Apples and Diamonds

"You know rarity, ah didn't think you would come down here. Heh, with ya'll covered in dirt and whatnot," applejack said, mining off some iron several blocks below ground. "Oh applejack," rarity replied, "funny how the land around you is...oddly shaped, and there's not a spec of dirt anywhere. Makes it kinda comfy...strange."

"Did ya'll even get dirty when taking that coal out of that furnace in the middle of the desert?"

"What?! How do YOU know I gotten any coal from.....some place?!"

Applejack just sighed and mined the last of what she saw was the iron. "Ah'll righ' let's head back. Gotta smelt these here cubes into iron."

Rarity just nodded and applejack stared at her, "rarity, ya'll could help me out with getting good minerals, ya know."

Rarity huffed, "as I said, I don't like to get down and dirty and doing work will just make me sweaty. Besides, I don't even have a tool."

"Oh, right," applejack blushed, "guess ah firgot ya'll a pickax there." Applejack dropped a stone pickax at rarity hooves. Rarity checked around all of her hooves to see where it went. "Now what?" applejack asked, puzzled at the white mare's confusion.

"I can't find it! Are you sure you gave me one?" rarity said, looking at applejack suspiciously.

"Hehe, oh that, umm, jus' close yer eyes, and ya'll find it."

Rarity nodded and did so. "Wah!" she yelped, "what was that?"

"That there's yer inventory, it keeps track of everything ya have on hoof. Since both your hooves are full of items, it jus' ends up there. It doesn't happen all the time when you blink, only when you want your inventory to show." the cow pony motioned for the exit, "why not do somethings yourself here? I'll be down with some snacks 'case ya'll git hungry. Think ya can handle that?"

"That would be...fine, I suppose. Guess there's nothing wrong with a little...work."

After five minutes, while applejack was gathered her harvest of wheat, she jumped when she heard a scream. She looked over to find rarity jumping right into her. "It was the most horrible THING!" the white mare cried.

Applejack jumped to action and shouted, "quick, inside! Ah'll hold them off!" Rarity bolted inside slamming a click for the door shut.

The orange mare stood her ground, put her boots and helmet on, switched to her stone sword in her mouth, and stood ready. Come get some! she shouted in her head.

After about three minutes, applejack heard nothing. Nothing that was of any hostile mob. Then she jumped when she did hear something, but remembered it was just a pig from a small herd that migrated from the north. "Weird," she said, putting her armor and sword away.

"Applejack, I need help!" The cow pony raced to her friend's aid, only to find that rarity was trying to open a chest. "Can you help me, deary?" she pleaded.

"That's mah chest, first off," she said, pointing at the icon of her cutie mark on the chest, "Second....why where you running?"

"Oh, heh," rarity blushed, "I ahh....broke my tool." She held up item of what used to be a stone pickax. Apparently, she used it beyond it's use and even beaten walls with nothing but a stick, which was just a stub in her hooves.

"How did you do that?" applejack asked, confused on how it broke so far down.

"I ahh, just kept using it until it nearly touched my hooves, hehe," rarity chuckled.

"Umm, usually things that break from the material it was made from jus'-"

A loud snap from rarity's hoof made the both of them jump at the sudden sound. "Like that," applejack finished. Rarity stared at her hoof that held the item and sighed.

"Here, ah'll start ya off with a good one," applejack added, reaching for some wood to hand to her partner. "Jus' make some use of this stuff, comes in handy with all sorts of things!"

"Like what?"

"Like wooden planks, charcoal, or even too-," the mare didn't know what she but the white mare just looked like she sniffed the best apple pie ever, "ya'll o-"

"-Why didn't you tell me I can make charcoal!?" rarity squeed, giving the small stack of wood an evil glare. "Hehehehe, this can SOOOO relieve my stress levels, plus....I CAN DRAW AGAIN!" She bounced around hugging the material like a filly with a new doll.

"Draw? Don't ya need paper fir that too?"

Rarity, mouth agape looked at her friend, stopped so much that the stack of wood just spilled over the floor at her hind legs. "Agh! I can use the wall too, you know!"

Applejack nodded and replied, "thing is....do you wanna draw on the walls?"

Rarity then turned around to ponder at the idea and with that, she stared at the nearly endless canvas. When she wanted to stare at the ceiling, she fell on her back, which all the wood was collected from the floor. Her left hind leg twitched with excitement as she started to drool.

"Sugar cube....ya'll ok?" the white mare heard her friend call. Applejack rolled her eyes, pulled out a thing of bread and stuffed it in her mouth. The white mare began to chew her food and found life again as she gasped awake. "What happened?" rarity asked.

"Ya'll probably got too hungry when you were thinking so much, then you jus' fell on your back. good thing ah got plenty of wheat, though. Much easier to grow then trying to find apples, ah tells ya."

"Didn't you try bucking the tree?"

"Have ya'll try harvesting from a tree here?"

"No..."

"Well, all ah got was a block ah wood when ah gave it a good kick. Apparently the trees here don't follow gravity...and apples are just by chance apparently."

"Wow," rarity said, as she stood up and tried to open applejack's chest, "so...umm, PAPER! I NEED PAPER!"

