Sweetie Belle had prepared herself this time for the crossing. As soon as she regained her senses from the initial effects of the spell, she lit up her horn with a radiant glow to counter the surrounding darkness. To her great surprise, however, there was no overwhelming blackness, rather she was standing in what appeared to be some sort of clearing in a forest.
The trees were old and misshapen, their limbs twisted as if reaching outwards to grasp anything that was foalish enough to come too close. A chill wind whistled through the branches, giving the trees an almost animated appearance. Overhead, the sky was darkened with clouds with occassional flashes of lightning. Sweetie Belle reluctantly cancelled the light spell; while it wasn't required to see it had helped to push back the gloom a little.
"Where are we?"
The sudden sound of Scootaloo's voice behind her made Sweetie Belle jump. She turned around to face her friend and said with an unsure voice, "I don't know. This isn't the same place that I was in last time."
"Yeah, the sky was perfectly clear the first time. I don't like the look of that storm." Scootaloo said apprehensively.
"Hey y'all! Come an' help!" Apple Bloom called out.
Any further discussion about the weather halted as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo whirled and ran towards the sound of Apple Bloom's voice. Apple Bloom was not far, just beyond a fallen trunk of a rotted tree. Apple Bloom didn't look up as her friends approached, she was tending to the prone forms of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. The three older mares were all starting to stir as if waking from a deep sleep. Scootaloo flew over to Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle quickly moved to help with her sister.
"Ughhh...my head. What happened? How long have I been out?" Rainbow Dash asked, sitting up and rubbing a forehoof through her mane.
"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cried, scooping her idol into a huge hug. "I was so worried you weren't going to wake up!"
"Heh, if you hadn't caught me Squirt, I might not have." Rainbow Dash said thankfully, returning the warm embrace. Her muzzle creased in a frown as she let Scootaloo go and stood up to take stock of their surroundings. "I don't remember us flying over a forest or in a storm. And when did everypony else show up?"
Applejack stood up and shook her head from side to side to clear the cobwebs and straightened her hat. "This here sure ain't the hospital. What in tarnation is goin' on?" Applejack suddenly noticed that Apple Bloom had tears running down her muzzle and asked, "What's wrong Sugarcube? Are you hurt?"
"Nope, I'm jus' glad yer back." Apple Bloom replied, smiling up at her big sister.
Before Applejack could respond, Rarity rolled over and sat up. "Oh my, I feel absolutely dreadful." she moaned. It suddenly dawned on Rarity that she was no longer inside the safe and tidy confines of the Boutique. "Where are we? How did we get here?"
Sweetie Belle helped Rarity stand up, then said "I can explain, just give me a moment." As Rarity dusted herself off, Sweetie Belle recounted the story again from the beginning, just as she had to Twilight. Sweetie Belle told them about Twilight sending them into the resonance to speak with their ancestors and the dire implication of Diamond Belle's concern. She then filled in the parts about Twilight casting the spell a second time to try and find a way to undo the mess they had made.
Rarity wore an expression of disbelief as Sweetie Belle unfolded the story. Applejack just listened stoically, nodding every so often at the important parts. Rainbow Dash paced around to work out the kinks, stretching her wings as she listened. When Sweetie Belle was done with her story, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo each told of their own experiences in the resonance. Apple Bloom shared her tale of meeting her parents and Applejack's expression grew a little sad as she gazed with sympathy and understanding at her little sister. Finally, there was nothing left to tell and a heavy silence fell over everypony as they each tried to sort out their thoughts and feelings over all they had heard and said.
Finally, Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Well, if this is the place Twilight sent us, then there must be something around here that is important. I'll fly up and scout around, you all wait here." She flared out her wings and jumped up to take off, before landing roughly back on the ground with a thud.
Rainbow Dash's expression twisted with frustration. "What the...something's wrong, I can't fly." She stretched out her wings and gave a tentative flap before folding them against her side in defeat. Looking down to the filly beside her, Rainbow Dash asked, "Scoots, can you?"
Scootaloo spread her wings and took off straight upwards, clearing the tops of the trees in a flash. She hovered for a few moments, turning a slow circle as she scanned the area, then fluttered back down to land beside Rainbow Dash.
"There's some sort of stone building or something not too far from here." Scootaloo said, pointing a hoof to one side of the clearing. "It's over that way."
