Applejack followed along after Winter and Hourglass as they moved deeper into the caves, doing what she could to make sure Twilight was keeping up with the pace. Her friend was definitely not as fine and dandy as she was trying to claim she was, and though she could walk on her own it was clear she was severely drained physically and mentally. And, more than that, emotionally.
Applejack had never had the experience of meeting a friend again after a long, long time and having them be so… hostile. Rara—Coloratura—certainly hadn't acted like that towards her after all the years they'd spent apart, but then she supposed that she hadn't done anything to rile Coloratura up like that.
Still, it was no excuse for that kind of behavior; Winter was out of line, no matter how angry she might have been. Twilight was her friend; friends didn't treat friends like that.
She wanted to talk to Twilight and make sure that she was okay, but Twilight didn't seem to be in the mood to talk. And that was fine; Applejack knew when it was appropriate to give a friend some space. She didn't like seeing Twilight like this, though, and she knew that she had to do something about it, whatever that might be. But what?
By the time the quartet made their way through the caves and into a wider cavern where they could make camp, Twilight was thoroughly exhausted and practically collapsed right onto the stone floor. Applejack helped her get into a more comfortable position, the most she could realistically do with what she had available to her, then sat by her side to make sure that she stayed comfortable.
"So what exactly is the plan here?" she asked, looking right at Winter, who was busy setting up a bedroll for herself. "What're y'all doin' after this, and how're we gonna help Twilight with this here… ley line thingy?"
Winter grunted and straightened out her bedroll—it was sized for her and so wouldn't fit Twilight at all even if you really stretched it out, and it might barely be able to keep Applejack comfortable, so Applejack didn't comment on how she didn't offer it—then kept going about setting up the camp as she explained.
"There's a set of ruins down here in the caves, used to belong to the old gryphon civilization before Silvertongue wiped them out on Nihila's orders," she said. "Hourglass and I were headin' there to take some readings on the Light and Darkness levels of our world. The balance got thrown outta whack a couple of weeks ago, and we're tryin' to find a way to fix it. 'Cause that's our job."
"Speaking of which," Hourglass interjected, "if Twilight and her friends are back in our world, wouldn't that throw the balance off like it did last time they were here? I remember you making a point about that."
"Maybe, and I'm already accountin' for a difference in the levels based on what I measured last time they were here, though I might need to recalculate seein' as Twilight's an alicorn all of sudden. And considerin' they're Light-aligned, if anythin', it helps us in the short term." Winter shook her head. "But it's irrelevant anyway. Once we put together the means to send 'em back where they belong, their effect on things won't matter."
"Is yer world in trouble or somethin'?" Applejack asked.
"It's really none of your business," Winter snorted. "But yes, it is. Hence why we need to get those readings taken to see how much trouble we're in and how long we have to fix it. It's bloody complicated, and you lot bein' here doesn't exactly make things easier. But then when do us Chronomancers ever get anythin' done easy, eh?"
"Well, maybe we can help? It's the least we could do."
"Please. You've 'helped' enough as it is. Beside tryin' to make sure this world doesn't collapse into the Void, I have to make sure that yours doesn't either. Again." Winter shook her head. "Seems like I'm always cleanin' up your messes. Fuckin' typical."
Applejack took a breath so that she didn't say anything else; Winter was getting on her nerves something fierce, but she needed to be the bigger mare in this situation.
Not that that was hard.
Winter gestured at Applejack and Twilight with her hoof. "Tell me again why you lot ended up here again? Why did ya think tryin' out this spell of yours was a good idea?"
"I just wanted to see you again," Twilight said, composed enough that she wasn't breathing heavily between words anymore. Applejack was glad to see she was at least starting to feel a little better. "I haven't seen you in so long, and I… I wanted to see you again, if only for a minute. I missed you, Winter."
Winter stared at her for a moment, then shook her head and went back to her work. "So ya made up a spell that would let ya see me again, eh? Well, congratulations, it worked. Too well, in fact." Her expression turned sour. "What in the world were you thinkin'? What kind of a idiotic reasonin' is that? We're worlds apart, Twilight; there's no sense in thinkin' on the past."
"I calculated every potential outcome and accounted for it. The spell worked, yes, but—"
"You think that I've been reminiscin' of times long gone, eh? Ya think I wanted to see you again? Because if ya think that, ya really oughta get your head checked. I spent weeks workin' to send ya back home in the first place; ya really think that after all that, I'd ever want to think about you ever again?" Winter shook her head. "'Cause I didn't. Never crossed my mind."
