//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Green // Story: Journey to the Center of the Rainbow // by The DJ Rainbow Dash //------------------------------// Journey to the Center of the Rainbow Chapter 5: Green When her eyes opened, the first thing Rainbow felt was dirt. She looked at her hooves and found that they were covered in dirt and remains from what used to be a sunflower. A searing pain suddenly hit her temple, and Rainbow’s hooves shot up to her head as she tried to make it go away. Her pain subsided when she realized Twilight was missing. Around a second later, everything clicked into place. “Twilight!? Rainbow started digging through the massive sinkhole, checking any crevice she could find for a sign of the unicorn. “If you can hear me, say my name!” To her dismay, no response came. Rainbow panicked, wondering both how long she had been knocked out, and how long it had been since Twilight vanished. If she were buried under the dirt somewhere, Celestia knew how little oxygen she must have. She scanned the ground, trying to be as still as possible while doing so. Perhaps she could hear Twilight’s breathing if she kept quiet. Nopony was within miles and miles of the area, and Rainbow didn’t even think about leaving before finding her friend. A sound similar to crinkling paper made her head in to the direction of the sound. Sure enough, Rainbow saw a small section of Twilight’s map near the side of the sinkhole. A look of hope flooded her face as she cautiously made her way over. One false step could eliminate the only shred of hope she had. Slowly, Rainbow shoveled out piles of soil with her hooves. She was aware that this process would take her forever, but really had no other choice. If the map was buried in this area, there was a chance Twilight was here as well. After a few minutes, she was able to uncover the map. Rainbow was more than amazed to see that the dated paper had survived in a single piece. “Twilight, you have to be here somewhere!” She continued digging at the same pace, when her left hoof suddenly struck a rather squishy object. Her eyes widened as she uncovered the spot to reveal a small violet hoof, and she quickened her pace while still watching the rest of the land around her. After a good 5 minutes, she had finally uncovered her friend. Rainbow figured she was in stable condition, as she was relatively unharmed and was breathing normally. She quickly checked Twilight's body and legs, followed by her head, just in case there were any nasty bruises or cuts she might have received. Thankfully, she found nothing serious. The only issue was that Twilight had been knocked out during the event. Rainbow tried nudging and talking directly into her each of her ears, but Twilight remained unconscious. One way or another, Rainbow knew she had to somehow fly Twilight out of the hole. To do this while carrying the weight of an unconscious unicorn would be extremely difficult. Rainbow looked up, trying to figure out just how far down from the surface she was. Her guess was around 40 feet or so, but it seemed like much more than that. Using her front hooves, she guided them under Twilight. Rainbow strained, her head searing in pain as she was somehow able to pick up Twilight. Rainbow tried to balance on two hooves, the weight of Twilight making her wobbly, along with her vision which was becoming blurred yet again. She stumbled back before falling onto her backside, Twilight still cradled in her arms. She sighed in relief that Twilight was unharmed. “I’m going to get us out of here, one way or another. I just need some time too-” Rainbow froze in horror as she felt the entire ground beneath her shook yet again. She saw jagged thick cracks in the side of the hole begin to develop, and panic set in as she desperately tried to pick up Twilight to fly again. To her dismay, the ground was too unstable for her to even make an attempt. There was nothing she could do as she watched the ground collapse. Despite the nagging head pain, she thought of a last minute idea to shield Twilight from the oncoming cascade of dirt and debris. Rainbow held Twilight close as she felt what amounted to tons of dirt and soil slam into her back, instantly knocking the wind out of her. She closed her eyes, grimacing in pain as rocks, branches, and other objects crashed onto her. Finally after a while, the rumbling noises ceased entirely, and Rainbow opened her eyes to see darkness before her. She groaned in both pain annoyance as she brushed the dust off her own face, as well as Twilight’s. “Why is it so dark?” Rainbow fumbled around to try and find solid ground. “Twilight I wish you were awake, your horn would come in good use right now,” she said to nobody in particular. Picking her up again, Rainbow slid gently down the hill of soil she was sitting atop. To her relief, she felt herself hit stone, and blessed the existence of something solid she could properly stand on. Rainbow placed Twilight cautiously on the ground, making sure the unicorn was at a comfortable angle at the very