Learning to Love: A Daring Spectrum of Apples

Chapter 2

Dash sat up and groggily looked around as she was woken violently. What the..? "Dash?" She frowned and looked up to see that Daring was standing over her. She was smiling at her and holding a plate of food. "Eat quickly. We have a lot to do today!" Dash rushed through breakfast, still groggy from the early awakening. As soon as she was done, two saddlebags were tossed onto her bed. "Quickly dear! Times a wasting!" She slowly got to her hooves, pulling the saddle bags on as soon as she was up, and followed after the faster, more awake pony. "Whoa! What's the hurry?"

"I want to get into the forest and through most of it before nightfall. Traveling at night is dangerous as it is. And if the stories I've heard about the forest are true, I want to get a head start." Dash nodded and followed the pony outside into the crisp morning air.

Dash shivered and felt something move around her neck. "I'm used to the early morning wake ups, but I don't think you are. You should take my scarf since I don't need it right now." She flushed as Daring draped a brown scarf around her neck and tied it with her hooves and mouth. Dash nodded her thanks, still a bit red faced, and they took off. It was still dark out and everything was still as they flew through the chilly air. Daring nodded to Dash and Dash dived towards Sugarcube Corner. They landed easily, trotting to the door and knocking lightly. It burst open and an excited Pinkie grinned at both shocked and mildly freaked out mares.

"Hey guys! Ready to go!" They nodded, a bit fidgety as she closed the door behind her, saddlebags swinging to her bouncing. The three mares made their way over to the Carasole Boutique and knocked on the door. Rarity rushed out smiling, saddlebags stuffed to the brim.

"Oh I did not know what to pack!" Daring smiled and the four set off for the library. As they trotted along, Dash took a look at Daring. She looked and oozed a confidence, a confidence Dash found she liked more and more as time passed. Daring was currently grinning and talking to Pinkie. A spike of jealously lanced through her belly and chest, causing her to flush deeply and look forward. She was shocked to see they were at the library and Twilight was trotting out, locking the door behind her. Twilight was dressed in a forest green shirt with a pith helmet on her head, her mane in a bun on the bottom of her neck. She was wearing a scarf around her neck and she was checking herself over. Dash took a look around and realized the others were wearing scarfs too. She flushed and moved to remove the scarf until she realized Daring had a replica on her neck of the one she wore. Dash sighed softly and they took off towards Applejack's house.

When they got there, she was waiting for them, munching on an apple. She was wearing her usual Stetson hat, but in addition she wore a brown shirt with a couple of pockets on the chest and a knife was strapped to her left hind leg. She grinned and trotted up to them. "Let's get ta Fluttershy's house." They left at a brisk pace and Dash moved next to Applejack, looking her up and down as they trotted along. "Look at you, big bad adventurer." Applejack flushed then rolled her eyes.

"This is all mah pa's old stuff." Dash nodded then elbowed her.

"So your pa was a big adventurer?" Applejack laughed and Dash flushed, the others looked at them in confusion. Applejack shook her head then grinned slightly. "Nah. Pa was too much of a sissy. Ma taught us everything. Pa just got this stuff so he could try it out. Didn't work out so he gave it ta ma." Dash nodded slowly then looked forward. "What was your mother like?" Applejack smiled then looked off, drifting into a memory.

Three ponies trotted through the forest. The biggest was a red mare with golden locks, cropped short for her farming activities. The mare wore a brown stetson on her head, a brown vest over her brown shirt, and some boots. She was looking around to keep herself aware of everything. "Macintosh? Applejack?" Both fillies behind her perked up and trotted into her line of sight and she smiled softly. Remember kids, stay in mama's line of sight, we don't want you getting hurt or yer pa'll make me regret it." The mare rolled her eyes as she finished that and sighed softly. He'd whine till she bore him another child.

She cringed at the thought of his whining before hopping over another log, turning back and help Macintosh over then Applejack. They continued on their way until they came to a clearing. The mare grinned and said, "Here we are kids. The camp grounds!" A younger Applejack snorted then said, "It don't look more special than our orchard." Macintosh nodded and the mare, Zap Apple Gala or Zag as she called herself, smiled and nuzzled the disgruntled filly. "Hush you." Applejack stuck her tongue out at Macintosh, who was giggling, and looked back. "Ma? Was Pa supposed ta come?" Zag frowned then turned to see her husband, Wild Citrus, standing their panting. "Zag!"

"Wild Citrus."

"Bloody hay woman! You are pregnat! You should be resting at home!" Zag rolled her eyes then trotted over to her disgruntled husband and nuzzled him. "Hush." He frowned slightly then glared at his two giggling children. The family of four trotted into the clearing and they began to set up camp.

