Stories and Legends
Quite different from the dirt paths Applejack normally travelled on, the cobblestone streets of Ponyville rang out with a quite clip clop as her hooves hit the ground. Her pace was rather fast, easily dodging the other ponies out on their daily business in Town, intent on reaching the large tree library not far off. One could hardly blame her for wanting to see her marefriend, having already spent time with the other.
Smiling, Applejack knocked clearly against the door, letting its residents know that there was a visitor. Sure enough, Twilight’s face soon greeted her as the door swung open, before she was folded into a hug. “Applejack! I’m so glad to see you!”
“Me too, Twi’,” she carefully untangled herself Twilight, though with a kiss on her forehead to reassure her she appreciated it. “But what’s got ya’ll so excited?”
“I just found this really interesting book about a legend I haven’t read before, though I’m almost finished now,” Applejack trotted in, the door magically swinging shut behind her, perhaps with a bit more force than necessary. “It’s about this place called ‘The Wishing Cave’. I mean, the name is ridiculous -they should’ve called it the ‘Cave of Fulfillment’, or something- but the actual place seems pretty cool.” She levitated a slim volume off the table.
It was a simple brown color, the title written out in bold letters across the top, followed by an illustrated picture of an eerie blue cave, fixed with stalagmites and a smooth, round hole at the top letting the light of the night sky filter down to shine on a blemishless white sphere, rested on natural stone altar. Twilight jabbed a hoof at the picture. “That’s the Wishing Stone. That’s where you make your wish, though I’m not sure how.”
“The Wishin’ Stone?” she mused, gazing at the picture. “It grants ya’ll anything ya wish for?”
“Yeah, it’s fascinating, isn’t it?” she rifled through the pages. “It even shows you how to get there, and how to make a wish. There’s a map and everything.”
“Is there?” She watched as the book paused, open on a very detailed map showing the way to what seemed to be a cave, circled roughly.
“Apparently, you have to be in full contact with the stone, and say your wish aloud so that the magic will hear and responde” Twilight said, grinning from ear to ear.
She grinned, lightly kissing the alicorn on the tip of her ear. “Ya’ll are cute when ya get excited ‘bout somethin’,” her words were followed by a chorus of embarrassed giggles, music to her ears. As they died down, she gazed across at the book still floating across from them. “Say, Twi’... ya’ll wouldn’t mind if I borrowed this, would ya?”
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Applejack moved as quickly as she could, rushing to return home and begin reading the book carefully gripped between her teeth. It was awful nice of Twi’ to lemme borrow this, what with her still readin’ it and all. I’ll have to pay her back somehow.
In what seemed like no time at all, she was once again trotting along the dusty trail between the rows of apple trees to the brightly painted red barn she called home. Smiling at the simple happiness of returning home from a short trip out, she pushed open the worn wooden door.
Big McIntosh and Applebloom were nowhere to be seen, presumably attending their own business. Granny Smith had returned to her rocking chair, head tipped back as she softly snored, someplace far away inside her dreams. Placing her hooves lightly so as not to cause a loud noise, she scurried upstairs.
Applejack dropped the book onto her bed, eagerly following it with a thump. An anticipated grin etched across her features, she lifted the cover, prepared to dig into a good book for what seemed like the first time in ages.
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The sun had climbed high into the sky and descended lower again by the time Applejack finished The Wishing Cave. Her reading session had been interrupted by things such as meals and toilet breaks, but finally she’d got it done with and her head was brimming with the new information. Placing it on her bedside table, she rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling.
I could really do it now, Applejack thought, turning the idea around in her head. I could be up there with Dash and Twi flyin’, then I’d never be stuck on mah own again. I would be with ‘em.
Imagining it filled with an undeniable energy. But reading all day had successfully worn her out, and she was ready to hit the hay. Just as she was getting up to prepare herself for bed, a loud knocking brought her attention to her small window, where she could see an excited Rainbow Dash tapping her hoof furiously against the glass.
“Hold yer horses, I’m a’comin’,” she grumbled, though there was no way she would be heard through the window. She pulled the window up with a single, smooth yank, shivering as a blast of cold night air tugged at her coat, so difference from the warmth of the bedroom. But Applejack didn’t comment on it, instead fixing Dash with an irritated look. “Rainbow! What are ya’ll doin’ here so late?”
“Uh, fun times, remember?” Without waiting for her answer, she swooped in through the window, leaving Applejack to shut it, and landed neatly on the course rug.
“Oh shoot, I forgot!” She smacked her forehead with her hoof, gritting her teeth in annoyance. Ya such a scatterbrain, AJ!
“Oh,” her wings drooped by her sides, her high spirits seeming to fall. “So we’re not having fun times?”
Guilt stabbed her in the chest as she took in her disappointment, clearly misunderstanding her words. “‘Course we are, ya crazy Pegasus,” she playfully ruffled her bright mane. “Jus’ a little surprise is all, but that ain’t mean I don’t wanna do it no more.” She darted forwards, stealing her lips in a slow kiss.
Rainbow Dash broke away, her daring grin firmly back in place. “You know you’re awesome and I totally love you, right?”
“‘Course I do,” she smirked. “Ya’ll tell me all the time.”
“That’s because it’s true.” Rainbow nuzzled her happily.
“Well, I love ya too.” She smiled softly, leaning back in for another kiss.