In Fine

by Elegy Fermata

Integrity

Chapter Two
Integrity

27th September 2145 A.C.
Carousel Boutique, Ponyville
1511Z

“Ah! Twilight, dear, come in!” Rarity gave a peculiar laugh and Twilight raised an eyebrow at her rugged appearance. “Come on, don’t dawdle, come in! Come in!” She ushered Twilight inside and Spike followed. “Ah, so you brought Spike along as well. Good. Good. Hello, Spike.”

The corners of Spike’s lips twitched as he glanced at Rarity’s eyes furiously darting about.

Inside, they were greeted by a sight that looked as though a party cannon had exploded within the confines of Rarity’s boutique. There were ribbons and scraps of cotton and silk and satin and velour; sequins and gems of yellows and blues and pinks and greens, all glittering faintly in the dimly lit workroom. Mannequins were scattered about, most of them toppled, and there were balls of paper tossed carelessly about the room.

“Rarity, what in Celestia's name have you been doing here?”

Rarity spun round and pressed her face into Twilight’s muzzle. A grin sliced across her face and her eyes trembled as she announced, “Magic!”

Twilight took a few uneasy steps back. “You’re not like this though, Rarity. You’re normally organised and… well… prissy. No offense.”

The stifling air was pelted with peals of laughter. “Oh, darling, please. I’m always prissy. That is frankly no secret to anypony.” She raised a hoof, marking her words as she said, “We have to make exceptions sometimes, Twilight. This is simply a matter that requires my absolute full concentration. I cannot dawdle thinking about the petty little things that I’d normally be attentive to. The only thing that matters is that I get my dresses finished, and these have been particularly difficult to – how shall I put this? – assemble. Not just the dresses themselves. No, no. It’s assembling everything I learned – and more. You see, this has stretched my abilities further than I could imagine and I think you’ll absolutely adore what I've done so far. Of course, they aren't nearly finished yet, but what I see behind my own eyes… sweet, merciful Celestia is it going to be phenomenal. Provided, of course, if I’m capable of being able to create what I have in mind.”

“Look… Rarity, this sounds fantastic and all, but aren't you being a bit obsessive over it?”

“Darling, if anything, I’m not obsessing enough over it. I’m not creating these for the fun of it, you know. I have a set deadline with Silken Sheen for this particular line and I mustn't disappoint. Besides, you obsess over your own studies yourself, don’t you?”

“That’s entirely different though. I have to keep studying so that I pass my tests, whereas for you, you’re creating something.”

“No, Twilight. It’s not different at all. This is my test we’re talking about. It may not be composed by words, but it is a test nonetheless.”

Twilight gave a heavy, resigned sigh, “Okay, I understand. This is very important to you.”

“Important doesn't even come close to it! This is what determines my whole future!”

“Okay, okay. I get it. I’m sorry. I’m just concerned about you right now.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to be concerned about me at all. I’m making sacrifices to be able to do this, but that is what has to be done. I've had to isolate myself so that I could focus solely on working on these creations. When I have them completed and I display them to Silken Sheen, only then can I breathe a contented sigh of relief and relax. For now, I must be continuously proactive. It simply must be done – no excuses.”

“I just feel…” Twilight floundered. “I just feel you’re working far too hard and trying to do so much in little time and… well, quite frankly, I don’t think you’re okay. All of your work has clearly taken a toll on you.”

Rarity merely blinked at her.

Twilight sighed. “Look, I know this is important for you, but you need to pace yourself. I don’t know what your work schedule is like, but it seems like you need to slow down. You’re letting all this work of yours consume you. Don’t ever let it do that to you.”

“I appreciate your concerns, Twilight, honest, but I’m under control. I've already explained my reasons to you. You still don’t understand how important this is for me. If I get-”

“Rarity.” Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Rarity began pacing around the showroom.

“-these creations out and display them to the whole world, they’ll all gaze in awe, Twilight, at the-”

“Rarity.”

“-beauty and the grace of my dresses. They have to be able to be worn all year round. They need to be light so it’s not uncomfortable in summertime, yet intricately elegant in design-”

“Rarity.”

“-but not be too showy so it doesn't detract the attention from the beauty of the mares wearing them. Subtle, yet nevertheless extravagant.”

Twilight stomped her hoof. “Rarity.”

Rarity swung around to face Twilight? “Huh?”

“Listen to me. We have to go. Now.”

“Go now? But, my dear, go where?"

Twilight outlined the task at hand, only detailing the journey to the temple. Rarity nodded and hummed as she listened.

“But… my dresses… I’ll miss my deadline,” Rarity protested forlornly.

“I’m sorry, Rarity. Truly, I am, but we have to go right now. It’s Celestia's orders. She wouldn't give us this task if it wasn't important. Can you see where I’m getting at here?”

Tears had welled in Rarity’s eyes, and she blinked them away. Grey streaks crawled down as her mascara smeared along her cheeks. “But all my work. All my work will be for nothing. You don’t understand, Twilight, you don’t understand! All of my time. It’s all wasted.”

“Rarity, listen to me. Rarity. We have to get going today without delay.”

“Why? Why do we have to go? Why can’t we go, say, in a week? I’d be perfectly happy with that, but today of all days? The day I finally make a breakthrough and it all has to go to waste? Do you have any idea – any idea whatsoever – how hard I worked?”

“Rarity, please,” Twilight sighed, “just think about what we’re dealing with here. This is Princess Celestia we're talking about. She wouldn't give us this task if it wasn't important.”

“But why us? Why do we have to go? Can’t she get anypony else to go for us? You don’t know how important this is for me, Twilight. You don’t understand.”

“Rarity, you need to calm down.” Rarity tried to protest again, but Twilight stood her ground. “You need to calm down, Rarity. Please. Just close your eyes and take deep breaths.”

“But, I-”

“Please, just do it.”

“I can’t, Twilight,” Rarity wailed. “This could be a dream come true for me and you want to take me away from that? I can’t."

“Look,” Twilight’s horn flared as she drew two chairs and a circular table to them, “take a seat,” she said as she sat on one chair, “and calm down.”

Rarity did as she was told with a pout. “I worked so hard on those dresses though,” she sobbed. “You have to understand. You have to.”

“Trust me, Rarity, I know exactly how you feel. When I thought I failed my entrance exams… I tore apart at that moment. So I know how you feel. Honestly, I do, but you have to let it go for now. Besides, isn't there a chance to show off your collection to Silken Sheen at a later date? I could even have Princess Celestia write a letter to her to outline your predicament and make a request for a reschedule. I’m sure she’ll understand, then you can finish your dresses and Silken Sheen will still get to see them.”

Rarity wiped her eyes dry. “Oh, Twilight, thank you ever so much. I really must apologise for being so melodramatic.”

“Don’t worry about it. I understand.”

“No, really Twilight, you have no idea how much this means to me. You saved my reputation – and my life! I must repay you. I’ll tell you what: I’ll make you your own dress from my ‘In Finesse’ line when we get back. It’s the absolute least I can do in return.”

“Oh, Rarity, you don’t have to-”

“No, no, you've done so much for me that you don’t understand just how much you have done for me. You deserve something for this, and it really is the very least I can do. I insist.”

After a moment of hesitation, Twilight gave a smile. “Okay. Sure. Thank you very much for your generosity, Rarity.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. It’s nothing, really. I honestly cannot thank you enough for this.”

“Look, Rarity, we have to leave as soon as we can. It’s imperative that we do this.”

Rarity sighed. “I know. I trust your word, Twilight. I just need some time to prepare before I go with you. You understand, don’t you?”

“I do. That was why I decided that you would be one of the first I would go looking for. I figured you would want some time to get everything together that you need. Just don’t forget to bring your gems along with you as that will help greatly in ensuring we have enough bits to get by. I have no idea how long this journey will take us, so the more money we have, the longer we can last.”

“What do you think will happen when… if we get to where we’re supposed to go?”

“I’m not sure, Rarity, but we’ll find out when we eventually get there.”

“Just how important is it that we get there?”

“It’s undoubtedly the most important task that we've ever received.”

There was a quiet; a dull, throbbing quiet that made their ears ring uncomfortably as Rarity dwelled on the matter. The silence lanced Twilight’s mind as she thought of the letter Princess Celestia had sent her. She imagined what might be going on at this moment in time: the crumbling earth… the slow expansion of destruction. Have there been any ponies that have fallen yet? Just how fast is the world collapsing?

