The Back Forty

by Snooj

Chapter Four - Flight and Fright

So fast! The crazy wind! They were so high! This chariot was amazing, spectacular, like no ride she had ever been on! It was too bad her friends didn’t seem to be enjoying it. Obviously Twilight had already ridden on this before and Applejack, well, maybe she was happier being on the ground, but Pinkie still couldn’t see why they didn’t look at least a little bit happy to be up here. The air was chilly, sure, but the moon and the stars were out and Canterlot Castle, their destination, was glowing in the distance. It was so beautiful, why couldn’t her friends just appreciate the moment they were sharing right now?

“Hey, I can see Canterlot Castle from here!”

“Pinkie,” said Applejack, “you can see Canterlot Castle from just about everywhere in Ponyville.

See? That’s what she was up against. Obviously you didn’t have to be in the air to see the Castle, but there was nothing wrong with a silly joke. There was so much sadness ahead, why couldn’t her friends enjoy a good laugh now, while it was still possible? She reprimanded herself for the internal conflict. Don’t trouble yourself with their worries, Pinkie. Keep reminding them to stay positive.

Plus, the wind really did feel good blowing through her mane, and the noise of the rapidly moving air was helpful in keeping her head quiet. Besides maintaining levels of joy in her friends, she always had a running list of things she had to remember to do. So many things, always pecking at her! She still had a cake waiting for her back at home, there was a party to plan for Fluttershy, she had to find out what kind of flowers Applejack liked, and there was something else to remember, something about digging, but that was kinda confusing. She filed it away in the “Confusing Things” drawer. So many things pecking at her. Pecking! Oh, a chicken! What a great idea for a Nightmare Night costume! Or did she do that one already?

Her friends looked so pensive. She knew by instinct that she couldn’t lighten this mood. She had no party supplies and ever since Celestia had shown up, everyone had seemed so gloomy. Oh, that reminded her, better check the water level in the Ponyville water tower! So many things to do.

Well, in lieu of jokes, perhaps a song. She started humming a casual tune, knowing that if she hummed long enough, she could bring forth words. Sometimes that made everyone happy, maybe it could break through this dark cloud that hung over her friends. Just look at Applejack, eyes fixed on the Castle. Boy, the Castle is getting close, too! And Twilight, she’s looking at nothing. Not her friends, not the castle, not even the night sky. Her eyes are out of focus. Doesn’t even feel like she’s in the chariot. Strange.

Twilight was always under so much pressure with Celestia, trying to prove her worth as a pupil. Silly Twilight, she had 5 of the best friends a pony could have, what more could anypony ever want? She was smart, well organized, always had everything under control. Even Luna recognized it, trusted her so much she sent her to get a book that didn’t even exist!

Pinkie decided that Twilight needed a song most of all. That would help break her out of her trance, help to alleviate the coming storm. Something to remind her of how lucky she was. Oooh! A six verse song, one verse for each of her friends, with a simple chorus to bring it all together. Or would that be five verses?

Pinkie was so deep in thought that she barely noticed the chariot touch down in the darkness behind Canterlot Castle.

Twilight mumbled a quiet thanks to Celestia’s guards who obligingly trotted off. “C’mon, guys, we have to go. You have rooms waiting. For both of you.”

Pinkie failed to notice Applejack’s confused stare or Twilight’s complete lack of emotion. Typically any visit to Canterlot, particularly one initiated by Celestia, would send Twilight in a hectic daze for a week. Instead she was in funeral director mode.

“Uh, Twilight, what’re we doin’ in the back of the Castle? Are we sleeping outside or somethin’?”

“No, Applejack, just follow me.”

They approached a thick wooded section and entered a small opening between two trees. Despite the darkness and the underbrush, a disused cobblestone path grudgingly appeared in front of them. It was dark and overgrown, unlike the neatly pruned paths that surrounded most of the castle. The castle’s stone walls rose high on one side of them, unkempt growth on the other side, moss-coated stones underneath. There was enough stone to make a pleasant clip-clopping sound and, as the three friends walked in slow unison, it started to sound like a beat to Pinkie.

That’s what she needed, an uplifting song to a steady beat. Simple humming wouldn’t do it. Clip, clop. Clip, clop. Clip, clop. The rhythm wrapped itself around words in Pinkie’s head.

Clip clop clip clop

Twilight Twilight Sparkle

And Pinkie Pie are friends

Clip clop clip clop

Twilight Twilight Sparkle

And Applejack are friends

Clip clop clip clop

Needs a second part, can’t just repeat that friend part.

“We’re here.”

“Well, that’s just a wall, where are we?”

