Chapter 2
Sense of Danger, Scent of Apples
The sun shined in through the window of the guest room to signal that a new day had started. Applejack woke up first and got out of bed, she walked to the end of the bed and picked up her trade mark cowpony hat she left hanging on the bed post. When she got out of bed that let the sun shine directly into Rainbow’s face causing her to groan because it was day already. She pulled the covers over her head and rolled over to her other side and tried to fall back to sleep. Applejack heard her groan and saw that the pegasus was curled up into a ball trying to reenter her dream world.
“Wakey, wakey Rainbow!” the orange cowpony said while yanking the covers off of her.
“Aww come on!” she said while letting out a big yawn.
“Just five more minutes or how about 10? You know what just wake me up in an hour.” She said as she waved her hoof at AJ and roll back over.
“Come on Rainbow we got a long day ahead of us. No time to be lazy today.”
Just then Twilight woke up and greeted the other two while stretching.
“Good morning everypony.”
“Mornin’ Twi.”
“Umm where is Rainbow?”
AJ rolled her eyes and then pointed at the bed with a huge lump in it. Rainbow had curled up into a ball again and pulled the covers back over her.
“Really, this again?” Twilight mumbled
“I. Hate. Mornings.” Rainbow said still covered up.
“Come on Rainbow, we have a long walk ahead of us so the sooner we get started the better.” Said Twilight
She then lifted the blanket with her magic and held it in the air above Rainbow so she had no choice but to get up. Rainbow sat up and reluctantly got out of bed.
“That’s better.” Said Twilight with that smile she always gets.
“Yeah soo much better.” Rainbow mumbled to herself while rolling her eyes.
“Okay so first we need to prepare before we got out into the desert today. Here I made a check list for each of you of stuff you need to bring so everything will go without a hitch.”
“Alright ah’ll get started right away.”
“Wait, you mean I ‘have’ to bring my bag?”
“Well, yes, of course.”
“Fine.”
Rainbow hates to bring any kind of bag around because it slows her down and is just too much of a hassle to lug around something you’ll more than likely never use anyway. Rainbow looked over the list seeing a variety of things like a canteen, rope, food, etc. and couldn’t help but think that half this stuff would be useless to her. They both followed behind Applejack to prepare for the long journey.
* * *
After they finished their preparations and had breakfast they started out into the harsh environment. As they were walking Twilight pulled out a map of the area and gave it a quick look over then looked to AJ and asked her opinion on the safest way to the nearest plateau shown.
“Hey Applejack can you look over this map and show us the safest way there.”
“Sure Twi let me take a look.”
They stopped and AJ looked over the map for a little, drawing an imaginary line with her hoof, to mark the safest route possible. She got a disgruntled look on her face when she saw the nearest area Twilight marked wouldn’t be the best to go to.
“Hey Twi I hate to tell y’all this but the nearest plateau ain’t goin’ to work.”
“Why?”
“Well y’all see here.” As AJ points to an image of a Buffalo running through a canyon.
“Yes what about it?”
“Well in order for us to get to that plateau we have to go through this canyon but its buffalo stampede territory and we don’t
need to be caught there with no way out.”
“Wow nice job Applejack!”
“No prob Twi. Now if we look the best place to start would be here.”
“Umm AJ that’s in the middle of the desert, nowheresville!” Interjected Rainbow
“Ah see that but it’s the only safe location to search for now sugar cube.”
“Well if we have no choice.” Said Twilight reluctantly
“Here take the map you obviously need it more than me.”
“Thanks Twi.”
AJ stuffed it in her bag then they continued on with there now longer journey to, as Rainbow put it, Nowheresville. The walk alone was hard enough with the sun glaring down on them but they still had to find this plant and there is no guarantee it is even at the first plateau.
As they continued onwards the day dragged on for what seemed like eternity. Nothing to look at except vast nothingness and Rainbow was trying every technique she could think of to keep herself entertained, flying upside down, sideways, backwards, doing an occasional loop, but eventually she just got bored and just glided around. Twilight noticed Rainbow’s boredom and asked to fly up to see if they were getting any closer.
“Hey Rainbow can you fly up and scout ahead to see if we’re getting close.”
“Yea no prob!” In an instant she went from two miles an hour to thirty straight up.
Rainbow got up high enough to see for miles. She squinted and did a three-sixty spin to get a full view. She smiled and rushed back down to her friends in just a few seconds.
