sounds of life. A single ray of light, twisting and bending through the trees, caved a path for more light to follow. Applejack became encased in the stream of light as it found its way to her sleeping body. She lay fast asleep in a patch of unkempt grass not far from the water's edge. Her coat, matted and dirty, told the story of her most recent struggle with the river. The blood that had once stained her orange coat had been washed away the moment that she had plummeted over the edge of the waterfall. With the sun continuing to shine down upon the sleeping pony and warm up her body, her dreams had also begun to change to warmer subjects.

Rainbow Dash cuddled herself deeper into the earth pony's back. "Good morning, Applejack," she said.

Applejack eased her eyes open. Much to her surprise, the familiar walls of her bedroom greeted her sleepy eyes. She yawned and rolled over to face her partner. "Mornin, sugarcube," she replied.

Their eyes locked, a deep connection shared between the two. Rainbow Dash closed the distance between the two. "Hey, Applejack?" she whispered lightly. "How about an early morning tussle?" The Pegasus proceeded to playfully nibble the earth pony's ear, which produced a muffled moan of compliance from Applejack. Rainbow Dash meant business; she hated wasting time. Without allowing her partner a moment to protest her motives, she dove under the cover and headed straight for the earth pony's sweet spot.

"Hah, Rainbow, that tickles," said Applejack. She rolled over on her back to allow the Pegasus easier access to the parts she desired most.

"Hah! Quit it, Rainoo… oh!"

Applejack rolled over in her sleep. Fantasies of a good time played out in her head, with nopony around to stop them. Still deep in lover's valley, Applejack mimicked the positions of her dream self. The added effect allowed for the earth pony to heighten the realism of her dream. The earth pony's face flushed deep red and a hushed moan of pleasure escaped from her slightly parted lips. "Mhm… Rainbow Dash. Oh yeah, right there," she said aloud. Her body burned with lust, a deep desire for satisfaction engrossing her - a satisfaction only her partner could satisfy.

"Enjoying the morning, are we?" said a deep voice.

Applejack's eyes snapped open. A white-scaled dragon with deep blue eyes stood towering over her. Fear sunk deep into the pony's body that served to paralyze her like a vicious poison. Draak noticed the fear burning deep within the pony's eyes. "Fear not, pony. I am not an enemy, but merely your saviour," he said.

Applejack shook with fear. "S-saviour?" she said.

The dragon began to circle around the earth pony slowly. "I found you floating in the water, dragged you to shore, and kept you warm throughout the night. You really should be more careful. Such a fall could be instant death for a pony," he said sternly in a father figure tone.

Applejack's fears began to gradually back off. She felt a strange easiness towards the dragon; her internal instincts were telling her that he was indeed speaking the truth. She slowly managed to climb to her hooves, all of her major joints cracking from disuse in the process. She smiled at the dragon. "Well, Ah guess Ah owe ya a mighty big thanks, partner," she said as she took a bow towards the dragon.

Draak stopped his circling in front of Applejack and stood tall. He puffed out his chest slightly and blew dark smoke from his nostrils. "Please call me, Draak Rei. I am the Dragon King," he said.

"Pleased to meet ya, Draak Rei. Ah'm Applejack," said the pony in return.

After he finished his display, Draak returned to his normal four-footed stance. He bent down close to the earth pony. "And why are you all the way out here, Applejack?" he asked.

Applejack dropped her vision to the grass below and began to run one of her forehooves through it. "Ah uhh… got here by accident." She said and turned her head from the dragon to hide her embarrassment.

A mischievous grin crossed Draak's mouth. "Say…" he started. "You wouldn't happen to know a, Rainbow Dash? Would you?"

Applejack's face lit up at the mention of the name. She swung her head around instantly, an expression of pure joy plastered across her face. "Rainbow Dash? You know where she is?"

Draak smiled a little at the sight of the earth pony's joy. "I found her flying manically about in my lands, when I stopped her to ask just what she was doing. She told me that she was searching for a loved one."

Applejack felt her cheeks grow hot at the thought of Dash looking for her. "Aww shucks," she said with a love-drunk expression. After a moment of soaking up the thoughts, she shook her head clear. "Then what happened? Where is she now?" she asked.

The dragon sighed and walked towards the river. "Another dragon showed up and chased her away. I flew after them, but I was not fast enough. I searched this area all night, until I found you," he said and bent down to take a drink from the river.

