Price

by Havoc

Unsound Plan

Spike and Tank swept up the last of the books and debris. Or rather, Spike swept. Tank dropped the book he'd picked up five minutes ago in its rightful place.

The door was blown off its hinges and three fillies came screaming into the library. Spike barely raised an eyebrow at this. The door was nothing more than collection of splinters anyways and he'd figured his day needed some crisis to happen. And happen it did.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER DISASTER RELIEF AND CLEAN UP CREW! YAAAAY!"

Ever since Sweetie Bell's parents had come to Ponyville to lend a hoof in the rebuilding effort, Spike had figured the chaotic trio would come barging down his door.

"Hey girls."

"ARE YOU IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE?"

Scootaloo stepped on top of a carefully arranged pile of books which shifted under her weight.

"We'll clean up your house! Err... library!"

Applebloom jumped up on the same book pile and it started to lean over to the shelves Spike had just finished arranging. His eye twitched involuntarily.

"We'll get you anything you need!

Sweetie Bell jumped up on her friends. Forming a pony pyramid and sealing the fate of the tower.

"And... and yeah! What they said! Whoa!"

The pile of books lurched over like a sickening stack of so many hours of work. It crashed into the shelves and the trio was buried under the ensuing avalanche of literature.

Spike's nostrils started to spark and shoot smoke and flame. He cast his arms to the sky and his cry was heard over all of Ponyville.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Celestia frowned as her carriage sailed over the town.

That voice sounded familiar.

She directed her pegasus guards to fly her to the town's library where she would inquire Twilight's faithful friend, Spike, on the whereabouts of the stone she'd sent them.

She stepped off the carriage and noted the shattered remains of the door. She could hear a soft whimpering inside and three voices speaking in consoling tones.

"We're awfully sorry, Spike, we'll help you clean up."

Applebloom put a hoof on the small dragon's shoulder as he knelt next to the pile of books before him.

All he could say was, "The horror... the horror..."

Celestia crossed the threshold and cleared her throat. The three fillies in the room disentangled themselves from the pile and pled forgiveness.

"Princess Celestia! We didn't mean it! We swear!"

Celestia suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"Why does every pony always think I am judging them constantly? Spike, I need your help in... Spike?"

He paid her no attention and simply stared at the mess in front of him.

Celestia this time couldn't resist and as she rolled her eyes the books on the floor arranged themselves neatly and slid onto the shelves. Spike could only watch in amazement as his work was done for him in an instant.

His reaction was not the one Celestia was expecting.

"CAN TWILIGHT SPARKLE DO THAT SPELL?!"

"What are you talking about?"

Spike's eyes were lit by green flames as he advanced on the Princess.

"CAN TWILIGHT SPARKLE... DO THAT SPELL?!"

"Yes of course. It was one of the first spells she mastered. You know how she is with books."

Spike eye twitched violently and she could hear him mumbling under his breath in harsh tones.

"Spike, where is the stone I sent you two?"

Spike pointed over his shoulder to the stone which was embedded in the wall. Celestia walked over and tried to levitate it out. Failing, she pursed her lips and ripped it out of the wall with her teeth.

Spike didn't even notice the loud thump and the Princess hopping up and down on the spot cursing and holding up her foreleg. He was too busy reviewing all the years he'd known Twilight and every time she'd asked him to clean up. The world would know the meaning of vengeance when she got back.

Celestia inspected the stone which now lay on a table in front of her. It was just past sunset and she was looking forward to getting some sleep after the day's events. It was never easy sending ponies into harm's way, but she did it anyway because that was sometimes the price to be paid.

She thought back to who had taught her in the first place how to rule. Lucien would come by the house when she and Luna were fillies often to teach. He would always have a smile on his face and be quick with a joke. It seemed like he could never be serious.

As they'd gotten older he'd changed along with them. He taught them magic, what the concepts of duty and responsibility were, what it meant to be immortal. Luna and her would be dragged along on some adventure that always seemed to embody the lesson he was trying to teach, like generosity or kindness. She didn't realize it at the time but now she knew those lessons were so perfect because he'd been able to plan everything, down to the second. He always knew just what to say or do to get them out of trouble and make sure they learned what he was teaching.

Luna entered the study, floating a tome in front of her, and saw Celestia.

