Resparked

Applejack squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figure moving in the shadows. The silhouette of a unicorn emerged from beneath the thick canopy of leaves, alone. A gnawing suspicion crept over her as she held her breath, waiting for the figure to step into the light. When the sun caught the mane, it seemed to shimmer dark purple, but the heat waves distorted her vision. Applejack blinked and focused harder. Then, as the figure came fully into view, the face became unmistakable.

Applejack let out a sigh of relief as she recognized Rarity's pale, surprised face. The unicorn looked worn out, her hooves sticky with sand, and her once pristine purple mane was tangled and dotted with leaves. The old Rarity from Ponyville would have fainted at the sight of herself, but now it seemed she no longer cared. All that mattered was finding a friend she had thought lost for weeks. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she called out, “Applejack! I’m so glad to see you!”

Rarity galloped toward her, eager to embrace her long-lost friend. But as they collided in the hug, Applejack’s injured leg flared with pain. She let out a sharp groan, “Haah! Careful now... please...”

Rarity recoiled in horror as Applejack broke into a sweat, gritting her teeth from the pain that held her frozen in place.

“Something wrong? Are you hurt?” Rarity circled around her, eyes widening when she saw the injured leg. The sight made her gasp, bringing a hoof to her mouth in shock.

“Yeah! As ya can see, luck ain't been on my side,” Applejack muttered with a strained smile. Rarity's eyes darted around, suddenly lighting up as she remembered something.

“Uh... And what about Rainbow Dash?”

“I ain't got the foggiest! We both blacked out on a beach, then I woke up here all by my lonesome. Any idea where we are? Is this s’posed to be paradise?” Applejack asked, eyeing Rarity’s uneasy expression. It sure didn’t look like it to her.

“First things first, you need some help. After that, I’ll fill you in on everything,” Rarity said.

“What else can you do?” Applejack asked with frustration.

Rarity concentrated, then activated her horn.

“What are you up to, Rarity?” Applejack asked, eyeing the fashion mare warily. Rarity’s gaze flitted nervously between Applejack’s face and her injured leg, which was surrounded by a blue magic aura. Nothing seemed to be happening, and Rarity bit her lip.

“Um… Please, forgive me, but this is going to hurt a lot!”

Before Applejack could react, Rarity started. The bone slid back into place with a sharp crack. Applejack let out a guttural roar of pain, making the birds in the treetops scatter and the smaller animals dart into their burrows in fright.

“Done!” said Rarity, who hadn't enjoyed treating her friend so unprofessionally. A trained unicorn doctor would have been able to do it better and with less pain. The bone was in the wound, yet broken and probably incurable, Rarity preferred not to say that in front of her. Applejack gasped; her throat felt raw. “Kicks McGee” throbbed as if it had a heart of its own. The tears she had shed during the brief treatment ran down her freckles. Rarity grabbed her front hooves and begged for forgiveness.

“And now what?” Applejack asked.

“We haven't made it yet! But soon, Applejack! Soon we'll have it...”

Rarity carried Applejack on her back into the deep palm grove. The unicorn mare used telekinesis to push the branches out of the way. The place was completely alien, with the most exotic plants they had ever seen growing everywhere. The air was warm and humid, quite pleasant weather. A different kind of paradise.

“We just got here, too,” Rarity said, trying to offer some comfort. “Pinkie and Fluttershy are okay, if that helps at all.”

Applejack was actually a little relieved, but she couldn't stop thinking about Rainbow Dash. “How did ya get here?” Applejack asked.

Rarity sighed, “It's a long story. We wandered for weeks through primeval forests and traveled across the sea. Only Fluttershy remembers us being swallowed by a bright light. Then we woke up here. A few hours later, I heard you calling.”

“Applejack!!!”

Suddenly, a burst of pink lightning sprang from the bushes, radiating pure joy. Rarity braced herself, fearing she might be knocked over. “Hold on! Don’t, she’s hurt!”

