Life-Led

by Trevor Rain

Chapter 7

It had been several hours since Skye had asked that one troubling question to Applejack and, try as she might, she could not get that question out of her head. The question had erupted a maelstrom of others that constantly assaulted her mind. Why hadn't she gone to search for them? The simple answer was that they were dead. Granny Smith had told her so when she was a little older than Applebloom, her sister. Told her that they had both been taken by the by a raging flood that had been completely unexpected.

What was Ponyville's dam had once been a natural barrier that diverted the waters around Ponyville. The barrier had one day eroded and gave way to a torrent of water that tore through the the outskirts of the town. Many of the outlying homes had been instantly swept away in the torrent of water, the worse of it came by the Apple family farm. Applejack had been told that the waters quickly swept anypony working the orchard. Both Ma and Pa had been out in the orchard for the high demand of labor that applebuck season, their bodies were never found in the aftermath. They were thought to be swept to the destination all rivers end up in, and that's the ocean.

The sea.

There was nothing to look for. No evidence of survival, no letter that spoke of a mysterious sendoff nor anypony that had thought to see them. If she were to go out in some sort of journey like Rainbow Dash, she would have no clue on what direction to go. Rainbow had a letter, a direction... Hay, she even had an exact spot where they were sent. What did she have?

Then the question came back into it's true form. "Would you... do the same."

Applejack involuntarily slammed her head against the mast of the Jacklyn Rose in frustration for thinking herself in a circle. She was letting her thoughts distract herself instead of focusing on the task at hand. Skye raised an eyebrow at the action, but Applejack gave no indication she wanted to talk about it and instead pushed her heat from her head to get a better look at the knot that Skye was trying to show her.

Skye shook his head and spoke in a steady tone, showing her the movements with his own rope. "Now, you're pullin' it the wrong way. I know it's a hard one, but it's meant to save your life. You want the knot on your lifeline to be so strong that nothin' can pull it apart."

Applejack did as Skye instructed, then bit down hard on the length and pulled. The knot seemed to hold for a moment but quickly slipped and loosened causing Applejack to fall backwards again on her flank. Skye let out a curse as he mumbled in frustration, walking away from her and towards the bow of the Rose. Applejack spit out the rope and climbed back up to her hooves, giving the rope a slight kick to try and ease her own frustration.

The stallion wanted to learn this weird know that she had never seen before. She had her own that would suit the job just fine, but he demanded she learn this one. She couldn't understand why the stubborn colt wouldn't let her just tie the thing and be done with it. Why would they need a tie like that anyway? The ocean was practically flat and there were no clouds anywhere around the horizon. Darn fool stallion and his knots... and questions.

Would she go? The first answer that came to her mind was no. She had a farm to run and couldn't go off on fools errands whenever she liked to. Macintosh could buck near as many apples as she could, but he was one Pony and it just didn't add up. Her parents were dead, and she had accepted that fact a long time ago, what would wet bones have to prove? What would they even tell her?

She knew her father from what Granny told her. He was a hard workin' pony that put family before anythin' else. Some of the earliest memories she had of him was how to plant, discern which trees were the best for bearing fruit, even how to better graft the branches to make the tree as strong as it could be.

Wait, no. That was her uncle Strudel. The memory was blurred, but she could finally recognize a much younger Apple Strudel that first taught her the basics of working the orchard.

Applejack tried to bring up memories of her mother, but they were also blurred. When she tried to bring up memories of her mother, they were of Granny Smith preparing jam and showing Applejack the best ways to prepare a meal that would satisfy any appetite. Apple's are a versatile fruit, and Applejack learned how to make a myriad of foods using that one ingredient as the base in them all.

But it was Granny Smith, not her mother that she remembered.

Applejack brought her stetson back to it's place on her head, trying as she might to find any memory, and finding herself growing sad as she began to uncover the holes that she had assumed to be filled. Granny had told her much about her Ma and Pa, and she didn't think that Granny would lie to her, but she had no memories of her own to recall. No personal experience to connect her with them.

Why was she so troubled by that question? Especially now when her friend's life was at stake and she was surrounded on all sides by water that caused her to walk like a newborn filly. If curses were to be believed, then she would agree with Skye's tale about the ocean's treatment of land-dwellers. Applejack missed the strength and assurity that came from walking on the land.