least. She knew that hard stone wasn't the most comfortable thing in Equestria, but at least it didn't move. Rainbow then laid next to her, grateful to finally rest her head without worry. Even though she was in a mysterious cave in the dark, she already felt safer. “Ughhh... what happened?” Twilight suddenly asked, attempting to rub cobwebs out of her eyes as she struggled to notice anything around her. “Oh Celestia… AM I BLIND?!” Rainbow grabbed her hoof and for some reason this helped to calm her down. “Relax, you’re not blind. We’re in a cave, that’s why it’s so dark.” She could hear an exhale from a relieved Twilight. “We sort of got trapped in here by the huge landslide. You were unconscious when I found you. In fact, I’m surprised you woke up so quick.” “Strangely enough, I feel perfectly fine other than a bit of a headache. How did you get me down here anyway?” “Initially I tried to fly us out,” Rainbow started, “but I couldn’t carry you while unconscious and fly out at the same time. Normally I could, but my head was in so much pain that my vision was blurry. That, and the ground was pretty unstable,” she said grinning before bringing her hooves back to cradle her head.” Twilight sat up and insisted she come and sit beside her. “Let me just check your head quick. Maybe there’s a spell I could cast to help alleviate the pain.” She lit up her horn and noticed immediately that Rainbow was in far worse condition than she mentioned. Her entire back had multiple scrapes and bruises, with some cuts in between them. Her head was relatively okay, save for the huge bruise that was on the left side. “I’m going to put a healing and pain relieving spell on you, so if you feel weird, it’s just part of that. Okay?” Rainbow nodded, and she began the process. Her horn glowed with a greenish and violet hue which spread over Rainbow’s entire body. The pegasus kept her eyes closed during the whole ordeal. Soon, the glow faded and Rainbow opened her eyes to see Twilight smiling in response. She looked down to notice that some of her scrapes were already beginning to heal. “I never will understand how that kind of magic works, but thanks a bunch Twi. My head’s already starting to feel better,” she replied. “Good to hear! Now let’s find our way out of here, we have to continue on to the next color, green.” Rainbow sat there dumbfounded. She expected a look of defeat from Twilight, but instead received eyes that were full of perseverance and ambition. “Even after all this, Twilight still wants to make my gift perfect,” Rainbow thought. Although not for awhile, she kept Twilight’s birthday in the back of her mind. She wondered how in the world she could ever repay the unicorn for such an incredible week. “This has sure turned into an adventure huh?” Rainbow remarked. Twilight turned back to Rainbow. “I would call that an understatement,” She chuckled, Rainbow doing so as well. Both their eyes met suddenly, and neither one could help but stare at the other for a moment. Rainbow smiled softly, in exchange for a smile from Twilight, who coughed and turned her head away as a result. Rainbow knew she was faking it, but understood why she did it. Twilight looked around, trying to see if there was any sort of way out of this cave. She lit up her horn brighter to present a better view, and for the first time both of them noticed the cavern they currently sat in. Other than themselves, there was no life to be found whatsoever. The cave presented itself in the form of almost an alien like world made up entirely of rock formations. Stalagmites dotted the ground, while stalactites lined the ceiling, each one dripping slowly like a leaky faucet. The ground was littered with small depressions, a couple of them containing water that most likely was a result of past rainfall or just groundwater. To their right presented some sort of passageway, which was the only direction in which they could go, since the other side was now buried beneath a mountain of dirt. “I guess we head this way. Stay close, since my horn is the only light we have. Be careful where you walk.” The pair made their way into the small opening, which had barely enough space for them to walk through single file. Twilight led the way, keeping her horn at a bright hue to illuminate their surroundings more easily. Rainbow felt around the walls, trying to see or feel something in particular. She was curious if there was evidence of any other ponies being in this cave. The whole idea reminded her faintly of Daring Do. Curiosity got the better of her as she miss-stepped and tripped on a small piece of rock, falling into Twilight who tumbled to the ground. “Sorry Twi. Heh.” Rainbow was met with a glare from a pair of violet eyes. They continued walking for a few minutes, silence hanging in the air between the two. Normally she considered the random silences awkward, but Rainbow was beginning to become accustomed to them. With Twilight, they didn’t seem like silences, but rather moments of time where they shared an appreciation of the world around them. There