Resparked

A dried leaf tickled Rainbow Dash’s nose. She had to sneeze and it woke her up. On this gloomy morning, she sat on the steps in front of the altar. The room made a much friendlier impression than at night. Strong roots squeezed through the cracks in the old torn tiles of the ruin. Grass also grew in some places and it looked very tasty for Rainbow Dash. First, she thought about where she could relieve herself and chose an inconspicuous, mossy spot behind the pillars. After it was done, it tore some long bushes out of the crevices and went down the tower. It was a beautiful new day in the Everfree Forest.

As Rainbow walked to the other hall, a cheerful Pinkie Pie jumped at her. Her bright pink hair had frizzed out and she was back to her old self.

“Dashie! There you are! I thought you'd run off without us again!” shouted Pinkie Pie in relief. Rainbow Dash was so startled that her food fell out of her mouth.

“You seem to be doing well!”

“I told you it would pass again. There are so many other good things in life. Thinking about the same thing all the time is not healthy!” Pinkie told.

Rainbow Dash smiled briefly. Then she took the fallen food back into her mouth and walked with her into the hall.

Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy sat on the mats while Trixie stood off to the side. Rarity praised Spike in front of her friends for agreeing to take care of the boutique. When Rainbow arrived with the food, everyone fell silent.

“Where in tarnation have ya been, Rainbow?” asked Applejack.

“I brought food for you!” said Rainbow Dash.

“Really very sweet of you Rainbow, Darling. But don't you think it's a bit less?” said Rarity as she saw the small pile of grass.

“Nonsense! Some weed is always good!” said Pinkie and jumped over to the others.

Trixie peeked out under her hat. “Are you all right, Rainbow? How's the head?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash didn't know and shrugged her shoulders. But everyone knew exactly what Trixie meant. She walked silently towards the pegasus. “We need to renew the protection spell!” she said.

Rainbow Dash felt that strange feeling in her head again, but the whimpering was quieter this time. Trixie ended it and turned around. “Very well, let's go!”

“Whoa there, Trixie!” Applejack ran into her way. “Now, I ain't sure who gave you the authority, but I reckon I'd like to know just what the hay you think you're doin' with Rainbow Dash and why you're taggin' along with us.”

Trixie saw that she wasn't really popular in the clique. She snorted contemptuously, but let herself explain again: “I'm here for two reasons, AJ! First, to make sure your friend doesn't go off the deep end, and second, Princess Celestia instructed me to jot down a report about this little excursion, just in case we make it back in one piece.”

“What do you mean?” Pinkie asked.

“Seriously? You're still questioning that? This is the ultimate suicide mission! Paradise? Ha! Once you're in, there's no way out! You'll understand once you arrive!”

Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie looked surprised.

“Believe me! One of you is bound to meet their end!” She was about to walk past Applejack, but she stood in her way again.

“Your constant talk of doom and gloom is mighty irritating! But alright, go ahead and write your report. But mark my words, nopony, and I mean nopony, better be dyin' on this journey!”

“Ha! We'll see about that!” laughed Trixie and went outside.

The journey went on. The friends and Trixie were walking in unfamiliar territory. From a distance, the forest had taken on a green color as the leaves had grown close together. Rainbow Dash lagged with her heavy pack. The weight of the petrified element in her right-side pocket had slipped her mind. The group walked along a narrow path between trees and bushes. Lizards and toads crossed their paths. Fluttershy walked noticeably slower to avoid stepping on any animal. Rainbow Dash eventually caught up with her.

“Are you oaky, Rainbow? Shouldn't I take something from you?" asked Fluttershy.

“No thanks! I do not need any help!” Rainbow Dash gasped. The beads of sweat on her forehead told Fluttershy otherwise. Every little bump took her breath away. The ground was getting wetter, which made her walk even more difficult. At the end of the path, the others stopped.

“Poor Rainbow's been lugging that stuff around for hours,” Applejack muttered. Trixie rolled her eyes.

