//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - The Adventure Begins // Story: Just Another Love Story // by Stormy Charge //------------------------------// The Adventure Begins ~Knock knock knock~ Rarity skipped to the door and opened it with a smile. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. Where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique… oh, Derpy Hooves.” “Hi. I have mail for you Rarity.” The cross-eyed pegasus said with a smile. She handed a stack of letters to the unicorn and waved goodbye. “What’s that Rarity?” Twilight asked pointing to the stack of sealed envelopes. “Oh, just some ponies wishing me a happy wedding. I’ve been getting these all day, I tell you. It seems like everypony knows about the wedding already.” “Well duh.” Pinkie Pie cut in, bouncing up to her friends. “I made sure every pony in Ponyville knew about you and Ivory!” “Thank you Pinkie Pie.” She said, not sure how she really felt about Pinkie’s kind actions. Though she knew she meant no harm. “Oh, Twilight.” Rarity said with a small gasp. “Where is Spike?” “Spike? He’s with Ivory Moon, helping prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration.” “Oh, I hope he isn’t too put out with my wedding.” “He’ll be fine, trust me. Ivory Moon knows how he feels about you.” “He does?” “Of course. That’s why he asked Spike if he would like to be his best man.” Twilight’s eyes widened and she cupped her hooves over her mouth. “Oh how thoughtful of Ivory! It is the least he can do for that scaly little rascal.” Twilight, ashamed that she was unable to keep a secret… again, cleared her throat audibly to get the other’s attentions. “Well, it’s been fun, but we should probably get going. What, with two big celebrations in one week and all.” Rainbow Dash winked at Twilight and glided down to the front door, opening it for her friends. “Yeah, we’ll go on and get outta your mane.” Pinkie and Applejack giggled and left the boutique behind Rainbow and Twilight. “Bye Rarity!” ***** Rarity continued work on her wedding dress, using very few gemstones in the design. Ivory had said ‘she doesn’t need gems to shine’. A few diamonds in the neckline would suffice… and maybe a sapphire belt. Though she wanted to go see Ivory Moon, she would rather surprise him with her fabulous outfits for the biggest day of their lives. She could just imagine the look on his face when he set hoof into her shop. That was something she would have to savor, when the time came though. Until then, she merrily went about her business, sewing a new neckline on her dress. ~Bam bam bam!~ The door echoed, scaring her out of her fur. “Who could that be?” She whispered quietly to herself. She cautiously walked over to the door and peered out of the looking glass. There was nopony there. The hesitantly opened the door and looked around. Is this another one of Pinkie’s pranks? She thought squinting for a pink pony in the distance. Then she saw it; a letter sitting by her hooves. She levitated it up to read, but she could hardly make out the smudged handwriting… if you could even call it that. She pulled her glasses out of a nearby drawer and read. Deer Rarity We hav kidnappd yor frend Fluttrshi! If yu evr want to see hr agin, com to Froggy Bottum Bog! Com in one our And com alon or els yu wil nevr see hr agin! Somone The note fell to the floor. She could not believe what she had just read. “Fluttershy… kidnapped?” Her mind raced with questions. Who would do such a thing? What did they want with her? Why did she need to come alone? “I have to tell Ivory!” She exclaimed galloping to the door. But she skidded to a stop. “But if the note is true…” She couldn’t decide what to do. On the one hoof, if she went alone, she would be putting herself in an unprecedented amount of danger. But if she went with Ivory, then Fluttershy would pay the price. She paced the floor, wondering who would do this. But the longer she spent trying to figure it out… the longer Fluttershy was in trouble. Finally, she decided. She took out a pen and flipped the note over on its back. After scribbling a hasty note for her friends, she taped it to the front of her door so that they could see it. And without a moment to lose… she was gone. Dear friends Fluttershy is in great peril, and I haven’t the time to tell anyone. I’ve gone to save her and will quite likely not be returning. Do not attempt to stop me; by the time you have read this, I will be long gone. My dearest friends, I’ve loved you like I’ve never loved anyone. Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. I will miss you all. And Ivory Moon, My heart will always belong to you. Rarity ***** Meanwhile is Ponyville’s town hall, several ponies were busy with preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Princess Celestia had chosen Ponyville for the location of the celebration again and everything had to be perfect. Big Macintosh and several other ponies were busy hanging lights and streamers, while Ivory Moon and Spike mopped the floors. Spike gave Ivory a cold look. Noting this, the pony approached the dragon and tried to open a conversation. “So… you ready for the Summer Sun Celebration?” Keeping his eyes on the floor, Spike replied, “Uh huh…” Feeling bad for his purple friend, he said, “Look Spike, I know you’re not too happy about me marrying Rarity. But I-“ “Ivory!” four ponies galloped over to him and cut off his sentence, drawing his attention away from Spike who went right back to work. “Oh, hey girls. How are you all doing?” “Super duper Ivory!” Pinkie bounced around the room, slipping and falling on her tummy. “Careful Pinkie, I just mopped there.” Ivory said, and they all burst into laughter, except for Spike. “So what brings you girls around these parts?” Ivory asked, dipping his washcloth in a water bucket. Twilight stepped up with a smile and said, “We all thought it would be nice if we gave you a few gifts before your wedding day.” Ivory leapt to his hooves and grinned widely. “Gifts? That’s so thoughtful of you all. Thank you.” Twilight reached into her saddlepack and pulled out a blue book with a unicorn head on the front. “I got you a book on basic unicorn spells.” “Of course she got him a book.” Rainbow Dash whispered in Applejack’s ear. The two snickered, until Twilight turned to them with a frown. Applejack stopped laughing immediately and looked around with her terrible poker eyes while Rainbow whistled innocently. “Anyway,” Twilight said turning back to Ivory. “I figured since you’ll be living with a unicorn from now on, you might want to prepare.” “Gee, thanks Twilight. Its really great.” He said, thinking of ways to put the book to use. Maybe doors stop or a paperweight. Applejack walked over to the white pony, a particular aroma resonating from her pack. She reached in and pulled out a steaming hot apple pie. One look and Ivory’s mouth started watering. “Me an’ Apple Bloom baked you a homemade apple pie, juss this mornin’.” “Wow Applejack. That looks delicious!” He said, wanting so badly to take a huge bite of it right then and there. But he decided to wait until the others had given their gifts. Pinkie Pie bounced forward with a white saddlepack on her back. Instead of reaching into the pack for the gift, she took the entire pack off and laid it down in front of him. “I got you a saddlepack. See, cuz I remember you saying a few months ago that you didn’t have one and that you had to carry everything in your mouth. And then I thought, ‘what if I got one for you?’ Then you wouldn’t have to carry everything in your mouth, and-“ She would have gone on much, much longer had Ivory not put his hoof on her lips. He smiled and looked down at the pack. “Thank you Pinkie. This is really thoughtful of you.” All the ponies looked to Rainbow Dash, waiting for her to give her present. She smiled and flew forward. “Yeah, those gifts were alright.” She landed at Ivory’s hooves, still looking back at her friends. “But let me show you guys a real gift.” As she reached into her pack, all of the ponies were sucked into what she might pull out. They leaned in and… “Wow Rainbow Dash… an autographed picture of you…” Ivory said, trying to fake a smile. “Yeah, ya know when I become a Wonderbolt, that’s gonna be worth millions. I figured I’d give it to you right now and save you the trouble.” She smiled at her own ‘generosity’ and looked smugly back at her friends. They just rolled their eyes and sighed. That’s their Rainbow Dash. ***** The thick stench permeated the air around her nostrils as she walked through the marshlands. Rarity kept an eye open for the kidnappers so they wouldn’t get the jump on her. She had come alone, just as the note had ordered, but what she expected to find, she did not know yet. She thought about calling for Fluttershy for a while, but decided against it. The captors might be lying in wait for her to speak up and give away her location. ~Splash~ She quickly pulled her hoof out of the green bog water and grimaced at her wet foot. Suddenly, she saw something, a large stretch of land just on the northern border of the bog. But what she saw on the land really took her breath away. “You!” She cried in astonishment at the kidnappers. “I should have known it was you!” “Look boss! She came!” The stupid large dog shouted. “I can see that, dummy!” He yelled back at his dim comrade. “Rarity!” Fluttershy yelled from inside her cage. “Hush up you! Are you alone?” Rarity thought for a minute. The diamond dogs weren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. They could easily back down from their position if battled the correct way. “Oh no!” Rarity cried stomping her hooves on the ground. “You better let Fluttershy go! Or that’ll make me really saaaaaaaaahahahahad!” She whined as loudly as she could, expecting the dogs to cover their ears and do what she said until they were both free. But the dogs just smiled. Rarity looked confused at this. They did whatever she wanted to get her to stop whining before… she glared at them and whined even louder. “I’m serious! I’m going to keep on whining until you let her goooooo!” But the dogs still did not budge. They grinned at each other and reached into their ears. Each one pulled out plugs. Rarity gasped. She never would have thought the dogs to actually think, let alone solve a simple problem. And now Rarity was all out of weapons. She thought about using magic, but knew that if she did, she was putting Fluttershy’s life on the line. And that was something she simply could not do. “We’ll let her