"Oh, my apologies, I'll find another room to read in."

"Luna, sit a while."

It hadn't been that long a time since Luna had come back from the moon. To the two immortals, it was still fresh in their minds what had happened.

"As you wish, sister. What shall be the topic of conversation?"

"You don't have to be so stiff and regal around me."

Luna's expression was unreadable to her.

"It is who I must be."

"That's not true. A thousand... eleven hundred years ago you would have pranked me by taking away all the light in the room and then make me scramble about in the dark trying to find you. We used to do that all the time. Lucien showed you that trick, remember?"

The corners of Luna's mouth trembled.

"I remember a lot of things from that time. Happy memories. But I've moved on and grown up."

She turned to leave and Celestia held out a hoof to stop her but it was ignored.

The stone lit up and the table around it caught fire. Luna whirled around and then shielded her eyes from the light.

The stone's surface was having symbols carved into it by the flames. Celestia backed away and stopped next to her sister. They waited.

The light disappeared but the stone was hidden in smoke. They approached it cautiously and the smoke cleared.

On the surface were two symbols. A glowing eight pointed sun and a crescent moon sat side by side. Celestia blew on the stone to clear the ash and sand from it to reveal a message.

Of happier times.

L

"Remember what I told you, Luna."

They both spun around as fast as they could to find the source of the voice but nothing was there. Something changed in the air, like a tension was being lifted.

Luna looked down for a second before a smile crept onto her face.

Celestia's vision went black and she started and bumped into the table behind her.

"What's going on? Luna, can you see? Lucien, is that you?"

"Nope."

Luna giggled and calmly walked over to the door. Celestia recognized the giggle and a smile broke out over her face as she stumbled over to the door in pursuit.

Rainbow Dash couldn't fly very well with her saddlebags but it didn't stop her from tackling Pinkie Pie into the snow. They rolled to a stop and laughed to their hearts' content. Twilight and Rarity came galloping to a halt next to them and caught their breath while Applejack and Fluttershy trotted down the hill.

"So wait, is there a path?"

"Yes!"

Pinkie and Rainbow Dash spoke in perfect unison and pointed down the mountain to the path that was far more visible now that they were closer.

"Well alright, let's get going."

Rarity's smile lessened a bit.

"Twilight, I don't know about the rest of you but I'm really rather exhausted. Can't we just rest a moment?"

"Pardon me, Princess, but Ah don't want to be stuck out here when the sun goes down. Gonna get a whole lot colder."

"Sorry, Rarity, but I agree."

Twilight took out her map and hmmm'd and uh huh'd.

"Well it looks like there is a meadow down there we can rest at, Rarity."

The white unicorn stuck out her lip but nodded in agreement.

They found the path and as the sun set and the winds picked up they shivered and blinked to keep their eyeballs from freezing over. By the time they made it down the mountain and the temperature rose they were more than ready to stop.

As soon as they made it to the tree line they were hit with a warm breeze that carried the tantalizing scents of fruit and fresh grass along with it. They all looked at each in excitement and charged through the trees until they came to a clearing that looked perfect. Beside them a babbling brook did exactly what they'd imagine a babbling brook would do.

Fluttershy galloped past them to greet the plethora of animals that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Applejack shucked off her bags and trotted over to a bunch of apple trees whose fruit gleamed in moon's light.

Rainbow Dash put her bags next Applejack's and flew up to a tree and lay down on a branch that jutted out just perfectly. She crossed her arms behind her head and closed her eyes, a satisfied smile playing about her lips.

Twilight's eyes simply couldn't take in enough information. The clearing seemed almost designed for star gazing. She rooted through her bag and found a old dark blue telescope. She levitated it to her eye. She found that she could now perform magic but whatever was affecting it was still present. It would just be harder.

Pinkie Pie found a small field of flowers and pulled out a record player from her bag. She danced and sang and her friends joined in. Twilight fell out of the line moving through the field and walked over to Rarity who was smiling at her friends but otherwise hadn't done much other then lay down her bags and sit on a pristinely clean log.

"This place is perfect for resting at? Don't you think Rarity?"

Rarity smelt something funny. She'd spent her whole life in the fashion industry and as such had been constantly exposed to scents of all kinds to entreat customers. Sometimes it wasn't just how a dress looked but how it presented itself to all the senses that sold it.