Now, Applejack had always been an honest pony, and because of that she'd gotten pretty good over the years about telling when somepony else was fibbing. She had a lot of practice with Apple Bloom running around and getting older, making sure her little sister wasn't lying to get out of chores or homework, or that she was going where she said she was going and with whom she was going with.
Applejack didn't actually mind if she was doing something she may or may not approve of—fillies would be fillies—but she just wanted to be sure that Bloom was honest about it and being safe.
So, after getting so good at spotting lies, big or small, Applejack had to take a second to stand in awe at how much of a bold-faced lie Winter just told. But why in the world was she lying about this? What was the point?
"And even if I did," Winter continued, "I'm not stupid or desperate enough to risk tearin' my whole fuckin' world apart just to see you one more time."
Okay, that much was true, Applejack noted.
"I'm sorry…" Twilight murmured. "Really, I am. I took every precaution, I tested the spell in controlled environments over a hundred times, I even made sure that I had outside assistance to triple-check my calculations. I did everything right, Winter. I… I did everything right…"
"Hmph. And yet here you are."
"Lay off her already, Winter," Applejack snorted, rising to her hooves and approaching the mare. "She's already beatin' herself up o'er this whole thing."
"Good! She should be!" Winter snapped. "Do you have any idea how much of a clusterfuck I'm in right now because of this? I have my duties to attend to, and those can't be ignored; this entire world depends on me doin' my job. So I have to get to those ruins, and quickly, before the residual magics evaporate and I lose my chance at accurate readings.
"But with Twilight here in the state she's in, I can't move at the same pace I need to move at. Not to mention that I don't have the bloody supplies we need to make sure she recovers properly, not to mention you bein' another mouth to feed as well, because we're likely to be in the ruins for a while. I'm wrackin' my brain tryin' to figure out a way to do both, because as much as I need to do my job I can't just leave Twilight like this. I'm not heartless."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're a real saint, ain'tcha? Tell ya what, y'all just go on, get goin', an' tell me the way through these here caves so I can get Twi some help. Or don't, I don't care, I'll figure a way through myself."
"Don't be stupid. These caves are a bloody maze, ya won't find your way through without a proper map, and I don't have one to loan out because it's in my Timekeeper, which I need to take those readings."
"Then what do you suggest we do, huh? 'Cause ya sure don't sound like you've got any ideas, and hey, I'll admit that that was my only idea."
"Um, if I may?" Hourglass interjected. "I have a thought that might work out for all of us."
Winter rubbed her temple. "By all means, please."
"What if we split up? Winter, you can take Twilight through the caves back to the Checkpoint. You know the way better than I do, and you know routes to take that'll avoid passing through the sandstorm once you get outside. I'll take your Timekeeper with me and keep moving to the ruins. I know how to take the readings, and I memorized the route there from our planning session."
Winter raised an eyebrow and looked like she was about to retort, but she thought it over and instead replied, "That's not a bad idea, actually. But are ya sure ya can handle it? This is critically important, Hourglass, so unless you're absolutely certain ya know what you're doin' and can gather the data we need, then forget about it. I didn't suggest it because I didn't know if ya wanted to take the shot."
Hourglass nodded firmly. "I can do this, Winter. I know that I'm not officially a Chronomancer yet, but you've trained me well, and I'm ready for my first real assignment. And if I do this right, HQ'll pretty much have to promote me."
"Hmm… alright then, if you're sure." Winter took the little pocket watch from her sweater pocket and passed it over towards Hourglass, but kept a hold on it for now. "This is a big responsibility I'm givin' ya, Hourglass, you understand that, right? I just want to make sure ya think you're ready for this, so forgive me if I repeat myself."
"I'm ready, Winter." She reached her hoof out to take the Timekeeper.
Winter hesitated for a moment, then set the watch into Hourglass's hoof. "Be careful with this, and stick to just the data-gathering functions. Got it? No messin' around with other features unless it's a life-or-death emergency."
"Yes, Winter."
"And once ya finish takin' your readings, stay put in the ruins and wait for me to come get ya, arlight? I don't want ya wandering through the caves without knowin' where you're goin', and yes, I know there's a map function in that thing, but I'd rather know where ya are and come get ya myself than sit on my ass at the Checkpoint and hope you're alright and comin' my way."
"You got it, Winter. I'll stay put and wait for you. You can count on me, I promise."
"Good." Winter turned to Applejack and Twilight. "I don't like it much, but it's a good solution and I doubt we'll think of anythin' better before we have to get movin'. Let's all get some sleep, and then the three of us'll head off to the Checkpoint in the mornin'."
