Consequences 2: The choice.

Consequences 2: The choice.

Chapter 2.

Applejack let loose her arrow taking aim at Twilight’s head Twilight watched as everything seemed in her eyes to happen in slow motion. The arrow flew towards her head Rainbow seeing this could be heard saying to her ‘get down twilight’ as she pushed her friend again into the dirt causing Applejack to miss her target by scant inches. Applejack again nocked another arrow to her bow and again another soft noticeable ‘twang’ sound was heard. As another arrow flew towards Twilight's head Rainbow covered Twilight with her body as Twilight was too, frightened to move on her own.The arrow hit Rainbow in her lower left shoulder blade an area that was fully covered by her armor. As the arrow hit her body armor it glanced off falling to the ground just a few inches from where Twilight and Rainbow were lying on the ground. Applejack screeched out in rage as she once again fired another arrow this time taking aim at Rainbow.  As the Arrow flew missing Rainbow by just a few inches Rainbow yelled out to her frightened friend as she climbed back to her feet with Applejack hovering above them both.

“Hey Twilight snap out of it!”

Twilight looked from Rainbow then to Applejack as she began to back away from both of them. Rainbow once again yelled at Twilight.

“Twilight run! I’ll hold her off.”

Rainbow looked into Twilight's eyes and saw nothing but absolute raging fear in her friend's eyes. Where Twilight's eyes would have shown confidence and a strong measure of integrity now it was fully replaced with unstoppable fear. Rainbow right hoofed Twilight in the jaw just as another ‘twang’ was heard and a another arrow flew past them hitting a rock lying a few six feet from them. Twilight seemed for the time to snap out of her trances as she yelled back to Rainbow.

“You can’t face her alone Rainbow RUN!”

As Twilight and Rainbow both started to turn to run from Applejack in the hopes of finding cover from her ensuing attack upon them. Twilight could hear Applejack’s wings flapping in the air and looked back just in time to see Applejack tuck her wings into her back falling to the ground like a rock. A loud echoing thunderous boom was heard as Applejack hit the ground hard then began to give chase. Twilight and Rainbow ran towards the north east right towards a outcrop of boulders. Looking around quickly with Applejack in close pursuit of them Twilight saw a small hole in one of the boulders. As yelled out to Rainbow who almost passed the spot that she had seen she made a beeline for the hole in the boulder.

“There, there Rainbow get into that hole we can take cover there!”

Rainbow hearing Twilight's words slid to a halt turned and without a word to Twilight ran past her jumping into the whole. Her body armor sparking as she slid down the steep embankment that lay behind the sloping boulder. Twilight turned in time to see Applejack closing the distance and quickly jumped down the hole as well. Rolling on her sides Twilight badly scraped up her wings as she slid down the boulder. She hit the ground hard thump and with a loud yelp when her hooves touched the soft earth beneath them. Applejack made it to the spot where Rainbow and Twilight had dove for cover. Trying herself to slide into the hole she was only able to fit her upper torso into the gap that separated her from her prey. Applejack's larger body and wings prevented her from getting inside the hole that Twilight and Rainbow took cover in. As Applejack could be heard clawing and scraping away at the massive boulder with her hands Twilight breathed in heavily. Gasping for breath Twilight said to Rainbow who looked at her with both fear and anger in her eyes.

“Why? W...W...Why is...she...d...doing this?”

“You pony tails know why she is doing this Twilight. She doesn’t see you as her mare-friend. Just like the queen told you before we came to this so uncool place. Now we need to find away out of here.” Rainbow replied sternly to Twilight who looked down at the ground as a single tear trickled down her right cheek.

Rainbow closed her eyes tightly then looked away from her friend as saying to her in almost a whisper.

“Sorry.”

“No it is alright Rainbow. I know right now she doesn’t see me as her mare-friend I just don’t know what to do about this. I know we need to find Amora’s castle and get her to help us with this yet I am afraid I will lose her for good if we fail in this mission.” Twilight replied as she looked back up at Rainbow who laid a gentle hoof onto her shoulder.

Looking at Twilight then down at her wings Rainbow saw that Twilight's right wing was badly scraped up. Walking over to Twilight's right side Rainbow began to open up Twilight's saddle bag but, stopped when Twilight shook her body causing Rainbow to back away from her. As Twilight looked at Rainbow and her back at Twilight she said to Rainbow with a confused look on her face.

“Umm why are you going through my bag Rainbow? We don’t have time to get a snack or anything of that nature you know.”

Looking at her friend Rainbow said as she narrowed her eyes to her.

“I am looking for anything you might have brought with you for wounds your right wings is bleeding Twilight. A good flyer always keeps her wings well rested and in good working order. This means since you are hurt you need to apply a bandage to your wings besides we don’t know what germs might be in this place. And with all the dirt on your body you could get an infection and wind up needing to have your wings cut off. Do you really want that to happen to you Twilight?”

