The next morning the three members of the Apple family were up just as the sun crested the horizon. After the emotionally draining events of the previous day, they had all slept like foals.
They had decided to head out in search of their wayward tent and supplies, but the search hadn't lasted long. When the boar had run off dragging the tent behind it, one of the pegs or broken poles had left a gash in the ground that was simple to follow. And then, barely even a hundred meters from their campsite, they found it in a ruined heap on the ground. The boar was nowhere to be seen, but both Applejack's and Apple Bloom's saddlebags were there and luckily, aside from being quite dirty, they were pretty much undamaged. The same couldn't be said for the supplies inside though. The boar must have freed itself from the tent and then had a good rummage around in those bags, because all of the food was gone and everything else was either destroyed or otherwise unusable.
Applejack proclaimed that with a little help from Granny Smith, she'd eventually be able to fix up the tent good as new. They packed it up as best they could and managed to fit it inside one of Applejack's now-empty saddlebags. They all agreed that since their food was missing in action it was probably best to cut the trip short and head on home, and the three ponies returned to the lake to break camp.
The journey back to Sweet Apple Acres passed without incident, though Big Macintosh noticed Apple Bloom looked a little distracted, as though she was constantly thinking on something. A couple of times she looked as though she'd been about to ask something, but then it passed and she walked on. Whatever it was didn't seem to be worrying her, and she was walking fine on her leg now so he didn't press it. As the sun ticked over from morning into afternoon they found themselves on the familiar dirt track that led to the gates of the farm. Granny Smith greeted them as if she hadn't even noticed they'd been away, they stored all their camping gear away – what was left of it – and then, lunch.
And just like that, farm-life clicked back to normal. Granny Smith took her nap, Applejack had flower beds that needed tending, and Big Macintosh dragged the wood-cart into the yard in front of the house to grease its wheels – he was going to be using it a lot in the coming months. That left Apple Bloom a little out of sorts, and alone with the thought that had been stuck in her head since last night. It was silly, she knew. A completely foalish notion, and she wasn't a foal any more! But...in spite of all that, she wanted to know.
She found Applejack watering the posies out the back of the house, and approached her a little more hesitantly than usual.
"Um...Applejack?"
Applejack put down the watering can she'd held in her mouth, and looked round with a smile.
"Hey there Apple Bloom! What's up?"
"Well, I was wonderin'...if...uh..." With a sinking feeling she realised she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. It was too silly and if she told Applejack about it, Applejack would think she was silly too. She didn't want that! "Uh...nevermind!" She finished cheerfully, and tried to bound away like they'd just been discussing the weather.
"Apple Bloom!" It wasn't an angry shout, but it stopped her in her tracks nonetheless. Applejack walked up to her, still smiling. "What's up, sugarcube?"
"Nothin' sis, just..uh...seein' if you needed help, but it looks like you got it all under control here so see ya!"
"C'mon AB, somethin's been turnin' up in yer head since we left the lake."
"It's nothin'. Just a silly thought is all. I should..."
"Hey," Applejack said softly, putting a hoof under Apple Bloom's chin and fixing her with a kind look. "Ya'll know you can tell yer big sister anythin', right?"
"Uh-huh," she nodded.
"And you know your sister cares too much about ya that she won't quit until she finds out what's botherin' you?"
"Mm-hmm." Another nod.
"Well," Applejack said victoriously, drawing herself back up, "spit it out."
"I...was just wondering...if I could go to Old Hollows Cave with you sometime." There, it was out.
Applejack looked a little apprehensive. She subconsciously rubbed a foreleg. "Uh...Apple Bloom, you know it ain't a real cave, right?"
"I know that sis! It's just...the way you talked about it...you made it sound like it was the best fun you ever had...and it brought you and Big Mac so close together. I just don't wanna miss out on doin' somethin' like that with you." She looked at the ground, pawing at it absently.
"I just think you might be a little old for Old Hollows Cave. I was younger'n you when I went in with Big Mac." She paused, and noted from Apple Bloom’s reaction that she was already interpreting the response so far as a ‘No’. "But...if you really wanna see what's in Old Hollows Cave, then we can go right now." After all, what was the harm?
"Really? Great!" Apple Bloom practically galloped towards the farmhouse.
