Rainbow dash leads on ahead to scout as the others start heading on south. Pinky with her pseudo-safari gear on, starts looking around with a makeshift hourglass made out of balloons

 

"This DID come in handy! I am glad I kept in touch!" As she gently squeaks the balloons as she looks through them and giggles.

 

Fluttershy flys with Rarity and Pinky to keep pace and Twilight and Applejack wave goodbye from behind as the Farm starts to recede into the background.

 

"You DO know that you can fly right?" Applejack nudged.

 

"Welllll.I can...on some days. If I need to, I will, but I am still kind of breaking these things in. Rainbow and Fluttershy had years to practice and such.I had..what months? Weeks? People make fun but I barely just got these!" She shakes her wings out all awkwardly. Applejack laughs

 

"Sugercube, they just jest in fun. Of course, no one expects you to be an expert. That's the fun of it! Actually...I have to say, with such short time. You have done remarkably well with your flying. I don't think ANYother pony could do so well."

 

"Think so Apple? Thanks! I try. I practice whenever I can. But this trip is too important for me to be flipping about with these" She shakes a wing out almost hitting a branch on the way.

 

"See? I am a walking hazard!" Twilight squeals as Applejack laughs as they catch up with the others.

 

Onward the roads are gravely filled with twigs and debris. The farm far behind, they head towards the hills and mountains. They look up at the ominous mountains ahead and the path laid out before them.

 

"Well...This is it" Twilight says to no one in particular. Pinkie looks around thinking it is her she is talking to.

"It? What's It? What is this IT we are talking about? Huh huh? Tell me! I can't take the suspense!" She starts to vibrate while running and Twilight laughs.

"This is it...in a little bit, we will reach the farthest part anypony has ever been...once we get into the ravine between the forest, we will be in unknown territory! How exciting!"

 

"Ooooh! Really? What should we call it? Pinkie Land? I can make it a partyville!!!" At that Rarity rolls her eyes

"Puleeeze...we should call it.Gemstone! Ahh Yes!" her eyes sparkle with excitement.

"Oooh! Maybe the new animals we can find here! Maybe we can have it being an animal refuge! Just imagine the species we can find here! I am so excited!" Fluttershy says very shyly.

"Well, This is right off of Appleloosa...maybe we can extend the farms here...but I bet we can't plant it on these grounds...to rough.." She taps the ground while running to feel the firmness of the earth.

 

Rainbow dash returns from flying ahead a bit....

 

"Well, There is good news and bad news..."

 

Twilight blows her main out of her face as she lands and runs alongside the others. Still getting used to her wings, she has taken to doing both when possible.

 

"Cut to it Rainbow. Something about this isn't sitting right and we need to find spike!"

 

Rainbow nod's

 

"Well, the bad news is, it's getting hotter. The further I go the hotter it gets. I can't even shoo the clouds in this area. Also, the ground looks a bit gooey further up ahead....though the good news is, we will be in the shade until we reach that area. Though, it looks kinda creepy being in that ravine." She shakes her head as she starts to fly backward while the others trot on.

 

"Well, I packed some waterskins if it gets too hot." Applejack nudges her pack on her back to reveal several skins packed away.

 

"Umm...Gooey?Does it look tasty?" Pinkie replies with her eyes widen.

 

Rainbow has a stunned look for a second and starts to laugh as Rarity replies

"Oooh! My hair will be awfully dreadful in the heat!" Rarity sighs as Rainbow laughs again with that comment.

 

They approach the ravine where the mountainside cliffs far above their head as the road lead them deeper and deeper. True to the word they ride into the shade as the light slowly fades as they descend.

