//------------------------------// // Chapter 38: At The Bottom // Story: Harmonic Gift From The Stars // by DTavs exe //------------------------------// It was pretty early in the afternoon while Spike and Gabby waited for three fillies for a secret session with the music box, Gabby was laying on her side, her claw rolled a ball while Spike used her torso as a pillow. The trio was late already, later than they expected even for fillies their age. Gabby grabbed the ball and threw it on a basket she was carrying, failing the shot the ball rolled hitting a bookshelf making one of the books on the top almost fall, “hey Spikeroni, it seems they are pretty late already, do you think they forgot?” Spike rolled to his side to see her, rubbing his head on the griffin's coat, “I don’t think so Gabbylicious, they sent me a message in the morning that they wanted to have a session today and might even invite a friend.” “Should we look for them?” “I’ll send Sweetie Belle a message first,” Spike got up and picked a scroll and quiver, wrote down a message and then fired it up with his dragon breath, “that’ll do it, I wouldn't be surprised if they were already on their way.” “Do you wanna hear a song while we wait, Captain Spikezada?” “I don’t see why not General Gabblam,” he then approached the music box, opened it and pressed the button and a voice came from the console asking it to put it in C minor. “That’s a pleasant and calm song, isn’t it?” Gabby asked the dragon who laid his head on top of her again. “Wait, that's not C minor, that’s G minor.” “Really, how do you know?” “I’m a pianist, Gabbs.” “Hehehe pianist.” Gabby giggled at her own joke while the song played, Spike stared at her “what’s so funny… oh OOOH hahaha”, he finally understood and laughed too, suddenly the song came to a stop and then exploded, “WOW, now that’s a change in pace, I’m liking that.” Both laid back enjoying the song and each other’s companies. ~♥~♦~♣~♠~ In the everfree forest, three sets of hooves belonging to three fillies, a pegasus, a unicorn and an earth pony, desperately ran non-stop through the bushes and trees, a low branch blocked them so the earth pony ran ahead biting and bending the branch to let her friends pass and then she  resumed the running. They reached a river where they stopped, panting they stared at each other and nodded, the pegasus filly was the first one to jump, then the unicorn and finally the earth pony but she didn’t make it all the way and her back hooves fell on the water, she would have been dragged by the current but luckily the other two grabbed her by the fore hooves pulling her out of the water, then they continued running. They were half the way to their goal when they were blocked by a huge trunk laying on the ground, they synergically nodded again and the earth pony stepped on her back hooves while the white unicorn climbed on top of her and then the orange pegasus on top of both of them grabbing a vine and pulling it so her friends could climb the dead tree. They continued their way then they stopped just a few hooves from a sleeping manticore, Sweetie Belle levitated a makeshift ear muffs made out of branches and moss, she put them on its ears without waking it up and they went past the beast, continuing their way. The group was finally out of the everfree when they reached a cottage where a shy but very knowledgeable mare lived, they knocked at the door, still panting for running all the way here yelling “Fluttershy, open please!” in unison. The door creaked while it opened, but instead of a tall mare, they saw a tiny but angry looking bunny. “Angel, where is Fluttershy we need to talk to her immediately,” Sweetie belle said while grabbing the bunny with her magic and levitating him in front of her face. The grumpy pet tried to release itself from the magic grasp squeaking and kicking, luckily the trio couldn’t understand what it was saying, otherwise they would have to wash their ears. Scootaloo put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, “Sweetie Belle, release him and he might show us where Fluttershy is,” the filly lowered the small bunny that pouted at them and crossed his pawns looking at the other side, “Aw come on Angel, don’t be like that I even convinced her to lower you!” “Please Angel do it for me?” Sweetie Belle put on her cutest face, trying to convince the bunny, but Angel was having none of that, he pulled out his tongue and pouted more. Then the earth pony filly stepped up, fixed her glasses and cleared her throat trying not to cry, “mister Angel, please excuse my friend here, she didn’t mean to like mistreat you, you see, we are in a dire situation like life or death situation our friends… our friends are in *sniff* danger and we need *sniff* help from an adult *hic* or else… or else…” the gray filly couldn’t stand it anymore and began sobbing while the other two comforted her. The small rodent finally felt bad for the crying filly, she reminded her of Fluttershy when she was down, Angel Bunny sighed and made some signals to them. “What is he trying to say?” the bunny moved its pawns like it was holding a cup and sipping from it. “Fluttershy is drinking tea?” Angel nodded, then made a femenine face while its ears made curls and a kissy face. “With Rarity?” Angel touched its nose and pointed at the filly, “so, when is she coming back?” he pointed at the clock and then moved its pawns to mark a time. “That’s almost evening, we can’t wait that long, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara could...” Scootaloo began but then stared at the whipping Silver Spoon and stopped. At that moment a scroll materialized in front of Sweetie Belle, “THAT’S FROM SPIKE!” she quickly read the note, “I’ll write him now, he can fly quickly here, Angel do you have a pencil?” Angel rolled its eyes and ran inside the house returning with a pencil, the white unicorn wrote a note and then magically sent it to Spike. Around ten minutes later the dragon and griffin appeared on the sky over them, they showed signs that they flew as fast as they could, they landed in front of them and the dragon began talking, “girls what’s wrong, we flew as fast as we could here, tell me what can we do to help.” Silver Spoon stared at them and threw herself at the dragon, “please help Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom, they are trapped on a pit on the Everfree forest”  Gabby gasped, “how did that happen?” Scootaloo cut her short, “we’ll explain on the way, let’s go!” Spike grabbed Scootaloo while Gabby grabbed Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle and they flew getting directions from the fillies.  ~♥~♦~♣~♠~ Earlier that day a group of fillies finished their classes at the school, the Cutiemark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked next to each other talking about what they were going to do. The pink wealthy filly smirked at the crusaders, “this better be worth my time Apple Bloom Apple, we had to cancel a hooficure for this ’extra super secret’ you want to show us.” Apple Bloom smiled rolling her eyes. Apple Bloom was never one to hit the books and her grades suffered for it, Sweetie Belle’s and even Scootaloo's grades were better, but Diamond Tiara she had always the best grades of the class, that was one of the reasons she could get away with a lot of things when she was a bully, but after Diamond Tiara had a change of heart she has been more than helpful to everypony and more with the crusaders specially Apple Bloom, thanks to her help tutoring them, they were able to raise their grades, but she liked to still mess with each other, now in a playful not malicious manner and as always Silver Spoon followed her in being friends with the crusaders. That’s why they decided to invite them to a music box session with them as a thanks. “Believe me, y’all will love this more than any stinkin’ hooficure y’all can get,” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded. “Fine, but tomorrow we will do something I like, my pool is finally ready for the summer and I believe it would be a great way to spend the time, don’t you think Silvy?” The gray filly, fixed her glasses nodding, “certainly Di, the weather is getting to a point, a pool party would be like the best thing ever, ” both fillies laughed in a posh manner earning an eye roll from the crusaders. As they were walking a crow was watching them attracted to the shiny accessory on the top of one of the fillies head, the bird dived and snatched the tiara from her head, “MY TIARA!” she screamed as she saw the black avian flying away with her jewelry, “Aw come on! That’s the third time this year!” “On no ya won't!” Apple Bloom ran after the crow and the rest of them followed her until the crow entered the Everfree Forest. Diamond Tiara stopped the apple farmer filly, “Apple Bloom Apple wait, let it go it’s not worth it.” “But that’s yer tiara Diamond Tiara and you’re mah friend now, Ah can’t let that bird steal it.” “But the forest is dangerous, come on let’s go please, I can have my dad buy me another one, it’s literally not worth the risk!” Apple Bloom ignored the pleas of Diamond Tiara and entered the forest, the pink filly stood there with the rest of the group watching the apple farmer dive into the danger, “AAAGH, you dumb and brave filly look what you make me do!” she said as she followed Apple Bloom and the rest followed after her as well. As they went deeper into the forest the foliage grew thicker and thicker, the group grew tired as they stopped to regain their breath, Apple Bloom walked a bit more and stomped the ground in anger while Diamond Tiara walked to her, cleaned her own hoof and put it on her friend’s shoulder, “it’s ok you tried and that is what’s important.” “No it’s not ok, y’all been so good t’me and mah friends lately and Ah wanted to make something good for ya, but Ah couldn’t even get yer tiara back,” she said while her eyes watered. The pink filly wrapped her hooves around Apple Bloom, “you have done more than you think you doofus, thanks to you I confronted my mother and now we are doing better after going to therapy, that wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t help me before and I will always be thankful to you for that, you don’t have to do more.” “Ya mean it Diamond Tiara?” Apple Bloom asked while her friend cleaned the tears of her eyes nodding, when a grumble noise coming from the curb startled them. They didn’t have time to react when the ground collapsed sending both of them into a pit both fillies screaming for their lives. “APPLE BLOOM! DIAMOND TIARA!” the group yelled seeing their friends fall into the unknown, worrying for their fates. Once the dust cleared the trio approached the hole and looked down, there laid both fillies coughing but very alive, “are you ok down there?