Where the Clouds Move By Their Own Accord

by Church

B-sides and Rarities

I do not believe in apparitions.
I do not believe in ghouls or mystical entities.
I do not believe in Whooves’ cavalcade of scientific experiments.
I don’t believe in much at all anymore.

It was a cool spring evening, and I had just settled down to enjoy my evening cup of coffee. That’s right, evening cup of coffee. She waltzed onto the lawn, youthful and stunningly beautiful, her mane falling around her neck like a girlish necklace. There was a certain aura about the place whenever she walked in. I didn’t know how to describe it then... it was hypnotic, gallant, otherworldly. She trotted over to me and kissed me on the forehead, making my heart explode from my chest and splatter itself onto one of the trees.

“Hi, darling, what are you up to?” she whispered into my ear, her voice lingering inside my head and resonating through my veins.

“Waitin’ for the rain to come, dear. S’posed to be a big’n today.”

“Got an extra chair for me?”

I always had an extra chair for her.

“Yup. Strange you ask that.”

She smiled at me as I pulled out the second chair from underneath our oversized umbrella. She sat down in it, letting out a restful sigh and putting her hooves behind her head. I smiled, taking in the pleasant aroma of the usual lilac perfume she wore, watching her every breath escape from her lips. Her magnetic pulse lulled me into her, and I would never resist it. I would never desire to resist it. Our eyes met as she turned to me, and no words needed to be spoken. Nothing needed to be said, else we spoil the moment. It was all there in her features. It was there in her eyes. She was the first love I ever had, and I hers.

We kissed as the rain hounded the canopy, the darkened sky concealing half of her face. The sweet sensation of her touch won me over a long time beforehoof, but the invigoration I felt never faded through the years. She was angelic. She was perfect. She was everything that I had ever wanted. Two lovers, drenched by the rain that was whipped in by the wind, never once needing the world to be ideal. We had each other. Her love was more than enough to get me to endure. The thunder rolled across the heavens, echoing down across the vast expanse of marshland around us. We held each other, letting the boom ring around in our ears.

She drew back from my lips and smiled.

“Where would we be,” she asked, her eyes searching into mine, “if not here?”

I pondered it for a moment. The question she asked was obviously a silly conversation starter. I didn’t care. “Oh, probly lyin’ face down in’a ditch somewher.” I replied sarcastically. She punched me in the shoulder with her hoof.

“No, weirdo! I mean, if we hadn’t met each other? What would life be like?”

She was grinning at me, always finding me to be humorous in some estranged way. I turned out to the rain, where I saw a daisy get torn from its roots and sprung up into the air. “Hm, I stick by muh previous response.”

“Sometimes you’re impossible.” she retorted, the grin never sliding away from her lips.

Life is beautiful. Life is extraordinary. Life is diverse. I understand that now more than ever. I can only speak of it in this way, for I am one of its survivors. I am one of its endurers. Life is meant to last, but only for a little while. Love is meant to be forever, but it is also meant to break your heart. Above all, life is not personal, it is meant to be shared. You must return from whence you came eventually, thus you end up sharing your soul with the world. It’s an interesting paradox, life. One minute, you’re here, the next, you’re gone. I don’t know how else to explain it...

life is death.

The icy cold whip of life reached out and lashed at me randomly that year. It took her from me, that whip, and I have not felt a pain as intense since. Therefore, I understand. I understand the stakes and the consequences to an extent. I understand more than you, but do I fully understand? I'll never know. Is it fate? Is it what some divine being ordered? Where is she now?

I do not believe in apparitions.
I do not believe in ghouls or mystical entities.

So long as I have a heart left unmended, it will continue to break. But as I recall, the story isn't about me. It's about a poor pony and her deceased mother. It's about two young mares willing to uncover the truth, willing to find a means of understanding.

And that's where it all begins, isn't it?

The funeral is over. It has been over for years. It's time to continue the story.

o----o

“And you just opened it!?” Twilight Sparkle shouted at Rainbow Dash. “You imposed upon somepony’s grave, and thought it would be all right to just open the box?”

“I dunno... I thought that the Princess was trying to tell me something. But then I found this.” Rainbow Dash replied. She held a crumpled old letter in the air, its fragile substance crackling like firewood.

“Well, obviously! What would have happened if there were ashes in there? That’s so disrespectful!”

“How was I supposed to know that it was a grave!? You wanted to get to the bottom of this, this is how we’re doing it. So, deal.”

Twilight tilted her head to the ceiling and huffed, frustrated. She certainly saw reason in Dash’s case, but this only brought about more problems. Who in the hoof wrote this letter, er, grave? Who even replaces her mother’s death with a piece of paper? Not the Princess, that’s for sure. Twilight had read the letter several times, studying the intricate penmanship, mongering over its contents. This letter was not written by Royal quill. So, the next step was to find out whose it was.

And that was proving to be utterly confusing.

Books were heaped up in piles all around Twilight’s library, taken from their shelves to research a specific part of the letter.

“I leave my rubies in the park for a kind soul to find.