 

"Ooooh, spooky!" Pinkie exclaims as she looks around. The sun slowly moves towards the horizon as they trotted on. Eventually, the road evens out, but there is barely twilight light at this depth. During their trip, they would see small villages and farms. But fewer and farther apart, until the road itself was all there was. Maintained, but coarse and empty of anything pointing towards the residence. This time Rainbow and Fluttershy take to flying on either side as Twilight headed forward to check things out. They return long winded while the others continue to run. Obviously sweating and running ragged. Rarity uses her magic to float a fan to cool her off as pinkie is wearing one of those hat's that has water bottles on top of the hat to hydrate herself. Applejack just has a sash on and a small straw leading to her pack that she sips on occasionally.

 

"Umm..Has anyone seen Twilight? I think maybe...if its ok with everyone...that we could take a break. Or at least set up a camp sometime soon? Though it's ok if we want to keep on moving." Fluttershy says very quietly.

 

"Huff. For once, I agree with Fluttershy. We have been pushing ourselves all day. I keep flying back and forth to check our sides and the cliffs, but nothing indicates anything here. No bad guys to fight, not even any dangers for me to show my coolness. This area is devoid of anything living."

 

Fluttershy nod's

"I fear even the animals shy away from here. I do not know why...but no birds or bees or any animal around here that can tell me anything. It is as if the heat and area just pushed everyone out."

 

"Well Sugarcube, we may have to break for camp soon. We will need to find firewood and the likes around. From the look of things, we may not even find much of that around here..."

 

"Ahh well, maybe I can help with that" Rarity replied as she slows down a bit. The others gather around her as she pulls on a string near her pack.

 

Instantly a small circular construct pops out filled with these strange square objects fills the circle. A small grate pops over the circular construct as several inflatable devices appear around the circle. Portable luxury furniture as it seems. As Rarity flops down on a small balloon couch.

 

"My my Pinkie, You out did yourself with this" The others roll their eyes at Rarity's 'roughing it' style. She tosses a pebble that she pulls out of her pack and hits one of the squares in the circle. The squares immediately come to life and start to glow.

 

"Since its so warm out. I didn't think we needed a hot fire...just something to lighten the dark as the day dwindles down" Rarity comments. Rainbow slowly approaches it, wary of anything magical. She places her hooves over the glow.

 

"Why...there is no heat from here!" Rarity then laughed

 

"Of course not silly. These just light up. Got it off of one of those traveling entertainment deals. Pinkie actually pointed them out and I thought it was a good idea." The others start to set up camp. Finding this spot better than nothing.

 

It wasn't until almost sundown when Twilight returned, All disheveled and stressed. Following her return, there are several boulders floating in a circle around her.

 

"Why are we stopping? We need to push forward! I scouted the area past the ravine and found a most peculiar type of land. It is sweltering hot out there...if we push we can still make it just a bit short after nightfall...plus I have been using my magic all day. I need to keep pushing..." she slumps a bit as the weight of the day suddenly lands on her.

 

"Twilight, We know you are worried about Spike, but if we push ourselves further...at this rate we will get to close and won't be on our top. We don't know what we are getting ourselves into and we needed to set up camp anyways. It is getting too dark and that's mighty trouble down here." Applejack replies as she sets her camping gear down.

 

"Hmmm, Maybe your right. If I had more time, I would catalog all these interesting finds. Just the plant life alone could fill an entire book! Well, maybe I can jot down some notes on my findings."

Twilight floats down and unravels her pack. Boulders floating to provide a natural wind barrier. She sets up a rather simple and efficient tent and camp area. Floating wood and fire and a small pot and pancakes on a grill.

 

"Pfff. Twilight...you know you need to rest. Let me take care of that!" Rarity remarks as Applejack roll her eyes muttering "Told you..." as Rarity uses her magic to help with the fire and food.

 

Twilight laughs and then settles the items down gently. Using conventional means to cook things.

 

"mmmm Besides...Magic doesn't make things taste better" Pinkie muffles as she stuffs her face with cupcakes and pie at the same time. Rainbow Giggles as she smashes the pie into pinkies face as they both laugh. Fluttershy sips some Ginger root tea.

