Digging Deepby Bookpony579ChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4EpilogueChapter 1"Come on Winona! Fetch!" Applejack threw the stick and Winona, her beloved brown and white dog, ran over to where it landed. This is what Applejack liked, no worrying about her new responsibilities, or the entire safety of the country. Just enjoying a nice, peaceful morning before school. Winona had just brought the stick back when when her Granny called out: "Soups on, Applejack!" Apple jack just dropped the stick and gave Winona a good pet before heading inside. Applejack came from a long line of Apple farmers, providing most of the country's apple supply and products. She had more family spread all across the country than she could ever keep track of. She entered the modest farm house and found her close family waiting for her at the table. At the head of the table was Granny Smith, her grandmother on her pa's side, and the matriarch of the Apple clan. She was a large lady with grey hair and green skin. She was also the lunch lady at Canterlot High, making sure each students gets a tasty and nutritious meal. Despite her age and foggy memory, she was sharp as a tack and could tell the quality of an apple by just a quick sniff. Next to her was Big Macintosh, the oldest of the apple siblings. Having graduated from CHS the previous year, he now worked full time on the Apple farm, making sure everything is spick and spam. He didn't talk a lot, but was a pretty good listener. The final member was Apple Bloom, the youngest. Like Applejack, she was mage, something they had inherited from their late mother, Buttercup. Just as Applejack was rarely seen without her signature brown stetson hat, Apple Bloom was rarely seen without her pink bow. This was her first year at CHS and she and her friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, always seemed to be getting into mischief. "So any big plans for today?" Granny asks while they eat. "Twilight texted us to meet her at school, said she discovered somethin big." AJ said, taking a bite of her oatmeal. "Scoots wants us to see if we're any good at spelunkin'." Apple Bloom said, with a swig of milk. Granny's eyes narrowed at that. "Now you youngins ain't thinking of checking out those old minin caves at the edge of the far, are ye?" "I don't think so.." Apple Bloom shifted nervously. "Now Apple Bloom, you know those mines are off limits." AJ said sternly. "They're ready to collapse any minute! You could be hurt!" "I know! I'm not a baby!" Apple Bloom pouted. "I'm jus making sure..." AJ said, but she knew that once she and the other crusaders got an idea in their heads, they tended to go overboard, even not paying attention to their safety. Breakfast soon ended and, after saying good-bye to Big Mac, they were on their way to CHS. At school, everyone met up in the music room just before school started. Twilight looked positively giddy, like a child who was told a huge secret and was struggling not to just burst it out. "You guys are not going to believe this." She said. She then pulled out the Elements of Harmony book from her backpack. "So, after taking care of those timberwolves last night, I decided to do a little studying..." "Egghead." Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack which caused them both to go into a fit of giggles while Twilight glared in annoyance. "...and I decided to research the Elements more. And look at what I found out!" She opened the book and flipped the pages until she found a specific one. "Ahem, 'Once the elements have chosen their new bearers, they will be bestowed upon with mysterious powers, along with their magic, to help them in their duty to protect the world.' Do you know what this means!?" Pinkie gave a loud gasp. "We're getting superpowers!?" The others just looked at her oddly, but Twilight was nodding excitedly. "I think so!" Almost everyone was excited. "This. Is. So. Awesome!" Rainbow cheered. "Does it say what kind of powers we'll be gettin'?" Unlike the others, Applejack was more apprehensive about this revelation. "Well...no. But they should be coming soon! It also says they'll come to us one at a time until we all have them." Twilight explained. "One at a time!?" Rainbow said, impatient to get her new power. "I hope I get mine first. I want to be able to fly even without the wings!" Rainbow imagined flying like one of the superheroes in her comic books, free to go wherever they wished. "Oh! I wonder what I'll get." Rarity wondered. "Maybe I'll have the power to predict future fashion trends! That would certainly be useful." "I hope they're safe." Fluttershy said. "I wouldn't want anything too... destructive. Maybe the ability to attract butterflies?" "Oh! Oh! Maybe mine'll be the ability to stuff fifty cupcakes in my mouth all at once!" Pinkie said excitedly, imagining all the sugary goodness. "I don't know ya'll. Personally, I think we have enough on our plates without the crazy powers." Applejack was stressed enough with all the new responsibilities and expectations, now she had to deal with freaky powers too? "Aw come on AJ!" Rainbow playfully punched her arm. "Maybe you'll get something cool, like....just being able to tell how fresh an apple is just by looking at it?" She gave a nervous smile. Applejack just rolled her eyes. "I can already do that without the elements." Just then the bell rang, and everybody prepared to head off to their classes. Just before she left, Applejack felt someone tough her arm and turned to see Twilight looking at her with worry. "Applejack, are you ok? You don't really seem all that excited about this." AJ sighed. "I guess ah'm not. I just keep thinkin' how so much has changed lately, and now this? Ah'm just not sure how to take it all." "I understand." Twilight said, empathizing with her. "One minute we're normal high school girls and the next we're the guardians of ancient artifacts that were lost for ages? It's a lot to take in. But this is our duty, and I believe we were chosen for this for a reason." "Ah know." "If you want to talk about it, I'll be right here, ok?" AJ nodded and Twilight walked off to her own class, leaving Applejack to her own thoughts. Chapter 2"...and that girls, is why a 'Accelero' spell is more affective against a manticore than a 'Persuadere'." Celestia finished the lesson. They were using a room near the basement that had been renovated specifically for the girl's training. Rainbow liked to call it 'The Lair'. Books filled with magical knowledge lined the shelves and bookcases, along with various alchemy ingredients and other various objects. Up against the wall, in a glass case, were the Elements of Harmony displayed in all their glory. Twilight was eagerly taking notes while the others had a little bit of a harder time concentrating during the lecture. Fortunately the bell rang, ending class and signaling for lunch to start. "Alright everyone, I want you try practices fifteen to thirty for Monday." Celestia announced. Twilight grinned widely, eager for the challenge while Rainbow groaned, dreading the work. They quickly gathered up their stuff and headed out, except for Applejack who was trying to figure out how to include the extra work into her already busy schedule. "Is something wrong Applejack?" Celestia asked, sensing her worry. "Oh! Ah'm fine, just...trying to figure out how to do the work." AJ said, though Celestia quickly saw through the poor liar. "Applejack, you know that as the element of honesty, I trust you to tell me the truth." AJ sighed. "It's just, ever since the Fall