They sparkle and shimmy, shimmer and shine.

A quest awaits, and I will go forth.

If I fail, we’ll pass the torch.”

“That rhyme, it reads like some sort of clue. What do you think it means?” Twilight asked to nopony in particular, flipping through a series of books on recreational parks.

“Probably that some nice pony found some of her jewels and decided to take ‘em for safekeeping.” Dash replied nonchalantly. “Seriously, how do you hide rubies in a park?”

Twilight looked up from her book entitled “Diamonds in the Rough: A Guide to Equestria’s Most Famous State Parks” to speak directly to Dash. “You bury them. That box you dug up was most likely buried for a very long time. Now, you say that you came from some sort of grassy plain, maybe that was a park. There’s a good start. Where were you again?”

“I-,” Dash hesitated, “I, uh, don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I mean, I don’t know.”

“Then how did you get home!?”

“I don’t know.”

“HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW!?”

“Look, all I know is that I randomly picked the right way to get here. Everything else is a blur, I don’t even remember any landmarks.”

Twilight flung her hooves up into the air, her disappointment in Rainbow Dash clearly displayed on her face now. This puzzle was going to expire a lot of her precious time... a lot of it. She hadn’t even received a letter back from the Princess yet. What was so important that she couldn’t take the time from her harrowing schedule to write a simple letter?

“You know,” Twilight stated, “I haven’t even earned so much as an IOU from the Princess. What the hay is going on?”

Dash shrugged. “Still nothing?”

“No! And if I can’t send her a strongly worded letter, I’ll send her a strongly worded... me!”

Twilight stood up and paced around the room. She stepped over all of her books in her angered march, the pages could be heard crinkling up from beneath. Dash bowed her head. A Twilight in this state meant business. Any attempt at an argument= lecture. Any attempt at soothing her= lecture. Any attempt at anything= lecture. The world was such an intimidating place.

“Twilight, get a hold of yourself. Maybe the Princess has set all of this up. Then she wouldn’t need to send a letter.”

Oh, my dear, did you really just say that?

“Hmph! Some Princess that would be!” Twilight raved, “So, you’re saying that she brewed up all of this trouble so she could teach us a lesson? Oh, what tenacity! What lesson could she possibly be teaching us, Dash, the neighborly gesture of snooping around in another pony’s personal matters? No, it doesn’t make any sense, something more is ahoof.” She telekinetically lifted “National Treasures” from the floor and flung it open. “We have to keep searching. Somewhere in here, there’s an answer to this mess, and we’re gonna mop it up and wring it out to dry.”

Dash rubbed at her shoulders shamefully. By all means she averted Twilight’s provoking gaze.

“Are you going to sit there, or are you going to help me?” Twilight asked ruefully. The question was rhetorical.

Dashie laboriously dismounted from her pedestal of books and trotted over to Twilight. Her brow furrowed. How was she to help Twilight Sparkle? She didn’t know the first place to look. Books upon books were compiled on the floor, their spines bloating and cawing out their names. Dash rifled through a few of them, none of them having to do anything with rubies or parks. Then a small, sapphire book with a black ribbon revealed itself. She picked it up, read the cover, and smiled slyly. She shot a quick glance over Twilight’s way, who was lost in her search. Rainbow opened it.

Twilight heard a couple of chuckles coming from Rainbow’s direction. She looked up and sighed. “Dash, I don’t think reading a copy of Rarity’s diary qualifies as research at this juncture.” she said.

Dash rapidly closed the book. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she claimed, chucking it over her head.

A knock was suddenly heard on the front door. No, it wasn’t a knock, it was a repetitive banging noise. Twilight looked over her shoulder to the door. Who was that? Rainbow eyed her and shrugged. A loud crash was heard, where somepony was evidently attempting to bust through. Apparently door handles were too good for this stranger. The door bulged inward. Twilight backed away, Rainbow adjacent to her. A shadow was creeping its way in under the doorframe, being followed by cries of “Oh, this is so unseemly! Twilight! Are you home? Twilight?”

It was Rarity.

Rarity slashed into the room, door counterparts scattering everywhere, her horn glowing a light blue tint. Her eyes lit up as she saw Twilight and Rainbow sitting in the room, and it vanished instantly as she tripped over a book and face-planted into the floor.

“Oh, Twilight, I’m so happy to see you!” she declared from the only spot of hardwood left in the room.

“We definitely weren’t reading anything!” Twilight barked, grimacing nervously. Dash caught on, and she discretely scooted over to that sapphire book and buried it under a mountain of other texts.

“What?” Rarity implored.

“Nothing!”

There was a short pause. Rarity looked confused. “Yes, well, do you think I could ask of your help?”

Rarity’s eyes sparkled. Just like that, trouble. Help? Now? What was so important now? Twilight turned away from Rarity and leered at Rainbow. Her eyes asked “what do I do?”. Dash held her gaze and remotely shook her head no, simultaneously pointing to the letter. “I don’t know... we’re a little busy, Rarity. What is it that you need?”