 

The sun eventually sets as the Ponies settle into camp. Fluttershy is taking first as she looks into the sky. Twilight settles into her pillow sack by a small fire and rests on her hooves. A single tear appears as she settles in for sleep.

 

"Hang tight Spike. We will find you and rescue you..wherever you are."

 

***Meanwhile***

Spike looks up at the stars through a window at his cage and through a window and sobs in his cage.

 

***Saggy Bottom Swamp***

 

A rather loud rooster crows which wake everyone up. Twilight is sound asleep. The rooster crows again as somewhere a faint Rainbow Dash grumbles "We get it Pinky..time to get up..."

 

Twilight opens her groggy eyes to see Pinkie in a Rooster outfit crowing and clucking waking everyone up. She laughs and pushes a table filled with cupcakes as well as Applejack with her famous Applesauce cakes. Both hit the end of the table which causes both the cupcakes and pancakes to sort themselves out to individual plates.

 

"Gooooooood Mornin Everypony!" Applejack hoots as Fluttershy yawn sheepishly out of her wooly mud tent, as birds fly out of it and fix up her hair as she stretches.

 

"Why thank you Mr. And Mrs. Fittletwitter. It is so kind of you to help me!" She smiles and hums a tune as the bird's hum with her. Pinke plops down as her eyes widen with the food in front of her.

 

"THIS is why I love breakfast! Wooo!" and she plows right into a big stack of pancakes as she makes these yummy sounds.

 

Rainbow takes off her sleep mask to roll her eyes muttering something about early birds. Rarity slowly trots out floating a makeup brush and powder to clean herself up. Everyone stops for a moment when she turns and says

 

"What? I need to prepare for the day like every other pony!" Everyone else giggles at the sight.

 

Twilight is last to leave her tent as she yawns and stretches. Suddenly she smells the food and her eyes open.

 

"Yumm...That smells so good!" She turns to her tent and gear and uses her magic. Suddenly all the supplies, tent, bedroll, dwindled fire, wood, pots, and pans and everything else suddenly floats and flies together to pack themselves up quickly. Within a moments time, everything she has is packed.

 

"Whoa!" Rainbow says with an open jaw. Twilight turns and everyone is staring. Including Pinky with a cupcake smooshed on her face and a pancake falling. But just before it hits the plate, her tongue scoops it up and takes it in, almost unconsciously.

 

"Why Twilight! Your Magic!" Rarity awes.

 

"I mean. I know I can use it to...but that was just amazing. You have gotten much stronger. Even I can tell" Twilight turns back to where her camp was and trots over to sit and delicately float a knife and fork to eat a pancake and cupcake. Making it look very civil like.

 

"Oh Thank you Rarity..it is Nothing big. I practice when I can. Last night, though, I do realize that I needed to Rest. I will practice when I can but rest as well. It is important to sleep and grow. This is too important to pony into something without preparing."

 

"Well, Dearie...Let me help with the mundane chores so you can practice full time. Let me at least help. Will you accept that?" Twilight smiles and nods.

 

"Of course! I can use the help! Thank you!" Twilight starts to eat small dainty pieces, but after a small bite, she takes the whole pancake, folds it up and wolfs it down in one bite. Pinky is impressed as she nod's while chewing.

 

"Mfpfpf Good Isn't it" Pinkie then drinks some apple and kiwi cider.

 

"Very! Applejack you make some great pancakes!"

 

"Aww shucks..it ain't nothin...I am used to cookin' for the fam...my own recipe, though!" she eats a few with some butter and sugar. The sun creeps up slowly from the horizon.

 

The rest have their fill as the sun creeps up. Fluttershy sings to a little bird perched on a small tree. She then makes some twittering sounds

 

"Oh, My...yes? Really? Hmm hmm...oh dear..." The rest watch in passing fancy as they admire her ability to talk to animals, yet they are not sure how.