Formal, everythings' changed. People ah have never met are looking at me and wantin' to talk to me. Problems are poppin' up out of nowhere pretty much every week. And on top of mah farm chores and regular work, I have an extra load of 'advanced' magical training to do and go out and deal with the monsters that pop up! Ah barely managed to get my homework done last night after dealing with the timberwolves!" She slumped her face on her desk, as just thinking about all of these changes felt exhausting. Celestia offered her a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand that this is all very stressful, especially for someone as young as you. But you girls were given an incredible gift, and it's my job to train you to use those gifts responsibly. With great power, must also come great responsibility. When another huge threat to Equestria rises, you girls may be the only ones who can stop it, and it's Luna's and my job to prepare you for that." "But why us? I didn't ask for any of this, none of us did!" Applejack exclaimed, waving her hands around as she talked. "I understand. I may not know how or why you girls in particular were chosen, but from what I've seen, you girls are strong, capable and resourceful. You each exhibit the best parts of your elements and use them to help and inspire others. I believe you girls are capable of great things, once you have the skills to do them of course." Celestia offered Applejack a warm smile, which she returned. "Thanks." "Anytime, now you'd better head to lunch. Don't want you starving during your next several classes do we?" As AJ headed to the cafeteria, she thought about Celestia's word. While they were nice and comforting, she still felt uncertain about being a part of the Elements. She just didn't know how she was gonna do this. At lunch, three freshman girls were sitting together, talking excitedly. Well...one of them was. "So, if we're going to find our talents with spelunking, we're gonna need a place to test it out." Scootaloo, a girl with orange skin and purple hair, said while looking at her two companions for suggestion. "I don't know..." Sweetie Belle said. She was a cute girl with pale skin and curly, pink and purple hair and was also the younger sister of Rarity. "There aren't that many caves in town. And I don't want to go into the Everfree forest..."She shuddered, remembering all the strange creatures that lived there. "We don't have too. I was looking at a few maps, and there are a few mine shafts near Sweet Apple Acres! A mine is sorta like a cave..." "What!? No way!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table. "My sis would kill me for even going near there! Besides, she says their too dangerous and could collapse any minute!" "Relax! We'll only explore a few feet or so, we'll even have helmets! We might even discover some treasure! Besides, it's at the far edge of the farm, nobody even has to know we went there!" The other girls still looked unconvinced at this. "Look, we'll have our cell phones and the signal still works over there, I checked. We don't even have to touch anything! Just a few feet. In and out, I promise! So, what do ya say?" Scoots looked at them with wide, hopeful eyes. "Well..I'm in if your in Apple Bloom." Sweetie finally said after a moment. Both sets of eyes were now on Apple Bloom. She though this over for a minute, going through the pros and cons, debating the dangers with her sis's warning. Finally she sighed and said: "Alright, why not?" The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school week and the beginning of the much longed for weekend. Applejack was trying to get her stuff from her locker, but it kept getting stuck. "Consarn it..." She tried entering her combination and pulling again when suddenly the whole door came off it's hinges. She, along with several students who were nearby, just stopped and stared for a moment before AJ just gave a nervous laugh. "Old lockers, am I right?" Everyone seemed to buy it or just shrugged it off before going on their merry way. AJ sighed and tried to put the door back on. "Hey AJ." Twilight greeted as walked up to her. She noticed the door and gave a confused look. "What happened?" Applejack just gave up and set the door against the locker next to her. "Old thing got stuck and then just came off." She sighed, she would have to tell Celestia and hope she wouldn't get charged for damages. "So the mayor wants us to do a quick boarder patrol near the Everfree Forest after the timberwolves last night." Twilight informed her. "She just wants us to make sure there won't be coming out again anytime soon." "Ah can't go. I have chores and homework to get to." Applejack explained. "But the mayor needs us to do this! She needs to make sure people aren't in danger." "But why's it gotta be us?" Applejack asked, frustrated. "Can't she just get someone who's actual job is doing this?" "Applejack it's our duty to keep people safe now. Look, I can help you with your homework if it'll help..." "It ain't just about the homework!" Applejack was angry now. She punched the broken door in frustration, leaving a very noticeable dent."It's everything! The training, the expectations, the attention!" She took a deep breath and calmed down a little. "Sometimes I wish we could just quit all of this." "Applejack I know it's hard right now, but you can't just quit! This is our responsibility. Besides, I don't even know if we can quit even if we wanted too. If there's anything I could do to help..." "Yeah. Tell the others I can't make it tonight. Ah've got too much to do." Before Twilight could say anything else, Applejack quickly walked away, leaving Twilight standing there with a look of sadness and worry. Meanwhile, Celestia was in the lair, packing up today's teaching materials and she noticed something glowing near the Elements. She went over and saw that the gem on the Element of Honesty seemed to be...beeping? The gem would glow for a second, then die down, then glow again. It repeated this for a moment until it finally stopped. "That's odd..." She packed up her stuff and went to tell Luna about this. What was going on? Author's Note I honestly don't know what the spells in the beginning do or mean, I just found them on the wiki. Also yes I know I copied Spider-Man with Celestia, but the point still stands. And yes 'The Lair' is a reference to Wizards of Waverley Place, I just find it easier to call it that. Huh, never thought I'd be using this many references at once... Chapter 3"What do you mean she wants to quit!?" Rainbow shouted after Twilight explained why Applejack wasn't there. It was later that night, and the girls were near the edge of the Everfree ready to do boarder control. "Listen, I think Applejack's is just having a hard time adjusting to all of this." Twilight tried to calm her down. "Maybe it's best if we give her some space for a little bit." "Listen, aside from the extra homework, this is a dream come true! What's not to like about being heroes.?" "Um..maybe the danger, the scary monsters..." Fluttershy listed. "Going to dark and dirty places at all hours of the night and missing out on vital beauty sleep?" Rarity continued. "People always judging you and and the constant fear that you'll let everyone down?" Pinkie said, getting in Dash's face before stepping away and smiling as usual. "To be honest, I sometimes wish I could quit too." Fluttershy said softly. Rainbow looked shocked at this while Twilight nodded in understanding. "I'll admit, I wasn't completely thrilled at the prospect either, but what matters now is that we have a responsibility to protect people. We might not have signed up for this, but this is the task we've been given. I'm sure Applejack will come around eventually, but for now let's focus on our job and be there for her as her friends, alright?" Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy nodded eagerly. "Hmph! Fine." Rainbow grumbled, still not understanding how anyone could not be excited to be a chosen one. The next day, Saturday, was bright and sunny, just how Applejack liked it. She was out in the fields getting everything ready for Applebuck season. She had finished her chores and had even managed to get a head start on her homework last night, so she felt relaxed for the first time in a while, all things considering. She was on her way to the barn to get more baskets when she noticed Flash Sentry's care pull up in front of the house. Flash, along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle got up and went to the house. "Howdy ya'll! How can I help yah?" AJ greeted them with a smile. "Hey Applejack, I'm just dropping off Sweets and Scoots over." Flash said, just as Apple Bloom got out. Just before the three younger girls could run off, Applejack stopped them. "Now where are ya'll off to?" The three stopped and gave each other nervous glances before turning to the two older teens. "Oh, we're just gonna hang out at the club house today, right AB?" Scootaloo, nudged Apple Bloom. "Uh...yeah! Just comin' up with more ideas we want to try." AB said, hoping they believed her. "Yah, I mean it's not like we're gonna sneak off to an area you told us not to go to right?"Sweetie said before being elbowed by her two friends. The two older teens looked suspicious, one because he could tell whenever his sister was up to something, and the other because she could tell whenever someone lied to her. She could tell these girls were up to something, but what? They gave them a trio of nervous smiles, hoping to set them at ease. Finally, AJ just nodded. "Alright, you girls have fun." The girls quickly thanked them and ran off before anyone could get a word in otherwise. Applejack just shook her head. "Ah just hope those girls don't go overboard in whatever cockamamie scheme they have this time." Flash could only nod in agreement. They just stood there awkwardly for a minute before Flash Spoke up. "So..how have you been? Being 'the chosen ones' must be pretty exciting." Flash said, trying to get a conversation going. AJ sighed. "Fine ah guess..." She started heading to the barn. Flash, sensing something was off, followed her. "Is something wrong?" "Ah'm just...not sure ah'm cut out for this." "What do you mean?" "Look at me! Ah'm a farm gal through and through! Ah grow apples, ah corral livestock and ah participate in every rodeo that comes to town! Now ah have to take care of every bad guy that pops up, Sunset, the sirens, ah feel like a dead tree ready to collapse any day now." Flash thought about it for a moment before answering. "I can't say I understand what you're going through, I mean, I'm not even a mage, but I can see that this is a big responsibility. Heck, I'd be terrified if it were me or Scoots. But I've seen what you girls can do, and I know that whatever comes, you girls can handle it." AJ was flattered. "Thanks Flash, that mean a lot. But..." Before she could continue, Flash's phone rang. He gave an apologetic look to her before answering. "Hello? Oh hey Twilight, what..." As he listened, his eyes widened. "What!?" "What's goin' on?" AJ asked, worried. "Theres been an accident. Apparently a timberwolf made it's way to a mining camp this morning and caused the mine to start collapsing. They managed to drive it away and nobody's hurt yet, but they really need your help. They tried to call you earlier but you weren't picking up." AJ gulped nervously, she had left her phone in her room so she wouldn't be disturbed this morning. But all that did was cause even more trouble. "Ah've gotta get over there, now." Flash told her he could drive her, as it wasn't too far from here. As Flash drove, AJ could only hope they didn't arrive too late. Meanwhile, the Crusaders were just outside of the old mine shaft, preparing to head in. They had to pry away a few boards nailed to the front. Once they got that out of the way, they looked inside and saw the dark, ominous cave. "Ah don't know about this." Apple Bloom said, her doubts popping up again. "It looks scary in there.." Sweetie Belle said, shuddering at the though of what creepie crawlies lied within. "Aw don't be such chickens! I have a flashlight, besides we'll only go a few feet." Scoots said confidently, entering the cave. Sweetie and AB, after a shared glance, quickly followed her inside. Scoot's flashlight did little to ease their nervousness as they jumped every time the support beams groaned. After a few feet Scoots turned to them. "See? What I'd tell ya? We're perfectly fine!" They took a moment to look around: it was just as scary and dusty as it had looked on the outside. "Alright we checked it out, now let's head back..." Apple Bloom said. Sweetie eagerly agreed while Scoots rolled her eyes. They had just walked a few feet when the entire cave shook. "W-What's happening!?" Sweetie Belle panicked panicked. Bats flew over their heads as they escaped the mine before the support beams started breaking. "Cave in!" Apple Bloom realized in alarm. They tried to hurry to the exit, but the scaffolding collapsed before them, bringing down several large and heavy rocks. The same thing happened behind them as the girls huddled together in fear. Finally the shaking stopped. The girls looked around in panic, they were fine, but they were trapped. Realizing this, they did the only thing they knew how to. "HELP!!!" Chapter 4At the mining site, Twilight and Rainbow were using their magic to prevent the mine from collapsing further, while Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy were helping the minors escape. Rainbow and Twilight were starting to tire out from the strain of holding tons of rocks up. "Would, you mind...urg!....hurrying up?!" Rainbow groaned through gritted teeth while the others were helping a minor whose foot was trapped beneath some rocks. "We're trying!" Rarity said just before getting him free. She and Pinking draped his arms over their shoulders and helping him to his feet. Unfortunately, just before they made it out, Twilight's and Rainbow's magic weakened, causing the whole mine to shake. Rarity quickly tossed the minor out to safety with her magic just before a giant rock fell, covering the entrance and trapping them inside. "We're trapped!" Pinkie exclaimed. She, Rarity, and Fluttershy each tried to use their magic to pull or lift the enormous rock out of the way, to no avail. "Our magic isn't strong enough yet!" Fluttershy despaired. "And it's taking all of our magic just to make sure we don't get crushed!" Twilight groaned, still straining under the pressure. "Flash and Applejack should be on their way, we just have to hope they can get us out of this!" The other girls could only reluctantly agree, and in the meantime decided to ease the burden on Rainbow and Twilight by helping to keep the mine up as well. Flash and AJ arrived at the site a moment later, to find it in complete chaos. "Ah'm here! What's going on?" She asked one of them. "It's horrible! They managed to get all the workers out, but this big boulder came down and trapped them inside. None of us can move it, and I don't think the rescue squad isn't going to make it in time!" Aj quickly approached the mine covered