//------------------------------// // Chapter 07: Into the Storm // Story: My Little Pony: Equestrian Quest // by KHXhero //------------------------------// Chapter 07: Into the Storm Though it didn't feel really long during the day, it had only been hours since Twilight and Spike got into the balloon and left Equestria, as the sun was setting over the horizon. Twilight looked as the sun went down, and the night began to fall upon them. "Looks like Night time's coming." Twilight said as Spike peeped his head over the basket. "Wow... time sure flies when you don't expect it." Spike said. "Funny." "What's funny?" Twilight asked. "What's funny is that when somepony is worrying, it feels like time moves slowly, but when you don't even expect it, it feels like time moves faster." Spike said, seeing how Twilight is feeling calm about this. But deep down inside the alicorn, she was beginning to wonder, remembering all the times when she was still Princess Celestia's private student when she was a filly, practicing her magic, and her time with her brother and parents, and sighed. "What's wrong Twi?" Spike asked. "I was thinking back... at the times when I was just a young filly, from the day my magic went all crazy, becoming Celestia's personal student, my time with my parents, and... everything." Twilight said. "And what about it?" Spike asked. "It all makes sense." Twilight said. "All the times with my family. Why I had differences from my parents, why I never inherited the interests they had and why they were keeping it from me. I should've noticed the signs." "The signs?" Spike asked. "Yes." Twilight said. "There were lots of things I should've noticed when I was growing up, why my parents nevered let me look into their secret safe that contained their family records, or why my magic was way powerful then there's, and the blue cheese!" "What?" Spike asked. "You know, Blue Cheese." Twilight said. "The classification of a-" "I know what blue cheese is." Spike said. "But what does that gotta do with it?" "Spike... Blue Cheese is one of my Favorite food." Twilight said. "I Love Blue Cheese, and They Hate It!" "Oh Yeah... I noticed it when you ate blue cheese at the dinner table on your fifteenth birthday, and your parents were feeling a bit... uncomfortable." Spike said. "Exactly." Twilight said. "But Twi, they did accept it that you love Blue Cheese." Spike said. "That's not the point!" Twilight said. "My point is that sometimes when I have interests in some things, either it's attending a book convention or joining a Reader's Club, and my parents are surprised and a bit worried about it, I feel like I'm with...." "Complete Strangers?" Spike asked. "Right." Twilight said. "But I'm around ponies all the time, and sure some are a bit off guard, but I'm still accepted into the pony community." Spike said. "That's because you're not like the other dragons." Twilight said. "Twi, it's not the differences that shows you that-." Spike said. "I know, I know." Twilight said as she just placed her hooves on the edge of the basket, laying on her arms, looking at the sea. "But still... it makes sense... the times when I felt different from them when I got older, and the dreams I've been having... but there are some things about it that is still a bit confusing... I don't know what's going to happen or what I'm gonna find out." "Twi..." Spike said as he placed his claw on her shoulder. "It'll be alright. Sure things may look a bit unknown, and I know you still want to find the answers of who you are and where you came from. But don't let it get the best of you. Twilight, I just wanna let you know this. No matter what happens, no matter what you see, no matter what you learn about yourself... I'll always be there for you." Twilight looked at the baby dragon, who was smiling right at her, and she too decided to smile. "Thank you Spike." Twilight said. "I'm glad to have you as my number one student." "Your welcome Twi." Spike said. "I'm just glad you brought me into the world." "Oh Spike..." Twilight said, as she looked at the baby dragon and gently stroke his spines. "I... I'm so surprised that your so smart... and getting more mature." "Well I was raised by one of the most smartest ponies in Equestria." Spike said, pointing to Twilight. "You did a great job." "You bet I did." Twilight said, as she quickly tickled his underbelly, causing him to laugh. "But you haven't outgrown your childish behavior yet." "Twi, do you really think that I'm a baby dragon?" Spike asked. "Well you may be getting more mature... but you're always be my little dragon." Twilight said as she gaved him a nuzzle, and he gave her a hug. "I'm just looking adorable... and handsome." Spike said, as he and Twilight gave a chuckle. Their chuckling soon died down as the two looked at the sky, seeing the moon rising up, thanks to Luna's magic. Twilight let out a sigh. "Well, here begins the biggest journey of my whole life..." Twilight said. She then suddenly heard snoring right next to her. She looked down to see Spike already sound asleep, sucking on his own thumb. Twilight couldn't help but form a smile on her face upon the sight, as she too rest her head on her pillow, covering Spike and herself with a blanket. It's a good thing she brought her blanket and pillow with her too. And, as Twilight said, so began the biggest journey of their lives. The Night slowly turned to day, but the sun was not up in the sky... the sun was blocked by some dark black clouds, which the balloon was approaching to. There was the sound of thunder in the air, and although it did not wake Twilight and Spike, it began to drizzle, with a raindrop falling onto Twilight's cheek, causing her to slowly wake up. She looked around as she was still a bit sleepy, but then a thunderclap came, causing Twilight to wake up a bit startled. The alicorn looked around, seeing that they were approaching a storm. She looked down to see that Spike was still asleep. "Spike... Spike wake up..." Twilight whispered and she nudged him, but he didn't wake up. "Come on Twi, it's Saturday..." Spike said. "Spike, Wake Up!" Twilight called, causing the baby dragon to wake up very fast and stand on his feet. "No, I'm Awake, What What What?!" Spike shouted startled, but then looked at Twilight. "What's happening?" But his question was cut short as another thunderclap came down. "A Storm is coming." Twilight said as she moved to the edge of the basket, seeing the rain coming down harder, with the wind picking up. "Uh oh... what are we going to do?" Spike asked. "Don't worry Spike..." Twilight said. "Luckily I managed to add some new mechanics to the balloon." She then used her magic to summon two ropes that were attached to the balloon. "What's this?" Spike asked. "These ropes will allow me to steer us around the storm." Twilight said. