Linchpin Cycle: The Final Pillar

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Prologue

It is told that long, long ago, the world was much different from what it is now. It was not a void but more likened to a maelstrom as life clashed and flowed with no particular direction, purpose or thought. But all of life soon paused, for it was then that the hoof of the creator had raised to make all take heed. With but a thought the creator made the world take direction, much as an artist commands the brush and paints to create a picture or to arrange words to craft a story. At that point the creator was done and then came the time of the first beings...

Many dispute who came first. It was said the alicorn of the sun was first born, casting her light from the sky to warm the earth and cause many of the plants and animals to awaken and grow. She was followed by her sister the alicorn of the moon, who would cast a gentle glow that brought with it the first dreams as living beings slept in the cool nights.

Others claim that demons came first, flying from the frozen norths to bring their deathly chill, clawing up from the dark undergrounds with vile desires, or those that were simply left over from the times before the creator's will was set in motion.

The greatest of these demons was the wicked centaur Tirek and it was said that when he saw the lands nurtured under the lights of the sisters, so did his desire to possess and corrupt it all become immense. The battles between him and the sisters would rend the lands where ever so they fought, creating gorges, forming mountains and lakes, decimating lands to the south until they were nothing but sand and rock. By leaving the sun in the sky unattended, the oceans would boil and when the moon was left in the same state, the lands would freeze and whither in the night. It was upon seeing this destruction that the sisters did call for a truce with Tirek, the demon begrudgingly accepting since he knew that there would be nothing left for him to possess should he continue this stalemate with the alicorns.

And so did the sisters return to the sun and the moon to continue the cycle of night and day while Tirek returned to his domain below the ground... for now.

Then would come a time of peace when the older races were allowed to flourish, among these were the proud and mighty dragons, the deep sea dwelling sirens, the immortal phoenixes, the swamp dwelling hydras, and so on. It would be at this time that some demons would try their hand at roaming the lands, some with nefarious intentions and others merely having a curiosity of the above ground. One such demon, a gargoyle named Scorpan, was of the latter and found great beauty in the land, making his way as a peaceful traveler to explore and discover.

It would be a time later that the younger races would come such as the covetous Griffons, the mighty minotaurs and yaks, the graceful hippogriffs, and of course the tenacious pony.

Many claim that the ponies are all in Celestia and Luna's image, which so pleased the alicorns that they blessed them in different ways. This gave rise to the stalwart earth ponies, many gifted in strength and connected to the earth, the free spirited pegasi, lords of the sky, and the studious unicorns, wielders of magic.

In time, as ponies learned to cultivate the land and build their homes, the Mi Amore line gave rise. The family worked to unite the different communities of ponies under their banner and Dolce Mi Amore was crowned the first queen. It was a glorious time when she commissioned many a brilliant pony to work on marvels of agriculture, academics and commerce.

Yet as they progressed, Tirek's spies were ever watching, informing him of all that was happening as he waited and planned. It would be two generations later, during Campana Mi Amore's rule that he would make his move, sending out an army of darkness that cut through the land like a steel knife.

Even with the destruction Celestia and Luna knew they could not deal with the matter themselves, lest they destroy the ponies they dearly loved and all the ponies had created.

However, another course of action presented itself as the kingdom of Equestria was on it's last legs. A pony named Stygian and his friends had taken shelter inside a church in a forest outside of Pony Village. As his friends fought the forces outside, Stygian knew that not even his brilliant strategic mind could get them out of this alive and was left with only the recourse to pray. He prayed and prayed, desperation and fear giving way to solemnity and acceptance that their deaths were soon at hand.

And then, a miracle...

It was said that on that day, both the sun and the moon were in the sky as one before a light shot down to the earth outside of the church. From it a great and beautiful white tree took root and bloomed before bathing Stygian's six friends in a pure rainbow of light. Thus were the Pillars of Equestria born.

Rockhoof the mighty, Mage Meadowbrook the gentle, the ever optimistic Somnambula, the exquisite Mistmane, Flash Magnus ever steadfast, and the powerful Starswirl the Bearded.

With these new powers, they were able to push back the forces of darkness, rallying all pony troops to join them as they took the fight to Tirek's doorstep deep underground. Where with a final, radiant blast, they bound the great demon from horn to hoof with mighty chains of light! Harmony then returned to the lands and ponies did rejoice in their new heroes!

Peace was returned to the land for many years as the Pillars of Equestria settled into their new lives as heroes.

Unfortunately, it was a peace that was not meant to last...

And so did the heroes fall...

So was pony-kind once more brought to the brink...

Chapter 1

There was an unnatural silence in the air. The warm summer night should have been inviting for all manner of nocturnal creatures to fill White Woods with the sound of activity and calls. But the nights weren't safe for either pony or animal now, aside from insects such as the glimmering fireflies that were out, only the very brave or the very foolish would wander the woods at night.

