//------------------------------//
// Across the Rift 
// Story: MLP: Journey Across Time 
// by B. J. Williams 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight and her friends were enjoying a camping trip out in the Giant Timber Woods some distance south of Ponyville. The forest itself resembled that of a redwood-forest. Before they departed though, Rarity wasn’t exactly compliant with the rest of the group. After some reassurance that the forest they were going to was nothing like the Everfree Forest, and mentioning that they will have plenty of supplies so that they won’t have to “rough it” while they camped, she finally gave in and joined them on their little escapade. On hearing of Twilight and her friends going out to the Giant Timber Woods, Princess Celestia sent her a map of the entire area so they wouldn’t get lost…easily at least.
Now the group was enjoying a peaceful lunch picnic that Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie put together. Among the dishes brought included but not restricted to potato salad, daisy sandwiches, and sauerkraut. Applejack brought some of the family's homemade apple wine. The wine itself was very delicious, despite the fact that it hasn’t been aged like wine usually is. Along with Rarity’s agreement, they set up a mobile gazebo in the center of camp so she could eat in the wilderness and still feel, as one would say, “fabulous.”
After their picnic lunch, each of the mares went about doing their own thing while they were camping. Pinkie Pie was trotting about while she was enjoying the vastness of the forest…but mostly just being Pinkie. Twilight Sparkle was reading a book she had borrowed from Lyra before the group departed. Rainbow Dash was taking a nap in on of the treetops. Applejack following suit by napping on one of the tree trunks.. Fluttershy was talking to some of the local creatures of the forest, enthralled by meeting so many new furry creatures while Rarity was still lounging in her gazebo, determined to keep her white coat still pristine by the end of this trip. She was, also, making a nature themed dress based off of the Giant Timber Woods. All of them were content and happy that they got to go and get away from the town for a while for some private time. Pinkie walking through the woods was just singing to herself passing through various twists and turns. She noticed a little thunder in the distance.
"I should get back to the others." Pinkie thought. "It might rain soon." So, Pinkie Pie headed back to the campgrounds to meet up with the others. But before she made it back through the forest, she felt a strange energy coming from behind the bushes she was passing. "That's strange. Why is there energy coming from that side of the bushes. Looking over the bushes, she noticed a very creepy and spooky chasm in the ground that seemed out of place and it had an unknown aura around it. After seeing it, she ran back to the other six.
“Hey, every pony.” Pinkie stated loudly. “This, startled Rainbow Dash she fell out of the tree and landed on top of Applejack. This got every ponies attention.
"What is it, Pinkie?" Rarity asked. "I was making my new dress, then you come in shouting."
"I'm sorry. But I was walking through the woods when I found something ubber creepy.”
“What is it, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash replied. “Some random thing you see every two minutes?” One could tell that Rainbow Dash was not in a good mood because her dream about dating Sorin was interrupted.
"Rainbow..." Applejack replied
“It looks like a crack in the ground, but there is something ubber creepy about it.”
"A crack in the ground, Pinkie?" She paused. "You are saying a crack in the ground is creepy? That's just stupid."
"I have to agree with Rainbow Dash on this one." Rarity added. "A crack in the ground is nothing special it just occurs everywhere, darling."
"No, I'm dead serious. It's more like a chasm." Twilight stood up and stretched her legs almost falling over due to the nerves being pressed down.
"A chasm in a forest?" Twilight thought. "That's a new one." She turned to Pinkie. "Okay, Pinkie. Take me to this chasm you were speaking of. Besides, my legs were starting to fall asleep.” She went over to Pinkie Pie. "Where is this thing?”
“Over here.” Then, Pinkie Pie showed her the way as Twilight Sparkle followed the two began to feel the strange energy from the chasm. The other ponies were expecting nothing of the sort.
“See...” Rainbow Dash asked. "It's just a normal crack in the ground."
"No," Twilight said as she came back. "This is not a normal crack in the ground. You guys, better have a look at this. Pinkie Pie wasn’t joking when she said that it was unusual.”
"Not, you too Twilight."
"This chasm is radiating some sort of energy."
"Do we have to see some stupid crack? Argh." So, the other ponies went over to where the others are and they noticed a chasm in the ground. "Whoa. That's one freaky chasm." All six ponies looked down into the chasm. It was indeed dark and at the same time creepy; a slight tug was being pulled on them but they didn’t notice it. "What is up with this chasm?"