“Come on, then! At least let me carry one bag. If it's okay with you,” Fluttershy said. She took Rainbow's left side bag and strapped it on her back.

“Enough of this,” Trixie grumbled and used her magic to remove Rainbow's right pocket. Suddenly Rainbow Dash felt much lighter. The pain in her back slowly subsided.

“Uh... thank you!” said Rainbow glumly. Trixie said nothing and walked further into the depths of the forest.

Everyone made much faster strides forward. In the late afternoon, they reached a raging river. The current was far too strong to cross. If they managed to get to the other side, all would deserve a break. Applejack spotted a leaning tree hanging over the river and got an idea. “Time for ma good ol’ rope!”

She jumped onto the tree – dangerously close above the stream, and tied one end around the trunk. “Hey Fluttershy, reckon you could tie this here to the other side for me?” Applejack called against the loud noise.

The pegasus hesitated. She looked at the wild river with fearful eyes. Then she turned back to Applejack. “I don't know if I can do this! The river is far too... far!”

Applejack was starting to get impatient. “Now listen here, sugarcube. You're the only one who can fly! Ah'd have asked Rainbow Dash if she could've done it. But right now, it's up to you. We gotta gather our strength, for her, for Twilight, and for all of us. So let's stop dilly-dallyin' and get to work!”

The timid pegasus pulled herself together and closed the eyes. Then she nodded and flew off. Applejack threw the rope at her, but the tree groaned suspiciously, which the earth pony didn't notice.

Fluttershy stretched her neck to reach the rope, grasping it tightly before securing it to a sturdy tree stump. It hung like a trapeze above the tumultuous waters below.

The farmer pony checked the stability of the rope once more and was satisfied with it. Slowly, she tried to shimmy across the river while the other ponies shivered along.

“Oh, please be careful, Applejack!” cried Rarity, full of worry.

But despite the sweat and the wobbly rope, the bold pony made it to the other side. Applejack posed and let out a joyful “Yeehaah!” Fluttershy applauded and the farmer pony shouted to her friends: “Y'all see that, girls? If Ah can handle this, y'all can too! Let's get 'er done!

Pinkie Pie was the first to go. She found it a little more difficult and tried to overcome her fear by having fun. “Huui! It's pretty drafty up here! Hi, Applejack! Hehe!”

Eventually she made it and was overcome with an explosion of emotions. Her chest swelled with an indescribable mix of relief, happiness, and sheer exhilaration.

Then came Rarity. She was much slower than Pinkie. “A lady isn't made for this!” she complained.

“Don't look down, Rarity!” shouted Applejack as Pinkie continued to cheer her on.

With a soft sigh, she finally reached the others. Her expression was a mixture of frustration and resignation.

Only Trixie and Rainbow were left. “Say, you can teleport us to the other side,” Rainbow Dash whispered to her.

“I could! But I won't do it!” she replied, turning up her nose.

“Excuse me?”

Trixie just giggled as if she knew what she was doing. Grabbing the rope, she eagerly climbed towards the other side. Just as she had reached the middle, she suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of the other ponies.

“Well, Rainbow?” laughed Trixie. “Still from the other side?”

Rainbow gritted her teeth and imagined punching Trixie in the face.

“Go, Dashie! You can do it!” Pinkie encouraged her.

She had no idea how Rainbow was feeling. Wishing she had her flying skills back, and envying Fluttershy a little.

“Of course! I can do it in ten seconds flat!” she shouted back to give herself a little boost. Then she jumped onto the taut rope. The tree behind her creaked and fear started to grow. She had always relied on her wings and never had to climb. Rainbow swallowed and tried to think of good times. Slowly, she made progress.

“Don't give up, Rainbow, ya got this!” shouted Applejack at the top of her voice. Rainbow snorted and groaned, but suddenly there was a strong wind and she slipped off. Her friends gasped in horror, but it was only a moment of shock. Rainbow was still able to hold on with her legs. She relaxed, closed her eyes and thought of her favorite novel character. Daring Doo was an adventurous pony, just like her. Twilight had always compared her to her. Rainbow Dash imagined she was Daring Doo.