rock and started shouting. " Girls, are ya'll in there?!" She could hear a slight commotion from the other side before a voice spoke up. "Applejack, is that you?" She immediately recognized the voice as Rarity. "Yup. Ah'm right here!" "Oh thank goodness! We tried to move the boulder ourselves, but it's too heavy! And besides, we have to focus all of our magic to keep ourselves from getting crushed." She could hear her and several others groan in exhaustion. "Applejack, we can't keep this up forever! You have to try to move it yourself!" Twilight said. Applejack nodded and tried to move it with her magic, but just as the others said, it was too heavy and her magic wasn't trained enough for this. "I don't think they can last much longer!" She heard one of the workers say. "They'll suffocate in there!" "Yeah, if they don't get crushed by the rubble first!" AJ could only groan. "Ah can't do it! It's too heavy! This is all my fault, if I had my cell phone ah could've been here earlier! Or even if ah'd just gone with ya'll last night, that timberwolf wouldn't have escaped and this wouldn't have happened! Ah knew ah wasn't cut out for this!" "What are talking about?" Flash approached her. "Of course your cut out for this!" "He's right!" Twilight muffled voice could be heard. "Applejack in the time I've known you, your one of the bravest, strongest people I've ever met!" "Yeah! Remember in freshman year, you managed to out-lift Bulk Bisceps!" Rainbow yelled. "And how you were willing to protect us from Sunset's monsters?" FLuttershy popped up. "Yeah! And how you helped me clean up after that really wild party?" Pinkie added. "And how you helped me by being my mannequin when I needed one even though you hate fashion?" Rarity said. "Applejack, your one of the most helpful and honest people I've ever met!" Flash said. "He's right! And if there's anybody I know who can do this, it's you!" Twilight groaned again, as the weight was becoming too much for her and the girls. AJ took a deep breath, absorbing what everybody just said, and put on a determined face. She pushed up her sleeves, put her hands on the boulder and started pushing as hard as she could. After a moment, her work was reaching fruition as it started to move slightly. After another, breath, she pulled again, until, to the shock and amazement of everyone, she lifted the boulder right off the ground and into the air. The girls were stunned for a moment before realizing this was their chance to escape and did just so before the whole mine collapsed right behind them. "Are you girls ok!?" Flash asked and went to help them up. Besides the exhaustion from the strain of using their magic on something that heavy, they weren't injured. "Yeah we're fine." Twilight reassured him. "Oh thank goodness ya'll are ok!" AJ said. "Uh..AJ.." Rainbow pointed above Applejack. She looked and was surprised to see that she was still holding the boulder, and that it was as light as a feather in her arms. "What in tarnation..!?" "Applejack...I think you just discovered your power." Twilight said with awe. "Oh come on! How come she gets her power first!?" Rainbow complained. She then noticed the dirty looks the others were giving before chuckling nervously, "I-I mean, way to go!" AJ just smiled at this. She felt good for a moment until Flash's phone rang. "Hello? Oh hey Scoots..yes I'm with the other girls...hold on." He handed the phone to Applejack. "She said Apple Bloom needs to talk to you. AJ finally put down the boulder and picked up the phone. "Hey Apple Bloom, what going on?" As she listened, her eyes went wide and she paled a little. "YOU"RE WHAT!?" Everyone arrived at the spot where AJ led them. It was an old mine shaft, that, like the other one, was blocked off with rocks and beams. Everyone (Especially AJ, Rarity, Rainbow and Flash) felt more nervous and worried than before. "This mine is connected with the other ones. The shockwaves must have caused this one to collapse too!" Twilight explained. "Girls! Are ya'll alright!?" AJ said with panic in her voice. A muffled voice from inside called out. "We're fine! But the exit's blocked!" she recognized the voice as Apple Bloom. "Hang on girls! Ah'm a coming!" Applejack proceeded to start moving the rocks out of the way. After a few minutes, she could see them trapped behind a support beam. "Applejack!" AB said in relief was she saw her sis. AJ lifted the beam above her head, allowing the girls to escape to the safety of their older siblings arms. After a moment of hugs and relief of their safety, the scolding started. "Now just what were ya'll thinking!? I told ya not to go in there!" AJ scolded. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard!?" Rarity exclaimed. "You girls could have been seriously hurt! How could you do something so reckless!? Wait 'til mom and dad hear about this!" Flash said sternly. The younger girls could only hang their heads in shame. "We're really sorry. It was all my idea, but they tried to stop me." Scootaloo said sincerely. "We promise never to do something like this ever again!" Sweetie pleaded. "Yeah, we'll listen to you from now on!" AB promised. AJ sighed. "Alright then. Let's head back, ah think we've all had enough excitement for one day." Everyone agreed and began heading back to the Apple family house. On the way there, AB walked next to her sister. "By the way sis, how the heck were you able to lift all that rubble?" AJ could only smile and put an arm around her sis's shoulders. "Well Apple Bloom, it turns out your big sis is as strong as a bull now!" She flexed her other arm for emphasis, causing a few giggles from the younger girl. The girls stayed like that, arms around each other until they got home, where the Crusaders were promptly grounded for a month by their parents (and grandparent) for their stunt. Author's Note Almost done! EpilogueLater on everyone was back in the lair where Applejack was showing off her newfound strength by lifting up a couch with one hand while Rainbow, Rarity and Pinkie were sitting on it. Twilight was currently studying this, taking down notes extensively and had asked Applejack to meet her at her lab later for further testing. "Ah gotta admit, ah could get used to this." AJ said before putting them down. "So your staying?" Twilight asked, looking up with hopeful eyes. "You bet!" AJ said with a smile. "You were right before, ah may not know why this is happening, but since we have the power, it's our responsibility to use them to help others." Twilight nodded and Pinkie gave her a big hug. "Ohmystars! This is so exciting! I wonder what wonder what the rest of us will get!?" Pinkie asked, excitedly. "The real question is: who is going next?" Rainbow said, taping her foot impatiently. "I don't want to sit around while the rest of you get to enjoy your new powers!" "Have patience, Rainbow Dash." Scolded Luna. "For all we know about magic, it still works in mysterious ways." "But it does give us some helpful hints." Celestia said, gesturing to the Elements in the display. "Around the time Applejack started displaying her new strength, her element glowed, as though signaling she had her power now. This could be helpful in the future with the rest of you." "I wonder how much longer till the next person gets her power?" Fluttershy asked. "I hope it's soon!" Rainbow said. "Whenever and whoever it is, I'm positive we'll be ready for whatever comes our way." Twilight said determinedly. No matter what happened, as long as the girls stuck together, they could handle anything. Author's Note Who wants to guess the order in which the girls will receive their powers?
