//------------------------------// // Up and Out // Story: Pure Imagination // by SYNTH4 //------------------------------// CHAPTER 17: UP AND OUT Pinkie lead the two remaining group memebers back to the elevator. She continued to bounce and hum to herself as they went. The two mares following her didn’t seem as happy as she did. But given what had happened to the rest of the group, that wasn’t very surprising. When they reached the elevator, Pinkie turned to the two mares. “There’s still so much left to see,” she said as she removed her goggles. “Now, how many foals are left”? Apple Bloom and Granny Smith looked at each other. The two slowly removed their goggles, smiling at the chocolatier. “Miss Pie, Apple Bloom is the only one left,” said Granny. Pinkie’s eyes and mouth widened. She turned to the smiling filly. Her face became more serious as she lowered herself to her level. Apple Bloom almost instinctively backe away, but stood firm instead. “Do you know what this means,” asked Pinkie. Apple Bloom didn’t know what to say. She stayed silent, but continued to look Pinkie in the eyes. “It means….YOU’VE WON!” The confectioner quickly grabed Apple Bloom’s hoof and gave it a big shake. The filly’s whole body shaked along with it. It was almost hard to see the smiling face Pinkie was now wearing. “I have to say congradulations Apple Bloom. I always had a feeling you would be the one to win. And now you have, so I know that I was right. This has to be one of the greatest days that ever…” “Uh Miss Pinkie,” said Granny, “I hate to interupt, but I think Apple Bloom is getting dizzy”. Pinkie stopped shaking the filly’s hand. Apple Bloom wobbled for a few seconds, trying to get her balance. Her eyes spun slightly in their sockets, but soon returned to normal. “Sorry about that,” said Pinkie. “I’m just happy that Apple Bloom was able to stay until the end. If there was anypony I wanted to win, it was her”. “But what did I win,” asked Apple Bloom. Pinkie smiled. “All in good time Apple Bloom. For now, there’s much for us to do. So let’s get moving”. Pinkie turned, opened the elevator door, and walked inside. The two mares followed along behind her, depositing their goggles in a nearby container. Once they were all inside, Pinke turned to the back wall of the elevator. She pressed a button directly in the center, which soon glowed white. Apple Bloom looked up and was able to read the words UP AND OUT next to the button. “Up and Out? What kind of room is that,” she asked. “Oh it’s not a room,” replied Pinkie. “Also, you might want to hold on”. Apple Bloom wasn’t able to process this before the elevator shot away from the Gaming Room. It sped between rooms before coming to a stop in the middle of an intersection. The two mares looked around, but there wasn’t a room in sight. Just as the mares were about to ask Pinkie what was wrong, the elevator shot upward. Apple Bloom looked up and saw that they were racing through a large cylindrical structure made of bricks. “Oh my goodness,” said Pinkie. “We need to go much faster or we’ll just never break through”. “Break through what,” asked Apple Bloom. Pinkie smilled at the two mares. “I’ve been longing to press that button for years”. She looked towards the ceiling. “Well here we go: UP AND OUT”! Granny Smith gasped. “Do you mean…” “Yeah, I do,” replied Pinkie. “But it’s made of GLASS,” said Granny. She wrapped her arms protectively around Apple Bloom. “It’ll shatter into a million pieces, we’ll be sliced like apples”! “Maybe,” said Pinkie happily. The elevator sped faster and faster towards the exit. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom held each other tightly, eyes closed as they grew closer. Pinkie kept looking up, smiling. Finally, the elevator reached the exit. It crashed through the grate, leaving the factory behind. *** Apple Bloom opened an eye. She found that the elevator was still intact, and they weren’t sliced like apples. All around them was white, though she could also hear the sound of wind. She looked over at Pinkie, who was now smiling even more than before. The mare looked down at Apple Bloom. “Wow, that was fun,” she said. Granny opened her eyes and looked around. She let go of Apple Bloom, and the two stood up. The elevator still shook as if it was moving, but there was only white around them. Suddenly the white disappeared and was replaced by a dark blue sky. Sunlight filled the elevator, illuminating the white clouds below it. The three mares stared in awe at the sight before them. The cloud covered everything for miles, leaving only the sky and sun visable. “So this is Up and Out,” said Apple Bloom. “Sure is pretty,” said Granny. “Sure is,” said Pinkie, “I’ve always wanted to press that button”. The mares continued to watch the clouds as the elevator rose into the sky. But soon, the elevator began to slow down. The clouds slowly stopped moving away. Soon, they came to a stop. “Darn,” said Pinkie, “momentum ran out”. “What does that mean,” asked Apple Bloom. Pinkie didn’t have to answer. At that time the elevator began falling back down. The mares were lifted off the floor and stuck to the ceiling. Apple Bloom tried moving her hoof. But as the speed increased, she found it more difficult to move anything. The elevator shot through the clouds, exiting into the grey world below. They were falling towards the factory, just past the chimney they’d shout out from. “We’re gonna die,” screamed