//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Discorded Time // by Fluffy Cloud //------------------------------// Twilight walked to the middle of the library. "Well, we better stop Discord," said Twilight. "So let's-" Bam! The door swung open and in came the three crusaders and two colts. Fluttershy immediately noticed Scootaloo's injury and rushed over. "Scootaloo! What happened?" "She ran into a apple tree," explained Apple Bloom. "Can you help her?" "Of course!" exclaimed Fluttershy. "Twilight, do you have some gauze?" Twilight pointed her hoof to the bathroom. "In there." "Thanks." Fluttershy helped Scootaloo up and they began walking to the bathroom. "Fluttershy! Hold on!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. She joined them and the three ponies walked to the bathroom. "So, Sweetie Belle, what are you doing here?" asked Rarity. "I thought you were with your friends at your clubhouse." "Apple Bloom, I thought I told you to keep your friends at the clubhouse!" exclaimed Applejack. "I'm sorry, big sister, but we wanted to help you," said Apple Bloom. "And your friends." "You didn't even know what was goin' on! How did you know there was something wrong?" At this, Snips and Snails looked at their hooves. "We told them," admitted Snips sheepishly. "I thought they might want to know." Applejack glared daggers at them. Then she sighed. "Sweetie Belle, I'm flattered that you and your friends wanted to help," said Rarity. "But...well...you are a little too young, and I don't want you getting hurt." Sweetie began to pout. "But you and your friends need help! We might even get our cutie marks helping you and your friends!" Rarity sighed. Then she turned to Spike. "Spike, can you get me some tea? I'm...a 'little' stressed." "Anything for you, m'lady," said Spike. He turned and rushed to the kitchen. Rarity turned to Sweetie Belle. "You can help us, Sweetie Belle. You and your friends can keep the library safe!" "That sounds boring. I want to go with you, big sister!" "Please, Sweetie Belle, stay here. This place is important." "Okay. Fine," said Sweetie Belle. She turned to her friends. "We're going to keep the library safe, okay girls?" Her friends nodded. "That's good, Sweetie Belle," said Rarity. Then she turned to the other mares. "So...where are the Elements of Harmony?" "I'm thinkin' they're in the castle," said Applejack. "Of course!" said Twilight. "Celestia usually keeps the Elements for safekeeping!" "So were goin' to the castle," said Applejack. "But the chariots must have been stopped! How in the hay are we going to get there?" "Walking I guess." Twilight shrugged. "It's the only way." "We have the balloon, Twilight!" pointed out Rarity. "Of course!" exclaimed Twilight. "Nice thinking, Rarity. No one has borrowed it at the moment." Pinkie Pie hadn't been talking for a while. In fact, she wasn't listening. Suddenly, she snapped back to the conversation when Twilight asked," What do you think, Pinkie Pie?" "What?" "Of the balloon." "What balloon?" "The hot air balloon." "For what?" Twilight groaned and explained everything to Pinkie. After a while Pinkie jumped up and excitedly nodded. "We'll be flying in the clouds!" she exclaimed. "And it'll be more fun, since it's nighttime!" Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Scootaloo came from the bathroom. "Don't explain," said Rainbow Dash. "We heard." "Thanks, Fluttershy," said Scootaloo. "For helping me." It was true. Scootaloo had the top of her head wrapped up in gauze, but she was better than before. "Oh, Rainbow and Fluttershy," said Twilight Sparkle. "Can you pull the balloon? We need to get there as fast as we can. And we'll try to help the balloon speed up, in some way." "What about me and Applejack?" said Pinkie. "How can we help?" "Keep a lookout for trouble," explained Twilight. "In case somepony needs help." "Oh, oh, oh!" exclaimed Pinkie. "I know how I can help! I can make provisions! Cookies and cakes! And candy!" Twilight smiled. "Okay, Pinkie Pie." "I'll go now!" Pinkie bounced out the door. Spike came out of the kitchen, carrying a cup of tea on a small plate. "Here you go, Rarity. I used the finest tea in our house." "Thank you, Spike," said Rarity as she levitated the tea to her and drank some. "Okay everypony," said Twilight. "Pack up what we might need. It takes a long time to get to Canterlot by balloon." All of them left to their homes to pack things they might need. Applejack got some apples and other foods, for provisions. Fluttershy got some blankets and pillows, to sleep on. Rainbow Dash looked around hew house, but found nothing quite important except for a tent. Rarity got some sweaters and jackets, and some thread and cloth. Twilight and Spike were getting some provisions, some books (actually Twilight got the books),a compass, and some blankets and pillows. And finally, Pinkie was just finishing up her candy and cakes. They all walked to the library. They waited outside as Twilight got the balloon ready. Then the mares and Spike piled their stuff inside. "It's quite chilly at this time of year," said Rarity. "Especially in the dark. So I packed sweaters and jackets for you all!" Rarity then handed them each a sweater or jacket. They put them on and got into the balloon, and waved to the Crusaders as the balloon went higher and higher. Spike seemed ready to faint when he put Rarity's sweater on. "Take care of the library!" exclaimed Twilight. "Okay!" said the Crusaders. Soon the library was just a dot on the ground, like the other houses that surrounded it. Then the balloon went through and over the clouds, where it was more chilly. Twilight looked around and saw the castle. "Okay," she said. "Applejack, get your rope. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, come here." Applejack grabbed her rope and Fluttershy and Rainbow walked to Twilight. Twilight tied the rope around Rainbow's and Fluttershy's middle, then pointed to the castle. "Fly in that direction," said Twilight. With Rainbow and Fluttershy giving the balloon speed, and Twilight and Rarity helping, Applejack and Pinkie Pie decided to keep a lookout for anything suspicious. "Okay," said Twilight. "With this speed, we'll-" "Pink cloud!" exclaimed Pinkie, jumping up. "Pink cloud! Fillies and gentlecolts, looks like we're gonna have a storm of chocolate rain!" Pinkie Pie pulled out a bendy straw. Twilight looked, and sure enough, there was a huge pink cloud. And it heading straight for them! "Oh dear!" exclaimed Rarity. "It'll get my mane wet!" Spike quickly hid under a blanket. The cloud stopped once it was over the balloon, and let bucketfuls of chocolate rain drop onto it. Then more pink clouds came and soon, the balloon was soaking wet. "Quick!" exclaimed Twilight. "Rainbow, Fluttershy, pull!" Fluttershy and Rainbow (mostly Rainbow) quickly pulled the balloon from the clouds. For a while, the clouds followed them, but then fell behind. "That was close," said Applejack. "I thought we wouldn't be able to reach the castle." "If we keep this up, we'll reach the castle in no time," replied Twilight. ---------------------------- They couldn't keep this up. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Spike had dozed off, and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash seemed to be slowing down. Twilight, though, stayed up and alert. Twilight knew that Dash had a tent that they could sleep in. And they had just passed over a forest. Maybe they should stop. "Lower down!" exclaimed Twilight. "Rainbow, Fluttershy, lower the balloon down to the ground!" The balloon began to lower down, and soon, they had reached the ground. Then the mares began setting up the tent and starting a fire. After a quick dinner of daisy sandwiches, all of them went to sleep.