These questions disturbed Twilight, and the distilling quiet only caused more pain for her as the pounding in her head only increased in intensity. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. She slipped herself off of her seat and rose to her hooves.

“Look, Rarity, it’s not worth thinking about right now. All we need to think about is that we get moving as swiftly as we can. We can worry about what we find when we get there. Not before.”

After a moment of pause, Rarity blew a gust of wind that sent Twilight an intrusive scent of coffee. “I’m going to have to send a letter to my parents. I wouldn't want them to be worried about me when they see I’m gone. Especially Sweetie Belle. The poor darling would be heartbroken if she thinks I ran away or something along those lines.” She took a sharp intake of breath and stood. “I will get myself ready in the hour. That, I can guarantee. If you come back in an hour, I’ll be waiting.”

They exchanged their farewells, except for Spike who remained perturbed by Rarity’s appearance, casting quick glances at her. He was, nevertheless, comforted in the thought that Rarity had calmed. Her eyes had become significantly tame since the moment they had met, almost as if they have finally exhausted themselves after their hyperactivity.

As they left the building, Rarity stood at the doorway waving at them with a toothy smile, one hoof holding onto the frame as she stood on her hind legs. Twilight waved back before turning towards the glowing sun. They didn't see Rarity’s smile turn flat and morose, and her foreleg fall limp. It was as they disappeared from view that Rarity shut the door with a heavy, ominous click that hollowed her heart.

“I really could do with a break right now,” Twilight mumbled to herself relieving herself of a crick in her neck with a crack.

“Oh, yes, please. I can’t stand all this running about.”

Twilight cast a condescending glance at Spike. “You haven’t even done any running at all. You've just been sat on my back the whole way.”

“Uhh… figuratively speaking,” he replied, scratching his head. There was a ravenous gurgling, to which Spike responded, abashedly, “And besides, I’m starving right now. It’s been, like… actually, how long has it been since I last had something to eat?”

Twilight’s face lit up. “Applejack!”

Spike glanced at her with a befuddled expression. “I asked how long- whoa now! Hey!”

Twilight had hoisted Spike onto her back, grabbing him by his spines with her teeth. “I know what you asked. We can go get Applejack and she’ll give us something to eat along the way. It’s perfect!”

“I wish I was as enthusiastic,” Spike grumbled, as Twilight stormed off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight was, as Spike noted with his chin rested on one hand, much less reckless in her strides than she had been before they’d knocked on the door of Rarity’s boutique. It was still something that had confused Spike nonetheless about why she’d been that reckless in the first place. He figured that, sure, there’s something important going on that Twilight’s not letting on about. He was questioning the magnitude of the situation, especially considering what she had said to Rarity.

His thoughts leapt to the events that had preceded Discord’s defeat when the draconequus had torn apart the elements of harmony one by one to become the complete opposite of what they represented. He remembered the grey, glum shell of Twilight. He may have suffered from the cruel stomach cramps and sickness he received as Princess Celestia had sent waves of letters for Twilight, but he could still recall her giving up on her friends who remained reluctant to return from their alter egos and as such give up on her fight against Discord. To say the least, it hadn’t helped him in the situation he was locked in.

Spike felt impassioned in believing that the fight against Discord had been their toughest challenge they had faced, and the thought that whatever Princess Celestia had tasked Twilight with, now, is undoubtedly worse than that brought the queasy pangs in his stomach that he had felt when his body was abused by continuous belching. Then he remembered he was, in fact, starving, and he was thankful for a moment that he’d been in such a deep thought that he’d forgotten how ravenous he had become. He groaned.

“Spike, please. We’re almost there anyway,” Twilight huffed, causing Spike’s bubble of thoughts to pop. He snapped upright and, sure enough, in the distance, was the familiar big red barn of Sweet Apple Acres standing boldly beside a massive farm filled to the brim with apple trees. The shiny red apples were like gems as they glittered in the sunlight, standing out prominently to Spike, who slurped back the drool he felt creeping out the corner of his lips.

Twilight slowly brought her stride to a steady trot as she panted all the way to Applejack’s home. When they reached the barn, Spike jumped off from Twilight's back and after Twilight knocked on the door, they received no answer.

“Well, that’s odd,” Twilight responded upon the third attempt, unsure how else to respond. “There usually isn’t nopony inside unless they’re on a family trip.” Twilight’s eyes shot open wide as she came to the realisation the extent of what she had said. “Oh, sweet Celestia!” She yelled, hoisting Spike before her. “What if she is on a trip with her family?” She put Spike back onto the ground as though he’d been a book as she frantically searched for her lost quill. She began to pace back and forth and her ragged breathing became heavier.

“Isn’t… nopony?”

“It’s a double negative, Spike. It means there usually is somepony inside.” She stopped her pacing and faced Spike. “Oh, gosh, Spike, you have no idea how serious of an issue this is. What if Applejack is on a family trip? Where has she gone and how long will she be away for?” She released a screech as she held her head in her forehooves. “Why didn’t she tell us about it? Of all times she had to keep that little detail a secret, it had to be now!” She began chanting, “Oh, no, this is bad. This is really, really bad.”

Spike felt his little heart collapse as she watched Twilight pace, once again, to and fro. His thoughts travelled back to what Twilight had said to Rarity. He may not have understood the situation well enough to comprehend its importance, but seeing her like this over something that appeared to be nothing but a little setback had unsettled him deeply. A flicker on the edge of his peripheral vision brought his attention.

“Hey… Twilight?” Upon the sight of her not ceasing her frantic pacing and gabbling, he yelled, “Twilight, snap out of it, will you?” He quickly felt pangs of regret.

Twilight halted. “Don’t… tell me to snap out of it.” Her mania disturbed Spike. “Don’t tell me to snap out of anything. Especially, don’t tell me to snap out of something when there’s a damn good reason not to snap out of it!”

Spike grew irritable. “Twilight, if you look, then you’ll see there’s nothing to worry about in the first place!”

Spike didn’t need to point. Twilight’s ears pricked at the calling of her name that came from a distance. “No,” she gasped and turned to the direction the voice came from, “what?”

Through the apple trees, Applejack was sprinting towards them at such a pace it was a miracle in itself that her cowpony hat had stayed upon her head. She approached them breathlessly and gasped, “Thank Celestia yer here, Twilight.”

“I was about to tell you the exact same thing. I thought you and your family went on an unannounced trip!”

“Ah’m mighty sorry ‘bout that, Twilight. It’s just that me ‘n’ the fam’ly have been runnin’ into a problem in the farm.”

“I’m just glad you were here, after all. We have terrible crisis on our hooves and we have to go right now. Princess Celestia ordered us to.”

“Wait, hold on fer a minute, now. Another crisis? Ah’m sorry, Twilight, but we have a crisis of our own on our hooves and Ah’m not setting one hoof into another until thissun is sorted out.”

“But Applejack-”

“But nothin', Twilight. Ah ain’t going nowhere until this is sorted out. Ah ain’t leaving mah fam’ly tryin’ to deal with a dyin’ farm. Ah just can’t, Twilight.”

“Wait, dying? What’s been going on? I thought business on the farm was going great!”

“Was,” the Applejack scoffed. “The whole farm’s startin’ to take a turn fer the worst. Ah don’t know what’s goin’ on. None of us do. Me ‘n’ Big Mac’s been tryin’ to dig out a rock that’s been breakin’ out the ground at the centre of it all fer the past hour or two and it ain’t budgin’! Seein’ as you’re here, Ah figured you’d be able to sort it out. You are, after all, great at sortin’ things out, ain’t you?”

“A rock?” Spike asked, then proceeded to laugh. “Why are you trying to dig a rock?”

“Ah’ve been askin’ Big Mac the same darn thing. Thing is, that rock ain’t never been there before and it was as it was emergin’ from the ground that the apple trees’ve been wiltin’ all the while. We think the darn thing might be growin’ which is why it’s broken through the ground and it’s absorbin’ all the nutrients the trees need! I don’t know how that thing would be growin’, but that’s the way it’s lookin’ an’ we need to claw it out.”

“Well… that does seem awfully strange,” Twilight said hesitantly.

“Yer think?” Applejack blurted. “Ah still can’t wrap mah head ‘round what’s goin’ on over here. One minute, everythin’s fine and dandy; the next, everythin’s goin’ down the gutter. You will help us figure out what’s goin’ on at least, won’t you?” Her eyes were glistening as she waited expectantly for an answer.