And yet the sky was perfectly clear, allowing for an unobstructed view of the full moon with it's marks that made the shape of a mare. When foals asked about the mare in the moon, they were told that it was an image of the great goddess Luna, who watched over all ponies as they slept and made sure they had good dreams.

Too bad she could not help with a live nightmare...

A sound could soon be heard echoing through the woods, panting, fearful whimpers, eager growls, it was the sound of the hunt.

A pegasus mare skid along the ground as she made a sharp turn around a tree, three wolves in hot pursuit! But these were no ordinary wolves. No, if they were she could reason with them, talk to them, convince them to leave her alone. These wolves were bigger than average, meaner and more ferocious, with a dark look in their eyes. Something was wrong with the land. It was why so many of her friends were gone, having headed west. Fluttershy wished she had gone with them!

The yellow pegasus let out a frightened cry when she felt one of the wolf's jaws snap so close to her flank! She poured all remaining energy she had into her legs, willing herself to move to move faster, wishing she wasn't so scared that her wings were practically glued to her sides! If she could just lose them, if she could just get back home! Unfortunately it seemed her luck wouldn't improve just yet as suddenly from the side, one of the wolves suddenly barreled into her side, knocking her off balance and sending her rolling into a tree! The wind was knocked out of her, and her lungs that had already been desperately trying to take in air had to work double time as she felt her head swim. Her vision was spotty for the moment but she could hear the wolves approaching, surrounding her, ready to strike. Out of instinct Fluttershy placed her forehooves over her head in a feeble attempt to defend herself from the impending strike!

Only for it to not come. Instead she heard the sound of a blunt impact before a sharp crack and a pained, screeching howl. She peeked beyond her hooves to see another pony now standing between her and the wolves. The mystery pony giving a snort before rushing head on to the second wolf that lunged at her, managing to get low so she could headbutt it in the chest and send it flying back. That was when the third wolf made it's move, Fluttershy opened her mouth but fear paralyzed her from making a sound to warn the other pony of the attack! It's slam made full contact and sent the two rolling, the pony swearing loudly before she landed on top and slammed her right forehoof down on the wolf's head with such force that it cracked like an egg. Fluttershy felt her stomach churn and she closed her eyes before she got too good a look at the gruesome sight.

The mare's ears flicked as she heard the other two wolves retreat, the sound of the other pony coming closer made her start to curl up into a ball until she heard the other speak "Ya' okay? They didn't getcha' did they?" Fluttershy opened an eye just a smidge before opening them fully to get a better look. Her savior was a mare and an earth pony, it was hard to hazard a guess at the colors of her mane and coat with what little moonlight filtered through the trees, but they were definitely light colors. What really stood out was the leather armor the mare wore along with the strange hat on her head. And the blood coming from the underside of her belly...

The mare offered a gentle smile after awhile, keeping a respectable distance as she asked again "You okay?"

"Y-You're bleeding..." Fluttershy pointed out, slowly rising to her feet and taking a step closer, squinting so she could better see the slash marks.

"Yeah, Ah am." the mare pointed out simply before giving a light shake of her head "Ya' shouldn't be out in the woods at night. Ain't safe."

"You are though. And you got hurt helping me..."

"Ah did. S'fine though, Ah jes' gotta' settle down somewhere fer the night and-"

"Let me help you." said Fluttershy, the timid mare taking another step forward "... I have a home not far from here. I can help you with those cuts."

"Ah really gotta' get goin-"

"Please." said Fluttershy, actually sounding quite adamant, giving a quiet, pleading look to her rescuer. The other shuffled for a moment, seeming unsure before finally giving a nod. Fluttershy would turn and lead the way, looking back every so often as they went deeper into the forest. After a decent trot, they made it to a cave and the hero mare hesitated for a moment. "It's fine. It's just me and Angel." assured the pegasus, entering without fear with the earth pony following seconds later. The cave sloped down for a bit, a gentle green glow growing as they reached the back and the source revealed to be mushrooms growing along the cave walls.

The area was filled with plenty of necessary comforts, such as a blanket spread over a bedding of leaves and what not. A small area looked like it had been used for small fires, there were twigs and even clay woven into baskets that held various things, there was even a small white rabbit that appeared to be eying the new mare suspiciously before looking over to Fluttershy. "It's fine." she assured the rabbit, motioning for the other pony to take a seat while she went to the various baskets and started collecting some things.

"Nice place." she heard the other mare say, Fluttershy's only response being to look over and mumble a thank you before turning back. Now next to the other, Fluttershy motioned for the mare to lay on her side, her rescuer complying after a moment's hesitation. The pegasus was quiet as she looked over the bleeding scratches. They were deep but nothing that she couldn't handle, all it took was crushing up the right mixture of plants, spreading it on the wounds and then pressing a cleaned leaf to it like a bandage.

The mare let out a small hiss that made Fluttershy recoil slightly "Sorry!" she whispered out.