go, as soon as you get in.” The boss said pointing to a cage similar to the one that held Fluttershy, but even more poorly made. She looked around, desperately trying to think of a way out. But everything she came up with ended with one or both of them being abducted and never heard from again. A heavy sigh and a hanging head, Rarity slowly trudged to the canines. Fluttershy gasped at her friend’s actions. “No Rarity! Don’t do it!” She ignored her friend and continued walking. She could survive in a bad situation… but she would never wish such a horrid fate on her friend. One of the scouts opened the cage and stepped aside as the unicorn reached the black barred box. With a single tear, she took one step inside, not knowing what terrible things they would do to her once she was theirs. But she mostly thought of Ivory Moon. How she would never see him again. She thought of his smile. His warm embrace. His laugh. The first time their eyes met… Then she thought back to the note she had left for them. She wondered… would Ivory come looking for her? ~Slam~ The dogs wagged their tails in excitement. “Yes! We have the diamond finder! Release the pegasus.” One of the scouts ran to the first cage and unlocked it, reaching in and throwing Fluttershy out. She crashed into the ground, crying up a storm. Within seconds, her friend had disappeared into the dark tunnel, probably doing the same. Suddenly, she lifted teary eyes from the soft dirt and spread her wings. She had to tell her friends. If she told them, they would still be able to catch the dogs before they got too far. With goal in mind, she took off as fast as possible, flying straight for Ponyville. Straight to Ivory Moon. ***** Ivory Moon placed his gifts into his new saddlepack, photograph first, then book, then the pie. He smiled at the girls and they smiled back. “Thanks guys. The gifts are great.” “I knew you’d like them.” Twilight said with a huge grin. She looked around the room. Streamers hanging from the walls and ceiling and the crystal clear windows. But the floor still left a lot to be desired. “Well, we should probably let you get back to work.” Ivory looked over to his washcloth and bucket where he had left them. “Yeah. Still have a lot of work to do here.” He walked over to the items and picked up the cloth. He dipped it in the water bucket and began scrubbing the marble floors again. “We’ll see ya’ll later Ivory.” Applejack said as she and her friends exited this building. The room fell back into silence with the four ponies gone. Ivory found it difficult to get back to work now. He wanted to dig into the pie so badly, but didn’t want to risk dirtying up the floor. With a heavy sigh, he put his saddlepack on his back and continued to work. Spike had been awfully quiet this whole time, not even saying hello to Twilight when she entered. He was obviously still peeved at him for marrying Rarity. He put the washcloth down and approached Spike. The purple dragon noticed Ivory coming over to him, but ignored him and continued to mop the floor. “Spike… listen buddy… will ya just talk to me?” Spike stopped the mop and looked down, a frown on his face. “I guess I didn’t have much of a chance with her to begin with huh?” “No Spike, it’s not like that at all.” “Oh come on Ivory. When’s the last time you saw a pony dating a dragon?” “Rarity does love you, as a friend.” Spike was silent. In his face, Ivory could tell that he wanted more than to be friends with Rarity. He wished that there was something he could do to make them both happy, but some friends were beyond help. “Ivory! Spike!” The two turned quickly to see the door had burst open and a terrified yellow pony had flown in, gasping for breath. “Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” Ivory asked running over to her, almost losing his balance on the slippery floor. He reached her and knelt down to her level. “What’s going on?” “Rarity! She’s been kidnapped!” Total silence filled the hall. Ivory stared at the pegasus, mouth ajar and eyes wide in shock. He didn’t know what to say. So he settled for this. “What?” Fluttershy swallowed, took a deep breath, and said, “I was out picking flowers, when all of the sudden, the diamond dogs got me and locked me in a cage!” Spike walked over to the two curiously and listened to the story. “Then they made Rarity take my place. I’m so sorry Ivory… this is all my fault…” She burst into tears at the thought of her friend being carted away into the dark tunnel. Ivory struggled to hold back his sadness and anger. But he had so many questions. Who were the diamond dogs? What did they want with Rarity? Why didn’t she come for help? … And where was she? Ivory lifted Fluttershy’s eyes to his. “Fluttershy… where is Rarity?” It took a while, but she finally dried her eyes and collected her thoughts. “They headed north from Froggy Bottom Bog.” Without another word, Ivory Moon galloped out of the hall at full speed, a look of determination and desperation residing on his face. He blew past numerous groups of ponies going about their daily lives, almost crashing into a few. Finally, Carousel Boutique came within view. He saw something on the door, but didn’t slow down to see what it was. