//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: The Elation of Exploration // Story: Vacation is Elation // by Super_Big_Mac //------------------------------// Chapter Two: The elation of exploration Dash's eyes flicked around madly, her head snapping in all directions as she strived to look at everything at once. "This. Place. Is. AWESOME!" She jumped into the air and did a backflip, causing Rarity's hat to fall off. "Ugh, really, Rainbow Dash. You got my hat dirty." Shaking her hat to get even the most minuscule pieces of filth off, Rarity sighed to herself. "Although, I wouldn't mind if you were to keep flapping those oversized fans of yours that you call wings. I must say that when you do, the tempurature is at least twenty percent cooler." Completely unfazed by the alabaster unicorn's comment, Dash just said, "C'mon, Rarity! This is where Daring Do lived! The best adventurer ever! She! Lived! HERE!" Rainbow Dash goes for another back flip. "Heh. I still do." The back flip didn't end well. "You... you're... You're..!" Daring Do, in all her splendid, rugged glory, was standing at the top of the stairs, the crumbling wall behind her creating the perfect backdrop. The nine pony, one dragon entourage ground to a halt as they stared up at the mare before them. She looked... Well, she looked exactly like Rainbow Dash. All that was different was her coloring. "C'mon, I'll show you around." The mare smiled dangerously. "Just make sure you hold onto your hats, girls!" Letting out a tremendous whoop, the monochrome maned mare jumped over the wall behind her, tossing a smart salute before disappearing from sight. Dash, of course, was the first to react. Squealing like a pig trapped under a blanket, she dove over the wall after her new-found idol. A stange grating sound fell onto their ears, emanating from where their friend had just gone. Once it was clear that Rainbow Dash had, indeed, disappeared, everypony else surged forward. Etched into the wall was small sign that read: Earth Ponies and Unicorns, <== that-a-way! Pegasai, up an' over! Fluttershy slowly floated into the air and alights atop the wall. "Oh, my... I can't get through... there's a grate in the way, and..." Fluttershy's face twisted with confusion. "It's... welded shut..." After trying and failing to lift the grate with magic, even Twilight had to admit defeat. "Well gsng, looks like we'll just have to find her the old fashioned way." The group trotted down the path, looking for any sign of their missing friend. Even though the jungle held all sorts of bizarre noises and sounds, Twilight was beginning to get the feeling that things were too... quiet. The sun moved across the sky, but... barely. It felt like it had been hours since they had started down the trail, and yet... "Ugh, I think my watch is broken, everypony. It says that it's only been a few minutes!" Twilight grunted in disbelief, before starting forward again. "Greetings! Welcome to our island!" "Gah!" Twilight leapt into the air, mane and tail standing on end. "Oh, my most sincere apologies. I didn't mean to startle you so very badly." A stallion moved onto the trail from behind a large patch of multi-hued reeds. He was a deep purple, his mane fashionably coiffed so as to look great with the fedora he was wearing. His barding was made of pleasant brown and tans, and the holster attached was unclasped so that a whip was easily accessable. Twilight was positively intrigued. This pony looked almost exactly like her! It was... curious. "Greetings. My name is Midnight. I'm a professor at the University of Fillydelphia, in the archealogic department." The unicorn then adjusted his glasses, a slight blush adorning his cheeks. "I am also the happily married husband to the most famous explorer in the world. Daring Do, of course." He chuckled as he looked over the ponies standing before him. "Who, pray tell, are you?" Pinkie Pie, as ever, was able to break the ice faster than anypony else by jumping right over to him and shouting, "hi! I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie! Which is what my friends call me, ooh, what's your last name I bet it's really cool, did you know that I have like, the longest name ever? I