"Don't worry 'bout it." she assured, smiling and waving it off as she sat up. "Just a l'il sting, Ah'll live." A small silence settled between them, both seeming unsure of what to say or do next until a thought came up. "What's yer name?"

"F-Flutter... shy..."

"Fluttershy, huh?" After receiving a nod to confirm, the mare smiled "Ah'm Applejack, nice ta' meet ya'." With that, the mare stood up and stretched for a moment "Anyways, Ah'll leave ya' be n' find a place ta' camp fer the night."

"A-Alone? Outside...?" asked Fluttershy, standing up as well as she shot the other mare a concerned look.

"Ah'm sure Ah can find a safe 'nough place." assured Applejack, giving a light shrug of her shoulders.

"W-Well... why not here?" offered the pegasus, scuffing the ground with a hoof and casting her gaze to the ground. "You did help me with the wolves earlier, you were even hurt for the trouble... the least I could do is offer a safe place to sleep for the night." She bit her lower lip while watching Applejack mull it over and she released a breath when the other gave a nod.

"Alright, if'n Ah'm not imposin' or nothin'."

"Oh no! Not at all." assured Fluttershy, giving a shake of her head before fidgeting and motioning towards her sleeping area. "If you like, you could take my bed..."

"Shoot, I wouldn't take yer bed Fluttershy. Ah'll be fine." said Applejack, looking around before choosing what looked to be a comfy space of cave floor and settling down upon it. Fluttershy would simply relent and turn towards her own bed, curling up on top of the blanket as Angel hopped over and lied down next to her. The cave itself was quite warm and it would be easy enough to start dozing off...

"... what're ya' doin' livin' in a cave anyway?" Fluttershy cracked an eye open to look over at Applejack, seeing the mare resting her head on her forelegs and looking at her. "Ah mean, these woods are pretty close to the Shadow Pony's territory. Why didn't ya' head off west like other ponies?" Her inquisitive gaze softened as she saw the pegasus squirm slightly. "Sorry, Ah guess Ah shouldn't pry."

"... I... I should have gone west." Fluttershy admitted, voice soft as she turned her gaze to some spot on the wall behind Applejack. "Harry, my friend who used to live in this cave, he'd gone west awhile ago."

"Ya' had a friend just livin' in this cave before you?"

"Oh yes, he was a bear."

"Ah see..."

"Mm-hm. Anyways, many of the animals in this forest have fled. I think they could feel that the lands were changing. But I stayed behind."

"Why?"

".... I'm waiting."

"Waiting?"

"Mm-hm."

"For what?" asked Applejack, met only with silence as Fluttershy rolled over and turned away. The earth pony stared at the other for awhile before slowly closing her eyes.

"... why are you here?" Applejack's eyes opened and focused on the back of the pegasus. "If most ponies have gone west, then why are you here in this forest?"

"... Ah'm lookin' fer someone."

"Are they lost?"

"Ah hope so." the mare was quiet for a time, a far off look in her eyes "Ah was told they got separated 'round that Bogg near Everfree Forest."

"They?"

"The group he was with. They ne'er went back ta' search fer him. So Ah..." There was a pause and Applejack looked away from Fluttershy "Ah jes' gotta' see if'n Ah can find him."

"Is that... is that in the Shadow Pony's territory?" asked Fluttershy in a hushed tone.

"Yeah." Applejack glanced over and saw that Fluttershy had turned back over, much to the annoyance of Angel who was trying to sleep. Seeing the worried look on the other's face, Applejack gave her a gentle smile "Don't look so worried. Ah know how ta' run if'n things get bad. In fact, how 'bout when Ah'm done with mah searchin', you n' me can head west together when Ah come back? Okay?" She seemed satisfied when Fluttershy gave a small nod and closed her eyes "Night Fluttershy."

"Goodnight." However, as Fluttershy closed her eyes, she found sleep would not come easy to her. It wasn't because of the light snoring from her guest, it was actually quite comforting. It reminded her of when Harry was still around. It was more all the thoughts buzzing around in her head that would not allow her to rest just yet. Being rescued, talking with Applejack, the unnatural quiet of the forest, the fact that Applejack would leave tomorrow and she would have to wait.

And wait... and wait... and wait.

Fluttershy wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but when she woke up Applejack was gone and Angel was cooking a root over a small fire. The pegasus sprang to her hooves and asked Angel when Applejack had left, the bunny in turn miming that it hadn't been that long which made Fluttershy sprint out of the cave and into the early morning light. She wouldn't have to hurry for long before she caught up, Applejack's trotting coming to a half when she heard the ruckus behind her. "Fluttershy?" she asked, looking surprised to see the timid mare busting through the brush and panting. "What're ya' doin'?"

Once she caught her breath, Fluttershy raised her head but paused once she got a better look at Applejack. Blonde mane and tail, orange coat, freckles. Then her mind snapped back to why she chased after the other and asked "Yo-Y-You... you'll come back... right?"

