Into the Deep

by TwilightSparkle484

Chapter 8: The End of a Journey

I opened my eyes groggily, flinching as a spike of pain reverberated throughout my skull. I closed my eyes and was filled with a sense of déjà vu, vaguely remembering myself experiencing the same struggle against consciousness some time ago. I was left to make sense of the world around me in the dark. The ground was cool against my back and I could hear the trickling of water from somewhere nearby.

I struggled to remember what I had done last, or where I even was for that matter. My memories were fuzzy, my pounding headache not making it any easier to clear the haze around them.

“Spike?” I heard the sound from somewhere above me. The voice was amplified by the new speakers in my head.

“Uggghhh…. stop yelling … please.”

A laugh. “I’m not yelling, Spike.”

I began to recognize the voice as Applejack’s. I cracked open an eye, fearful of being assaulted by pain again. Relieved to find that I was being spared for the moment, I blinked to clear away the blurriness obstructing my view.

Applejack was smiling down at me, a first-aid kit in hoof. “I was wondering when you’d come to.”

“Huh?”

Slowly, she helped me sit up, being careful not to jostle my head.

“You were out for a good few hours. At least two or three. I’ve been patchin’ your head up for some time now. Was beginnin’ to think I’d run out of bandages.”

“Oh,” I mumbled, “Oh, oh! Right! My concussion…”

“Yeah. You all right, there, fella?”

Gingerly, I placed a hand on my head, grimacing as I examined the steady throbbing, pulsating incessantly like a heartbeat.

“I … think so. What were we doing earlier?” I gazed up at her, frowning.

She blinked. “Uh, you snuck away from our campsite, came out here to the river, then said some downright crazy stuff about how beautiful it was. Then, we got attacked by some spirit thing and you, uh…. Well, I’m not too sure what you did.” She scratched her head, which was now devoid of her hat.

It was my turn to blink, but I didn’t have to wait long for the gears to begin turning in my head.

“Right, right! The Anchor!”

“The what, now?”

“The Anchor,” I reiterated, smiling at the farmer. “It’s this magical artifact shaped like an orb. I found it when we demolished that giant boulder in the tunnels. Bale the Brave used it to banish Souse – uh, the spirit – over a thousand years ago. It somehow rolled its way over here.” I shrugged. “I guess we were just lucky enough to find it.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Uh, okay… And how do you know all that?”

“Honestly, I don’t even know. Just … somehow, I feel like this was all meant to be. It’s as if the Anchor purposefully caught my attention back there, knowing we’d need it to potentially save the world again. I think this was destined to happen. It – it chose me, somehow, to wield it during a great time of need. At first, I was unsure of whether that was really true, but the more I thought about how I knew exactly how to use it … about how it was calling out to me … it all made sense.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Huh. Well, that’s – strange … is the only way I can put it. I guess we already learned logic is pointless though, right?” She smiled, giving me a wink.

“Right.” I smiled back, the pain in my skull dissipating somewhat.

“Whatever you did do, I’m mighty proud of you Spike,” she said, clapping me on the back. “I was beginning to lose some faith, honestly. My tools and strength can only do so much, and I wanted to do everything I could to protect you.” A distant look came over her. “…Funny how it was you who protected me in the end.”

“Maybe,” I said, shaking my head. “But I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. Going on the trip with you in the first place was what helped me use it the way I did. You gave me confidence, something I’ve been lacking a lot over the past 24 hours.”

“Aw, shucks. Well, I’m glad you were able to pull us through.”

“Me too. I can’t imagine what would have happened if we didn’t have the Anchor with us.” I shuddered, trying to dispel the various scenarios my mind had disobediently conjured. “Uh, what do we do now, though?”

“Well…” she began, trailing off as her eyes scanned the room. “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. I just started figurin’ out that map yesterday. I’m thinkin’ we should try to get out of here as fast as possible.”

“Agreed,” I said, nodding vigorously, before grimacing and wrapping my arms around me head.

“Told you we should have gone home earlier,” Applejack sighed, shaking her head without a trace of pain. Lucky. “I’m worried about you. I’m not sure you can make it much farther in your condition. You need a doctor, faster than Granny Smith can whip up an apple crisp.”

“I guess you’re right…. But that doesn’t change what we have to deal with now. We’re not going to get a doctor here, and there’s no way we’re heading back to the mouth now. We’ve gotta keep going the way we were going last night. I know we’re close to the exit, I can feel it.”