They checked that Granny Smith was still napping before making their way up to her bedroom. It was after all forbidden territory, and as Applejack pushed open the door and stepped inside, she felt the same little thrill she had years ago with Big Mac. They weren't supposed to be there! The two sisters stole in quietly, closing the door with exaggerated care even though the chances of Granny Smith waking were very remote. She had slept through a stampede more than once.
Granny Smith's bed stood in the centre of the room, adorned with green bed linen. A white cloth skirt hung below the mattress reaching down to the floor, obscuring any view of what was under the bed. At the centre of the foot of the bed the skirt split into a flap that could be pulled apart. Applejack walked over to it, glancing out the window on the way. Big Macintosh was still down in the yard, busy removing the wheels on the log wagon. She turned her attention to Apple Bloom and, indicating the flap at the foot of the bed, began in a low voice.
"This here is the entrance to Old Hollows Cave. Folks round here say that no pony who's gone in has ever come out. Legend has it, that somewhere in this cave, is the famous Old Hollow's Treasure. Do you think you have what it takes to find it, young one?"
She wasn't entirely sure she'd remembered it right, nor was she convinced she'd captured the same sense of wonder and dread she'd felt all those years ago with her brother. But Apple Bloom seemed excited enough.
"Yes I do!"
"Then stay close, and let's go."
Applejack had to remove her hat to have any hope of entering the cave, and even then it was a bit of a squeeze. Once they were both under the bed she couldn't help but feel that she'd remembered the cave being a lot bigger. The skirt cut off most of the outside light, so it was still as dark as she remembered, but there had also been much more stuff in the cave back then. There used to be shoe boxes, shoes, nick-naks and lots more besides. Evidently Granny Smith had had a clear-out since, because now there was nothing. Well, except the dust. There was still plenty of that.
She had expected Apple Bloom to immediately break the fantasy, admit that maybe this had been a mistake, and go off and find her friends for some real fun. And Applejack realised that there was a part of her that would have been quite sad at that. This was one of her most treasured memories after all, and now that they were here she wanted to share it with her younger sibling. But to Apple Bloom's credit, she really wanted to give it a go and she caught a faint, if not entirely genuine, "Wow..." from the young filly.
It did lessen the impact somewhat, Applejack had to admit, that once your eyes adjusted you could see the whole cave, front to back. Part of the adventure had been not knowing what you would find around the next shoebox. Not wanting to shatter the fantasy just yet – though she wasn't sure if that was for Apple Bloom's sake or her own – she tried to put it in context.
"Dang, looks like some grave-robbers have beaten us to it. The whole cave's been cleared out! There's nothin'..." she stopped. There was something. A shape lying crumpled beneath the head of the bed, furthest away from them. As Applejack's eyes continued to adjust to the gloom, she gave a small gasp. "Well I'll be..."
Covered in dust beneath the headboard, where it must have lain untouched for years, was a long pink-and-grey striped sock.
"Is that...?" Apple Bloom's voice came, filled with mock fear.
"Yep." Applejack said urgently. She couldn't keep a smile off her face, and there was a twinkle in her eye. "Be careful Apple Bloom. These cave-snakes are dangerous as can be. We don't wanna wake it up!"
The sock lay perfectly still.
"Oh no! I think it's a-stirrin'! Look out Apple Bloom, it's coming right at us!"
The sock refused to move.
"Get behind me, Apple Bloom! I'll take care of this..."
"Be careful sis, make sure it doesn't get you!"
---
Setting the cartwheel back on its spindle, Big Macintosh paused and looked up towards Granny Smith's bedroom, from where shouts and bouts of laughter had suddenly sprung. He smiled to himself. Both his sisters were up there. He could guess what they were doing.
"Oh no! Help!"
"Hang on Applejack! I'll save you!"
He smiled again, and gave a small chuckle. That wasn't how it went. But it didn't matter, it wasn't his game any more. Applejack could make the rules as she wanted.
"Oh no, it's got both of us! Oh help! Won't somepony help us?"
He caught a glimpse of Applejack's head at the window, checking he was still down in the yard. Then it was gone.
"I said...won't some big, strong pony come and save these two poor fillies from this terrifyin' snake!"
"Yeah! Help us!" Apple Bloom's voice agreed.
Sighing, Big Macintosh put his wrench to one side and calmly made his way towards the farmhouse. The chores would have to wait. It looked like he was needed at least one more time.
He still had a job to do.
--End--