Resparked

Garble looked closely at the ponies one by one. He snorted at the sight of Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Then he went to rest with the other dragons, he wanted to throw the ponies into the pit later. That bought the friends some time. The dragons ate their fill of gemstones and then fell asleep. One snored louder than the other.

Rainbow Dash tried to free herself from the shackles. She wasn't ready to give up. Rarity noticed how she tried to free herself bit by bit and secretly helped her with magic.

“Leave me alone, I can do this on my own!” grumbled Rainbow as she felt Rarity's aura.

“Don't be so stubborn!” whispered Rarity and quickly released Rainbow Dash. One of the dragons rolled wildly to the side and showed its sleeping face. When he woke up, he would be the first to see Rainbow Dash.

The ponies didn't think it would be so easy, but the hardest part was yet to come. They had to take the carts with them. However, they made a treacherous noise when they pulled them.

Pinkie Pie was put into the small wagon in which Rainbow Dash and Trixie's travel bags were also stowed. Fortunately, the dragons hadn't discovered them yet. Garble rubbed his dewlap. He had eaten half a ton, but he would have been just as dangerous in battle without it.

Rainbow and Applejack pushed the big wagon ahead, Trixie and Rarity pulled the little one. Trixie clumsily hit a stone with her hoof. She grimaced in pain and Rarity had to use magic to shut her mouth so she wouldn't scream. The dragons grunted in their sleep and the ponies fell silent as mice. Everything remained calm. Trixie was relieved and took a step. Suddenly the wheel hit the same stone. The cart rumbled like a shaken armor. That woke up the red dragon. The ponies would have loved to be small and insignificant now.

"Hey, what's going on? Wake up, the ponies want to escape!” Garble roared. The other dragons started moving and surrounded the friends, cutting off their route.

Fluttershy whimpered in fear, while Applejack, Rainbow Dash and the two unicorns desperately set up a fighting stance. A dragon had claws, a spiky tail and could breathe fire. A pony could only kick and use the magic that only unicorns possessed. Rarity swallowed. The unbearable pressure made the ash-swollen air crackle. Rarity was good at magic, but only in the field of fashion design. All the hope was on Trixie. The ponies looked back at her. It was obvious. Trixie was shaking like a cowardly foal.

“I wish Twilight was here!” Rarity muttered. Would she have found a way out?

A week after the wedding in Canterlot, Twilight and Rarity got talking about the Changelings' attack. Rarity praised Twilight's brother's shield spells and wanted to know how it worked.

“It’s very simple!” said Twilight that evening on the grasslands in Ponyville. “If you at least get the hang of it. When I was accepted into the Academy for Gifted Unicorns, Shining Armor taught me. The best protection must come from the heart. Always remember what's really important to you. Never let it go. When we were fighting Discord, I kept thinking about you. The fear that we would fall apart was very great. I wanted the best for you. Discord couldn't touch us because my friends are just too important to me.”

“For me too, Twilight!” Rarity said. Trixie, frozen in fear, looked at her confused.

Suddenly, the dragons spat thick fireballs at the ponies. They all squinted. That was it!

Rainbow Dash was the first to open her eyes. The ponies found themselves encased in a dense wall of fire. A blue bubble completely enveloped them, including the train carts. Rarity had cast a powerful protective spell for the first time, one that drained her strength considerably.

“Keep it up, Rarity!” shouted Applejack.

The dragons stopped. Garble and his were very annoyed. Their firepower should have roasted all the ponies and their wagons.

“Now it's my turn!” shouted Rarity, out of breath. She stamped her front hooves. Immediately, several different colored gems shot out of the ground. The dragons dodged quickly, but the sharp hail hit some of them.

Garble tried to leap out of the radius of Rarity's attack, but she pursued him relentlessly, causing chunks of earth to shoot up like mountains around him. Summoning her courage, Trixie unleashed her best magic – a magical thunderstorm. Bright flashes of lightning shot from the clouds, driving the dragon gang back. She hadn’t been lying about her improved skills, and seeing her succeed filled Applejack and Rainbow Dash with happiness. With the combined efforts of the unicorns, the dragons were pushed back far enough for the ponies to make their escape.