Twilight mulled it over but, unavoidable as it was, she sighed and said, “Sure. I’ll take a look at it.”

Applejack’s face brightened at the answer and gave her thanks, and together they walked back along the path that Applejack had taken.

“Do you really think that rock’s got anything to do with it?” There was a nervous tone to the dragon’s voice.

“I really don’t think so. If it does turn out to be the case, then there’s a chance that it might be an old artifact. A rock imbued with magical residues that’s been buried for centuries. To be honest, I don’t know why there would be a rock like that holding the power to steal the nutrients that trees need, but we’ll see.”

“What if it turns out to be dangerous?”

“Oh, Spike, don’t be silly. What’s it going to do, absorb us?”

“I dunno.” He gaze fell to the ground. “What if there’s something more to it that we don’t know?” He gasped, then became panicked. “What if it’s absorbing the nutrients to create enough energy to feed into its magical properties so that it ends up destroying the whole world?”

Twilight’s ears pricked. She didn’t need to mull it over. She knew Spike was being ridiculous as always with creating imaginary scenarios of what could be. Still, though, she couldn’t help but feel there was a possibility that Spike could be right. It was wishful thinking on her part, that a massive problem would be a simple one. At that moment, however, she only wanted to take a look at what’s going on and decide for definite what the problem was.

“Since when did you get so proficient at language like that, Spike?”

Spike mumbled, “I dunno. I just hear you saying stuff like that so many times that I feel like I understand what I’m saying, when in fact I don’t.”

Twilight giggled. “I’m sure you do understand, Spike, and it’s not going to destroy the world or anything like that. There’s no possibility of something like that happening.”

Their stroll was interrupted when an apple fell atop Twilight’s head and she cried out over the dull pain. It brought her out of her slight stupor and upon focusing on her surroundings, she saw ahead of her the trees became increasingly rugged the further along they went. There were more apples on the ground, uncollected, than there were apples on trees. Before long, even leaves were cascading to the ground with some of them tickling Twilight and Spike as they brushed against them. The leaves that were were still clinging onto branches were withered and held little to no strength. Some were even spinning lightly upon the brink of their deaths. Soon enough, trees became bare and droopy as if they had given up on living and it was not for another good dozen paces that Twilight could see the bright red of Big Macintosh’s fur through a slit between the limbering hulks of wooden carcasses.

The farm felt dark and desolate to Twilight, despite the blistering glow of the sun. It was as if she was being led to a funeral procession or, perhaps, even to her own untimely grave.

“How did you even know we were here?” Twilight inquired as she glanced at the direction they came from, noting that it was impossible to see anything through the thick brown wall.

“Ah, well,” Applejack cleared her throat, “whenever somepony comes a-knockin’, Ah come arunnin’,” she explained whilst turning and giving Twilight a wink before turning back. “To be honest, Ah don’t know what does it. Ah get a familiar ol’ tingle in mah hooves when somepony comes knockin’ on our door. Seems to me that it only ever happens when Ah’m on the farm. Either that, or nopony comes along when we happen to be away. To say it’s convenient is a gosh darn understatement, Ah tell ya. Ain’t a Pinkie Sense by any means, mind you. It’s jus’ somethin’ that... happens. Hey, Big Mac, you holdin’ up alright over there?”

A very strained “eee-nope” rumbled. Big Macintosh was heaving against a rope between fiercely gritted teeth. The other end of the rope was wrapped around a groove in a massive boulder buried in the ground, within an expanse of gravelly earth completely devoid of trees, as though Big Macintosh had been reluctantly tethered to it. Sweat had been pouring profusely and had matted his fur against his skin, gaving his coat a glistening sheen.

“Hunker down, Big Mac. Let Twilight take a look at it.”

“Eeeyup.” He gave a groan as he staggered away from the rock and sighed when he planted his haunches onto the ground.

“I want to take a look at the surroundings before I take a look at the rock. I’m curious to see if what you said is true.”

Applejack laughed. “Hooey, Twilight. You think Ah can’t see with mah own eyes that what Ah said is true?”

Twilight spluttered, “That’s not what I mean. I-”

Applejack laughed again. “Ah know what you were sayin’, Twilight. Ah’m jus’ playin’ with ya. Take a look fer yerself and see if it sparks a little somethin’ in yer mind. Ah’ll be waitin’ fer you back here while you take yer little stroll around.”

Twilight created an imaginary line as she circumvented the rock. It was a line that, in effect, existed, but it was imaginary nevertheless. She stuck to the trees that were closest to being bare without being completely devoid of foliage while making a rough estimation of the distance from the line to the rock. In the meantime, Spike had picked an apple from the ground and gratuitously crunched the fruit and slurped juice as they strolled along.

The line turned out to be highly jagged, but sure enough, the rock seemed to Twilight to be in the dead centre of the circle she had mentally created. She sat on her haunches. “Huh.”

“What is it, Twilight?” Spike asked as he munched on another apple.

“I don’t get it, Spike. I don’t get how just a rock like that could be pulling itself out the ground and cause such a ruckus in the farm.”

“So you think it is the rock that’s causing all this?”

“I have my doubts, Spike, but it doesn’t seem a coincidence that a rock is emerging from the ground, centralised to a whole batch of trees that are suddenly dying.”

“Do you think it m-might be aliens?”

Twilight snorted. “Spike, seriously. Stop making such frivolous fantasies in your head. There are no such thing as aliens and you should well know this by now.”

“B-but just think about it. What if they created that rock and sent it down to this world to destroy it?”

Twilight got to her hooves and started trotting back towards the rock. “Spike, please. Just leave that thought alone, will you? There are no aliens and there is no world-destroying rock and that’s the way it is, okay?”

“Okay,” Spike mumbled. “If you say so.” He trudged alongside Twilight.

"I do say so," Twilight huffed.

Applejack was pacing around the rock with her head hanging limp. She was alerted to Twilight and Spike’s presence and her head jolted up to glance at them. “So Twilight, What d’ya make of it?”

“Odd, but we’ll see once it’s out, won’t we?”

“How d’ya reckon we’re gonna get her out? Ah figured it wouldn’t be much of a trouble fer me ‘n’ Big Mac to pull right out the ground, but she sure as hay stubborn.”

Twilight smirked and tapped her horn. “Magic. I can pluck it out the ground with ease by using a simple levitation spell. It’ll be no trouble whatsoever.”

“Oh,” Applejack uttered. “Yeah, that. Well Ah hope yer magic’s up to it because that there rock is mighty tough if Big Mac and me together cannot uproot that thing.”

“Applejack, honestly. I’ve handled much more than that before, remember?”

“Well that sure as hay is true. Ah jus’ hope to the alicorns that it ain’t all been for nothin’. Just as well you’re an alicorn yerself, ain’t it?”

Twilight huffed. “It shouldn’t be too difficult, but I will need to focus, so if you could all keep quiet for just a moment, that would be great.”

“Sure thing Twilight. Ah’ll just stand here while you go do… yer thing.” Applejack fell silent and Twilight closed her eyes to concentrate her energies to her horn.

At first Twilight looked serene as a velvety violet aura surrounded her horn and blanketed the rock, but then her brow twitched into a crease as the rock wouldn’t budge for her. She devoted more of her energy and a second layer of purple light wrapped around the aura her horn was emitting. Still, the rock didn’t move. It didn’t even twitch. In response, Twilight gritted her teeth as sparks began to fly from her horn, lowering her head and jabbed her horn towards the rock.

Spike shifted uneasily as he watched as Twilight transformed from being somewhat at peace into a beast, growling as her horn exploded into a blinding display of fireworks. It was a part of her he rarely saw and he could not let himself watch more as she slipped even further into her frustrations, screaming as she devoted all of her energies into a single boulder trapped in the ground.

Twilight slumped to the ground in defeat, unable to pry the object free. Applejack trotted to Twilight’s side and offered her a hoof. Twilight hazily took it and was picked back up onto her hooves.

“Y’all right, Twilight?”

Twilight caressed her head. “W-what is that thing?”

“Beats me, Twilight. Beats me.” Applejack glanced at the rock. “Ah’d have thought me ‘n’ Big Mac would’ve been enough to get that darn thing out, never mind you ‘n’ yer own capabilities. Ah’d thought fer certain you’d be able to get it out, but it seems we’re not seein’ the whole picture.”