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing!" Spike said, feeling the storm is getting worse. "Don't worry, I do!" Twilight called as she turned around and pulled the rope on the left side, moving to balloon to the left side, and pulled the rope on the right side, moving the balloon to the right side. But then the balloon began to shake. "Uh oh..." Twilight said. "Spike, check the balloon latches! Make sure that they don't rip off!" "On It!" Spike called as he ran to the latches on the right, making sure that they're tight. "They look tight!" "Ok Good!" Twilight called, but then as Spike turned around, he saw that one of the latches tore apart, causing his face to shift to a worriesome face. "Uh oh..." Spike said softly, but loud enough for Twilight to hear. "Uh Oh What?" Twilight asked. "What happened?" "One of the latches tore apart..." Spike said a bit nervously as he turned around. "Tore apart?" Twilight asked. "How?" "I Don't Know!" Spike shouted. "I Didn't Even Touch Them!" But then suddenly to his surprise, a thumber bolt came down and almost striked him, but it did strike the latches, ripping and tearing them off, causing the basket to tilt over on its side, causing Twilight and Spike to almost fall out of the basket. Luckily, Twilight grabbed the edge of the basket with her hooves, with Spike clinging onto her tail, pulling it by accident, causing Twilight yelp and grunt in pain. "Sorry!" Spike called. "Now What Just Happened?!" Twilight asked. "The Lightning ripped the latches off!" Spike shouted. "I just noticed!" Twilight said, hanging on for dear life on the top edge of the basket, which was dangling down. Twilight lifted her head up to see the latches on her side. The latches were getting lose and lose by the second. They were going to detach as well! The alicorn's eyes shrank to the size of pencil tips. "Uh oh..." Twilight said. "What's Uh Oh?!" Spike asked as he looked at Twilight, but soon came to realization. "Scream in Terror?" "Scream in Terror..." Twilight nodded, and within a second, the latches ripped off the basket, causing it to be separated from the balloon and fall down the sky! Twilight and Spiked screamed as they clinged onto each other. "I'M SORRY TWILIGHT!" Spike screamed as he hugged her tightly. "It's Alright Spike!" Twilight said as she clung onto Spike. "I Should've Made The Balloon Storm Proof!" The balloon basket was still flying through the sky, and then suddenly, it turned upside down, causing Twilight and Spike to slide out and fall through the stormy sky. "AHHHHHHH!!!!" Both of them screamed as they decended down through the sky. It looked like it was going to be the end for them... but then, they stopped. "I Don't Wanna Die... I Don't Wanna Die..." That was all Spike was thinking about in his thoughts and he kept shivering, believing that he was still falling to their death. But he then realized that he wasn't falling at all. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was still in Twilight's hooves, and both of them were still in the air... but the storm clouds were not violent and the wind stopped. "Wha... what's happening?" Spike thought, but as he looked at Twilight, he knew something was different. She was glowing, like when she was back in the woods, and when she was just a filly when she tapped into her magic and was losing control of it. But this time she wasn't losing control. She opened her glowing eyes and her horn began to flare up with energy, and then, she sent out a wave of magic around her and Spike, causing the dark clouds become white, and the wind began to calm down more, and the sky was clearing, showing Celestia's sun just over the horizon. Spike couldn't help but feel amazed, by how Twilight managed to do that. Of course, Pegasi are technically the masters of weather, but only a powerful spell, or at least Celestia's magic could calm a big storm like that. Soon Twilight blinked her eyes once, as he white glowing eyes reverted to normal. "Wha...?" Twilight asked coming back to reality, and was also impressed herself. "Whoa..." "Wow Twilight, that was amazing!" Spike said. "Where did you learn how to do that?" "I have no idea." Twilight said surprised. "I don't even know how I did that." "Think it was your magic doing it on its own again?" Spike asked. "Like back in the woods?" "I think so..." Twilight said. "Well, at least it calmed down the storm-" Spike said as he turned his head to face the downward, but then he stopped speaking as his mouth dropped opened and his eyes widened. Not of fear due to them very high in the sky, but of amazement. "Spike?" Twilight asked as she looked down too. "What are you looking a-" She also stopped talking too, as she saw what Spike was seeing, also with surprise and amazement. "Spike, I don't think we're in Equestria anymore." Twilight said. "I was thinking the same thing." Spike said. "We must be over the rainbow..." The two were still in the air, as they saw the fog clearing below them. With their own eyes, they didn't see just the sea, no. They saw land, a huge island, at least 3/4 the size of Equestria... For Twilight and Spike, it appears that things, though lesser than Equestria's size, was just beginning to get bigger.