Applejack watched as the dragon greedily gulped down liters of water from the river like it was only a glass. Seeing this made her realize just how thirsty she was. The earth pony joined the dragon at the river and began drinking from it herself. The water was sweet and did wonders to quench her thrust. After she satisfied her basic need of water, Applejack wiped the excess water from her mouth. "Thanks again," she said. "Fer saving me like that, it was mighty kind of ya." She removed her hat and took another bow towards the dragon.

"I do not expect thanks for doing what was right," he said.

Applejack's smile deflated, something was eating at her thoughts. "Ah'd love to stay," she said and hid her vision away from the dragon. "But Ah have a rainbow to find." With that, she shuffled past the dragon and into the jungle.

The stomping of feet came quickly from behind her. Applejack glanced back to find the dragon close behind. "I'm coming with you, it's dangerous for a pony in these parts," he said.

A look of amazement mixed with shock crossed Applejack's face. "Ah… Ah don't understand. Yer're the King of the dragons and you want to help me? No offense, but don't ya have better things to do rather than help a common earth pony find her lost friend?" she asked.

"There is no greater motivation than that of love," he said. "Besides you would do the same for me, I can feel it." He bent down beside the earth pony, low enough for her to climb onto his back. "Hop on. If we plan to find her today, we have to cover a lot of ground."

Applejack did as she was told and hauled herself up on the dragon's back. "Hold on tight," he called back to her and spread his wings in preparation for takeoff.

The earth pony seated herself on the dragon's neck, both hooves grasping tightly against the rough scales. A nervous flutter rose up from her stomach as she braced herself for flight. The long, powerful beats of Draak's wings sounded, shaking the foliage around them. Applejack shut her eyes and clenched her teeth tight enough to crush diamonds. She remained this way for a couple of minutes, still waiting for the bumpy lift off.

"It's safe, you can open your eyes now," said Draak.

Applejack slowly let open an eye to peak at the world around her. To her surprise, they were already well above the tree line. She glanced around at the land that seemed to stretch on for miles in either direction. Her fears retreated as she was left stunned in the utter beauty of the world. To her right, a barren landscape of rocks and mountains signified the mystic Dragon Lands. To her left, a mountain range gave way to a great and dense jungle of lush green vegetation, and beyond that, a sea of deep blue stretched out of sight. For the first time, Applejack felt a real sense of what it was like to fly. This time she could appreciate the true freedom of flying. Her thoughts turned to Rainbow Dash and how whenever the Pegasus got upset at something, she always took a long flight to relax. Finally, Applejack understood how she felt, the freedom the Pegasus longed for, and how it could only be filled by the massive blue sky.

A gust of wind rolled over the pair and they dropped a couple of feet in height; but Applejack could care less, she was far too enthralled in the stunning world to notice. "It's just so beautiful," she said at last.

Draak chuckled lightly. "It is isn't it," he said as he glanced around on the ground below. "hang on tight!" he called back to her and began to dive.

Applejack glanced over the side of Draak down into the forest below. The dense jungle slacked off and reviled a meadow of grass. Only something was off about the meadow. The earth pony squinted to get a better look at the clearing. Trees lay fallen around, some still burning and others a smoldering pile of ash. In the middle of the field a small light-blue body lay motionless with the fire creeping slowly towards it. It took Applejack's mind a second to recognize the body as Rainbow Dash's. "Rainbow Dash!" she screamed hysterically.

Sun poured heavily through the canopy of the forest and washed away the darkness of the night. Rainbow Dash began to stir from the high intensity of the morning light. She raised her hoof to her head and rubbed at a spot of soreness. "Ugh," she said and let her hoof drop back to its limp position. She eased open her eyes to allow them to adjust to the morning. The blurry trees soon came into focus upside down. It took Rainbow Dash a second to register the upside down trees as wrong. She sat up quickly, only to find that she was the one who was upside down. She thought back to what had happened and how she could have possibly ended up upside down in a tree. A memory of being chased by an evil dragon played out in her head and she began to remember how he had knocked her out of the sky. "I must have passed out after that," she said aloud as she rubbed her throbbing head again.

The cyan Pegasus jumped from the tree and spread her wings to land softly on the ground below. A sharp pain cut through her back and caused her to fall to the ground. "What the heck," she said with an expression of discomfort drawn across her face. Rainbow Dash turned to look at her back. She discovered that her saddlebag was no longer fastened securely around her; instead, a deep gash that could only have come from a dragon's claw ran down her lower back. She remained still for a moment, wondering just what to do about the cut. She sighed, realizing that it was beyond her knowledge of wounds and she would be better off leaving it alone.

Rainbow Dash began to walk in search of water. A thought crossed her mind causing her to halt immediately. "The ring!" She glanced around looking for the brown bag sticking out against the green of the jungle.