Rarity scuffled over to Twilight’s hooves, trying to buy a bit of sympathy. “Oh pleasepleasepleaseplease pleeeaaaase, Twilight!” she begged, “I just don’t know what’s going on!” Her voice cracked.

Twilight lifted a hoof and reared back. “What? What is it?”

“It’s my horn!” Rarity cried. She bounced up and planted her nose into Twilight’s, her pupils narrowing in a frantic scrutiny, her hind legs getting suspended in the air. Twilight went wide-eyed as Rarity invaded her with fret. “Its been acting up all day! I don’t know what else to do!”

Twilight smiled shyly. “Ummm, what’s wrong with it?” she asked, slinking away from the frenzied white pony. She saw Dash roll her eyes to the ceiling and mutter something in her peripheral vision.

“Oh, it’s terrible! Just awful! The blasted thing has been dragging me around all day, and I don’t even know why!”

Dashie’s ears suddenly perked up. She and Twilight regarded each other with facial telepathy. They nodded as Rarity sobbed softly on the floor.

“Go on.” they said in unison.

“Yes, well, that’s about it, really. It lead me all the way here. By the way, I’m dreadfully sorry about the door.”

Dash and Twilight shared a connection of brainwaves then and there. Rarity was suddenly having troubles with her horn, hm? That’s a little curious, considering recent events. Oh, and what were they searching for again? Ah, yes-

Diamonds.

Twilight and Dash looked to each other for a short while, acknowledging that this could be a big break. Dash nodded to Twi, and Twilight turned back to Rarity.

“Don’t worry about it... sooooo, it’s just been dragging you everywhere, has it?”

“Yeeeeehehessss! Please make it stop!”

Twilight smirked and lifted her head with prowess. She trotted in a circle around the white unicorn. “I will do everything in my power to help.” she said. She paused, taking glances at Dash. “First, where has it taken you before here?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. She saw Twilight pull out a pad of paper and a quill. “Now, what does that have to do with anything?” She asked.

“Just answer the question.”

Rarity grumbled. “Well, let’s just say that I’ve spent more than my fair share of time on Sugarcube Corner today. Pinkie Pie has been there all day, babysitting the Cakes’ foals. It’s a catastrophe in there. Do you think it possible for your own horn to hate you?”

“Unlikely.” Twilight replied. She scribbled something down on her sketchpad, causing Rarity to let out breaths of anguish. “Where to next?”

“Twilight, you’re being ridiculous, could you just-”

“RARITY! This is important!”

“Fine! Do watch your tone, darling!” Rarity hollered. She fiddled with her mane a smidge, her nerve-racked mind thinking back to the events that preceeded her. “Well, do you just want the jist of it? I’ve wandered on by several houses today, getting plastered stares from all of my peers. I don’t need to go into specifics, do I? It’s been a most embarrassing matter. Anyway,” she said, wringing her hooves nervously, “I’ve really been all around town today. I don’t know what you want me to say, Twilight, I’ve been everywhere. For the most part, it’s just been Sugarcube corner. The dear place has been undergoing renovations ever since that branch came crashing down on the roof, and believe me, I’ve caught the full extent of it. How did that happen, might I ask? Has there been a storm recently?”

Dashie chortled from the other side of the room. “Ah, yeeeaaah! Hello? You didn’t hear it?” she asked.

“Oh, my apologies, Rainbow,” Rarity said, “I had completely forgotten that you were in the room. Forgive me. How was your visit to the Princess? Did you get that letter situation straightened out?”

Rarity’s eyes shined Dash’s direction, sparkling in their usual glory. Dashie looked utterly puzzled. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to find the words to verify what Rarity was speaking of. There was an awkward pause. Dash searched the floor, eyeing the books as if they’d give an appropriate response. Nothing was forthcoming. She picked her head back up, finding a fraught Twilight Sparkle silently hopping behind Rarity, her front hoof making a cutting motion across her neck. She was winking wildly. Dash crooked her head to the side.

“Uh... cool. It was cool.”

Rarity followed Dashie’s gaze behind her, where Twilight had dropped to her hooves and donned a marvelous false grin. “That’s... cool.” She said, examining Twilight skeptically. “So then, you found out what the letter was for?”

“Ummmm...”

“Let’s get back to work!” Twilight interjected. She crossed in front of Rarity and angled her head away from the couth unicorn, frowning at Rainbow Dash. “So, sugarcube corner... I could go for a treat, how bout’ yourself, Rainbow?”

“Uh, sure?” Dash stated, thinking the opposite to be true.

Rarity glowered. “You don’t truly mean...”

“Yes. It’s only logical that we investigate the whereabouts of Sugarcube Corner. I’m fairly certain that something there is making your horn go nuts. Wouldn’t you agree? I mean, I am fully within my senses, right?” Twilight cheered. She raised an eyebrow at Rarity.

Rarity reached out for the words, but they eluded her like a slippery demon.

“Then it’s settled, let’s go girls!” Twilight mused. She shot a discrete wink Dashie’s direction, and coolly made way through the gaping hole that had replaced the front door. Dash nipped at her heels, averting Rarity’s stare.