"Actually, Winter?" Hourglass interjected again. "Would you mind if I asked Applejack to stay with me?"
Applejack blinked. "What? Me?"
"Why?" asked Winter.
"Well, to be honest, I don't know what I might find on my way to and through the ruins, considering everything we've dealt with already down here lately." Hourglass gave Applejack a warm smile. "I'd feel safer having somepony with me, and you can't spare yourself, obviously. Applejack seems like a resourceful mare; she could come in handy."
"And what about your supplies? You only have enough food to last six days. We were supposed to take care of our readings then move back to the Checkpoint to wait out the storm. I can spare some of mine, but not enough for two of ya."
"I can ration it, Winter, don't worry about me." Hourglass tilted her head at Applejack. "If that's alright with you? I don't want to impose, and if you don't want to come along with me, I understand. Keeping an eye on Twilight is important."
"I mean… yeah, but…" Applejack scratched her chin. "I don't much like a young mare like yerself goin' off on her own like this. I sure as heck didn't like Apple Bloom headin' off someplace all alone, an' I know I'd get mighty ornery if I heard Rarity let Sweetie Belle do the same, so I wouldn't feel right lettin' y'all go like this." She glanced at Twilight. "But—"
"It's alright, Applejack," Twilight said with a soft smile. "I'll be okay. I'll have Winter with me."
"That's what I'm worried 'bout." Applejack grunted, then turned to Hourglass and nodded. "Alright, I'll go wit' ya just ta make sure nothin' happens ta ya. I'd feel mighty guilty if ya got hurt on account o' tryin' ta make this thing work out."
Hourglass smiled. "Wonderful! Glad to have you aboard, Applejack."
"Well alright, if we've got things all settled up, let's get some sleep so we can get up bright and early," said Winter as she settled into her bedroll. "I'm bloody well rooted, I tell ya, so let's not dawdle."
"Sounds good ta me, Applejack said. She stepped back over to Twilight and settled down next to her. "Ya sure you're gonna be alright goin off wit' Winter alone, Twi? It's not too late fer me ta back out, much as I don't like it."
"I'll be fine, AJ," Twilight mumbled as she settled herself into a comfortable position, casually placing her wing over Applejack in the process. "Thank you, though, for being so concerned. I'm glad that I've got you with me, even if just for now. We'll see each other again soon."
"Alright Twi… just be careful, okay?"
"I will. You too."
With that, Applejack set her head against Twilight's side and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
*****
Twilight followed Winter through the caverns the following morning, and found that her increased size was surprisingly not as much of a handicap as she'd thought it would be. The caverns, at least the ones Winter was leading her through, were large enough to comfortably fit a creature much larger than her. A curious consideration, since they were nearly uniformly arranged in such a way that she never once had to squeeze or duck or anything of the sort; she could relax her wings, even, and not worry about scraping them along the walls.
The curiosities didn't end there, either, as the tunnels seemed remarkably natural and yet sculpted all at once. Sculpted, of course, because of the aforementioned size accommodation, and because of the fact that gemstones littered the walls and floor in such a way that she noticed a pattern in how they were arranged. Certain sections possessed a larger quantity of certain gems; the section she and Winter were in now mostly contained emeralds, but they'd passed through one that was mostly topaz earlier.
There was no way this cavern was a natural formation, and yet everything about it looked perfectly natural. Rough, natural rock made up the walls, floors, and ceiling, the gemstones were uncut and seemed naturally-formed, and the slopes and turns throughout the cavern weren't perfectly straight or organized in a way that she could navigate easily.
Winter had not been exaggerating; the tunnels were a maze, and without a guide she would have surely gotten lost by now.
It was all very curious, and Twilight wanted so badly to stay and study it all to try and figure out why these caverns looked the way they did. But there was just no way that was going to happen right now; maybe later, though, once she was feeling better?
Speaking of guides, Winter was only a few feet in front of her. She was there, walking along and leading Twilight through the caves like a proper guide would. She was real. This was not some fantasy that she'd somehow devised in a state of delirium following her injury at the hooves of… whatever it was that had sabotaged her spell. And that had all been real, too; the sharp, stinging pain in her horn and head was testament to that.
But Winter seemed… off. Well, that was only obvious given how she'd reacted to Twilight and Applejack popping back into her life, but there was more to it than that. The other mare was angry, yes, that much was abundantly clear, but there was a sense of discomfort there in how Winter was acting that was definitely not at all like the Winter who Twilight remembered, the mare who was courageous and witty and confident all rolled into a small, wonderful little package.
