“Twilight,” Applejack admitted.
“WHAT! How could you not love twilight? It’s so perfect. All the stars are out, and there’s only a little light left… and, geez, Applejack, it’s my name.”
“Twilight,” Fluttershy said solemnly, patting the violet mare on the back. “It’s okay. Ponies can like different things than other ponies. You know that, so calm down, please.”
“But this is so personal!”
“Twi, if I’d known it was gonna affect ya this much, I wouldn’t o’ said it. Swear. I didn’t mean to make ya upset.”
Twilight snorted through her nose, but grudgingly nodded a bit. “Okay. But why do you not love twilight? It’s twilight!”
“I’ve gone through a lot of difficult times, Twi. An’ I’m busy during th’ day, so I don’t think about it any, but at twilight? When I’ve just come ta bed? I’ve got time, an’ all these thoughts from all these days come flitting through my head, just like that. They don’t last long enough for me ta see them ‘xactly, but I definitely know what’s in them.” She gave an audible shiver, and Fluttershy placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “They’re… not pretty.”
Twilight looked shocked. “Oh… I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“Yeah.”
The three friends were silent for a little while, until Fluttershy said awkwardly, “Um, do you want to, um, continue the game?”
“Oh! Okay. Fluttershy? Truth or Truther?” Twilight looked to her friend. “You don’t have to answer, if you don’t want to.”
Fluttershy darted her eyes in Applejack’s direction as quickly as time itself, but the farmpony was still quiet, holding her hat to her chest in a death grip. “Truth.”
“Let’s see. Is there anypony you could hate?”
Fluttershy’s eyes went wide as she thought of something. “Zephyr,” she said confidently.
“Your brother?!”
“Yes. He just makes me so mad sometimes! He’s so lazy. And… I read a poem once that said you can only have true hate if you have true love first.”
Twilight rubbed her chin. “Interesting.”
Applejack broke in. “Mind if I go ta bed? I’m feeling mighty tired, and we’re goin’ ta the Hive t’morrow anyway to check on Thorax. I’m guessing we should get an early start. Sorry if I’m being a party pooper-I know Pinkie would get all over my case for this.”
“No, it’s fine,” Fluttershy said. “I’m beginning to feel very sleepy as well, actually. Also, you’re right about the Hive. It would be nice to get an early start.”
Twilight nodded. “I know Spike’s super excited. Only thing that’s bugging him is that Rarity isn’t coming.”
“Me too, but she and Rainbow have a life in Canterlot now. I understand that they’re not going to be able to make it to many of our adventures anymore.”
“An’ who knows where Pinkie is? None of us, that’s fer sure-’cept the stuff from the last postcard she sent three moons again.”
“Saddle Arabia,” Twilight mused. “Absolutely amazing. The scenery is gorgeous, and the ponies and culture are so different... I almost wish I was her!”
“Don’t ya go bailing on us now, Twi.” Applejack grinned. “Not with only three of us left here in Ponyville.
The three fell into a comfortable silence, which was eventually broken by Fluttershy standing up. “Well, I’m going to get into bed,” she told them. Applejack and Twilight, getting up as well from their little circle, agreed, and Twilight climbed into her big bed while Applejack and Fluttershy set up their sleeping bags.
During the night, Applejack didn’t show her fear. Fluttershy, though, sensed it and scooched closer to her, and perhaps not only for Applejack’s sake. She smiled softly, her sleeping bag warm around her neck and wings, comfortable with the sweet hum of the night air.
The next morning, Applejack was the first to awake. Must be my farmer lifestyle, waking up with the sun every morning, she thought ruefully. Pulling off her light pajamas and dressing, which consisted of pulling on an emerald dress for their visit to the Hive, she sat down on her sleeping bag and watched Fluttershy’s sleeping form next to her. The daffodil mare was smiling gently, her long rose hair sweeping over the pillow and onto the floor. Applejack reached down to pat her shoulder...
“Mornin’, Applejack.” A bleary mumble came from the bed across the room, and Applejack drew her hoof back quickly.
“Oh! Mornin’, Twi! Didja sleep well?”
Twilight rubbed her eyes. “Yeah. Fine. I like your dress, by the way. Did you sleep all right?”
“It was… let’s just say yes. And thanks fer th’ dress compliment. Rarity made it fer me, actually.”
“It’s quite nice.”
“Yeah.”
“Er… I’m not sure if I should tell you this, but...”
“Twi, y’ can say anything ya want ta with me. Ya know that.”