Rarity hunkered down, dejected. “Well, not only does my horn hate me, but my friends do as well.” she muttered.

The stillness of the breeze came as a bit of a shock on this particular afternoon. It had been unfathomably windy of late, roofs were adorned with sticks and leaves and lawn ornaments from, quite possibly, numerous blocks away. The houses loomed over the streets, shadowing the pavement with a ghastly feel. The outlines from them made monsters stretching across the grounds, entering the windows and doors on the other side as unwelcome guests. They overtook anypony prancing down the street, darkening their facades and transmorphing them vampiric in nature.

“Come on, Rarity, Let’s go!” Twilight called backward. Rarity was moping up the street, destitute and hung out on a line to dry. She glanced up to see Rainbow and Twilight far ahead, the shadows playing with their features, the darkness blackening their manes. Rarity blinked a few times.

“Hold on to your horseshoes! I’m still moving!” she yelled.

Twilight and Rainbow snickered to themselves out ahead. They trotted down the avenue, taking in the sights of the damages, laughing rudely, though it wasn’t meant in that way. Ponies cleaning up the messes beamed their glares in the pairs direction, though they failed to faze the two. It wasn’t as if they cared, anyway. The pair tried to appear apologetic, but that, too, was failed miserably, as the grins never washed away from their faces. Their exuberance was comically followed by Rarity’s gloom, looking displaced in her pursuit. The street was a three pony parade of polar opposites.

“And then she went SHOOOOM!” Twilight Sparkle one-lined, finishing up her story about the thing in the place about that one time.

Seriously, I have no idea what she was talking about.

Dash roared with laughter, stupefied by the story, though she had absolutely no idea what in Equestria it was about either. They were both high on laughter. Their giddying cries riveted the streets, causing many a pony to take a gander out the window. They spotted the purple unicorn and the blue pegasus stumble up the avenue, shrieking with joy, not a care in the world, it seemed. The start of the conversation had been forgotten a long time ago. What were they even laughing about? They didn’t have time to think about it. Suddenly-

SSSHOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!

The breeze picked up, flipping the two ponies’ manes forward into their faces, slamming the shutters on the windows closed.

“Heeeeeeelllllllppppp!” was the cry heard somewhere off in the distance.

NOTE: regarding the breeze-

Uh... Rarity?

Rainbow and Twilight were in a dead-sprint. Rarity was rocketing by everything, flashing across the map in a mind-numbing blur. She passed Sugarcube Corner without a hitch.

“Oh, tha-a-nk C-Celesss-t-ia.” she humored, girating across the ground.

Rarity made it to the edge of town quickly, disengaging from Twilight and Rainbow with ease. The two ponies giving chase were aware of the situation. Rarity was becoming a gnat sized speck in the distance in a hurry. They raced for it with all of their might, but the gap was not going to close. They were falling behind. They certainly didn’t want to lose her.

“Are you going to be okay on your own?” Rainbow Dash asked of Twilight, huffing and puffing with her down the street.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. Go out ahead, we’ll meet up.”

Dash nodded her head in approval and took off into the air. She flapped her wings into shifting gears, smoothly and effortlessly, preparing to make a go. Then, she was shot out of a cannon, her small frame shooting off in blaring speed. The sudden acceleration sent shockwaves through Twilight’s body, tickling her senses in hair-raising excite. The pegasus with the rainbow colored mane was a small blurb in the distance almost immediately.

Whenever Dash ranted on about flying, she never once exaggerated it. She did truly love the sport, for without it, she didn’t know where she would be. Her life could very well consist of only flying. This is what she lived for. This is what, emotively speaking, moved her. And, as Dash barreled down the street, she was reminded of it once more. The wind was streaking through her mane, whipping it backward. She was moving so fast it was near the point of assimilation. The grin on her face stretched from ear to ear, in part from the incredible amount of G-force she was zipping through, the other from her joy. Houses passed by like splotches of paint, their shadows shifting forward as the pegasus spirited along.

As the saying goes- ten seconds. Flat.

Dash was closing the gap on Rarity speedily, her pleas for help becoming more distinct as Dash went. There was an overwhelming sense of deja vu culminating from the depths of Dashie’s memory, this situation must have played itself out before. She raced. She did what she was born to do. Her belly was inches from scraping its way along the ground as she dragged down the strip. Rarity’s whimpers were now within earshot even, as the white pony was fast approaching an upcoming bridge.

“Hold on Rarity! I’m coming!” Dash yelled. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, urging herself to move faster still.

“Hold on to what?” Rarity stated, her voice very close to Dash’s ears.

Dash opened her eyes. “What?”

Dash slung past. Rarity had abruptly stopped at the base of the bridge, and Dash had failed to notice.

“Rainbow! Look out for the-” Rarity started. She winced as Dash whacked headlong into a street-post, “...thing... whoops.”

NOTE: regarding concussions-

Nurse Redheart was going to make A LOT of money in the near future from her studies on Rainbow Dash.