At least she could trust the strength of the boat's edge as she made her way to the starn and gripped the wood with her forehooves. She tried to let the passing air clear he head, but found little comfort in the horizon as the water spanned farther than the eye could see. The blue of the water seemed to mirror the sky as she looked out at the expanse. Applejack increased her grip to the wood, believing that letting go would have her falling into the blue abyss that proceeded on forever. She shut her eyes and shook her head to rid herself of the vertigo. How could anypony enjoy this life?

"She is always a beauty to behold Missy, the sea." came Skye's voice behind her.

Applejack kept herself from scoffing. "Ah'll be honest with ya, I don't see much worth lookin' at out here. Hard to appreciate the sights if they won't stop movin'."

"Suppose it would be hard to appreciate what you see, missy. You weren't born on-

"On the waves. Ah got that, " Applejack cut him off. " but what does that matter besides not making a lick of sense? Everypony is born on land, there ain't no place for givin’ birth out here."

Skye showed no signs of anger from being interrupted, but stopped up next to Applejack, putting his own forehooves over the edge, mimicking her position.

"I agree with you on that one, but not everypony has a choice when the time comes"

Applejack looked at Skye with a raised eyebrow, then widened her eyes in shock at the realization. "Ya'll were actually born out here?" asked the orange mare.

Skye nodded, then spoke with an easy tone. "Papa was a navigator, thought he could get to one end of Equestria to the other by sailin' straight one way. Seems the water is a might more appealing to travel across than heading through mountains and forests. Fool of a father didn't know the skies and how their presence still angers the waters." Skye bowed his head over the edge. "Storms came, warmer than most. Tossed their ship to and about for most part of a week. The fogs came after and laid low to embrace the waters, but left my fool of a father with no way oh' knowin' where he was. Had mother come along thinking she weren't due for months yet."

Skye spat, and Applejack shifted her hooves uncomfortably. She coudln't understand Skye's anger with his father, but then he continued.

"The waters were still goin' strong along with the fog, and they had both lost hope that land would be past the fog. The fog blocked out the stars and the fool didn't think to take a compass with him. Fear musta' put mother in an early labor, and there I was born midst the waves and the fog."

Applejack spoke when Skype paused, "You talk like you were there, did they tell you 'bout this?" She asked.

Skye shook his head, face contorting in an angry expression. "Nah, I didn't hear this from either of em. Heard it from those that raised me after that fool left. Mother she..." Skye's expression softened, and Applejack could see a hint of sadness in his eyes. "She had me on that boat. Not a minute after, the fog cleared and a small island broke from the distance. Mother thought I was a blessing that saved their lives and gave me the name of Raptured. Raptured Skye."

Skye gave a snort after saying his name, as if it was an inside joke. He turned away from the edge and returned to his hooves. "Folk that lived on that island took mother in, but she didn't make it too long after they got to the island. Father," Skye said with a sneer, "Stayed only long enough to tell the folk about what happened. Left the 'raptured' bastard that killed his wife on there for them island folk to deal with."

Applejack quickly turned around herself, barely keeping her balance as she stepped towards Skye. "Skye, I'm sorry..." She said, sincerity in her voice.

Skye waved a hoof towards her without turning around. "Got over it long ago, Missy. Just answering your question."

Applejack had one more: "Did you ever find him? Your Pa?"

Skye turned towards her. "Aye, I did." He pointed towards his flank. "That's where I got this here mark. Saddest day of my life and we'll-"

Skye was interrupted by a crack of thunder that resonated overheard. Sky and Applejack both looked up to see that the sky had turned black as storm clouds rolled forth to eclipse the horizon. Lighting arched from the clouds to the water below, the visible energy also seen through the clouds as the blackness would be lit up from the arching white light. Moments later, Applejack had to grab her hat to keep it from being torn off her head from the raging winds that assaulted the boat, then found herself falling backwards towards the edge of the Rose as the wind hit the sail dead on.

Applejack closed her eyes, ready to fall into the depths, but then she felt a painful pull on her mane as Akye bit down on her hair, pulling her back onto the deck where she fell with a thud. Applejack looked up to thank Skye, but he was already running towards the sails that adorned the mast. Applejack did what she could to keep her balance as she trotted after him.

The sail lashed against the mast as the winds continued to assault it, the ropes straining to keep it in place. She knew enough from common sense that if the sail didn't become shredded by the winds, then the mast itself would be cracked in two. Skye was already at the helm locking the wheel in place with a chain to keep the boom under control. He yelled something back but she couldn't hear his voice over the strong winds.