Gaze softening, Applejack moved closer to Fluttershy and placed a foreleg around her in a quick hug "Sure as rain sugarcube. Ah'll be back to come get ya'." Stepping back, the blonde gave her one last smile before turning around to continue her trek "Ya' head back to yer place now, ya' here? Ya' gotta' keep yerself safe 'til Ah come back." Fluttershy stayed still, watching Applejack slowly disappear into the forest before looking up to the treetop, frowning as she could see the blue sky above with bits of white clouds. She looked back in the direction Applejack had gone before turning and slowly making her way back to the cave.

Once inside, she took a seat and stared ahead of her, knowing now that all there was to do was wait...

Her attention was caught by Angel as the bunny hopped over and presented the cooked root to her, which she picked up in her forehooves and slowly started to chew on. Just her and Angel, waiting in the silent forest...

At the edge of the forest was a grand field, with a river to the right, mountains to the left, and ahead would be Applejack's destination. Despite having to deal with ferocious wolves in the forest, it had provided cover and stepping out into the open was starting to make the earth pony nervous. Applejack closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stepping forward. One hoof in front of the other, easy as bucking trees.

"Applejack!" Her eyes snapped open and she stopped dead, her whole face the perfect definition of shock when she turned and saw Fluttershy galloping after her, Angel bunny on her back and two baskets connected by her blanket slung over her back like some home made saddle bags.

"Fluttershy, what're you doin'?"

"I'm coming with you-"

Applejack immediately cut her off "No way, no how! Ah'm goin' into some dangerous territory! If somethin' happens then yer gonna be in real danger!" Seeing Fluttershy lower her head and start to tremble, the blonde immediately felt bad. She reached out with a hoof to touch the pegasus's shoulder but stopped when the other mare spoke up.

"I don't want to wait anymore..." when Fluttershy raised her head and Applejack was struck by how sad those teal eyes looked. "I don't want to be alone anymore. I want... I want to be sure we'll both go west. Together."

Frowning softly, Applejack looked away for a moment, pawing the ground in thought before looking back at the timid mare. "And if'n Ah told ya' to go back to yer home?"

"I'd..." Fluttershy seemed to shrink at this, it was her turn to avert her gaze before looking back "I'd still... I'd still follow you." Then she winced when Applejack's frown deepened. Yet despite the blonde's apparent displeasure, Fluttershy stood her ground and waited for the earth pony to speak.

"... If'n yer serious. Then here's the rules." said Applejack, the serious tone in her voice making Fluttershy pay especially close attention. "If there's trouble, you run. Ya' don't stick 'round to try n' help me or nothin'. Ya' get yerself and Angel to safety. If somethin' happens to me, you get yourself back here to this forest n' then ya' head west. Ya' got it?" Once she got a vigorous nod from the pegasus, Applejack sighed before turning and starting to trot off.

She didn't like this, not one bit. Fluttershy didn't strike her as having any kind of fight in her and honestly she hoped that the mare would just turn around. A glance back and she saw Fluttershy trailing after her, causing the earth pony to shake her head and turn her gaze forward.

Applejack had a bad feeling about this...

Author's Note

Woo! Chapter one done! The first step on a hopefully epic adventure! Stay tuned for chapter 2 kids!

Chapter 2

Hours had passed since they began to traverse the fields and while Applejack was still on high alert, Fluttershy had begun to relax. She even began to find the change in scenery enjoyable if she ignored the feeling of dread knowing that they were drawing closer towards the heart of the Shadow Pony's territory. Whenever the thought crept into her head, the pegasus would walk a little closer to Applejack, occasionally bumping into the other and muttering a quick apology before giving the earth pony space. After about the tenth time of this happening, Applejack stopped and turned suddenly to face her, causing Fluttershy to nearly bump into her again "S-Sorry!" she squeaked, stepping back as Applejack gave a light shake of her head.

"Ya' don't gotta' apologize. But if'n yer this nervous, ya' should probably head back to the forest." she suggested, which earned her a vigorous head shake from Fluttershy. "Ya' sure?" This time the answer was a nod. "Alright." said Applejack, turning around and continuing to trot with Fluttershy soon stepping in place next to her. After awhile more of walking, Applejack glanced over to Fluttershy and said "So, ya' were livin' in a cave with a bear fer awhile. What happened to yer parents?"

"... I'm not sure." said Fluttershy, voice soft as she looked up to the sky "It was a long time. Cloudsdale used to be in the skies over White Forest, I fell during an attack on the city." Angel crawled up from her back onto the top of her head, reaching down to pat her head comfortingly. "I waited for a long time, but no one ever came to get me."

"And ya' didn't try flyin' back up yerself?"

