Dragonshy

Fluttershy continued hovering softly in place as they all approached a large canyon and she looked around with wide eyes.

“It’s so pretty,” Fluttershy whispered in awe as the others quietly voiced their agreement as Derpy pointed at a weathered metal sign that was bent.

“Be aware of rock avalanches caused by loud noises. Avalanches create a low rumbling sound. Be alert, stay alive,” Derpy read quietly.

“Staying alive sounds preferable,” Silverspeed grunted and shifted her weight slightly. She kicked a rock and they all jumped at a metallic clanging sound. “The hell?”

Sunset and Trixie both shared a look as they approached where the metallic sound came from. They both knew they didn’t really have time for this but they felt drawn to a nearby cave.

“Trixie, can you feel that?” Sunset asked and Trixie nodded slowly.

“Mhm.”

“Sunset? Trixie?” Shoeshine asked warily as the two kept trotting forward and disappeared inside. “Does anypony else know what’s going on here?”

“Not a clue,” Lily shook her head. “Should we follow or-?”

“Follow,” Derpy answered and started trotting after the two unicorns with the others behind her. “I don’t like this. It was weird.”

“Agreed. Sunset?” Roseluck called out quietly as they entered the cave. Roseluck felt bad for Silverspeed as the pegasus cursed loudly and forced herself into the cave with a grunt. “What are you- woah.”

They all looked around in awe at the multi colored cave of different blues and pinks with crystals surrounding them. Sunset and Trixie sat on their haunches next to a circle that glowed blue.

“What is this place?” Shoeshine asked finally as she finished examining the cavern.

“During Celestia’s fight with Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago, rumor was Celestia used so much magic from the elements that when the magic hit the ground, it created caverns like this,” Sunset gestured around them. “It’s said that these walls can replenish an Equestrians magic. Even earth ponies and pegasi.”

“It’s beautiful,” Fluttershy commented and hovered next to some crystals on the ceiling.

“That’s what this is. It’s straight to the core of Equestria and magic flows freely out into our world. Only unicorns can feel them. It’s like a tingly sensation in the base of our horns. It felt really nice,” Sunset turned a faint red with Trixie. “It pretty much leads us to it.”

Silverspeed and Lily both approached the two and peered into the hole, each raising an eyebrow at the swirling colors of the rainbow. When Sunset had said straight to the core of Equestria, this wasn’t really what the two had in mind.

“So what was that clanging sound we heard?” Roseluck asked and Sunset shrugged.

“Not sure. But this is so much cooler than anything I’ve ever seen before. I never imagined this would be on the outskirts of Ponyville,” Sunset and Trixie both placed a hoof on the dirt surrounding them reverently.

Roseluck and the others assumed it was some unicorn thing they were doing as they watched with raised eyebrows.

“Let’s go. Trixie, remember where this was. I wanna come back with you later. We need to do some tests here,” Sunset told the blue mare as Trixie levitated her cape and hat back on she had discarded at the door.

“You got it.”

The two stood up and Sunset paused before brushing some dirt off a book and she levitated it to her muzzle, her horn glowing a bright teal to illuminate the cover.

“Huh. Has names inside,” Sunset started flipping through the pages. “These were occasionally used to help young unicorns get a hold of their magic and taught magic. Like a school.”

Derpy hummed to herself before glancing at Sunset and Trixie curiously.

“Like Dinky,” Derpy commented casually and Sunset nodded.

“Yes, exactly. I suppose I could take Dinks up here. Maybe round up some more unicorn fillies and colts,” Sunset shot Trixie a look. “Maybe have Trixie help if she wants.”

“The great and powerful Trixie would be a great and powerful teacher,” Trixie proclaimed and they all rolled their eyes with smirks.

“Just one problem,” Silverspeed raised a hoof and they all looked at her. The pegasus was half stuck in the exit and growling. “How do we get out?”

After almost an hour of the entire group pushing Silverspeed, they were finally able to keep going up the mountain and Sunset wiped some sweat away from her eyebrows.

She had spent more time pushing on the pegasus’ flanks than she had entirely wanted to if she was being honest.

For being a pegasus, Silverspeed was surprisingly heavy. Even Derpy had noticed it but opted to keep her mouth shut. Trixie and Lily, on the other hoof had no such problems on commenting on it.

Silverspeed shot Trixie and Lily a dirty look as she continued preening her wings to smooth down the feathers that got disrupted.

“I swear, I’m gonna run those two through,” Silverspeed continued grumbling and Roseluck gulped. Silverspeed had woken up in a pissed off mood and most of them were refraining from angering her. Most of them, at least. “I’m getting too big in the back. I’m gonna have to run laps to work it off.”

“Well, at least some ponies are into that,” Roseluck suggested and nudged Silverspeed with a smirk. “Or Sunset might.”

“What are you getting at?” Silverspeed fixed her gaze onto Roseluck and she flinched.