What she smelled was artificial.

"Twilight, I think this place is wonderful but,"

She motioned for Twilight to come closer as if something might hear her.

"I say we only stay the night. I'll even wake up early and get us packed."

"I suspect Applejack will beat you to it, Rarity."

Rarity's tone changed.

"You're not listening, Twilight. Whatever we're up against is obviously two things. Very powerful and very clever. It strikes when we're least expecting it and goes after us in any way it can. My boutique. The cliff. It wants us to fail and I'm not going to let it win."

Twilight was shocked. What about the demure unicorn had changed to make her this determined and fiercely protective.

"Rarity, of course I want to succeed and I know this Darkness is out to get us. Alright, we'll leave in the morning. First thing?"

"Thank you, Twilight, I-"

Her voice cracked for a fraction of a second before she composed herself and smiled at Twilight's growing look of worry.

"I just want to make sure everyone is safe. Family and friends."

Twilight sat down on the log next to her friend and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No, Twilight it's fine. I wouldn't want to burden you with my troubles."

Twilight's look said it all and Rarity crumbled.

"Back in Ponyville. Sweetie Bell and I were making a dress for something, school play? Pageant? Anyways, when the storm hit, it tried to... tried-"

Rarity's eyes glistened in the starlight and she took a quick breath.

"It almost got my Sweetie Bell. I won't let that happen to any of you."

The Elements of Generosity and Magic sat together for a time and then made their beds and went to sleep in the peaceful meadow.

Morning came late. Not that the sun wasn't on time but the clearing seemed to be shaped in such a way to block the rays of the sun for as long as possible.

Even Applejack rose late. Normally she didn't need the sun to wake her and she would have rose earlier had it not been for the delicious apples she'd eaten the night before. Something about them had brought on a deep and peaceful sleep.

Pinkie Pie slept in due in part to the singing and dancing she'd done the night before. The flowers had come in the brightest colours and even glowed in the moonlight. She'd danced the night away.

Fluttershy had spent the majority of the night caring for the almost never ending stream of animals that had come to her for food or care. She had finally fallen asleep almost on top of a cute bunny with beady black eyes that had then hopped away to disappear into the shadows.

Rainbow Dash always slept in.

Twilight had been recording and studying the night sky late into the night but this was nothing new. She was used to being woken by a certain dragon every morning anyways and so had gotten up at his insistence this morning. Only it wasn't him. Twilight's senses came flooding back as Rarity screamed at her to move all the while looking around with a look of fear on her face.

"What's *yawn* up, Rarity?"

"I don't mean to WAKE YOU UP but if you don't want to get your EVERYTHING WET then GET UP!"

Rarity frantically pulled Twilight to her feet and then went about waking the others who still sleep peacefully. Twilight looked around the camp and everything seemed fine.

What's the big deal?

She heard a faint rushing at her back and she turned around to see the babbling brook no longer babbling. It roared and lashed out at her like it was alive and she was instantly woken up by the glacially cold water she took to the face.

"Oh... EVERYPONY GET UP!"

The water was rising fast and the still sleepy group quickly packed their bed rolls and made for higher ground. Twilight floated the map in front of her as she ran.

"We can escape that way. Come on!"

She lead the group up the hill towards perceived safety. Actual safety was only a few metres away. On the other side of a raging river.

"This wasn't on the map?!"

Applejack stepped up to the newly formed banks and looked up and down the river's course. Trees still stood in the middle and the banks were being brutally carved away. Applejack had to jump back as the river reared up and struck the ground she was standing on, causing it to fall away into the foaming waters below.

"This river's angrier then a two headed snake and I don't see any crossings."

Pinkie Pie looked around for an exit.

"Well, can't we go back?"

The hill they were standing on was cut off as the river split the earth and formed a island, an island that was slowly being eroded away. They were cut off by the river's two courses and the paradise they had spent the night in was destroyed below them. Applejack looked around wildly.

"There has to be a crossing somewhere!"

"I have an idea, hold this!"

Rainbow Dash unbuckled her bags and gave them to Applejack. She flew over to the other side and landed.

"That only works for two of us, Rainbow!"