She frowned, scrutinizing my bandages. Eventually, she seemingly gave up on whatever she was debating about, succumbing to a sigh and another shake of her head.

“Fair point. Let’s get a move on.”

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“Where’s your hat?” I pointed to her exposed head.

She looked up at the bare spot, her eyes crossing in the process. “Darn…”

I chuckled at her antics.

“Must’ve lost it in the fray,” she admitted. Her eyes scanned the bare chamber, but her characteristic hat was nowhere to be seen.

I followed her eyes’ movement. “Where do you think it could be?”

She strolled forward, grunting. “Dunno. Hope we don’t have to spend too long looking for it though.”

“Me neither…”

We spent the next ten minutes – far longer than either of us would have liked – searching the area. We looked high and low, from the stalactites to the stalagmites, but there was no sign of it anywhere. I was beginning to think the hunt was a lost cause, although I didn’t want to disappoint Applejack … not when her hat meant so much to her.

It’s not like she would listen to me anyway. That mare’s more stubborn than a pack of mules.

I spotted her on the other side of the river, scouring the space for the brown accessory which was bound to be hidden somewhere among the brown rocks. She came to a sudden stop, bending over to peer at something I couldn’t see.

“Did you find something, Applejack?”

“Yep, found it.”

I flew over to her, relief washing over me. That sense of reassurance only lasted until I saw precisely where the hat was. It laid – wet and wrinkled – alongside a rock, half of it submerged beneath the water. Said water still sparkled mischievously, the sight making me nauseous as unpleasant memories came flooding back.

“Wonder how it got all the way over here…,” Applejack muttered before stooping again to pick it up with her mouth.

“Wait, wait. Stop.”

“What, Spike?” Her tone was one of exasperation. I winced, knowing I’d already made her hesitate enough times on this journey.

I pointed at the hat. “It’s touching the water. See? Remember what happened the last time you got wet?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow for a moment, seemingly confused, before shuddering as the memory surfaced. “Th-that’s gotta be different though. I fell in last time. I’m sure the effects won’t be the same if I’m just touchin’ it for a bit.”

“But you won’t be ‘touching it for a bit’ if you wear it. It’s soaked, Applejack. It’s essentially the same as sticking your head in the river for a few hours.”

The farmer shook her head. “You’re just bein’ paranoid. Everything’ll be fine. Trust me, alright?”

“How can you say that though?! You’re taking a risk that we don’t need to take! Not after everything we’ve been through!”

“Spike! I said just trust me!”

The fire in her eyes halted my reply. I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat, resigning to a reluctant nod.

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Sorry…”

“No, it’s okay,” I said, my voice lacking the zeal it had had mere moments before. My back thumped against a pillar; my hands clasped in front of me. “You’re just trying to keep me from worrying. … I’m sorry for doubting you.”

Applejack smiled, albeit the gesture was strained. She placed a firm hoof on my shoulder. “How ‘bout we get a move on now, huh?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

With that, we gathered the remainder of our things – my backpack, the first aid kit, and all our other supplies which AJ had hauled back from our overnight campsite while I was unconscious – and departed through the aperture that had been blocked during our battle with Souse.

---

The walk was painfully silent. The only audible noises were the scurrying of creatures throughout the cave, the dripping of water from stalactites, and the clacking of our hooves and claws against the stone floor. Scratch. Drip. Clack. Scratch. Drip. Clack. The stillness of our voices only amplified these sounds, creating a maddening cacophony of continuous noise that threatened to swallow my mind.

The silence reminded me of how I’d made an unjust point about Applejack’s storytelling the day before. I audaciously elected not to tell her about a stalactite before she bumped into it, using her ramblings as an excuse for my ill behavior. I winced as I remembered the painful period of silence my actions had caused, a silence that was not unlike this one. That silence was coupled with feelings of self-doubt and self-reproach. Just hours ago, those feelings and insecurities were only a reminder of the never-ending war of confidence being waged in my mind.

But that war was over. I ended it the moment I accepted that I was worthy of being Spike – a conqueror, an achiever, and a hero.

And since I wasn’t the same dragon I was yesterday, I intended to do something about the déjà vu-like silence, even if it meant Applejack wouldn’t be too happy about what I had to say.

“Applejack, hear me out.”

She sighed, ducking below a low overhang. “What now?”