The rains came after the clouds had obscured the horizon in darkness that felt like thousands of ice picks buffeting the boat and the exposed flesh of the ponies. Skye had left the helm and began to struggle with a few of the ropes that held the sail aloft. Applejack ran to Skye and bit the rope he was pulling only to be shoved aside. Skye wrapped the rope his hooves and faced Applejack, surprising him with the fierceness in his eyes.

"Tie the lifelines! Now!" shouted Skye, his voice carrying over the storm. He bit down on the rope he was working with and resumed his work. Applejack didn't waste another second as she sped to the mast and to the ropes tied around it. The rope that she had cast aside earlier was nowhere to be seen, but there were still two bundles tied to the spars. She grabbed the line that would loosen one and gave it a tug, freeing it from the spar and allowing her to wrap it around in a hurried double half hitch.She didn't have time to try and recreate Skye's knot.

Applejack tied the other before biting the end of both and running back to Skye. The mast was coming down, practically dropping off and slamming into the ground. Skye was there in moments trying it down. She reached sky and quickly threw the rope around his body, pulling the other end through his legs to tie it off. Skye did the same and Applejack could feel the rope being pulled tightly against her side. She looked at Skye to find him looking back. His eyes were worried and his expression grim, this was no ordinary storm.

A crackling like twisted leather behind her, she looked to see one of the ropes holding the foresail straining against the force of the wind. She felt herself being thrown down, just in time for the rope to snap and go whipping across the heads of the two prone ponies with an angry whistle. Applejack looked up to see Skye had tackled her to the deck in time for the rope to miss. It would have taken her head off

She got up on her hooves and turned to thank Skye, but stopped when she saw him sitting on his haunches looking up. Applejack turned her head to see what he was looking at, to have her legs give out from under her as the colossal wave approached the tiny by comparison vessel. The wave that seemed to be created from all the wrath, misery and woe that the ocean could muster fell down and engulfed the Jacklyn Rose.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Two days! They have been standing out there for two whole days!" groaned a frustrated Rainbow Dash. She tapped her head repeatedly against the tree she was leaning against, as if she could knock out the annoyance. She had been walking along the edge of the forest for what she could guess was two days. The sky around the forest didn't show much light, it wasn't like the Everfree Forest back near her home in Ponyville. There you could see rather well for most of the way in until you got to the thickest part of the trees, then it wouldn't matter what time of the day it was. Here, it was different.

She could see the sky, but there were no stars nor light. The sky was covered in dark clouds that rained in a constant drizzle. The sun never penetrated the clouds. She had once climbed a tree consisting of low-hanging branches and hovered just high enough to try and push them aside, but found that not only were they uncooperative, they also had no sense of humor as the ones she got near let out a pouring rain that left her cold and shivering.

At least the clouds masked the fire she managed to start to keep her warm. She managed to find a stash of dry leaves and limbs in a hollow tree not far from where she entered. It provided shelter, and kept the constant rain off of her. She had stayed there for a few hours trying to start a fire from scratch, but remembered a trick she had learned in her time at flight school.

A Pegasus was a far cry from a phoenix, but both have magical properties associated with their feathers. Dash had once heard that a Pegasus feather was used in potions of some sort, but she didn't remember anything about that. What she did remember is that a plucked feather made a good fire starter. All it took was one spark to set the plucked feathers ablaze, giving her a warming fire that banished the cold and helped her relax for a moment.

Dash had later learned that her sanctuary in the forest was also a prison. Walking walking a different direction than when she came in, Dash found the forest edge surrounded by gryphons, either flying or camping outside in crude, grass tents. She had skirted a few miles of the perimeter and could not find a gap in the gryphons wide enough to escape through. Gilda wasn't joking when she had told her to stay away from the forest.

She had not seen the scared gryphon since her first encounter. Dash didn't know whether to be relieved or worried.

At least her wing was healing right. She could achieve at least a few seconds of flight at a time without pain bringing her down again. She imagined it would be a week or two before it was completely healed, few weeks after to get herself in shape to be able to fly back to Equestria.

If she could even leave this stupid forest! Another pound sent a deserved pain through her head. She reached back to rub it with one hoof, then stopped. She could swear she could hear... drums? Dash stopped breathing and raised an ear. Faintly, she could hear a pounding, a steady rhythm that was deep and echoed against the trees. Where was it coming from?

Curiosity always being in opposition to the instinct of survival, Dash stood back on four hooves and stepped quietly towards the origin of the sound as not to lose it in her hoofsteps. The sound became louder as she came closer to where she had first entered.