"Looking for something, pony?" said a deep voice with a growl.

Rainbow Dash froze in place at the voice. She slowly turned in place to face the creature that was calling her. Her eyes met his and they became locked together, a high stakes stare down, winner taking all. The dark-blue dragon rocked the saddlebag back and forth on his claw in an attempt to break the Pegasus's stare.

Rainbow Dash maintained her eye contact with the beast, but watched the bag swing back and forth in his claw from the corner of her eyes. "I need that back," she said with a calm, demanding tone.

The dragon cocked his eyebrow at the demand and a sly smile spread across his lizard-like face. "What? This?" he said and gave the saddlebag another twirl around his claw.

Rainbow Dash remained silent. An eerie atmosphere had settled around the pair as their stare battle dragged on. All the sounds of the jungle stood still and critters of all sizes gathered around to watch the stare contest from the safety of the nearby foliage. The cyan pony noticed the awkward silence of the jungle. Her nerves spiked, teetering close to the edge and a thin layer of sweat began to roll down her forehead.

The dragon sensed the pony's growing fear, his smile widened. "If the pony want's her bag, the pony will have to find it first." The dragon cocked his arm back and swung it forward with unnatural force.

The bag took off, flying straight over Rainbow Dash's head. She glanced up only to see the bag sailing off into the forest behind her. A loud growl from in front of her demanded her attention; she glanced down to see the dragon heading full steam for her. Her wings came alive in an instant and propelled her around and away from the dragon's hungry teeth. They were off. Rainbow Dash flew frantically to catch up to her bag and to avoid the pony-eating dragon close behind her; while the dragon flew almost calm like with the certainty of a good meal the only thought in his savage mind.

Rainbow Dash used her quick speed and agility to her advantage as she weaved through the trees with precision. Her mind always stayed one step ahead of her movements, which allowed her to stay one step ahead of her fiery competitor. Her heart raced with adrenaline-filled blood, steadily pumping it to the parts of her body she needed most right now, her wings. The Pegasus focused her eyes in on the bag as it began to descend. The dragon close behind her gave a mighty roar and picked up his speed. The distance between the two fliers began to close; what was once a gap of a few feet was now but mere inches. The dragon's fiery breath lashed out at the Pegasus's hind legs with the intent of burning right through them. Rainbow Dash anticipated the blast of fire and quickly shot upwards towards the falling saddlebag. She reached out and caught the bag's strap perfectly around her forehooves before quickly pulling up into a ninety degree incline. The dragon followed the small pony up through the trees, his wings offered him more strength, and he was able to make up the lost ground. The cyan Pegasus punched through the canopy with a small hole and was almost blinded by the full light of the sun. The dragon was close behind and had completely shattered the tree line from where he had made his exit.

Rainbow Dash shut her wings, tucked herself into a ball, and began to fall. The dragon clawed at the pony as she fell back towards him, missing her by inches. Once she was passed her pursuer, the Pegasus spread her wings again and flapped them with all her remaining strength. The dragon halted in his incline and spun around in the air just in time to see the pony disappear back below the tree line.

Rainbow Dash reentered the jungle at blistering speeds, tearing leaves straight off their branches as she blasted past them. Thick, unforgiving branches raced to greet her, with no time to evade them; the Pegasus was left no choice but to smash straight through them. She faced her eyes to the ground and shut them tightly right as the top of her head collided with a branch. A sharp snap rang out through the jungle, setting all the birds close by into a frenzy of panic. Pain exploded throughout Rainbow Dash's head, as she lost control of her flight path, she began to tumble towards the ground below. The hopeless Pegasus flipped end-over-end through the air, her limp body crashing into the many branches of the thick canopy. Pain lashed and clawed at her, she clenched her teeth tightly as her only defense against its overwhelming presence. Finally, the constant whipping of rough tree branches against her soft flesh stopped and she threw her eyes open in an attempt to save herself. It was too late, the ground reached up at the Pegasus faster than she could react. She smashed full force into the ground and drifted off to sleep.

The blue dragon stomped around a section of forest, certain that he had seen the pony crash land there. "Come out, pony!" he said. He continued to knock over the surrounding trees with big, powerful whips of his tale. After countless minutes of knocking down trees and setting the grass ablaze with his fiery breath, the dragon had created a smoldering circle of burning vegetation in the middle of the densely forested area. Thick, black smoke bellowed upwards into the sky from multiple fires that burned out of control in areas where grass still stood. Rainbow Dash lay unconscious, hidden in a particularly large patch of grass, square in the middle of the dragon-made clearing. The dragon neglected to check this area due to the ferocious fire that burned fiercely away at it. Instead, he proceeded to circle the area once more, still searching for any signs of his escaped meal.