 

"Mr. Peabody...oh thank you, Mr. Peabody. Say hello to your family...He is a resident of the swamp below. He warns that it is very hot, despite being a swamp, and to look out for nasty critters. Something called a..wh..a Pond skater? no...thats not real? Is it? And something cute called a Coypu? Hmm..and some other water dweller. Best be aware out there!"

 

"Who's a whatsit? I don't care. Let me at em!" Rainbow shadow boxes in mid-air. Suddenly she realizes everyone is looking at her and she smiles "Yeah that's right!" Then she punches the air again but pushes forward to hard causing her to flip into a soft spot on the ground. With a soft thud, she shakes it off and blushes a bit.

 

"Ahh, I will save it for later" They all laugh. They break camp and as soon as they get a good look past the cave, All they can see are droopy soggy tree forms, water, weeds, insects and birds everywhere, strange sounds and caws of wild animals, buzzing of bugs, and a thick acrid smell of grass, and moss. The air is thick.

 

"Well...it really is the wildlife out here!" Rarity comments, fanning herself with magic.

"Hmm Hmm!" Pinkie nods.

Twilight floats a book and pen and starts to write down what she see's. While she also uses magic to pack her things, and collect samples. They start to leave the cave entrance.

 

Not just five feet from the entrance, they hear sloshing and sucking sounds. It takes them a moment to realize they were making the noise. The swamp ground is so moist and sticky, that it is like walking on taffy.

 

"It's.....like walking on taffy!" Applejack said. Which I just said. Applejack looks around like she heard an echo and shakes her head.

 

Pinkie Jumps in front of them.

 

"Stop!!! Don't anyone move?"

 

"What? What is it?"

"Something wrong?"

"Oooh what could it be!"

 

Pinkie holds her hooves out. Squints her eyes, and looks down to the ground carefully. The rest stair in anticipation. She slowly sniffs, looks up at Twilight. While keeping eye contact she slowly....licks the ground.

 

"Yes. Definitely...this is not taffy." The rest all groan.

 

"Pinkie!" Twilight says as Rainbow laughs.

 

"What? I had to know! It was vital! If it WAS taffy, we could be eating our way there and like make things a WHOLE lot easier..but no..no..definitely, not taffy."

 

They regain their slow trot. Slurp Slurp Slurp the swamp pulls at their mane and the goo of ground, leaves, branches and insects unfortunate enough to get caught, starts collecting on them.

 

"Ugh, How atrocious!" Rarity spits out.

 

"Oh, it isn't so bad," Fluttershy remarks, notably cleaner than the rest. A few insects planted very neatly on her back and head. Buzzing happily.

 

"Ugh, you say...It will take WEEKS to clean this out! How dreadful!"

 

"Hah RaRa....you are such a city girl!" Applejack laughs, not in the slightest affected by her surroundings. The sun creeping higher.

"Whoo..." Rainbow whistles

"Your friend is right. It is getting hotter. We need to pace ourselves here..."

 

As they slosh through the muck and mire, the sun beats down. Rows and rows of tree's and still water, moving things, surrounds them with a constant buzz of life and warmth. Each step is exaggerated in order for them to move on. Twilight floats a book in front of her.

 

"I don't see any of this on any maps...we really do not know anything about this spot...but there is a passage here. Something Daring Do mentions in her stories. "In the wetness of the saggy bottom, in the heart of the burning day. Lies sanctuary of stone. But this not be an oasis. For the stone is more dead then the waters surrounding it"

 

"Hmm...This must be where we are going. Though I wonder why there isn't a map"

 

"Map? Who can map this? It all looks the same!" Rainbow flaps unevenly in a circle.

"No matter where I go, I fly a bit in each direction, it goes on and on. Granted, I haven't gone up, but  how it must be up where it is thickest...no..." She shakes off sweat from her wings.

 

"I guess I see your point. Hard to map when you don't have any reference point. I guess it is best to stay in one direction. It generally seems to lighten up this way anyway. Either side just looks horrid."