Rarity was exhausted. She had done exactly what Twilight had told her to do, but she didn’t have much strength left. Trixie also seemed to be at the end of her tether, but still showed a little fighting spirit. The dragons were preparing for another attack, already charging toward the unicorns. This time, Garble was determined to tear at least one of these ponies apart mid-air.

Suddenly, something heavy came flying from above. Another dragon thundered onto the ground between the attackers and defenders. It had a long body, purple horns and wings that were too small for it. Many gemstones sparkled on its body. Its tongue hung out of its mouth. Garble and the other dragons backed away. “Crackle! What the...!”

The female dragon made a strange sound. Then it spun around and threw Garble's gang into the lava. The ponies looked at this strange savior in complete surprise. The teenage dragons struggled through the thick soup of molten rock, but Crackle let out a breath of fire to tell the others to get lost.

Now the dragon turned to the ponies. His expression was not at all threatening. "How come you're helping us?" asked Rainbow Dash.

The dragon looked the pegasus in the eyes. Suddenly, Rainbow and Rarity felt a familiar feeling. A scene played in her mind that showed Twilight, Rarity and her defending the little dragon Spike from Garble.

After they escaped, Crackle showed up and found a dragon costume that looked like her own. The costume had been used by the ponies to help Spike.

“I see,” Rainbow muttered, lowering her head.

Crackle pulled a green dragon costume from behind the rocks and laid it down in front of Rarity.

“Oh, by Celestia! This is...” Rarity stammered, feeling the head of the old, dusty costume. Crackle seemed to smile a little.

The journey continued. The female dragon Crackle had agreed to take Braeburn's new car back to Dodge Junction.

"Braeburn will make eyes," Applejack said. Then she thought of something. She wanted to write him a letter before Crackle left. Grumbling, Trixie pulled a parchment from her pocket to have Applejack dictate the letter to her:

"Dear Cousin, I sure do appreciate ya worryin' about me. But ya don't need to be. We're a big family, and we've been through a lot of hard times. I promised my friends and myself that we will survive. We might be gone for a mighty long time. We've already crossed the Badlands and are headin' towards the frontier. Tell my siblings, Big Mac and Apple Bloom, and my Granny Smith that I love 'em and not to worry. My friends and I are carryin' a heavy burden, and we're runnin' out of time. Most of all, we're tryin' to fill a deep hole in our hearts.”

Braeburn found the letter between shovels and pickaxes. He found it difficult to read through. A tear dripped onto the sandy ground. How was he going to break the news to Big Mac and Applebloom? He galloped to the post office to pass on the message.

Meanwhile, the ponies drove the small wagon through the wasteland. After hours of driving, they reached a sign with golden letters. It was covered in dust and scratches, but clearly legible: “You are leaving the land of EQUESTRIA! - Territory of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!”

Applejack and Fluttershy stopped. They had come this far. Tiredness was getting to them all. The ash clouds still covered the sky and it was impossible to tell where the sun was. Only a little light penetrated through the clouds.

“Fluttershy! Maybe ya could fly up and see where we need to go.” Applejack suggested.

Fluttershy, who was quite uncomfortable with the whole thing, unbuckled herself. She was aware that she was the only one able to fly. So she flew through dense clouds. Her friends on the ground waited and gazed into the dreary gray of the clouds. Suddenly, a shadow fell from the sky. Fluttershy trundled down and almost made a crash landing. She coughed softly: “We... cough... cough...! We have to... cough... that way!”

She pointed straight ahead. Applejack supported her. “Thanks, Fluttershy! Ya can take a break now!” she said.

“No!” she reassured, “I'm fine, I think I can still do it.”

“Hop on the wagon! Ah'll pull it mahself!” replied Applejack.

“Are you sure?” Rarity asked in amazement.

“Y'all done a great job, and y'all look plum tuckered out! Ah still got plenty of energy left.”

Fluttershy still wanted to make a comment: “The sun is pretty low, by the way. It wouldn't be a mistake to take a break!”

