//------------------------------// // Path 1.3: Cloudwalking Made Easy // Story: Pony's Story // by Philosophical Tree //------------------------------//         “This way.” Applejack’s hoof fell on the third path in the fork, the one labelled “Cloud Lift Central.” Applejack had a bad feeling in the pit of her gut. “Ah wish Ah coulda asked Twi fer a cloudwalkin’ spell. This could be bad.” With a sinking feeling, she trotted down the path towards what she expected to be an impassable obstacle. It didn’t take her too long to find the clouds that the sign had mentioned. She hadn’t been paying attention, looking around to observe the beauty of the storybook world, when the path suddenly ended, dropping off as a sheer cliff. She recoiled back, struggling not to panic from the sudden loss of ground. In the air in front of her, there were clouds floating along where the path should have been, but other than that, Applejack couldn’t see anything that would help her get past and through to the other side. She sighed and bit her lip, looking at the clouds in front of her warily. They didn’t look like normal clouds, but she was nervous all the same.         ‘There’s no other way... Ah’ll have to try.’ She took a hesitant step forward to the edge of the cliff, watching the clouds. Slowly, she extended her hoof and brought it down to the cloud, closing her eyes. She waited for the telltale sign that she would have to backtrack, have to turn around and find another way. She was waiting for the feeling of her hoof falling through the cloud, stepping onto thin air.         But it didn’t come. Instead, she felt something solid beneath her hoof. Something that felt like cloth. She opened her eyes to see that her hoof had indeed settled to rest on top of the cloud, which was solid beneath her like the ground her other three hooves were resting on. She was amazed by this turn of events. This world didn’t play by Equestria’s rules, and earth ponies could walk on clouds, just like pegasi.         Without a second’s hesitation, Applejack decided to test out this new discovery by placing her whole weight on the cloud. It held firm beneath her. She gave it a few test bounces, hopping up and down. Still the cloud didn’t give out. Applejack smiled.         “So, they’re made of cloth, huh? Well, wait ‘til I tell Rainbow.” She chuckled quietly to herself, beginning her walk over the cloud path. She could see the edge of the opposite cliff in the distance, but she decided to take her time, looking around and taking in the surrounding area. The air around her was speckled with similar clouds like the ones she was walking on.         But it wasn’t the only thing in the air. She noticed pegasi flying by occasionally. Each of them was wearing a hoodie that matched the color of their coat, and white masks on their faces that allowed them to see, but didn’t allow anypony to see their faces. The pegasi had no tails and no cutie marks. Applejack paused for a moment to watch them, before realizing what they were.         “Their Shy Ponies, ain’t they? Huh... not what Ah thought they’d look like.” She watched them for a while, observing what they did. She noticed that they didn’t really seem to have a goal in mind, and that they were flying aimlessly around. Some of them were carrying fruit of various varieties in their hooves, ferrying it to Celestia knows where. She wondered what they were doing with the fruit and why, but knew she had a job to do. She continued on her way.         Reaching the opposite edge of the cliff, she clambered off the clouds and back onto the path. Trotting on, she continued to observe the world around her. She could tell that she was walking on a more mountainous region, the path sloping upwards at a steady incline. She smiled as she watched as the treeline began to thin as she got higher, being replaced by the sight of the whole of the world below her. She could see pretty much everything, including some of the other paths that she could have taken. They seemed to be a lot easier to traverse, and a lot more complete, with less cloud paths. The only other path that seemed to be as interesting and dangerous as her’s was the one that led to a large, dark tower in the middle of the world. She wasn’t too fond of trying to go up there.         The path wound along for some time before it ended again, dropping off. This time, there was no cloud path to help her get across. Instead, there was a strange rail made of string floating in the air. Applejack scratched her head in confusion.         “What the?” She stopped herself as she saw one of the strangest sights coming towards her. Another one of the cloth clouds was floating towards her along the rail, but that wasn’t what was odd. What was odd was that the cloud was smiling at her. It’s stare was blank and seemed painted on, but it was unnerving that the cloud itself was smiling at her with a stupid grin. As it reached the end of the rail, the cloud reversed course and started floating away from her. It was then that Applejack formulated a plan.         “So, the smilin’ clouds move? Then Ah think it’s time fer a ride.” She poised herself, waiting for the cloud to return. Once it did, she leapt forward onto it. It remained steady under her hooves, and even the smile didn’t waver as she landed. Her guess that the thing was painted on seemed to be confirmed. She wobbled unsteadily as the cloud began to move away from the ledge. Turning about, she saw that the cloud she rode wasn’t the only one. There were numerous clouds moving on different rails, each one fixed with the same stupid grin. Applejack realized that she would have to do a bit of jumping. So, she poised herself low again, waiting for the right moment.         Once two of the clouds grew close enough together, Applejack jumped the gap between them. This one was moving vertically instead of horizontally, but Applejack only used that information to help guide her jumps. With each cloud, she leapt across the gap keeping the two apart and moved her way up and across the gap. When she reached the path on the opposite cliffside, she was panting heavily. Nevertheless, she wore a triumphant smile. She turned, looking ahead to what was lying in wait. Her smile quickly faded. She sat on the path and groaned in agony as the sight of what lay before her burned into her mind.         More of the railed clouds lay ahead, only this time the paths seemed to be more diverse and complicated. There were also large spheres on some rails, clearly set up to knock ponies off the clouds and down into the abyss that lay below. Switches to adjust which rail the clouds would ride on also made themselves evident. To Applejack, it was nothing short of chaotic. This was nothing short of evil, but she had to make it through.         