“No I don’t want to lose my wings Rainbow.” Sighing heavily then looking back up at the entrance to the hole they had used for cover from Applejack’s attack on them Twilight finished saying to Rainbow. “If you are looking for something to help me clean myself up then open the left bag not the right one.”

Rainbow did as she was instructed to do and walked to Twilight's left opening up the left side of her saddle bag with her teeth. She peered inside the bag found the item she was looking for then set about fixing up her friends scraped up wing. Noticing that Twilight’s left wing was also scraped up she fixed up that wing too, and within a few moments Twilight's wings were covered in thick bandages. Once Rainbow put away the items she perked up an ear and listened to see if Applejack was still up above them. When she didn’t hear anything at all Rainbow slowly began to climb back out of the hole she and Twilight were in. Twilight chewed on her lower lip as she watched her friend poke her head out of the hole and look around. Not seeing Applejack in sight and not seeing a shadow from her body floating in the air Rainbow came back down to Twilight saying to her as she looked at her frightened friend.

“OK, I think she is gone Twilight we need to leave and find the river let me see the map maybe I can figure out where we are from here.”

Twilight used her magic unbuckled the right side of her saddle bag and floated the map over to Rainbow Dash who took it in her teeth. Placing the map down on the ground Twilight again used her magic to bring in more light so Rainbow could better study the map. After a few minutes went by Rainbow perked up saying to Twilight who looked at her with concern in her eyes.

“Hot Luna's mane! Twilight, we are only a half mile from where we need to be. If we keep going down this path we should hit the river in oh, about twenty minutes give or take on how fast you can keep up with the coolest pony in all of Tartarus.”

Twilight offered a weak smile as she used her magic to take back the map and put it back into her saddle bag. Climbing out of the hole from the boulder that Twilight and Rainbow had used for cover they both failed to realize that Applejack was actually using the boulder as cover to conceal herself for another attack on them both. Once Twilight and Rainbow were both out of the hole and had dusted themselves off they started to head towards the river stopping in their tracks when they heard small pebbles falling from the rocks that lay behind them. Turning around Twilight looked up and saw Applejack emerging from behind the very same boulder she and Rainbow had used for cover moments ago. Realizing they didn’t have time to duck back into the hole again to seek cover from this second attack Twilight turned and ran past Rainbow who also ran when a arrow almost hit her in the back left leg. Applejack screeched out in rage and began to give chase once again.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash ran throughout the outcropping of boulders as Applejack chased them towards the river. Nearing exhaustion and nearly spent Twilight took some comfort at seeing the river coming into view. Looking to Rainbow as she breathed in heavily she said to her.

“Look Rainbow it’s the river styxs which means Charon must not be too far off if we can only make it to his boat.” Twilight said as she gasped out for breath.

Applejack was quickly closing the distance between her and her former friends. Getting to the river Twilight noticed a run down old guard tower to her right and a boat coming into view. With the last of her breath almost fully spent Twilight found she had just enough strength left in her to use her magic to toss both herself and Rainbow onto the oncoming boat. As the boat pulled up to the embankment from the river Twilight said to the boat master not noticing whom she was actually speaking to.

“Quick get us out of here before she kills us!”

The boat master smiled as he held out a silver cup to Twilight shaking it in front of her. The sound of coins could be heard clinking and clanking about inside the cup. Rainbow nearly spent as well looked from the boat master then to Twilight as she breathed in heavily. Rainbow said to the boat master as she gasped for breath with Applejack quickly closing the distance between them.

“Oh, come on we need to leave and leave NOW! Get us out of here, please.”

The boat master's only reply was to shake his cup in front of Rainbow’s face as the coins inside the cup could be heard by her as well clinking and clanking about. Looking from the cup then to the boat master's face Rainbow offered him a week if not apologetic smile as she said to him while trying to play it cool.

“Oh, right….sorry about that.”

Taking out her coins from Twilight's saddle bag and nudging Twilight on right side of her body Rainbow offered to the boat master two silver and two gold coins saying to him.

“Here take this as our payment for safely taking the two of us too, Amora’s castle.”

Rainbow dropped the coins into the cup then watched at the boat master picked up his ore at the last possible minute and swung it at Applejack. Applejack slid to a halt and ducked just in time to avoid getting hit in the head by the incoming ore. Screeching out in anger at having lost her prey Applejack stomped off back towards the direction she had come in. While Twilight breathed in and out heavily as she slowly passed out in the boat that she and Rainbow were both in. Leaving Rainbow to do the talking to the boat master who glared at them saying to Rainbow with Twilight completely passed out in front of him.

“Do not worry Pegasus she will not try to attack you again while you are on my boat. I Charon master of this river and of this boat do so command thee to take that horse and move her to the bow of the boat. Leave her there then sit at the amidships of the boat. Don’t rock the boat and stay in the boat as we travel up river. Fail to do this and you will be tossed to the river Styx as I let the Akheilos and the Scylla have their way with you little one.”