Chapter 1"Come on Winona! Fetch!" Applejack threw the stick and Winona, her beloved brown and white dog, ran over to where it landed. This is what Applejack liked, no worrying about her new responsibilities, or the entire safety of the country. Just enjoying a nice, peaceful morning before school. Winona had just brought the stick back when when her Granny called out: "Soups on, Applejack!" Apple jack just dropped the stick and gave Winona a good pet before heading inside. Applejack came from a long line of Apple farmers, providing most of the country's apple supply and products. She had more family spread all across the country than she could ever keep track of. She entered the modest farm house and found her close family waiting for her at the table. At the head of the table was Granny Smith, her grandmother on her pa's side, and the matriarch of the Apple clan. She was a large lady with grey hair and green skin. She was also the lunch lady at Canterlot High, making sure each students gets a tasty and nutritious meal. Despite her age and foggy memory, she was sharp as a tack and could tell the quality of an apple by just a quick sniff. Next to her was Big Macintosh, the oldest of the apple siblings. Having graduated from CHS the previous year, he now worked full time on the Apple farm, making sure everything is spick and spam. He didn't talk a lot, but was a pretty good listener. The final member was Apple Bloom, the youngest. Like Applejack, she was mage, something they had inherited from their late mother, Buttercup. Just as Applejack was rarely seen without her signature brown stetson hat, Apple Bloom was rarely seen without her pink bow. This was her first year at CHS and she and her friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, always seemed to be getting into mischief. "So any big plans for today?" Granny asks while they eat. "Twilight texted us to meet her at school, said she discovered somethin big." AJ said, taking a bite of her oatmeal. "Scoots wants us to see if we're any good at spelunkin'." Apple Bloom said, with a swig of milk. Granny's eyes narrowed at that. "Now you youngins ain't thinking of checking out those old minin caves at the edge of the far, are ye?" "I don't think so.." Apple Bloom shifted nervously. "Now Apple Bloom, you know those mines are off limits." AJ said sternly. "They're ready to collapse any minute! You could be hurt!" "I know! I'm not a baby!" Apple Bloom pouted. "I'm jus making sure..." AJ said, but she knew that once she and the other crusaders got an idea in their heads, they tended to go overboard, even not paying attention to their safety. Breakfast soon ended and, after saying good-bye to Big Mac, they were on their way to CHS. At school, everyone met up in the music room just before school started. Twilight looked positively giddy, like a child who was told a huge secret and was struggling not to just burst it out. "You guys are not going to believe this." She said. She then pulled out the Elements of Harmony book from her backpack. "So, after taking care of those timberwolves last night, I decided to do a little studying..." "Egghead." Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack which caused them both to go into a fit of giggles while Twilight glared in annoyance. "...and I decided to research the Elements more. And look at what I found out!" She opened the book and flipped the pages until she found a specific one. "Ahem, 'Once the elements have chosen their new bearers, they will be bestowed upon with mysterious powers, along with their magic, to help them in their duty to protect the world.' Do you know what this means!?" Pinkie gave a loud gasp. "We're getting superpowers!?" The others just looked at her oddly, but Twilight was nodding excitedly. "I think so!" Almost everyone was excited. "This. Is. So. Awesome!" Rainbow cheered. "Does it say what kind of powers we'll be gettin'?" Unlike the others, Applejack was more apprehensive about this revelation. "Well...no. But they should be coming soon! It also says they'll come to us one at a time until we all have them." Twilight explained. "One at a time!?" Rainbow said, impatient to get her new power. "I hope I get mine first. I want to be able to fly even without the wings!" Rainbow imagined flying like one of the superheroes in her comic books, free to go wherever they wished. "Oh! I wonder what I'll get." Rarity wondered. "Maybe I'll have the power to predict future fashion trends! That would certainly be useful." "I hope they're safe." Fluttershy said. "I wouldn't want anything too... destructive. Maybe the ability to attract butterflies?" "Oh! Oh! Maybe mine'll be the ability to stuff fifty cupcakes in my mouth all at once!" Pinkie said excitedly, imagining all the sugary goodness. "I don't know ya'll. Personally, I think we have enough on our plates without the crazy powers." Applejack was stressed enough with all the new responsibilities and expectations, now she had to deal with freaky powers too? "Aw come on AJ!" Rainbow playfully punched her arm. "Maybe you'll get something cool, like....just being able to tell how fresh an apple is just by looking at it?" She gave a nervous smile. Applejack just rolled her eyes. "I can already do that without the elements." Just then the bell rang, and everybody prepared to head off to their classes. Just before she left, Applejack felt someone tough her arm and turned to see Twilight looking at her with worry. "Applejack, are you ok? You don't really seem all that excited about this." AJ sighed. "I guess ah'm not. I just keep thinkin' how so much has changed lately, and now this? Ah'm just not sure how to take it all." "I understand." Twilight said, empathizing with her. "One minute we're normal high school girls and the next we're the guardians of ancient artifacts that were lost for ages? It's a lot to take in. But this is our duty, and I believe we were chosen for this for a reason." "Ah know." "If you want to talk about it, I'll be right here, ok?" AJ nodded and Twilight walked off to her own class, leaving Applejack to her own thoughts.
Chapter 2"...and that girls, is why a 'Accelero' spell is more affective against a manticore than a 'Persuadere'." Celestia finished the lesson. They were using a room near the basement that had been renovated specifically for the girl's training. Rainbow liked to call it 'The Lair'. Books filled with magical knowledge lined the shelves and bookcases, along with various alchemy ingredients and other various objects. Up against the wall, in a glass case, were the Elements of Harmony displayed in all their glory. Twilight was eagerly taking notes while the others had a little bit of a harder time concentrating during the lecture. Fortunately the bell rang, ending class and signaling for lunch to start. "Alright everyone, I want you try practices fifteen to thirty for Monday." Celestia announced. Twilight grinned widely, eager for the challenge while Rainbow groaned, dreading the work. They quickly gathered up their stuff and headed out, except for Applejack who was trying to figure out how to include the extra work into her already busy schedule. "Is something wrong Applejack?" Celestia asked, sensing her worry. "Oh! Ah'm fine, just...trying to figure out how to do the work." AJ said, though Celestia quickly saw through the poor liar. "Applejack, you know that as the element of honesty, I trust you to tell me the truth." AJ sighed. "It's just, ever since the Fall Formal, everythings' changed. People ah have never met are