Spike discarded his pony costume as soon as he hit the sands of the San Palomino. It was quick for him to unzip the zipper and go back to walking on his two feet. Once he did Spike stuffed the dragon costume inside his backpack and stretched his arms as high as he could, feeling the freedom of being back on his feet instead of on his claws and feet. Apple Bloom also got off the robe she was wearing to hide her Cutie Mark, which she placed in Spike’s bag while he was stretching.
“Guess that must be a relief huh?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Like nothing you’ve ever felt before,” Spike said as he rolled his arms around as part of his stretching. “I guess I shouldn’t complain too much, ‘cause in a few hundred years I’ll be stuck walking like a quadruped anyways, but until then I’d rather not be forced to. It doesn’t feel natural.”
“Ah reckin it’d be like if Ah tried walkin on two hooves instead of four,” Apple Bloom said. “Well…if Ah could even keep my balance tryin ta do that.”
“Well so long as you can keep your balance while walking, we’ll be fine,” Spike said.
“Alright,” Apple Bloom said. They were both about to move on further through the desert but then Apple Bloom remembered something. “Wait, just a sec.” Apple Bloom looked around a bit until she found a cactus to the south and a bit to the east.
Apple Bloom walked up to the cactus and then grabbed her bags, dropping them to the floor in front of her. She reached into her right bag and dug for a few seconds until finally she pulled out a saw. Apple Bloom put a smile on her face as she adjusted the saw in her mouth until she was comfortable with it.
“What exactly are you doing Apple Bloom?” Spike asked.
Apple Bloom mumbled incoherently to answer Spike before walking to the left of the cactus with her saw facing out to the right. She began sawing the cactus in half horizontally, taking care not to brush her face against it so as not to get poked by the thousand needles. It took her a few seconds but she finally managed to saw it. Once she was done she put her saw back on the ground and looked towards Spike.
“Hey Spike, would ya mind takin off what Ah sawed, be sure to keep the water in it, and takin off the needles?” Apple Bloom asked.
Spike walked over to the cactus plant Apple Bloom just sawed and grabbed it with his claws. “Well…sure I guess but what exactly are you going to use it for?” Spike asked as he carefully took off the top of the cactus and flipped it over to avoid losing any of the cactus juice. “If you’re going to drink it, I wouldn’t suggest that.”
“Of course Ah’m not gonna drink it,” Apple Bloom said as she watched Spike take the needles from it. “Ah’ve got another idea.”
As soon as Spike was done pulling needles from the cactus top Apple Bloom swiped her tail at it, using her tail to get a good hold on the cactus juice. She used her tail to pour the cactus juice on her backside and then with a flick of her tail she threw the cactus juice back at Spike. Apple Bloom let the water fall down her body, washing off the color on her fur.
“Hey Spike, would ya mind refilling that?” Apple Bloom asked.
“So that’s what you’re doing,” Spike said, obviously impressed. “Nice idea. I didn’t actually expect something like that from you.”
“And what exactly is that supposed ta mean?” Apple Bloom sharply asked.
Spike took a step back. “Well sorry I just…” Spike said, trying to backtrack and failing spectacularly.
“Cactus stems are the only part of cacti that produces photosynthesis,” Apple Bloom said to show off her knowledge. “It’s also the area that cacti that stores water, where it keeps it in order to keep up the vital processes that keep it alive even in places with low levels of moisture like a desert.”
“Alright, I get it,” Spike said. “You don’t have to pound it in. I just…you said you didn’t know anything about the desert…”
“I don’t know a lot about this desert specifically,” Apple Bloom said. “But Ah do know about cacti, including the fact that they’re in deserts. And Ah know a lot about plants, shrubs, and trees and stuff, ‘cause Ah need ta know that if Ah’m going ta be an Apple carpenter.”
Also…Ah know a lot about rocks and gemstones but…Ah got a few other reasons for knowing that, Apple Bloom thought while blushing internally. Ah guess Ah know who Ah can thank for knowin so much.
“Alright I get it,” Spike said. “Don’t underestimate your intelligence.”
“Please don’t,” Apple Bloom said. “Just ‘cause Ah’m a farm filly doesn’t mean Ah don’t know anything.”
“Sorry,” Spike said.
Spike decided rather than dig himself into a bigger hole he’d do what Apple Bloom asked him to. The drake went back over to the cactus and swiped the top of the cactus inside of it to grab some more water. When he finished he looked back at Apple Bloom and saw that she was already done and her backside and tail were back to their original colors.
“Will you need some help?” Spike asked.
“Nah, just keep refilling it and Ah’ll be fine,” Apple Bloom said as she walked over to Spike and grabbed the water with another swipe of the tail. It took a few more refills but Apple Bloom eventually fully cleaned off most of the coloring on her, minus a few splotches here and there.
Finally Apple Bloom reached into one of her bags with her mouth. She grabbed out her pink bow and placed it on to her hoof. She then lowered her head placed her hooves above it, and then wrapped her bow in her hair.
“Alright, we can go now,” Apple Bloom said as she walked closer to Spike.
“Did you have to put your bow back on?” Spike asked.
Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “And you know why. This bow used to be my Mah’s. Ah couldn’t wear it before ‘cause it’d be a dead giveaway of who Ah am, but Ah ain’t goin on any farther without it on.”