“You’re telling me.” Twilight snarled at the rock.

Applejack fell onto her haunches. “Ah’m so sorry, Twilight. Ah really am. Ah can’t leave mah fam’ly with this mess. Ah just can’t.”

“I understand,” Twilight sighed. “Don’t worry.”

Silence pervaded the area as they contemplated the situation, unable to decipher the puzzle that surrounded it. It was Twilight who hesitantly broke that silence.

"Look, Applejack, I need to go gather our friends. I have Fluttershy in search of Rainbow Dash, and right now both of them might me waiting for me. There’s Rarity as well, who should be ready to go soon and is probably waiting for me right now as we speak. Then I have to go find Pinkie Pie, wherever she may be. You know how she is: she could be anywhere. You don’t have to come with us, Applejack. You can stay here while we find our friends and we’ll all come back to see if we can get this rock out together, okay?”

“No, Twilight.”

There was a moment of stunned pause before Twilight gasped, “What?”

“No. It’s okay. Ah’ll come with you.” Twilight’s tensed muscles relaxed at those words. “There’s no use of me here when Ah can’t do anythin’ of no use.” Applejack stood and grinned. “Let’s go find the gang, shall we?”

There was a gentle hubbub throughout the streets of Ponyville and for once it was a cause of concern for Twilight as everypony was oblivious to the impending dangers that may befall them should Princess Celestia and Princess Luna fail in preventing the destruction of the world. It was the stark contrast of what was going on in the shadows, looming venomously, a poison seeping through the earth, to the casual care-free chatter between acquaintances, friends, family and lovers that disturbed her.

Despite the problematic situation of the farm, Applejack also fit into that bill as she chirped about her own family and how business had been improving over the past few months, only mentioning briefly about the impact of their own poison in their farm would have and that should the deterioration continue at the pace that it had been spreading, they would have no farm left in four months. It was a troubling thought, indeed, as Applejack admitted, but she seemed optimistic that everything will, in the end, be okay.

Twilight was, however, barely paying any attention to what Applejack was saying, but just enough to grasp the basics and she chipped in now and again with her own thoughts and questions. She was too preoccupied in what was, and what may be. What was, was a bright, optimistic day in Ponyville wherein harmony thrived.

It didn’t take long for the trio to reach Carousel Boutique and when they did, Rarity was waiting for them inside.

“What,” Applejack remarked, “in the name of Celestia are you wearin’?”

“What, this little thing?” Rarity trilled, flaunting her glittering frock. “Why, a lady must always conduct herself with grace, even when one is on a long and treacherous journey. What if there are ethereal ponies dwelling within the temple? What would they think of me if I did not present myself accordingly?” She flicked her mane, pouted and fluttered her lashes.

Applejack faced Twilight with a raised eyebrow. “A temple? What on earth are we goin’ to a temple fer?”

“Celestia tasked us with finding a temple that may hopefully help them.” Help all of us, was what bitterly ran through Twilight’s head. “She gave me a map outlining where it is so it’s not as though we’re trying to find a needle in a haystack. I’m not sure what we will find there and if there will be any ponies within the temple. I should also add that this journey is not treacherous at all. I promise you that.”

“If Celestia gave you the map to where the temple is, then why is she makin’ us go instead?”

“Celestia and Luna tried to unlock the power held within the temple, but they were unable to. She believes that we can do it, but we have to do it together.”

“Oh. Well… that’s great.” Applejack chuckled. “Ah love a good ol’ quest when our aim is futile.”

“I can assure you that this quest is far from futile. After all, that little situation on your farm seems futile, doesn’t it? I’ll prove to you that it isn’t. Not when we’re together. Certainly, unlocking whatever power in the temple, if there is any to begin with, will take time, but it’s time that needs to be devoted. It doesn’t matter how long it takes us. Once we unlock that power, all our efforts will be worthwhile, even if it kills us.”

Applejack spluttered and coughed as she choked on her own saliva. “What a way to get us feelin’ down, there, Twilight. You coulda spared us the feelin’s and kept it in yer head. I have a feelin’ you know more about this than Ah do that you’re not lettin’ us in on, so Ah’ll take yer word fer it.” Twilight hid her face as it burned with shame. “So, umm… Rarity, are you set to go?”

“Why of course, dear. I said I’d be ready within the hour, didn’t I? I did, didn’t I?” She added with a hushed tone.

Twilight failed to suppress a giggle. “Yes, you did. Well, if we’re ready, let’s go find Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. They should be waiting for us at the town hall.”

“Thirty minutes!” Rainbow Dash cried. “We waited for you for a whole half hour! Fluttershy said, ‘Oh, we need to move quickly because Twilight says so,’ but oh no, when I come running, you have to take your sweet time, don’t you?”

“Rainbow Dash, will you please, in the most sincere way I can possibly say this, just shut up? I’ve been spending the past two hours storming across Ponyville to find you and the rest of our friends. I thought that maybe, just maybe, finding all of you would be easy, but no. No, it’s not. It’s completely the opposite. There’s always one forsaken problem that crops up when I find each one of you, and here you are bringing yet another problem of you complaining and whining about waiting for just thirty minutes. Thirty minutes, Rainbow Dash, that’s all you’re complaining about, so please just shut up and give me one less problem to deal with.”

“I-” Rainbow Dash faltered. “Fine.”

“I-” Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m... I'm just a little frustrated right now.”

“I said it’s fine. Look, where are we gonna go, because I ain’t standing around any longer than I’ve been doing.”

The next sigh Twilight released was that of relief. “First, we need to go find Pinkie Pie. I take it that Fluttershy told you what we have to do?”

“Yeah, sure, some schmuck about some temple or whatever. I got it. I don’t get why we have to go there, but sure. Yeah.”

“Ok, good,” Twilight said. “Once we find Pinkie Pie, there’s something we need to sort out at Applejack’s farm.”

“You don’t have to. Ah did say-” Applejack blurted before being cut off.

“No, we’ll do it for you and your family Applejack. We can’t just leave you in the dust when you need us most. No, Applejack, we’re in this together. Isn’t that right, girls?” There was a brief chorus of affirmatives, and Twilight responded, “So it’s settled then. We sort out that little predicament and when we do, we move out tonight.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Tonight? Are you sure that’s such a great idea? I mean, how far are we even gonna get if we leave tonight? How long is it gonna take us to do these couple of things that you want us to do? Then you want us to leave tonight and cover barely any ground at all?”

“We’ll take a train, Rainbow. I haven’t taken a look at the map Celestia gave me, so I don’t know where we’re supposed to go. We can work that out afterwards and figure out which direction to go in. All clear?”

“Well… uhh… yeah, I guess. It’s just that… well… you know.” Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her neck with a grimace. “It’s just that… you know… the trains over here aren’t running?”

Twilight stared blankly at Rainbow Dash. “What?”

“I thought you know about it. Maintenance and all that. Been going on for two days now. You never heard about it? Please tell me you did.”

Twilight’s brow creased as her jaw fell limp. She looked at each of the other three ponies before her. “Did you know about this?” Rainbow Dash groaned and planted a hoof over her face.

Fluttershy glanced at Applejack before her eyes met with Twilight’s for the briefest moment, then strayed towards the ground. She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Wer- were we supposed to know about this? I- I’m sorry… I…” She braved another glance at Twilight and cowered beneath her scrutinising stare. She whimpered, “I didn’t know.”

Even Applejack deflated as Twilight cast her glare at the orange pony. She took her hat off and pressed it against her chest. “Ah’m sorry, Twilight. Ah never knew about it.”

Twilight spun to Rarity and jabbed a hoof in her direction. “And don’t you tell me, because I know for a fact you wouldn’t know about it.”

“Well, I never,” Rarity huffed.

Twilight stomped and, with her other foreleg, pointed at Rainbow Dash. “And you. If I happen to find out you were lying, you’re in some serious trouble. Don’t think I won’t check to see the train station myself. Now let’s go find Pinkie Pie so we can sort out this mess of Applejack’s farm and get the hay out of here.”

“Did somepony say Pinkie Pie?” A shrill voice rang out.

All five ponies jolted with a yelp – a scream, in Fluttershy’s case, before curling into a ball with her forelegs covering her head and trembled.

“Pinkie Pie, what the hay?” Twilight yelled.

