The Start of an Adventure
The Start of an Adventure
It was another beautiful, normal day in the magical land of Equestria and we find ourselves out in front of the Golden Oaks library one of the most peaceful and quiet places in Ponyville… “SPIKE!” Well most of the time at least.
Spike the dragon quickly made his way down the stairs from the upper floor of the library to the main floor. “What’s the matter Twilight?”
The Purple Unicorn in question was levitating an ancient looking large black book in front of herself and was pacing back and forth in the main sitting room of the library. “Spike I need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia at once! I think I’ve found what we need to power the magical disturbance locator.”
Spike stopped in front of the unicorn and gave a salute in understanding before running off to find a scroll and a quill.
Twilight nodded in silent approval of her assistant. “Now I just have to get the girls together and…”
“Hi Twilight, whatcha doing?” Pinkie Pie interrupted seeming to appear out of thin air in front of the Purple Unicorn.
Twilight let out a slight yelp of surprise but was able to quickly recover, finally getting used to Pinkie’s shenanigans. “Pinkie there’s a matter of utmost importance that we need to take care of, and we need to get the rest of the girls together so that we can discuss what I have found with princess Celestia.”
“Okie doki loki, I’ll go get Rainbow Dash and Applejack.” Pinkie Pie said before she turned around and started bouncing toward the door.
Twilight nodded once again as she started to follow after the bouncing pink pony. “Great then I’ll go get Fluttershy and Rarity and we can all meet back here as soon as possible.”
Twilight turned in the direction of Carousel Boutique and Pinkie Pie started bouncing toward Sweet Apple Acres.
At Sweet Apple Acres
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were nestled together, enjoying each others company under the shade of one the bigger apple trees in the orchard.
“You know Applejack you were right this is really nice." Rainbow Dash said as she nuzzled her head against Applejack’s neck and enjoyed the sweet smell of apples in Applejack’s mane.
“Yep, like ah said there ain’t nothin’ like just sittin’ out in the shade and relaxin’ after a long days work.” Applejack said as she placed her head on top of Rainbow’s and snuggled into her colorful mane.
The pair let out a content sigh and closed their eyes, both drifting off into a comfortable sleep… “Hey there Applejack and Rainbow Dash, whatcha both doin’?” Pinkie Pie asked her muzzle only inches away from the two others.
The two mares opened their eyes slightly and let out a surprised yelp when the noticed how close Pinkie was, and quickly untangled themselves from each other before they jumped away from the pink pony.
Applejack grabbed her hat off the ground where it lay and placed it firmly back on her head. “Well uh…Howdy there Pinkie Pie what brings you out here to the farm today?”
“Twilight told me to come get you two, something about a matter of great importance.” Pinkie Pie said as she sat back and rubbed her chin trying to remember everything Twilight had said.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack turned toward each other in a silent question, then they both smiled and gave a short nod of their heads before turning back to face Pinkie Pie. “Y’all can count on us, where are we supposed to meet at?”
“Twilight said she was going to go and get Rarity and Fluttershy and that we are supposed to meet them at the Library.” Pinkie Pie said her usual smile returning to her face.
“Awesome, hey Applejack I bet I can beat you in a race to the Library.” Rainbow Dash said with a cocky grin and a challenging flap of her wings.
“Alright Dashie if y’all insist on me whoopin’ your flank again ah’ll oblige yah.” Applejack retorted as she lowered her head and lifted her flank in a starting position.
Rainbow Dash quickly flapped her wings and landed next to Applejack and began to mirror her actions adding a few pops of her joints to loosen herself up first.
“Ooh, ooh can I count off the race?” Pinkie Pie asked as she excitedly bounced up and down.
Neither mare said a word both of them focused on the race, each quickly strategizing the best way for them to beat the mare that they loved standing only inches away. But they both were still conscious enough of Pinkie Pie’s question and were able to give a small nod of their heads in response.
“Alrighty then, on your marks…GETSETGO!”
The two mares took off as fast as their hooves would carry them toward the unsuspecting town of Ponyville and in the general direction of Golden Oaks Library. While Pinkie Pie started to skip happily in their wake. Not keeping up by any means but going just fast enough not to lose sight of the pair of racing mares.
