The next morning, I pack up as many of my meager possessions as I could. The Cloud, which I guess I should start calling Twilight, helped me prune the edible plants. On the way out, I paused long enough to nail down the boards that I usually leave loose. No sense in leaving this open for looters. I thought with a sigh.
Replacing my saddlebags, I started walking down the road away from the shambles we've dared call Ponyville. As I looked back at what was once my home, I noticed a certain cloud had disappeared. “Uh, Twilight? Where’d you go?”
“I've shrunk myself down and am currently hidden in you saddlebags.”
“Why? Don’t you want ponies to know that we have a chance to finally stand up to Him?”
“And risk losing my element of surprise?! By staying hidden, I can catch Him off guard. And, like I said yesterday, I want to involve as few ponies as possible.”
I shrugged. “Fine.” I muttered as I neared a wooden palisade.
The palisade looked to be made from whole trees laid on their sides, stacked four or five high. Over the top of it, I could see the tops of the farms trees. I approached the gate, which was a sturdy, yet cobbled together mess of planks and boards. Over the gate was the old Sweet Apple Acres sign that had been a part of the farm since the Apples had settled there. I knocked on the gate as hard and loudly as I could. Somepony must have seen us coming, because a small slot on the gate soon opened.
“Yer back.” A mare drawled from the other side. All that I could see was her emerald green eyes, “Ah thought Ah told ya didn’ Ah wan’ ta see ya ‘round here anymore.”
“Please, my plants are dead and dying-“
“An’ if Ah fed everypony who gave me tha’ excuse, Ah wouldn’ have a crop ta feed the ones who grew it!”
“Please, Applejack, I've got nowhere else to go!”
“Applejack! But- but what happened –“
“Shut up! I can’t do two conversations at once!”
“Look, Ah understand yer plight, that’s why Ah send anythin’ extra Ponyville’s way! But Ah just can’ accept another mouth ta feed onta mah farm!” Applejack sighed, “Ah, Ah’m sorry, Cheerilee, Ah truly am, but Ah just can’ help ya.” The eye slot closed with a faint click.
I lowered my head. “Okay,” I murmured, “then this is good bye.” “Where to, Twilight? Sweet Apple Acres was the safest place around here.”
A sigh echoed through my thoughts. “Then head for the Everfree Forest. It’s time to start our quest…..”
I turned towards the forest. As the farm faded from view, I could’ve sworn I heard Twilight whisper “…. What happened to you, Applejack?”
*^*
Ah climbed up ta walkway runnin’ the upper edge of the walls. Big Mac stood waitin’ for me there. Along the wall stood armed and armored scareponies every few hooves. Big Mac stood watchin’ Cheerilee walk towards the Everfree Forest with a tear in his eye.
“Ah know ya hate ta see another pony goin’ feral. Ah do, too.” I tried to comfort mah older brother. Especially ta see that happenin’ ta such a good pony. It’s heart breakin’.
“….. Eeyup.” Ah pretended Ah didn’ see his tears fall.
*^*
“So, when are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked as I turned to the Cloud floating behind me.
“I already have. We’re going to the Everfree.” Twilight had seeped out of my saddle bags the moment we had entered the forest. “Thinking of, eyes front, please. You should know the dangers of these woods as well as I do.”
I almost tripped over an errant root with a front hoof. By Discord! Just because I can’t pass- Then my back hoof hit the root, introducing my face to the forest floor. …. If she says ‘I told you so’, I swear…. I quickly picked myself off the ground and trotted to catch up to Twilight.
There didn’t seem to be a path to wherever Twilight was taking me, but she seemed to know her way. She passed through bushes, trees, rocks and other obstacles, pausing just long enough for me to find my own way around them. “Okay, where in the forest are we going?” I grunted out as I struggled my way through a thorn bush.
“I highly doubt you would know of it.”
“I've spent time in the Chaos Lands, and I did –UNWILLINGLY- take part in the Everfree March.” I finally popped free of the moon sent bush. “Try me.”
I could’ve sworn that the edges of the Cloud drooped. Twilight was silent for a while, to the point where I was sure she was just ignoring me. “….. During the Everfree March, did you ever come across an ancient ruin of a castle?” She almost sounded, reluctant, to ask this question.
“No, why?”
“Well, that’s where we’re going. I need something from there.” Twilight paused. “…. You know, I've been there several times before. There was once a path that lead right to the castle, but not the first time we found it. My friends and I almost by accident.”
“Wait, there’s more of you?! Are you all different colored clouds?” I couldn't believe this. “Is Nightmare Moon one of them?” I thought to myself.
“In order: Technically, no, and stop grouping me in with Nightmare Moon!” I still need to work on keeping my thoughts to myself.
After another bout of silence, I noticed the Twilight’s leading tendril seemed to be weaving back and forth as if she was looking around with…… Nostalgia? “We were walking along a cliff, when Ni- next thing we know, the cliff edge fell out from us!”
“What happened?”
“Well, A- I was grabbed by my friends, and we had to continue to the bottom of the cliff, as there was no easy way back up. So we decided to press on….”
*^*
We had been walking for some time now. The sun had set, and the moon was well on the rise. All through out that time, I had been sharing the story of how my friends and I first found the Castle of the Pony Sisters. I never gave any names, and I didn’t give much on why we were looking for the castle in the first place. When we passed through the grove of creepy looking trees I couldn't help singing Pinkie’s song.
But, after what felt like forever, we had come to the chasm. The rope bridge was, of course broken. Makes sense. Rainbow Dash would never have fixed since it looks like we never came here. There was a heavy fog on the other side.
Cheerilee finally extracted herself from the current bush she was stuck in, and got a good look at the gorge. “How are we gonna cross this?!”
I smiled to myself. “Heh, one of my friends said the same thing when we first came here” I started to float over the chasm. “Just give me a moment to fix this.” I flowed into the bridge, and, focusing on my memories, raised it up so that Cheerilee could walk across.
I didn’t notice that the ropes hadn't secured themselves by the time Cheerilee stepped onto the first plank. Nor did either of us consider what could happen if she put weight onto said planks. As soon as the Cheerilee stepped out onto the bridge, the plank passed through me, with Cheerilee following after.