"I wasn't the best flier back then and I had no idea if the attack was still going. I was just... too scared." Another pat on the head from Angel made her continue "One day when I looked up to the sky, Cloudsdale was just gone and I had no idea where it went. I didn't think of anything else to do except... wait."

"An ya' jes' kept waitin' even after yer animal friends left?"

"Yes." Fluttershy fidgeted a moment before continuing "I still had some hope that maybe I'd be found. I really miss my family and just talking to ponies in general. But at some point... at some point I guess I figured I'd never see my family again." Fluttershy cast her gaze to the ground for awhile, saddened before looking up again "And I was alone again and worried about making the journey on my own. Then you came along and now I want to make sure we go west together."

"Ah'd never break a promise if Ah could help it. N' if'n Ah were in yer horseshoes, Ah'd of jes' taken a chance ta' get home or ta' someplace safer." However, upon seeing the other mare start to wilt, the blonde gave a small smile before saying "But Ah guess Ah can understand. Ah'd have as hard a time as you figurin' out what to do in that situation." Looking back ahead of her, Applejack added "Ah don't know much of what's goin' on with Cloudsdale mahself, but Ah'd put good bits on it still standin' since Ah hear it's got one heckuva fighting force."

"Mm-hm, I was always told a lot about Cloudsdale's military. I'm sure Cloudsdale is still fine." said Fluttershy, not just to confirm what Applejack thought but to mostly to stave off the fears that tried to creep into her mind every now and then. Clearing her throat, she followed up by asking "So um, who are we looking for exactly?" Curious teal eyes glanced over to see Applejack still looking ahead but a small frown was forming "Not that you have to tell me..." murmured Fluttershy, looking away as they continued to trot through the fields.

It would be a couple minutes later before Applejack spoke up "Nah, Ah s'pose it's only fair ya' know." The blonde mare rolled her jaw a moment, composing her thoughts before just finally saying "Ah'm lookin' fer mah father." Her next words easily carried over the small gasp from Fluttershy "Him n' a lotta' other folks wanted ta' join the fight proper, mah brother included. They wanted ta' head on to the Isle of Mane where they say the princess is but they ran inta' patrol round the swamp. Couple a ponies other than mah Pa was left behind too..."

"That's awful." murmured Fluttershy before perking up a bit "But at least your brother got away. Right?"

Applejack's features darkened some "Yeah. He did."

"... is that bad?" asked Fluttershy after a moment, her nerves starting to work up at seeing the bad mood Applejack was starting to get in.

"Y-No... no." Just as fast as the stormy mood had come on, it was replaced by a small look of guilt. "Ah'm happy mah brother came back but. But he shouldn't of jes' left Pa' there!" And the storm was rolling back in. "He shouldn't a jes' ran! He shoulda' tried ta' help him and now-!" she cut herself off before finishing the thought, instead looking off at some spot in the distance as she stewed in her thoughts. Naturally Fluttershy shrank back from this, not saying a word and glancing over every now and then to see if the mare's mood was getting any better. It took a couple minutes before Applejack seemed to go from a boil to a simmer and that was the time that Fluttershy chose to speak again.

"Well... what if he had gotten hurt?" she licked her lips and elaborated when Applejack shot her a questioning look "If your brother had tried to help, what if he had gotten hurt or worse? Maybe it was for the best that he got away."

"He still coulda' tried somethin'!" insisted Applejack.

"But what?"

Applejack opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, her mind turning over the possible solutions in her mind but each idea just seemed to come up short. It was like when Big Mac had practically asked her the same question. Except she found her anger waning since it wasn't her brother in front of her now but Fluttershy. It was hard to be made when it seemed like just a glare could make the mare curl up on the ground. "... could've done something." Applejack finally said, a tone of petulance in her voice as she looked away.

Fluttershy decided to just leave it at that.

For the rest of the day they would travel in silence, the tension giving away to awkward silence and then just silence. Fluttershy's nerves began to dissipate little by little as she enjoyed the view around her. Despite her fall from Cloudsdale having been on accident, she had quickly grown to love the ground and all that it provided. Not to say the sky didn't have it's own beauty of course, but down here... everything was just so colorful and there had been so much life! Life she'd get to see again when she went west. That thought alone helped to drive the pegasus onwards despite the gnawing feeling that grew in her stomach as they traveled in the direction of Canter mountain.

By the time night had fallen, they had reached the road that would lead to a bridge over the Everfree river. However, instead of taking it right now, they headed into a small patch of forest to rest. No fire would be lit lest it be seen by any and all that were about. Despite it being another warm night, Fluttershy slowly began to scoot closer and closer to Applejack. "Ah'll take first watch. " said the blonde, laying low to the ground, ears perked and listening for the slightest sound. Surprisingly, Angel bunny made an appearance from one of the baskets Fluttershy carried, standing tall atop Fluttershy's chest and beating a small paw against his chest. "Ya' wanna go next?" asked Applejack, raising a brow and then chuckling when the bunny nodded "Alright. Guess we got our shifts set then."