“Yeah, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash cried, “What they hay were you thinking? You scared the living bejeezus out of us. Look what you did to Fluttershy!” Fluttershy peeked through a slit between her forelegs, peering at the pink, bubbly pony bouncing as though the ground was a trampoline.

“Did I surprise you?” Pinkie Pie grinned and her eyes gleamed.

“Yes,” Fluttershy whimpered, trembling as she picked herself up onto her hooves.

“I found Twilight and Spike at the library because I was following my Pinkie Sense, you see. My Pinkie Sense told me somepony was going to receive bad news, and boy let me tell you it was super humongorific bad news! Tapping hoof, twitchy tail and a number of alternating winks – left, right, left, right – all depending how bad the news is, if it’s an itty bitty teeny tiny bit of bad news or if it’s a huuuuuge deal and this one broke my Pinkie Scale!

“They both didn’t see me, so sly little Pinkie decided to sneak along with them and listen in to what they’re saying in a game of ‘try to piece together what’s happening from what Twilight says’!

“It was when I was outside Rarity’s boutique that I thought, ‘Hey! I know what sly little Pinkie can do! She’ll wait for the moment that her bestest friends in the whole wide world decide to look for her and then she’ll pounce and surprise them all!'

“Surprise!” A shower of confetti exploded around Pinkie as she leapt into the air.

Fluttershy squealed and covered her face with her forelegs.

“But Pinkie became sad because she was the last pony to find, but became happy again because she realised she can give all her bestest friends a big surprise!”

“Well… umm…” Twilight stifled a laugh with a cough. “It’s nice to have you around, Pinkie… and… I should be thanking you for making it easier on us so that we don’t have to find you ourselves. So… thank you, Pinkie.”

“Don’t be thanking me, silly. Thank the Pinkie Sense. I would never’ve found you if it weren’t for my super duper uber cool Pinkie Sense. Or maybe I would. I dunno.”

“No, Pinkie, I’m not-”

“Thank the Pinkie Sense, Twilight!” Pinkie pressed her muzzle against Twilight’s as her stare bore into the alicorn’s eyes.

“Thank you, most greatest equivocal non-being being in the whole history of ponykind. Now can we please get moving?”

Pinkie pulled away, sat on her haunches and crossed her forelegs. “The great equivocal Pinkie is satisfied.”

“Pick yourself up, Pinkie. We need to go to Sweet Apple Acres to see if we can sort out the mess in the farm.”

“Okie dokie lokie, Miss Sparkle. If you say so.” Pinkie unfurled herself and hopped behind the line of friends as they pierced through the jostling crowds of Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash hovered above them, lazily flapping her wings so as to not get ahead of her friends. Her wings itched for a swift burst of adrenaline and exertion, and her tongue was forcibly held back to not yell at her friends to hurry up.

She let her lower body fall limp, crossed her forelegs and lost her thoughts to the grand adventures of Daring Do. Not just any adventure, but the adventure that was also her own. Tears welled as she recollected the memories of fighting alongside Daring Do and the moment she first came face to face with her when Daring Do seemed to be nothing but an extraordinary, yet ordinary humble author A.K. Yearling. Her heart hollowed in the thought that she probably would never see Daring Do again due to her wanting to keep a low profile so as to not attract attention, hence her guise. It did, however, swell with pride with the thought of having been able to meet not just A.K. Yearling, but Daring Do herself. Warmth seeped throughout her body as her heart fluttered with the thought of meeting one of her idols and to be one of the very few ponies to have learned that what was thought to have been fiction was, in actuality, fact.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash shook off her nostalgia and looked down at the pony that spoke to her. “Huh?”

“Could you snap out of that little daydream of yours and watch where you’re going?”

“What do you me-”

Her speech cut off with a howl and a splutter as leaves invaded her mouth and branches scratched her face. The flapping of her wings increased considerably in pace as they succumbed to the swift burst of adrenaline while the pegasus fought against the tree that assaulted her. Her cheeks burned as Pinkie giggled at her clumsy display. A branch snapped as the pegasus writhed and tore free of the tree that had appeared to trap her in its embrace as though it had unsuccessfully tried to hug her. Twilight rolled her eyes. “I did warn you.”

Rainbow Dash responded by spitting out leaves, having her throat explode in a series of hacking coughs, gagging and rasped, “It’s in my throat. There’s a leaf in my throat.” She fell once again into a fit of coughs to dislodge the obtrusive object that scraped against the membrane of her throat, causing an irritable itch.

“Rainbow Dash, darling, are you all right?”

Rainbow Dash faced the prissy white unicorn with a downward sneer, her face creased with confusion. “Do you think I look all right?”

“You really must swallow, Rainbow. Don’t try to cough and spit it out. It’s much easier if you swallow.”

Pinkie Pie fell on her back in a fit of giggles as Twilight planted a hoof over her face and Applejack covered her face with her hat. Fluttershy diverted her attention to the sky. Spike observed the scene and his brain attempted to create a connection between what he heard and what he had seen. “I don’t geddit,” he muttered.

“I’m not going to swallow a leaf.”

“Darling, please, you can either tear your throat through your excessive coughing, or you can swallow. It’s just a leaf, after all.” Upon sight of the leaf in discussion tumble out through Rainbow Dash’s lips, she added, “Or not.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes blazed as she flew close to Twilight. “You told me you warned me, but couldn’t you warn me a little earlier like, I dunno, before we’re in the farm?”

Twilight removed her hoof from her face. “I gave you ample time, Rainbow. If you hadn’t gawked at me like you did, you wouldn’t have embarrassed yourself, now, would you?”

“Like hay you gave me ample time. I was practically in the tree by time your brain finally sparked that genius thought of ‘Oh, I should probably warn Rainbow Dash about the tree that she’s going to ram into anyway.’”

“Rainbow… I’m going to ask you a question, but first I am going to say something important. Now listen closely, because I have a feeling you wouldn’t want to miss what I have to say.

“I remember, quite distinctly, back at the town hall just moments ago – it really wasn’t that long ago at all – that you stated your desire to get moving. Now are you going to allow us to get moving or are you just going to stay here and pointlessly argue with me?”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth was hung open, and as Twilight finished her speech she muttered, “Fine.” She snapped her mouth shut and pouted as she resumed flying upright.

“Hey, Applejack? I think it’s best if you take the lead from here.”

Onwards into the farm they journeyed, and an emerald canopy embraced then with its warmth and comfort whilst also shielding them from the piercing sun.

Rainbow Dash fluttered over to Fluttershy who trailed at the back of the line, because she trailed at the back of the line. “What’s gotten over her all of a sudden?” She quietly muttered.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Twilight. How did she get so moody all of a sudden?”

“Oh, Twilight? Well, she’s always been, umm, not exactly moody, but more like short tempered?”

“Yeah, I know that, but mare, it’s like she’s got a thorn in her backside she can’t get out or something. That mare needs to learn how to chill out. She’s gonna have an aneurism sometime soon if she keeps this up.”

“Umm, Rainbow Dash? I, umm… please don’t take this the wrong way and hate me for it, but uhh… I… I think you just need to calm down yourself and tolerate her frustration for now.” Rainbow interjected with a groan. “I know you’re frustrated yourself but… you know… you need to keep quiet or else you’re going to fan the flames and make everypony upset and frustrated. You wouldn’t want that… would you?”

A growl rumbled deep in Rainbow Dash’s throat. “You know what?” Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat as she awaited the pegasus’s response. “You’re right.” Fluttershy drew a breath of relief. “It’s just… I want Twilight back, you know. I’m not in the mood to be dealin’ with Madame Morose over here.”

“I can hear you, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Rainbow Dash snapped. She turned back to Fluttershy. “Seriously, how do you deal with that thing when she’s like that?”

“Right.” Twilight halted with a stomp, causing Rarity to yelp as she bumped against her rump. “Okay, Rainbow Dash. Okay, that is it.” She turned and marched along the line to confront Rainbow Dash. “This ends now. You’ve been the thorn in my backside from the moment you whined about waiting for a measly amount of time. You haven’t even stopped your whining at all. That’s all I ever hear from you. Maybe we could all have a little sing together while you go ahead and whine in the background. That sounds delightful, doesn’t it? Sounds hilarious, doesn’t it? Because you’re nothing but a joke.”

“Uhh, Twilight? I don’t think a song will help right now.”

“Yes, you’re right, Pinkie.” Twilight pressed her muzzle against Rainbow Dash’s. “How does it make you feel?”

