Waterfall Canyon
Well, here it is. Mount Sombra. Twilight swallowed hard as she took in the mountain before her.
"That's supposed to be easy?" She questioned the others in the car with her. "I think you all are giving me too much credit."
The four of them climbed out. Sunset pulled Twilight to her as she leaned against the car. While Pinkie and Cheese grabbed their bags.
"Don't worry Twilight, you've got this!" Pinkie exclaimed. "If you get tired along the way I brought my super special trail mix." She rummaged inside her backpack.
"Oh? What makes it so special?" Twilight asked.
Pinkie walked closer and leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "It's mostly M&M's."
Twilight looked at the bag of what appeared to be a variety of different M&M types with a smattering of peanuts. Twilight reached into the offered bag and took a small handful with a chuckle.
"Thank you Pinkie. This certainly will give me a boost in energy from the sugar if I need it."
"Just looking out for my friends." Pinkie winked and tossed a blue candy into the air, only to have it snatched mid-fall by Cheese.
She glowered at him, but the look soon broke into a smile. Sunset hugged Twilight's waist as her girlfriend waved at the car filled with the rest of their friends. The first sound that came from the car was Rainbow shouting about fashion not mattering.
"What does the way my shoes look have to do with getting up the mountain?" Rainbow asked.
"Very little, but don't you want to look good in any pictures we take? It's not just the shoes, it's about the entire ensemble, darling."
Rainbow groaned. "I don't care about looking good, I care about getting to the waterfall! These shoes are perfectly broken in and not that old. Why wouldn't I wear them?"
"Because they don't match your outfit!" Rarity said. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. The shoes are fine, but you should have paired your outfit better."
"How long has this been going on?" Sunset asked Applejack.
"Since they've known each other I'd reckon." She chuckled. "Oh, you mean today? Since Rainbow got in the car and Rarity got a good look at her shoes."
They all laughed at the two old friends argument before they came to an agreement and the tension melted away.
"Nobody forgot anything right? We don't need to run any last minute errands?" Rainbow asked as she joined the others.
"Ah don't think so sugarcube." She pulled Rainbow close and kissed her cheek. "Y'all ready to get started? Ah think this'n is fit to burst if we don't leave soon."
"Let's get to it!" Cheese cheered.
After collecting their backpacks the group started their trek. Sunset wasn't lying when she said the beginning of the hike was tough. They were only fifteen minutes in and Twilight already felt her leg muscles strain with every step of the steep incline. She did her best to keep up with everyone, but found herself continually falling behind. Sunset slowed her pace whenever she felt Twilight slowing down. After Twilight caught her breath this most recent time, Sunset gave Twilight's hand an encouraging squeeze and told her she was doing great. This helped, but Twilight couldn't help but feel like she was holding everyone back.
On a particularly steep part of the trail, Sunset noticed Twilight was breathing a little heavy. She called ahead to the others to wait for a second. She handed Twilight a water bottle and ran ahead, returning shortly after.
"What's up?" Twilight asked when Sunset sat next to her on the rock she'd selected.
"I told them to go ahead and we'll meet them at this little bridge up the path a bit."
Twilight chewed her cheek. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a fun activity that we could all do together, but I'm too slow."
Sunset pulled her to her and kissed the top of her head. "It's fine babe. We're all out here doing this and I want you to be able to enjoy yourself too. That's why I sent them ahead. So you can take it at your own pace without feeling pressured."
"But what if Rainbow gets mad? This was really important to her."
"Rainbow will be fine. She just wants to get to the waterfall quickly. I'm more in the mindset of taking in the scenery." She motioned to the area around them and the view of the city below.
Twilight pulled Sunset into a kiss. "Thank you."
Sunset waved the comment away with a smile and stood up. "Wanna start again?"
Twilight pondered for a moment. "How long is the hike?"
"If I remember correctly it's two and a half, to three hours round trip. Depending on breaks
Twilight nodded and took her extended hand. "I think I can manage that."
"Look on the bright side. Coming down will be so much easier." She smiled.
"You make good points." Twilight chuckled.
The two of them walked forward with newfound vigor. Upon rounding the next bend they found Rarity and Fluttershy in a shaded spot.