A distant shriek and the rapid beat of fast approaching wings drew the dragon's attention away from his hunt for the pony. The ground shook momentarily as the owner of the giant, beating wings touched down close beside the unconscious Pegasus. Applejack pounced off the Dragon King's back with natural skill and grace. She land softly on the charred ground, and rushed into the grass where her lover lay. The orange-coated earth pony powered through the burning patch of grass in search for Rainbow Dash. Orange and red flames mixed with the remaining green vegetation to create a blur of colors that seemed to melt together in front of Applejack's franticly moving eyes. She whipped her head from side to side in search of the unique blue colored coat she knew so well. In the midst of her desperate search, a light-blue color washed into the melted mix of hot colors. She froze in place as her mind registered the distinctive blue of her lover's coat. She spun around to face the direction in which the color had appeared. Just on the other side of the tall grass, Applejack could see the faint outline of Rainbow Dash lying still against the ground. She rushed over to the Pegasus, pushing aside the tall grass that stood in her path. The cyan Pegasus lay unmoving against the ground in an awkward position that brought a knot to Applejack's stomach. A giant claw sized gash on her lower back had become reopened, and a line of sticky, glistening blood ran from it in a steady stream. Applejack's heart jumped into her throat at the state of the Pegasus and the amount of cuts and gashes that coated her battered body. She reached down, and pushed the blood soaked saddlebag off of Rainbow Dash's back; the bag sloshed to the ground - a sound that made Applejack sick to her stomach. She collapsed on top of her partner, and put her ear to her chest. Nothing was heard. Applejack pressed her ear harder against the Pegasus in an attempt to block out everything but the one simple rhythm that she needed so desperately to hear. Nothing else mattered to her in that moment, not even the searing hot wall of flames that roared straight for her. She wrapped the Pegasus into an embrace, and finally allowed her built up emotions to surface.

Draak lunged forward to intercept the rushing wall of flames that was heading straight for his friends. The attacking dragon took in an additional deep breath and blew another frightening wave of red-hot fire at the ponies. Draak placed one of his massive wings over the pair to shield them from the round of fire. "I'll keep him distracted, get here out of here," he said as yet another wave of fire splashed over his massive body like a tidal wave.

Applejack raised her tear-stained face off of the bloody and broken Pegasus to look the dragon in the eyes. "She ain't breathing!" she yelled up at him. Her bloodshot eyes glistened with teardrops and twitched frantically as if they were going to jump right out of her skull.

Draak stared into the earth pony's pleading eyes for just a moment before removing his shielding wing, and lunging himself at the attacking dragon. The two dragons collided in a swirl of molten fire and slashing claws that sliced through anything they came into contact with. The two beasts thrashed around in the air, each strategically planning on where to lay their next strike. Draak unleashed a fire blast straight into the blue dragon's face. His opponent stumbled backwards, temporarily disorientated from the surprise blast of heat. Draak seized the opportunity, his razor-sharp claws sliced through the thick scales of his opponent's abdomen drawing a stream of fresh blood to the surface. The dragon recoiled in pain, grabbing at his wound to make sure all his organs still remained intact. He narrowed his eyes at the Dragon King and unleashed a vicious roar. The dragon lunged forward, blindly swinging his claws at the King. In one clean motion, Draak dogged the fast moving claw that was aimed straight for his throat, and swung his tail in retaliation. The powerful tail whip collided with the blue dragon's chest, sending him flying backwards through the air.

Draak paused for a moment to make sure his opponent was incapacitated for the time being. One glance back over his shoulder at his friends had him rushing back to their side in an instant. "Step back," he said as he leaned down close to the lifeless Pegasus. Applejack glanced up at the dragon towering over her. The bright afternoon sun was positioned high in the sky above them casting a shadow over the dragon and silhouetting his expression from her. She refused to stand aside, instead, she continued to brush the matted rainbow mane from her partner's face and stare up at the dragon with a blank expression. "Applejack," he said. "You need to trust me, please, we don't have much time." He glanced back over his shoulder to check on his stunned opponent. The blue dragon had regained his lost breath, and was now attempting to stand.

A cloud crossed lazily into the sun's path, allowing for a brief moment of clarity on the dragon's facial expression. Applejack caught sight of the confident expression drawn upon the dragon's face, she nodded her head, kissed Rainbow Dash's forehead and pulled herself up on her shaky legs. The Dragon King leaned in close to the lifeless Pegasus and shut his eyes. At first, nothing happened, and Applejack began to panic again as thoughts of losing her rainbow of joy consumed her rational mind. Just as she was about to cave in and scoop up her deceased lover in a fit of grief, magic happened before her eyes.