“Sad,” Pinkie answered.

“How does it make you feel?”

“Umm… upset?” Pinkie tried.

Rainbow Dash swatted Twilight away. “I don’t need this from you. You’ve changed, Twilight. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you know what? You’re a stuck up little pig.”

“Oh, really, Queen Rainbow Dash?” Twilight began to circle around her opponent. “And why is that? Is that what you thought of me when we first met? Was that why you pounded me into the mud like that? To give yourself a cheap, childish laugh?”

“Okay, Ah’ve been holdin’ off ’til now ‘cause Ah don’ wanna be buttin’ in on yer personal issues you have fer each other, but Ah’m saying this fer yer benefit. Could you both simmer down, like, right now?”

”I agree with Applejack. Your impertinence towards each other really must stop. I would mention that you will probably say something the both of you will regret, but I fear you already have, so there really is no point in doing so. Let’s stop this petty squabble of yours before it escalates any further, shall we?”

“I’ll only stop when Princess Self-Entitled over here stops being such a sourpuss.”

“And I’ll only stop when you finally learn about the magic of quit-whining-and-grow-a-spine!”

“Oh yeah? You think I’m spineless? That’s priceless coming from somepony that’s nothing more than a filthy worm.”

“So, what’s that now… you’ve referred to me as a pig, a cat and a worm. Is your IQ really that low that you cannot be consistent with whatever the hay you’re rambling about? Actually, it’s really not that hard to believe when I think about it. That’s why you found it so difficult to revise the history of the Wonderbolts, isn’t it? It wasn’t that much at all. A normal pony would have been able to memorise it all in a single hour, but that’s what makes you so special, isn’t it?”

“Horse apples,” Rainbow spat. “It’s not easy to focus on something so boring when you actually have a life. That’s what you thrive on, isn’t it? You’ve got nothing else to do but remember all the boring drivel that would make any ordinary pony want to gouge their eyes out with the fires of Tartarus. Oh, hey, what’s that again about not having any friends until your wittle mommy Celestia finally taught you how to make them? You’re a socially inept prat.” Rainbow Dash released a cry as she was thrust above the canopy, a velvet blanket of magic having enveloped her. She viciously kicked her legs in an attempt to break free.

“Don’t you dare speak of Princess Celestia in that manner, you putrid, respectless scum!” Twilight howled.

“Twilight, please, you need to stop right now. Don’t hurt her.” Fluttershy had held Twilight back by her foreleg, but Twilight shoved her away. Fluttershy fell to the ground and she watched Twilight’s body quake as she drew heated, strained breaths. Twilight’s forelegs were spread as though ready to pounce and her teeth were bared with saliva stringing from her lips.

She had become almost unrecognisable to Fluttershy as she succumbed to the primal part of her being, becoming contorted into an amalgam of pony and monster. And what Twilight saw… she saw the frightened little pony harassed by a group of thuggish stallions. She saw more than that, though. She saw a paralysed pony quivering uncontrollably with tears pouring down her cheeks.

Rainbow Dash screamed as the magical aura around her evaporated. She spread her wings and used the momentum of the fall to swoop and come level with the ground, pulling to a stop. She looked around at the four ponies and Spike before her and spun around in search of Twilight.

She had already gone. Only her saddlebags remained. Fluttershy, having picked herself up, shrugged off her saddlebags and gave chase.

Fluttershy had never been good at exerting herself physically, preferring instead to take everything slow and easy as they come and go, and tended to those in need whether they were her friends or the animals that lived harmoniously near her home. The same could be said about Twilight, and she knew this. She ran that thought over and over in her mind to give herself reassurance and power over her burning lungs. Her legs had become numb, but continued to stride onwards as though they had a life of their own, chasing after that purple blot in the distance.

Fluttershy received a fresh burst of vigour as the purple blot slowly grew larger. It made her push herself to gallop faster despite her frantic breaths being unable to draw in oxygen as fast as it was expended. Soon, the purple took form and Fluttershy caught up to Twilight, who was stood still and panting heavily.

“Why did you follow me?” Twilight rasped and drew in a long breath before she resumed her panting. It was as though her lungs had created a vacuum just by uttering her question. Fluttershy fell to the ground, her body wracked with feverish heat.

They remained still and silent for a few minutes, save for their heavy breathing and Twilight casting a glance at the sky, taking note of the sun’s position. She gauged that there were four hours remaining before night washed over the land and purged the light. She closed her eyes and her head slumped. Fluttershy struggled to her hooves and winced as her body threatened to collapse again. Her legs trembled, but they managed to hold her up. “You cannot run away from your problems, Twilight. I thought you knew that.”

Twilight turned and faced Fluttershy, her eyes filled with pain – both physical and emotional. “I know that, but… there’s no problem to run from because I… I am the problem, Fluttershy. I was… I was a beast.” It was Twilight’s turn to collapse as she sobbed hysterically.

“Oh, Twilight, no, you’re not a beast at all.”

“Stay away from me,” Twilight gasped as Fluttershy drew towards her. “Just… stay away from me.” Her sobs strengthened into wails as she curled into a foetal position and hid her face from the world with her forelegs.

Fluttershy wavered at Twilight’s command and tried to decide how best to comfort her friend. She continued towards Twilight, sat beside her and slipped a foreleg beneath her neck. She pulled Twilight up into her forelegs and embraced her, letting Twilight’s tears soak her shoulder. “Just let it out, Twilight,” Fluttershy murmured as she stroked and patted Twilight’s back. “Let it all out.”

“I don’t… I don’t deserve friends like you.”

“Oh, no, that’s not true at all.”

“It is. I’m a terrible pony.”

“Twilight, listen to me.” Fluttershy held Twilight at a leg’s distance. “Look at me.” Twilight opened her eyelids that she had squeezed shut and looked over Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Look at me,” Fluttershy commanded more firmly. Twilight reluctantly looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, her face distorted by the tears and made it seem as though she was beneath the ocean’s surface and Fluttershy was the one reaching out for her. “You’re a fantastic pony. Don’t let any mistakes you make cause you to think otherwise. Think of Princess Celestia. She thinks you’re fantastic too. What do her words mean to you?”

Twilight broke eye contact, sniffling. Her well of tears was beginning to dry. “What I did was unforgivable. I treated Rainbow horribly. She was being a pain, but she didn’t deserve it. I… I don’t know what I was going to do to her. That’s the worst part of it all. I don’t know if I would have hurt her or not.”

“It was a very heated argument. You weren’t thinking clearly, but you stopped yourself, didn’t you? You snapped out of your anger before things went out of control.”

“That was only because of you. I treated you cruelly and it was when I looked to you that I remembered what you said. I was hurting everypony and I was oblivious to that. If it weren’t for you, I’d… I’d…”

“You’d come to your senses, Twilight.” Twilight tried to protest, but Fluttershy didn’t allow her to get a word in. “I know you. Just think about it. You’re not the type of pony who wishes to harm others, are you? Quite the opposite. I don’t even think I was the one who stopped you in the end. It was because you realised what you were doing. You didn’t need me and you know that, don’t you?”

“I… I don’t. I can’t. I just…” Twilight broke from Fluttershy’s contact, fell to her rump and covered her eyes. “I just feel so ashamed of myself.”

“Oh, Twilight.” Fluttershy could only watch her friend weep into her hooves, wishing that somewhere in the magical land of Equestria, there was a magical combination of words that would ease Twilight’s anguish and help her to accept her moment of weakness.

She thought of the next best thing: “I’m here for you. You can talk and let everything out. Just let it all out.”

A wave of dizziness washed over Twilight as she lowered her hooves and raised her body to look into Fluttershy’s eyes. “I’m just… I’m scared, Fluttershy. I don’t know what to do. Everything is just… crumbling. I’m crumbling, and I don’t know how to stop it. I wish that everything will be all right in the end; that we can all live in peace and harmony and not have to worry about anything anymore… that everything will be just fine.

“But it never is, is it, Fluttershy? In the end, everything just crumbles to the point that nothing matters anymore; that there’s no point to fighting the monsters in the dark, because they’ll overwhelm us in the end anyway. There’s no point in life if we’re all going to die anyway. I mean, what is there after death, Fluttershy? Eternal darkness? We should have just let Nightmare Moon reign supreme in this farcical world of pastel colours and cheer because it wouldn’t make a blasted difference in the end.