looking at me and wantin' to talk to me. Problems are poppin' up out of nowhere pretty much every week. And on top of mah farm chores and regular work, I have an extra load of 'advanced' magical training to do and go out and deal with the monsters that pop up! Ah barely managed to get my homework done last night after dealing with the timberwolves!" She slumped her face on her desk, as just thinking about all of these changes felt exhausting. Celestia offered her a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand that this is all very stressful, especially for someone as young as you. But you girls were given an incredible gift, and it's my job to train you to use those gifts responsibly. With great power, must also come great responsibility. When another huge threat to Equestria rises, you girls may be the only ones who can stop it, and it's Luna's and my job to prepare you for that." "But why us? I didn't ask for any of this, none of us did!" Applejack exclaimed, waving her hands around as she talked. "I understand. I may not know how or why you girls in particular were chosen, but from what I've seen, you girls are strong, capable and resourceful. You each exhibit the best parts of your elements and use them to help and inspire others. I believe you girls are capable of great things, once you have the skills to do them of course." Celestia offered Applejack a warm smile, which she returned. "Thanks." "Anytime, now you'd better head to lunch. Don't want you starving during your next several classes do we?" As AJ headed to the cafeteria, she thought about Celestia's word. While they were nice and comforting, she still felt uncertain about being a part of the Elements. She just didn't know how she was gonna do this. At lunch, three freshman girls were sitting together, talking excitedly. Well...one of them was. "So, if we're going to find our talents with spelunking, we're gonna need a place to test it out." Scootaloo, a girl with orange skin and purple hair, said while looking at her two companions for suggestion. "I don't know..." Sweetie Belle said. She was a cute girl with pale skin and curly, pink and purple hair and was also the younger sister of Rarity. "There aren't that many caves in town. And I don't want to go into the Everfree forest..."She shuddered, remembering all the strange creatures that lived there. "We don't have too. I was looking at a few maps, and there are a few mine shafts near Sweet Apple Acres! A mine is sorta like a cave..." "What!? No way!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table. "My sis would kill me for even going near there! Besides, she says their too dangerous and could collapse any minute!" "Relax! We'll only explore a few feet or so, we'll even have helmets! We might even discover some treasure! Besides, it's at the far edge of the farm, nobody even has to know we went there!" The other girls still looked unconvinced at this. "Look, we'll have our cell phones and the signal still works over there, I checked. We don't even have to touch anything! Just a few feet. In and out, I promise! So, what do ya say?" Scoots looked at them with wide, hopeful eyes. "Well..I'm in if your in Apple Bloom." Sweetie finally said after a moment. Both sets of eyes were now on Apple Bloom. She though this over for a minute, going through the pros and cons, debating the dangers with her sis's warning. Finally she sighed and said: "Alright, why not?" The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school week and the beginning of the much longed for weekend. Applejack was trying to get her stuff from her locker, but it kept getting stuck. "Consarn it..." She tried entering her combination and pulling again when suddenly the whole door came off it's hinges. She, along with several students who were nearby, just stopped and stared for a moment before AJ just gave a nervous laugh. "Old lockers, am I right?" Everyone seemed to buy it or just shrugged it off before going on their merry way. AJ sighed and tried to put the door back on. "Hey AJ." Twilight greeted as walked up to her. She noticed the door and gave a confused look. "What happened?" Applejack just gave up and set the door against the locker next to her. "Old thing got stuck and then just came off." She sighed, she would have to tell Celestia and hope she wouldn't get charged for damages. "So the mayor wants us to do a quick boarder patrol near the Everfree Forest after the timberwolves last night." Twilight informed her. "She just wants us to make sure there won't be coming out again anytime soon." "Ah can't go. I have chores and homework to get to." Applejack explained. "But the mayor needs us to do this! She needs to make sure people aren't in danger." "But why's it gotta be us?" Applejack asked, frustrated. "Can't she just get someone who's actual job is doing this?" "Applejack it's our duty to keep people safe now. Look, I can help you with your homework if it'll help..." "It ain't just about the homework!" Applejack was angry now. She punched the broken door in frustration, leaving a very noticeable dent."It's everything! The training, the expectations, the attention!" She took a deep breath and calmed down a little. "Sometimes I wish we could just quit all of this." "Applejack I know it's hard right now, but you can't just quit! This is our responsibility. Besides, I don't even know if we can quit even if we wanted too. If there's anything I could do to help..." "Yeah. Tell the others I can't make it tonight. Ah've got too much to do." Before Twilight could say anything else, Applejack quickly walked away, leaving Twilight standing there with a look of sadness and worry. Meanwhile, Celestia was in the lair, packing up today's teaching materials and she noticed something glowing near the Elements. She went over and saw that the gem on the Element of Honesty seemed to be...beeping? The gem would glow for a second, then die down, then glow again. It repeated this for a moment until it finally stopped. "That's odd..." She packed up her stuff and went to tell Luna about this. What was going on? Author's Note I honestly don't know what the spells in the beginning do or mean, I just found them on the wiki. Also yes I know I copied Spider-Man with Celestia, but the point still stands. And yes 'The Lair' is a reference to Wizards of Waverley Place, I just find it easier to call it that. Huh, never thought I'd be using this many references at once...
Chapter 3"What do you mean she wants to quit!?" Rainbow shouted after Twilight explained why Applejack wasn't there. It was later that night, and the girls were near the edge of the Everfree ready to do boarder control. "Listen, I think Applejack's is just having a hard time adjusting to all of this." Twilight tried to calm her down. "Maybe it's best if we give her some space for a little bit." "Listen, aside from the extra homework, this is a dream come true! What's not to like about being heroes.?" "Um..maybe the danger, the scary monsters..." Fluttershy listed. "Going to dark and dirty places at all hours of the night and missing out on vital beauty sleep?" Rarity continued. "People always judging you and and the constant fear that you'll let everyone down?" Pinkie said, getting in Dash's face before stepping away and smiling as usual. "To be honest, I sometimes wish I could quit too." Fluttershy said softly. Rainbow looked shocked at this while Twilight nodded in understanding. "I'll admit, I wasn't completely thrilled at the prospect either, but what matters now is that we have a responsibility to protect people. We might not have signed up for this, but this is the task we've been given. I'm sure Applejack will come around eventually, but for now let's focus on our job and be there for her as her friends, alright?" Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy nodded eagerly. "Hmph! Fine." Rainbow grumbled, still not understanding how anyone could not be excited to be a chosen one. The next day, Saturday, was bright and sunny, just how Applejack liked it. She was out in the fields getting everything ready for Applebuck season. She had finished her chores and had even managed to get a head start on her homework last night, so she felt relaxed for the first time in a while, all things considering. She was on her way to the barn to get more baskets when she noticed Flash Sentry's care pull up in front of the house. Flash, along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle got up and went to the house. "Howdy ya'll! How can I help yah?" AJ greeted them with a smile. "Hey Applejack, I'm just dropping off Sweets and Scoots over." Flash said, just as Apple Bloom got out. Just before the three younger girls could run off, Applejack stopped them. "Now where are ya'll off to?" The three stopped and gave each other nervous glances before turning to the two older teens. "Oh, we're just gonna hang out at the club house today, right AB?" Scootaloo, nudged Apple Bloom. "Uh...yeah! Just comin' up with more ideas we want to try." AB said, hoping they believed her. "Yah, I mean it's not like we're gonna sneak off to an area you told us not to go to right?"Sweetie said before being elbowed by her two friends. The two older teens looked suspicious, one because he could tell whenever his sister was up to something, and the other because she could tell whenever someone lied to her. She could tell these girls were up to something, but what? They gave them a trio of nervous smiles, hoping to set them at ease. Finally, AJ just nodded. "Alright, you girls have fun." The girls quickly thanked them and ran off before anyone could get a word in otherwise. Applejack just shook her head. "Ah just hope those girls don't go overboard in whatever cockamamie scheme they have this time." Flash could only nod in agreement. They just stood there awkwardly for a minute before Flash Spoke up. "So..how have you been? Being 'the chosen ones' must be pretty exciting." Flash said, trying to get a conversation going. AJ sighed. "Fine ah guess..." She started heading to the barn. Flash, sensing something was off, followed her. "Is something wrong?" "Ah'm just...not sure ah'm cut out for this." "What do you mean?" "Look at me! Ah'm a farm gal through and through! Ah grow apples, ah corral livestock and ah participate in every rodeo that comes to town! Now ah have to take care of every bad guy that pops up, Sunset, the sirens, ah feel like a dead tree ready to collapse any day now." Flash thought about it for a moment before answering. "I can't say I understand what you're going through, I mean, I'm not even a mage, but I can see that this is a big responsibility. Heck, I'd be terrified if it were me or Scoots. But I've seen what you girls can do, and I know that whatever comes, you girls can handle it." AJ was flattered. "Thanks Flash, that mean a lot. But..." Before she could continue, Flash's phone rang. He gave an apologetic look to her before answering. "Hello? Oh hey Twilight, what..." As he listened, his eyes widened. "What!?" "What's goin' on?" AJ asked, worried. "Theres been an accident. Apparently a timberwolf made it's way to a mining camp this morning and caused the mine to start collapsing. They managed to drive it away and nobody's hurt yet, but they really need your help. They tried to call you earlier but you weren't picking up." AJ gulped nervously, she had left her phone in her room so she wouldn't be disturbed this morning. But all that did was cause even more trouble. "Ah've gotta get over there, now." Flash told her he could drive her, as it wasn't too far from here. As Flash drove, AJ could only hope they didn't arrive too late. Meanwhile, the Crusaders were just outside of the old mine shaft, preparing to head in. They had to pry away a few boards nailed to the front. Once they got that out of the way, they looked inside and saw the dark, ominous cave. "Ah don't know about this." Apple Bloom said, her doubts popping up again. "It looks scary in there.." Sweetie Belle said, shuddering at the though of what creepie crawlies lied within. "Aw don't be such chickens! I have a flashlight, besides we'll only go a few feet." Scoots said confidently, entering the cave. Sweetie and AB, after a shared glance, quickly followed her inside. Scoot's flashlight did little to ease their nervousness as they jumped every time the support beams groaned. After a few feet Scoots turned to them. "See? What I'd tell ya? We're perfectly fine!" They took a moment to look around: it was just as scary and dusty as it had looked on the outside. "Alright we checked it out, now let's head back..." Apple Bloom said. Sweetie eagerly agreed while Scoots rolled her eyes. They had just walked a few feet when the entire cave shook. "W-What's happening!?" Sweetie Belle panicked panicked. Bats flew over their heads as they escaped the mine before the support beams started breaking. "Cave in!" Apple Bloom realized in alarm. They tried to hurry to the exit, but the scaffolding collapsed before them, bringing down several large and heavy rocks. The same thing happened behind them as the girls huddled together in fear. Finally the shaking stopped. The girls looked around in panic, they were fine, but they were trapped. Realizing this, they did the only thing they knew how to. "HELP!!!"
Chapter 4At the mining site, Twilight and Rainbow were using their magic to prevent the mine from collapsing further, while Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy were helping the minors escape. Rainbow and Twilight were starting to tire out from the strain of holding tons of rocks up. "Would, you mind...urg!....hurrying up?!" Rainbow groaned through gritted teeth while the others were helping a minor whose foot was trapped beneath some rocks. "We're trying!" Rarity said just before getting him free. She and Pinking draped his arms over their shoulders and helping him to his feet. Unfortunately, just before they made it out, Twilight's and Rainbow's magic weakened, causing the whole mine to shake. Rarity quickly tossed the minor out to safety with her magic just before a giant rock fell, covering the entrance and trapping them inside. "We're trapped!" Pinkie exclaimed. She, Rarity, and Fluttershy each tried to use their magic to pull or lift the enormous rock out of the way, to no avail. "Our magic isn't strong enough yet!" Fluttershy despaired. "And it's taking all of our magic just to make sure we don't get crushed!" Twilight groaned, still straining under the pressure. "Flash and Applejack should be on their way, we just have to hope they can get us out of this!" The other girls could only reluctantly agree, and in the meantime decided to ease the burden on Rainbow and Twilight by helping to keep the mine up as well. Flash and AJ arrived at the site a moment later, to find it in complete chaos. "Ah'm here! What's going on?" She asked one of them. "It's horrible! They managed to get all the workers out, but this big boulder came down and trapped them inside. None of us can move it, and I don't think the rescue squad isn't going to make it in time!" Aj quickly approached the mine covered rock and started shouting. " Girls, are ya'll