"Come on y'all, let's get a move on. We prolly should try an' take shelter there." Applejack urged. She walked up to the treeline and struggled with the overgrowth to try and clear a path, but found herself getting winded rather quickly. Apple Bloom trotted up beside her and said apologetically, "I guess I still have yer strength, sis. Let me." Apple Bloom quickly began tugging and pulling at the vines and lower branches. Soon enough, she had cleared an opening wide enough for everypony to squeeze through.
The six ponies carefully made their way through the forest, with Applejack taking the lead. Rainbow Dash followed next, then Sweetie Belle and Rarity, with Apple Bloom bringing up the rear. Scootaloo flew slowly overhead the group, weaving through the lower branches. Eventually, the trees started to thin out again and the ponies found themselves at another clearing. In the center of the clearing was what appeared to be an old stone ruin, roughly shaped like a pyramid, wide at the base and tapering upwards.
"Looks like something from a Daring Do book." Rainbow Dash muttered out loud.
"Y'all stay here, an' Rainbow and I will check it out." Applejack said to the others, motioning for Scootaloo to come land near the others. "Let's go, Dash."
"Right behind you, AJ." came Rainbow's confident reply.
The two mares started towards the ruin as the others sheltered in the treeline. As they approached, the sky was torn with a sudden bright flash of lightning that dazzled everypony for a few moments. When their sight had returned to normal there were three figures that now stood atop the ruin. One was an alabaster unicorn mare with an elegantly-styled azure and amethyst mane. The second was a chocolate-colored pegasus stallion with a wild, windswept yellow mane. The third was a saffron-colored earth pony mare with a long flowing mane that had been tied into tails behind her head.
Gazing down at Applejack and Rainbow Dash then over to the other ponies huddled in the trees, the white unicorn spoke.
"We've been expecting you, there's no need to fear us or hide. Come out so we may speak about why you have come to this place."
Rainbow Dash took a step forward next to Applejack, but Applejack remained rooted in place, staring up at the orange earth pony. Applejack slowly reached up to take off her hat and her eyes misted over as she asked in a shaky voice, "Ma? is that you?"
The orange mare smiled at her daughter. "Yes, it's me, Sugarcube. Look at yerself, all grown up. Yer Pa would be so proud."
"Oh Ma, I've missed ya so much!" Applejack started to walk towards the ruin but Rainbow Dash held up a leg, holding her friend back. "Rainbow Dash, what are ya doin'?" Applejack burst out angrily.
"Hold on, AJ. Something isn't right." Rainbow Dash answered her, standing her ground. "Let's see what they want."
The pegasus atop the ruin grinned and said, "It's not so much what we want, but what you want. You've lost what makes you special and without it, soon you'll be shadows of yourselves, just like us."
Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had walked forward as he spoke to join the others.
"Good, now that you all are here together, we may begin." Diamond Belle looked down to Sweetie Belle and said "I told you that I would guide you as I could." Diamond Belle then looked over the rest of the group. "I cannot say specifically what challenge each of you may face, but you must overcome it to release the destiny you have taken back to its rightful bearer. When you are ready, please stand apart with your sister and we will start."
Slowly, the group parted, with Applejack and Apple Bloom moving to one side and Rarity and Sweetie Belle moving to the other leaving Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo in the middle.
"Very well." Diamond Belle said. Looking over to the other two ponies at the top of the ruin, Diamond Belle said, "Let us join our strength." Her horn glowed and an aura enveloped the pegasus and earth pony, shining brighter as the other two added their own elements of magic to the spell. Once the power had reached its peak, a bright beam shot forward and split, opening three portals before each of the three pairs below. "Step through, quickly!" Diamond Belle urged.
Without hestitation, Applejack and Apple Bloom stepped through their portal and vanished. Rainbow Dash nodded to Scootaloo and they also stepped forward, vanishing from the base of the ruin.
"Come on, Rarity." Sweetie Belle said. Rarity swallowed down her uncertainty and together, the two sisters crossed the threshold of their portal. As soon as they had, all three portals winked out as Diamond Belle completed her spell.
"Their destinies are in their hooves now." Diamond Belle said quietly.
As the glare of the portal faded from her vision, Scootaloo realized they were no longer standing in front of the ruin. Looking around, she saw they were in some sort of gorge. The walls seemed very high with a very narrow path zagging back and forth along one of the rock faces. At the top edge of the cliff was a single tree with a branch that extended over the gorge. Dangling from the branch was a key. Scootaloo turned around to look for Rainbow Dash and saw that she was next to a large rock, her four legs each secured in shackles that were attached to the rock.