"Winter?" Twilight said, trying to get her friend's attention as they rounded another set of corners and entered into a larger cavern. "Um… I just wanted to say again, that… that I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen… not like this anyway."
"So ya keep sayin'," Winter muttered without looking back. "And if ya keep sayin' it, maybe, just maybe, I'll accept it. But as it stands right now, Twilight, ya fucked up royally, and now I've gotta clean up your mess. I never figured we'd ever see each other again, but if we did, I definitely never expected it to be due to such shitty circumstances. I thought ya knew better."
Twilight hung her head. "Is it really that bad, Winter? I know that I made a mistake and that… and that you have to fix it. I hate that I've made you upset. But surely things'll be easier this time, won't they? I know we have to wait for this sandstorm you keep talking about to clear up, but when it does, can't you just contact Dawn? Her father's an alicorn now, and I think he's stronger than I am, so he can open up a way home for us like he did before, can't he?"
"Yeah, maybe he can, and maybe that sounds all well and good to you, but our world's in a bit of a shite situation right now and I've got the feelin' that the great Lord Silvertongue won't be able to help, not just yet anyway." Winter shook her head. "So yeah, I've got to figure somethin' out, and knowin' that I can't even start thinkin' of solutions until I get back to the city is kind of a pain in my ass."
"If you say so…" Twilight took a breath. "I understand that you're angry with me… but could you at least look at me? Talk to me? If I'm making you uncomfortable, could you at least tell me why? It can't just be because of what I did."
Winter huffed, glanced back at Twilight briefly, then turned back to the path ahead and just kept walking. She did say something, at least: "When I saw ya last, you were just a unicorn like me. A bit taller, sure, but a unicorn all the same. I know this world's different from yours, and that alicorns aren't treated like… immaterial beings. But it's still a bit jarrin' seein' ya like that. All fuckin' big and with wings and shit."
Twilight glanced down at her wings and her taller stature, then gave a nervous little chuckle. "Yeah, I guess that could be a little jarring, huh? You think it's bad for you, just imagine how it is for me. I only got this tall a couple of weeks ago; before that I wasn't much taller than I used to be when we last saw each other."
"Hmm. Yeah, well, that's why it's hard to look at ya. I used to be able to look ya in the face and talk, but now I've gotta crane my neck up like a fuckin' child. As if I didn't have enough reminders about my height. It's disorientin'."
Twilight could tell that there was more to it than that—Winter was never one to get distracted by something so insignificant—but she decided to just leave it alone. Instead, she turned the conversation elsewhere, hoping to lighten the mood or at least get Winter talking about something less aggravating.
"So, this 'Checkpoint' we're going to," she said. "I think I remember you mentioning it before. It's like a… a pit stop en route between New Pandemonium and Hope's Point, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's about right," Winter replied with a nod.
"Wonderful. Let's see if I can remember some details. Hmm…" Twilight tapped her wing to her chin; they were long enough that she could do it easily now. "It's technically owned and operated by Hope's Point, but officially it's independent so that New Pandemonium doesn't try to attack it or anything. That way, ponies coming from north to south can use it freely to stock up on supplies and even get medical attention.
"The current operator was… let's see… Pewter? He's just a business associate to you, but I still say you should consider yourselves friends. He inherited the establishment from his father… Obsidian, I think? But Pewter operates it these days. I remember you saying that he was working on making some improvements to the structure. How're those going?"
Winter stared at Twilight, baffled. "You… remember all of that?"
"Of course!" Twilight said with a smile. "I remember all of our conversations together, Winter. Not just conversations, either, but all sorts of other little moments, too. Like that game of laser tag we played with Rainbow, Pinkie, Applejack, and Red Velvet." She giggled a little. "You remember how Rainbow got a little over-dramatic about her teammates getting 'shot'? I told you she'd do that. That's how AJ was gonna sneak up on her after our distraction."
"That's—"
"Or how you stayed up all night with me on one of my first nights here, teaching me how to use those strange little datapads? I'm sure that I could've learned how to use one just as well given time, but you made it work out so much better."
"Well sure, but—"
"Or when you showed me that lovely little coffee shop just a few blocks from the library, the one that made the best coffee ever? You know, it's taken me years to find a brew anywhere close to the one I liked there, and it's still not perfect."
"I—"
"Ooh, do you remember that scary movie we saw? It still gives me chills. I stay far, far away from horror films these days. I gave Rainbow a piece of my mind about that, by the way, seeing as she chose the movie. I mean, I guess Pinkie did too, but we both know Pinkie would go along with whatever Dash picked."