“Okay. Yeah, okay. I don’t know why, but I’m worried. Worried that a new threat will come up, and we won’t know where Pinkie Pie is or how to get in touch with Rainbow or Rarity, and, well, the villain will defeat us.” She turned troubled eyes to Applejack. “I almost think I should have kept them here in Ponyville.”
“Twi-”
“I know, I know! I’d be destroying their dreams, dashing their hopes for life. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself for the guilt, and that’s why I didn’t do it. But I’m still scared.”
“Twilight, I don’t blame you. Thought the same thing, I did, a couple o’ times. What happens if all the elements aren’t together when we’re fighting some villain or another, I don’t know. But Twilight, I promise it’ll be okay. A new threat probably isn’t gonna come fer a moon or two at least, an’ we’d have time, I swear. Kay?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Twilight rose and went into the bathroom with a folded bundle of navy blue and powder white fabric, which Applejack correctly assumed was her dress. While she was waiting for Twilight, Applejack took a glance down at Fluttershy, who blinked as if she’d felt Applejack’s eyes and sat up.
“Hello, Applejack,” she murmured. “Am I the last one awake?”
“Yup. Twi’s in the bathroom getting her dress on. We thought maybe we’d leave in thirty minutes or so? Work for ya?”
“Oh, that’s absolutely fine.” Fluttershy cast a small smile in AJ’s direction. “I guess I’d better go get dressed. There are two bathrooms, right?”
“I think so.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll just wait for Twilight to get back-I don’t really know my way around the castle yet anyway.”
“Me neither. All th’ long, windin’ hallways an’ how big it is sets me up fer gettin’ lost, personally.”
Fluttershy laughed. “Same with me! I only know where the dining room is because of the memory thing we put up there. The light guides me to it.”
Just then, Twilight entered the bedroom again, now dressed in a thick, pale dress with accents of blue. A violet bow adorned her chest, and she wore a matching violet scarf.
“Very nice,” Fluttershy decided, sweeping her eyes over Twilight’s ensemble. “Um… where exactly is the bathroom, again?” She pulled at her pink pajamas awkwardly.
“Ah. Yes. Out of the room, straight till you reach a fork, left, next fork right, and straight. The door is polished birch wood.”
Fluttershy trotted out of the room, mouthing a “thanks” at Twilight as she went. She came back quickly, wearing a fiery affair with sparkling red and gold fabric and a blue necklace. “Um, do you girls like it?”
“Like it? It’s beautiful!” Twilight declared. “So different from your normal breezy, swooping blue and green dresses.”
“In a good way,” Applejack agreed.
Fluttershy grinned. “Then I guess we should get going?”
“Yup! I’ll go get Spike.” Twilight dashed out of the room, reappearing moments later with Spike next to her.
“Ready to go!” he announced.
Twilight nodded, and, gesturing for the others to follow her, walked out. It wasn’t long before they found themselves in the fresh Ponyville air.
They stopped a moment in Sugarcube Corner, greeting the Cakes and buying some sugary treats for their journey. Spike licked his lips as he devoured a fruitcake. “Not as good as gems, but still delicious,” he said in satisfaction, rubbing his stomach.
Twilight laughed, and as they reached the Badlands, she stopped, staring out at the sand before them, and the small green palace at the very end. Spotting something, she narrowed her eyes to see better and gasped, scared of what it could be.
“I see something,” she murmured. “Over there. A black shape-do you guys see it? I have an idea of what it might be-I hope I'm wrong.”
“I see it too,” Applejack whispered. “An’ now it’s disappearin’ underground-we gotta get closer.”
A small “eep!” came from Fluttershy’s direction, but she followed the others without any complaint. The ponies and Spike ran to the spot Twilight saw the shape, but it was gone. Fluttershy turned to the others, frightened. “Do you know what, or rather, who I think that was? Queen Chrysalis.”
Twilight nodded emphatically, feeling tears well up in her eyes. What she had been afraid of had come to pass, sooner than she could have dreamed, and it wasn't going to be good. "Exactly. She's back, and she's not going to make it easy to banish her again. We have to find the other girls, and save Equestria once more. Come on!"
She swung Spike up onto her back, and as they galloped across the expanse of brown back to their small town, they hoped desperately for a chance. Just a tiny chance, Twilight thought, clenching her lips tight. That's all we'll need. One little opening, one opportunity to make things right with her once and for all.
Author's Note
I realize this went kinda slow until the end, where it suddenly sped up, maybe too fast.