“Ok,” Spike said. “Just be careful you don’t lose it. We’re going to be walking through a hot desert for a while, and we’re both going to be hot and sweaty. It might slip off if you’re not careful.”
“Well than we better get moving if we want ta get as far as we can before Ah get to sweaty,” Apple Bloom said. “Let’s get a move on.”
“Yeah you're right,” Spike said. “Let’s go.”
Both Spike and Apple Bloom walked onwards but as Spike moved forward with a clear head, Apple Bloom had her head full of thoughtful determination.
For today, we’ll get as far as we can, she thought. But tonight is the night. Ah don’t know how, but somehow tonight Ah’m gettin it out of Spike why he’s runnin away tonight. Ah’ve stalled this out long enough. It’s time Ah knew the truth.
~
The walk for the rest of the day was mostly a quiet and uneventful one. At first Spike and Apple Bloom did talk about random subjects that came to their mind to help pass the time, but eventually the sun reached its climax in the sky. And once the sun reached that high and the head of the day settled in, the talking became a minimum and the focus was more on putting one hoof/foot in front of the other.
While on their walk they guzzled down water like it was nothing. They both agreed to try and stick to only one and a half water bottles per day to conserve on water, but it was hard for Apple Bloom to avoid drinking it all. In fact it was so hard that it was agreed that Spike would hold on to the water while they were walking.
The silence while they walk became boring at first, but eventually Apple Bloom didn’t really mind it. It gave her a chance to think of how she was going to get Spike’s secret out of him that night. Several ways passed through her mind, some of which she was sure would work but she didn’t want to use because of how harsh they would be. She put those methods into the back of her head if she really needed to use them, but she would rather not have to.
Those thoughts allowed her to pass the time and before she knew it the sun fell down to their right into a sunset sky. After a long day they were beginning to tire down and they both decided when the sun was almost down and the skies were becoming a deep purple to stop for the night. Spike once again set up the fire while Apple Bloom worked on setting up some cloth for them both to eat on.
This time they both just had sandwiches with some grass and a few flowers, Apple Bloom saving the apples for when she was really thirsty and Spike saving his gemstones for when they aren’t in the middle of the desert. They ate in silence as Apple Bloom was finalizing what she was going to say to Spike. And once she was done all she needed to do was wait for Spike to be done before finally asking the question.
It’s time, Apple Bloom thought. We’re in a desert heading farther and farther away from Ponyville. Farther and farther away from our friends and family who are all worried about us and missin us. Ah know why Ah’m doin it and Ah feel guilty about it. Ah need ta know why Spike is doin it.
“Spike, why did you run away?” Apple Bloom asked, not beating around the bush, not trying to ease into the question, just straight out asking what she wants to know.
“Haven’t we been through this already?” Spike asked though this time in a neutral voice. “It’s personal.”
“Why is it personal?” Apple Bloom asked. “What’s so personal about it? Can ya at least tell me that?”
“Why do you keep asking me?” Spike asked. “Why do you need to know?”
“Haven’t we been through this already?” Apple Bloom asked in an imitation of Spike’s voice. She stopped imitating his voice though when she said “Ah’m worried about you Spike. Ah can tell somethin is wrong, something is hurtin you and Ah want ta help you.”
“And what makes you so sure you can help me?” Spike asked, his voice rising.
“Ah don’t know,” Apple Bloom admitted. “Maybe Ah can’t. But we won’t know that ‘till Ah try. And if Ah can’t help you well you don’t lose anythin from tellin me do ya? All you’ll gain is at least somepony that knows, and maybe even understands.”
Spike closed his eyes and sighed. “Apple Bloom…the reason I don’t want to tell you is I know you’ll try and bring me back. You’ll try and keep me in Equestria. I bet you can’t look me in the eyes and tell me otherwise.” Spike opened his eyes and looked at her expectantly.
“Spike…you’re right,” Apple Bloom admitted hesitantly. “If Ah could, Ah would try and keep ya in Equestria. You bet your golden apples Ah would. But what’s wrong with that? Ya have friends and family here.”
“I don’t exactly have a lot of friends,” Spike told her. “I mean yeah, I have you and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and I guess I’m sort of friends with all of Twilight’s friends but I don’t think I have to say what’s missing there.”
“Ya could try askin Rumble and Pipsqueak’s group of friends,” Apple Bloom suggested. “Ah’m sure they wouldn’t mine lettin you join them.”
“Guess that’s true,” Spike said.
“But either way Spike, Ah can’t tell you anything,” Apple Bloom said. “If Ah can Ah would try and get you to stay with me or head home, but if Ah can’t do anything, if it would make your situation worse staying…Ah care about you Spike so if it’d make you unhappy staying than I wouldn’t force you.”
Spike looked to his feet silently, obviously thinking.
“Ya won’t lose anything tellin me,” Apple Bloom prodded some more. “And if ya can’t trust me, who can ya trust?”
“Those two rocks over there,” Spike said as he nodded towards two gray rocks in the sand to his right. Apple Bloom gave him an unamused look which caused Spike to crack a smile. “Alright, I’m kidding,” Spike said. Seriously he asked “Do you really want to know?”
“Of course Ah do,” Apple Bloom said.
“Well fine,” Spike said. “I guess…I’ll tell you then.”