Ghosts of the Past

Twilight Sparkle woke up in the darkness of the Everfree Forest, her head pounding from the fall.  Pinkie Pie stirred and got up, feeling groggy as well.  Twilight was happy that her friend was okay.  She wouldn't know what to do without her friends, especially Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie looked over at Twilight with tears still dripping from her pale blue eyes, her mane still straight and her color still pale.  Twilight noticed the look and her heart sank.  Pinkie Pie wasn't okay; she was far from it.  Twilight's thoughts about Pinkie being annoying were out in the open.  They were never supposed to see the light of day, never supposed to hurt her best friend.

"Pinkie," Twilight said sadly.

Pinkie held up a hoof to stop her.  "Was what that weird foxy thingy said true?  Am I annoying and do I give you headaches?"

The question was answered the same way as when it was asked back at the castle.  Twilight didn't want her to know that little dark thought.  Pinkie was Twilight's best friend.  Twilight wanted it taken back.  She wished that she never felt that feeling.  Her wishes were unanswered as Pinkie starred at her waiting for a reply.

"Pinkie," she sighed, "I do think you are kind of annoying at times and childish, but...."

"No buts," Pinkie threw out.  "You were my best friend and you thought it would be alright to think of me like that?"  Tears began to form from her eyes again as the words left her lips.  "I don't even think I can trust you anymore."

It felt like Twilight's world was destroyed the instant the last word was said.  Pinkie Pie not trusting her was the worst thing that ever happened to her.  She loved Pinkie Pie and she hated herself.  All she wanted to do was fade into darkness so she wouldn't have to look into the pink pony's hurt eyes.

Twilight looked at the sky.  Dark clouds were forming.  With Discord incharge, there was no telling what would fall from them.  She looked around the dark surroundings of the Everfree Forest.  The trees looked like evil monsters.  Their claw-like branches outstreched to capture any pony unlucky enough to walk into their reach.  A cave was at the end of a long path.  Its mouth open with a dark abyss waiting inside.  The rocks around the mouth looked like teeth, ready to devour anypony that wandered inside.

This was the only form of shelter for miles around as far as Twilight could tell.  She hoped Pinkie Pie would at least listen to her and come inside before the storm came.  She was surprised to see Pinkie Pie already walking towards the cave.  They have been best friends for so long, Pinkie could almost read Twilight's thoughts.

I have to do something.  I can't let this friendship end over my own judgemental thoughts, thought Twilight.

She walked towards the cave, hoping deep down she could somehow restore the trust that once bound these two together in friendship.  Thunder was heard off in the distance.  Lightning that looked like fiery yellow taffy flashed in the distance.  Sour milk began to fall from the sky.  Discord ruined a friendship.  Now he was going to rub salt in the wounds and make the poor ponies chances of survival very short.

Rainbow Dash felt dazed.  The pain in her wing was too much to take.  The bubble hit a tree and made her land on her right wing in the wrong way.  It felt like a knife was stuck inside of it, and tugging on it would only make it worse.

I have to find my friends.  Discord did something to them.  It's just a trick, it has to be, she thought.

She tried to stand up, but it made the pain worse.  She fell to the ground with tears in her eyes.  The toughest pony was brought to tears not because of her wing, but because of the hoplessness she felt.  She couldn't reach her friends in this condition.  She couldn't help them.  She couldn't help the princesses.  She couldn't help herself.

The pain continued to writhe around in her wing.  Combined with the pain in her heart, it caused her to fall on her side.  Her vision was fading.  It was hard to focus on staying awake.  The last thing she saw was a figure coming up to her.  Its eyes glowed mysteriously.

"Please...don't...ugh," said the now unconscious pony, her mane gracefully blowing in the wind.

The storm worsened as time went by.  Trees began to bend as the unnaturally harsh wind attacked them from each angle.  The weird creatures of the forest scampered off to shelter themselves from the onslaught.  Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy awoke in a clearing deep within the forest.  They shook off their confusion and took in their surroundings.

"Welp, I haven't the foggiest idea on where we are," said Applejack still a little dazed.

"IIIII'vvvveee nevvver been thisss far in the foresst," Fluttershy stuttered as she found a nice bush to hide under.  Terror was coursing through her veins.

"I think we should find Zecora's hut.  It would be the best place to shelter us from this storm.  Wouldn't you agree Applejack.

Applejack just stared at the ground.  Rarity thought for a moment and remembered their ordeal with the dreadful snake.  She gazed at the ground as well.  Fluttershy felt the akwardness of the situation.

Rarity and Applejack haven't been able to look each other in the eye since Doubt told them what each actually thought of the other.  The wind blew harshly through the trees.  Ominous clouds were building up in the sky.  Fluttershy was cowering under a bush, afraid of what was happening.  Applejack was the first to break the silence.

"Well," Applejack said akwardly, "I reckon we're too far away from her hut.  We should find a tree or somethin to wait out the storm."

"I...agree," replied Fluttershy to scared to move from her little hiding spot.

Rarity looked at Applejack with sad eyes.  Applejack returned the gaze briefly, then resumed staring at the ground.

"What of our friendship," began Rarity.  "Was that dreadful snake right?  Is our friendship just a lie?"

Applejack didn't want to believe it, but maybe the slippery rascal was right.  They were both opposites in every way.  Rarity always complained when hard work or getting dirty was involved.  Applejack hated all the fru fru stuff Rarity loved so much.

"I don't know," she finally replied.  "I have my doubts on that there snake, but what he said was true.  You and me are total opposites.  We get on each other's nerves faster than flies on Granny Smith's teeth.  Maybe he was right.  Maybe it is just a big waste of time."

Rarity couldn't believe what she was hearing.  She thought Applejack loved her.  She thought they would be the best of friends forever.  She didn't want to believe it, but Applejack represents honesty.  It broke her heart in more ways than one.  Applejack just looked at the ground, still hurting from what she said.  Fluttershy's mouth was agape at what she heard.  She wanted to comfort them and help them through this, but she was to frieghtened of the storm to say more than a squeak.

They all got up and proceeded deeper into the dark forest hoping shelter could be found.  Rarity and Applejack didn't say a word to each other as they felt their friendship fading away with each step they took into the unknown.