Dash slid down the pole, her face making screeching noises as she fell to the grass. She hit the ground with a thud. She didn’t make any sudden movements.

“Ow.”

Dashie sat with her face fused into the pole. Her head throbbed. Her brain ached. She had an unscratchable itch biting into her back. This day needed to end, and it wasn’t half-way over yet. Rarity galloped over. The extravagant white unicorn stood over Dash, not unlike a zoo creature, unsure of how to best approach the situation. She struggled with herself. She attempted to be of assistance. It began with-

“Um... Rainbow Dash?”

and when Dash didn’t respond, it ended with her prodding at Dashie’s side.

“Rainbow?”

Dash whipped her eyes open and sat up. She flailed her front hooves around. “I’m fine, Rarity! Stop touching me!”

Rarity jumped back. “I’m sorry Rainbow, I was only trying to help.” she said. She flipped her ears down adamantly.

“Some help you are.” Dash replied, crossing her hooves over her chest.

Rarity glided backward a bit to give Dash some space. Well, actually to give herself some space. She stifled some unappreciative words with a few short breaths and nullified her anger by counting to ten. No, twelve. No... eighteen. Her nose scrunched up and she avoided Rainbow by checking out the scenery around her.

Heh, that mare was always my favorite.

Oh, shoot, storyteller... right.

Dash sourly turned away and looked to the bridge, expecting to find Twilight Sparkle trotting over it, easing her way into the scene. That’s not what she saw. Instead, Twilight Sparkle was inching her way over the bridge like a worm, one struggling to get out of the way before it became dinner for a sweet little birdie. Her front legs had entirely failed her, her hind legs shoved her across the ground slowly to the center of Rarity and RD. Dash raised an eyebrow. Twilight scuffled over to them, where she collapsed, her tongue exhaustively protruding from her mouth.

“Not... running... ever... again...” she wheezed. Her head lolled off to the side as she stared blankly into oblivion.

“Dear, you could have just teleported, couldn’t you have?” Rarity asked.

Twilight looked up.

She looked at Rarity as if she were some sort of transcendent alien bug.

She pulled her eyes as far to the back of her head as she could get and drove her face into the ground, hurt by her own thoughtlessness.

“Uuuuggghhhh! How could I be so stupid!” she cried.

Twilight threw a sluggish fit on the ground at her displeasure. She bashed her hooves into the ground in a tiring montage of punches and kicks, wearing herself down more than she had before. It didn’t last long. Her hits became weaker and weaker as her lament tired her out completely. Dash and Rarity looked at her weirdly.

“Twilight.” Dash stated, urging Twilight to get up and realize the situation.

She didn’t respond.

“Twilight.” Dash reiterated.

“Whhhhhaaaaattt?” Twilight croaked out, her face still buried in the ground.

“We’ve stopped.”

There was a pause as Twilight still lay despondent on the pavement. Dash rolled her eyes. Rarity blinked warily. Twilight’s state of comatose couldn’t last, no matter if she wanted it to.

“So we have.” Twilight mustered out. She picked her head up uneasily and set her thoughts straight. Dash and Rarity were looking at her, their faces showing displeasure. She fixed her eyes on the maddened unicorn. “How do you feel Rarity?”

Rarity went wide-eyed. “How do you think I feel? I’ve been dragged around all day on countless endeavors to nowhere! Obviously you won’t be able to fix it now, so I don’t know who will!” Rarity replied with a hint of anger. It quickly disappeared with another thought. “Oh, dear CELESTIA! How will I finish my work!?”

Rarity trotted up and down in place in a convulsive panic. She spit out incomprehensible mumbles of worry and fret as Twilight and Rainbow looked on disdainfully. Rarity was her usual self again. Rainbow and Twilight let out a unanimous sigh. Suddenly, the trail had gone cold. Dash and Twilight were lost again.

“That’s it.” Twilight stated, getting to all fours painfully. Dash offered her a hoof to help as Rarity worked herself up on the other side of the road. Twilight shot Rarity a meaningless glare. “I’m going to Canterlot.”

“What?” Dash asked. “Now?”

“What other options do we have, Rainbow?” Twilight inquired. She searched into Dashie’s eyes for something.

Dash didn’t respond. She swerved her eyes away from Twilight’s.

“That’s what I thought.”

Twilight looked through Rainbow to see Rarity one last time before sending off. She was still sputtering like a broken dishwasher.That was more than enough for Twilight to reason herself into leaving.

“I’ll make my visit to the princess short and sweet. I don’t know the timeframe in which we have to work, but I also don’t see us making it anywhere soon without that chat.”

Dash still didn’t say anything. Twilight Sparkle always formulated the plans, and she always formulated the most reasonable solutions. Dash knew there was no valid argument there.

Twilight leaned into Dashie’s ear. “I’m terribly sorry I’m leaving you with her.” she whispered gently, regarding Rarity.

“Huh?” Dash uttered, her eyes going wide.

Twilight leaned back from Dashie’s face. She smiled sweetly. Her horn started to produce a faint glow, an energy mustered up from the last remnants of Twilight’s endurance.