The path had come to an abrupt end, curving sharply into the outer castle wall and ending. Twilight put her horn to the stones and concentrated. A familiar purple glow surrounded her horn, almost enough to distract Pinkie from her song. The purple spread to the stonework in front of them, and as it glowed, the rocks became transparent, revealing a corridor beyond, stretching into the darkness.

Pinkie forgot about the song. She forgot about music. She forgot about her friends. For a moment, there was only this place, this hole, this opening into the unknown. It was terrifying, like nothing she’d ever felt before. It was black and dark, it threatened to eat her alive. It was a storm and a dragon and an end to all parties everywhere.

Neither Applejack nor Twilight seemed to be bothered by it, although Applejack did send a pleading look to Twilight and asked, with a hint of doubt, “you sure this is where Celestia wanted us to stay?”

“Just a little farther, girls. You go on ahead of me, I’ll be right behind you.”

The first few feet of the opening was the top landing to a set of stairs that descended into a corridor lit with a dim blue glow. It was the most terrifying thing Pinkie had ever experienced and, if not for Twilight, she would have bolted. She couldn’t see down the stairs at all. Well, she could see, but she couldn’t see.

Fearless brave Applejack led the way, with Pinkie a close second. She would have taken up the rear but Twilight seemed pretty adamant about them going first and she really wanted her friend to be happy right now. Oh, the song!

The stairs were also a nice solid rock, again helping to beat out a perfect cadence.

Clip clop clip clop

Twilight Twilight Sparkle

And Pinkie Pie are friends.

Needs an important next line, something beautiful, something to chase away the darkness. She tried to hum to help her think of words, a technique that worked best when she was cooking or otherwise not doing something that was scaring her to death, but her humming sounded so dry and forced.

At the bottom of the stairs was a long corridor. The storm was here, so foreboding it was practically raining although Twilight and Applejack didn’t seem to be able to detect it. It was important, now more than ever, maybe now more than ever in her whole life, to maintain a happy attitude. She wasn’t sure, but it felt like the storm was partially made of Twilight.

The song, think of the song.

Long dark corridor, large wooden doors reinforced with strips of metal and ugly, hard rivets. A dungeon themed wing? Imprisonment motif? This stay at the castle was going to be fun. Somehow.

Two doors, side by side, opened up at Twilight’s prodding. She stepped back. “Um, these are your rooms, girls.” With haste she added, “I’ll come back first thing in the morning, I promise! We just need to sort this out.”

“Twilight, I don’t see a handle on the inside of these doors.”

“I know AJ, just trust me, okay? The Princess just needs to – do a little damage control.”

“Damage Control?”

Got it! She had the second part of the verse! “Hey Twilight, this calls for a song!”

Twilight sighed, “No, Pinkie, it doesn’t.”

“What’s damage control? How are we going to control any damage from here? Anyway, ain’t nothing damaged but part of my property that I never use.”

Twilight gave Applejack a meaningful look and begged, “Applejack, you trust me, right? This is just for tonight, I'll come get you tomorrow. Please. I don’t want to get in any trouble.”

Wordlessly, Applejack stepped into the tiny, dark cell. She did not turn around as the door closed. With a click, she was gone. The storm clouds gathered.

Twilight looked at Pinkie. “Now you.”

The storm was loud, so loud she almost couldn’t hear Twilight, but she smiled. She fought the storm, stood against it, let the fear and thunder pelt her without mercy. A smile so large enough to hide all her discomfort spread across Pinkie’s face. This was her moment.

“Okee dokee lokee, but you have to listen to a song first! I made it just for you!” Pinkie hid her desperation, the storm was upon them, there wasn’t much time!

She clopped her hooves on the stone to form a beat, walking into her cell as she did so. She let the storm consume her but she sang out in defiance.

“Twilight, Twilight Sparkle!

And Pinkie Pie are friends!

Friendship’s more than a state of mind,

It’s a book that never ends!”

Before Pinkie could launch into verse two, Twilight slowly closed the door behind her and said, “Pinkie, don’t be ridiculous, all books come to an end.”

The storm hit.

---

“Kid. Hey, kid. Wake up.”

She was drowning. No, not drowning, she was breathing, but it was difficult. The storm had knocked her unconscious and left her with a terrible headache. Everything seemed quieter now. Was the storm over?

“Hey kid, you took a nasty blow there, fell right over and hit your head. Sit up slowly now, that’s it. Take your time.”

Pinkie sat up with some difficulty. Her legs were dead weights, her back felt weak, she knew if she tried to stand she would just fall again. It was dark in here, not exactly like the last time she had stayed at Canterlot Castle.

