//------------------------------// // Chapter XIV // Story: Journey to the center of Equestria // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// The words of both Applejack and Twilight Sparkle really had managed to get the shy part out of Fluttershy. She was still sitting down with a near defeated expression upon her face. One of her hands was almost rubbing her face at a constant rate in a manner. She didn’t even thought it was possible what they had asked of her. They wanted her –a doctor of all– to go on a quest of an unknown magnitude? They had to be crazy, right? Nopony in the world was that stupid to make sure that they would embark on such a quest. Insane, that was how Fluttershy thought about the matter. The mare finally managed to crawl out of the chair herself. Both Applejack and Twilight held themselves silent while they inspected every last motion made by the pegasus. Her wings were about to burst open while they already they gave gentle but also stressful little flutters. Perhaps it was to bring more air around the mare so that she wouldn’t faint from the thoughts that were racing through her mind. It did seem impossible that Fluttershy would even agree upon joining their ridiculous quest. But they needed a doctor to help them more than they knew. Twilight did know healing spells, but if Applejack had to be believed on her words, Fluttershy was irreplaceable when it came down to medical treatments. She would bring a value unknown to the team but only if they managed to get her either crazy enough or persuade her. The pegasus continued to pace up and down the room as she really had not a clue of what she needed to be doing. Every last second looked like it was an hour in her mind. Thoughts of horror ran through her mind. Thoughts that caused the coldest shivers to go down her spine before she shook her entire body for a couple of seconds. “I, I need to know, a couple of things,” said Fluttershy to them. She turned her attention back towards the two wounded mares. Her eyes peeled to Twilight first, who she sat straight in the bed and looked back with a calm set of eyes. It was when she looked over to Applejack that the trouble began. The stern look of the admiral caused her to yelp quietly while her wings spread themselves just that little bit. She was afraid, terrified even about answering the request. One wrong word and she thought that everything would be over. The knife was slicing on two sides for her, and both sides needed her. “Well, ask away,” replied Twilight in a calm and collected tone. The last thing that she wanted to do was to scare the doctor even further off than they already had done. Perhaps the more direct approach of Applejack wasn’t the best one in their accomplishments. She couldn’t really blame the admiral for the fact, she always had been direct to the matter. Though that didn’t took away that Twilight wanted to smack her right in the head over it. There was a time and place for everything, as the saying went. The soothsayer just hoped that at one point, the both of them would be appropriate. Yet Fluttershy looked back to Twilight. She even stumbled over her words. “T-This quest o-of yours, what, what does it c-contain?” The question of questions was being asked and it was up to Twilight to answer it. A heavy duty had fallen upon her as she swallowed her dry mouth a bit. Only to then open it again with the words leaving it. Words that would change the course of the pegasus her life. With an exhale did the words leave the mouth of the Twilight as she told the truth as bare boned as she possibly could be getting it out. “As you know, our land is being tormented by these tremors. Whether it was liked or not, I was chosen to find a team together and make a stop to them. How, why and when I can not say at this point. But somehow these things can be stopped by the power of six beings. There are already three of them. With you, it shall make four and thus getting us a step closer to bringing once more serenity to our land,” explained Twilight to the doctor. Applejack listened to the words and had to admit one fact: the words came out of Twilight as if she was a preacher. And not the kind that was actually enjoyable to listen to either. No, Twilight preached like a heavy believer. One who always thought to have been right no matter what as everything could be placed somewhere in religion itself. So the only thing that the admiral could do was to roll her eyes away from the soothsayer and allow herself to be consumed by her own thoughts. The faster she had sunken in her imagination of the water splashing against her face as her ship sailed out, the better. “W-Wait, wait, wait, y-you want me, to join this q-quest, to stop the t-tremors?!” Fluttershy both stuttered and exclaimed at the same time. The pegasus really didn’t even have the slightest of ideas that such a thing was even possible. Yet it only added more and more to the stress of the mare as she was going into an overdrive with her mind. All the thoughts, all of the horrors that suddenly rushed itself towards her was something that caused her to gulp and took steps back. She continued to take steps back before finally crashing down into the chair as her wings folded open all of the way. Then she simply laid there, still pondering her thoughts while she reached for her glasses. “N-No, that, that can’t be. There’s no way… No!” Fluttershy exclaimed before she managed to place the frame back on her nose. “I know it’s hard to believe, even I had troubles doing so when I first heard it. But the longer I thought about it, the more the realization came that it actually