Carousel Boutique
The Ivory colored unicorn gently lifted a cup of tea, using her magic, to her lips and took a tiny sip of the honey laden liquid before letting out a content sigh of pleasure. She sat the cup back down one her small coffee tables and turned to face her guest.
“So Fluttershy you said that you may have found you’re special somepony?”
The shy pegasus halfway hid behind her pink swirled mane, her face was a bright pink and she nervously rubbed her two front hooves together. “Well I’m not sure yet, but I feel like there are hundreds of little butterflies in my stomach when I talk to him. Oh and he’s so nice and quiet, he just sits and listens to me talk for as long as I need too, and then whenever I ask him something he either gives me a cute Eeyup or a Nope in reply.”
Rarity sat with her elbows on the edge of her seat and her head resting in her hooves listening to her best friend talk about this mysterious stallion, when suddenly Rarity realized who Fluttershy was talking about she let out a sudden loud gasp. “Oh my goodness, are you saying that you think your special somepony is Big Macintosh?”
Fluttershy’s blush intensified as she broke eye contact with Rarity as she completely hid her face behind her mane, and was only able to reply with a slight nod of her head in confirmation.
Rarity leapt out of her chair and grabbed the yellow mare’s hooves and spun her around the room. “Why Fluttershy this is the most wonderful thing. Oh I have so many outfits that you simply must wear for your dates.” Rarity exclaimed with a slight giggle, she continued to spin the other mare around until a thought struck her bringing a sudden halt to her merriment. “Um…Fluttershy, have you talked to Applejack about this yet?”
Fluttershy blinked a few times and shook her head. “No I haven’t talked to Applejack about it yet, why. Oh, do you think she’ll be upset with me?” Fluttershy asked in a timed voice as she covered her mouth with her hooves.
Rarity scoffed at the idea and shook her head. “Certainly not, the very idea of her standing in the way of your love is a crime against all of Equestria…but it wouldn’t hurt to get her thoughts on the matter just to be safe.”
Fluttershy’s tried to hide the worried look on her face as she nodded in response.
“Oh please Fluttershy don’t worry I’m sure that she’ll be thrilled. I was only suggesting it because of how close the Apple family is. And I don’t know what the protocol is for courting them is.”
Fluttershy once again nodded trying to put those thoughts out of her mind.
“But I suppose they can’t be that strict considering the development of her and Rainbow Dash’s recent change in relationship.” Rarity said as she turned and walked back toward her chair.
Fluttershy finally smiled again and was about to voice how happy she was for the two when there was a sudden knock at the door.
“Well now who can that be?” Rarity asked no one in particular as she changed direction mid stride and picked up her pace to find out whom was knocking at her door, considering that the closed sign in the window should be obvious to any passerby that the shop was not open for business.
Rarity opened the door to reveal Twilight standing in front of the door with a half-smile decorating her face.
“Twilight how good of you to stop by, would you like to come in and have some tea with Fluttershy and I?”
Twilight shook her head, which caused a slight frown to appear on the other unicorns face. “Ordinarily I would love to, but I can’t, there is a matter of great importance that we need to discusses with the Princess at once. I came to see if you and Fluttershy could join us.”
“Why of course Twilight, you know that we are always ready to help. Isn’t that right Fluttershy?”
“Oh, yes absolutely.”
“Thank you girls, we should probably get going. I’m pretty sure that Pinkie Pie has already gotten Rainbow Dash and Applejack.”
“Yes please lead the way.” Rarity said as Twilight turned and started walking back towards the Library, followed closely by Rarity and the now hovering Fluttershy.
Golden Oaks Library
“What took you slow pokes so lo…” Rainbow Dash stopped mid insult when she noticed that Applejack was giving her a look that she was beginning to learn meant that she was about to say something that the orange mare didn’t approve of. So she closed her mouth and just waved a polite greeting.
Applejack nodded her head in silent approval of her marefriends understanding and mirrored the wave. “Howdy girls, so when are we havin’ that meetin’ with the princess?”
“Just as soon as she gets here, which should be any minute now, unless of course she has some royal business to finish up first in Canterlot.” Twilight responded as her and the other two elements of harmony came to a stop in front of the library.
Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash nodded their heads in understanding as the door knob glowed with a familiar magenta light and the door gently swung open.
Twilight and the other elements of harmony quickly made their way through the door and went to the main study of the library to await the princess’s arrival.
Luckily for Rainbow Dash they didn’t have to wait long, because after only a minute of entering the library She appeared in a blinding flash of light.
All of the ponies and Spike politely bowed their heads in respect.
“Please my little ponies you all know that’s not necessary.” Celestia said in her kind voice as she approached her faithful student. “Now Twilight, your letter said that you think that you may have found a source of power for the Magic Disturbance Locator?”
“Yes, I think that I have finally found something that should have enough power for what we need.” Twilight said as she trotted over to the large table in the center of the library and motioned toward a large black covered book lying open on the table.
Celestia looked at the book and squinted as she tried to read the faded words on the page. “How old is this book?”
“I’m not sure; it was in a storage cabinet in the basement of the library.”
“What did you find in this book that you think we can use?” Celestia asked with a questioning raise of her eyebrow.
“Well most of the book is too old and worn to read but from what I have been able to decipher it’s a book about the land the three tribes lived in before Equestria and more specifically Starswirl the Bearded.” Twilight explained as everypony gathered around the book and looked at its yellowing faded pages. “And in one of the passages I read today the writer talks about how Starswirl created some kind of magic stone that he used to help power some of his more powerful spells.”
Celestia nodded her head and gave the book a hard long look. “And I suppose you think that we can use this stone?”
“Yes, if what the book says is true, then the stone should have more than enough power for what we need.” Twilight explained with a confident smile.
Celestia favored Twilight with a warm smile. “I knew you would find something. Does the book give any indication of where the stone is?”
Twilight’s smile faltered slightly and she looked back at the book. “Yes, but that’s kind of part of a problem.”
Celestia looked on and waited for her student to elaborate.
“From what I understand from my reading it should still be in Starswirl the Bearded’s Tower in the old territory of the unicorns.”
Celestia’s eyes grew wide for a split second before returning to their normal size. “Are you sure about that Twilight?”
Twilight slowly nodded in reply noticing her teacher’s sudden change in expression.
“Awesome so all we have to do is go there and bring it back right?” Rainbow Dash announced as she swooped up into the air did a loop and landed next to Applejack.
“Ah don’t think it will be quite that simple Dashie.” Applejack said with a sideways glance at her marefriend.
Rainbow Dash gave Applejack a confused look, but before she could say anything Celestia was already nodding her head in agreement. “Yes, it will not be that simple and it will be a very dangerous journey, and regrettably, I won’t be able to help you.”
Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash all exchanged worried looks, each of them weighing heavily the decision that seemed to loom over them.
Finally Rainbow Dash stepped forward and turned to look at the other four. “If Twilight thinks it’ll work, then I say we go for it. Sure it might be dangerous, but as long as we have each other there’s nothing we can’t do.”
Applejack smiled widely and trotted over next to her marefriend. “Well ah guess that means ah’m goin’ too.”
“Ooh, ooh me two me two!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she excitedly bounced up and down.
“You can count on me as well.” Rarity said with toss of her swirled mane.
Fluttershy nodded in agreement with the rest of the girls, just before Pinkie Pie wrapped her legs around all of them pulling them together for a massive group hug.
Celestia smiled warmly down at her subjects. “Yes, I do believe that the magic of friendship just might be able to get you all through this dangerous journey.”
“Thank you Princess Celestia, we will get everything we need together and then we will head out.” Twilight said as she levitated a notepad with her magic and a quill to start planning for the journey.
“Excellent then I will leave you to it, and if you all will excuse me I have to get back to Canterlot, but before I go I just want to wish you all good luck.” And with that a bright light enveloped the princess and she disappeared in another flash of light.
All of the girls looked at the bright light until it faded then they all turned and looked at Twilight waiting for instructions.
“Alright girls go get everything that you’ll think that we may need and we can all meet at the edge of town in about an hour.”
The rest of the mares nodded their understanding and quickly made their ways back to their houses to gather what they needed.
One hour later at the edge of Ponyville
The six elements of harmony stood in a line in front of all of their closest loved ones saying one last goodbye before heading out.