“Pinkie Pie! I'm so glad to see you,” said Applejack. Pinkie Pie paused, her eyes wandering to her right leg. Applejack was starting to get annoyed that everyone cared so much about that leg. Offended, she hung her head, her mind replaying the arguments she had had with Rainbow Dash last week. Suddenly a gentle pink hoof patted her cheek.

“Hey there! We’ve got a cozy spot all set up for you to rest and get comfy,” Pinkie Pie said with a reassuring smile.

When they arrived at the small camp, it was deserted. Rarity looked around anxiously. Usually, Fluttershy would be right there on her mat. It was unlike her to wander off alone, unless she’d come across a new animal and followed it.

First, with the help of Pinkie Pie, Rarity laid Applejack on a soft mat under a mighty oak tree. They couldn't spare Applejack the pain she was in. Rarity wrapped her ankle with a new cloth, then she went to check on Fluttershy while Applejack had time to think.

Death certainly wore a grim face. For a fleeting moment, Applejack felt lightheaded and her thoughts turned to her family. They had always been her pride and joy, and she longed to be there for them, especially in times of need. Times when she had felt most vulnerable. As a foal, she had faced immense loss and struggled with those deep emotions, using her work on the farm to channel her anger and pain. For years, she had stomped apples from the trees, working through her childhood grief. Now, as she looked at her wounded leg, she wondered where that strength had gone.

A shout broke the silence, making them all jump. Rarity returned, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with urgency. “I can’t explain it – just come and see for yourselves.”

She carefully lifted Applejack onto her back and made her way down to a small stream. Along the banks were remnants of a long-lost civilization, weathered and crumbling. On the opposite side of the water stood a blue pony, watching them intently.

“Rainbow Dash,” Applejack gasped. Fluttershy came up to the two mares, shaking her head in concern. Applejack waved her forelegs at Rainbow, who was standing strangely still in one spot. She did not respond to her calls. It took Rarity a lot of effort to cross the stream. Pinkie and Fluttershy followed her. The friends walked slowly towards Rainbow Dash. The lost pegasus stared at the area in confusion, as if he had forgotten something.

“Let me get closer! I wanna see her face up close!” Applejack called out, her voice filled with a mix of disbelief and concern. The emptiness in Rainbow’s eyes was something she couldn't quite grasp. An endless, hollow void.

“No...” breathed Applejack, fighting back tears,” No, no, no!” She pounded Rainbow's chest, then hugged her to cry on her.

“Mmmgnaah...” Rainbow's only reaction and response to the final reunion. The five friends were together again, or almost. Rarity put Applejack down. It was too much for her and she had to be comforted by Pinkie Pie.

Crossing the small stream with Rainbow Dash was impossible. So, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie carried the mats to the ruins nestled under the palm trees. One of the ruins was overtaken by a massive tree, its roots bursting through the walls. Eventually, the tree would bring down the two-story structure. Applejack settled down with Rainbow in the shade of the ancient building. Rainbow's ears were flushed red from the sun, and her usually vibrant mane was a tangled, split mess.

“That little fighter…” Applejack said softly that evening. “Ah told her to move on without me, but she just wouldn’t let me go. After all she’s been through, she kept pushing, and she did good. She collapsed on the beach, and now look at her. Is there any sense in all this? Can it even explain what happened to poor Twilight?”

Rainbow Dash nuzzled her damp muzzle against Applejack’s shoulder. With Applejack, she always sought comfort, snuggling close. With Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, she seemed to offer a smile. But when Twilight’s name came up, she reacted like it was her own. None of the ponies could sleep well. They kept watch over the ailing Rainbow Dash. Whenever she whimpered from the cold wind, Rarity draped a mat over her. Then, the stream started to glow with a magical light. Bright points of light began dancing across the water, water-fireflies just emerging from their pupae. They floated up to the ponies, and only then did they truly appreciate the beauty of the forest. Rainbow Dash gazed at the tiny creatures in a daze, and though Applejack wasn’t sure if she fully grasped the beauty, it clearly brought some joy to the pegasus.