“I don’t know." Twilight replied. "why a chasm is at a random place like this.” Before long, Pinkie Pie got a twitchy tail and then she vibrated entirely. Pinkie Pie noticed it but the others didn't.
“I’m having a bad feeling about this.” Pinkie Pie stated. They suddenly heard a large crack the ground underneath the six ponies began to crack as the pulling got stronger. Now, the ponies can feel it.
“Uh oh, that's not good. What's going on?” Applejack asked.
"I don't know." Twilight replied. "But it's pulling us in." Then, the ground underneath them broke off and the ponies except for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy fell in. The other four screamed as they fell.
"Don't worry." Rainbow Dash said. "I'm coming." She flew down in.
"Wait for me." Fluttershy replied as she flew down. The two pegasi came flying in after the falling ponies into the chasm going farther and farther down. Eventually, they caught up with them. Rainbow Dash caught Applejack and Rarity. Fluttershy caught Twilight and Pinkie Pie. The fall had greatly decreased in speed.
“Is every pony okay?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah." Rarity said. "It's getting rather dirty here.”
"Man," Applejack said. "This is one deep chasm. Can you pull us out?"
"Sure thing." Rainbow replied. She and Fluttershy tried to fly upward but no matter how hard they tried, they weren’t able to. The falling slowed down greatly through the effort.
“Well, aren't you flying up?”
“We are.” Rainbow replied. “But we can’t fly up.”
"What do we do now?" Fluttershy asked.
"I think the only thing we can do is glide until we reach the bottom."
"It is if there is a bottom." Applejack stated.
"Don't be silly, Applejack." Pinkie Pie said trying to lighten the mood. "Every pit has a bottom. How else will it use the restroom?" Rainbow Dash groaned at the joke. They noticed an eerie ticking sound in the background similar to the sound of a giant grandfather clock. The sound was slow in frequency like one tick per second. This began to creep the ponies out. “What’s that sound?”
“I don’t know what the sound is.” Twilight replied. "But it sounds like a grandfather clock."
"This is getting to scary." Fluttershy stated. "I hope it stops soon." They heard the ticking for about fifteen seconds. Then, the ticking stopped. At this point, they finally reached the bottom. They landed softly on the ground. “Well, at least we reached the bottom.” Rainbow Dash went up by herself this time.
“Hey, we can fly up again.” Rainbow Dash stated.
“Uh, thank goodness.” Rarity stated. "Now, we don't have to walk all the way up these dirty chasm walls. Twilight noticed the walls had places to climb but not many.
"Flying out is probably our best option." Twilight added. The ponies began their way back up and out of the dark chasm. Rainbow Dash carried Applejack and Pinkie Pie up. Fluttershy carried Rarity and Twilight up. “Finally, we made it out.” They looked around at the woods. The trees had fewer leaves on them and the grass on the ground was crispier.
"Twilight?" Applejack asked. "Are we still in the Giant Timber Woods?"
"We must be otherwise... Well... It just wouldn't make any sense. Anyways, we should get back to camp.” Twilight Sparkle stated.
“That was a little too creepy for me.” Pinkie Pie stated.
“I guess that was a little creepy.”
"Let's not do that again." Rarity added.
“But there’s just one problem.” Applejack stated. “Where’s our stuff?”
“Uh?” Twilight Sparkle checked. "HOLY CRAP!!" She noticed their stuff was gone. The picnic set, Lyra's book, even Rarity Gazebo. All of it was taken.
"MY GAZEBO!!" Rarity shouted. "WHERE IS MY GAZEBO!?"
"What happened to the picnic too?" Applejack asked.
“Some damn thief must have come around and took it.” Rainbow Dash stated. “Whoever the thing is I’ll slug ‘em.
"But what thief is capable of carrying away everything and not be noticed?" Twilight asked.
"Tell me about it." Fluttershy noticed something in the bushes. Scared she jumped back behind Rarity.
“It seems something is behind there.” Fluttershy stated.
"Something," Rarity said. "Darling, you always say that..." The bushes shook a bit. Then, the two of them were scared; they jumped into Applejack's arms causing all three of them to fall down. Rainbow Dash was ready to fight.
“Who’s out there? Show yourself.”
“You sound hostile.” the thing replied.
"Give back our stuff, you thief!!"