"Twilight!" Winter shouted. "I get it!"
Twilight blinked, then nervously rubbed her neck. "Oh, right. Sorry. I got a little carried away. It's just… I remember all of the good times we had together, and… and I don't want this unfortunate situation to change anything between us."
Winter paused for a long moment, even stopped walking and everything, to take a breath before shaking her head. "It's been seven years, Twilight. A lot of things can change in that amount of time."
"Oh…" Twilight murmured. She didn't know what to make of that answer. Not wanting to delve into it further—she was in no shape to start getting into an argument—she decided to follow Winter's line of thought. "Tell me about it. A lot of things have changed back home, y'know? And I don't just mean with me, or even just with me physically. I bet lots of things have changed around here."
"Yes, they have."
"So…?"
"So what?"
"Tell me about it. I wasn't kidding," Twilight added with a smile. "It's been seven years, like you said. What sort of things have changed around here? I'd love to hear about it."
Winter raised an eyebrow, then grunted and kept moving. "I'd probably just bore ya with all the details."
"Oh no, I assure you, I love details. Lay it all on me."
"Ah, right, that's just so… you. Ugh… fine. Let's start with some of the biggest changes then, eh? The ones that'll actually matter goin' forward."
Twilight nodded enthusiastically, eagerly awaiting the deluge of information that was about to come spilling her way. Things at home could be said to mostly be the same as they were before she and Winter had even met, apart from her becoming an alicorn princess and ascending to the throne of all of Equestria. But that was an outlier; nothing else like that could really be said to have happened.
Sure, there were a few major-yet-unimpactful things here and there—Rainbow and Pinkie getting married, Rarity opening a boutique in Canterlot, Rainbow finishing her Wonderbolts training, Fluttershy making friends with Discord—but there weren't many of them and most of the other "big" changes wouldn't be particularly interesting to Winter.
So, she figured there couldn't be too many big changes to worry about coming from Winter's neck of the woods, so to speak, and she already knew what was probably the biggest one, which was that Gray and Flathoof had started a family. What could possibly be bigger than that?
*****
"So, tell me somethin'," Applejack said as she and Hourglass winded their way through another tunnel towards their destination. "What in the heck is wrong wit' Winter?"
Hourglass raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"You heard me. What in the heck is wrong wit' Winter? Look, I know it's been seven years and folks can change, but I thought I knew that mare. She may be a bit sarcastic, and she sure as heck had a bit o' brutal honesty to her, and I respect that. But she ain't never acted like I done seen her actin' wit' Twilight last night."
"Ah… yeah…"
"In fact, I've been thinkin' 'bout it all dang mornin', an' I'm already gettin' worried leaving the two o' them alone. Twi's not in good shape right now, and she needs ta rest and get feelin' better, so havin' an ornery lil' thing like Winter jumpin' down 'er throat ain't gonna help matters none."
"That's actually partly why I asked you to come along with me," Hourglass admitted, not looking at all ashamed of the confession. "Sorry if I made it sound like it was something else, but I knew I had to make it sound convincing."
Applejack huffed. "Yeah… I figured y'all were keepin' somethin' outta the conversation, but I didn't pay it much mind. So what, ya had me come along 'cause ya wanted ta make sure Winter got ta say her piece wit'out me interruptin'?"
"Oh no, nothing like that. Bloody hell, I just didn't want to risk the two of you tearing each others throats out over all this."
Applejack wanted to chastise the younger mare for swearing, she really did, but she wasn't the mare's mother and this wasn't a classroom or anything like that, so she just didn't have any authority. It made her think about how she'd had to tan Apple Bloom's hide whenever the filly let out a swear at home; she and Big Mac didn't raise no foul-mouthed hooligan.
"Hmph. Ya really think Winter'd do somethin' like that?" she asked. "Or try to, I guess, 'cause she sure ain't gettin' one over on me, I tell ya what."
"Well, no, but… then again, I've never seen her get so angry before, either. I honestly don't know what she might do if she's given reason to get really ticked off." Hourglass shook her head. "She's been like this—sometimes better, sometimes worse, but not angry—for the past… well, six-ish years. Ever since I became her apprentice, at any rate. She didn't used to be like this."
Applejack scratched her head. "Huh? How wouldja know what she was like before ya started trainin' with 'er?"
"That's… well, it's a complex answer, really, but let me see if I can make sense of it for you. Hmm… okay, you know how sometimes you meet somepony and you feel like you've known them for longer than you actually have?"