could be working.” Twilight still replied in that calm tone while she tried to persuade Fluttershy with her own charm. Even though the pegasus was shy, she still stood firm on the ground with her mind. She believed what she wanted to believe and the words of Twilight didn’t really fell into that category. So with a bit of struggling did the mare managed to crawl out of the chair and her wings were then tucked nicely behind her back once more. “I, I can’t leave this place. All of the doctors and the nurses need me here, not to forget the patients themselves. I understand what you two want, but I can’t leave my home at the snip of fingers like you two. I’m sorry, but I have to decline. I won’t partake into this, this madness!” Twilight gave her a gentle nod while Applejack didn’t even respond to it all. The magical charge around her horn disappeared and thus it also allowed the door to be opened again. Finally it gave Fluttershy the chance to get out of their presence. Something that she loved to do. For it took her only seconds before she finally was out of the room and had closed the door behind her. She just left both Applejack and Twilight there like that. The unicorn fell back in her bed as she released a deep exhale through her mouth. After all they had been through, it felt like she had hit the biggest wall yet. What could be done in the matter as they were both in? If either of them knew the correct answer to that one, Twilight would be relieved beyond belief. Had their quest, though barely started, already failed? That was one of the thought that surged through the mare her mind. A mind that didn’t stop at anything or nothing. Applejack then turned her head back over to Twilight before she shook it. From the looks alone it seemed that she didn’t had even one right word for the action of Fluttershy. It was something that Twilight could understand for certain, but the anger wasn’t rightfully placed. That was also a fact they had to keep in mind. The very fact that they couldn’t force another anthrony to join their quest. The admiral went because she wanted to give protection to Twilight, the major came because it would have been a massive boost for the city of pride. Only the soothsayer actually seemed to have set out for the protection of their land. It was a troubling thought that they all came for different reasons. But the chance was once they had seen the threat they were up against, all of the thoughts would be merged together into one: protect the land they know and love. “Ah hate to admit it, but what she did was just shameful,” the admiral spoke loud enough for Twilight to hear it. The soothsayer herself had to admit that it was indeed rather shameful what Fluttershy had done to them. Though the points still stood firm on the ground. “We can’t make her to come and join us, Applejack. You pick your crew only out of those who want. If they don’t want, your ship won’t sail,” said Twilight as a metaphor for the situation they were in. Something which Applejack actually understood and even gave a nod towards. “Still, I can’t help but to feel as if we have failed already.” The thoughts inside of Twilight’s mind were clouded and troubled, none of them made sense as they all were visions of a future that wasn’t happening. She saw the very destruction of their land before her eyes. Geysers of lava boiling out of the ground as if they were nothing. The land torn and ripped to pieces by forces even greater than the fury of the goddesses and demons combined. The screams of those who died as their world perished beneath their hooves. Horrifying thoughts that eventually caused her to shock up. She satt straight on the bed once more. She panted deep while her hands held her head while a groan was being released. A groan that stood for both the pain and anger that coursed through her body. Pain in the fact that their cause was lost, anger for the grim future to come. The eyes of Twilight fell shut before there was something that Applejack hadn’t seen from the soothsayer before. There was a small watery line that appeared just below the eye. Out of that, there was a little tear that traveled down the cheek. It headed towards the chin before finally dropping itself unto the blankets of the bed. She had to say something, anything towards the unicorn to hopefully make her feel better about the situation. But what could she say about the matter? Thoughts also began to race through her mind as she continued to be pondering it for words suitable for the situation they were both in. It was difficult, she had to admit that much but didn’t wanted to fail Twilight. Yet the inspiration for her words came out of a rather unexpected corner. Her own experience in the field of naval warfare, to be exact. There was a time where something extraordinary happened to her and her fleet. Something that could be happening to their team as well. “Twilight, listen up to mah words,” said Applejack in a calm and clear tone. None of the official business could be heard within it. Almost as if she tried to be as down to earth as she possibly could have been, or perhaps as friendly. Twilight didn’t care yet she still listened to the words that would be coming. “Even though the doctor said she wouldn’t come, it doesn’t take away that we have a powerful team already. Besides, we still need two more anthronies. That makes five, mahself included. Five beings, changing the fate of Equestria like that. It can work, ya just have to believe it. Even small numbers, can take out a bigger enemy,” the admiral spoke as she had also raised up from her bed and had swung her legs over to the side so