“I know you love your hat – a lot – and I’m not trying to offend you or anything,” I said slowly, holding my palms up in a placating gesture, “but…”

“But what?” She frowned.

I exhaled. “But I don’t think you should be wearing it. Like I said before, we don’t know what sort of effects it’ll have. Even if nothing happens, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m not saying we should ditch it or anything like that, but maybe – maybe let’s leave it in your saddlebags for a while, at least until it’s dry.”

Applejack pondered over my words, visibly tossing and turning them around in her head while continuing to maneuver through the cave’s never-ending obstacle course. I waited patiently for a response, looking up at her while fiddling with my headlamp. As if on cue, it promptly flickered before sputtering out.

Her frown deepened.

“That leaves us with only yours,” I gestured to the light source affixed to her head, “and the flashlight.”

She must have noticed my solemn mood, as she was quick to surrender her stubborn ways.

She sighed, hanging her head low. “I’m sorry, Spike. I just … caught carried away – again. You’re absolutely right. There ain’t much of a good reason for me to wearing it.”

“Don’t feel bad.” I patted her on the shoulder. “You’re just – uh, firm in your beliefs.”

“I like being right, Spike. Everyone does. But I guess when ya ignore others’ ideas, your ideas end up losing their truth. Then you just end up makin’ a fool of yourself rather than a rational argument.”

I laughed, imagining Twilight during some of her academic debates. “You’re not wrong.”

She removed her hat gingerly, as if it would fall apart if she handled it the wrong way. “Suppose I won’t have anythin’ to keep my head warm now.”

“Really? A wet hat kept your head warm?”

Applejack grunted. “You know what I mean.”

“I don’t. I really don’t.”

She snorted, placing the hat in a designated spot in her saddlebags while simultaneously pulling the map out once again.

“I’m not too sure how we go on from here.”

I readjusted the load on my back. “Really? We were moving just fine before I stopped us.”

“See, there’s this fork, a dip, and then some sort of tunnel. But before all that we should’ve seen this here boulder first. Actually, there’s two. One right about where we’re standing.” She pointed to the spot on the map. “And one a little ways back. About 30 or so yards from where we camped yesterday.”

“Okay, and?” I scratched my head.

“Well, that’s just it. We should’ve seen the first one already, and I don’t see the second anywhere ‘round here. ‘Cause we didn’t see ‘em, I’m not sure if we took the right passage after dinner.”

I deflated. “Seriously? Dinner?! We could be way off course then!”

“I know,” she resigned. “I’m positive it looked like the right way.” She held the map directly above her headlamp. “I mean just look at those bends. I’m sure we walked through those. That’s why I didn’t bring up anything ‘till now.”

“So, why haven’t we seen those boulders?” I asked, more to myself than Applejack. I was perplexed. Surely, they hadn’t just disappeared.

“Boulders, you say?” A new voice called.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, my heart racing as my eyes searched frantically for the sound’s owner.

From around the corner a teal glow appeared, followed by a purple and similarly teal colored mane. The full pony soon emerged from the shadows, revealing herself to be none other than Starlight Glimmer.

“Starlight?” I said, scratching my head.

“And THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!”

“Trixie, what did I tell you?! We have to be quiet down here. There are bats, remember?”

Trixie shuddered. “Yes, Trixie knows that. But she doesn’t appreciate not being recognized.”

“Well, we didn’t know either of you were here,” Applejack reasoned, stepping closer. “What in tarnation are y’all doing anyway?”

“Exploring,” Starlight said, smiling. “What else? We heard about the new cave and thought it’d be something fun we could do together.”

“Although it’s been more exhausting than fun, if you ask me,” Trixie sighed, tugging a stray strand of hair from her rugged mane.

“Yeah, we’ve had some … difficulties,” Starlight coughed into her hoof, “namely bats. But, how has your adventure been?”

Applejack and I shared a glance. “It’s been a trip, that’s for sure.”

“Rockslide, near-drowning experience, hypothermia, bats too….” I list things off my claws. “Oh! You didn’t happen to see a great big, aquatic spirit thingy, did you?” I asked.

Trixie blinked. “Say what now?”

“Yeah, they didn’t see it,” Applejack deadpanned.

“Long story,” I said, dismissing their confused looks with a wave of my hand. “I’ll tell you later.”