"Ta be honest I ain't never felt that myself 'bout nopony, but I know Pinkie said that's how she feels 'bout Red Velvet. I mean, we both know it ain't true, but she's convinced that the two o' them're twin sisters that got separated at birth and somehow Red ended up here. I mean sure, they look a lot alike, but c'mon now. But I get what you're sayin'."
"Well, okay… there's that feeling then. Let's just say that Winter and I felt that way about each other… because we did know each other before we officially 'met'. We knew each other before she met all of you, actually."
Applejack tilted her head and rubbed a hoof in her ear. "I thought this was s'posed ta be a simple explanation. The heck does that mean?"
"Sorry. I'm bad at this. Well, no, I'd normally be good at this, but I've got constraints on what I can and can't say." Hourglass shrugged. "But I knew Winter when she and I were just kids. We're sort of like foalhood friends, I guess?"
"Sugarcube, y'all are still just a kid. How old're you, like fifteen maybe?"
"Eighteen next month. I'm older than I look, I know."
"Still just a kid. Winter's the same age as me, or thereabouts. How could ya have known 'er when she was a lil' filly?"
"I just did, okay? If Winter gives me clearance to go into it more, I will, but I've gotta follow some rules here. Bloody hell, I wish I could make it easier to understand but—"
Applejack held up her hooves. "Fine, fine, I'll drop it. So, ya say ya knew 'er 'fore she met us, and she weren't like she is now back then neither?" She rubbed her chin. "Well shoot, that means she's been like this since we left the first time, like ya said."
Hourglass sighed and nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly right. She's still a bit bitter about how everything worked out, from how I understand it. She went into some details with me, but that's her business, not yours, not mine, just hers. But I will say that it's left her like this for a while, and I think you two showing up is either going to make it better or make it worse."
"Well shoot, now ya got me all wrapped up in a doggone mystery an' I got no way o' figurin' out the answer."
Hourglass shrugged. "Such is life, isn't it? So hey, speaking of changes, what's the deal with Twilight? She's an alicorn now, which in this world is kind of a big deal, but I guess it's… normal where you come from?"
"Sugarcube, there ain't nothin' 'normal' when it comes ta Twilight," Applejack chuckled. "Lemme tell ya all about it."
They talked and talked for several minutes, but as they rounded another corner, they stopped; an obstacle was in the way. Specifically, a large chunk of the ceiling had come down and covered the path ahead with dust, dirt, and rock. Not multiple rocks, either, but a giant slab of stone that covered the entire path; it looked like the entire ceiling had practically come down on the floor and the gap it left above didn't look like it led anywhere.
"Ah, dammit," Hourglass swore, pressing a hoof to her temple. "I was afraid of this. A bloody cave-in right along our path. Guess it's a good thing we listened to Sunspire after all, this would've kept us out of the ruins for days at the least."
Applejack didn't know who or what a "Sunspire" was, but that wasn't important right now. "There ain't no other way 'round?" she asked. "I saw a few other passages earlier, one o' them's gotta get us where we're goin'."
"The nearest route is gonna take us at least three days to get through, assuming that I'm reading the map correctly and that there aren't more of these damn cave-ins." Hourglass shook her head. "This is shite. We need to get to those ruins before the evidence we need dries up. But now…"
Applejack eyed the debris for a few moments, then nodded firmly to herself. "Shucks, ain't no trouble. If we need ta get through here, I'll just move this hunk o' rock outta the way."
"Applejack, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but there's no way you're moving that. That 'hunk of rock' likely weighs a ton, no exaggeration. You'd need a team of earth ponies to move it, or a few really gifted unicorns."
"Nah, ya just need me. Now, I ain't no expert on caves 'n' spelunkin', but I know earth 'n' rock 'n' such 'cause I work with it on the ol' farm all the time. Diggin', movin', breakin', whatever; I know how ta do it, an' I do it all the time. This ain't no different from when I had ta get a big ol' boulder outta the way in the east orchard last year so we could expand a bit outward."
"Moving a boulder's a lot different from lifting one," Hourglass noted.
"Potato, potahto; a rock's a rock. Now, y'all just stand clear there for me, an' I'll lift this here sucker up, then y'all run through when it's high enough ta squeeze yer lil' self through. I'll be right behind ya."
"Applejack, really, you don't have to do this. Let's just take an alternate route—"
"Y'all said ya needed ta get ta them ruins all fast-like, right? Well then we ain't takin' no detour, 'cause that'll just slow us down." Applejack rolled up the sleeves on her work shirt. "Get ready ta move, alright?"
Hourglass blinked, then nodded hesitantly. "O-okay. But if you're having trouble, just let it drop and we'll figure something else out, alright?"