she would be able to actually face the soothsayer. “Complete or not, we’re going in. We’re gonna stop, whatever is causing this madness.” Those last words were hollow though. Not even the admiral believed that they could be making it down into the depths without anything. Yet the tone in which she spoke was confident enough to make Twilight wipe her tears away. The unicorn made a sniffle of two. Then she finally dared to open her eyes again and looked towards her partner. The redness within them was normal by Applejack’s standards before the words left her mouth. “I know we can do it, it’s just, it’s just that, the burden of keeping everypony healthy falls on me. You said she knows how to deal and heal every kind of wound. I know perhaps only a quarter of it all.” It was a matter that indeed was true, and also something that caused Applejack to ponder her own mind gently on the matter. Yet she didn’t wanted to believe that their cause was lost already. Perhaps Fluttershy was needing a bit more persuasion, Applejack-style. ~~~~                       A few more hours went by in silence from the two of them before the door was finally opened up again. Applejack had once more laid down in her bed while Twilight had fallen asleep. The thoughts that were racing through her mind were more than enough to knock her out. Which was perhaps a thing for the better as it gave the admiral some time to think about other matters that troubled her own mind. When the doctor entered, the hopes were held up that it was Fluttershy herself. But instead they got an earth anthrony who closed the door behind her. She walked to both ends of the beds without a single word and looked at the charts that were placed there. The more she read the scrambles written down upon it, the more a smile managed to grow upon her face. She then looked over to both Applejack and Twilight before she gave the two of them a nod. “From the looks of it, everything is fine and you are allowed to leave if you like,” she spoke up in a kind and caring tone before a small bow was being made. Applejack returned the polite greet by tipping her imaginative hat towards the doctor before she smiled back. “Thanks doc, Ah’ll wake her up and then we’ll see how fast we can be on our way again,” she replied to the doctor. Who only gave a nod in return before making her departure with the charts of the two of them. Once the door had fallen again in its lock, the admiral spoke the name of the unicorn a couple of times in order to wake her up. With a moan and a groan did the eyes of the mare open up and she rolled her head over towards Applejack with an annoyed expression. “Wow, talking ‘bout a sour face,” she mumbled to herself. Then she said what she actually wanted to say. “We’re allowed to leave if we like. Ah reckon we get out as soon as we can. Getting too much memories of this place, if ya catch mah drift.” “Hmpf, I get you Applejack. Just, just give me the time to properly get up for a change,” replied Twilight to her. The mare rose her body back up from the bed and swung the blankets off of her body. Her legs were then gently brought over to the sides before the hooves touched the ground. She then had to raise her entire body up from the bed and did so without much of a hustle. There were only a couple of balance issues at first before she stood firmly back upon the floor of the room. It felt good to finally be out of that bed and the stretches that were done only confirmed that part more. Applejack then just followed suit after she adjusted the valves of her leg once it stood again on the ground. Then it was her time to rise back up from the bed. Which was done so with a massive release of steam which caused Twilight to turn around. “That wasn’t supposed to happen!” the admiral yelled out before she turned another set of valves. After a couple of seconds did the eruption of steam finally die down. Though the earth anthrony was engulfed within the steam. Steam that actually caused her to cough a couple of times while she waved it away. Twilight on the other end saw that everything was going to be fine for the admiral and she walked up to one of the windows their room had. The eyes were granted a sight on the outside world where they looked over the sights to be seen. Pretty much everything what she could imagine was shown before her eyes. Including a weak shining afternoon sun. There was perhaps just one shot at it all, and Twilight decided to take the bull by the horns. Without meditation or ascending to the planes of the goddesses did she began to talk towards the sun itself. “Have we failed already? Have we failed because we didn’t get Fluttershy that far enough that she would be joining us? Or is there, another one that we can try?” That were just some of the questions that were spoken. The questions also rang deep inside of the ears of Applejack. She was still busy waving the steam away before she finally caught the sounds completely. “What in tarnation are ya talking ‘bout?” she questioned Twilight. The earth anthrony had not even the slightest of clues. There wasn’t any response that came from Twilight on the matter. It did leave her already thinking that she was talking to somepony else. When the curtain of steam finally gave way to the window, Applejack immediately knew with whom she was talking and rolled her green rimmed eyes away from it under a small grumble. The gaze of infinity that Twilight had within her eyes was something that meant she wouldn’t even have been able to break through it, even if she wanted. Once again were the two stopped dead in their tracks because Twilight just had to talk