Vivid purple and green colored dust fell softly from the dragon's nostrils. The weightless powder coated Rainbow Dash's figure from head to hoof for just a moment before being absorbed into her body. Applejack watched in amazement as the stunning display finished, leaving no evidence of it ever having happened. Draak caught a glimpse of the earth pony through dizzy eyes. "Take her, take her now, and run," he said weakly. "I'll buy you as much time as I can." With that out of the way, he turned back to his opponent - who had just made it back to his feet - and stumbled after him. Applejack watched motionless as her hero, Rainbow Dash's savior, and most importantly, their friend as he marched back out to do battle once more. It brought a tear to her eye to see, that even in his weakened state, the Dragon King was willing to risk his life for two ponies that he had just met. Another brutal roar rang out; Applejack shook her head and kicked herself into motion. Bending down, she wrapped her hooves around the unconscious Pegasus and hoisted her off the ground, and onto her own back. She took off galloping towards the jungle opposite of the fighting dragons with the brown saddlebag dragging close behind.

Skyfire started off down the tunnel after Xanthos. She took in the surroundings with a cautious eye. The walls of the tunnel stood 15 feet, easily, and were lined with sharp, jagged rocks. Minor holes in the stone ceiling allowed for small beams of light to penetrate into the passageway and help wade off some of the darkness. Skyfire was still inspecting the cave's rocks when the narrow passage way widened into a large room. She glanced down from the roof, only to see that Xanthos stood just up ahead, frozen in front of a giant door that stretched from floor to roof. The white Pegasus stepped up the stairs and joined her master at the door.

Skyfire looked the door over with a curious eye. A huge Draconequus covered most of the door but was surrounded by multiple carvings of unique symbols and scriptures. On top of the Draconequus's head, a hole was present, for what looked to be a tiara, with five other holes just above it. Her mind worked hard to make sense of the unique drawings that were carved into the door's stone surface. "What do they mean?" she asked.

Xanthos's horn began to glow red; soon after, a small and red magical ball of energy formed at the end of her horn. The orb floated forward and disappeared into the stone. A grinding noise came from the stone and dust fell lazily from above. The symbols began to rearrange on the stone door, and soon, a scene started to unfold right before their very eyes.

Four ponies marched together along the stone door; every so often, a creature would stand in their way, only to be struck down as the four moved on without so much as a second look. On the other side of the door, a Draconequus made its way towards the four with an intent for revenge. Their paths met in the middle of the giant stone door, and a giant battle ensued, which was shown with a poorly animated cloud of smoke. Once the smoke had cleared, the Draconequus stood victorious over the four ponies; and then the scene was over and the scriptures returned to their original positions.

Skyfire stared blankly at the door, still confused by what she had just seen. "I don't understand, Xanthos, what was that?"

Xanthos glanced to her companion. "Come now, Sky," she said. "I've told you this story many times." She said.

"But you always tell it so different, that was hardly the same thing."

Xanthos smiled a sly smile towards the young Pegasus. "Sky, you fail to remember. History is written by the victor." She said.

The white Pegasus bowed her head. "Yes, master," she said watching as Xanthos stepped up beside the door and leaned her head against its rough stone surface. The Unicorn let her eyes fall shut, and stood there strong and still as her thoughts moved forward in time. Visions of her on top of the world again with her three sisters close to her side swam through her head like fish in an open ocean - free and happy, everything at their disposal. "Sky, my dear, do you know what this door holds?" she asked. Skyfire stared at the black Unicorn for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall with every short breath of life. "This door, it holds the keys. The keys that unlock the most powerful object ever created. Do you know what this means for us, Sky?" she asked.

"I know what it means for you," Skyfire replied and turned away from her master - an act of defiance that many have been punished for.

Xanthos teleported in front of the Pegasus and pushed her back towards the giant stone door. "I've provided you with everything you could have asked for, and have only asked for a bit of respect in return, and this is how you act? Do you know how easy you have it here?" The Unicorn kept pushing forward, leaving Skyfire with no direction to go but backwards.

"This is all for you! All of it! You're just stuck chasing a dream that you had so long ago that no one else can actually remember it! And those ponies out there, you don't care about them, they're just going to die when the time comes!" By this point Skyfire had regained some ground.

The Unicorn snapped and she knocked the Pegasus backwards into the giant stone door. Skyfire smashed into the door with a thud and soon felt the hot, angry breath of her master looming tall over her.