"What are you two doing here?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, Rainbow Dash found a spot she wanted to climb up to, which sparked a contest between her and Applejack." Rarity told them. "Then, Pinkie and Cheese decided to join in. I was not about to chip my nails climbing up there."
"I stayed because I didn't want to fall." Fluttershy chimed in.
Just then, Twilight felt something wet drop onto her head from above. She yelped and looked up at the rocky outcropping above them. Rainbow Dash was smiling and laughing down at them with a water bottle in one hand.
"You looked like you needed to cool off!" She called down good-naturedly.
"Jokes on you! I actually did need that!" Twilight called back with a smile. "Are you almost done up there?"
"Yeah, we just wanna get a few more pictures. We'll meet you at the bridge." Pinkie Pie said.
"See you there!" Fluttershy responded.
The four of them made their way up the trail. As they did, Twilight took note of the more gradual incline. She breathed a sigh of relief. A few minutes later and they were waiting on a bridge over a rapidly moving stream.
"It's beautiful up here." Twilight said as she sipped her water and took in the trees and the expanse of green below.
"It's even prettier at night." Fluttershy mused. "The city lights look like little stars."
"You took this trail at night?" Twilight asked incredulously.
"Only once. My parents are big into outdoor activities and took me and my brother on a night hike with them a few years back. It was scary but fun! Even Zephyr didn't complain... too much."
They laughed at Fluttershy's joke and continued talking while they waited for the others. A few minutes later, Pinkie Pie was jogging in their direction with a wide grin on her face. Her three companions followed shortly behind her. After a short break to rehydrate the group pressed onward.
Twilight held Sunset's hand as they walked the trail up the mountain. The incline wasn't as steep and Twilight found her mind wandering now that she wasn't as focused on the discomfort of her legs. She reflected on where she was at the beginning of the school year. A new school with no friends, convinced she would be spending the year by herself.
She glanced around at her friends until her gaze landed on Sunset, who smiled widely at her.
"What's up?" Sunset asked.
Twilight hugged Sunset's arm and laid her head on her shoulder with a smile. "Nothing, just thinking."
Sunset kissed Twilight's forehead. "You're cute when you think."
As they walked, a shady grotto of trees loomed ahead. At this point they had been walking for nearly an hour. Rainbow cheerily announced that they were halfway to the top. Another bridge over a stream greeted the group as they entered the wooded area. They decided to break for lunch and unpacked the food they had brought with them.
Twilight removed her shoes and socks and sat down on the bridge. She let her feet dangle down into the stream and sighed as the cool water ran over them. Sunset soon joined her and let her own bare feet join Twilight's in the water.
"Mind if I sit here?" Sunset asked.
"By all means." Twilight smiled. "This has been really fun!"
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I was worried after that first stretch that you were miserable."
"I won't say I didn't consider turning back and waiting for you all at the car." Twilight admitted. "I'm glad I pressed on though. This has been a great experience!"
Sunset kissed Twilight's cheek before trying to splash her by kicking her feet in the water. Twilight giggled and retaliated with a bigger splash before they called a truce in order to finish lunch. While they ate, a couple with a dog passed through on their way back down the mountain. Fluttershy immediately asked to pet the rowdy pup, and was soon followed by the rest.
With their energy refreshed with food and pure unfiltered dog cuteness, the eight of them started back up the trail. They stayed close together this time, helping each other when it was needed. Twilight was helping Pinkie up over a rocky patch when she heard Rarity yell.
"Oh no! No, no, no! This is just dreadful!"
Applejack jogged back to meet with her. "What happened! Is anybody hurt?"
"I scuffed my nail! Fluttershy and I spent so much time on them." Rarity whined.
Applejack ran her hand over her face. "At least nobody's hurt. Why'd you paint 'em in the first place? You knew we'd be usin' our hands to climb."
"Did you not hear my debate with your girlfriend? For pictures darling! My entire ensemble was precisely picked for optimal picture taking."
"Rarity, ah don't think anyone will know you scuffed your nail in the photos." Applejack sighed.
"I'll know." Rarity pouted.
"It's okay Rarity, I understand what you're saying." Fluttershy interjected. "We worked hard on these nails. I'm sorry yours got scuffed."
Fluttershy kissed Rarity's fingertips which caused her to smile. She then ran her nail over a nearby rock, scratching the same nail on her own hand that Rarity had scuffed. Rarity looked about ready to faint before Fluttershy kissed her cheek.