“Now remember you two listen to Big Macintosh and Granny smith while Rainbow and ah are gone, and make sure to help Big Macintosh take care of Fluttershy’s critters alright?” Applejack asked Applebloom and Scootaloo as she patted both of them on the head.
“Don’t worry sis will be good ah promise.”
Both the young fillies ran up and gave Applejack a big hug, which Applejack quickly returned giving each of them a small kiss on the head.
The two fillies let go and promptly gave the same hug to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was taken aback for a second, but after checking to make sure nopony was looking, she gave them each a quick hug in return.
“Rainbow Dash please take good care of mah sister.” Applebloom said as she looked up at Rainbow dash with her big eyes.
Rainbow Dash smirked and gave a short nod in reply, Applebloom smiled back and gave Rainbow Dash one last squeeze before letting go and going back over to Applejack and the rest of the Apple family.
Scootaloo stayed and looked up at Rainbow Dash with a worried expression on her face. “How long are you be gone Rainbow Dash?”
“I don’t know Scoots,” Rainbow Dash said as she looked down at the little pegasus that idolized her.
“I’ll miss you Rainbow Dash.”
“I’ll miss you two Scoots.” Rainbow Dash said as she patted the little filly on the head, before a mischievous smirk spread across her face and she playfully ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “Hey you better practice while I’m gone, you got that squirt.”
Scootaloo giggled as she tried to bat the bigger pegasus’s hand away. “Okay, okay I’ll practice. Hey if I get good enough at flying by the time you get back, could you and I go flying around Ponyville?”
“Sure thing squirt, I’d love to.”
Scootaloo smiled widely and ran back over to the rest of her adopted family.
Meanwhile Pinkie Pie was trying her best to tell the cake twins goodbye without crying, but was having a hard time speaking so she just gave them both a big long hug and gave them back to Mr. and Mrs. Cake
“Don’t worry Pinkie Pie we can manage without you for a while, just come back to us safe.” Mrs. Cake said as she patted Pinkie on the shoulder.
Pinkie Pie fought back the tears and nodded before giving both the older Cakes a hug.
“Now Sweetie Belle, make sure you don’t try anything dangerous to get your cutie mark while I’m gone.” Rarity said to Sweetie Belle with a very serious look on her face.
Sweetie Belle let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “Yes Rarity I won’t try anything dangerous.”
“Good,” Rarity said with a nod of her head. The two sisters stood like that for a few seconds, before they made eye contact and Rarity’s expression softened and she scooped her little sister up in a big hug.
“I love you Rarity.” Sweetie Belle said as she squeezed her sister tighter.
“I love you too Sweetie Belle, be a good filly for mom and dad while I’m gone alright.” Rarity said as she gave Sweetie Belle an affectionate nuzzle.
“I will,” Sweetie Belle said returning the nuzzle before she let go.
“Are you sure that you can handle all of your chores at the farm and taking care of my animal friends?” Fluttershy timidly asked Big Macintosh, concern written all over her face.
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh said with a single nod of his large head.
“Oh good, thank you so much Big Macintosh.” Fluttershy said with a small smile, Fluttershy looked over and noticed that most of the goodbyes had been said, and that the others were getting ready to leave. “Well it looks like we’re getting ready to leave; I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Eeyup” Big Macintosh replied as the yellow pegasus gently trotted over to where the rest of her friends were waiting.
Once they were all ready to go, Twilight looked back at her number one assistant. “Spike you’re in charge of the library while I’m gone, try to help everypony in town out as best you can alright.”
Spike stood up at attention and saluted Twilight. “Yes ma’ma, I shall do my best.”
Twilight nodded in approval before giving Spike a hug and a quick nuzzle. “Don’t worry everypony will all be back before you know it.” Twilight announced to the group of gathered well-wishers before turning to the rest of the girls. “Alright girls let’s get going, I’d like to at least get through white tail woods before night fall.”
The others nodded their agreement and with one last wave to their loved ones they started off toward the ancient home of the three pony tribes. Not knowing of the dangers that they may face along the way, or of the many secrets that they may uncover. But with any luck as long as they have one another there’s nothing that they can’t overcome…Right?