"Sure, fine, whatever. Now, on three I'm gonna start liftin', alright? When I say 'go', you go."
Applejack approached the slab of stone and stamped her hooves in the dust to dry any sweat she might've had on her; she didn't need the darned thing slipping out of her hooves.
"One…"
She set her hooves on the bottom of the slab, rolled her shoulders, then eased the tips of her hooves underneath; it was a tight fit, but enough to get started.
"Two…"
She firmly anchored her legs in the rock behind her so that all of the weight would be in her hindlegs rather than her forelegs; she'd learned from her old warehouse gig that doing the opposite was a surefire way to injure yourself, or worse. That reminded her, she'd have to check and see how her old crew was doing when she got a chance.
"Three!"
With all her might, Applejack lifted the slab up. Though it didn't move much at first, it slowly loosened itself away from the floor so that she could get her hooves under it for more leverage. Once she did that, it was easier to lift, lift, lift, pushing up with every ounce of strength she had.
One inch, two inches, four, seven; eventually she managed to get it juuuust over her head, whereupon she shimmied herself forward step by step until she was directly underneath it. From there, she kept pushing it up, up, up until it was very nearly back into its proper place in the ceiling; eventually she was standing almost completely upright.
"Go!" she shouted.
Hourglass ran past her like a bat out of Tartarus.
Once she did, Applejack slowly shimmied herself forward again, then took a deep breath as she turned in place before starting to set the slab down behind her. Once it was low enough, she dropped it and leapt back all in one swift motion so that it didn't crush her hooves underneath its weight.
And, once she was done, she allowed herself to stumble back into the newly-opened pathway and relax.
"Holy hell, Applejack, how in blazes did you manage that?" Hourglass asked, moving to Applejack's side and offering her a canteen of water.
Applejack took the canteen and chugged a little bit of water—not too much, they had to ration it—then passed it back to Hourglass. "'Cause I done told ya, I know earth an' I know movin' stuff. 'Tweren't nothin' different than liftin' up a big ol' box of old junk so my brother could get it up inta the attic."
"Still, that's just… incredible. You've got like… super strength or something. Winter did say you were strong, but I wasn't expecting that. You've gotta be the strongest pony I've ever seen."
"Nah, I'm just not a quitter, that's all. Ain't nothin' to it."
Applejack brushed some of the dirt off her hooves just as a show of bravado; she wasn't the kind of braggart Dash was, but heck if it didn't feel good to prove something to somepony every now and then. But she noticed something odd: the dirt just didn't seem to be coming off of her hooves. Almost like they were just plain caked in the stuff, so much that they looked like solid rock.
She blinked and brushed her hooves off again, and this time the effort stuck, and her hooves were clean. Mostly clean, anyway; not Rarity's standards, but enough for the situation at hoof. It must've been a trick of the light or something, or the rush of adrenaline messing with her head.
At any rate, with the slab out of the way, she and Hourglass could move forward towards their destination, hopefully unhindered. They still had a long way ahead of them, after all, and if Hourglass was serious about the rush, then every little delay was just making the problem worse. And the last thing that anypony needed considering how complicated things already were was just one more complication.
*****
"Wake up."
Grit stirred slightly as the feeling of hooves jostled him. Who dared to attempt to rouse him from his rest at such an obscene hour? It surely wasn't his typical waking time.
"Wake up, brother."
Grit blinked until his eyes were fully open, his body alert and awake again, relatively speaking. "Grime? Ugh… what time is it? What's happening? Is there an emergency?"
"I bear tidings, brother. Both good and ill, but tidings nonetheless."
Grit rose from his bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes. A glance at the clock on his nightstand told him it was horribly early in the morning, just as he thought, hours before he and his brother would usually rise to greet the day and begin their glorious work. A weak part of his brain told him to just lay back down and return to his restful slumber; that part of his brain was swiftly silenced, for if Grime had awakened him, it was not for nothing.
Grime, his brother, was a tall unicorn with a yellow coat and a two-toned mane of red and white. He wore a cloak of black over his lanky frame, the only clothing he wore at all in fact; he needed little else and none would question his choice in fashion. Grit was his twin and matched him in appearance in every way, save for their facial hair, for Grime bore a lush mustache while Grit bore a goatee. Though, in recent years, Grime had become thinner than his brother, both in figure and in hair, and bore bags under his eyes that spoke of stress and lack of sleep.
Such were the signs of a dedicated servant of the Dark Lady. Grime bore the marks with honor, and Grit envied him.