think it's silly, but what is a pony to do, right? Oh, and do you like parties? Those are my friends, but not all of them, most are still at home and Dashie jumped after Daring Do into the pit that said 'Pegasuseseses enter here' and a grate dropped over the entrence, and it was reaaally deep looking so we couldn't follow, and-" Applejack's hoof shoved an apple into the pink pony's mouth. "Ho-kay there, Sugarcube. Breathe some, why don'cha?" Turning to the professor, she gave a small bow of apology. "Mighty sorry 'bout that, mister. Ah'm Applejack. Them's Fluttershy, mah sis Applebloom, Twilight, Rarity, her sister Sweetie Belle, and the li'l pegasus is Scootaloo. We came here for a vacation, y'see. We dinnit know that there was anypony out here." He smiled, his glasses flashing in the sunlight. "Not to worry, miss. You probably recieved a letter saying that this island held a certain piece of adventure for ponies who dared to enter its boundaries, hmm?" "Actually... yeah. Tha' sounds about right." "Well, then. Know that you are the first group to arrive here since we first landed. We've been... expecting company for quite a long while, and..." His eyes grew wide as he spotted Spike. "Gah! It's that devious dragon! I thought we lost him in the Saddle-Arabian desert! Run!" The unicorn fleed back through the overgrowth, disappearing from sight almost instantly. "Wait!" Twilight started after him, using her magic to part the reeds just enough to dive through. Barely a second later, a deep rumbling, accompanied by a ground shaking boom can be heard in the near distance. Tentatively, Rarity uses her magic on the reeds to see a small clearing a few feet away. On the other side of the clearing... A great, towering door loomed over the clearing, casting its shadow along twin sets of hoofprints that lead right up to, and through it. Rarity and the rest gather in the clearing, searching for a way to open the door. After giving it a couple of bucks that would've brought down a nice sized apple tree, AJ gives up. "It tain't gonna open, girls. Sorry, but Ah ain't strong enough." She lowered her head, heaving a deep sigh. "Oi, y'all need some help?" "I'm sorry, AJ, but what would we need help with? We need to help Twilight and Rainbow Dash!" "Tha' tweren't me, Rarity!" "Oh, come now, Apple-" "Howdy!" "-Jeaah! Don't do that! It's impolite to sneak up on a lady!" The orange mare in the aviator's goggles just snorted dismissively. "Wull, beg pardon, but you're makin' quite the ruckus, y'see. I jus' wanted ta see iffin there was a way ta help ya, if Ah could." Applejack stared at the other mare, her brain seeing the similarities, and yet... There was too much difference. "Wha's yer name, pardner? Mine's Applejack." The strange doppleganger tore off her stetson, showing a short-cropped shock of blonde hair beneath as she dipped low in a bow. "T'name's Proper Nella. 'Prop'ella, the Aero Belle', at yer service. Ah've won tha blue ribbon in ev'ry flyin' competition Ah 'ave ever entered. Ah'm the best." She snickers. "An' Daring Do knows it. Tha's why I get ta use this island as a landing pad fer free." "So... yer tha one who totes Darin' 'round whenever she's gotta go som'ere to far fer her ta fly herself?" "Eeyup, tha's me!" "... Yer accent's purty familliar-like." "Hey, I ain't got no ack-cent! Ah'm jus' cultured, is all." "Really." "Yeah, really." Applejack huffed unhappily. "Fine. Waddya want? Where's our friends?" The other mare chuckled and pulled down her goggles. "Wull, yer jus' gonna need ta find 'em, ain'tcha? Ta, now!" The orange mare disappears through the underbrush, an angry farm filly hot in pursuit. "Hey! Git back here, ya coward!" "Applejack, wait!" "Sis!" "Stop, ya high-falutin', lilly-livered snake in the grass!" "Applejack!" Applejack didn't pay attention. As the small plane began to take off, she readied her lasso. Giving it a few twirls, she released it, snagging it on the tail of the plane as it taxied by. With a mighty tug, the airplane took off, pulling Aj with it. "Wra-ree! Fahn Dwi nd Ash!" Rarity looked on in shock as Applejack started pulling herslef up the rope. "Applejack, wait!" Rarity stamped her hooves with anxiety. She was gone. They were down by three! "Oh my goodness... Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy sat on her haunches, shaking with fear. "E-everypony's disappearing!" Rarity, the edge of fear still in her voice, tried to placate her friend. "Now, now, Fluttershy, we'll be alright. We'll all be..." Rarity looked around, her eyes wide. "Where are the girls? Sweetie? Sweetie Belle? Applebloom! Scootaloo! Spike?! Where did they go? They were just here with us, not a second ago!" "Pinkie's gone, too." "But- bu- ba-wha huh?" Rarity teetered for a second. "Oh, please don't faint, Rarity!" Rarity snapped out of her daze. "Faint? Faint? Not here, I won't! It's waay too filthy, and there's not a fainting couch to be seen!" Rarity's eyes brimmed with tears. "My sister! They took her! My little Sweetie Belle!" Sweetie Belle giggled. "Wow! What other kinds of fun can you do in the jungle?" Her teal-tinged twin smiled. "Well... D'you think we should show them the old ruins, Skaterate?" The magenta maned, pink pegasus smiled in reply. "It depends. Think they can handle it?" His smirk was directed right at his look-alike. "Wull, they might be able ta, 'specially if they're wit' us, since we know's all tha dif'rent traps n' hidey-holes." "Good point, Appleblossom! We'll get these crusaders their cutiemarks yet!" "Yeah!" All six jump in the air for a group high-hoof. Spike grumbles. "As long as there's food, I'll be happy." "Don't worry, Spades! Just don't try no funny business, er else Sugar Horn's older sis Velvety'll turn ya into Swiss Cheese!" "... Well, um, what's she like?" Pinkie Pie was hopping down the trail, just as happily as ever. "Oh, gi~~rrrls! Where arrre yooou!" Her body stopped in midair, her legs still curled at the apex of her hop. Then, they started shuddering. 'It's almost like they're trying to war-' with a yelp, Pinkie Pie turned into a tornado in miniature. After a few seconds of spinning, she popped into the air, her body folding up like a piece of paper in the Unicorn's ancient art style of Hornigami. After flipping through the forms of a crane, a boat, and a frog, Pinkie's body popped back to normal, dropping her gently to the ground. "Wooooo! Now, THAT was a doozy!" Pinkie blinked. It sounded as if there had been an echo, but... at the same time as her! "Hello?!" "Who's there?" "It's just me!" "Me, who?" "Well, me, obviously! I love Cupcakes! Do you?" "..." Pinkie rubbed her chin. Every time she said something, she was sure somepony else was saying it, too. Time to try a new tactic. She began to sing. Oh, There's someone here I know it, Somepony close to me! I don't know how to show it, But I'll do it to find some peace! My name is Pinkie Pie/Blinky Clyde, And I'm sure to find you! I just need to find out where it is you hide, I promise I won't turn you into glue! I just wanna make friends with yous, So come out at any time! Come on, there's nothing to lose, And you can join me in a friendly rhyyyme! Oh, Granny Clyde/Pie said that friends all come, from many different plaaaaces, So it's always a good idea, to greet all their friendly faces! "Aha! Huh? Hey, you're me! No, I'm you! No! No, wait! We're US!" The two pink ponies fell to the ground, giggling madly. After a few minutes, they got up, and Pinkie decided to introduce herself. "Hi! My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie!" She giggles. "Everypony does!" "Hi, Pinkie! My name is Blinkeria Dmitri Clyde! But every pony calls me Blinky Clyde!" She giggles. "You can, too!" "Hey, have you seen my friends? I can't find them anywhere! Twilight went off to some school with a scardey-professor, and Applejack went flying on a prop plane! Dashie flew off after Daring, and, the other four just ran off with three little fillies! Shy and Rare-Bear are still together, though. I think. But I'm lost!" "No you're not, silly! You're found! C'mon, I'll help ya find your friends!" Pinkie smiled as she shook her head in earnest. But... as she followed her new friend, she couldn't help but feel an odd tremble travel down her spine and through her stomach, racing as it went to the very tips of her hoovesies! Pinkie ignored it, putting it off as excitement and nerves. But... she'd never felt