Rainbow looked at Charon for a moment then swallowed hard as she knelt down and took a hold of Twilight by her mane dragging her to the front of the boat. Once Twilight was safely placed at the front of the boat Rainbow took her place in the middle of the boat and sat down as Charon nodded to her then said to her as he navigated the boat up the river.

“I will take you to Amora’s castle little one as pure your payment to me. But, because you are still alive and are not dead must, not leave this boat until we get to the castle dock itself. If you do so you will never leave here alive again.” Charon said as he brought his ore up then back down repeating this motion several times over the course of four hours.

Once Twilight had regain consciousness Rainbow got up and gently draped a wing over her eyes to keep her friend from looking at Charon. As she explained to her where they were headed Twilight could be felt nodding her approval under Rainbows wing. As she said out loud to both Charon and to Rainbow herself.

“Once we get to the castle we need to find Amora and have her help us with finding Sweetie Belle and that monster Scitalis. Then we can try to help Applejack.”

Charon hearing Twilight’s plan broke out laughing coldly to her as he said to her grimly.

“The little one that you call Sweetie Belle who goes by the name Sweet Surgot now is no pushover Twilight Sparkle. I tried to control her myself before her master showed up and I paid dearly for it. I lost half my coins to the river because of that little shade.”

Looking at Charon as the dock to Amora’s castle came into view Rainbow said to him grimly as she stared coldly at him while she covered Twilight's eyes with her wing.

“Is money all you care about Charon, can’t you at least try to be cool like my friend Twilight here? She cares about her mare-friend Applejack and wants to help her as well as Sweetie Belle.”

Charon merely laughed coldly as he pushed down onto the ore he was holding in his bony hands bringing the boat fully to the dock. As the boat stopped rocking back and forth, Charon turned away from Rainbow and Twilight. Twilight and Rainbow began to disembark with Twilight stopping only for a second to say to Charon as she felt Rainbow’s wing tickle her nose while Rainbow held her wing over her eyes.

“Thank you for the safe passage to the castle dock Charon may Celestia bless you on your journey ferry master and shade bearer.”

“Bah! Celestia’s blessing I need not Twilight Sparkle! Gold and silver is all I require. Now get off my skiff! BOTH of you!” Charon grumbled out as he looked out towards the river watching the water move and wave up and down as several river creatures could be seen lurking off in the distance.

Once Rainbow had safely gotten Twilight to the edge of the boat she said to her gently.

“Alright Twilight there is a bit of bump here so lift your legs up and I will lead you to the dock itself. I will have to take my wing off of your face if I am to set hoof to the dock. Close your eyes tightly Twilight and let me be the one to lift you up and onto the dock.”

Twilight did as Rainbow had said to her without a word to her in reply Once Twilight was safely on the dock itself Rainbow stepped up onto the dock. Placing her right wing back over Twilight's eyes as she was about to lead Twilight off the dock she stopped looked at Charon as she said to him.

“Thanks….. I think…... for helping us to cross the river Charon now my awesome friend and I need to go.” Rainbow said as she and Twilight both started to walk away.

Charon laughed wickedly as he pulled away from the dock. Once Charon was safely out of sight Rainbow took her wing off of Twilight's face saying to her as she saw Twilight still had her eyes tightly closed.

“Uh Twilight you can open your eyes now.”

Twilight opened her eyes looked up at the opposing mountain and castle before her then turned to face Rainbow saying to her gently.

“Thanks for what you did for me back there on Charon’s boat Rainbow. Now let’s see about finding Amora in this dismal place shall we?”

Rainbow gulped then started to head towards the mountain that the castle was on. Twilight followed her as the two made their way up the mountain they each in turn thought of their friends and of Amora. Hoping that Amora  would be able to help them Twilight let out a soft sigh as Rainbow walked besides her she looked over at her friend and smiled to her. Getting to the castle itself Twilight and Rainbow both looked at each other with Twilight saying to Rainbow as she stepped past the castle's main gates threshold.

“Let's go save our friends Rainbow.”

As Twilight walked past the threshold of the castle's main gates Sunset's eyes snapped open as she gasped out in fear. Sunset rolled out of bed as large amounts of sweat fell from her head trickling down to her chest as she breathed in and out heavily. Hitting her head on a nightstand sitting next to her bed Sunset yelped out in pain and in fear from the nightmare she had, just had. Standing up she quickly looked to her right as she saw that Pinkie was still asleep in her bed. Pinkie was lying on her stomach with half the blankets off of her back and the other half lying on the floor where Sunset stood. Sunset placed a onyx colored hand over her heart as she could feel her heart beating fast within her chest. Sunset stood naked in her bedroom next to her bed and knocked over nightstand as she heard a soft knock coming from her bedroom door. Looking towards the door while Pinkie remained fast asleep in bed Sunset said softly to herself just as Rose Cherry walked into the room.

“She's........alive.”