Did she just hear a twig snap?! A silent squeak came from Fluttershy as she pressed closer to Applejack's side, eyes wide and on alert as the dark night began to give way ever so slowly to an opaque gray. After being kicked awake by Angel she had been sitting in the darkness for awhile now, every shadow possibly hiding a soldier of Sombra's or a minion of Stygian's. Or perhaps even another ferocious wolf! At this point the poor mare was squeezed so tightly next to Applejack it was almost like they were fused together. But it was almost dawn now, things would be much better in the light... she hoped.

"... yer kinda close there sugarcube."

"Eep!" Fluttershy instantly hopped away, eyes wide as she looked over at Applejack. The mare had one eye open, looking at her and had one white bunny passed out on top of her head. It was kind of adorable seeing Angel like that actually. "S-Sorry!" said Fluttershy, fidgeting nervously as she watched Applejack give a good, big stretch of her forelegs, causing a couple pops to sound in her back before standing up and stretching her back legs one by one.

"Don't worry none, sugarcube. Ya' did good lookin' out." she assured, giving the other mare a smile before motioning in a direction of the forest. "This way should be the way to the river. Last Ah heard the bridge was bein' watched when mah brother n' his group came this way. We'll have a way to cross further up the river n' get to the Bogg through the forest." After receiving just a nod from Fluttershy, Applejack got to walking in the direction she had picked out. Angel slid down from her head, along her neck and hopped along her back before giving one big hop that landed him on top of Fluttershy's head.

The trek would be quiet, Fluttershy this time following behind Applejack and able to notice that the other was more tense than before, ears flicking this way and that, on alert. Fortunately they reached the Everfree river without any trouble, Applejack would take a peek beyond a tree, looking this way and that for any signs of trouble before giving a small nod and leaving the cover of the forest. When Fluttershy did so as well, she saw an uprooted tree a little ways up, laying across the wide and fast running river. She hesitated while Applejack climbed up the roots and onto the trunk, the blonde looking back at Fluttershy "Ya' comin'?" That was enough to get the pink maned mare to give a quick nod before scurrying over. A closer look showed the tree was fairly dead at this point but still solid, Fluttershy wrapped a hoof around a root and began to pull herself up when she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Applejack had looked back to her to see how she was doing and her front right hoof slipped, the smooth trunk not offering a hold for her other hooves to gain purchase.

Fluttershy sprinted forward and almost fell in herself but out of instinct her wings sprang open, sending the makeshift saddle with all her herbs into the drink as she flew in to grab Applejack by her barrel. Having lived on the ground for many years and not using her wings as much was already a strain, but Applejack was heavy! Fluttershy took a deep breath and pumped her wings as hard as she could, edging them back to the tree so that Applejack could set her hooves back down on it. When that was done, the pegasus collapsed onto the tree, panting hard with Angel bunny still gripping tightly onto her mane from his perch on her head.

"T-Thanks Fluttershy." said Applejack, a slight waver in her voice as she recovered from the near spill. She turned around carefully so that she was facing the other mare, a small smile on her face as she admitted "Ah fergot ya' had them wings there."

"M-Me... me too." Fluttershy breathed out, the two looking at each other before they giggled softly.

"Sorry ya' lost yer stuff." Applejack said after a moment, looking down the river and seeing nothing, the baskets and blankets swept away by the current.

"It's fine. I can gather more." Though she would miss that blanket. The pegasus moved onto her hooves and, taking another breath, moved along with Applejack much more carefully than before until they hopped off at the other side. One hurdle down, another to go as the Everfree forest loomed on ahead of them. It certainly didn't look friendly, not compared to the one Fluttershy had lived in for many years. Her ears flattened back and her tail curled around her back leg as she looked upon the dark and foreboding trees before her.

"Ya' can always stay back across the river," offered Applejack, a gentle look on her face. "The Everfree is filled with all manner a' beasts. Ah hear they got manticores and strange wolves n' the like." Seeing the mare gulp softly, Applejack placed a hand on her shoulder "Jes' wait for me, Ah'll-"

"No!" Fluttershy suddenly said, giving a shake of her head that jostled the white bunny on top. "No. I-I'll be fine. I'm sure." The last part she spoke up before Applejack could interject.

"... alright then." said Applejack, looking back to the forest and taking a deep breath, tense once more but also determined as she made her way into Everfree Forest with Fluttershy trotting uneasily behind her. It turned out to be even darker inside the forest than she had thought, which caused the mare to pick up her pace so she could stick closer to Applejack's side. Every rustling sound and echoing howl worked the pegasus's nerves further into a frenzy, tying and untying themselves into knots whenever she saw a flicker of a shadow in the corner of her eye or when she heard a twig snap.

"... you're a might close again, Fluttershy."

Realizing she was almost fusing with Applejack's side, the pegasus backed up with a small blush "Sorry."