Their bedchamber was rather barebones, with little accommodations outside of a pair of small beds and a pair of lockers for storing clothing and personal effects. It was just a single room in the likewise small and barebones metal cabin that served as their home, attached to a much larger cabin that served as a base of operations here in the Redblade Mountains. Comfort had to be sacrificed in the name of practicality and safety.
After all, there was little room for error when you were living alongside a perpetually active volcano.
"What tidings do you bring so early, brother?" Grit asked, barely suppressing a yawn. "You typically wait until waking hours to share news of any sort. This must be important."
Grime nodded sternly. "Crucially so, dear brother mine, crucially so. Our Dark Lady has communed with me, and she brings tremendous news of good fortune, fortune that has come with a dreadful cost. Shall I share the good news first, a change of pace for once, hmm?"
"Very well, do go on."
"A Vessel has entered our world, dear brother. A curious Vessel, but one that holds immeasurable potential for the future. Our Dark Lady has brought it here from a realm far beyond our own, a realm quite different from ours. Another world, I believe."
"Another world? Hmm. Forgive me for asking, but you mean to say that She brought from this world… a 'Vessel'?" Grit asked, raising an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that the Mother of Calamity was to be Her Vessel, to be the form She took to unleash Her unbridled fury upon this pathetic world? Have plans changed?"
"Oh yes, they have changed, oh yes indeed. For you see, the process of bringing this newfound Vessel here drained Her strength, and She is weary from the ordeal. So weary, in fact, that we will not be able to continue forward with the Mother within the Cradle, not for many days. We will trust that Brother Flux's continued duties meanwhile feed our Dark Lady with sustenance, that his work replenishes the strength that She used."
Grit steepled his hooves. "Yes, losing progress with the Mother is a regrettable outcome, but then you say that the Mother is no longer to be Her Vessel. Has our work all been for naught, brother? I dare not question Her decisions, but I feel as though this change—"
"No, for our Dark Lady has foreseen another use for the Mother. She will now make use of the Mother's destructive power to merely herald Her rebirth." Grime smiled briefly before shaking off his reverence. "But the Mother is no longer Her priority; this new Vessel is."
"Surely then this Vessel is of great importance, if our Dark Lady weakened Herself so strongly to obtain it, to bring it here?"
Grime smiled, showing off his yellowing teeth. "It will prove a greater force than even the Mother, should our Dark Lady possess its power. She has revealed to me a further goal within her Glorious Purpose, dear brother, one beyond our imagination. This world will burn, yes, but so will realms beyond this one. Complete… annihilation."
"Then we truly are to usher in the end times. Magnificent." Grit set his hoof upon his brother's shoulder. "What would She have us do, dear brother? Where is this Vessel?"
"Our Dark Lady has used all of Her immeasurable wisdom and guile to place the Vessel in a vulnerable position within the Goldridge Mountains. Regrettably She could do no more, though I do not know why; in Her state of weakness She is… irritable, and did not deign to converse with me beyond simple explanations."
"Then we must find this Vessel before the Traitors find it."
"Indeed we must, indeed we must. I leave the task to you, Grit, for you possess more knowledge of our forces here in Redblade. You can best ascertain who would be given such an important task, who would be seen as worthy in the eyes of our Mistress."
Grit nodded. "Hmm, the sandstorm will make the task difficult. I will need to send our most powerful unicorn brethren into the fray to protect the team from the elements. It places us at risk should we be discovered by the Traitors and their peons. But the risk must be taken; the Dark Lady demands nothing less."
"Well spoken, dear brother."
"This Vessel, what does it look like? Surely our Dark Lady has given you at least that much, otherwise I fear our task may very well be impossible."
"I had an image burned into my mind, dear brother. An image of… lavender wings and a lavender horn. Our Dark Lady's Vessel is in possession of both, I think. Feminine in spirit and form as well. But a pony, not some other creature, no. I was not given a clear description, so this is merely an interpretation. Our Mistress works in mysterious ways at times."
"A lavender mare, then, in possession of both wings and a horn. As succinct a description as any, dear brother, perplexing though it may be. What manner of pony possesses both wings and a horn? Hmm." Grit grinned and rose to his hooves. "I will set about my task immediately."
"Another thing, brother. This Vessel may have protection with her, guardians of a sort. The Vessel is not to be harmed, but anyone with her? Kill them." Grime tilted his head, then nodded numerous times to nopony in particular; this was not how he was when he spoke with the Dark Lady, though. Odd. "Yes. Kill them all. No prisoners, no negotiations. Anyone with the Vessel dies. Understood?"
"Of course, brother. It will be done."