were times those silences even proved to be useful. Twilight stopped in her tracks, looking up and to the side before pressing her ear against the right side of the cave. “What is it?” Rainbow was visible concerned that there could something in the cave with them. “I hear something… it sounds like water? I think there is an underwater river or something nearby here.” Twilight smiled in triumph. “If we follow the water, eventually it should lead us to an exit.” “Lead the way oh intelligent one!” Rainbow chuckled at the eye roll she received. “I mean that as a compliment you know.” They quickened their pace in anticipation, both watching their steps more carefully after stumbling earlier. Soon they came to a larger opening, and were greeted with the sight of a large stream, about 8 feet across. Twilight dipped a hoof into the waters, and nearly fell over at just how powerful they were. Rainbow managed to catch her and keep her balance. Both of them realized that the power of the stream was much stronger than they anticipated. Initially, Rainbow thought they could use the water to try and find a path to the surface, but neither of them were in any condition to even attempt it. “So, what now Twi?” Rainbow glanced over to her and found the unicorn to be deep in thought. She looked forward and saw the slightest hint of a greenish glow coming from the other side of the cave. “Look over there.” She put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and pointed towards the light. “Hmm… I don’t know what that is? But I suppose our best option is to go straight then right?” She received a nod of agreement from the pegasus. Twilight stared down into the rapidly flowing stream below. A feeling of dread filled her face as she wondered how she could cross without possibly getting swept away. “Rainbow, can you fly me across the water? I mean if you’re still weakened from before then forget it but…” “Twi it’s no problem, really. Besides, I feel perfectly fine and look,” she stomped loudly on the solid ground, “perfectly stable. I should have no problem now. However, we’re going to do this a bit differently.” “How so?” Twilight looked at her with a questionable expression. “Well remember how you got on my back last time?” She nodded. “Since my back is still scratched up, I was thinking I could wrap my hooves under your chest and carry you that way.” At this point Rainbow was beginning to blush slightly. “Oh… so basically you’d be hugging me from behind?” Twilight was given a soft nod as an answer. “Okay I suppose.” Rainbow walked over and wrapped her front limbs under and behind Twilight’s, making sure she was holding her correctly before moving. She blushed as how her body was basically pressing up against Twilight’s, and wondered how this currently looked from afar. The silence returned as she did this, only this time it was an awkward one. Twilight felt conflicted. On one hoof, her mind was enthralled to be so close to her friend. She could feel the temperature in the cave increase, along with her general desire to just kiss Rainbow then and there. However, the other half of her was a hurricane of anxiety and worry over the very same situation. Although she wanted to show Rainbow how much she really loved her, it had to happen at the right time. “Ready?” Rainbow saw Twilight nod lightly. “Hold on tight.” She unfurled her wings and gave them a couple hearty flaps before leaving the ground, careful to not crash into the ceiling above them. Rainbow didn’t have a ton of clearance, but enough to pass by. Once on the other side, she gently came to a perfect landing on the rock below. “Umm… you can let go now,” Twilight remarked, as Rainbow was still holding onto her. “Oh.” Rainbow quickly withdrew her hooves, face turning a hint of crimson. “Sorry about that.” She hadn't even noticed that she had stayed in that position that long. “It’s fine, really.” Twilight attempted to fix the awkwardness between them. “Now then, you said you saw a greenish glow over here?” She looked over to see a blank expression on Rainbow’s face. Twilight waved her hoof in front of the pegasus a few times. "Hello? Equestria to Rainbow?" “Gah! Sorry…” She watched as Twilight gave her a puzzled glance. “Yeah I saw it through this part of the cave here. I was wondering what it was.” “I guess it could lead us to the exit. Even if it doesn’t, I wouldn’t mind examining some things down here. I’ve never been in a cave like this before. Too bad I can’t take any samples of anything to study further.” Twilight continued to ramble, receiving only a sad shake of the head by Rainbow. They made their way towards the glow, grateful to have some outside source emitting some sort of light. Rainbow suggested that Twilight tone down the brightness on her horn, to make the glow easier to track in darkness. “Rainbow, I think the glow is getting brighter.” “Yeah I know, it should be right ahead of us at this point,” she replied. “I’m curious what could make this… oh WOW.” They stumbled into a huge opening in the cave, so massive that a decently