"Applejack?" Applejack jolted out of her memory then grinned sheepishly before saying, "Nice scarf." Dash flushed and looked away from Applejack and as soon as she looked away, Applejack frowned. "Where's ya git it from?"

"Daring." Applejack’s frown turned a little darker and she glared at Daring in irritation. Who'd she think she was? Applejack shook her head and focused on the path, a blush staining her cheeks. Why was she getting so angry? Stupid feelings for a stupid wonderful, but still stupid cyan pegasus.

Fluttershy only took a second to tell Angel to take care of the animals before slowly and shyly trotting out and smiling at them nervously when they reached her house. "Do we really have too...."

"Yes Fluttershy. This is just like the dragon." Daring looked at Twilight in confusion and Twilight sighed before bringing her hoof up and shaking her head. "Don't ask. Well we’re all ready." Daring grinned, sat back on her haunches and pulled a map from the inside of her hat. She looked it over and the others crowded around her to get a look. "It's time to set off then. Into the forest we go!"

Daring jumped over roots and fallen branches as they trotted deeper into the Everfree Forest. The rising sun cast a warm glow on the old path she walked down. She looked back and found Twilight was marking trees, Rarity was trying not to get dirty, Pinkie was playing with Fluttershy's wings, Fluttershy was red faced and whimpering slightly as her excited friend sat on her back, Applejack was close to Dash and whispering to her, pointing at different plants, and Dash was nodding, listening to her mildly experience friend talk. Daring frowned at the two mares not too far away, whispering about roots and other things then turned back to the path. She blushed and made a small face, no need to get jealous of a blooming attraction. She shook her head then looked forward and stopped.

"Girls!" They stopped and looked forward to see a huge spider in their path. It was looking at them hungrily, taking slow steps forward. Daring grinned and pulled out a knife, gripping it tightly in her mouth and flaring out her wings in excitement. Oh how she wanted to get rid of some frustration. "Wait!" She paused at the meek and soft sound and looked back to see Fluttershy trotting forward, a mighty glare on her face directed at the beast.

The beast snarled in rage, moving forward in warning but the meek pegasus said in an angry tone, "Hush mister! What would your mother say! Glaring at ponies and trying to hurt them! I know you're hungry but to prey on poor ponies out in the wild?! That's terrible!" The spider whimpered in shame and fear then moved back as she glared harder at it. It scuttled off and Daring raised an eyebrow then sheathed her knife, quite amazed.

"Amazing, but I do want to warn you, the closer we get to the statue, the more and more likely that the animals will be able to resist that. One might get lucky enough and be able to attack us because it’s immune to your...Stare." Fluttershy nodded and Daring took the lead once again, urging them onward. Humming a gentle melody, she led them to a clearing and nodded to herself in thought. "Twilight! If you would secure the perimeter?" Twilight nodded and her horn encased it’s self in its signature glow, her magic slowly covering the clearing, before going out.

"Perimeter secure."

"Great. Time for lunch!" Everyone took a seat inside the clearing, pulling food out of their bulging saddle bags and beginning to eat. Pinkie bounced around Daring, talking a mile a minute, and Daring was nodding politely. Dash was watching Daring with a mildly sappy look on her face and Applejack was frowned at the open display. Yeah this trip wasn't going well so far. She took a look around then smiled to herself before getting up and trotting to a tree close to the next part of the path.

Weird that they would stop here. Carved into the tree was the initials, Z.A.G., her ma's initials. She shook her head then trotted back to Dash, who hadn't seemed to have moved in the last five minutes she was gone. Applejack rolled her eyes and muttered, "Man, this is worse than her Wonderbolts obsession."

"It's not an obsession." Applejack blinked then laughed at her. Dash glared, her face a bit red. Daring looked away from Pinkie then frowned. Not a good trip indeed.

Three hours later, they came to the Grand Sister Pony Kingdom and Daring looked up grinning. "Splendid! Now let's get inside and find that idol!" They trotted inside excitedly after her, Rarity at a slower pace since she was exhausted, and she took a quick look around. A growl rumbled through the ruins in front of her. She looked up, staring at the rather large body of a grown black bear that was moving from behind a ruined throne.

Fluttershy trotted in front of her, eyes narrowed into her signature stare but the bear ran forward at full speed and batted her to the side with a swipe of its gargantuan paws. She squealed in shock, fear, and pain, flying through the air towards a wall. Applejack managed to catch her, using her body to stop her unexpected flight through the air and growled. "So we gotta kill that bear?" Daring nodded with a grim smirk and pulled out her knife, her jaw tightening and wings flaring out. Time for a dance with a bear.