“The main problem we’ve had is getting lost.” Applejack hoofed Starlight the map. “Haven’t been able to make too much sense of this here map. Thought we were making some progress recently, but we seem to have missed two boulders.”

Starlight scanned the map briefly. “Hmm. We were just on that route a little while ago and we didn’t see any boulders.”

“For Celestia’s sake, whoever drew these maps needs to be fired and relearn geography,” Trixie said, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, they’re quite the deception trick,” Starlight commented, giving the map back to Applejack. “Lucky for us, I was able to trace the way out last night.” Starlight produced a map of her own, accentuated with pink-colored pencil markings.

I got a closer look. “No way!”

Applejack was just as dumbfounded. “How--?”

“Excellent maze-solving skills and some echolocation magic. Wasn’t too difficult.”

Trixie snorted. “Says the pony who stayed up all night muttering to herself while doing it.”

“You shush.”

Applejack chuckled. “All right, we better get a move on then. Shall we? I reckon neither of y’all want to be in this cave any longer than Spike and I do.”

“Not a chance,” Trixie assented.

“Everypony,” Starlight smiled in my direction, “and dragon, follow me. We should be out of here within an hour or two.”

With that, we strutted out of the passageway we had inadvertently communed in, our steps in tune with the water dripping from the stalactites.

---

We walked for roughly a little over an hour, enjoying idle conversation, a late breakfast, and intervals of comfortable silence. Starlight’s map was faring us well so far, something Applejack and I took relief in.

Before long, we came to a wall of writing engraved in rock, not unlike the runes we had seen earlier on our journey.

“Look, Applejack. The runes! There’s more!” I exclaimed, pointing at the strange drawings. However, this time, there was only one distinguishable pattern. It sat in the middle of the wall, larger and bolder than the smaller scribblings around it.

“You’re right, Spike. There they are again. Y’all come across these?” She asked Starlight, who was beside her.

She shook her head. “I didn’t see them anywhere. Trixie?”

“Nnhm.” She too shook head to indicate that she had not.

“That’s strange.” Applejack raised her eyebrow. “We passed a whole hallway of them. Guess the cave’s bigger than we thought.”

Trixie outstretched a hoof to gently feel one of the runes grooves. “Gah, it’s cold!”

A second later, it and the runes around it lit up in a deep, shimmering blue. Steadily, they grew brighter and brighter. All of a sudden, a rumble could be heard beneath our hooves and claws.

“W-what’s that?” I asked, backing away from the writing. I wasn’t sure if I wanted the answer.

A crack with the same glow formed in the ground and wound its way around Applejack, Starlight, and Trixie’s hooves. Instantly, the floor gave way, and the trio of ponies was plunged a few feet beneath the ground. They screamed in unison and fell with resounding thuds. I missed the plummet by only mere inches, my claws not very far away at all from the gaping hole in the ground.

I hovered above them, my wings flapping anxiously. “Guys?” I couldn’t see through the dust that filled the pit. After an eternity, the cloud settled and dispersed, revealing three battered and bruised ponies in a heap at the bottom.

Applejack endured a brief coughing fit. “We’re … alright … Spike. Don’t you … come … down here, now. Can’t … let you get … hurt.”

I remained where I was, hovering in uncertainty.

“Here, I’ll teleport us out,” Starlight proposed, already charging her horn. In the same moment, a layer of sparkling blue ice formed over the hole, nullifying both her spell and the spell-casting device on her forehead. “What the hay?”

I finally recognized the hue of the ice and the glow. “It’s Souse’s magic!” I exclaimed, balling my fists. “I thought we got rid of him.”

The ice began thickening by the second.

“Oh, no,” I breathed.

Applejack rubbed her temples. “He said he’s got spells from a thousand years ago, Spike. Just cause we got rid of him doesn’t mean we got rid of his magic.”

“It’s residual magic,” Starlight elaborated, staring hopelessly at the thickening ice between us. “Remnants of spells previously cast. Typically, when it’s magic left over from so long ago it’s easy to override, but this seems to be stronger than even my magic.” To prove her point, Starlight tried igniting her horn again, to no effect.

We watched the ice crackle and spark, the surface and its intricate lines growing deeper and bolder.

Applejack exhaled. “Spike, I hate to put you in this position again, but … this is up to you. And whatever you’ve got to do, we believe in you.” She smiled faintly.