“I don’t know what to do, Fluttershy. That’s why… I think that’s why I treated you all so horribly, because we’re all going to die anyway. Nothing matters in the end.

“Oh, Celestia, what am I saying?” Twilight hunched over and held her head in her hooves.

“Twilight, nothing is pointless. Deep in your heart, you know this. Isn’t that why you’re making that journey that Princess Celestia set for you?”

Twilight uncovered her face again as she set her weary, blood-engorged eyes on Fluttershy. “Because I’m scared of the end.”

“Is that it?” Fluttershy breathed. “But… why? What’s making you feel that way? What’s the purpose of the journey? You haven’t told me why we’re going on it other than Princess Celestia telling you to. Have you told anypony else about why we need to go to this temple you mentioned?”

Twilight stared at Fluttershy. The sweeping whirlwind had thrown her mentally off balance. She swallowed her resolve. “I cannot tell you. I’m sorry. I just can’t. You’ll find out when we get there, but for now I just… can’t.”

Fluttershy pulled herself to her hooves and her legs wobbled as she did so. It wasn’t a weariness due to chasing after Twilight, but it was a numbness caused by her words. “I… think I understand.”

“No!” Twilight screamed. Fluttershy staggered back as though blasted away by Twilight’s cry. She stared at Twilight with her mouth hung open. “You’re not supposed to understand at all! I shouldn’t have told you anything. How could I be so stupid?” She began to pound the ground. “I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I did that. Why couldn’t I just keep my stupid mouth shut? Why did I have to tell you that? I’m so… I’m just… so…” Her eyes flared as she raised her hoof. Fluttershy strode forward and grabbed hold of Twilight’s hoof to prevent her from striking the ground.

“Don’t beat yourself up.” Tears trickled down Fluttershy’s cheeks. “You can’t beat yourself over it. It’s okay, Twilight. I understand why you can’t tell me, and it’s fine. Truly, it is. You don’t want me to know about what’s going on. Whatever is happening, Twilight, it’s beating you up and you need to let it go. You can’t keep going like this because it’s going to destroy you. You don’t deserve that. It’s destroying me because I cannot bear seeing you like this. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and you’re a great pony. Don’t forget that. Please, don’t forget.”

Twilight’s hoof remained raised for a moment as Fluttershy let go, unable to decide what to do with itself and lowered as Fluttershy wept into her own hooves.

Twilight stood, drew herself towards Fluttershy and hugged her. Fluttershy stiffened to the contact. “Thank you,” Twilight murmured into her ear and Fluttershy’s body relaxed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let myself get this way. I don’t want to hurt my friends – ever. So… thank you. Thank you for setting me straight, and everything will be all right in the end. I promise.” Twilight broke their embrace and Fluttershy wiped her tears away before getting to her hooves.

“I… I really think we should get back right now,” Fluttershy said. “We wouldn’t want to make our friends worry any more than they have done. And just think of poor Rainbow Dash. She must be feeling so awful about what happened.”

“I doubt it,” Twilight huffed, then sighed. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

Before Fluttershy could utter a single word, a violet light surrounded them, and in a flash, they teleported. Fluttershy staggered about as gleaming green stars filled her vision and danced along her retinas.

“Hey, Twilight! Twilight! You’re back!”

Twilight turned towards the voice and saw Rainbow Dash flying towards her, waving. The rest of her friends were strolling behind Rainbow with a smile upon all faces. All but one. Spike’s.

“Twilight, am I glad to see you’re back… and, umm…” Rainbow Dash tapped her hooves together and her brow furrowed. “Look, I’m sorry about all this, you know? I haven’t had a good attitude at all today and… is there any way I can make it up to you?” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and when she opened them again, they were pleading. “I want you back, Twilight, and if there’s anything I can do for you to make everything better – anything at all – I’ll do it. I just want the real Twilight back. That’s all.”

“It’s okay. It was Fluttershy who helped me.” Fluttershy lowered her gaze and grazed the earth with her hoof. Rainbow Dash dropped her altitude in deflation. “I really do not deserve any favours from you for how I treated you. So it’s okay. I’m back.”

Rainbow Dash beamed. “It’s awesome to have you back and… I ain’t gonna complain about leaving today. I don’t understand your urgency and all that, but if you wanna have us all leave today, I ain’t gonna stand in your way.

“And… you know what I said about the train station?” She sighed and Twilight raised an eyebrow. “It’s the truth. All trains are shut down round here, so wherever we go, we have to go by hoof.” Twilight exhaled deeply. “I’m still going to have to check for myself. It’s not as though I don’t trust you. I would still want to check even if Applejack told me about it. It’s just that I have to see with my own eyes.”

“I understand and, to be honest, I don’t really blame you. But we should go now. We have work to do, remember?”

Twilight nodded and called out to the rest of her friends. Applejack took the lead and a heavy disquietude pervaded the farm while they marched together in silence.

Applejack broke the quiet as she cleared her throat. “Ah think we’re gettin’ close now. Might be a minute or two before we start seein’ the trees that are jus’ startin’ to wilt.”

It was sooner than that, they discovered, and all but three - who had already traversed the grave display of the farm - looked about them in disbelief as the farm descended into such a state that one would assume it was a setting for a horror film at first glance. Fluttershy hugged close to the group and glanced about in search of monsters dwelling within.

Rainbow whistled. “You sure got yourself a problem here, Applejack. How’d you even manage to get it to this state?”

Applejack’s mouth formed a straight slit. “That’s why Ah didn’t wanna leave mah fam’ly with this mess. Hopefully, you can understand from seein’ it fer yerself. Ah jus’ hate to be draggin’ y’all down like this, but Ah jus’ wanna sort this out before we leave, otherwise Ah may as well sing ‘It’s All Over Now, Filly Green’ to this farm forever.”

It was moments later that they were lumbering over the uprooted trees the intrusive boulder had toppled. They shrugged off their saddlebags, except for Applejack who wasn’t carrying one, as they lined around the rock.

“Is this it?” Rarity enquired. “Is this what’s playing havoc on this farm? A rock?”

“Ah really don’t know, to tell the truth. It’s the only thing Ah can put mah hoof on since it’s the centre of it all.”

“Indeed,” Rarity responded as she fell into a muse.

Pinkie released a sharp gasp. “If Maud was here, she’d turn it into rubble in no time at all.”

“But Maud isn’t here, so we need to do the best we can together,” Twilight explained. “Maybe if we had more time…”

“Look, we don’t need Maud. We can do this ourselves easily, right, everypony?” Rainbow Dash looked for confirmation from her friends. Big Macintosh was watching them and shook his head.

“I don’t know about ‘easily’, but we might be able to do it, Rainbow Dash. Might.” Twilight puffed her chest as she prepared to address all her friends, and as she spoke she felt as though she had been placed on a podium, tasked in performing a speech. “Okay, everypony. The most important thing you have to remember is that each and every one of us put in all the effort we can into this. Do I make myself clear?”

All the ponies gathered around her, as well as Spike, gave a single unified nod. Rainbow Dash held up her hoof in a salute and cried, “Yes, ma’am!”

“Applejack, do you have any spare rope? We’ll need a second one.”

“We sure have. We have plenty of spares around in case some of them end up snappin’ under all the strain.”

“Okay, good. Rainbow Dash, you’re stronger in the air than on ground, so I want you to help in providing vertical leverage. Rarity and I will help with our magic, while everypony else will pull the rope together. That also means you, Spike.

“Now, because Rainbow Dash will be in the air, she’ll have her own rope tied around her chest so she can draw as much strength from her body as well as her wings from her flying.”

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof. “Permission to speak, ma’am?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and muttered, “Permission granted.”

“Why don’t we just dig the thing out?”

Twilight faltered and glanced from Applejack to Big Macintosh, and the three of them looked awkwardly to one another.

“It’s too late for us to do that,” Twilight said as she brought her attention back to Rainbow Dash. “We simply don’t have the time for it, and we don’t know how long it will take. This rock is bigger than you think. It’s probably still bigger than I think it is. We just don’t know. If it turns out we can’t get it out when we try out my plan, we’re just going to have to leave it. We can’t be sticking around much longer.”

“Okay. I gotcha.”

“Big Mac, have you got a spare rope over there you can toss to me?”

“Eeeyup.” Big Macintosh snagged a rope with his teeth and slung it towards Twilight, who caught it with her magic.