Drum

Drum

Drum

A steady beat that did not relent, one low boom after another. Dash could see the treeline, but knew better than to poke her head out of it. Looking up to spot a promising tree, she gathered her legs under her and sprang up to the nearest branch, unfolding her wings and giving a strong push upwards to give that extra lift she needed to gracefully land onto the first branch. She repeated the process till she came to a branch that could see past the treeline, while still giving her the cover from the dead, grey leaves that still stubbornly clung to the branches.

The grass beyond the forest had been cleared in a large circle where several dozen gryphons were walking about and talking with each other. Dash could hear their voices, but could not understand anything that they were saying. It sounded close to Equestrian, the words seemed the same but the structure kept anything from making sense to her. The center of the circle had some sort of wooden rise built up, but she couldn't make out too many details from all the gryphons obscuring her view.

A staff was raised in the air, and an immediate silence followed. Gryphons parted away from the holder of the staff, revealing a gryphon that seemed older than dirt to Dash. His wings were almost featherless and he moved as if he were blind, staff moving out in front of him as he walked in the general direction of the rise. Without the gryphons gathered around, Dash could finally see what it was... and what was laying on top of it.

It had stripes, no wings and it's legs and muzzle were bound in cord. It layed there unmoving as if resigned to it's fate.

It was the same zebra that Dash saw earlier. The one that the gryphon pounced on when it missed her.

The gryphons formed a semi-circle around the the rise and the elder gryphon, and Dash watched as he walked deliberately up to the zebra. The elder stood back on it's hind legs, holding the staff with both talons. He parted the staff in half to show a long, thin blade that he rose above the captive zebra, it's own eyes looking at the blade and still he did not move. The drumming had continued and had begun to reach a driving crescendo.

And Dash looked away. She jumped down. Branch by branch she dropped, tripping on the last one and falling hard on the ground. Half a moment she was back up and running back to the comfort of the hollow, trying her best not to think about how the drums stopped beating.

The words of Gilda again rang in her head, Dash could understand why she didn't want to talk about it, but what she couldn't understand was why? Why would they tie anypony up like that and...

She wanted out of that place. She wanted to leave and never think of it again. Never think of the long knife that would come down without her being able to defend herself.

Dash made it to the hollow and ducked inside, pushing against the wood as if to hide herself from view. She listened for a sound outside the tree, but could hear nothing but her labored breathing and rapidly beating heart. She closed her eyes and saw the rise in her mind. She saw the gryphon holding the knife above his head. She saw the figure bound and tied on the rise, her rose eyes looking up, blue wings bound to her sides as...

"Calm. Come."

The feeling of panic she felt was gone, and with it a feeling of relative peace. She heard the voice this time, louder than it had ever been. She recognized it now, it was the voice that warned her about the gryphons. Dash opened her eyes and looked around, but knew she would find no-pony around. That voice, she heard it once before.

Right before she died. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she first thought.

The next sensation was a pull, not an unpleasant one. The feeling was the same as a warm bath was after a hard day of weather patrol. The pleasurable feeling directed her outside of the tree and Dash followed and looked at the direction that she, for lack of a better word, felt.

It was deeper into the darkness of the forest.Now the pleasant feeling was one that she scared. What could be leading her there? She couldn't even start to wonder what the voice was, or why it had been with her since the end of her flight, and was she really in a position to question anything? She now had direction...

Into the depths of the forest where she wasn't sure she would be able to see. Through the trees (and there were only trees, she noticed). was a wall of blackness. How could she see where she was going? "Where was all this thinking before you zoomed away from Ponyville?" Dash chided herself silently.

The call came again, and Rainbow realized she was stalling. Weighing her options of staying there till the gryphons found a way through the forest and heading deeper into the darkness, she found the darkness to be a bit more inviting. Dash took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly before finally taking the first few steps into the darkened forest in front of her.

She couldn't see more than a few hooves in front of her, yet she knew which direction to go. Dash couldn't explain it and probably would never have noticed if not for the fact that she never bumped into trees. She could still hear the branches moving from the wind and feel the raindrops on her back but the darkness was consuming, making her eyes useless.

Step to the left, turn a little bit to the right, change direction, these feelings seemed to say. She reached out a wing once and scraped against the base of a large tree that she missed after following one of these impressions. She knew that the feelings could be trusted to give her direction, but where exactly was it taking her?