She took a moment to catch her breath before beginning what would be one of the most difficult challenges of her life. Leaping from cloud to cloud, she had to not only duck and weave her way around the rubber orbs that threatened to send her to a messy end, but she was also focused on making sure that the clouds went the proper direction. It was no easy feat, and Applejack took comfort in the fact that even Rainbow Dash would have been impressed.         She had narrowly avoided one of the balls, feeling the rubber brush against her mane, when her job became considerably harder. She looked up, smiling at her quick footwork, only to have her eyes go wide and her legs to collapse from under her as she ducked out of the way of an incoming Shy Pony. It wasn’t attacking her, but it sure wasn’t helping her out. It was just moving on it’s way, ignoring everything else in it’s path. That included small fillies riding on clouds that were painted with silly smiles. Applejack, on top of everything she was already doing, now had to avoid the Shy Ponies racing past her.         ‘I swear to Luna that if Ah live through this... Ah’m burnin’ this book.’ Applejack clenched her teeth and braced herself, plotting out her moves well in advance. Normally, this would be something that Twilight would be doing, but she saw no reason not to try and play it smart. Leaping from cloud platform to cloud platform, she ducked, weaved, and bucked the Shy Ponies that came her way. She didn’t really want to hurt them, but she didn’t really have much of a choice. It was either them or her, and she had to get back to her friends. Nothing else mattered.         Long minutes of this passed. She almost fell more than a few times, and once she had to grab onto one of the passing Shy Ponies to avoid being knocked to her demise. That had set her back a bit, but she was still alive, and for that, she was thankful. The Shy Pony, on the other hoof, had gone into a dive after it dropped its apple. She smiled, thankful that they at least had good taste in fruit.         At long, long last, she reached the other side. Gasping for breath, a very tired filly leapt to the other side and landed in the dirt, hugging it like it was a long lost friend.         “Never again will Ah leave ya. Never. Again.” She gasped out, relieved and exhausted as all get out. Looking up, her eyes lit up as she saw something she hadn’t expected to see. An apple lay on the ground in front of her. Behind it stood the Shy Pony that had given her an unexpected air lift. watching her behind its mask. She tilted her head curiously, and it gestured to the apple. Rising unsteadily, Applejack reached out and took the apple, giving it a tentative bite. It tasted good, despite being something that she didn’t expect to be real. She gave the Shy Pony a smile, swallowing the fruit still in her mouth.         “Thank ya kindly.” The Shy Pony gave no response, only unfurled its wings and took off into the air, in the wake of all its comrades. Applejack watched it go, taking another bite of apple. “Strange fellers, them Shy Ponies.” Finishing the apple in one more quick bite, she trotted off down the path, her hooves crossed that she would encounter no more of the cloud platforms.         To her relief, she didn’t have to leap over any more chasms. The path ended not long after she had finished her apple, revealing a necklace held aloft by magic. She recognized the Element of Honesty instantly, and, smiling, reached out and took it. The Element burst into life as it wrapped around her neck, instantly recognizing the one who was meant to bear it. When the light had faded, Applejack found herself staring at none other than her polar opposite. Rarity jumped in surprise, which was instantly replaced with relief and joy.         “Applejack, darling!” She cried dramatically, reaching out for her friend. Applejack smiled, running forward into her friend’s embrace as the others, upon hearing the cry of the fashionista, all came running. As the room sealed up behind her, Applejack couldn’t have felt any happier. She had not only survived a grueling ordeal, but she was back, and surrounded by the warm hooves of her best friends.         Twilight was the first to break the hug, stepping back to give the farmpony some room. The others followed suit as Twilight cleared her throat, eager to begin questioning.         “What happened, Applejack? One moment you were out there, and now you walk in through a wall. What was out there?” Applejack, upon hearing Twilight’s words, turned to see what the unicorn meant. Indeed, she had walked clean through a wall. The door was to her right, and it was sealed shut, as it had been when she left.         “Well, it was somethin’, lemme tell ya.” She replied, allowing herself a small chuckle. “How long was I gone, anyway?” Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin in thought.         “Not more than fifteen minutes, if I had to guess. It was enough time to worry us.” Applejack’s jaw dropped.         “Now, that’s not possible. Ah was out there for a lot longer than fifteen stinkin’ minutes.” Twilight resumed her hoof tapping, trying to wrap her mind around what the farmpony had said.         “Well, maybe the world out there and the world in here run on different times.” Her hoof feel to the ground once more, a triumphant smile on her face. “That would explain it. I’m also glad to see the Element of Honesty. Was it hard to find?” Applejack nodded.         “Yeah, it weren’t at all easy. Oh, by the way,” She smirked, leveling her gaze at a certain pegasus. “Rainbow... Ah walked on clouds.” Rainbow narrowed her eyes.         “I don’t buy it.” Rainbow muttered, leveling a hoof to point accusingly at her. “You’re obviously lying.” Applejack shook her head, still smirking.         “Ah’m the Element of Honesty, RD. Why would Ah, of all ponies, lie to ya?” Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but could find nothing to counter the farmpony’s last statement. Instead, she shut her mouth, and took to glaring. Twilight coughed politely.         “If you two are finished...” She turned back to look at the door. “I’ve been trying to get through that door for some time, but the magic latch that I found vanished after you left. I wonder...” She walked over, reaching out with her magic. She found the latch once more, and, smiling, gave it a tug. The six fillies expected to see another bright, cheery landscape. Instead, they were stunned into silence. Rarity was the first to react.         “How filthy!”