“Seriously? I’m a bit shocked you two don’t have a thing going on. You spend more time together than anything. Hell, you got a room in her house. You’ve had to at least had some sort of feelings to Sunset,” Roseluck winked and Silverspeed felt her cheeks warm up slightly.

“Okay maybe once or twice I’ve stolen glances,” Silverspeed admitted and Roseluck smirked at the taller mare.

“I see,” Roseluck hummed and Silverspeed continued trotting behind the group.

“There’s no real rules against but still. I’m just waiting. Besides, Sunset is a nice mare. She most likely has other ponies after her. I know off the top of my wings stallions and mares in town who are after me too.”

“She is pretty cute, isn’t she?” Roseluck questioned with a smirk as they both watched Sunset stand on a rock ahead of them.

“Yeah,” Silverspeed muttered and turned redder. “Oh shit.”

Roseluck snorted and starting laughing as Silverspeed stared at her with her jaw dropped wide open.

“I’m so bucked,” Silverspeed rubbed her face with her hooves. “I’ve been staring at my friends plot for almost five minutes.”

“Could be worse,” Roseluck suggested and Silverspeed shot her a scowl.

“And pray tell, how could this be worse?” Silverspeed demanded and Roseluck shrugged.

“She could be married but isn’t. That makes her fair game,” Roseluck winked and nudged her. “Go for it.”

“Hell no. This my friend we’re talking about. I don’t sleep with friends. They are off limits,” Silverspeed shot back and Roseluck simply raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t stop you from sleeping with Trixie night of the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Shush!” Silverspeed let out a growl and Roseluck jumped. “I only told you that. Don’t tell anypony else.”

“Woah, fuck!” Shoeshine cursed as she tripped over a rock and slammed face first onto the dirt as everypony froze.

“I think we’re okay,” Sunset commented after a moment and everypony sighed in relief. “We need to keep quiet or else-”

A rumbling sound cut her off and her head snapped upwards at some pebbles falling into the canyon.

“Run for your lives!” Sunset shouted and started galloped away after yanking Shoeshine onto her hooves and the two took off with wide eyes.

“Oh fuck!” Trixie cursed and narrowly escaped a boulder bouncing down. Silverspeed and Derpy each picked up Lily and Roseluck as the two pegasi carried them above the rocks.

Roseluck resisted the urge to vomit as Silverspeed did a quick barrel roll to avoid some rocks and Roseluck turned green at the maneuver. To her left, Lily was pretty much suffering the same fate as she continously screamed her head off.

Sunset risked a glance back at the rest of her group and her jaw dropped slightly at Fluttershy jumping from rock to rock and occasionally doing flips mid air to get to higher boulders.

“And here I thought she was just scared of everything,” Sunset whispered to herself as she and Shoeshine reached the end of the canyon, the sound of rocks falling being a deafening sound.

Silverspeed and everypony else joined them excluding Trixie as the unicorn continued galloping in fear.

“Come on!” Derpy gestured a hoof and Trixie jumped over a rock. Sunset’s horn started to glow red as some rocks slammed into where Trixie stood and a cloud of dust went up.

“No,” Shoeshine sat down on her plot hard and coughed. “I got her killed.”

A torn shred of purple fabric from Trixie’s cape sat under the rock once the dust started to clear and the group stared in shock at the sight.

Roseluck sniffed and Derpy hugged her as Sunset stared with a stunned expression next to Fluttershy and Lily. Silverspeed shoved her weight against the rock and grunted as she tried to lift the boulder.

“Come on and help me. We gotta get her out,” Silverspeed let out a strained groan and Lily sighed.

“She’s dead, Silverspeed. There’s no way anypony could survive a boulder falling on them,” Lily answered and scuffed a hoof on the dirt sadly.

“Yeah well, at least I’m trying!” Silverspeed snapped back angrily and glowered at her furiously before turning her attention to the rock. “Move, damnit!”

“What is she doing?” Trixie asked behind the group and dusted some dirt off her shoulder.

“Oh, just trying to move some rock off the top of your body to do I don’t know what,” Sunset answered dismissively as she glanced back. “Hey wait.”

“Trixie?” Shoeshine asked and stood up before tackling her. “Trixie!”

The others grinned and hugged her as Lily tapped Silverspeed on the shoulder and pointed at Trixie as the silver pegasus sighed in relief.

“How didn’t you die? We saw the rock crush you or well, I thought we did,” Roseluck scratched her mane as Derpy nuzzled Trixie.

“I did a somersault right before off another rock. Flew right over you all. You must have missed me in the cloud of smoke,” Trixie explained and levitated her torn cape off before tossing it on the ground. “Oh well. At least that was my spare cape.”

“Don’t ever scare us like that again,” Silverspeed trotted forward and hugged Trixie. “Or else I’ll-” she paused to search the blue unicorn with her eyes. “I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be good!”

“Very ominous,” Trixie snarked with a smirk and leaned into the hug for a rare show of affection. She rarely hugged ponies in general unless absolutely necessary.

The whole group burst out laughing, Silverspeed begrudgingly joining in with a genuine smile.