//------------------------------// // Chapter Fourteen: The Wishing Cave // Story: Flying Without Wings // by FierceRainbow //------------------------------// The Wishing Cave The smooth rock of the cave’s floor has hard beneath Applejack’s hoof, a stark contrast to the springy grass under the sunshine that was swiftly blotted out as they entered. She shivered as the shade fell over her, bringing with it an undeniable chill. The ceiling was tall, so much so that the highest reaches were hidden by dark shadow. Smalls rocks and pebbles were scattered around, just waiting to poke her hoof. Applejack felt a shudder not due to the temperature run through. “Darn tootin, this place sure is creepy.” “You’re not scared, are you?” Rainbow Dash’s breath ruffled the fur on the tips of her ears, her smirk obvious though Applejack couldn’t see her face. “Course not,” she snapped, striding forwards. “Ain’t no cave gonna get the best of Applejack.” “You sure?” Rainbow’s forelegs curled around her neck, rubbing her cheek along Applejack’s mane. “I could protect you.” “Rainbow, be serious,” Twilight reprimanded her. “We have to be focused.” Rainbow Dash sighed, floating away from Applejack. “Fine, fine.” It wasn’t long before they turned a corner and the cave’s entrance was swallowed from sight, shutting out their main source of light. Applejack squinted through the dimness, trying to make out where she was going. “Hold on, I’ve got it.” An aura of purple light surrounded the three of them, coming fromt Twilight’s glowing horn. The area was soon lit up, just in time for Applejack to dodge a large rock sticking up from the ground. “So how long until we find this Wishing Stone thingy?” Rainbow Dash asks. “Because I think it’s about time we got this over with.” “The Wishing Cave isn’t so big,” Twilight answered. “It should only take us a few hours to get to the entrance to The Wishing Stone.” “A few hours?” Rainbow moaned. Applejack’s chest tensed slightly, her throat suddenly dry. After the long journey, she was finally going to make it. She was going to become a Pegasus. An' we’ll all fly together. She began to wonder what it would be like once she had feathery wings of her own on her back. It would be awkward breaking the news that she changed species to her family and friends, but it would all be worth it. When Twilight and Dash spun off into the air together, she would spring up to join them and she would be with them both. She wouldn’t be alone. “Applejack, watch out!” Rainbow’s cry reached the Earth pony’s ears too late. Loose chunks of rocks broke off from the jagged edge, tumbling down into a dark split in the cave floor. Her hoof slipped over the rim, desperately searching for more floor but finding none. She tumbled forwards with a yell, the darkness gaping before like an open wound in the earth. “Hold on, I got you.” Her fall was brought to a sudden, jerky stop as teeth fastened themselves in her tail. She gulped, dangling in mid air above the crack. To her horror she felt herself easing down again. “R-rainbow, I’m fallin’!,” she shrieked, wildly shaking herself. “Put me down!” Applejack thrashing through Rainbow Dash off and the soft strands of her tail slid through her teeth, freeing her band as she did so. “A- AJ, I’m gonna-” With that, the last of her tail pulled free and she plummeted down. ~~~~~~~~~~ “Where am I?” Applejack asked groggily, her head spinning. “I’m not sure,” the familiar sound of Twilight’s voice greeted her and she forced her eyes open. “You were passed out when Rainbow caught you, so we decided to stay down here for a bit.” “I passed out?” she sat up slowly, looking around herself to see a flat grey floor shining with a bright purple light emanating from Twilight’s horn. Rainbow Dash lay curled close by, her head buried in her wing. “Yeah,” Rainbow lifted her head, shaking her wing out and placing it back by her side, pausing to examine it with a critical eye. “Good thing somepony as awesome as me was here to save.” “Heh, sorry ‘bout that sugarcube,” her face burned with the embarrassment of fainting, something she would have suspected as an act Rarity would be more likely inclined to do than herself. “It was… I was jus’ a lil’ bit scared is all.” A soft rustling filled the air as Rainbow flapped over, squeezing herself between Applejack and Twilight, draping her wing over the small of her back. “Hey, no need to wonder. I’ll always be here to catch you, even if it totally messes up all my feathers.” Applejack smiled, nuzzling the nape of her marefriend’s neck. “Aw, that’s sweet of ya’ll, sugarcube. I like when yer a sappy little filly.” Rainbow’s cheeks flushed a shade darker. “Yeah, well, only ‘cause I’m so great at it.” “Hey, let me in on this,” Twilight said teasingly, wriggling against Rainbow Dash’s other side. The Pegasus grinned, snapping open her other wing swiftly to yank her against her side, a soft eep making its way out of her mouth. “So, what next, egghead?” Applejack peered curiously past Rainbow at Twilight, eager to hear the answer. The sooner she flew with them, the better. “Well,” Twilight pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I suppose we need to find The Wishing Stone. I would say we fly back up, but we could have a look around while we’re down here. There may be a hidden entrance somewhere.” Applejack’s heart pounded in her chest. She was so close… but she wasn’t sure she was ready. She shifted slightly in place, her mouth dry. “Why don’t we… take a break. I almost died, but I think ya’ll could do with a lil’ rest as well.” “I’m not tired,” Rainbow protested. Applejack didn’t miss the sharp look Twilight threw her she probably wasn’t meant to see. “But, uh, a break sounds totally cool.” “I’’m going to take a nap,” Twilight said, lying down on the floor. “Join me.” “If you wish,” Rainbow Dash flopped backwards, toppling across Twilight’s back. She let out an indignant squawk, though made no move to stop her. Applejack left her two marefriends to their rest, staring at the wall a short distance away. Funny. I never thought it’d come to this, yet I’m here, an’ I’m gonna be a Pegasus. A Pegasus. That’ll be different fer sure, but at least I get ta fly with Twi’ an’ Rainbow again. I wonder, will I still be strong if I ain’t an Earth Pony? Suppose that’s an apple I’ll bite when I get to it. Soon enough, Dash’s soft snores penetrated the silence of the air