“Oh no you don’t!” Dash shouted, hurling herself at the purple unicorn, her hooves outstretched to grasp hold of her.

Twilight disappeared in strenuous magic before Dash could grab her. Dashie thunked to the ground, her hooves still outstretched, her eyes still wide. They narrowed. She stared at her empty hooves in disbelief. The word “reason” didn’t stick in her mind as much as the word “abandon” did anymore.

Dash blinked a few times. Her eyes twitched. Twilight wasn’t there. Twilight had left her with a disillusioned unicorn, who was angry and confused, and now at an impasse with the blue pegasus. Dash slowly twisted her head around, not overly anxious to see Rarity bore into her now that Twilight wasn’t around. Her head stopped when it fixed itself on the perky unicorn. Rarity stared back impassively.

“Twilight’s gone?” Rarity queried.

Dash nodded her head dismissively.

Rarity looked around. She sucked in a deep breath. “Well,” she said, “I was going to let it slide, Rainbow, but your manners have hardly been amiable today. I believe you owe an apology to me.” Rarity lifted her head proudly and awaited a response. “Say you’re sorry.”

Dash planted her head into the pavement. She closed her eyes and sobbed quietly.

“Well?” Rarity provocated. Her grin was on the verge of being mischievous.

“I’m sorry...” Rainbow said, so quietly it was nearly to herself.

“What was that?” Rarity asked with absolution.

“I’m sorry!” Dash yelled.

“For what?”

“Are you serious?”

“For what, Rainbow?” Rarity put a hoof to her ear.

“For being rude! Er, something, I don’t know!” Dashie exclaimed in frustration.

Rarity smiled. She put her hoof back down and trotted back from whence they came in an overeager fashion, her pride reaching into her and stemming out in great serendipity. “Apology accepted. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” she whinnied. “Now, since I’m sure you’ve nothing more to do, I was wondering if you’d be so kind as to help me with my recent commission. It’s been consuming all of my time of late, and I’m afraid that I just won’t get done on time. These random spurts of magic are certainly not helping.-”

Rarity chattered on obliviously, not caring to notice Rainbow Dash repeatedly throwing her head into the pavement. A lofty breeze whistled its way through Dashie’s head, shrouding her thoughts, cradling her in an annoying casket. Rarity’s words never stopped. They riddled her brain, capsizing it like a fishing boat caught in a hurricane. Dash got dizzy.

“Rainbow?”

Rarity’s voice surged through her head.

“Rainbow?”

“Stop it!”

“Rainbow Dash!”

“Ggrrrrrgh!”

“Get off the ground!”

Dash stabbed at her head, trying to get the words to ooze out.

“RAINBOW!”

“WHAT!? WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?” she screamed, rolling over and opening her eyes.

“I WANT YOUR HOOFIN’ HELP!” Rarity hollered in her actual voice. She was elegantly floating down the roadway, her horn faintly illuminated,drifting the white unicorn down the avenue. It certainly didn't take long for her horn to start up again, and excellent timing now that Twilight had left. Rarity frowned. She didn’t fight it. She didn’t resist. She was sickened by the ridiculous errands she’s been running (or floating), and this situation was going to play itself out now or, kidding aside, she would resort to cutting off the insipid thing melded to her head.

“Oh.” Dash uttered, sitting upright.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Rarity commanded, but the edge was lost in her voice now.

Dash bolted back to her senses and spun back to her hooves. Rarity was moving at a much slower rate than before, as if her horn had suddenly discarded its intensity. She was now floating peacefully onward. Dash grinned impoverishly, easily catching up to the capitulated unicorn, excited that Rarity wasn’t yet done. Somewhere deep inside, Dash had told herself that this would all work out. Somewhere deep, deep, deep inside.

“Ugh, when we get done here...” Rarity trailed off, turning away from Dash’s benevolent smile.

Dash tagged along behind Rarity, in no rush, pleasantly thinking to herself and leaving Rarity to her own. Nopony impeded upon their path as Rarity escorted them to the edge of town, acting as a surrogate. The buildings were disappearing, trees and wildlife taking their place. The smooth pavement of the road was replaced by rough gravel. Birds and an assortment of other creatures serenaded the scenery, their charming chirps echoing from tree to tree. It was reminiscent of the walk to Sweet Apple Acres, only from the other side of town. The sun was high in the afternoon sky, with a pair of normal clouds providing a shady protection over the two ponies for the time being. Dash was, for the first time in a long time, fully relaxed.

The two said nothing to each other as they fled cross country. Rarity was in a full on pout, and Dash was comfortable with leaving her undisturbed. Their two minds were kept to themselves. This was as close to harmonious as it was going to get. Rarity busied herself fretting over her unfulfilled orders, going over her this and that. Dashie’s mind was completely elsewhere, totally layed back as the trek was about to come to an end. Things were now so simple again. So... simple? Too simple. Dash started to think about it. No! No! Don’t think about it! Happy place! Happy place!

Too late.

“Ergh!”

