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Tartarus - bahatumay

Applejack took another drink from one of her canteens. When Twilight had crossed this desert, she had had magic to help her. Applejack only had her wits, her strength, and the many canteens of water she carried.

Most of which by now were empty. The desert was one unforgiving mistress.

Applejack lifted the hat off her head and wiped the sweat off as she continued climbing the dune. Hopefully, this would be one of the last she'd have to face.

As she peeked over the top, her heart jumped. Sure enough, just like the map had said, she saw the gates of Tartarus.

With newfound strength, she scurried down the dune, not even noticing or caring that she slipped and rolled most of her way down, and trotted over to the gates. Turning to the side, she examined the rocks that made up the wall. They were black, but had red bits ground into it, giving it almost a lava effect that was only augmented by the fact that they glowed in the light. She tentatively brushed it with a hoof, and was pleased to discover that the rocks were not hot. She grabbed one with her mouth and pulled.

Nothing happened.

She pulled again and again until her jaw was sore and sweat poured down her face. Still nothing.

Angry, she spun around and began bucking the wall in an attempt to dislodge at least a piece of it. Nothing happened, and she kicked harder and harder until...

"What are you doing?"

Applejack spun around and saw a young filly staring at her, head cocked, with mild interest in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Applejack asked. "This ain't no place for a filly."

"This also 'ain't no place' for live ponies," the filly countered.

"Mebbe not," Applejack conceded, "but Ah had to try."

The filly sat and waved her hoof expectantly, as if awaiting further explanation.

Applejack sighed and sat down as well. "Fine... Rainbow Dash--she's my marefriend--has been real off lately. Somethin's been eating her up inside and Ah can't tell what it is. Ah tried talkin' to her about it but she just said she wanted to be alone. Ah told her Ah'd go to Tartarus and back fer her, but she didn't seem to be listening."

"So now you have," the filly surmised, "and now intend to try and get her to talk by your show of pointless devotion?"

Applejack frowned. "Well, when you put it like that..."

"That is soooo sweet!" The filly popped up and backed herself up to the wall. "Here," she said, giving it a light kick with a single rear hoof. One brick fell and landed right in front of Applejack. "One souvenir from Tartarus, just for you."

Applejack picked it up and slid it into her saddlebag. "Thanks, miss..." she said, prompting for a name.

The filly didn't provide. "Don't mention it."

"Okay..."

"Like, ever. I have a reputation to maintain, you know." She turned and headed towards the gates.

"Ah don't suppose you have any water in there?" Applejack asked.

The filly turned, and for a split second Applejack thought she saw a smiling skeleton where the filly had been. "Dead ponies don't need water," she said, "but there's an oasis about a quarter mile that way that you might find helpful."

* * *

Applejack trotted through Ponyville, going through the town proper and finally ending up on the outskirts, where she found the rainbow tail hanging from a cloud that she had been seeking.

Rainbow Dash sat on that cloud, pondering deeply, when suddenly a glowing brick landed in front of her. She jumped and looked down.

"There," Applejack said. "Ah told you Ah'd go all the way to Tartarus and back for you, and Ah did. That there's a brick from the wall. Now get down here and tell me what's wrong."

"I... I can't," Rainbow said, looking down, embarrassment written on her face.

Applejack's eyes narrowed. She did not just walk through a desert and get a brick from Tartarus' walls just to be told that. She reached into the saddlebags she still wore, pulled out a rope, and with expert marksponyship, she grabbed Rainbow by the tail and pulled her to the ground, slamming her against the dirt.

"Ah did not just walk through a desert and get a brick from Tartarus' walls just to be told that," she snarled, "so you'd better pony up and tell me exactly what is on yer mind."

It was a pair of marefriends who started that conversation that day, but it was a set of fiancées that ended it.

And Applejack would have made that trip to Tartarus daily for that.

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