“You okay kid? I’d offer you some water but, well, you don't want to drink what's available. You gotta wait for someone to come by. Don’t bother yelling, no one will hear you.”

“Who’s there?” Pinkie squinted into the darkness. Her eyes had adjusted but there still wasn’t much light to draw from. The interior of her room was so dark that she couldn’t see the bed, or tapestries, or plush rugs, or the room service, or anything. A tiny square hole in the door allowed in a thin stream of faint blue light but it illuminated nothing.

“What, you don’t recognize an old friend? It hasn’t been that long, kid. Why, not more than a year ago I came to your birthday party, remember?”

Pinkie knew the voice sounded familiar, it wasn’t a Ponyville accent, it sounded more like somepony from Manehattan. “Rocky?”

“Yeah kid. Long time no see, eh? So what’re you in for? You must have done something awful to end up down here.”

“There was a storm.”

“A storm, huh? Well, you ain’t no pegasus so that can’t be your fault. There must be another…”

BANG.

Pinkie jumped out of her skin at the noise, like a piece of steel hitting a piece of bone. It had come from outside her room so she ran to the door. She was unable to find a doorknob in the darkness and she couldn’t figure out how to pry open the large wooden barricade. Where was Twilight to help her out of here?

BANG.

“Kid, you should look out the window. Let me help.”

Before she knew it there was a large rock at her feet, just in front of the door.

“Rocky?”

“Yeah, I know, I’ve gained a few pounds since we last met. This prison detail is killin’ me.”

Pinkie set her front hooves on top of him, raising her head enough to nearly fit in the meager opening of light.

BANG. “Consarn it!”

“Applejack?”

“Pinkie! Pinkie Pie, you finally awake?” Applejack’s voice came floating down the corridor, not too far away, but far enough that Pinkie’s viewing angle from her small window disallowed her to see her friend.

“Yeah, I just woke up. Where are we? This is a weird room, I can’t figure out how to get out. I can’t even turn on the lights. Can you come help?”

Silence. A familiar frustrated sigh. “Pinkie, we’re not in a room at Canterlot Castle. Well, it’s a room alright, and we’re in the castle, but we’re not guests here. This is a dungeon. We’re in cells.”

“Like, cells cells? That we can’t escape from?”

“Well, I aim to.”

BANG.

“Is that you?”

“Yeah. I ain’t met a tree that I can’t buck, and these doors, well, they’re mostly wood. There’s some metal in them reinforcing them, giving me some problems, but I may be able to get through.

BANG.

Pinkie nearly screamed as the surly face of a guard appeared from nowhere, only inches from her own.

“Get your head back in or we’ll have trouble.”

That was rude. Her head wasn’t even out, just her nose, barely even her eyes. The window was quite small. His face disappeared and a moment later Pinkie heard “And you, cut down that noise or we’ll have a problem. Trust me, you don’t want us to have a problem.”

Pinkie stepped off Rocky. She wasn’t in a room at Canterlot Castle. She wasn’t waiting for Twilight to come and talk to them. She wasn’t sure what was happening. This adventure had not turned out to be very much fun. “Hey, AJ?”

A faint voice replied, “Yeah Pinkie?”

“I’m scared.”

“Don’t worry, Pinkie.” But Applejack had nothing more to offer.

Pinkie couldn’t find a song for this occasion. It didn’t seem right. “I just have to trust in Twilight” she mumbled to herself.

“I wouldn’t wait around for that one,” Rocky had compassion in his voice, but it wasn’t meant to be comforting.

“But, she’s my friend.”

“Kid, if she was your friend, she’d be on the same side of these bars as you.”

BANG.

Applejack didn’t seem to be worried about attracting trouble.

Comments

[DezzarTac]

Tis gun bee gud!

[Silverstein]

This is really good and it seems like the storyline is pretty intense.

Many bones huh?

It's either a mass grave, a field where an entire army was slaughtered, or both.

Silver out!

[Snooj]

Thanks to everyone for the Favorites and comments so far, it's very encouraging! This is my first post here so I wasn't sure how well it would be received but you guys are a good crowd so far.
I have a couple more chapters already written, I'm still proofreading them before I post. A new chapter will be popping up at least every seven days, sometimes more quickly, but I don't like to force it. The girls will remain as faithful to character as I can write them, but they're in for a bumpy ride. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Also, that beautiful AJ watercolor picture was drawn by a friend specifically for this story. She was going to do a bunch more but ended up in the hospital. Nothing major but she'll be recovering for a bit. When she's back on her feet, I'll go backfill some of the chapters. Her art is amazing!

[Hodgepodge]

I don't have much to say, but I am VERY into this wonderful story and had to give you some praise. Well done :D I can't wait to read more.