in there?!" She could hear a slight commotion from the other side before a voice spoke up. "Applejack, is that you?" She immediately recognized the voice as Rarity. "Yup. Ah'm right here!" "Oh thank goodness! We tried to move the boulder ourselves, but it's too heavy! And besides, we have to focus all of our magic to keep ourselves from getting crushed." She could hear her and several others groan in exhaustion. "Applejack, we can't keep this up forever! You have to try to move it yourself!" Twilight said. Applejack nodded and tried to move it with her magic, but just as the others said, it was too heavy and her magic wasn't trained enough for this. "I don't think they can last much longer!" She heard one of the workers say. "They'll suffocate in there!" "Yeah, if they don't get crushed by the rubble first!" AJ could only groan. "Ah can't do it! It's too heavy! This is all my fault, if I had my cell phone ah could've been here earlier! Or even if ah'd just gone with ya'll last night, that timberwolf wouldn't have escaped and this wouldn't have happened! Ah knew ah wasn't cut out for this!" "What are talking about?" Flash approached her. "Of course your cut out for this!" "He's right!" Twilight muffled voice could be heard. "Applejack in the time I've known you, your one of the bravest, strongest people I've ever met!" "Yeah! Remember in freshman year, you managed to out-lift Bulk Bisceps!" Rainbow yelled. "And how you were willing to protect us from Sunset's monsters?" FLuttershy popped up. "Yeah! And how you helped me clean up after that really wild party?" Pinkie added. "And how you helped me by being my mannequin when I needed one even though you hate fashion?" Rarity said. "Applejack, your one of the most helpful and honest people I've ever met!" Flash said. "He's right! And if there's anybody I know who can do this, it's you!" Twilight groaned again, as the weight was becoming too much for her and the girls. AJ took a deep breath, absorbing what everybody just said, and put on a determined face. She pushed up her sleeves, put her hands on the boulder and started pushing as hard as she could. After a moment, her work was reaching fruition as it started to move slightly. After another, breath, she pulled again, until, to the shock and amazement of everyone, she lifted the boulder right off the ground and into the air. The girls were stunned for a moment before realizing this was their chance to escape and did just so before the whole mine collapsed right behind them. "Are you girls ok!?" Flash asked and went to help them up. Besides the exhaustion from the strain of using their magic on something that heavy, they weren't injured. "Yeah we're fine." Twilight reassured him. "Oh thank goodness ya'll are ok!" AJ said. "Uh..AJ.." Rainbow pointed above Applejack. She looked and was surprised to see that she was still holding the boulder, and that it was as light as a feather in her arms. "What in tarnation..!?" "Applejack...I think you just discovered your power." Twilight said with awe. "Oh come on! How come she gets her power first!?" Rainbow complained. She then noticed the dirty looks the others were giving before chuckling nervously, "I-I mean, way to go!" AJ just smiled at this. She felt good for a moment until Flash's phone rang. "Hello? Oh hey Scoots..yes I'm with the other girls...hold on." He handed the phone to Applejack. "She said Apple Bloom needs to talk to you. AJ finally put down the boulder and picked up the phone. "Hey Apple Bloom, what going on?" As she listened, her eyes went wide and she paled a little. "YOU"RE WHAT!?" Everyone arrived at the spot where AJ led them. It was an old mine shaft, that, like the other one, was blocked off with rocks and beams. Everyone (Especially AJ, Rarity, Rainbow and Flash) felt more nervous and worried than before. "This mine is connected with the other ones. The shockwaves must have caused this one to collapse too!" Twilight explained. "Girls! Are ya'll alright!?" AJ said with panic in her voice. A muffled voice from inside called out. "We're fine! But the exit's blocked!" she recognized the voice as Apple Bloom. "Hang on girls! Ah'm a coming!" Applejack proceeded to start moving the rocks out of the way. After a few minutes, she could see them trapped behind a support beam. "Applejack!" AB said in relief was she saw her sis. AJ lifted the beam above her head, allowing the girls to escape to the safety of their older siblings arms. After a moment of hugs and relief of their safety, the scolding started. "Now just what were ya'll thinking!? I told ya not to go in there!" AJ scolded. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard!?" Rarity exclaimed. "You girls could have been seriously hurt! How could you do something so reckless!? Wait 'til mom and dad hear about this!" Flash said sternly. The younger girls could only hang their heads in shame. "We're really sorry. It was all my idea, but they tried to stop me." Scootaloo said sincerely. "We promise never to do something like this ever again!" Sweetie pleaded. "Yeah, we'll listen to you from now on!" AB promised. AJ sighed. "Alright then. Let's head back, ah think we've all had enough excitement for one day." Everyone agreed and began heading back to the Apple family house. On the way there, AB walked next to her sister. "By the way sis, how the heck were you able to lift all that rubble?" AJ could only smile and put an arm around her sis's shoulders. "Well Apple Bloom, it turns out your big sis is as strong as a bull now!" She flexed her other arm for emphasis, causing a few giggles from the younger girl. The girls stayed like that, arms around each other until they got home, where the Crusaders were promptly grounded for a month by their parents (and grandparent) for their stunt. Author's Note Almost done!
EpilogueLater on everyone was back in the lair where Applejack was showing off her newfound strength by lifting up a couch with one hand while Rainbow, Rarity and Pinkie were sitting on it. Twilight was currently studying this, taking down notes extensively and had asked Applejack to meet her at her lab later for further testing. "Ah gotta admit, ah could get used to this." AJ said before putting them down. "So your staying?" Twilight asked, looking up with hopeful eyes. "You bet!" AJ said with a smile. "You were right before, ah may not know why this is happening, but since we have the power, it's our responsibility to use them to help others." Twilight nodded and Pinkie gave her a big hug. "Ohmystars! This is so exciting! I wonder what wonder what the rest of us will get!?" Pinkie asked, excitedly. "The real question is: who is going next?" Rainbow said, taping her foot impatiently. "I don't want to sit around while the rest of you get to enjoy your new powers!" "Have patience, Rainbow Dash." Scolded Luna. "For all we know about magic, it still works in mysterious ways." "But it does give us some helpful hints." Celestia said, gesturing to the Elements in the display. "Around the time Applejack started displaying her new strength, her element glowed, as though signaling she had her power now. This could be helpful in the future with the rest of you." "I wonder how much longer till the next person gets her power?" Fluttershy asked. "I hope it's soon!" Rainbow said. "Whenever and whoever it is, I'm positive we'll be ready for whatever comes our way." Twilight said determinedly. No matter what happened, as long as the girls stuck together, they could handle anything. Author's Note Who wants to guess the order in which the girls will receive their powers?