“Okay, Rainbow, hold still while I wrap this around you.”

The pegasus obliged and held position as Twilight deftly tied the rope around her using the overly complex dread knot she had practiced thousands of times over to make sure she didn’t fumble around in an attempt to make it in times of need. She diverted her attention to the rock and tied the other end of the rope around the jutting hook that formed the groove in the rock.

“Umm… Twilight?” Fluttershy’s voice was barely any louder than the ghostly whisper of the breeze cutting through the trees. “I… I don’t think I’ll be of any help to you, so I thought, maybe, it might be best if I stand aside and keep watch over everypony. I’ll probably only be in the way otherwise.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight cried.

Fluttershy winced. “Could you please be just a bit quieter?”

“What do you mean?” Twilight hissed.

“Well, I’m not as strong as everypony else and we both know that, don’t we? That’s why you decided to have me on ground rather than flying with Rainbow Dash, isn’t it? It’s because I’m a weak flyer.”

“I… no. That’s not it at all. I thought you would feel more comfortable and confident on ground as opposed to flying alongside Rainbow Dash. I shouldn’t have assumed which you’d prefer, and I’m sorry for doing so. But we need you, Fluttershy. We have to give our all, together. We’ve been through all this before. Remember what your contribution did? Have faith in yourself.”

“I don’t know, Twilight. I just don’t think I’ll be of any help. I’m just not strong like Big Macintosh, like Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and you with your magic. I’m just… I’m not anywhere near as strong as that. I’d be in the way.”

Twilight strummed her forehooves against the boulder. When she stopped, she said, “We do this together, Fluttershy. We need you. Whatever doubts you have about yourself – and thoughts of incompetence you have about yourself – you need to let them go. You’re not incompetent. You just need something to… stir you… something to make you take action. Think of the rock as some sort of creature that’s trying to make Discord evil again. Will you do that for me? For all of us?”

“I… I can try,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Thanks, Fluttershy. Have confidence in yourself. You can do this, all right? Also, I’ll let you choose whether you want to be on ground or in the air. I won’t make the decision for you.”

Fluttershy’s gaze strayed as she fell deep in thought. “I think… I would prefer it if I’m flying. You were right: I’m not as confident in the air. I’m better on ground, but… I just want to. That’s okay with you, isn’t it?”

“That’s absolutely fine, Fluttershy. I would actually prefer it if you were helping alongside Rainbow Dash. It’ll be easier if we try to lift the rock straight up as opposed to dragging it out of a pit.

“Okay, everypony! There’s a little change of plan. Fluttershy is going to fly with Rainbow Dash to try to lessen the weight of this rock. And Big Mac, I want you to be at the end of the rope. I feel your strength is more suited there to best help build up the combined strength of the four of you. Now, could you give me another rope for Fluttershy?”

Big Macintosh plucked another rope from the ground beside him, which Twilight grabbed a hold of and secured it around Fluttershy’s chest.

“Is that okay for you?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. It’s… perfect,” Fluttershy rasped, “but it might be just a little bit too tight.”

“Oh. Sorry. Just let me loosen that for you.” Twilight quickly adjusted the knot. “Is that better?”

Fluttershy exhaled deeply and the rush of air that entered her lungs relieved her. She nodded. “Much better, thank you.”

“Okay, everypony. You know what you’re supposed to do, so let’s all get into position. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, you can both stay put for now until I tell everypony to pull. Rarity, you’ll be standing beside me over there. Let’s get moving and get this thing out today – right now.”

The three earth ponies, and dragon, settled along the rope laid on the ground and grabbed hold of it with their hooves – claws in Spikes case, and teeth in Big Macintosh’s with the end of the rope having been tied into a loop that wrapped loosely around his head. Twilight strode to where Rarity stood and turned to the rock.

“Remember, everypony, it’s now or never,” Twilight announced. “On the count of three, we all put every ounce of strength we have into this at the same time, okay?” Twilight took a deep breath. “One.” Rainbow Dash’s wings itched in anticipation. “Two.” Sweat beaded on Applejack’s forehead, and muscles tensed. “Three!”

The pegasi took flight, and their ropes quickly became taut. The unicorns’ horns blazed brightly in stark contrast to their gloomy surroundings. Their glow thrummed like a heartbeat, and they closed their eyes as they looked within themselves to bring forth their magical reserves to the tip of their horn. The boulder was covered with a shimmering sheen of white and purple, like liquid marble, wrapped around the buried surface, attempting to tear it out the ground. Big Macintosh strained against his rope, and his hooves carved grooves in the earth as he inched his way – slowly but surely – forwards. The two other earth ponies and Spike heaved against the rope and used the strength of their bodies to aid them.

Twilight gritted her teeth as her horn burned from her unwavering devotion of magic. “Come on, everypony,” She grunted, “keep pulling. We’re getting there. I can feel it.” She poured more of her magic into the task at hand, panting vigorously, and felt the boulder pop slightly from the ground like the popping of joints, and she screamed, “Pull harder everypony! It’s coming out! I can feel it! Fluttershy, remember what I said, now pull harder!”

There was a cacophony of grunts and groans while their bodies quaked as though the earth beneath them rumbled. Fluttershy grimaced from the lancing pain of lactic acid burning her wings. Sweat poured from Rainbow Dash’s forehead and traversed along her body while stinging her eyes and curling beneath her upper lip, dripping on her tongue and giving her a taste of her own salt.

The ones on ground were trembling uncontrollably as their bodies threatened to collapse. There was another pop from the rock. This time it jolted and sent Spike and the earth ponies tumbling to the ground. The aura surrounding the rock slipped and disconnected completely, evaporating in the blink of an eye. Rainbow Dash cried as she was catapulted into the sky as her rope slipped from the hook. Fluttershy looked down and her face blanched as she saw crackling grooves form around the rock like a ring of black lightning. Expanding. Growing. It crept swiftly towards her friends.

Twilight’s eyes snapped open as the ground beneath her quaked. She saw the earth crumble around the rock, threatening to consume her friends. Panic swelled within her with the velocity and ferocity of a speeding bullet, and she almost choked on her words as she howled, “Get up! Run! Get out of here! Save yourselves!”

The quaking earth jolted the fallen few from their daze and sent them scrambling to their hooves and feet as a thick, jagged crack lashed out at them. Their brains barely processed the screams tearing from Twilight’s lungs, almost drowned by the groaning earth, but her ashen face struck with terror had made them take prompt action. They sprinted from the encroaching tendrils of oblivion. Dirt exploded and showered over them as the rock appeared to grow ever larger.

Spike lagged behind the others. His little legs were unable to keep up with them. The ground collapsed beneath his feet. Twilight shrieked as he tumbled forwards and vanished behind the widening jaw of the earth.

Twilight screamed his name as her blood turned cold. Her heart felt as though it had been punctured and gripped by an iron claw. She hesitantly took a step forward.

“Twilight,” Applejack yelled, approaching her and turning her head to look behind her, “what’s goin’ on?”

Twilight didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. She stared at the rising rock, her mouth hung open. She sat on her haunches as she watched more of the length of rock pull itself out the ground. The previously exposed part was merely a fraction of the total size.

“Twilight, help me!”

Twilight stood to attention and the iron claw let go. “Spike?”

The rock broke free from its confines and Spike clung onto a thick thorn of stone at the front, his body draped along the side. “Help me!” He cried again, scrabbling with his feet to get a grip of the body of the boulder as it rose towards the sky.

A cylindrical chunk of the rock, bent at the middle, heaved itself out the pit and fell to the ground with a thunderous whomp. Another followed suit and planted itself outside the pit and straightened themselves with a crackling groan.

The ponies on ground floated their gaze upwards along with the body of the impossibly gigantic beast that stretched to display its full height. Its legs alone possessed the height of the apple trees, while the rest of its body blotted out the sky and cast an ominous shadow onto the land. Its hindquarters, still buried within the pit, dragged itself out. Its hind legs planted themselves either side of the massive, gaping hole.

Twilight’s ears flopped as she realised the thorn Spike clung onto was in fact the beast’s ear.

“It’s…” Applejack gasped. “It’s a gosh darn goliath!”

The goliath’s eyelids snapped open and its black, beady eyes focussed on the tiny beings gathered before it. Its lips slowly parted and revealed sharp pegs of stone that formed its teeth.

The world shook as the goliath’s jaws snapped open and released a bellowing cry.