Applejack noticed that the nights were very short. Time generally seemed to pass quickly. Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, even Rainbow Dash, had found sleep, but not her. Everything around them had become too sad and they had been tormented by thirst and hunger for hours. Pinkie Pie was the first to open her eyes.

“Morning already?” she mumbled sleepily, stretching so that her spine cracked. “How are you, Applejack?”

Applejack shot Pinkie Pie a sharp look. “I haven’t slept a wink, and now you’re askin' me somethin' like that?”

“Oh... sorry!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, who had almost forgotten about Applejack's condition. For Applejack, however, it wasn't over. Pinkie tried to calm her down. “Can I... Can I do anything for you?”

Applejack cast a wistful glance at the parched, cracked earth. “Yep, there’s something. Can ya fetch us somethin’ to eat and drink?”

“You got it!” Pinkie Pie hissed off, the dust and breeze she left behind waking Fluttershy up. She sneezed, stirring up more dust and waking up Rarity. Rainbow Dash mewed like an awakening foal.

“Gesundheit!” said Applejack.

“Thank you, Applejack, but you look awful,” said Rarity, touching her forehead and immediately noticing the fever. “You’re in a really bad shape. Shall I bring you something to eat?”

“Pinkie Pie’s already on her way, but please don’t fuss over me. I’m getting tired of everyone hovering around!” Fluttershy took a few steps back to give Applejack some space.

“Oh, come on now! Once we find paradise, everything will look a whole lot better,” Rarity said.

Rarity's words did little to lift Applejack’s spirits. To her, paradise felt like a distant dream, something that only existed in the world of the dead. The dry, cracked ground and the endless search had worn her down. She felt a deep weariness settle over her, as if hope itself was slipping through her hooves.

“Paradise,” Applejack muttered bitterly, “feels like just another fantasy now. I’m not sure I even believe in it anymore.”

Pinkie Pie bounced through the jungle, determined to find something tasty to lift everyone’s spirits. Despite Applejack’s gloom, she wanted to bring a bit of cheer and had already gathered some dandelions. Hoping to find fruit, she kept her eyes peeled. Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. Pinkie stopped in her tracks; her ears perked up. A cockatoo flew out from the top of a palm tree, squawking loudly.

“Oh, hi there, birdie!” Pinkie greeted as she turned around. For just a moment, she caught sight of a shadowy figure, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Pinkie’s heart raced with unease, and without a second thought, she decided to make a hasty retreat.

The hooves of the creature Pinkie Pie had seen thundered across the grassland. “By Hermes! I'll have to tell the others.”

“Rarity! Fluttershy! Applejack!” Pinkie Pie shouted in a panic as she rushed back. She tripped over the stream, splashing everyone and losing the food she’d gathered. After catching her breath, she exclaimed, “You won’t believe it... I saw something strange... There was this weird... pony thing!”

The other ponies looked at Pinkie Pie in confusion. “A pony... what?” Rarity asked, her eyes wide with surprise. Pinkie stared down at her trembling hooves, uncertain if she had just dreamed the whole thing. But the image was etched firmly in her mind – she knew it couldn’t have been just her imagination. Then she glanced up and saw another pony standing behind her friends. Her mouth fell open in shock.

“Fine, fine! Looks like you've all arrived alive, or at least halfway,” an unsympathetic-sounding voice called out. The others turned around. Standing before them was none other than Trixie with a disheveled mane and a monstrous battle stare.

Fluttershy and Rarity jumped up in alarm, while Applejack quickly shielded Rainbow Dash, who was growling in agitation. “No way! I thought you’d gone home!” Applejack exclaimed.

Trixie shook her head with a laugh. “A little change of mind. I have the final solution to Twilight's soul!”