“Not in the badlands! We don't know what's waitin' for us, or have y'all forgotten 'bout Everfree Forest?” asked Applejack.

The farmer pony pulled the cart on her own. After a few meters, she was already sweating. Fluttershy wasn't entirely wrong. Pinkie Pie was awake again and complaining of a headache.

As night fell, much faster than the ponies anticipated, they refrained from lighting a fire. Instead, they gathered around a small lava pit, scarcely larger than a puddle. It cast minimal light but provided enough warmth for all. As they lay on their mats, the exhaustion settled in. Applejack's hooves ached, but she waved off Rarity's offer to tend to them. Trixie completed her report, then stared at the others in silence for a long while.

“Well, she’d do what she always did! She’d dig into her books, studyin’ and learnin’ all she could ‘bout friendship!”

Applejack had said to Rainbow Dash, if Twilight was alive again, Celestia would surely take her on as a student again.

The thought weighed heavily on Trixie's mind. Was there still a place for the great and powerful Trixie? Restless, she rose and wandered into the darkness for a walk. The truth was undeniable – Twilight was better than her. Everyone acknowledged it, even her friends. This realization hit her hard. She turned to look at her sleeping friends. How could she make them understand? It seemed impossible, especially with the stubbornness of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She needed a new plan, one that would show her worth in a different light.

The next morning, Rainbow Dash woke to aching limbs. The desolate landscape was cloaked in a somber purple hue, casting an eerie atmosphere. Rainbow felt an unsettling sense of dread as she realized her friends were nowhere to be seen.

“Friends! Where are you?” she called out desperately, her voice echoing through the barren expanse. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her hooves, she galloped onward, the sense of unease growing with each passing moment.

“Friends! Friends!” she continued to shout, scanning the surroundings in vain for any sign of her companions. Shadows flickered across the sand, playing tricks on her senses, heightening her fear.

Then, a ghostly figure appeared in the distance, slowly limping towards her. Rainbow's heart skipped a beat as she struggled to make sense of what she was seeing.

“Rainbow...” she heard Twilight's voice echo in her mind, the memory of her friend's last words haunting her. The image before her wavered, blurring in and out of focus.

“Rainbow...” The Ursa Major's eyes flash.

A violent jolt roused Rainbow Dash from her uneasy slumber. Applejack was shaking her awake urgently.

“Rainbow! Wake up! Wake up!” Applejack's voice held a note of concern that immediately put Rainbow on edge. The lingering echoes of Twilight's faint moans added to her disquiet. Trixie was nowhere to be seen, and a part of Rainbow felt a twinge of relief.

“If she don't come back, then we'll just move on! Let her see for herself where she's gotten to!” Applejack's frustration was palpable as she scolded.

“Do you think that's a good idea?” Fluttershy's gentle voice interjected, always the voice of compassion and second chances. But Applejack was resolute.

“Maybe it's for the best!” Rainbow Dash chimed in, still seated on the mat. She hadn't tended to her wings in what felt like ages, and her feathers were as disheveled as a plucked chicken. Applejack looked at her with concern. Rainbow straightened up, feeling the weight of their mission pressing down on her weary wings.

“And I think you should go back to Ponyville too!” She had expected the friends to be surprised.

“What are you talking about?” hissed Rarity.

“You've gotta be kidding me, RD!” shouted Applejack, her voice filled with incomprehension.

“Listen to me! Twice… Twice we were attacked by maniacs. Now we've left Equestria and we're not even halfway through the journey, what else is there to come? I just don't want to go through this anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore.”

She stood there completely upset. A strange anger spread through her; she didn't know where it came from.

Applejack tried to take her in her arms, but Rainbow had had enough of this coddling and comforting. She slapped Applejack's hoof away from her. “Leave me alone! Go home!”

She turned and left. She took her luggage with her. As she put it on, it pressed against her back like a big concrete block of guilt, fear, sadness, and anger. Fluttershy started to cry. It was easy to make her cry, but Rainbow had already moved on and was out of earshot.