"There, now we match." Fluttershy smiled.
"But darling, why would you..." Rarity trailed off.
"Because the nails themselves weren't important to me silly. I loved spending time with you and doing something you love to do."
Rarity beamed at her, then took Fluttershy's hand in her own and trekked forward. "Well, are the rest of you coming? We haven't got all day."
Her friends followed after, rolling their eyes playfully after their dramatic friend. The trees grew more dense as they hiked higher, providing plenty of shade. Sunset helped Twilight up and over a boulder on the path.
"Just a little more. You can kinda see the waterfall from here." Sunset pointed up the mountain, where the cascading water could be seen through a gap between two pine trees.
Seeing the end goal renewed Twilight's energy and she excitedly pulled Sunset ahead by the hand. The rest of the hike became more rocky, with large rocks needing to be scaled to make progress. A few minutes later they came upon the landing where the waterfall splashed down.
Twilight let out a whoop and raised her arms above her head. "We did it! It's so pretty up here!"
"And chilly! Good call on telling us to bring jackets Sunset!" Pinkie Pie said.
Sunset smiled at her curly haired friend. "Can't have my friends catching colds so close to the end of school."
Pinkie giggled and took her phone out to snap a picture with Cheese. The others followed suit before finding rocks to sit in and take a breather. Twilight held Sunset's hand and looked around at her surroundings. The waterfall was raining down heavily due to the melting snow higher up. Twilight congratulated herself for making it to the top, pride filling her chest at the accomplishment.
Soon they all gathered around a boulder and situated themselves on and around it while Rarity set her phone on a rock to take group pictures. Once they took enough to satisfy Rarity, they all milled about the rocky area. Twilight picked up a handful of small stones and stood near the pool formed by the waterfall. She tossed a few into the center and watched the water splash up. Memories rising up of going to the lake when she was younger, Shining Armor tricking her into believing the splashes were fish and she just missed them jumping out of the water.
"What'cha doin' sugarcube?" Applejack's southern drawl brought Twilight back.
"Hey AJ, not much, just tossing stones."
"Mind if ah join ya?"
"Not at all!"
The two friends continued throwing stones, eventually trying to skip them over the quickly flowing water. Twilight glanced sideways at her friend. The blonde haired girl let out a cheer when she got a stone to skip three times.
"Good one Applejack!"
"Thanks sugarcube. Mah siblings and I go to the lake and skip stones durin' the summer. So not to brag or nothin' but ah'm pretty good." She smirked good naturedly.
"My brother and I used to do the same thing. I never really got the hang of it though. I remember one time he got one almost all the way across. Granted, it was the thinnest part of the lake, but it was still impressive."
Applejack chuckled. "Big Mac always liked tryin' to skip bigger and bigger rocks. Mostly they just made bigger splashes though."
Twilight chuckled. "Speaking of summer, do you have any big plans for over the break?"
"Other than a family reunion in the middle, not much. Ah'm just excited for the break. How 'bout yourself?"
"My parents have talked about a little road trip, and Sunset wants to try to take me to meet her mom too."
"Sounds like those'll be fun for ya."
"I think so too." Twilight smiled. After a brief lull in conversation Twilight turned to face her friend. "Hey AJ... thanks for being there for me this year."
"What do ya mean?"
"Just that I really appreciate you being so supportive while I was figuring out my feelings for Sunset. You lending an ear meant more than you'll ever know."
Applejack blushed at the earnestness of her friend's gratitude. "No need to thank me Twilight. I was happy I could be there for ya. I remember going through what you were an' I wish I woulda had someone to talk to. Woulda made it a whole lot easier to tell Rainbow how I felt. Speakin' of, where is that girl?"
They were looking around the area when some movement caught Twilight's eye. She looked up to see rainbow colored hair scaling the side of the cliff up toward the waterfall.
"Rainbow Dash! What in tarnation d'you think you're doin'!" Applejack shouted.
This got everyone else's attention. They all stared up at their friend. Fluttershy gasped and covered her mouth, Pinkie and Cheese looked on in awe while the others watched with concern. Applejack made her way toward the wall Rainbow was climbing.
"Get down here before you hurt yourself!"
"I'll be fine!" Rainbow called down. "Now stop distracting me or I won't be!"