Granny! “Not today,” said Pinkie. With much effort, Pinkie was able to move her leg off the ceiling. She reached down and pressed a button near the top of the back wall. The arms attached to the top of the elevator shot outward. The ends turned down, quickly turning into jets. The elevator slowly slowed down, coming to a stop just above the roof of the factory. The three mares fell from the ceiling. Apple Bloom and Pinkie landed on their hooves, but Granny landed on her flank. She groaned as the other two breathed a sigh of relief. “That was close,” said Pinkie. “Never did this before, so I’m glad everything worked”. “Might want to work on the landing,” said Granny grumpily. “We managed to land on our hooves,” said Apple Bloom. “You should try it”. Granny gave Apple Bloom a “don’t sas me” look as she stood up. Pinkie took this moment to press another button on the wall. The elevator flew back up towards the sky. Soon, it rose above the chimneys. “Now that we’re out,” said Pinkie, “let’s have a look at Ponyville from the sky”. The elevator moved towards the factory entrance. They passed small chimneys and towers before reaching the front. The large crowd had dispearsed since that morning, and everypony was going around as usual. They didn’t seem to notice the large glass elevator flying above them. Apple Bloom and Granny watched in awe as they flew over the town. Everything seemed so much small from this height. It was also a great way to see just how big the town was. Apple Bloom saw her school, the sweet shops, and even the library. “If only they could see me now,” she thought. Pinkie walked forward. “It’s been a while since I’ve been outside the factory grounds, so I don’t know the town too well. Where is Sweet Apple Acres located?” Granny pointed forward. “Right outside of town. Just follow the road”. With a nod, Pinkie pressed another button. The elevator’s jets shot them forward, towards the outside of town. *** Applejack and Big Mac sat in front of the fireplace. A large, warm fire burned inside, casting bright light over the room. The two held small cups of coco in their hooves, sipping them silently. “Sure been quiety today,” said Applejack. “Eyup,” replied Big Mac. “Hope Apple Bloom and Granny are having a good time”. She looked up at the clock. “I wonder when they’ll be back”. Big Mac shrugged. Applejack sighed before taking a sip of coco. She wasn’t sure how much time would be needed to tour a factory of that size. It might even be an overnight thing, even if that wasn’t specified in the ticket. But as she went to take another sip, something caught her ear. A humming noise was coming from somewhere. By now Big Mac had heard it too. The two of them looked around for the source of the noise. “LOOK OUT BELOW!” Applejack and Big Mac didn’t have time to register the voice before they heard a large crashing sound. The house shook, raining dust onto the floor. Applejack and Big Mac were on their hooves when the Glass Elevator crashed through the roof of the room. They jumped back as the elevator came to a stop on the floor, dust and debris piling around it. “What the hay is going on,” yelled Applejack. The two ponies walked to the front of the elevator, ready to break some bones. But when they did, they found Apple Bloom, Granny, and Pinkie looking back at them. “Hey sis, hey bro,” said Apple Bloom, with a wave and a smile. The doors opened, and the two Apples and Pinkie walked out. Apple Bloom ran up to her siblings, giving them a hug. “Applejack, Big Mac, you wouldn’t believe what kind of day we’ve had”. “I...I can see that,” said Applejack, clearly shaken. “But, uh, why is there a glass elavator in our house?” “Sorry about that,” said Pinkie, “I didn’t think it was wise to park out in the snow”. Big Mac looked up at the hole. “That was my room”. “Oh, sorry,” said Pinkie. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for any damages”. “Okay,” said Applejack, “but if I might ask, what are you doing here Miss Pinkie”? “That’s just it,” said Granny, “she says that Apple Bloom’s won something”. The Apples looked at Pinkie, who gave a smile in return. “Not just something: it’s the most important super special awesome something that anypony’s ever been give. I’m giving Apple Bloom my entire factory”. There was silence in the room. All the Apples had their mouths open in shock. Apple Bloom’s eyes were as big as dinner plates. Pinkie just continued to smile. Eventually, Granny spoke up. “You...You must be joking”. Pinkie giggled. “All the time, but not right now. I mean what I said: Apple Bloom will be given my entire factory”. “But...why? Why would you just give up your factory,” asked Applejack. Pinkie’s joyful smile suddenly turned into a more “sad” smile. She reached into her mane and pulled out a small bottle filled with a purple liquid. She uncorked the top before pouring the liquid on her head. The Apples watched as the liquid flowed down Pinkie’s mane. Apple Bloom was surprised to see that the color was starting to come along with it. Soon all the liquid had drained onto the floor, along with pools of pink coloring. Pinkie now stood before the Apple Family with grey streaks in her mane. The pink that was still present was much lighter than what it was before. Not only that, but there were now small bags under Pinkie’s eyes. She wasn’t looking young anymore. “This is why,” said Pinkie. “I’m getting old. For the longest time I wasn’t concerned