 

Just then the sound of their hooves starts to get louder. Slurp, Smack, Shloop.

 

"Wait...You hear that?" Twilight stops.

 

"What? With all our Shlooping around...I can't hear anything else!" Pinkie whined, her bouncing more like thumping.

 

"That is just it...listen.." Everyone looks around confused.

 

"The reason why our steps are so loud...is that everything ELSE got quiet..."

 

Suddenly they realize this. They stand still, and suddenly they hear a faint buzz.

 

From out of nowhere, a strange site appears. A rather odd looking insect appears from behind a bunch of swamp tree's

 

"What the..."

 

The thing is running on the water. They all stare dumbfounded at the site, As well as a Fuzzy Coypu popping in and out of small areas of the muck and mire.

 

"Ooooh looky!" Fluttershy admires the creatures. But then they realize suddenly that they are running away from something.

 

"Uh, Twilight....have you ever heard of a buzzing black cloud?" Rainbow dash flutters nervously.

 

"No. Why do you say..." as Rainbow points towards the west. They both squint, as twilight magically pulls a piece of parchment from her pocket to read.

 

"Hmm....Hmm!! Run everypony RUN!" They all hesitate for a moment but start to run.

 

"What..What is it?" Rarity starts to panic.

 

"It..It's...a swarm of rather large insects called Mosquito's...rather large...and they...they suck blood"

Pinky makes a ghastly face picking up the pace.

"Well shoot..." Applejack looks back

"With that many...where can we go?" They all bolt through the soggy muck. Not making much head ground.

 

"There! We can go there!" Twilight nods towards a cluster of rocks and swamp tree's with an indent. They charge towards the area's as the bugs start to close in. Twilight and Rarity magically pick up thin slabs of rock and twigs to block as Fluttershy and Rainbow dash fly in semi-circles to try to gather up twigs in spiral cloud forms.

 

Without much time, the swarm gathers around the bunch.

 

"Don't let them get to you!" Twilight shouts as she magically swings the rock shield and using the twigs to block them off. Applejack Starts kicking and spinning around as well as Pinkie bouncing in and out as Rainbow dash flings rocks and dirt and such against the oncoming horde.

 

"Sugar cube..there is to many!" The buzzing get's louder as the sky starts to get inundated with insects.

 

"Hold on Everypony! Hold on!" Twilight shouts above the buzzing as little tubulous start poking through the shields and twigs attempting to attach to a pony. She concentrates and forms a shield around them. She then grunts a little as the shield expands flaring out. The bugs start bouncing off the shield as she focuses even more and the shield starts to vibrate and explode out knocking the ponies down to the ground, but also expelling the insects.

 

"Twilight!" Rarity gasped in awe.

 

"That was simply amazing! I have never seen such ability!"

 

"Ow..." Rainbow flitters shaking her wings out and stretching them.

 

"Oooh that was tough...girls, we should move away from here...this place is a bit dangerous"

Fluttershy looks over at a small water snake and she whispers to it. Then nods

 

"Ummm Twilight? I just talked to my snake friend here, they will spread the word and warn us...at maybe try to keep them away from us. It seems they are rather annoying in this part of the world. "

"Whoo...This swamp-thingy makes life back at the farm seem easy. " Applejack comments visibly sweating.

 

"You're telling me! I never had such effort just moving here!" Rainbow dash shakes her wings again, sweat shaking off of it.

 

"It's like drifting through syrup! And before you say it Pinkie, not the good kind!"

 

"Awwww!" Pinkie suddenly appeared with a bib and fork and knife with sudden pancakes on a plate. She swats at it and it all disappears.

 

"Girls, We need to move...if we stay here any longer..." Twilight shakes her head and magically moves a book out of her pack. The book is titled "Far-Away travels" by Daring Do.