"Don't worry 'bout it." said the earth pony, giving the other a small smile as they continued walking "S'long as we keep headin' in this direction, we'll be there 'fore ya' know it."

"How do you know which is the right way?"

"Simple. Mah brother said they went 'long south-east like. If'n Ah feel we're off course Ah'll just climb a tree n' check the sky. Cause the sun 'n moon always go down on the east side of the land."

"I see." said Fluttershy, unsure but trusting that Applejack knew what she was talking about.

As they continued on, Fluttershy began to grow more relaxed. These woods were still spooky but without any sign of a fearsome creature, she was starting to think they would get through this just fine. Plus, despite how creepy it was, there were some pretty sights. Some trees were lovely, there were flowers she hadn't seen before, a pair of yellow-greenish eyes were looking at her from a bush.

... uh oh.

Out from the bush launched a - well it was like a wolf but made of wood and she really couldn't think about it much because she had immediately taken off! However the sound of something colliding against wood made her stop and look back, just barely catching sight of Applejack and the wooden wolf tumbling back through the bushes. "Oh no!" she hesitated for but a moment before following after them, seeing them roll through a small field of blue flowers before Applejack finally got the upper hand and brought her hoof down on the thing's head.

Only to be thrown off as the headless body lumbered to it's feet and took off. Once it was gone, Fluttershy quickly moved in, checking Applejack for injuries "Are you okay?"

"Fine, little mussed up." said the blonde, rubbing at a spot on her right foreleg where it looked like the thing's teeth had just started to sink in. That seemed to be the worst of it. She looked back up with a small smile as she added "Glad ya' didn't just keep on boltin'. Least while you were jes' headin' deeper in and not back the way we came. Dunno how long it would've taken me ta' find ya'." Standing up, she gave a nod back through the bushes "C'mon, let's keep goin'."

Giving a nod, Fluttershy was quiet as they left the clearing and it would be a couple minutes more before she spoke up "So... you're not angry that I didn't just run?"

"Naw." said Applejack, waving it off with one hoof. "Ya' saw me take on three wolves before, one made a wood ain't gonna bring me down. 'Sides, you'll know when Ah'm done fer when ya' see it. Ah ain't worried that ya' won't be able to make the call."

Even though she said that, Fluttershy still frowned and turned her gaze to some spot in the distance. Thinking back to her previous conversations with Applejack about her brother and her father, about why she was doing all of this. These thoughts were swirling about in her mind for the rest of the walk and thankfully no more wooden wolves had decided to take a shot at them. Things seemed to be getting lighter and up ahead the trees were starting to thin out a bit. Fluttershy felt the urge to just run the rest of the way into the late afternoon light but resisted, wanting to stay close to Applejack. Her happiness at the sunlight dulled some when she got a look at the Bogg. Not to say it was a bad Bogg, she was sure plenty of creatures liked it, but it seemed just about as welcoming as Everfree forest.

"Hang back sugarcube," said Applejack, giving a reassuring smile to Fluttershy, "Bogg ain't got much cover, Ah'll be quick." And with that, the blonde mare trotted out carefully into the open, ears twitching and eyes scanning for any sign of her father. Fluttershy for her part laid down low and watched, wondering if Applejack really thought her father was still in the Bogg. Maybe he was and he had been hiding somewhere? What if he'd gotten lost in the Everfree forest? Was Applejack looking for some sign of where her father had gone? It seemed so unlikely but Fluttershy hadn't wanted to say anything...

Time passed and the sun was starting to get lower and lower towards the horizon. A small snore coming from the top of her head alerted Fluttershy to the fact that Angel had effectively fallen asleep. How much longer was Applejack going to keep searching?

Her head picked up when she heard a noise, past the tree she was next to and to the right. When she got in a good enough position to see, she gasped, beginning to shake softly as she saw two griffons standing over Applejack. This wasn't good. This wasn't good! She cantered in place for a moment, knowing what Applejack had told her to do if things looked bad but...

She took a deep breath and charged in, splashing along one edge of one of the largest ponds in the Bogg, not noticing the bubbles that were starting to come up from the middle as she cleared it.

The sound was enough to gain the attention of the three, all surprised but Applejack was the first to recover fast and slammed an elbow into the chest of the griffon on her right. The one on her left was made to stumble a bit from Fluttershy running into him, making the griffon snarl before drawing razor sharp claws across the mare's cheek. Fluttershy stumbled back, shocked and bleeding as something small and white rocketed from the top of her head and into the griffon's eyes.

Tartarus truly hath no fury like an enraged rabbit as his teeth dug into the griffon's eye, gouging it out and making the griffon shout out in enraged pain! The griffon grabbed Angel, looking at the animal with his one eye, ready to strangle the life out of him, when a rib shattering blow came from his right. It sent him rolling across the ground, losing his grip on Angel as he stopped with a great splash in the largest pond of the Bogg. Applejack gave an angry snort after the buck, turning back around to see Angel hopping back to Fluttershy, frowning as he saw the deep cuts on her cheek. "Fluttershy..." began Applejack, almost not knowing where to start as she trotted up to the mare.