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Yeah *cough* I’m ok *cough* how about you, Apple Bloom Apple?” “OW! Ah think Ah hurt mah hoof, Ah can’t move it none.” Silver Spoon gasped, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what do we do, what do we do? They like can’t get out, and they will starve to death!” Scootaloo held the gray filly and slapped her with her hoof, “um… thanks I needed that, but seriously what are we going to do?” “There are some vines here but Apple Bloom can’t hold them with her hurt hoof, we need somepony to fly down there and carry them out,” Silver Spoon stared at Scootaloo’s wings when the pegasus noticed her, “don’t look at me, flyless pegasus remember? You said it yourself.” “Jeez, I said I’m sorry for that like a million times, you even had me massage your wings literally every day for an entire moon, what else do I have to do so you stop bringing that out?” Silver Spoon said while pouting at the pegasus. “Nothing, I just like messing with you, you are cute when you are angry.” Sweetie Belle’s eyes went wide open, “how about Fluttershy? She could carry them one by one and she lives near here in… that direction… I think.” “That’s a great idea, but we can at least get Diamond Tiara out since she is not hurt.” “I’m not moving from here until we both are out, you three go get Fluttershy and I’ll stay here with Apple Bloom Apple,” the group nodded and they ran to get help. ~♥~♦~♣~♠~ “And then we ran directly to Fluttershy’s cottage but couldn’t find her so we got your message and sent it back asking for help then you both came and here we are.” “That was quicker than I thought Scootaloo, no wonder you didn’t get to the music box session, are we close now?” “Yeah just a bit more.” ~♥~♦~♣~♠~ At the castle, a bird came in from the open window, left it like that by Spike and Gabby when they flew away after getting the message, the bird flew around the room and finally landed on the book that almost fell when the ball hit the bookshelf, the weight of the bird was enough to make the book fall on top of the ball, making it fly to the other side of the room, pushing a paint making it fall, this pushed a pot plant that tumbled and finally fell pushing a chair until it reached the pedestal where the music box was sitting, the chair tumbled as well finally falling and pressing the button on the music box, a soothing melody started playing. ~♥~♦~♣~♠~ Deep in the Everfree Forest there were two fillies, a yellow and a pink one, Apple Bloom was laying on her side because the pain on one of her hooves didn’t let her stand up. “Ya could have gone with ‘em and ya wouldn’t be stuck in this dirty hole Diamond Tiara.” “Don’t be silly Apple Bloom Apple, I could never leave you alone in here, what would happen if something savage attacked you like a giant snake or a spider or a tax auditor.” “Wait what? What’s the last one?” “I do not know, but my dad totally hates them,” Apple Bloom laughed, making Diamond Tiara laugh as well, “see, that’s the Apple Bloom Apple I know.” As their laugh died down, the apple farmer stared at the rich girl, “Diamond Tiara.” “Yes?” “Ah’ve noticed since… well ya know… then, ya keep callin’ me Apple Bloom Apple, why’s that?” “Well you call me by my full name, so I thought you would like me to do the same.” “Wait an apple pickin’ minute, ya think mah name is Apple Bloom Apple?” Diamond Tiara stared at her confused, “well... yeah, you always called your family ‘The Apples’ so I figured all of you used that as a surname like The Cakes.” Apple Bloom tried her best not to laugh, covering her muzzle with her good hoof, “well, nah Diamond Tiara, mah name is just Apple Bloom ya don’t see me callin’ ya Diamond Tiara Rich, do ya?” “Well, we do not go calling our family ‘The Riches’ we are just rich, my mom changed her surname because you know… who in the name of Celestia’s mane calls their daughter Spoiled Milk?” “Wow, that’s an unfortunate name,” both laughed. “Like totally, hey by the way, why did you insist on going after the crow? I told you, that tiara wasn’t worth getting yourself in danger.” The young yellow filly stopped laughing at Diamond Tiara’s question, she herself didn’t know the answer to that question, she just knew that something bad happened to her friend and she had to do something to fix it and the thought of Diamond Tiara’s face smiling because she got her tiara back filled Apple Bloom’s chest with a warm feeling. After the ex-bully’s change of heart, she have spent a lot of time with the crusaders and specially with her, but now that she thought about it both Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara have spent the same amount of time with her but the feeling wasn’t as strong with Silver Spoon than as it was with Diamond Tiara, this confused her, “Ah… Ah don’t know.” “Well, it's getting dark already, are you cold Apple Bloom Ap… I mean Apple Bloom?” “Hey why don’t you call me just AB, that is short and simple.” “Oh well in that case call me Di as well, Silvy calls me that and I’m sure she won’t mind if you do as well, so are you cold AB?” “Yeah a little bit,” Diamond Tiara laid next to the hurt pony snuggling her, “w-what are ya doin’?”  she asked blushing. “We do not know when they will be able to find us and I do not want you to get sick, so we better keep warm while they come for us,” Apple Bloom remained in silence and nodded, they snuggled with each other, being careful for the apple farmer’s injured hoof, there they stood sharing their body heat until a few faces looked down the pit where they where. “Yo Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, are you ok?” “We are fine!” they both said at the same time, Diamond Tiara stood up and waved to the arrivals, Apple Bloom felt a bit lonely once the rich girl let go of her. Spike went down the hole twice to pick the trapped fillies, Gabby tended to the injured filly’s hoof it wasn’t too serious and she would be able to walk really soon. The group walked out of the forest except Apple Bloom who was carried by Gabby, once out of the forest, everypony was taken to their respective houses, finally they reached Sweet Apple Acres where the little filly got scolded for putting herself and her friends in danger, after that she was at her room, looking at the moon in the night sky, memories of the day passed through her head still wondering why she felt so strong for the pink filly, her eyes slowly closing surrendered herself to the realm of dreams not knowing that another one watched the same moon with similar thoughts on her mind. To be continued