“I agree, Applejack,” Trixie said, nodding vigorously. “But, uh, try to hurry? I don’t think there’s enough air down here.” She gagged dramatically.

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Spike, I think this has something to do with the runes Trixie touched. Fly over and inspect them.”

“Roger that.” I saluted and quickly went to have a look at the graphics.

They were still glowing, but the aura around the larger runes in the center was more prominent. Anxiously, I looked back at the hole my friends were encased in. The ice was still growing denser and wasn’t showing any signs of easing up. I gulped. Applejack was right: This was up to me.

All right, Spike. Think. Thinking. Thinking… Thinking of this as a riddle? Yes, a riddle! Or a code. Just have to decode the code, the way Applejack and I were trying to do yesterday.

I concentrated on the runes in front of me, being careful not to touch them and join the trap my friends found themselves in. The ones in the middle stand out: The first prominent rune is of a pony, one of very basic shape and mane-style. The second rune featured a steep cliff. The third a pair of colossal mountains with a river in between, the water fierce and turbulent. The fourth rune mirrored the second, except the cliff was backwards so that it was facing left instead of right.

Pony. Cliff. Canyon. Cliff. What could it mean? How are they all connected??

I tried to imagine all of the runes combined in one big picture.

Pony. Cliff. Canyon. Cliff.

Pony – Cliff – Canyon – Cliff

Pony on a cliff over a canyon under another cliff…

I slumped against the cold writing on the wall. It didn’t make sense. It should make sense though: I could feel something inside me telling me it had to make sense; that it did indeed make sense.

“Spike!” AJ’s muffled voice came from beneath the ice. “You ought ’a hurry! Please…!”

I growled out of frustration. “I’m trying! I’m trying!” I felt my breath quickening and tears threatening to leak out of my eyes.

I suddenly remembered what I was leaning against and jumped back, visions of myself plummeting further below ground filling my head. To my relief, nothing happened to my body. But the wall changed. With a twinkle of magic, the image of a pony morphed into one of a small dragon … much like myself. My mouth made an “O” in surprise, and all at once, everything made sense.

I put myself in the position the graphic pony was once in. At such a high altitude, I had to cross over the canyon to get to the other side of the mountain. Seemingly impossible considering the size of the river flowing through, but if one used their resources and…

“Believe…” I whispered, a small smile spreading on my face. “I believe in myself.”

I turned away from the runes and faced Blue Moon River, the pit of ice, and the world that was supposedly beyond the cave walls.

“I BELIEVE IN MYSELF,” I said with enough conviction to melt even Souse’s glare.

A glow of magic surrounded the hole, making the ice evaporated. The same aura of magic also lifted Applejack, Starlight, and Trixie back to the cave floor. Each of them exhaled a sigh of relief – or inhaled a few lungfuls of air – and directed their happy faces toward me. I ran to Applejack, enveloping her in a bone-crunching hug.

She ruffled the spines on my head. “I knew you could do it, buddy,” she laughed.

“Yeah, me too, actually.”

“Really, now?” She smirked.

“Mmhm. Just needed a reminder.” I smiled back.

Starlight trotted up my side and joined the hug, and eventually, reeled Trixie in with her magic as well.

“I am so glad you worked it out, Spike. We’re so proud of you.” She gave me a squeeze. “As always.”

“Yes, thank you, Spike. Trixie appreciates not dying.”

Starlight gave her a look.

“What?” Her companion deadpanned.

Starlight cleared her throat and unfurled the map again. “I say we put all this behind us and focus on getting out as soon as possible. We’re almost there. Think of this as a sprint.”

“Finally,” Applejack sighed. She had the appearance of a weary mother in need of a break.

“Gotcha,” I agreed.

We made our way toward the next hallway.

“But when you say a sprint how much time do you mean?” I asked.

“Mmm, maybe an hour or so?”

“Celestia, help us,” Trixie groaned.

Author's Note:

Almost there

Comments

[Scyphi]

“Honestly, I don’t even know. Just … somehow, I feel like this was all meant to be."

Predestination!

I was beginning to think the hunt was a lost cause, although I didn’t want to disappoint Applejack … not when her hat meant so much to her.

That's okay--it's not like she doesn't have spares or anything.
static.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/b/b1/Hats_and_bows_about_to_fall_down_S4E17.png/revision/latest?cb=20140310105756

[TwilightSparkle484]

11262558
Hey, I bet she's attached to each and every one of them.