"Something tells me you have to get that key." Rainbow Dash quipped.
"I'l be back in a moment, don't go anywhere without me!" Scootaloo shot back. She spread her wings and took off towards the tree.
Almost instantly, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, striking Scootaloo on the right wing. She tumbled back down to the ground roughly and Rainbow Dash strained against her shackles trying in vain to catch the little filly. "Scootaloo! Are you OK?" Rainbow Dash called out. Scootaloo gathered herself up and said, "Yeah, I'm fine, I think."
A laugh rang through the gorge. "She is unhurt...for now." a male voice replied. Looking up, the two pegasi saw Rapid Winds hovering in the sky above the gorge. "Flying in the gorge isn't permitted here for her, she'll have to find another way. Oh, and I do suggest you hurry, Scootaloo, you haven't got that much time." A sudden rushing sound accentuated Rapid Winds' words, and Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash saw that further down the gorge, a wall of water was surging towards them.
"Not good!" Rainbow Dash growled, tugging uselessly at the chains. She looked down to Scootaloo and said as encouragingly as she could, "Scootaloo, it's up to you. You'll have to get up to that key. I know you can do it."
Scootaloo gulped and promised, "I won't let you down Rainbow Dash!" She then took off at a full run towards the small winding path up the cliff face. Scootaloo's heart was racing as reached the path, the water looked to be moving much too fast. Her eye caught a glint by some rocks at the base of the path and Scootaloo saw the wheel of a scooter sticking out. Her first instinct was to try and dig it out, but something in her mind stopped her. She could never hope to reach the top in time if she wasted the time to unearth the scooter.
"I can't fly straight to the key, but maybe I can fly up this path!" Scootaloo thought. She spread her small wings and shot up the path, a small orange trail behind her. No bolt of lightning struck down as she weaved her way up, calling on Rainbow Dash's talents of speed and agility to fly low and follow the twisty narrow path. Once she reached the top, she hovered, using her legs to work her way up the tree trunk and onto the branch overhanging the gorge.
Risking a quick look at the water that seemed to be cascading down the gorge at an alarming rate, Scootaloo edged herself out along the the branch, forcing herself to keep her eyes on the key. Her hooves trembled as she stretched for it, swiping once...twice...then finally grabbing it.
There was no chance to make her way down the way she had come in time, Scootaloo realized. She briefly thought about dropping the key to Rainbow Dash then decided against it, with all four hooves chained what if Rainbow Dash couldn't undo them all in time herself? There was only one answer. Scootaloo took a deep breath and let go of the branch.
As she fell, she waited for the lightning strike as penalty for flying, but none came, falling apparently wasn't the same. At the last possible second, she opened her wings and turned the fall into a controlled glide, landing roughly beside Rainbow Dash.
"Great work, Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash said. "Now get my front legs free, quick!"
Scootaloo started fumbling with the key, trying to ignore the sound of the rushing water that was growing louder by the second. She finally collected her wits enough to get Rainbow's right foreleg free, then Rainbow's left. But by then, it was too late...the water was too close. "Oh Rainbow Dash, I wish you could fly us out of here!" Scootaloo said in desperation.
"Hang on Squirt!" Rainbow Dash instructed, grabbing the key and working hastily to free her back legs. The last thing Scootaloo saw was a wall of churning white before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
The wall of water slammed over the two ponies, making an angry roar as part of the deluge broke against the rock.
Then there was silence.
Rapid Winds looked down, shaking his head. He had thought for sure they were going to make it. Such a shame, he thought.
Suddenly, the water near the rock stirred and a blue and orange blur tore the surface of the water, causing Rapid Winds to blink in surprise. Rainbow Dash blasted up out of the flooded gorge, carrying Scootaloo on her back. The young filly was coughing, trying to catch her breath. Rainbow Dash flew up right in front of Rapid Winds and sneered angrily, "We beat your test! Now we want to go back to our friends!"
Rapid Winds grinned. "So you did. Looks like the little one got her wish as well." Rapid Winds nodded at Rainbow's flank, where the familiar cloud and lightning bolt had reappeared. "The portal is just over there. Your friends will be on the other side." Rapid Winds said as he pointed with one hoof. Rainbow Dash held Rapid Winds' gaze with hers for a moment, then without another word, she turned without a word and flew into the portal with Scootaloo.