to the sun goddess like that. It slightly did annoy Applejack, but she could still understand the very reasons that laid behind it. She didn’t agree with them at all, but she still respected them. It was the least that she could do because of them traveling together. So whether it was liked or not, the two had to respect their manners of going around and about. Luckily for Twilight, Applejack wasn’t the most difficult mare when it came to it. Yet Twilight’s questions went unanswered by the goddess of the sun. Not even a whisper in her ears could be heard that could indicate some form of help or new light upon the matter. A deep sigh was released through the nostrils of the mulberry skinned unicorn before she turned herself around and nodded towards the admiral. “Let’s go, we have others to find.” Twilight said in a tone that didn’t spoke much emotion. A tone that actually scared Applejack a little bit as she hadn’t heard it coming out of her mouth before. Yet it also caused something to spark within the admiral. Something that she had thought about earlier that day. Whether Twilight wanted it or not, somepony would be getting another visit. “Lead on, Ah’ll follow.” So said, so done. After the two of them had left their room, they wandered through the hospital and followed the little signs that said ‘reception’. They figured that the entrance laid there as well, or at least close to it. Much talking there wasn’t done between the two of them as their thoughts were ranging from two different ideas and points of standing. Applejack had placed her hands behind her back as the tail of her coat waved with every step she did as Twilight’s gaze was a bit dreamy. They had their own ideas about the matter and Applejack wanted to see some action. Or perhaps, the action that was needed from the two of them. Twilight might have gone too soft on the doctor whereas Applejack would have come in with the hard hammer. Once they reached the reception of the hospital, there was a hand placed upon Twilight’s shoulder and they both came to a stop. The insane idea, worth only one shot, would be executed by Applejack. It was all or nothing that she would be playing. But if they got her with them, it would be making all of the differences in the world. “Twi, could ya wait over there a bit? Ah gotta make some appointments for mah leg,” she spoke to the soothsayer who calmly nodded. “Thanks,” was then added with a warm smile and then the two separated their ways. Twilight went to the waiting room whereas Applejack walked over to the desk of the reception. Luckily for her weren’t there many anthronies standing in line. Only two happened to be standing before her and the mare was actually thankful for that, as it gave her the time to properly think about the words that she would be saying. For the task that laid ahead of the mare was something that wasn’t really considered to have been easy at all. Yet it had to be done in her own eyes. She wanted to give it at least a try, whether it would work or not remained to be seen. Once the queue was over and she stood at the desk, the clerk behind it released a gulp. He had seen the leg she carried of course. Combined with the sheer posture of the earth anthrony, it only added up to the levels of intimidation. “Hey, look, Ah’m just gonna fall in with the door in house here. Ah need to speak to Fluttershy immediately. Ah need to make a couple of appointments for mah leg.” Of course it was a massive lie, but it was a lie for best-will. Who knew how the clerk would have reacted if she had flat out said she needed to speak to her in order to persuade her over to join a quest of madness? That wouldn’t have been the world’s greatest idea and she knew that. “Hmm,” the clerk began before he looked through a couple of papers. “Well, her schedule says she should be within her office. I presume you know the way?” The admiral nodded to the words before she thanked the clerk for the cooperation. A clerk that was actually relieved by the fact that she finally was gone and that he could be going on about his work. However, there was one little shock that managed to get through his body as he realized the massive mistake that had been made. He hadn’t checked upon the fact whether or not Fluttershy was actually able to receive any visitors. Another gulp went through him as he couldn’t stop Applejack anymore and warning the doctor couldn’t be done either. “Oh I’m so going to get fired for this…” he muttered to himself before trying to continue his work.  Twilight had made her way to the waiting room and had taken a seat in one of the chairs. The sheer emptiness of the room was something that got to her almost straight away. Shortly afterward she just charged up her horn and began to play some games with her arcane powers. Little games that she used to be playing pretty much all of the time when she was still a little foal. Games that managed to bring a gentle smile across her face as the genuine happiness and the memories all came flowing back to her. Memories of the past and times gone by. Times where she didn’t had to care so much about everything and everypony. Times that were good, bold and perhaps a little naughty. The little endeavors her brother and she had when their parents were out. The sieges on the imaginary castles that had been made. All of those things caused a calm exhale to go through the mare. An exhale that made her happy that she was standing at the point in her life as it was. The violet rimmed eyes of the mare turned over to the counter of the reception for just a quick moment and she noticed how Applejack didn’t stood there anymore. To