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the door… ~CRASH~ The door exploded open, nearly destroying the hinges. He looked around the room desperately. “RARITY!” He yelled, hoping for a reply. But there was not a sound. “RARITY!” He yelled again, praying that she hadn’t heard him the first time. But still nothing. He stomped around the boutique, frustrated and annoyed. He didn’t want to believe Fluttershy. But she wasn’t the one to pull pranks… especially not coldblooded pranks like this. Then he remembered… the door. He leapt back to the front door and saw a note taped to the front. He quickly tore it off and read it. He read it… but he couldn’t believe it. Tears dripped down his face as he finally broke down. His legs felt like jello and could no longer support his weight. The weight of reality crushing down on his back, he laid on the floor, crying. “Rarity…” “No…” He whispered in his time of despair. “I made a promise… to never leave your side.” He slowly stood up, leaving the note tearstained and torn. “I made a promise!” He yelled, looking toward the door. His sorrow was replaced once again by determination. Quick as a flash, he was out the door and back on the dirt road. Several ponies stared at him as he skidded to a stop, trying to find his bearings. He directed his attention north, glaring to the horizon. He had no idea who had stolen his love away, but he would make sure they wished they hadn’t. He took off full gallop for Froggy Bottom Bog… for Rarity. ***** There it was: the end of the swamp and beginning of the mountains. A perilous journey for just one pony, the hike would surely take days… maybe even weeks. Ivory Moon hadn’t even realized that he hadn’t bothered to take off his saddlepack, or any of its contents. He thought about bringing the pie along, but the other items in his inventory would just weight him down. But while deciding, he heard a voice in the distance. “Hey! Ivory!” He turned around and saw Spike running toward him holding a piece of paper. “Spike. What are you doing here?” “What does it look like?” He said, holding up the rolled up paper. “I’m going to save Rarity.” “Why?” “Ever since you came into her life, she’s completely forgotten about me.” “Spike, that’s not-“ “If you hadn’t shown up, I’d still have a chance with her!” “Spike, please, hear me out buddy.” But Spike did not. He just walked past the earth pony, looking quite smug. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I have a map of Equestria.” He said, unfolding the paper “Spike, that won’t help much.” “I don’t care. Once I save Rarity, she’ll see that I love her way more than you do.” “It is not like that at all Spike!” “Then you won’t mind if I save her myself.” “THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME!” Spike wiped the smug smile off his face and stared at him in shock. “This is about Rarity.” He continued, taking a step forward. “I made a promise to never leave her side.” He passed Spike, who was still stunned at what he heard. “I told her that I would go to the ends of Equestria for her. And I will not break that promise.” The two stood there for a minute or two, not saying anything. Spike finally understood. He closed his eyes, hating himself for letting his jealousy think for him. “You really do love her…” He said quietly, barely looking up at the pony. “Don’t you?” Ivory looked at the horizon… the mountains ahead were enormous and terrifying. He gulped in fear at what he was up against, but remained strong otherwise. “More than anything.” He said, starting the trek up the rocky slopes. Before long, he felt something push down on his back. He stopped and looked back to see the purple dragon sitting on his back. “Well then,” He started, smiling brightly at Ivory Moon. “I’m coming with you.” “Um… thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather do this alone.” But Spike stayed on his back. “I’m coming with you Ivory Moon. Like it or not.” He sighed and looked back at Spike. “It’s gonna be dangerous.” “Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger! Ha ha ha ha!” “No turning back.” “Is that a promise?” “I can’t guarantee that both of us will live.” “For Rarity, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Ivory smiled. “You’re not giving up, are you?” Spike mirrored the smile and winked. “I’m probably about as stubborn as you.” He chuckled a bit and faced the mountains again, his smile vanishing. What was in store for him, he did not know. He had never been outside of Ponyville, and now he stood amidst the huge mountains, about to brave the unknown. The only clue he had to Rarity’s location was north. He glanced back up at Spike, giving him a look that said ‘are you ready?’ Spike looked down and returned with a confident face. And so, the white pony with a saddlepack of seemingly useless items and a dragon with a map set off through the mountain trail. A sign rested just ahead that read: Treacherous path ahead. But the two continued onward. The slope became steeper, and the mountain’s path curved off to the east. Now, without a trail to follow, Ivory Moon veered off the road and continued walking north. Farther and farther into the horrifying mountains, the journey had just begun. Ivory turned back up to Spike and said, “I hope you’re not planning on riding my back all the way there.”