"Calm down rarity," applejack hushed, amused at rarity's lack of strength, "ah know how you can get me some paper."

"You do?!" rarity slipped her grip and caused her to roll back so hard, her bed substituted and landed on her belly. She returned standing and put her bed back into place. "How?"

"It's easy," applejack said, as she smiled with her brief knowledge.

"Just that easy?" rarity asked, as she trotted close behind applejack.

"Eeyup," applejack said, with her armor on. "Heeey," rarity whined, "how did you get clothes? You said we couldn't make clothes here!"

"Doesn't mean we couldn't make armor!"

"Oh...what kind of armor is that?" rarity glared.

Applejack briefly paused and replied, "oh uhh....silk?" Rarity got a better view of the armor and shook her head. "No darling, that's not silk! Silk is a soft, comfortable clothe that can bend and stretch, depending how durable it was made. Usually, for cuddling or just keeping warm on a cold day...No, this isn't silk it's.....hold still!"

The armored pony suddenly stopped for rarity to poke her hooves on her. She grunted, fed up with a fashioniesta. Why couldn' it be rainbow dash, twilight, or at least pinkie!? she thought to herself, she's just keep poking around the more we stay here! She then noticed that rarity stopped poking at her and stared.

"How in equestria-"

"-Minecraft," applejack said bluntly.

"Minecraft- did you get leather?"

"That's easy too, the cows uhh...gave them to me!"

Rarity paused then gave a horrified expression, "do you mean to say that you slaughtered them?!" The white mare huffed as all she got in a reply was a guilty expression, "ugh! How barbaric!" That was all it took to make applejack smile again and laugh. Rarity, puzzled in her humor, asked, "what's so funny?"

"Oh rarity, isn't it ironic that a mare that's all about clean and uhh.....complicated-"

"Excuse me but the correct term would be sophisticated!"

"Look, sugar cube, all ah'm saying is that you're in a game now and we need to get home! Don't you want to see your sister again?"

Rarity looked down and disappointed from the words that just stung her. She sniffed, "I do...but....I'm going crazy applejack!" Her tears welled up and she leaned onto applejack, "I want to make dresses again, but if it's not from the cost of my dear sister!"

"There, there hon," applejack comforted, "don't you worry non. Just follow me, and we can get out of here in no time!" The cow pony pondered for a moment then added, "so you want to make dresses, or something, right?"

Rarity nodded meeting her friend's gaze. "Do ya'll like interior decorating? Ah'll let you help me build the next bunker if ya'll like."

"Really?"

"Sure!" applejack said, "but ah....do you still want some paper?" Rarity thought for a moment until she nodded and released her friend. "Oh ah righ', let's go!" applejack dashed away.

"Onward!" rarity added, trying to run but felt too tired. She shouted, "oh, wait for me!" then stuffed a fish and bread together in her mouth. "Ahh, much better!" As the sun began to set.

Applejack placed some blocks of wood on the ground and added a torch to the short stack. "There, the last direction we came from is where the torch is pointing." She turned to rarity, "ya'll ri-"

"Shh! I heard something!" rarity whispered. The moment of pause was brief, applejack was getting irritated. "Rarity jus'-"

"Hush!" rarity hissed. The silence kept going until applejack gasped and pointed, "creeper!"

"I'm- what?"

"Behind you!" She pulled out a bow and began to shoot at it. The creeper loomed over rarity and she shakily got her weapon out, but when she turned, all she found was three units of gun powder. "Ohh, wonder what this stuff does."

"Help me, rarity!" applejack cried as a group of zombies got near her. Rarity dashed forward and swung her sword, chopping off on of the zombie's heads, another slice and the second one just split in half. The third came near her to get a bite but rarity made that monster look foolish to mess with her, finishing with a spinning strike; once against the knees, twice against the chest, and finally off with that one's head. When they all we vanquished, they poofed out of existence dropping seven pieces of rotten flesh. She picked up a piece of rotten flesh and shouted, "victory is ours!!" Then got a bite but quickly spat it back out and whined, "victory sure taste...blech! HORRIBLE!!"

She took one of her fish and rubbed it viciously against her tongue, hoping to get the taste of rotten flesh out.

"Well ya gotta learn some way," applejack sighed, "but thank ya kindly fir helpin' me."

"It's still not out of my mouth!" rarity shouted, and ran over to the water and pushed her way past some sugar cane.

"Well I'll be. Ya'll found it." Rarity ignored her friend and continued to get the taste out but drinking lots of water from the lake. Applejack just rolled her eyes and got started harvesting.

"We'll be staying here for the night, course it won't take too long but a shelter's good as a landmark anyways.

When it struck day break, applejack rose from her slumber and stepped outside to get some air. She inhaled and exhaled, "what a beautiful day!" When she turned around to spot what rarity built above her she jumped, "what in tarnation!? When did this git here?"

"Goooood mooorning applejack!" rarity sang, letting in her friend. "Sleep well?"

"You bet," when she walked in she found the home had a few holes. Applejack just sigh and thought, jus' a problem when you run out of minerals. Heh, must have used all the wood ah gave her.