The seeds of doubt were planted.

Dash started to dig into it deeper.

What if Rarity’s horn was just “acting up”, and there was nothing more to it?

What if this just led to a dead end?

Or worse-

What if this led to a never-end?

They could be following this trail for the rest of their lives, and not a clue as to why.

Dash eyed Rarity, who was a few paces in front of her. Was the trail going to be like this trip? never ending?

No.

Dash shook her head, reminding herself to keep faith.

Even a labyrinth of clues ended somewhere.

Rarity lazily drifted along the ground, scuffing up her hooves badly. This was a poor day for the white mare indeed. She let out a long, hollow breath, trying not to think about her dear hooves. There was always a way to fix things. She promised herself a manicure right after this unnerving venture. After all, she deserved it.

The trees were growing sparse now as they made their way to the very outside of town. The gravel road sprouted weeds spaciously divided about it. Dash looked on anxiously.

A dead end?

No, no, not a dead end!

Dash willed Rarity to find a solution soon, because this wait was going to make her explode.

Note: to Rainbow Dash-

wish granted.

In a sudden motion, Rarity’s body jerked sideways, tearing her off-course. She crossed out into the grasses, heading into the hillsides.

“Waauugh!” she shrieked at the sudden shift in direction.

Dash smiled, keeping hold of her invisible leash and also crossing into the grasses. She mulled over Rarity’s shaky disposition, thinking this to be a bit unfair. Rarity didn’t know what was going on. Should she tell her? Apparently Twilight didn’t want anypony to know. But why? Dash fought it. Ultimately, Twilight’s wishes were Twilight’s wishes.

The two ponies sauntered over the hills, Rarity leading the way. The cool grasses brought a soothing sensation to her burning hooves. Thank goodness for the detour from the gravel. She calmed herself slightly as they swept along, taking her deep breaths and recounting her numbing rituals. One... two... three...

Rarity went on counting for quite a while. Dash still followed, content to leave the poor mare be. Rarity counted to approximately eighty-eight. She counted approximately eighty-eight paces across the ground. She had effectively produced a zen vibe, even Dash felt it. The strangling rope connecting them earlier was coming untied. The poison that lingered in the air was dispersing. Rarity decided to dip her hooves in to test the waters. She felt encouraged to speak.

“Rainbow, h-how,” she cleared her throat, “how are you doing back there?”

Dash blinked. “I’m fine, Rarity. Yourself?”

Rarity’s eyes watched herself float along through the grass. “I’m doing... great.”

There was a pause. They kept rolling over the country-side.

“Rainbow,” Rarity said, breaking the silence, “I- I’d like to apologize if I’m being a bother. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” she shied away from Rainbow’s gaze.

Dash looked to the ground. “I’m sorry too, Rarity, we were both kinda out of line. No harm done.”

Rarity sighed out in relief. “Oh, thank Celestia! I certainly didn’t want us to be at each others necks for the rest of the day. Especially seeing as how... um... well this is how we might spend the rest of it.” she crooked her neck back to look at Dash.

“Yeah.” Dash stated coolly, meeting Rarity’s glittering eyes.

“Could you imagine? What a rough day that would be! Not that this day hasn’t been rough on its own, but still-”

Dash looked past Rarity and scanned the path ahead.

“-this would be much more difficult in retrospect.”

“Uh, Rarity?” Dash tried to interrupt.

“Hold on, let me finish-”

Dash shook her head. “No, Rarity.” Dash said, pointing to the front.

“What?” Rarity asked, turning around. Her eyes went wide. She let out a muffled squeak. Her nose plowed into the trunk of a great tree.

Rarity rubbed her nose, ceasing the pain. She looked up at the great willow they had run into, its branches extending out with incredible reach, hugging the two into it with a warm welcome. It stood out like a sore thumb, being the only tree within sight. That aside, it was a magnificent spectacle; dwarfing the two ponies, its frame big enough to be Twilight’s summer getaway house. The leaves wavered though there was no breeze, their golden hues gleaming in the sunlight. The canopy was breathtaking, it blackened out most of the sun, leaving the ground below it caught in a midday twilight.

How did they not notice that from a mile away?

The two ponies looked at each other, astounded. Rarity realized she was able to move by her own free will.

“So, are they here?” Dash asked, verting her eyes back and forth, searching the ground.

Rarity checked her surroundings. Her horn fizzled out, never having turned itself away from the tree. “Are what here?” she countered.

“Oh, nothing, nothing.” Dash glanced up at the canopy, avoiding a situation. “What have you found?”

“I-I,” Rarity hesitated, “I don’t know.” she said, scanning the tree.

“So nothing’s here?” Dash asked hopelessly.

“No... it’s just-”

Dashie’s eyes rekindled with a spark of hope. “Just what?”

“Rainbow, my horn has been all sorts of cuckoo today and I don’t think-”

“They’re in the tree, aren’t they?”

Rarity stopped with her mouth in mid-sentence. She said nothing more.

“Great, where am I gonna find an axe?” Dash questioned herself, searching the ground around her for some sort of sharp object.