"Sky," Xanthos said. "I've lived for a very, very long time, and in that time, many fools have defied me. Do you understand?" Skyfire clenched her eyes and nodded. As Xanthos continued to speak, her horn came alive with the deep-red magical energy that persisted as her natural aura. She levitated a sharp chunk of stone towards the white Pegasus who remained still and calm. "I love you, Sky, you're the daughter I never had, but you too need to be kept in line, don't you?" The rock drew closer to her white cheek.

"Yes master," she said flatly and without emotion as a silent tear fell from her bright-orange eyes.

Xanthos put the sharp end of the rock to the Pegasus's cheek, and began to drag it along the white coat that covered the soft, squishy flesh just beneath it. The rock tore through her flesh like a chisel carving a marble statue and created a thick river of sticky red blood in its wake. When Xanthos finished, and a line the length of Skyfire's face had been drawn, she tossed the rock aside. "There, all better?" she asked with a look of sympathy, as if the Pegasus had been in the wrong the whole time.

"Yes, master," Skyfire replied as blood ran steadily down her cheek which caused her white coat to become stained with the thick, red liquid.

Xanthos, satisfied with her work, turned and walked a few paces to allow the Pegasus some space again. "Good. Now I have some preparations to tend to, I'll be back for you once you've had time to think about your actions." With that, the Unicorn vanished, leaving a haze of black smoke behind.

Skyfire collapsed to the ground quivering and shaking heavily from all the raw emotions that were built up inside of her, she was ready to explode at any second into a big ball of flames. She knew that it could have been worse. She had stood up to Xanthos before like this. She reached up and touched the rough, uneven scar tissue of a similar punishment on the opposite cheek and shuttered at the awful memories that came with its touching. Skyfire tried to clear her mind, to get away from the world, and her place in it. As her thoughts became of a happier place - a better time in her life - she began to doze off on the cold, hard rocky floor.

When the holds of sleep had a full grasp of her unconscious mind, a dream began to play. It was a similar dream; in fact, it was the only dream she had ever had since leaving Equestria all those years ago.

Skyfire looked out from the bedroom window of her Cloudsdale home. Rain danced and raced down the shallow glass that separated inside from out. When it rained in the city of weather, it rained, and what started out to be a light drizzle, now came down in buckets. It was as if someone had taken the ocean and dumped it right over the city. Skyfire had come to know this dream well over the last ten years since she started having it. At first, she thought it could mean something. It always began with the ferocious rainstorm that always seemed to clear up at the same moment every time, which would then produce the same vibrant rainbow. A rainbow like she had never seen before. So pure and full of color that seemed to pop out at her, like the way she had imagined monsters popping out at her from under her bed as a young filly. It was at this point, that she would open the window and fly out of it, straight for that very rainbow that adorned the sky from one side to the other. Faster and faster she would fly. Harder and harder, but to no avail, it would always end the same way. She knew it, and accepted it. After having the same dream repeated for so many years, she stopped looking for any signs and just used it as a method to escape from life. So, it was no surprise when she never noticed the slight change in the dream this time. As she drew closer to the rainbow, and to the point of where she could go no further forward towards its beautiful sea of colors, she did just that; and not just by a few inches, for the first time, her dream allowed her to come within a hoof's touch of the rainbow. Just for a second, her rational mind kicked into lucid overdrive and all became clear. She finally understood now. She woke up, and sat up from the cold, rocky floor. "Rainbow Dash," she said softly. A smile came to her face and she knew just what was to be done.

A magical portal opened with a bright flash of purple light. Two distant screams grew louder in volume until a Unicorn of the same color as the portal popped out from it, and into the mud below. Nexus -whose mouth was still open from screaming - landed face first into the mud and got a mouthful of the wet earth. He forcefully pried his head from the sticky mud, producing a sucking sound as the earth fought hard to keep him in place. "Bleh!" he said and stuck out his tongue to spit the slick sludge off of it.

"Look out below!" said the portal. Just then, Starlight tumbled out of the portal like a stray bowling ball, and crashed straight into the back of Nexus's head; which in turn sent Nexus's open mouth back into the mud for a big helping of seconds. "Gross," said Starlight as he sat on his haunches in the mud, and shook the slick, wet earth from his hooves. After removing a satisfying amount of mud from his hooves, Starlight turned his attention to the next item of importance. "Nexus?" he called out.

"Mbht!" answered the dirt.

Starlight surveyed the surrounding area, completely oblivious to his mud-covered friend squashed into the earth below him. "Nexus?" he called again. "Where are ya, buddy?"