“Aww yea, it’s about two miles ahead to the north-east!” As she pointed in that direction.
“About time, ah was gettin’ concerned we’d passed it.”
“Well no point in waiting around let’s get going.” Twilight said looking at Rainbow.
“You can lead the way Rainbow.” Twilight nodded to her
“Well then you better keep up!” Then she took off like a rocket
“Oh for Pete’s sake! She’s always in a hurry!” AJ yelled then facehoofing
“Come on we better catch up to her.”
The two chased after her as fast as they could gallop. They caught up to her after a few seconds and continued to gallop in the direction Rainbow was flying. A few short minutes passed by and Twilight asked Rainbow if she could see the plateau.
“Rainbow are we getting any closer?”
“Yea the plateau should be coming into view for you guys.”
Just as she said that the plateau appeared over the horizon. Showing the three ponies its immense size they were awe struck.
“Woh nelly!”
“Woooh that thing is huge!”
“I expected it to be big but not like this.”
The three friends showed their surprise at almost the same time.
They finished the first half of their journey as they approached the towering landmass and took a well-deserved break in the shade of the plateau. They opened their bags and took out the canteens they brought to get rid of the thirst they had acquired after all that running or in Rainbow’s case flying.
“Hey AJ can you tell what time it is?” Twilight politely asked
“Judgin’ from the suns spot in the sky ah’d say around three or three-thirty.”
“Alright then we’ll rest here for a few minutes then get started looking for that plant.” Twilight suggested
* * *
They sat there for a few minutes resting their tired bodies. Rainbow got and stretched out her wings getting ready to fly up to the top and start the search.
“Alright I’ll head up and see if that plant thingy is here.”
“Here Rainbow this is what the plant looks like.”
Twilight pulled her book out using her magic and set it on the ground in front of Rainbow.
“Ok so the one I need has red blooms on it, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Got it, I’ll be back in no time!”
“Wait, hold on Rainbow!” Twilight yelled as she grabbed Rainbows’ tail with her magic
“You need to dig the plant up not just pull it out of the ground.”
“Oh you’ve got to be kiddin’ me!”
“The princess wants to use this plant in some kind of experiment, so it needs to have roots so it can be planted at the palace for her to use anytime, right?”
“That’s right AJ.”
“Fine, I’ll dig it up.”
“Thank you very much Rainbow.”
Twilight let go of Rainbow’s tail and she took off to the top of the plateau. It took her just a few seconds but the others would have climb for couple of minutes to get up there. She stayed hovering in the air for a few minutes looking for the plant until she spotted a small group of them under a bush.
“There you are!” She said as she zoomed down onto the ground
She managed to kick up pollen from the small plant as she landed. The pollen tickled her nose causing her to sneeze.
“Alright let’s get this done with.” She mumbled as she started to dig at the ground with her hoof
She dug at the ground for a good few minutes till she reached what looked to be a rock. The roots of the plant were embedded into the stone.
“Awww come on!” she said rolling her eyes
Meanwhile Twilight and Applejack were sitting at the base wondering what was taking Rainbow so long.
“Now what’s takin’ that pony so long?”
“I’m not sure but it can’t be that difficult to dig up a plant, right?”
Applejack pulled out the map from her bag and rolled it out in front of her. She looked it over scratching her chin in confusion.
“What is it AJ?” Twilight inquired
“Well ah’ve been out here plenty of times and ah know the terrain. Plus ah know maps of this area but ah’ve never seen an image like that before.”
Twilight walked over to AJ and sat down next to her looking at the map as well.
“Y’all ever seen that image on a map before?”
“No, never, it looks like some kind of house or…temple?”
“Twi where did y’all get this map?”
“From Princess Celestia herself.”
Just then they heard a loud yell that came from the top of the plateau. A familiar voice, Rainbows voice!
* * *
Rainbow is digging at the ground when she hits what seems to be a rock.
“Aww come on!” she said
“Wanna play hard ball, fine let’s play hard ball!”
She reared up and stomped as hard as she could on the stone. It didn’t even crack or fracture so she did it again and again. Still no signs of any give to the stone’s surface.
“Oh I see how it’s goin’ to be!”
She flew up into the air and hovered there.
“This will get you to come loose.”
She rushed head long at the ground then she switched her position to do a flying dropkick. She hit the ground with enough force to do more than break the rock but put a hole in it.