about the future, only focusing on the present. But as the years went by, I grew older. Soon I started looking like I do now, and I got a slap in the face. I suddenly saw my life’s work flash before my eyes. My factory, the Oompa Loompas: who would look after them when I was gone? It was at that moment that I realized that I needed to find an heir. A foal with the talent needed to continue my work”. “So that’s why you sent out the Golden Tickets,” said Apple Bloom. “That’s right,” said Pinkie, smiling once again. “I invited five foals to the factory and the one that was the least rotten would be the winner”. “And that’s Apple Bloom,” asked Big Mac. “Eyup,” said Pinkie. She reached into her mane again, pulling out a small pink ball. Tossing it into the air, it hit her in the head and covered her in a pink cloud. When it cleared, Pinkie was looking like she was before. “So Apple Bloom, are you ready to begin a life as a chocolatier?” Apple Bloom didn’t know what to say at this point. A few minutes ago she was just a normal pony, and now she was the heir to the Pinkie Chocolate Company. It was a lot to take in, and was really a lot of preasure for a foal. At the same time, this was what she’d always dreamed of. Working for Pinkie had always been something she’d wanted to do. Never did she think that she would suddenly be shot to the top. Could she even run a factory? But then a thought occured to her: she was going to help run the farm one day. If she could run a farm, running a factory shouldn’t be too much of a leap. And if Pinkie was there (at least for a while) it shouldn’t be too bad. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity...and she wasn’t going to let it slide. “Yes Miss Pinkie, I am”. “YEA,” screamed Pinkie. “This is great!” She turned towards the elevator. “Say goodbye to your family forever and we can get going”. “Okay I...wait, forever,” said Apple Bloom. “Of course,” said Pinkie, turning to the family. “You can’t run a chocolate factory with a family bogging you down. A chocolatier has to be free, without the bagage that comes with a family”. The entire Apple Family stood in silence. Apple Bloom’s mind a wirlwind of thoughts. Pinkie was saying that she could never see her family again. The very ponies that brought her up and cared for her. The ones that encouraged her to be whatever she wanted to, and were always there when she needed them. Apple Bloom thought back to everything her family had done for her. Applejack and the way she’d always looked out for her, and kept her on the right path. The way Big Mac showed her how to work the farm, even though everypony thought she was too young. Not to mention the elderly wisdom given by Granny Smith (even if it wasn’t always clear). To suddenly turn her back on them forever….that was something she couldn’t accept. “No,” said Apple Bloom. Pinkie stopped bouncing. She turned back towards the family, looking confused. “What”? “I said no Miss Pinkie,” replied Apple Bloom. “I’m not going to leave my family”. Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Even for the biggest chocolate factory in the world”? Apple Bloom shook her head. “My family is more important than anything, and I could never leave them forever. Don’t get me wrong, I love your chocolate. But I would give up candy all together if it meant staying with them”. She took a step backward. “And that’s my final say”. Everypony stood in silence. Pinkie looked at the Apples, a mix of confusion and uncertainty on her face. Applejack and Big Mac narrowed their eyes at Pinkie; daring her to make a move. Granny was the only one with a smile on her face,  and it was directed right at Apple Bloom. Pinkie sighed. “Well Apple Bloom, what else can I say”? Apple Bloom nodded. “Except that….YOU PASSED!” Pinkie started bouncing in place. Confetti shot out of her hat, covering the Apples. The whole family stood in shock and confusion at Pinkie, their mouths agape. “Uh...what,” said Applejack. “She passed,” said Pinkie excitedly. “Passed what,” asked Granny. “The Test”. “What test,” asked Big Mac. “The test I gave to all the ticket winners. I needed to see if they would give into temptation, and Apple Bloom is the only one who passed”. “Wait,” said Apple Bloom, “are you saying I don’t have to leave my family”? “Of course not,” said Pinkie. “Candy is used to make/mend friendships, make ponies happy, and bring families together. A candy maker can’t leave that behind. Even I keep in touch with my family when I can”. “Like Maud,” asked Granny. “Exactly”. Pinkie turned to Apple Bloom. “So the offer still stands, the factory can still be yours”. “Could I still stay with my family until I’m old enough to move out,” asked Apple Bloom. “Of course,” replied Pinkie. She turned and hoped towards the elevaotr. “I have a few things I need to take care of. I’ll be back tomorrow to discuss this further”. She hopped into the elevator and pressed a button. As the door closed, the smiled at the family. “I see a bright future for you Apple Bloom”. The jets turned on, lifting the elevator back out of the room. The Apples watched as it flew higher in the air and out of sight. They stood in silence for a moment. “She certainly a hoof-ful,” said Applejack. “Don’t worry, you won’t get used to it,” said Granny with a smile. Apple Bloom did the same, staring at where the elevator had disappeared from sight. “I think Pinkie was right, the future is looking brighter”.