//------------------------------// // Rock Solid and Free Spirited // Story: G 4mat- The Island // by AmpUpHeart //------------------------------// "Hey, Twilight!" Grove said, "Hey, Star Beam!" "Hi, Coconut Grove!" The silver bat pony said, "I brought someone you should meet." Honolulu flew up to the coral unicorn, "Hi!" "Well, hello there!" Grove said. "Starcatcher talked to us, and we agreed to let Honolulu meet the other Cutie Mark Crusaders," Twilight said. "WHAT!?" A chorus of voices said from inside. The four fillies scrambled outside to meet the newcomer, followed by Applejack. "Sweet Celestia," she mumbled. "Actually, we were about to head out for the next portion of the tour," Cream said, "We're going to see Mount Valoria's sister volcano: Mount Lawilla. This one's dormant, so we don't have to worry about it erupting." "That's a relief," Sweetie Bell said. "Count me in!" Honolulu said. ............................. "This place is HUGE!" Scootaloo exclaimed. They were at the base of the hollow mountain. "It's ten miles across and up!" Grove said, proudly. "That sounds like a long hike," Apple Bloom said. "Don't worry. There are plenty of pre-cut paths and tunnels. If you ask me, the inside of the volcano is better than the view outside," Cream said. Everyone made their way inside, and they found themselves in a cavernous room. "I already like it," Spike said. "Hang on," Twilight said. She saw a pony that looked familiar. The shadows made it hard for her to make out who it was, though, especially since the pony was gray. When the pony turned around, though, Twilight immediately recognized the dull eyes. "Hey, Twilight," she said, flatly, "Are you here to check out the rocks, too? I'm here to let Boulder have a family reunion." "Hey, Maud!" Twilight said, "Fancy meeting you here!" "Hey, Twilight!" Another familiar voice said. She ran up in a blur of pink and embraced Twilight in a tight hug. "Hey, Pinkie," Twilight said. "This is amazing!" Pinkie said, "I get to be here with some of my best friends! Come on! You can join us and Maud!" She took off. ...................... "How much longer?" Scootaloo groaned. "We've only been going for five minutes," Grove said. "But Maud is pretty slow paced," Twilight said. "Hmmmm," Grove said, "Cream, can I trust you enough to make sure you guys don't get lost? Why don't you show your friends around?" "You can count on me!" Cream said, saluting. .......................... "Are ya sure we're not lost?" Apple Bloom said an hour later. "No," Cream admitted, "We need to find somepony who can help us." "Of course," a voice echoed through the caverns, absentmindedly. "Hello? Is someone there?" Sweetie Bell called. "Yeah. I am. I can't say the same with my sister," another voice said. The girls ran towards the sound and came across two ponies. One was pink with pink and purple hair put up in a green headband. Her cutie mark was a kite with a butterfly. The other pony was a filly with a reddish purple coat with a magenta and orange mane and tail. She was a blank flank. "Another one!" Honolulu exclaimed. "What?" The filly said before noticing the bare flanks. "You too!?" "Yes! We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Scootaloo said. After the fillies introduced themselves, the new filly spoke. "I'm Twinkle Twirl. That's my sister, Skywishes." She nodded toward the pink pony, still starry eyed, gazing at the volcanic rock and scribbling on a note pad. "The lines formed by the obsidian are exquisite!" She said. "We come from Manehattan," Twinkle said, "Sky's an artist, and said that moving here would give her more time and inspiration to work on her paintings. And so far, it hasn't been very fun for me." "Twinkle," Skywishes said, finally acknowledging her sister, "You need to change your outlook on life. You always complained about getting teased for your blank flank. Now's the time for a change." Twinkle groaned in annoyance. "Don't worry, Twinkle!" Apple Bloom said, "How would ya like to be the latest member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Twinkle Twirl looked at the fillies, then her flank, and nodded. Then, they heard a drilling sound. Maud came barreling through a wall, followed by Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, and Grove. "What are you guys doing?!" Twilight said. "Talking with our new friend!" Honolulu replied, pointing to Twinkle. After introductions, the ponies left the volcano. "I'm off to examine the sand," Maud said. "I'll catch up with you later!" Pinkie said. She joined the group as they walked off. "Say, why don't I show you guys where we're living?" Sky said. She led the group further inland, up to a large tree. "Where's the door?" Sweetie Bell asked. "Up there," Twinkle said, pointing into the leaves. There was a set of stairs carved into the tree that the ponies could walk on. They took the staircase to the door. "Cool! A treehouse!" Scootaloo said. When they stepped in, they were greeted by an unusual sight. The place was rather small, just one room. There was a small stove and oven with a pantry in one corner, along with a table and chairs. Two sets of hammock hooks hung from the ceiling. In the opposite side, there was a large easel with shelves cluttered with paints and brushes and the like. "Here we are," Twinkle said, in a lousy voice, "Home sweet home." "Cheer up, Twinkie!" Sky said, resulting in a look of shock and anger from her younger sister. "I hate being called 'Twinkie,'" she muttered. But Skywishes didn't notice. She was taking out paints of a variety of different shades and brushes of many sizes. But then she stopped. "Hmmm," she said, scratching her headband. "What's wrong?" Pinkie asked. "I don't know what to paint," Sky answered, "I have the thoughts, the intricate, abstract feelings, but I don't know what to do to get it on a canvas." She then walked up to a window and stuck her head out, leaning on the sill. "Not again," Twinkle said. Skywishes closed her eyes and began speaking in a breathy whisper, with the wind, as if on cue, blowing through her hair. "I wish, I wish, I wish I could capture the feeling. The freedom. The untamed nature of this place, and preserve a snippet on my canvas, to share. To inspire. To show the wild beauty of this place." After a few seconds, her eyes shot open. "Eureka!" She exclaimed, "How would you guys like to go kite flying?" "You're kidding me," Twinkle said, "No philosophy moments where you go on a speech about what you're going to paint." "The kite is a fabled wish catcher. What better way to celebrate the golden ways of this land than with a kite soaring above a blue horizon? I can see it now: a graceful kite with long, flowing tails billowing from behind. Behind it, the sea touches the sky, and maybe even an island barely visible. No end is seen, I can see it. Everything..." "Of course," Twinkle said, "Can we go kite flying already?" "Oh! Of course!" Sky said, snapping out of her trance, "Come on!" .......................... Think about a time that you flew a kite with some friends. That's essentially what happened. It was honestly nothing exciting. Skywishes was sketching. The fillies were talking about themselves when flying the kites. ............................ "Wow! That was fun!" Scootaloo said. "Yeah, but I'm plum tuckered," Apple Bloom said. The sun had gone below the horizon. Skywishes had taken Twinkle Twirl home. Star Beam had picked up Honolulu. Pinkie Pie went back to the cave she and Maud were staying in. The four fillies were back in their hammocks, slowly falling asleep. "Unbelievable," Gem said, looking at the house, "Those Cutie Mark Catastrophes are actually gaining members!" "What are we going to do about it?" Pearl asked. "I'm sure we can get away with something," Gem answered, "Both of my parents work in the mines and yours out on the water." "But not too much," Pearl said, "My mom said in a letter that she feared that I was getting too devious, like there is such a thing." "That's sad," Gem said, "But what's even sadder is what's going to happen to those blank flanks." "What do you have in mind?" Pearl asked, half intrigued and half afraid. Gem leaned in and whispered, and Pearl paled.