sized apartment building could easily fit inside. But it wasn’t the size of the cave which amazed them, but rather the contents of said cave. Inside all along the ceiling, as well as on the majority of the walls, jutted green crystals of all sorts of sizes. Normally these crystals weren’t too bright on their own, but because the cave contained thousands of them, all of their glows combined to bathe their entire enclosure in a bright green hue. Twilight and Rainbow forgot about being lost for the time being. Instead, both of them were mesmerized by the sight beforehand. “I’ve… never heard of such a thing before,” she remarked, Rainbow agreeing. “I mean I’m aware that crystals can reflect light similar to that of glass, but I had no idea they could give off their own light like this, much less to this brightness.” Rainbow for her part didn’t really know what to say. She simply walked slowly around the area, observing them. Not often did she use this word to describe things, but Rainbow couldn’t help but call the sight beautiful. In this case, it made for two beautiful things before her now. “Hey Twi? Green is a color we didn’t mention yet right?” “No, I don’t believe we did. Come to think of it, it wouldn’t hurt to do green and yellow in one day now would it?” “To be honest, I wouldn’t mind taking a rest day on this vacation after today,” Rainbow replied, sounding quite tired. “…Unless you had something else in mind for the color green?” “Well, I did have something in mind. However, this probably beats it twice and even three times over. I mean look at how massive some of these crystals are!” Twilight found one in particular which was bigger than herself. “I wonder how these were created.” Rainbow saw Twilight desperate to answer her question, but put a hoof up. “I appreciate your fascination for science and stuff, but I’d rather just leave the question as is for now.” They continued walking around until they found what almost looked like a rock which was carved into something resembling a bench. Twilight took a seat on said rock, while Rainbow used the rest of the space to lie down on her back, head on the other end of the rock. “Now then, green is actually one of my favorites when it comes to colors. It is the universal color of nature, as the majority of plants are this color. But green also can represent the element of safety, as well as growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. It also is known for healing properties, as if you noticed the glow from that spell I gave you earlier had a green glow as opposed to my normal violet one” Rainbow thought for a moment about all the different meanings. “I don’t think that any of these really reflect me well at all.” “It depends. When I look at you and the color green, I think of the other less popular meanings of the color. One of these is the equilibrium that the color has on the head and heart. You are a pony who has learned to distinguish the instances where you should follow your heart, and the times where your best bet is to listen to your mind. The element of loyalty comes into play here somewhat.” Twilight watched as Rainbow yawned loudly, but remained attentive to her. “I’d also say you represent growth. From when I first met you, you’ve changed a lot, even though you may deny it. At one point, you were irresponsible and reckless, but now you’ve matured from this and realized the consequences of your actions.” Twilight chuckled as Rainbow gave her a look of doubt. “…Alright, most of the time this is true. “ “You know, I’m beginning to wonder *yawn* how you can figure out so much about me. It’s as if you’re a psychologist or something, and you’re poking inside my brain. Not that I mind, as long as you don’t do that literally.” Rainbow mocking shuddered at the thought of her friend performing some type of brain surgery. “It’s always been my nature to observe, that’s just how I am. Whether it's in nature, to books, to other ponies, I look at the world in a way where I want to figure out the mechanisms of everything. I want to figure out how things work, and I think when this comes down to ponies, it’s a really difficult task. There is so much to take into consideration, and…” Twilight was taken aback by a loud snore which echoed throughout the crystals. She looked over to find Rainbow fast asleep and couldn’t comprehend how she could fall asleep so easily. Twilight shook her head, but couldn’t blame Rainbow for being tired after a day like the one they had. She was pretty tired herself. She noticed that there wasn’t enough space for her to lie down without having to somehow sleep on top of Rainbow. However, she figured out that the stone was wide enough for them to sleep right next to each other. She scooted herself up right next to Rainbow, close enough that she could feel her warm breath on her own muzzle. Twilight put her head down, taking one last glance at the crystals before succumbing to sleep. She didn’t seem to notice an outstretched wing that gently wrapped around her, and the smile that formed on Rainbow’s face.