 

"Maybe she came across some of this. If anyone would account for such things... Let's see...hmm. Nothing on those bugs yet...but she keeps on referencing a thing called..G...Gu.."

 

"Gummy? Really Twilight?!?! I know Gummy came from a far away place! Maybe he has relatives here! Maybe he is like the leader of this place, and the place just went nuts because he has been away for so long and that they rely on his leadership! Just look at the mess here! I think he is really REALLY important and..."

 

"Ahh No...Not Gummy. Though....I think I did read something about gators here or something. He Could actually be from here..or a place like this. No, I am referring to something called...Gumbo. I don't know what it is...but something mentioned far far ago. From the ancient times?"

 

Pinkie looks over Twilights shoulder and looks at the pictures. She starts to drool and makes incomprehensible yummy noises.

 

"Let's see...Swamp...hmm Ahh yes." she looks up from the book to squint at the surroundings. Looks up and sticks her tongue out and raises a hoof. Then looks around again.

 

"There! I think we head there!" She points towards a rather dense cluster of vines and bushes.

 

"Uhh..Are you sure Twili? It looks rather 'Thick' Over there!" Applejack bucks a vine that is tangling her hooves.

 

"And we don't need any more of these tarnation vines!"

 

"Ahh but that's why we need to go there. It is the most well-developed area. From what I am reading, there is an old ruin amongst a small stone cropping. Older than this swamp. It is said, that there is a myth that this used to be a busy and dry area. In fact. A possible civilization was believed to exist here. But the records are sketchy. Anyways the cropping existed before this whole swamp. So it stands to reason that this area....would be the most developed. Or overrun."

 

They all nod used to hearing Twilights explanations. She realizes she is oversaturating them and then just kinda giggles and then says.

 

"So it stands to reason that the swamp monster that will eat you all will still be around..." she pauses waiting for a reaction. They all just nod in agreement and she just sighs in frustration and then says.

 

"Ok, Let's move on!"

 

As they head towards the thick vines, Pinkie saunters up to twilight and whispers

 

"I know what you did there....ffff swamp monster. We all know of THAT story" Twilight pauses and responds

 

"Wait...what?!!" and Pinkie just laughs. Twilight laughs back nervously.

 

They approach a rather thick wall of vines as Applejack looks at it and starts to chew on it. Then turns and starts to buck at it.

 

"Let me check..." Rainbow dash says as she shoots up into the air. Though the thick air makes her flap quite a lot harder than usual. She strains to just get higher than a few feet.

 

"Man...this is something. It's hard to even get any lift..." she teeters a bit and then slowly ascends to look over the wall.

 

"Yeah. I see it. There is a thick wall of vines, but after that, there is a solid wall of stone. I think maybe there is a cave there...Twilight. You know of this?" she floats down faster then anticipates and lands hard onto the mush with a solid "Shlup" hitting the spongy ground. She recoils in horror hearing the sound

 

"Ewww...even the ground is gross..."

 

Twilight re-opens the book she was reading and hums a bit.

 

"Hmm. No. Not specifically about a cave. Though the ruin that was mentioned was stone. I think this is the right area. At least I think this will lead us in the right area. I don't really see anything else but this...so..."

 

Suddenly there is a low grumbling sound coming from behind. A low melodic sounding noise. A small little water snake slithers up to Fluttershy and starts wiggling and hissing. Rarity backs up in horror, but Fluttershy just listens and nods.

 

"Uhh, Twilight?" Twilight is buried in the book she is reading.

 

"Twilight???" Fluttershy speaks up but is still soft spoken.

 

"Hey!" She shouts finally, surprising everyone. Twilight looks up and casually responds

 

"Yes Fluttershy?" she smiles. Fluttershy flushed red in her cheeks, realizes that everyone is listening. Not used to the attention she covers her face.

 

"Oh, Fluttershy. Come now. We all know you can be assertive when you need to be. What news do you have?" Twilight walks over and lays a hoof on her shoulder. Fluttershy smiles and relaxes a bit.