Rainbow fell through a roof of a house of an ancient civilization long forgotten. As she fell into the darkness she yelled as loud as she could have hoping somepony could hear her. She fell through roof of the building landing hard onto the ground. She hit her head hard and was dazed for a few minutes then she looked up at the hole. She spread her wings out to fly up but a sharp pain hit her. Her wing was messed up pretty bad so she couldn’t fly out.
“Stupid plant it’s your entire fault!” She thought as she sat there trying to hold back tears.
Back at the base of the plateau AJ and Twilight heard Rainbows yell and knew they had to save her but how were they going to get to her. They could climb up but that could take too long and without a secured rope at the top they could end up hurt as well. There has to be a way around, some kind of path or trail leading to the top hopefully.
They ran around the base of the plateau for a few seconds trying to find a path but it wasn’t successful until AJ noticed a small cave-like entrance.
“Here Twi! This might get us up to the top.” AJ said while pointing at the entrance
“I’m not sure AJ. What if it leads to a dead end or what if it collapses while we’re inside?”
“Well we gotta try at least, for Rainbow sake.”
“You’re right we need to!”
So against all common reason Twilight and Applejack headed into the cave hoping it would lead them to Rainbow.
After a few minutes of walking through the cave they didn’t have the light of the sun showing the way anymore. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness but not enough to give them good guidance. AJ stopped and reached into her bag and brought out some flint and a piece of pyrite. She asked Twilight for some parchment and tied it to the end of stick she found in the cave.
“Wow AJ I’m impressed.”
“Ain’t nothin’ special, just some survival things ah picked up from Big Mac a long time ago.”
They kept walking in hopes it would lead to the top of the plateau but instead it lead them to something they couldn’t even imagine.
“Wooooh!” Twilight exclaimed
“What is all this Twi?”
“Looks like the remains of an ancient pony civilization from centuries ago.” She said while examining some of the architecture.
“Wait, hold on just a pony pickin’ minute, how in the hay is there an ancient civilization inside this huge rock thing?”
“I read books on the subject but never got really see one for myself. Well until now that is. Ancient civilizations like this one would build their homes, towns, entire cites inside mountains or plateaus to keep themselves safe from the harsh environment outside. It also provides excellent natural protection from other empires looking to conquer their own.” Twilight went on to explain to Applejack
“Hmm makes sense ah guess but how would anypony get inside this place?”
“Back during ancient times there would have been a great big entrance somewhere in the side of the mountain but I’m
guessing over time it must have fallen apart or has been weathered away by time and the elements.” Twilight explained again
“Well we ain’t got time to sight see here. We need to find a way to Rainbow at the top and fast.”
At the same time Rainbow was walking around the ruins of the ancient house she just fell through. She kept checking on her wing to see if it had, hopefully, healed enough to fly but it still was painful to move. After sitting there her eyes began to adjust and she could see the annoying little plant that caused all this mayhem for her.
“Pfff you little…” She grunted wanting to say something else but her train of thought got cut off when she heard friends talking.
She grabbed the plant making sure it still had its roots then she put in her bag and headed in the direction of the voices of her friends.
* * *
She couldn’t see all that well but she could hear plenty good. Running through the remains of this once bustling city she followed the echoes of her friend’s voices. She yelled in an attempt to gain their attention.
“AJ! Twilight! I’M HERE!” She yelled
Applejack and Twilight were caught off guard when they heard their friend’s voice in a place like. They stopped and Twilight held out the torch with her magic in hopes of seeing Rainbow.
Rainbow could see the torch in the distance and knew she would be safe now.
“RAINBOW!” Her friends yelled to her
“Aww man I’m sure glad to see you guys!” She yelled back as she kept running
“NO, RAINBOW STOP!” Yelled Applejack
“Huh? What do you mean?!”
Rainbow stopped her gallop and slide to a stop.
“Why do I need to stop?”
“Look at your hooves Rainbow!”
Rainbow looked and by the dim light of the torch she could see a pit filled with the rubble of the ancient city. Judging from the light of the torch the pit looked to be about fifty feet deep. Rainbow took a few steps back from the edge to be safe.
