//------------------------------//
// Desperate Times [Adventure, Sad?] 
// Story: Half-Hour Horses 
// by HoofAndQuill 
//------------------------------//



(Prompt: The Tree of Harmony loses its Elements once again.)





(Warning, a bit sad)



Apple Bloom turned and bucked hard against the thick vines covering the cave.  The vines shuddered under the first impact, cracked under the second, and then finally splintered under a third.  Apple Bloom smiled to her friends.  "See?  Nothin' to it."

Scootaloo shook her head and frowned.  "It's not cool acting proud, Apple Bloom.  None of us want to be here."

"I know that, Scootaloo, but since we ain't got a choice we might as well try to keep our spirits up a little."  Apple Bloom sighed as Scootaloo walked into the cave first, with a sour expression on her face.  Sweetie Belle at least forced a smile for Apple Bloom's sake, while Dinky Doo, Berry Pinch, and Silver Spoon just looked terrified.

It wasn't their fault, really.  Most fillies and colts from Ponyville stayed far clear of the Everfree Forest.  "There ain't nothin' to be scared of, y'all.  We used to go in th' forest all the time when we were crusaders."

Dinky seemed unconvinced, looking side to side in a fright as the six of them walked slowly through the darkness of the cave.  "Mama says... always used to say... that the Everfree Forest was too dangerous."

"Well it kinda is," Apple Bloom said, picking her words carefully, "but that doesn't mean it ain't worth comin' here sometimes.  You know, when we have to."

Scootaloo's voice cut through the sounds of hooves on stone.  "Yeah, like when nopony comes back and now we're stuck trying to save Equestria."

The light from Sweetie Belle's horn flickered a bit, but then grew stable again, though her voice wavered.  "Scootaloo!  They might still be fine, don't think like that!"

Silver Spoon nuzzled Sweetie Belle's mane as the two walked together, and Berry Pinch just rolled her eyes and hung back to get closer to Apple Bloom.  "Are you sure about this?  Do any of you even know what will happen if we do this?"

Apple Bloom glanced at the other ponies, but no of them seemed to be watching her at the moment.  She shook her head, and spoke in a hushed whisper.  "No, I don't.  But I know what'll happen if we don't stop Discord, an' these are the only way anypony knows how t' do that."

The air seemed to grow thicker as they descended through the overgrown chasm.  The stressed chatter between friends tapered off quickly, and the silence grew and expanded until it covered them all like a thick blanket.  Sweetie Belle's light seemed to barely pierce the darkness, to the point that Dinky Doo lit her horn as well, giving a quiet grunt of exertion as she did so.

Slowly, a light seemed to grow around them.  The tangled green vines and gnarled rock trees gave way to natural stone pillars and cave flowers.  The oppressive silence felt lighter, and then became more of a calming, contemplative quiet.  The light was faint at first, but then slowly got brighter.  Not quite enough that the unicorns weren't needed, but just enough to see the glimmer of the cave walls around them.

Scootaloo was in the lead, and when she suddenly stopped short, everypony immediately noticed.  Their own hooves slowed as they trotted up beside her, stopping to look upward at the tree.  The Tree of Harmony stood proudly in this dark cave, with its silvered branches and brightly shining gems.

Sweetie Belle made a quiet sound in her throat as she caught sight of the purple, diamond-shaped gem embedded in one of the boughs.  Silver Spoon leaned gently against her, and Sweetie shook her head, and looked back up toward the tree with renewed confidence.

Scootaloo looked back to Dinky, and buzzed her wings.  "Hey, come on.  Time's wasting."

Dinky Doo nodded, and lowered her horn.  She winced as the magic flowed through it, and then staggered backward when the spell was complete.  Scootaloo flapped her wings a couple times, and then nodded as she gained altitude.  She flew slowly and still a little uncertainly up toward the tree.  She started, predictably, with the red lightning bolt.  She pressed her hoof to the gem, and it made a tiny scraping sound as it fell easily from its mount.

Berry Pinch glanced toward Apple Bloom.  Apple Bloom shook her head.  There would be a time to tell the others later.  Scootaloo flew over to the rest of the elements, and each came out of the tree without difficulty.  She flew down a moment later, and set the gemstones into Apple Bloom's saddlebag.  The tree itself seemed to dim slightly, but nothing catastrophic happened.  Just yet, anyway.

"C'mon y'all.  We need t' get these to Zecora quick as we can.  She's got some way to set 'em straight so we can use 'em."

The six turned to start walking back toward the exit of the chasm, with Scootaloo flying overhead now.  The silence seemed even heavier now.  Apple Bloom brought up the rear of the group, as usual, and tried not to watch Silver Spoon's attempts to comfort Sweetie Belle.  She cursed inwardly when she saw Sweetie Belle break off from Silver Spoon and slow down so that she could talk to Apple Bloom.

"Apple Bloom, that was too easy.  Didn't you say it might be dangerous?"

Apple Bloom sighed, and glanced again at Berry Pinch.  Berry rolled her eyes, and then trotted forward to occupy Silver Spoon with idle chatter.  Apple Bloom took a deep breath, and spoke quietly.  "Sweetie Belle, it woulda been dangerous if..."

Apple Bloom shook her head, and then spoke in a whisper, with her head drooped and her ears back.  "Y'can't take the Elements out of the Tree that easy, if anypony's still connected to them."

Sweetie Belle's eyes glistened, and she opened her mouth a moment, then closed it.  She nodded, and trotted a bit faster to catch up with Silver again.  Apple Bloom looked down at the floor, and then steeled herself.  Equestria needed her, and she wasn't going to disappoint her sister, wherever she was.