“How did you get here?” Fluttershy asked in surprise.

“Seaturtles,” Trixie replied simply. Her eyes wandered around. “I see you're still determined to go through with this. But not with me. If you revive her, I know Celestia will let me down!”

Applejack hesitated, but Rarity swiftly took charge. “You’re not stopping us, you monster!” she declared.

“You bet I am!” Trixie retorted with a grim smile. “I’m going to exorcize this half-spirit from your body. Then your Dashie will be cured and Twilight will stay dead – forever!”

Rainbow Dash roared in fury, breaking free from Applejack’s weak hold and charging at the unicorn with relentless rage.

“What, can't you talk anymore?” Trixie shouted, dodging the attack.

Rarity shouted and made her horn glow: “Don't you harm a hair on her head!”

However, Trixie cast a curse on Rainbow, causing the pegasus’s hooves to magnetically lock together. Rainbow crashed against the ruins' wall. Rarity retaliated with a blue spell beam, but Trixie’s protective shield deflected it, sending the spell ricocheting back. Rarity was thrown backward and landed hard on the ground. Pinkie and Fluttershy rushed to her side. Gasping for breath, Rarity looked up at them and pleaded, “Please! Protect Rainbow Dash!” before she fainted.

Now, the two remaining ponies were filled with fury. Fluttershy dove down from above while Pinkie Pie charged straight at Trixie. With a magic blast, Trixie repelled Fluttershy, then swiftly turned to block Pinkie Pie’s tackle.

“You're all no match for the great and powerful Trixie!” she shouted, now looking at Applejack, who was staring at her, sick and weakened, but with great hatred.

“You know, there's one thing I really regret. I really only wanted to warn you with my traps and not seriously hurt you,” said Trixie.

“What? Youu...” Applejack's voice was deeper than usual because all her anger couldn't be released. Trixie ran up to the wriggling pegasus and freed her from the hoof restraints.

“Leave her alone! Damn it! She's sick!” Applejack screamed.

Trixie seized Rainbow Dash by the collar and shoved her against the jagged wall of the crumbling ruin, scraping her back and wings. “I know you're inside there!” Trixie snarled. “Why don’t you just come out? Show yourself and leave this body!”

Trixie slammed Rainbow Dash repeatedly against the wall, each impact causing the pegasus to groan in pain. Inside Rainbow’s disoriented mind, a part of her soul screamed in anguish. As she endured the torment, she glimpsed the round room below, filled with statues and the magically glowing corpse of a unicorn.

When Trixie smashed Rainbow against the wall for the sixth time, her eyes flared with fierce determination. Suddenly, with a powerful kick, Rainbow struck out, sending Trixie flying through the palm trees before crashing into a rock.

Rainbow Dash stood on her hind legs, trying to charge towards Trixie, but felt a tug on her tail. Looking down, she saw Applejack, who had crawled over and was clinging to her tail, tears streaming down her face. Rainbow Dash, momentarily calmed by her friend’s touch, let go of her anger.

Applejack wrapped her hooves around the unconscious Rainbow, resting her face against the pegasus's matted mane. Exhausted and heartbroken, Applejack’s tears mingled with the tangled hair of her friend.

Trixie was trapped in the rock. Her impact had punched an outline into the rock like a wax stamp on an envelope. She came to and, slightly dazed, recognized a sharp point that belonged to an arrow strung on a bow. A large creature with muscular arms stood before her. It looked so terrifying that it intimidated even the great and all-powerful Trixie.

Pinkie Pie looked up, her eyes widening as she spotted the creatures encircling them, armed with spears and arrows. She shook Applejack urgently to get her attention.

“Pony monkeys! Pony monkeys!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

Rarity, jolted awake by the commotion, scanned the area. One of the creatures stepped forward, spear at the ready, and introduced itself.

“My name is Asbolos! We prefer the term, centaurs!” the creature declared.