“Woh that was a close one.” She said quietly to herself
“Now how in the wide world of Equestia did a hole get here?” AJ asked Twilight
“Must have been the reason why this ancient city was abandoned. It looks like a massive sink hole took half the city down there.” Twilight responded
“Rainbow come on and fly over here.” AJ said
“Don’t you think I would have done that already if I could? My wing is pretty messed up so I can’t fly.”
“Horseapples! We gotta think of something then.”
“I could try and levitate her over here.”
“Twi, y’all think you can do that?”
“Well we don’t have a choice do we. I’m not use to levitating full grown ponies but given the circumstances we don’t have any other option,”
“But what if y’all run out of magic half way?”
“I won’t, not while my friend needs my help.”
“Well…ok then, worth a shot.” AJ said hesitantly
“Rainbow I’m going to use my magic to levitate you over to us! So be still!”
Twilight’s horn began to glow brightly as she conjured up all the magic she could muster up. Rainbow’s body became engulfed in the purple aura that was Twilight’s magic. Slowly but surely Rainbow began to come closer and closer to her friends. Twilight’s face began to show signs of strain and her forehead began to sweat heavily.
Rainbow kept getting closer and closer to the other side of the deep hole when Twilight yelled to Applejack.
“I…I CAN’T HOLD IT!”
“Aww HAYSEEDS!” AJ yelled as she ran to the edge of the hole.
Just as Applejack reached the edge of the hole, Twilight’s magic gave out on her and Rainbow began to fall. Rainbow closed her eyes and let out a huge scream but AJ grabbed her hoof just in time. Rainbow opened her eyes and looked up at the cowpony that just saved her life.
“Come on now sugar cube, y’all think ah would let you down like that?”
“Hehe I guess not.”
She pulled up Rainbow to the edge and just as she got to the top Applejack lost her footing and pulled Rainbow on top of her. They laid there for a few seconds staring at each other, not thinking about a thing, just staring into each other’s eyes. Rainbow could feel herself starting to blush but just then Twilight ran up to her and grabbed her around the neck. She gave her a big hug and apologized multiple times.
Rainbow accepted the apology and gave her a hug back saying it was no big deal, AJ managed to catch me anyway.
“Aww shucks, it was nothin’.” AJ said pulling her hat over her face.
“Yea it was! If it wasn’t for you Celestia knows what would’ve happen!”
“Come on you two; let’s get out of here and back to the ranch.” Twilight interjected
The three friends traced their steps back to the entrance of the cave. It was night now and so much cooler than this afternoon. They began their journey back to ranch and hopefully a well-deserved night’s sleep. As they walked back through the desert Rainbow couldn’t help to keep thinking of that moment back at the ruins and how she felt for those few seconds. She looked over at AJ who was talking to Twilight about the day’s events and she could feel herself starting to blush again.
“Oh Rainbow!” Twilight said
Hearing Twilight’s voice made her snap out of her thoughts.
“Yea what’s up?”
“I know this is no place to ask but did you get the plant?”
“Huh, oh the plant! THAT plant. Yea I got it for you, roots and all.”
“Thanks Rainbow, now we can head back to Ponyville tomorrow.”
“Yup and Rainbow can help me on mah farm too!” AJ said
“HUH?!” Rainbow yelled “What do you mean?!”
“You already forgot the deal we made huh?”
“OH Yea, the deal we made on the train ride.” Rainbow said scratching the back of her head.
They walked for a few more hours until they reached the blessed sight of the Apples Ranch. They walked into house where everypony was already sitting down and enjoying dinner. They had to answer a lot of questions about why it took them so long and why they were a mess.
They didn’t even eat dinner they just went upstairs and each took long, hot showers then headed off to bed. They kept the same sleeping arrangements as the night before. They each quickly fell asleep as they enjoyed the soft mattresses and comforting blankets.
* * *
The next morning was just like any other to the ponies except Rainbow woke up before all the others. The sun shined in her face and she grunted at the thought of the sun being up already but this morning was different than the one from yesterday. She smelled the distinct scent of apples.
“Apples? I didn’t smell those yesterday morning.” She thought
She opened her eyes to find herself face to face with Applejack. Close enough that if anypony was to walk in and see them like that they only come to the conclusion they were a couple.
Rainbow had cuddled with Applejack during the night, in her sleep, and didn’t even notice it. Her arm was around her waist, her leg was on top of AJ’s and their faces were almost touching,
“WHAT AM I DOING?!” She thought
“Why does this feel…feel fine to me?”
-End of Chapter 2-