"Thief, what are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me!! I know you took our stuff!!"
“I didn't take your stuff."
"Give it back!!" Rainbow Dash had blood go to her head unintentionally.
"Wait, is that your way of looking for a fight?”
“If you don’t reveal yourself, then, you bet.” The thing came out. It was an olive green earth pony stallion with a yellow mane. It had deep blue eyes. It was rather buff. There was a longsword and shield on his back. The shield had a six-sided star on it.
“Uh, hi.” Twilight Sparkle stated.
“Hey.” The strange pony replied. Twilight was about to ask him something but Rainbow Dash interrupted him.
"Okay," Rainbow Dash flew up to him. "Now, that you are here. WHERE... IS... OUR... STUFF?"
"You're on that again? I keep on telling you, I'm not a thief." They stared each other down. "I'm just a soldier." Rainbow Dash calmed down.
"So, you are here to help us catch the thief?"
"I didn't know there was a thief around."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"I haven't seen any thieves in these parts. Speaking of which I'm looking for some bad ponies as well."
"What did they do?" The stallion looked back at them.
“They raped my sister!” That scared the ponies. “If you aren’t going to help me, then I could just leave.”
“I can't believe that those ponies would do this.” Rarity stated. The pony sensed trouble and drew his sword.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked.
“They come.” Some pony bandits came out and they fought against the pony. The pony took down three of them before he was knocked down. The bandits turned to the six ponies.
"Looky what we have here." a bandit said at the scared ponies. "Hey, boss. We have some mares here." A big, intimidating earth pony came up.
“What a pretty face.” the leader said to them. “Come here, girly.” The bandits attacked the girls. Applejack kicked them around. The ponies were able to fight. However, Fluttershy had to deal with the leader and she was nervous and back against the wall.
“What’s wrong girly?” the bandit said. “I’m not going to hurt you. We just want to party with you. That’s all.” He grinned a very sinister grin. Fluttershy looked around quickly. The pony lunged at her, and she grabbed something. She closed her eyes and swung it at him multiple times. All the time hitting him and then jabbed him.
When she opened her eyes, she saw her hand on a long dagger. She noticed the blade was in his throat and his neck was cut up and he was bleeding from his neck. Blood was coming out of his mouth. She let go of the knife and he fell over dead. The ponies and bandits saw this; they were shocked to find that she was able to do that. The bandits fled after seeing their leader die. Fluttershy looked at the scene in horror. She noticed the blood on her hooves. 
“How am I…” She thought. “Supposed to do that?” Fluttershy’s eyes got watery. “I’m one of the most kind ponies known. How could I?” She fell down crying. The male pony left walked to her to comfort her.
“GET YOUR HOOVES OFF ME!!” she shouted. The pony jumped back in response.
“I was trying to help.” the pony stated.
“Fluttershy,” Twilight Sparkle stated. She walked over to Fluttershy to console her.
“How am I supposed to live with the fact knowing I took another’s life?” Fluttershy asked.
“I honestly don’t know.”
“The kill was out of self-defense.” the male pony stated. “The kill was accidental and could not be helped.”
“Who do you think you are!?” Fluttershy replied.
“Calm down, I am only speaking the truth.”
“It’s not the best way to put things.” Twilight stated. After moments, Fluttershy had to let her sorrow flow like a river. After a while, Twilight was wondering about Basil. “I apologize for what I said earlier.”
“It’s okay.” Twilight replied. “I’m just wondering what happened.”
“Well, this is the first time I seen you.”
“I don’t even know what is going on. I don't even know your name."
"My name is Basil Rodelero XIV. What's yours?"
"My name is Twilight Sparkle."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. So, what brings you here."
"Well, we fell into a chasm."
"Chasm?"
"Over there." Twilight pointed to the chasm. Basil looked over and was nervous. "Basil, is there something wrong?"
“It's nothing. I can take you to the nearest town, if you want.” Twilight used her magic to get the map out.
"Don't worry, I've got a map." Basil just grabbed it and looked at it. "Hey." He rolled it up and put it in his saddle bag.
"The closest town is Pottok."
"I'm not familiar with the town."
"It's one of the backwater towns."
"Okay."
"I've become familiar with the place."
"Well, I guess you can lead us there." And so, Basil led the six of them to Pottok, the town he was staying at. The girls didn't realize what was in store for them.