Digging Deep

by Bookpony579

Chapter 4

At the mining site, Twilight and Rainbow were using their magic to prevent the mine from collapsing further, while Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy were helping the minors escape. Rainbow and Twilight were starting to tire out from the strain of holding tons of rocks up.

"Would, you mind...urg!....hurrying up?!" Rainbow groaned through gritted teeth while the others were helping a minor whose foot was trapped beneath some rocks.

"We're trying!" Rarity said just before getting him free. She and Pinking draped his arms over their shoulders and helping him to his feet. Unfortunately, just before they made it out, Twilight's and Rainbow's magic weakened, causing the whole mine to shake. Rarity quickly tossed the minor out to safety with her magic just before a giant rock fell, covering the entrance and trapping them inside.

"We're trapped!" Pinkie exclaimed. She, Rarity, and Fluttershy each tried to use their magic to pull or lift the enormous rock out of the way, to no avail.

"Our magic isn't strong enough yet!" Fluttershy despaired.

"And it's taking all of our magic just to make sure we don't get crushed!" Twilight groaned, still straining under the pressure. "Flash and Applejack should be on their way, we just have to hope they can get us out of this!"

The other girls could only reluctantly agree, and in the meantime decided to ease the burden on Rainbow and Twilight by helping to keep the mine up as well.

---

Flash and AJ arrived at the site a moment later, to find it in complete chaos.

"Ah'm here! What's going on?" She asked one of them.

"It's horrible! They managed to get all the workers out, but this big boulder came down and trapped them inside. None of us can move it, and I don't think the rescue squad isn't going to make it in time!"

Aj quickly approached the mine covered rock and started shouting. " Girls, are ya'll in there?!" She could hear a slight commotion from the other side before a voice spoke up.

"Applejack, is that you?" She immediately recognized the voice as Rarity.

"Yup. Ah'm right here!"

"Oh thank goodness! We tried to move the boulder ourselves, but it's too heavy! And besides, we have to focus all of our magic to keep ourselves from getting crushed." She could hear her and several others groan in exhaustion.

"Applejack, we can't keep this up forever! You have to try to move it yourself!" Twilight said. Applejack nodded and tried to move it with her magic, but just as the others said, it was too heavy and her magic wasn't trained enough for this.

"I don't think they can last much longer!" She heard one of the workers say.

"They'll suffocate in there!"

"Yeah, if they don't get crushed by the rubble first!"

AJ could only groan. "Ah can't do it! It's too heavy! This is all my fault, if I had my cell phone ah could've been here earlier! Or even if ah'd just gone with ya'll last night, that timberwolf wouldn't have escaped and this wouldn't have happened! Ah knew ah wasn't cut out for this!"

"What are talking about?" Flash approached her. "Of course your cut out for this!"

"He's right!" Twilight muffled voice could be heard. "Applejack in the time I've known you, your one of the bravest, strongest people I've ever met!"

"Yeah! Remember in freshman year, you managed to out-lift Bulk Bisceps!" Rainbow yelled.

"And how you were willing to protect us from Sunset's monsters?" FLuttershy popped up.

"Yeah! And how you helped me clean up after that really wild party?" Pinkie added.

"And how you helped me by being my mannequin when I needed one even though you hate fashion?" Rarity said.

"Applejack, your one of the most helpful and honest people I've ever met!" Flash said.

"He's right! And if there's anybody I know who can do this, it's you!" Twilight groaned again, as the weight was becoming too much for her and the girls.

AJ took a deep breath, absorbing what everybody just said, and put on a determined face. She pushed up her sleeves, put her hands on the boulder and started pushing as hard as she could. After a moment, her work was reaching fruition as it started to move slightly. After another, breath, she pulled again, until, to the shock and amazement of everyone, she lifted the boulder right off the ground and into the air.

The girls were stunned for a moment before realizing this was their chance to escape and did just so before the whole mine collapsed right behind them.

"Are you girls ok!?" Flash asked and went to help them up. Besides the exhaustion from the strain of using their magic on something that heavy, they weren't injured.

"Yeah we're fine." Twilight reassured him.

"Oh thank goodness ya'll are ok!" AJ said.

"Uh..AJ.." Rainbow pointed above Applejack. She looked and was surprised to see that she was still holding the boulder, and that it was as light as a feather in her arms.

"What in tarnation..!?"

"Applejack...I think you just discovered your power." Twilight said with awe.

"Oh come on! How come she gets her power first!?" Rainbow complained. She then noticed the dirty looks the others were giving before chuckling nervously, "I-I mean, way to go!"

AJ just smiled at this. She felt good for a moment until Flash's phone rang.

"Hello? Oh hey Scoots..yes I'm with the other girls...hold on." He handed the phone to Applejack. "She said Apple Bloom needs to talk to you. AJ finally put down the boulder and picked up the phone.

"Hey Apple Bloom, what going on?" As she listened, her eyes went wide and she paled a little.

"YOU"RE WHAT!?"

---

Everyone arrived at the spot where AJ led them. It was an old mine shaft, that, like the other one, was blocked off with rocks and beams. Everyone (Especially AJ, Rarity, Rainbow and Flash) felt more nervous and worried than before.

"This mine is connected with the other ones. The shockwaves must have caused this one to collapse too!" Twilight explained.

"Girls! Are ya'll alright!?" AJ said with panic in her voice. A muffled voice from inside called out.

"We're fine! But the exit's blocked!" she recognized the voice as Apple Bloom.

"Hang on girls! Ah'm a coming!" Applejack proceeded to start moving the rocks out of the way. After a few minutes, she could see them trapped behind a support beam.

"Applejack!" AB said in relief was she saw her sis. AJ lifted the beam above her head, allowing the girls to escape to the safety of their older siblings arms.

After a moment of hugs and relief of their safety, the scolding started.

"Now just what were ya'll thinking!? I told ya not to go in there!" AJ scolded.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard!?" Rarity exclaimed.

"You girls could have been seriously hurt! How could you do something so reckless!? Wait 'til mom and dad hear about this!" Flash said sternly.

The younger girls could only hang their heads in shame.

"We're really sorry. It was all my idea, but they tried to stop me." Scootaloo said sincerely.

"We promise never to do something like this ever again!" Sweetie pleaded.

"Yeah, we'll listen to you from now on!" AB promised.

AJ sighed. "Alright then. Let's head back, ah think we've all had enough excitement for one day." Everyone agreed and began heading back to the Apple family house.

On the way there, AB walked next to her sister. "By the way sis, how the heck were you able to lift all that rubble?" AJ could only smile and put an arm around her sis's shoulders.

"Well Apple Bloom, it turns out your big sis is as strong as a bull now!" She flexed her other arm for emphasis, causing a few giggles from the younger girl.

The girls stayed like that, arms around each other until they got home, where the Crusaders were promptly grounded for a month by their parents (and grandparent) for their stunt.

Author's Note:

Almost done!

Comments

[Comickook]

Again, very good job on this latest chapter. The action, exchanges, characterizations and epilogue set-up are all well done in all the right places. I particularly liked the others giving AJ that pep talk as well as the others' reactions to AJ's super-strength . Well, the important thing is that the situation is taken care of and nobody got hurt.

I am very definitely going to be looking forward to the epilogue.