“You don’t honestly believe that there are diamonds in the tree, do you?” Rarity asked, shocked by Dashie’s peculiar behavior.

“I’ll believe just about anything right now.” Dash replied.

“What are you talking about!?”

Dash didn’t answer. She kept perusing the dirt, expecting a hatchet or a saw to reveal itself.

“Rainbow!”

“WHAT!?” Dash responded, striking her hoof into the tree trunk.

Some of the bark crumbled away from the blow.

The tree was eroding.

Dash felt it in her hooves.

“What the-?”

Rainbow punched at the tree some more. The same thing happened each time, the bark would gradually give way to each strike.

Dashie’s eyes lit up.

“Rarity! Your gem finding spell! Focus it on the tree!”

Rarity was totally lost. “Then will you tell me what’s going on?” she asked. Regardless, she did what she was told.

Rarity closed in on the mysterious tree and enchanted her horn, this time by her own power. It glowed a magical blue, close to being the only source of light there. She scanned the bark up and down before coming to rest on a section close to where Dash was digging.

“There, there.” Rarity said, gesturing to the spot.

Dash shoved Rarity out of the way and dug in fiercely.

She scraped

and scratched

and sifted

and hollowed out

and bit

and shook

and scratched some more.

They were in there.

Dash could see them.

They were glimmering, defying the lack of light by shining on their own.

They were there.

Dash reached in.

She grimaced, pulling on them with all her might.

She needed them.

They were being stubborn.

She needed them.

Dash tugged.

They were coming loose.

They were loosening in their foundations.

Just one more big heave and-

“Well, I’ve never seen anything like them!” Rarity exclaimed, eyeing the glittering rubies with fascination. “These are marvelous!”

Dash sat up from where she had flung herself down and looked at Rarity. “Just the rubies? Isn’t there something more?” she asked. She burrowed into the recently dug hole in the bark, searching for that something else.

“More?” Rarity pondered, never parting her gaze from the rubies. “Why would there be more? These rubies are soooooo rare, what more could you need?”

Dash halted her search through the tree. “Rare?”

Rarity’s voice was trembling. “Oh, yes. If I’m not mistaken, and I don’t know how I could be, these are fire rubies.” Rarity paused to let it soak in. “And they can only be found in one part of Equestria!”

“Really?” Dash asked, lowering her hooves from the trunk of the tree.

“Mmhm.”

Dashie glanced around anxiously. “Well... where?”

Rarity finally looked up from the rubies, the glimmer in her eyes spiriting away with them. She studied Dash as if she were coming in from afar, as if she had not been here long. She smiled. Her eyes brightened up, joyed to see Rainbow Dash taking an interest in the matter. “Rainbow,” she said with a trill in her voice, “these magnificent rubies can only be found in the badlands just north of Appleloosa!”

Comments

[bookplayer]

At some point you have to reveal what part of this is genius and what part is madness. I will read until I've found you out!

[Church]

661273 Bear with me here, I have to figure out where I'm going with it. I will reveal everything in due time (or at least I hope so...). But yes, for the first few chapters, it is Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle finding clues about the mysterious funeral pony. If you have any questions about the story so far, or are truly confused about something and I can answer it without revealing anything too soon in the story feel free to ask!

[bookplayer]

663563
Nothing I won't find out in due time, I think. The one I'm most curious about is whether the narrator of the story is a character or a Lemony Narrator (Warning for link to TV tropes.) If you're just being Lemony I find it amusing (love a good Lemony Narrator), but part of me is thinking that Celestia or someone is telling the story.

Other then that, It's mostly the random-ness of events that feels very post-modern. It reminds me of what I've heard about things like Lost or Carnivale or Inception (but, you know, funny). Since you tagged with random I'm hoping you're going for something like that, and your writing is very good so I'm willing to follow it.

I do occasionally notice some typos or wrong word choices, just so you know. I can point them out if you like, but they never bother me much.

[Church]

663850 Yes, the narrator is probably the weirdest aspect of it all, and I can see where that's confusing. I do, however, know where I'm going with that one (secret). And yes, about the typos and wrong word choices: since I am the one who proofreads, I try to go into my story and sort them all out. Then, I will read back through and find some of those mistakes (mostly word choices) and just go "well, shoot". Never really feel like changing it... I say it adds character (Lies!)

[bookplayer]

667258

That's my proofreading method too! Like I said, it doesn't bother me. (Hint: Never edit while you're in the queue. I believe that it doesn't like that.)

Also, I posted to my blog about this story, it hasn't gotten nearly the attention it deserves. I only have a few people watching me, but I hope it helps a little!

[Church]

667373 Yes, I do not edit mid-story... (since the first chapter )

And gee, thanks for the recognition! I'm glad that you like the story so far, and I pray I don't disappoint.
(Also, I swear I've seen your stories somewhere before, and I'll have to look into them!)
Thanks again!

[Twifight Sparkill]

I'm here because of bookplayer's recommendations, and I'm liking this weirdness!

You're up!