Daring was hanging from a strong steel chain. The orange-red lava bubbled deep beneath her, its heat warming the back of her neck. The chain was strong and stable, so she couldn't lose it. She was Daring Doo. Every dangerous adventure had never been too difficult for her. Suddenly, the gray-haired pony saw a purple unicorn mare balancing on the chain above her. She was half transparent and looked down on Daring Doo with great confidence.

“Twi...” Daring breathed. Her hooves trembled and she couldn't take her eyes off her. Then she shook her head and climbed on. The ghost above her followed, but Daring refused to be distracted. Her mission was far too important. She climbed and climbed.

But then she heard a voice. “Let go!”

“No! I'll die otherwise!” Daring wheezed.

“Let go! Trust me!”

Daring Doo bit her lips. The grip on the chain loosened and then she let herself fall.

Rainbow Dash banged on her back. The next thing she heard was Pinkie Pie’s loud cheer. Applejack grabbed Rainbow's hooves and pulled her up. “Great job! It was a tad peculiar seein' ya hangin' from that there, but ya pulled it off real nice!”

Rainbow Dash looked over at Trixie. She stood there like an ice-block and stared at her in amazement.

It was hard work, but it was worth it. Applejack straightened her stetson hat after Pinkie Pie had calmed down. “All right then! Now ah have to get ma rop...”

In an instant, the tree across the river emitted a low, ominous groan. The ponies watched as it leaned to one side and fell into the river. Rushing with no mercy, the stream tore the trunk away, uprooting the stump connected to it. Before Applejack knew it, her lasso was gone.

“Buck!” she yelled.

In the evening, they spread out their mats under the dense branches of the trees. Far behind them was the river. Nevertheless, Applejack was still upset about the loss of the lasso, her beloved tool. Rarity handed her a leaf full of berries to console her. Applejack ate everything, including the leaf. Trixie sat off to the side and wrote her first report. She whispered the text quietly to herself, which helped to concentrate.

Rainbow Dash felt very depressed, much more so than Applejack, and Rarity and Pinkie Pie noticed this the most. “Pinkie, how much grief can this pony actually take?” asked Rarity worriedly.

“I don't know! Rainbow had seen how... how she died. And then that mumbo jumbo in her head. I wish I knew how to make her laugh again.” Pinkie mumbled.

“I guess it takes a lot!”

As Pinkie Pie's mind seemingly delved into her final memory of Twilight, her frizzy mane slicked down and turned into its smooth state. Rarity watched it with complete amazement, but didn't want to ask how she did it.

Suddenly, Trixie came in. She had finished writing her report. The glittery paper rolled up and disappeared in her bag, which was lying next to Rainbow's blue backpack. “Behold! I have urgent news to impart! We must maintain our vigilance!”

“What? Forgot to mention somethin' again, have ya?" Applejack whispered.

“You should know it too. I mean, have you ever heard of the punishment, 'Banishment to the Everfree Forest'?”

“Yes! And?” Rainbow Dash mumbled dryly, but Rarity seemed to realize it.

“Oh, my goodness! Trixie is right! Ponies who have committed serious crimes are banished here! They'll never come back!”

“I'm just saying that some of them have gone mad and will likely mug us!” said Trixie. “Therefore, I propose a solution, one among us shall stand guard while the others rest, and we shall rotate this duty every hour for our collective safety.”

“Alright then! Ah'll take the first shift!” said Applejack and stood up.

“Fine! Then we've sorted that out, too. Well then, have a good night!”

Applejack walked into the darkness and then stopped. “Trixie?”

“Hmm?” she said.

“If you're fixin' to take my place, I reckon I oughta have a word with ya first!”

Trixie turned around once again and nodded silently.