before the purple light winked out as Twilight’s slow breathing joined her, leaving Applejack in the darkness. She swallowed quietly, wondering if she should join them sleeping. But her mind was ticking and her legs were twitching. She had to do something. Blindly, Applejack got to her hooves and began to take hesitant steps forwards, mindful of little pebbles waiting to trip her up and walls ready to smash her face. It wasn’t long before she found one such wall, although thankfully without walking into it. With no light to see, she felt the hard, uneven surface covered in bumps and ridges. Curiously, Applejack began to trace her hoof over the random patterns, wanting to see where it went. Her little exploration of the wall’s texture didn’t last long, as she suddenly toppled over slightly when her hoof found no more wall to lean again. The more intrigued side of her personality continued its steady overtaking of her mind, causing her to feel around, discovering a naturally formed archway that to be the beginning of some sort of tunnel. A sly grin pulled at her lips as she headed down. The tapping of her hooves as they made contact with the stone echoed in her ears, the sound magnified in the enclosed space. She could hear her own breath loudly, hitched in excitement. Her eyes were strained in the impenetrable black and were quick to pick up the slightest hint of light. The shade slowly turned lighter until she was certain she could see a glimmer of white just around the corner. Unconsciously, her pace began to quicken so that by the time she grew close she was galloping at all speed. Applejack burst in at run from the small tunnel, screeching to a stop. The room was such a stark contrast to the previous conditions she couldn’t stop her jaw from promptly dropping open. It had a high ceiling, even more so than the entrance cave, with sloping walls that were impossibly smooth for what was supposed to be a naturally formed cave. The floor beneath her was completely flat, devoid of even the smallest pebble shaken off. But the perfect accommodations was not even a seed to an apple tree compared to what lay in the centre of the room. Exactly in the middle, a spike of solid stone grew out of the ground, with a thick sturdy base and a tip no bigger than a hayseed. Grey claws snaked their way upwards, barely seen by the glow of what they held. With no multiple faces and an otherworldly shine the entire room was lit by that one large stone. But it wasn’t any ordinary stone. “Th’ Wishin’ Stone,” Applejack whispered, frozen to the ground in awe. She could barely breath, so nervous her mind wouldn’t function properly. The Wishin’ Stone! I’ve found, I found it! By Celestia, is that thing shiny. Should I make my wish? The answer was clear. She had waited long enough to make those wings hers, and make her marefriends hers again. Applejack took her first shaky step towards The Wishing Stone, tugging her hat down slightly to cover her face. After covering a short distance, she was right in front of it. She lifted her forelegs, hating the clearly noticeable tremble that ran along them. Then she placed her hooves onto the stone of legends. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Applejack leaned forwards, closing her eyes, so that the tip of her snout pressed against the cold stone. She stood there for a few moments longer, gathering all her courage before she told The Wishing Stone what she desired. “Howdy, Wishin’ Stone,” she began slowly, trying to make her friendly greeting not betray the chaotic whirling inside her mind. “I’d like ta ask something of ya’ll, if ya wouldn’t terribly mind. See, I ain’t nopony special, I’m jus’ an ol’ Earth pony. But I need to change. I ain’t gonna be an Earth pony no more. So I need yer help. I want… I wish to become a Pegasus.” A soft tingle crept up her spine, beginning to spread snaky tendrils around her body. “No!” Applejack’s eyes flew open at the course stream, just in time to make out rainbow blur before it slammed heavily into her, throwing to the ground with a loud thud. Blinking tears from her eyes at the rough landing, she looked up with blurred vision to a burning magenta gaze. “R-rainbow Dash?” “Applejack!” Twilight cried, spinning to a halt besides her. Rainbow fluttered her wings, floating backwards so Applejack could sit up. “What are you doing? Why’d you say you want to become a Pegasus?” The quick beat of her heart thrummed in Applejack’s ear. “Wh-what are ya’ll doin’ here?” “We followed you, dummy,” Rainbow snapped. “And we saw you trying to change who you are. What the hay?” Her breath hitched catching in her throat. She turned her head, silently willing herself not cry, but it was beginning to look like she was fighting a losing battle. “Hey, hey,” she felt soft feathers brushing against her shoulder, curling around her side to pull her closer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be a jerk about it. But why, AJ?” Twilight pressed in on her other side, wrapping a wing around her and nuzzling her neck to offer silent encouragement. “I- I,” she swallowed, forcing herself with every inch of her body no to cry. “I want to fly.” “What about being proud of who you are and all that stuff?” Rainbow prodded her chest. “You’re the one who always says that there’s no way you’d rather be anypony but yourself. And Applejack isn’t a Pegasus.” “I know,” she bit her lip. Oh, what do I say? “I’m just Applejack, that borin’ ol’ farmer. I ain’t nothin’ special like ya’ll. Ya always flyin’ off, so perfect together, an’ I’m just stuck on the ground. I don’t want to be left behind.” “You are special,” Twilight said softly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You’re Applejack, and we love you for being you. If you grow wings… in the end, if you make a big decision we’ll stick with you, but that’s not you.” “A-and we’re sorry if we upset you with our flying,” Rainbow added sheepishly. “Though if you just said something, we could have sorted this out earlier. We’d do anything for you. Seriously.” Applejack sniffled, wiping the threatening wetness gathering in her eyes. “Ya’ll… ya’ll mean it?” “Of course we do,” Twilight insisted. “We love you.” “Yeah,” Rainbow Dash added. “Nopony else is like you.” They pulled her into a tight hug and that time, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. But no sadness tainted her mind, only pure happiness.