The sound of rustling leaves stopped along with the rushing wind. The sound of the rain hitting the earth and the trees also came to an abrupt end. Dash nearly went deaf from the silence, but the directions never stopped, and neither did her hooves. In the darkness and the silence, she knew there was no going back. She would be completely lost without the promptings, and would probably be circling around the forest for days before finding any light.

Then there came another sound that was unexpected. It sounded like a voice, but not a whisper within. It was distant, and continued in intervals.

And it was in front of her.

The sound grew clearer as Dash moved further, following the promptings. It was crying. The voice was deep and echoed all around her, making her feel rather uncomfortable, for it was the bellows of a full grown stallion. Dash stopped a moment and reached up to find a tear coming to her own eye, the crying seemed to be effecting her. The more she listened, the more she could tell that there was a great sadness in the voice that was wailing.

Then there was blue. Among the darkness, Dash could see a color. She walked over and picked up a blue feather that glowed with a faint light. Looking ahead, she could see several of these feathers glowing in a faint trail that led in the same direction as the impressions. Dash looked back at the feather, it belonged to a Pegasus. The strands that made up the down were swaying as if blown by an invisible breeze, then it shattered as if glass, falling from her hoof and onto the dirt, taking with it the glow.

"What in the name of Spitfire was going on here?"

Things were getting weird.

Dash followed the feathers, and found something even more strange in comparison to the crying and feathers. A clearing stood before her, and she stood before the clearing trying to make sense from what she was seeing after blinking away the brightness. It was almost a perfect circle. An area where no trees stood, instead was a break in the clouds above where a little light shone onto one tree in the middle of the circle that was out of place among the other flat-leaved trees. This was a willow.

It shared the same bark as the ones around it, bleached white. The branches extended are from the colossal tree, bending down in a manner that earned it's namesake. Around the tree were flowers, but only one kind. Bright lilies that shone a dazzling white which pulled the breaking light from the clouds into their glow. The lilies extended to the edge of the clearing, only inches away from the blue hooves of Dash.

She stole a glance back and saw only darkness behind her, having no alternative, Dash stepped forward.

The lilies reacting to her passing. The first that she touched bled from the pure white to a deep crimson. The color grew across the petals and infected any other that came near. The blanket of white slowly became a sea of red as Dash waded against the flintlock-high flowers. The sea of crimson continued around the willow until every petal shown an angry blood red that pulled the light around her, reflecting the light to match their color onto her form. Crimson upon blue.

Then the crying stopped. So did the intruder.

The flowers at the base of the tree erupted in a cascade of red and black, shadows swerved among them, molding into an equine shape that hovered above the ground. The shadows began to take the distinct shape of a stallion twice Dash's size. The muzzle was formed, and the eyes shown red as they locked on the winged intruder.

Dash took a step back, and the form pulsed in anger. It fell above the ground, skirting the lilies as it slowly made it's way towards Dash, one phantom step at a time. There was a growl that was uttered everywhere at once that encased Dash in it's anger.

Through the confusion and anger, Dash knew one thing.

She was tired of running.

She ran from the gryphons because it was her chance at survival, the thought never occurred to her that she may die with her back turned. Death itself was a motivator for her fear. She was weak, and couldn't out-fly her hunters, she was at a disadvantage. She was alone.

But here, her back was against the wall. There was no going back.

Right now, that feeling of being alone was nowhere near her mind as she dug her hooves down and stood her ground. She was rested, she would fight. She felt twice as strong as before.

Then the darkness stopped and shifted its gaze beside Dash. There was another.

Beside Dash stood a mare with bright blue feathers and rose colored eyes. She looked older than Dash, taller, stronger like one who had spent her life attempting physical perfection. The other distinction from Dash was her face, for there was no determination nor fear, but there was in it's place a loving smile.

Dash looked beside her and saw the mare, saw her mother for she was a living picture. The figure tore itself from the canvas and stood in between the phantom and Dash, extending a hoof upwards towards it.

The petals around the phantom halted, and fell along with it as they touched the ground. The shadows that adorned the figure started to recede and dissolve, the red in it's eyes revealing the large brown irises that they hid before. They were sullen with sadness, but there was some relief when he looked upon the mare. Slowly, he raised his own hoof of darker blue. The touch occurred, and light shone forth from the contact.

Dash blinked away the light, shielding her eyes with a wing. The brightness receded, and Dash saw two shadows from the light in a tight embrace. The shadows melded with the receding light and burned into nothing. The lilies that encircled the dark stallion fell like crimson rain, one falling upon the muzzle of Dash, and she saw as the petal turned back to a pure white.