Nexus was becoming weaker from the lack of air. With one final burst of energy, he was able to get a hoof unlodged from the mud's suction cup like grip, and jab it into the rump of his friend. Starlight gave a small yelp and sat up instantly. To his surprise, a light-blue mud stricken mane was matted deep down into the mud. Starlight's horn began to glow, and with the help from his magical spell he pulled his friend from the earth. "Well there ya are, buddy. Why didn't you say so?" he asked.

As Nexus floated in place with mud slowly falling off his limp body, his facial expression quickly changed to one of anger. "I tried," he said calmly. "But you buckin' sat on me!" Nexus was screaming now, his limbs flailing in all directions to help further justify just how angry he really was.

Starlight laughed at his friend's anger, and released him from his magical grasp. The purple Unicorn hit the wet earth with a splat which in turn created a wave of mud to coat the pair from head to hoof.

Nexus grunted in anger. "Now look what you did!" he said as he tried to clear his vision.

The distressed pair simultaneously cleared themselves of the sticky earth with a simple cast of their magic. In an instant, they felt a smouldering wave of heat wash over their bodies with an intensity of a thousand suns. Nexus could already feel his eyes and mouth drying up as he stared shocked out into the endless sea of sand that now replaced the mud.

Day 4:

Twilight Sparkle trotted to the center of her library and gave the decorations a final look over with a keen eye. "Looking perfect, girls," she said while admiring the blue and gold, 'Congratulations On Your Engagement' banner that hung along the back bookshelf. The rest of the library's party packed décor consisted of multi-colored streamers, balloons, and confetti - the complete Pinkie Pie party palooza package.

Fluttershy had just finished dusting the last of the upper shelves when she noticed Twilight admiring the gang's hard work. She flashed a quick smile, and flew down beside her friend. "Oh, I do hope they will like it as much as I do," she said as she watched some balloons float to the ceiling.

Pinkie Pie bounced over to the yellow Pegasus, and threw her forehooves around her neck. "Duh! Of course they will like it, silly," she said with a laugh and a big smile. Fluttershy smiled back uneasily as she slowly slid out from under the hyperactive pink pony.

"Well I do hope they get here soon, darlings, I can only contain my excitement for so long," said Rarity with a pout as she stepped up on the other side of the lavender Unicorn.

Twilight rolled her eyes at her friend's comment. "Yeah," she said with a cheap laugh. "I'm not sure if I can hold on much longer myself." Twilight continued to giggle.

Rarity made her way to a small wooden table on the far side of the library that contained an assortment of refreshments, and poured herself a glass of punch. "I'm slightly jealous of them, you know?" she said and took a sip from her cup. "They share a love so special. Oh what I wouldn't do to have a stallion of my own…" she said with a deep exhale.

Twilight trotted up beside her friend at the punch bowl and helped herself to her own glass of punch. "There's still plenty of opportunity to find love, Rarity," she said.

Rarity smiled. "I know, darling, but a girl can dream, right?"

By this point, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had joined their friends around the punch bowl, and they all took to sharing their own thoughts for love. The friendly conversations dragged well into the late afternoon, with no signs from either Rainbow Dash or Applejack. As the day turned to night and it became apparent that the couple would not be showing up, the group of friends all returned home with a longing to see their friends, but also a hope that they would return tomorrow.

It was well past sunset by the time Rainbow Dash came to. She sat up stiffly in the dark, and yawned loudly as she stretched her seized up limbs. She began to survey the area around her, only to find nothing but jungle trees, and a nice sized campfire crackling nearby. She stared at the orange flames as they crackled upward into the night. Sometimes, small sparks would appear with a crack and fall gently to the ground, illuminating the area briefly like the light of a firefly. She followed one of these sparks as it hopped from the fire. The spark blew away from the fire with grace, flying towards her on a gentle midnight breeze. It stopped before her eyes, floating in place like a ghost, and for just a second, Rainbow Dash could see a face swirling around in the spark. She held her hoof under the spark to catch it in case it began to fall before she could get a good look at the face. She focused hard on the tiny orb of light for a moment before it became clear to her. "Skyfire…" she whispered quietly into the night. The spark reacted instantly to the spoken name. It flew away from her hoof and off again into the night. Rainbow Dash watched the spark with her rose-colored eyes wide in amazement. Finally, the spark found a downward draft, and landed softly on top of a brown bag. The Pegasus began to reach for the bag, but the sudden sound of an object hitting the dirt behind her stole away her attention. She rolled over, curious as to what had made the noise. Applejack stood at the edge of the tree line - a branch of berries at her side - silently watching the cyan-colored pony.

