Magical Forces
Applejack gulped, her heart racing wildly at the sight of their former captors glowering down on them. They moved with slow, menacing steps, drawing their ring tighter and closer together around the three, soft growls rising from their throats.The leader wriggled back a bit before throwing himself forwards, charging at them with no restraint. A single yell tore itself from Applejack’s throat before she squeeze her eyes shut, awaiting the expect impact.
It didn’t come.
Slowly, she cracked open her eyelids to see the huge stallion pressed against some sort of invisible barrier, his face smushed up painfully. As he moved himself away, a purple shimmer spread across the barrier’s surface, resonating from a certain Alicorn’s horn.
“Way to go, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash was the first to break the silence with an excited whoop.
“Alright,” Twilight set her hooves firmly into the ground, her horn pulsing with waves of magic. “This is the strongest force field I can conjure up. Nopony is getting past it.”
The leader stumbled backwards in a daze, caught by two members of his tribe as he began to topple over. He shook his head, resting against a handy tree. Air huffed out of his flared nostrils as he turned to face them again. “What sorcery is this?”
“A force field,” Twilight replied promptly. A glow of warmth lit up Applejack’s belly at the sight of her, standing bravely in front of them as she gave her curt response. She glanced over at Rainbow, pleased to see she too had a goofy grin splayed across her face. “No matter how you attack it, it won’t break.”
“We will see about that,” he turned, roaring out orders to the tribe. “Go! It is nothing but a trick, get them.”
Shrieking battle cries at the top of their lungs, they charged the short distance towards them. Applejack automatically flinched, cringing into her raised foreleg. Bodies slammed heavily against Twilight’s defence, sliding down to land in a pile, before stumbling away to try again.
“Are they stupid?” Rainbow Dash growled as another round tried their luck in breaking past to them. They did not succeed.
Applejack sighted. “Twi, we should stop ‘em before they start ta get through. I ain’t gonna let ya get caught by them brutes.”
“I can’t get any more spells,” her voice reached a high-pitch note of desperation. “I’m putting everything into keeping this up.”
“C’mon, you gotta try,” Dash begged, placing her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. Applejack copied the motions, massaging the Alicorn between her shoulder blades. “We don’t have a horn, so it’s up to you.”
“Okay,” Twilight took a deep breath. “I’ll try.”
The shimmering purple light surrounded her horn grew in size, throbbing with waves of powerful magic surging through her. Fear registered on the tribal ponies’ faces before Twilight released the pent up energy, shooting a bright beam right through the force field and into the leader’s chest. He cried out in shock as he was thrown roughly into the tree, moaning loudly.
It wasn’t long before the rest realized the implications of what would happen to them if they stayed. Screaming, they began to flee from the site back to their home.
“Wait!” Twilight called out. Applejack looked at her in confusion. Has that filly got worms in her head? We want ‘em gone!
“Can you lead us to The Wishing Cave?” Twilight pleaded. The cogs in Applejack’s mind clicked together. “We don’t know where it, and we need your help.”
The leader, bent double and clutching his chest, shot them a glare. “We don’t help.”
“Well, you better!” Twilight shouted after them. “O-or else I’ll use my magic on you again!”
“Go Twilight! Woohoo!”
“Shut up, Rainbow,” Applejack snapped.
The ponies whimpered with worry. “Very well,” the leader wheezed, his eyes burning with hatred. “We will take you.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The huge, gaping mouth of the cave stretched before them, a solid wall of uninviting black. The thick stone was dark and grey, smoothed by millions of years. Trees which had shaded them from the burning sun overhead had ended, leaving them in a small, exposed clearing.
“We have brought you Equestrian ponies to The Wishing Cave, most sacred to tribe,” the leader huffed, shooting them a furious look. “The tribe will not forget who you have hurt us. When you return, you will be no more.”
“Woah, scary,” Rainbow Dash laughed, rolling her eyes. “Good luck with that.”
Snarling, the tribal ponies slinked away, melting into the natural foliage as they disappeared. Soon, the three mares were left all alone, staring at the foreboding entrance to the long sought-after Wishing Cave.
Twilight gasped, letting her maintained force field collapses, her head sagging. Applejack placed a hoof comfortingly on her shoulder. “Ya’ll a’ight, sugarcube?”
“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Twilight smiled sweetly up at her. “Just took a bit out of me is all.”
“I guess that fancy magic stuff does look pretty hard,” Rainbow admitted, lowering herself to the ground. “Want a break, princess?”
“No, I’ll be okay,” she smiled reassuringly, straightening up. “I think it’s time we finally went reached our target,” all three of their heads turned around to stare at the cave. “The Wishing Cave.”