"Sorry darling, if the home isn't what it seems, but I'm sure to make it up by finishing it." Applejack nodded, "sure sugar cube, jus' let me know when you want to head back to our other hideout."

"Oh, I also got a surprise for you too, darling," rarity reached from her inventory and dropped in near applejack. "Hey, you got us some sugar cane!" she then noticed something off, and looked out the door. "Uhh, pardon me, but are ya gonna replant those sugar canes?"

"Oh, well. I do plan on using as much as possible. When I have some leftovers, then...maybe," rarity said. Applejack grunted but quickly smiled, don't you worry non applejack. Sugar cane is as abundant as dirt in this world. Applejack then scooped up the sugar cane and divided it between the two of them. "There, that should be plenty for you to make your paper." Rarity looked at the crafting table and asked, "what was the recipe?"

"Three sugar cane across, any row," applejack said, watching her friend and leaving the door open. Rarity placed the sugar cane in a row, and three sheets paper appeared in front of her. The white mare jumped for joy at what she received. however, she then used the crafting table as a regular table as well.

"Uhh rarity?" applejack asked. "Not now, I'm gonna create!" rarity relied, but the moment when she placed the coal on the table it set itself on fire. Both mares jumped back, and rarity shrieked releasing the coal and igniting the crafting table and paper, making the fire spread from the table to the walls and slowly everywhere. Applejack was the first to bolt, she clicked on the door, and it closed making her bump into it. "Opps," she whispered opening the door and getting out. "Come on rarity!"

Rarity stood there for a moment and just slowly trotted out the door with nose parallel to the ground. "Uhh, good work on making paper." The both of them just stood there while they watched the fire devour the establishment. Only thing was left was the bunker that applejack made, due to it being made out of dirt. Rarity sniffed, "I-....I wanted to make it beautiful!"

"Don't you worry non!" applejack said, "with a whole forest of wood, we can make another. Much bigger and better then the last, ok?"

Rarity nodded, "sure applejack. Sure..."

After they rebuilt their second hideout, applejack placed down a small table; which was made of pressure plates and a fence post in the center. Rarity stared for a moment but shook it off thinking to herself, just a game, dear. Physics don't apply here.

"There!" applejack huffed, "now you can write and draw as much as ya like. Jus' don't mind the clicking sound." Rarity paused for a moment to test out the table. Indeed the table clicked whenever a weight was pressed onto it but it certainly the only thing that seems comfortable to be making anything besides using a wooden block. "Now if only I had a chair," rarity looked at applejack. The cow pony simply pointed behind her and rarity turned to find a single set of stairs behind her, so she sat down. "It'll do, I suppose," rarity sighed.

Rarity drew on throughout the whole day, eating cooked fish and pork chops. Not the best thing in the world but what would you eat when you've got no apples left. She made a note; to go forage for some later when she has the time and when it's day again. She checked outside to find the sun rising as she was drawing all night. Time sure flies faster then it did in equestria making her feel like she even less work then before. This didn't feel bad though, at least she had something to do and stay out of applejack's way.

Applejack burst through the door huffing as she came in and scaring rarity. She rotated to her sword, but threw some cooked beef at the cow pony instead, making the pony at the door flinch, missing her blade a simple turn of her inventory. "So sorry darling," rarity apologized, "I thought you were one of those nasty zombies."

The cow pony laughed, "nah, ah'll just thank ya enough for the food ya tossed at me." She took a bite and regained strength yet she shivered at the taste of cooked cow. "Not ta best, but it'll work," she added.

"Oh but I do have to say, I've gotten more done then what I usually do. At least in here, dear," rarity said, as she shown her the wonderfully drawn works of art. "Now, if only I had the ability to make dresses, then it'll so much easier to relax and feel somewhat like home!"

"Yeah," applejack replied, "but it's not! Jus' makin' our way to git to the boss. As far as ah know we have to find this thing called a....fortress. Uhh, yeah, let's go with that fir now. Anyways, we need to prepare an' make our way to the fortress, go through some portal ta git that dragon and be sent home!"

"You make it sound so easy, dear," rarity deadpanned, "how in minecraft are we gonna beat such a monster when we're not even prepared?! Surely, fighting something will take up a lot of our time. I say we need to continue as we were; build and create until somepony finds us!"

Applejack sighed, "fine. By the way, ever wonder how ta record all that you drew?" Rarity looked at her mess of art and sighed, "I suppose that I do need to organize a little. Got any recipes for a sketch book, dear?"

"Maybe jus' one," applejack smirked as she held out some leather and lightly tossed it to her friend. "One leather in a corner and three sheets of paper surrounding it," she added, and a book popped out from the table in front of her friend.

Rarity giggled and took the book to see her art more organized, "oh hoho!" She turned to the cow pony, "got any more leather, dear?" The honest mare nodded, tossing some more. Rarity crafted as much as possible with all the paper she made, which wasn't a whole lot. After she was done, the generous mare returned all the leather into a random chest. "Thank you, darling. Now to put these beauties away!" Along with all the books she has which was only a stack of eight.

"Glad ta help!" applejack tipped her hat, appreciating the fact she helped out her friend.