They were gone.

Dash fell back on her haunches in disbelief, still trying to register in her mind what happened. She looked to the left and right, but could see nothing. Nothing but the willow and the lilies... and something shiny.

The glint caught her eye, something metal where the apparition met the phantom. Dash stood up, softly stepping through the flowers as she picked up the golden circle. It felt heavy in her hoof, and it was engraved with worn lettering, but she could still make out some of the wording.

"Committed to valor and unwavering service
Manifest Stalwart"

Dash repeated the unusual name in her head over and over. She turned the medal around and recognized the old insignia for the Pegasus air corps. She put the clues together in her mind. This must have belonged to the ghost she saw, he was in the air corps, he was sent over here.

Dad?

Dash felt something warm in her chest that seemed to be a response to the question. She closed her eyes and spent a moment enjoying the warm feeling. She took the medal and slipped it over her head, pulling her mane away to let it rest comfortably across her neck. For what little she did think, she expected to see bones, maybe some sort of shred of their existence. Did she really think they would be alive?

She didn't think the spirit of her mother would appear out of nowhere and reunite with the angry form of her father.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the chirping of an unfamiliar bird. She looked to the branches and was surprised to find smaller avians taking rest at the branches above, more surprised to see the clouds were no longer blocking out the sky. She could make out what time of day it was. Morning.

The light played with the leaves, showering everything she could see with fluttering shadows and light all around her, the darkness now banished by the sun. She could feel a strong breeze blow through her mane and heard the cacophony of leaves brushing against each other that reminded her of rushing water. The beauty was strange in this place, but it was nice, peaceful, and different than what she had seen in Equestria, but she couldn't put a hoof on why it was.

Among the birds and the leaves, an unmistakable roar that can only come from a creature that is both a fearsome predator of the ground and an angel of death from the skies. Shadows flickered above Dash that showed forms of large flyer that were skimming the canopy and she could hear padded feet and claws landing around her. She was out in the open here, she had to run, and felt a burning in her chest that fueled her urgency. Turning back the way she came, Dash sped across the ground, weaving through the trees.

In the light, she could recognize a few landmarks and abnormal trees, and it wasn't too long before her pace took her to the hollow tree she had taken shelter in before. The last landmark she needed. Dash knew how to get out now.

Her elation was short lived as she heard heavy steps coming from her destination. Dash quickly ducked into the hollow and pushed herself against the side, silencing her breath.

The steps came moments before and sound went past the tree. Dash nearly let out a breath of relief, but the sound stopped for a moment, then grew closer. The sound was behind her now, stepping around the tree. Dash hoped that the gryphon couldn't hear the sound of her heart hammering in her ears. The steps were getting closer to the hollow, and Dash made a decision, the same one she had made against her father.

Never go down without a fight.

Dash once again proved her namesake by maneuvering out of the hollow and jumping at her assailant. In a flash of color and feathers, she tackled the stalker and smiled as she heard a cry of surprise and pain. She thought to push the gryphon onto it's back and avoid the talons where she hoped to hit it hard enough to knock it unconscious.

Surprise found Dash as she was quickly flipped onto her own back. She let out a grunt while trying to fight the talons that pinned her down. Wait, not talons. Hooves.

Standing above her was a tan mare whose ragged blond mane was undone, flowing across her shoulders. Her face was drawn up in a smile as emerald eyes looked down at the blue pegasus.

"Is this how ya’ll greet everypony tha-"

Applejack's sentence was cut off as Dash brought her hooves around her neck and pulled her friend close. Applejack's expression turned to worry, but nevertheless returned the gesture.

"If you tell anypony about this, especially Pinkie, I'll kill you." Whispered Dash in Applejack's ear.

Applejack let out a small laugh. "Wouldn't dream of it, sugarcube. Trust me."

Comments

[Kolwynia]

Nice! The ending of this one made me happy. I'm assuming we're going to hear how AJ survived the wave soon? The scene with Rainbow Dash and the ghosts was my favorite this time around. Really great imagery with the lilies changing color. Also, it was nice to get some backstory with Skye. (Oh! That's right, check the paragraph when the storm is coming upon them, right after Skye starts to tell AJ about his cutie mark. There's a typo, I think. You spell his name "Akye.")

Another great chapter overall. Glad to see the friends reunited. And the mystery continues...