her it meant that that waiting game was over and she could focus herself upon the return of the mare, however long that would be taking her. ~~~~                       The admiral walked through the hallway that was leading up to the office of Fluttershy. Though she couldn’t resist herself to watch through the glass windows of the other doors. Each door was leading to yet another office where anthronies were working around the clock. Everything seemed to have become just so busy for the lot of them, yet with what did the mare not know. Which perhaps was a better thing as it would only trouble her mind even further and a lot more. With her pacing calm and her leg functioning the way it was supposed to be, the mare had finally reached the door of Fluttershy’s office and looked through the window. The mare was just sitting there with her head bend over some paperwork. Nopony else was in the room, it was about the near perfect situation for the admiral. There was a gentle exhale that was being released through her nostrils before she opened the door and walked through. The calm and peaceful atmosphere of the office was suddenly disrupted with a roughness like the sea. Something that Fluttershy did feel but she didn’t wanted to look up just yet. She had to finish a certain something before she would look at who was bold enough to disturb her in the moment. Yet as Applejack closed the door behind her, she locked it. It was done so quietly that the sounds didn’t even went into the ears of Fluttershy. Only a slightly annoyed exhale was being made by the mare before she continued to work as if nothing had happened to her yet. Though when applejack’s eyes moved themselves away from the desk, they looked through the rest of the room. What was revealed to her was the well-known doctor’s office. Even the sofa for mentally troubled patients still stood there next to the fireplace. A sofa on which she had laid perhaps a time too much for her liking. All of her nasty memories returned to her from the times that she had been lying upon the thing after the amputation of her leg. The mare shook her head a couple dozen times before she looked over to the dossier cabinet of the mare. Patient records was the first thought that went through her. Whatever it was, she couldn’t really tell as it was never explained to her. So each time that she looked at it, there was a different thought that went through her mind. Nonetheless, even though she knew the office just so well, there was one thing that was even new to her. For as her eyes turned back to the still eagerly working Fluttershy were the same eyes caught by something that didn’t really seemed to be fitting. A blue light managed to capture the imagination of the admiral. A blue light that caused her entire body to freeze as she thought that it was nopony else but her. Yet when Applejack looked at the origin of the lights, the revelation was something a lot more friendly. Behind the mare stood a massive fish tank that was actually integrated in the wall. The tank was about half a time wider than the desk of the mare and filled with some colorful fish. The more the admiral looked into the tank, the more she began to realize just what parts of the ocean were recreated. From the looks of it, it looked like the Southern Currents were made inside of it. The strange yet beautiful and brightly colored fish that swum in its gave it away right away for her. Countless little fish were swimming through the tank as if there was nothing else that they could be doing. Which they couldn’t to a certain degree. It caused a quiet chuckle to come from the admiral before she shook her head. The tank did gave her the nice distraction of the task that laid ahead. A task of which was reminded the second she laid her eyes back on Fluttershy. The mare was busy writing down the last couple of notes with a quill. After that had she finally even dared to look up to the other anthrony. The eyes of the two mares met up with one another and Fluttershy could read the sheer determination and sternness inside of those of Applejack. While Applejack only saw fear within the rims of the doctor. “W-What are you doing here, Applejack?” Fluttershy then finally asked of her. She wanted to know the finer details about everything. Yet she didn’t get a response in words from the mare. The earth anthrony only walked closer towards the desk in silence. Only once she could place her hands upon the back of the chair before the desk, did the words come in a calm yet decently eerie tone. “Oh not so much really. Ah’m just here to get a couple answers from ya.” It was a series of words that caused the pegasus to raise an eyebrow before she thought to have understood the situation as it was. “You, want to know who stabbed you, don’t you?” she then asked in return in the hope that it was the answer where the admiral was looking for. Sadly enough for the pegasus, it wasn’t even close. Then Applejack released a calm chuckle through her mouth before she shook her head. “Ah’m afraid that that isn’t the reason why Ah came to ya. No, mah question is a bit more, personal shall we say.” Before Fluttershy could even react to what was going on, Applejack had flung the other chair backwards and made the final couple steps forward. She turned her hands into a pair of fists before she crashed them into the desk of the mare and looked her deeply into the eyes. It was in that moment where she locked her eyes upon the blue rims of the pegasus and almost hissed her words through her teeth. The deadly question she had wanted to ask. The question of, “where is your sense of duty, Fluttershy?”