"Applejack?" asked Rainbow Dash as she began to climb to her hooves.

The earth pony in question galloped forward, and crashed right into Rainbow Dash's embrace.

Applejack shut her eyes tightly in an attempt to stop the tears that leaked from them as she held onto her lover. "Rainbow…" she said. "Ah was so worried about ya."

Rainbow Dash hugged Applejack back, and found tears of joy stinging at her own eyes. "Worried about me? I was worried about you!" she said.

The earth pony drew back from the embrace and grabbed the other pony by the shoulders. "Ya don't understand," she said.

The Pegasus closed the distance between the two. With a forehoof, she raised Applejack's chin to look her in the eyes. "Understand what?" she asked.

Applejack stared blankly into her lover's soft, comforting eyes for a moment. "Ya died, Rainbow," she said finally, and threw her hooves around the Pegasus's neck again.

Rainbow Dash pried the pony off her neck. "Applejack, I didn't die, look. I'm fine," she said and spun around to show off her perfect cyan coat. "Now that I think about it, what happened to that huge gash on my flank?" she said to herself as she craned her neck to search for the giant wound.

Applejack ushered the Pegasus back to towards the campfire. The two sat around the cracking flames, huddled close in a warm, comforting embrace - That felt as if it chased all the world's evils away from the pair. Once the two had settled down, Applejack began her story. "When Draak and Ah found ya, ya were laying all bloody in the grass," she said.

Rainbow Dash's head rested against her lover's chest, listening to the soft words that she spoke. When Applejack had finished, she took her turn. "The last thing that I remember, was flying through the trees, trying to escape a dragon," she said and glanced up to read the earth pony's expression.

Applejack released a long, drawn out sigh that caused the Pegasus that was snuggled into her chest to reach up and kiss her softly under her chin. Applejack smiled and returned the gesture to Rainbow Dash's forehead. A few minutes passed in silence as the couple relished happily in the embrace of the other.

"That dragon was still looking for ya when we showed up. Draak fought it off, and then told me to get ya outta there," said Applejack.

Rainbow Dash picked up on the pain that resonated from Applejack's voice as she retold what had happened only hours ago. In an attempt to comfort her partner as she retold the story, the Pegasus began to brush the long, golden mane of the earth pony.

After a few moments of rest, Applejack began again. "Ah told Draak that you weren't breathing, an he just leaned in real close to ya."

"Like this?" Rainbow Dash interrupted with a wet kiss on the lips of her lover.

Applejack drank in the love and let slip a small, giddy love drunken laugh as she followed the tendrils of saliva to her lover's lips for another deep, passion filled kiss. "Almost like that," she said after the two had finally parted.

Rainbow Dash returned satisfied to her comfy position on Applejack's chest. "What happened to Draak," she said with a face full of wonder.

Applejack nodded at her lover. "Whatever he did to heal ya weakened him, but he wobbled back into fightin' with that other dragon, and that's when I left." Silence fell over the pair as they thought about the dragon`s wellbeing. Applejack began to cry softly. "Oh, Rainbow, Ah was so scared. Ya were coated in blood and Ah felt so helpless."

Rainbow Dash moved her hoof through her lover's mane again in long, smooth strokes. "Shh, Applejack, it's over now, we're both alright."

Applejack wiped the hot tears from her eyes as she regained momentary control of her nerves. "Thanks, Rainbow," she said. "After Ah got into the forest, Ah ran until the sun was long gone. When Ah finally stopped for the night and set ya down, Ah noticed ya were snoring, and all yer cuts were gone." She glanced down at the pony curled into her and shifted the rainbow-hued mane to reveal two sparkling rose-colored eyes staring back at her.

"Wow, I guess I kinda owe you guys my life, huh?" said Rainbow Dash

Applejack giggled. "Yeah Ah guess ya do, sugarcube."

After the topic of today's adventure passed, the conversations changed to their first day's exploration of the new jungle area the pair had found themselves teleported to. Applejack told the Pegasus about her run in with the tribe's ponies and how she fell over a waterfall, only to be saved by none other than the Dragon King himself - She did however, leave out her wet dream about the Pegasus. Rainbow Dash told her harrowing tale of frantically searching the barren wastes that is the Dragon Lands in search of her Applejack. She also included, her back talking to the King, and being clawed out of the air by a hostile dragon, only to wake up hanging in a tree.

When all topics had been exhausted and neither could think of anything more to say, Applejack reduced the fire to a few glowing hot embers and took her partner to bed.