Rainbow Dash clambered over the rugged cliffs, though every step was a struggle. At last, she reached the edge of the desolate wasteland. Before her stretched a vast abyss, revealing an entirely new world beyond. Towering forests and snow-capped mountains loomed in the distance, while verdant meadows and sparkling rivers lay nestled at the mountain's base. The strong wind tousled Rainbow Dash's mane, obscuring her face as she stood on the precipice.

With a sigh, she nudged a pebble over the edge, listening to the faint click as it met the ground far below. A hollow feeling gnawed at her throat, parched from days of hardship. She considered taking flight, but the thought of plummeting down like the small stone gave her pause. Instead, she remained rooted at the edge, eyes shut tight. As a pegasus, the idea of soaring into the depths should have held no fear for her.

“If you do that, you're not my friend anymore!” she heard someone behind her. Rainbow turned her head. Applejack stood rooted to the spot and her eyes were more serious than ever.

“I wasn't going to!” Rainbow Dash replied, but Applejack knew her too well. Rainbow suddenly felt so weak that she could no longer stand on her hooves. She lay down, exhausted. Applejack walked towards her.

“I can't go on like this! I just can't take it anymore!” Rainbow Dash sought the closeness of her friend as she continued to cry. “Why are you making it so difficult for me! Why don't you let me go?”

"But why do ya wanna go?" Applejack asked, confused.

“I don't want to lose you too! Right from the start! That's why I left Ponyville without telling you!”

“You wanted to do that? For us?”

“Because my friends are important to me!” Rainbow sobbed. Applejack seemed to be thinking, then she laid her head on Rainbow and hugged her.

“Don't cry! I really appreciate it, but now that we're here, let's do this thing together! Come on!”

Suddenly, Applejack lurched forward. "What in tarnation?!" As they lost their footing, Rainbow Dash let out a panicked scream, thrashing her hooves in fear. They tumbled uncontrollably down the steep slope. Instinctively, Applejack curled protectively around Rainbow, bracing for the impact that came hard and sudden, jolting through her body and leaving her momentarily breathless.

They rolled downhill, the terrain unforgiving, dragging through brush and roots. Time seemed to stretch endlessly as they descended. Finally, they crashed into a thicket of fir trees, rocks clattering around them. Branches whipped at their faces, stinging like lashes. Applejack held on tightly, unsure if Rainbow was conscious amidst the chaos, determined not to let go, no matter what.

Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie waited at the top before a smaller slope where a convenient path wound down into the new area, just wide enough for the wagon. They waited for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, hoping she was there. But the friends were starting to get restless.

“Do you think they're still arguing?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Hmm... Applejack said that if it takes too long, we should go ahead. I think that's long enough,” said Rarity.

“Maybe we should wait a little longer! They might be coming right now!” said Fluttershy.

“Applejack and Rainbow Dash are both tough! They'll be fine, plus we all have a common goal. I think we'll run into them again eventually.”

Still, a sinking feeling gnawed at them all. Rarity cautiously moved forward, one hoof at a time, pulling the cart with Fluttershy towards the unknown.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash found themselves deep in the dense mixed forest, grateful that their injuries were minor. Applejack carefully picked seeds and bits of foliage from Rainbow's tangled mane.

“How the hay did you lose your balance?” Rainbow grumbled.

“It ain't my fault! Somepony up and pushed me!” Applejack retorted.

“Whoever did that, deserves a good hoof to the face!” Rainbow huffed.

“I reckon they do,” Applejack agreed, focused on untangling a stubborn clump from Rainbow's mane. “Sorry 'bout your hair.”

“Ow, you’re pullin' my mane out!” Rainbow winced, her mane now a mess of seeds and fluff. Her tired expression made her look almost ill.

“I can manage,” Applejack said, easing another clump free. Rainbow took one bag from Applejack while carrying the other herself.

They pressed onward, Rainbow scanning their surroundings. “What about the others?” she asked.

“Told 'em to follow the sun if we get separated. We’ll catch up eventually,” Applejack reassured her.

“Ah, right,” Rainbow nodded, though uncertainty lingered. There was still the matter of being shoved off that cliff. Together, Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued their journey.