like that before... "Come on, Pinkie! This way!" Pinkie looked up. Her new friend was standing on a square block in front of a huge door. Blinky pointed to another block, and motioned for Pinkie to stand on it. Pinkie bounced over to it. When she got on, the button began to sink into the ground. The door opened, and they walked inside. Pinkie felt really, really sleepy-weepy... She coulda sworn that she'd been awake not a mome- thump. Blinky stood over Pinkie's body, a syringe clamped in her teeth, only her narrowed eyes and smile showing in the darkness as the door closed behind her. The last thing to go through Pinkie's mind was a strange laughter. So happy, and yet, so... strange... "Are we there, yet?" Scootaloo was bored. She hated being in the passenger seat. She wanted action! She wanted excitement! Instead... she was in the cart. "Almost, Scoots," Skaterate said. He smiled. "Trust me. It's worth the wait." Finally, they stopped in front of an old, abandoned mine shaft. "Wo~w! It's sooo deep! Echo!" Applebloom chuckled at her unicorn friend's reaction. "Ah'd assume it had ta be, Sweetie." "Yeah, but, it's... it's so... deep!" Scootaloo grunted in impatience. "So? Can we go now, or what?" Her twin gave her a smirk. "That depends. Wanna race, or d'you wanna go on the same track?" "Race!" "Fine, then. Left or right side?" "Left!" "Ha! Chicken!" "No! Right!" "Ugh, fine... I never get to take the right." He turned away with his group, all smiles. "Let's show these girls who's boss!" "No way am I gonna lose to a boy!" "We'll see about that! C'mon, Spades! You're with us! Onetwothree go!" The race was on! Sweetie Belle slumped over in the minecart. "Schweetee? Ahyu oka- huaahm." Applebloom's eyelids were blinking out of sync, her mouth in a slight frown. "Gosh, I sure am Tahrd." Scootaloo yawned. She crawled over to her two friends and, using Applebloom's side as a pillow, fell asleep. The cart slowed down, coming to a halt in front of a giant cage. A unicorn stallion picked up all three and threw them inside. crack! Scootaloo's head slams against the floor and the stallion lets out a slight chuckle. "Oops. Shoulda been more careful, I guess." His chuckling grew louder as he moved away, echoing around the great chamber. He sat down at the table, kissed the monochrome-maned mare beside him, and started eating. "Ohhh... Where are we? Fluttershy? Darling? Oh, my! Are you okay?!" Rarity looked around in panic. They were inside a cage, and... "Twilight!" "Ugh, Rarity... not so loud! Head... hurts..." The purple mare whimpered as she cradled her head. "Wh-where are we?" Fluttershy was so terrified, she wasn't even panicking. She was strangely... calm. Another whimper was heard, but this time from a small bundle near the back of the cage. "Oh, Sweetie Belle! Are you okay? Oh, please, please, please, answer me!" Rarity was doing her best not to freak out, but... it wasn't working. "Rarity. Please, calm down. I-if you can. Okay? Please?" The only sound in the cage was the creaking of chains high above, and the whimpering of the ponies inside. "We're all here... We're trapped, and there's nopony that can save us. One day into our week-long vacation, and we're already done for." Fluttershy lowered her head as she struggled not to cry. She walked over to Rarity and laid down next to Sweetie Belle. Spike was getting tired of waiting. "Jeeze, can't we just eat without them? I mean, seriously, sure I'm worried, but I'm still hungry!" Spike grumbled, his stomach growling back. "Ugh, I wish I had my backpack..." Skaterate was getting tired of his complaining. Motioning to Appleblossom and Sugar, she pantomimed hitting him over the head. The other two nodded. One solid sounding thud later, they had a young dragon splayed out in front of them. "Now what?" "We report back in. Sure, we got those three losers, but they might need help with the others." "Watta we do wit' him, though?" "I don't care. Tie him to the tree. Whatever. Just get back to the Shrine." "Yes, sir!" Dash looked around. She wanted to fly, but... she felt so heavy. It was like having a mountain above her. Crushing her. "Oh, good. You're all awake. Wanna join us for dinner, or do you want to be dinner?"