She yelled something back and although no one could hear her, it sounded offensive. She began bucking a tree whose roots were exposed by the force of the river. It started to lean.

Applejack's pupils shrank.

"Everypony get out of the way."

They all dove out of the way of the massive tree that fell and now spanned the distance across the river. It was held in place by the trees still stuck in the middle of the river.

"Great work Rainbow, alright everypony watch your step and don't fall in!"

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened as they all ran across the tree.

"Applejack you're not supposed to say that!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Now it has to happen!"

Applejack made it across first followed by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Twilight brought up the rear and Rarity and her were in the middle of the tree when Applejack's jinx came roaring out of the river and into Twilight Sparkle.

Rarity heard the rush of water and turned around to see Twilight pushed over the edge. Rainbow looked up from helping Fluttershy down and her mind went blank. Twilight's bags were caught in the branches and she was forced down into the depths by the horrifyingly effective rapids. The branch strained for a moment before it let go, throwing Twilight's bags onto shore, but not Twilight.

Rarity hit the water with as much magical force as she dared and revealed Twilight clinging onto a sunken tree for dear life. She spat out a mouthful of water and called out for help. Rarity's horn glowed and Twilight was surrounded by a light blue glow. She was lifted out water.

The river rose up and engulfed her in a spiral of malicious intent. When it fell back down, she was nowhere to be seen. The sunken trees in the river were finally weighed down by the tree and the force of the river. The tree Rarity was still standing on began to move. A blast of water threatened to push her in as well but she held her ground. The tree began to point downriver and she as cut off from the shore.

"Fluttershy, get Rarity."

Rainbow Dash exploded from the bank into the water. She surfaced and used her wings to swim downriver.

Not going to happen today. Not now. Not ever.

She dove under the waves and saw a purple shape tumbling between the sunken trees and rocks below. She swam deeper and deeper and grabbed onto her friend. She kicked off the bottom and fought for all her life to surface. The river pushed her down but she knifed through the water and broke the surface. Twilight spat out a lungful of water and held on to Rainbow Dash as hard as she could. They were now heading down at a sharper angle and they bounced off of rocks and logs but kept their heads above water.

"There! See it!"

They swam to a mighty tree that stood undaunted by the rivers attempts to dislodge it. They grabbed onto its helpfully low branches and pulled themselves up. There they sat and caught their breath.

Twilight looked at the soaking wet pegasus beside her. She was panting hard and trying to get the water out of her ears.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and she nearly fell off the branch in shock as Twilight embraced her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Rainbow Dash flew her to the shore and were met by their frenetic friends who showered them with questions.

"Holy moly, are you two okay?!"

"Twilight, are you okay? How many hooves am I holding up?"

"One, Applejack. We're fine, thanks to you, Rainbow Dash. I owe you everything."

Rainbow Dash's cheeks went red from the look Twilight gave her and she stumbled on her words.

"We'll you know it was nothing really. No, it wasn't nothing, it was, I'm always there for yo-"

They all stared at her and her mind raced.

How can I be so fast in body and yet still sound like a foal sometimes.

Twilight came to her rescue.

"I know, you're the most awesome pony around. Come on, let's get out of here."

Rainbow Dash's cheeks now matched the red streaks in her hair as her friends all turned to leave.

They walked for the rest of the day and found a spot to bed down. It was perfect.

It had thorny red vines growing between the mostly bare trees and the ground was dusty and dry.

There were no animals in sight and the trees blocked any view of the stars.

The ground was gnarly and uncomfortable but Rainbow Dash didn't mind and placed her bed roll next to Twilight and Pinkie Pie.

There wasn't a bright colour around save for the coats and mane's of Pinkie Pie's friends and she thought that was just fine.

Rarity looked around at the dusty ground and dirty logs and moss that grew everywhere and was about to complain but then smiled and rolled out her bed roll on the dirtiest spot she could find nearby and was asleep in minutes. They slept soundly all throughout the night.

Anywhere was a paradise if they were together.

Comments

[armoredbrony]

I think the sweetness gave me diabe-HHHNNNNNNNNNNNGGG

[Havoc]

310909

I almost collapsed three times writing it. This story needed the Cutie Mark Crusaders and I was looking for a place they'd be most helpful. To me, obviously, not Spike.