Sunset walked up behind Twilight and held her waist. "I didn't even know she snuck up there. She's a dang ninja when she wants to be."
"I know, it's crazy since she's usually so loud!" Twilight joked uneasily.
They all watched her climb. She was methodical and took her time before each move. Sunset hugged Twilight a little closer.
"You want to climb up too don't you?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, but I'm not nearly as sure of myself without gear as our rainbow-haired friend." Sunset chuckled.
"I don't think anyone is as sure of themselves as our rainbow-haired friend." Twilight replied.
A couple minutes later, Rainbow was cheering from the top of the cliff next to the waterfall. They all took the opportunity to snap a picture of their adventurous friend. Applejack couldn't help but smile, even though it was clear she was upset with her.
Rainbow eventually carefully made her way down, and was greeted by a quick whack to her backside.
"Ow! Hey, not so rough, we didn't come up with a safe word." She joked, trying to ease the anger in her girlfriend.
Applejack looked at Rainbow. "That was real dumb. What if you'd fallen and hurt yourself? Or worse!"
"Come on Applejack, I was fine. I climb stuff all the time." She boasted.
Applejack glared sternly at Rainbow Dash before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Could you at least give me a heads up next time you're gonna scare me half to death?"
"Deal."
The two embraced and laughed, letting the others know the tension was over. Shortly after, they decided to start packing it in and heading back down. Twilight wanted to get one last look at the view from their vantage point and stood atop a particularly large flat rock. She felt hands wrap around her waist and a chin rest on her shoulder. She smiled and turned her head to kiss Sunset's lips. The two stood like that for a moment before Sunset broke the silence.
"It sure is beautiful up here."
"It really is. Thank you for putting this outing together. I really enjoyed myself."
"I did too."
"Time to add this to the list of firsts you've been a part of."
"I'm more than happy to be a part of that list." Sunset smiled.
Twilight sighed happily. "What a year."
"You can say that again."
"Do you think next year will be the same?"
"I'll try to add in some more twists and turns for you. Maybe I'll get framed for murder."
"You better think of something. Everybody knows that's the reason I started dating you. I'm all about that drama." Twilight played along.
"That's why I hired Adagio to bully me. I had to keep your interest somehow."
"I would be so angry if that was true!" Twilight said.
"Way to break the bit babe." Sunset laughed. "That would be insane if that's what was going on."
"It would make for a good story for a crappy movie though."
"I'd watch it." The two locked eyes. "Seriously though Twilight, this year was a roller coaster, and not always in a good way, but you made it easier. Thank you."
Twilight pulled Sunset in for a kiss. "I'm glad I could take that ride with you. What do you think next year has in store for us?
"I don't know, but as long as I have you and the girls I'm sure we can handle it."
They kissed once more, letting the world disappear around them as they fell deeper into it. They were brought back when Rainbow Dash called out to them from down the path.
"Hey! You two coming? You can make out later where it's warm!"
"Yeah, we're coming!" Sunset called back, blushing profusely. "You ready?"
Twilight nodded and took Sunset's hand. She talked excitedly with her friends as they made their way down the mountain. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew as long as she had her friends, she was ready for anything.
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Amazing and loved this story!!!!
Admittedly, it was some serious sacharin in some parts. I felt they needed some drama to shake things up and maaaaan did they ever. Ultimately very enjoyable.
Amazing story, I loved it.
10539372
I believe so. It’s a party or gathering :)
10545765
It’s actually a date I went on in high school! It was so much fun!
After a month of reading this I finally finished it, and boy it was great I'd rate I a solid 10 out of 10 one of the best sciset stories I've read.
Oofity
Oh rarity
I feel the same about them since I'm not a big fan of hikes too.
God damn it Rarity, that is not an emergency
It's more important than the nails.
This story sure was great the second time in the row.
This was cute! Admittedly, the first parts feel a little stilted at times, but this is a quality I actually grew to appreciate as I read on. The longer the story went on, the better the writing became. The pacing was a little inconsistent throughout, but it was never enough to truly hinder my enjoyment. Lots of cute fluffy moments and charming interactions, and I do especially love how there are so many lesbians.
Thank you for sharing this. This left me with a gentle melancholy upon finishing, which very distinctly marks how invested I was. Good work.