"I'm fine..." said Fluttershy, voice shaky as she raised a hoof to her cheek, eyes widening and knees knocking when she saw the amount of blood.

"Filthy... ponies." gasped the griffon that had been knocked to the pond, pained from his wounds and from seeing his comrade laying motionless on the ground not too far away. "You'll pay... you'll be taken to the Shadow Pony himself. You'll pay!" he declared, prepared to go on a tirade when he saw the pony's and rabbit's eyes widen, looking at something above him as they slowly began to back away. He quickly turned, screaming as the last thing he saw was a giant fanged maw crash down upon him like a wave.

"Hydra..." breathed Fluttershy, shaking more than ever as she gazed upon the four headed beast- it's third head rearing back and swallowing the lump of what used to be the griffon down it's throat and into the shared gullet.. She didn't even feel Angel scrabbling up her leg and back onto her head.

"Run!" ordered Applejack, turning and pushing Fluttershy with her head to get the pegasus jump started. Their pace quickened as a quintet of roars sounded behind them. The ground beneath their hooves began to tremble and shake with every thunderous step that the creature took. It's stride was great despite the hydra being a lumbering beast, whenever Applejack tried to veer to the left or right, the farthest of it's heads would come around and snap at them, forcing them to stay in the Bogg. "Fluttershy! Ya' gotta' fly n' get away! Now!"

"No!" replied Fluttershy, shaking her head. Applejack didn't have a chance to argue because they had to screech to a stop before they went over a waterfall. The blonde glanced down below, seeing it was quite a drop and beyond that was a gorge that ran under a great bridge in the distance, patrolled by more griffons. Applejack looked back and saw the hydra approaching closer. Scowling, Applejack turned and pawed the ground, her stance indicating she was readying a charge. "Applejack-!"

"No! Ah'll buy some time! You jes' get away!" said Applejack before she ran straight on towards the great beast. She barely managed to clear a jump to the left as one of the heads struck the ground where she had been. This left her unable to retreat with two more heads waiting ahead of her but she wouldn't stop moving. If she did she was done for sure! Instead she tried to roll further left to avoid them but the water made her come up just short as one of the heads lunged at her, it's jaws snapping shut around the earth pony!

"Applejack!" screamed Fluttershy, having refused to move from her spot by the fall, eyes beginning to mist over as she watched the head rear up to swallow her friend.

Only... it looked like it was having some trouble. The three other heads looked to it, confused as it's mouth seemed to be opening. It wasn't much but Applejack was able to crack open it's jaw, her form hunched over and breathing hard as she summoned every ounce of her strength to free herself. She could hear all of the heads hissing in displeasure and smell the acrid breath of the hydra. No way was she going to die here! She gagged when she felt it's forked tongue thwack against her, trying to dislodge her from her spot when an idea came to mind. She let go of her hold on the jaws, letting them snap shut as she grabbed the tongue and bit down so hard she nearly tore through it! The creature opened it's mouth from shock and pain, allowing her to jump out... and immediately have three heads waiting below to snap her up. Applejack began to flail, trying as hard as she could to try and avoid her fate but it was no use. She closed her eyes and waited for the end... only to feel herself suddenly jerked to the side, barely being missed by each of the three heads. "F-Fluttershy?" she asked before opening her eyes to confirm it was indeed the pegasus that had helped her once again.

However they soon had a crash landing back in the water by the fall, skidding to a stop and soaked. There was no time to celebrate the close call though since the hydra was back on them, all four heads lunging as one this time and Applejack barely able to pull them out of the way. The stone cracked and groaned from the force, the ground becoming unstable beneath them before it finally gave out, the two mares and rabbit plummeting down the falls! Fluttershy was still close to Applejack and furiously began beating her wings, trying to slow their descent as all three disappeared into the depths below.

The stars were clear and beautiful that night, the moon casting it's gentle glow on the strangely barren and plain land below it. The only sound breaking this gentle atmosphere was of splashing and gasping as an exhausted, banged up and sopping wet earth mare dragged her companion to shore. Applejack grunted as she pulled an unconscious Fluttershy up onto the bank, taking another glance to see that yes, Angel had somehow knotted himself up so tightly in her mane that he had managed to hang on. A quick look showed that they were both still breathing, a longer one and she got a good look at the pegasus's wings. One fine, the other bent at an odd angle. She winced but continued to carefully drag them onto land, having no idea where they were or what to do now. Well, outside of getting some rest.

She looked around before spotting a tree in the distance, deciding it was better than nothing as she carefully pulled Fluttershy onto her back and carried her over there. She set the mare down first before collapsing right next to her, falling into a deep slumber.