 

"Well, Frankie...my little friend here..." She points to the snake which smiles and nods and slithers away.

 

"Frankie tells me that something called a Croc is heading our way, and we really not need to be in here..."

 

"Hmm Ok. Let's all work on these vines then" Twilight mentions as they all start to pull, tear, bite, kick, and magically separate the vines. It is slow going, but they are able to make some progress. The slow noise starts to get closer, followed by others.

 

"Uh, Twilight. Those spooky noises are getting closer" Rainbow dash comments. Kicking and stomping some vines.

 

"Hurry girls. I do not want to know what this 'Croc' is...but if it's anything from what I read. It is dangerous"

 

They start to pull and tug. Twilight uses her magic to untie some knots and separate what she can.

 

They hear a guttural growl and a sound that can best be described as a low rumbling like rocks and water with sighs and loud raspy air escaping from somewhere. Rarity looks back and starts to see little motions in the water. Slowly heading towards them, making criss-cross motions.

 

"Don't mean to alarm dearies...but I believe we must hurry post haste!" She starts to hurry moving vines apart. Applejack grabs a sawblade from her pack and puts it in her mouth. She starts shaking her head vigorously slicing vines left and right. Following suit, the others do the same except for Twilight. She tosses the cut pieces behind them. Attempting to form a vine wall behind.

 

The noises get closer as a hole is finally formed in the wall. Enough for a pony to fit. The small bumps that peek out of the water, start to make a bee-line for the group. The guttural noises get louder.

 

Fluttershy eeks as Applejack looks back and Shouts

"Shoot!" and pushes Fluttershy with her head onto her hind to push her through the hole.

Rainbow grabs Pinkie who is chewing on a vine to clear it and attempts to fly/toss her into the hole after her. Rarity and Twilight start to throw the cut vines towards the fastly approaching bumps.

 

Suddenly out of nowhere, a rather large scaly snout appears with glowing yellow eyes surfaces from the water. A rather large reptilian the size of a small tree appears. They all gasp as the guttural noises hit a sharp resonance after surfacing from the water. They quickly snap out of it as Rarity get's pushed into the hole forcibly by twilight and Rainbow flutters uncontrollably over the wall. The rest are through except for Twilight. She stares at those yellow eyes and growls a bit. She uses her magic to throw every piece of vine cutting towards the Croc to slow it down.

 

It opens its grandmaw and snaps shut! Onto the vines. She is taken aback by the sheer power of its jaws and backs up towards the hole. She grabs whatever vines she can get and fills in the opening as she backs up. Still keeping her eyes onto the croc. At the last second, she is able to close the hole as the croc slams hard against the wall of vines. She can hear scraping as the beast is attempting to use its maw to chew its way through. But the sheer size of the wall prevents its progress. She continues to trot back slowly until she trips over a collapsed Rainbow dash. Who uncharacteristically collapsed onto the hard surface from her flying.

 

"Ow!Ugh, Twilight. " Rainbow twirls around after almost getting knocked down again.

 

"Woo wee...is everyone ok?" Applejack asks. They all nod. They spend a moment recuperating at the small stone setting at an opening to a rather dark cave. The cave is carved into a solid wall of stone that inclines at a rather steep angle. Twilight takes a look to the left and right as her eyes follow the non-descript stone wall on both sides. No other indications of caves or passageways that this one currently offers.

 

"I think..." She stretches her wings and hooves.

 

"At least I believe, we may have found the cave we needed." Twilight packs her book away into her pack and floats a small biscuit to nibble on as the others stretch and collapse.

 

"At least it is solid ground. No more of this sticky swamp stuff" Rarity clicks a hoof on the stone.

 

"Good. We will take a quick break and go on. It is kind of strange that the cave is dark" Twilight comments.

 

"Uhh, Suger cube...all caves are dark." Applejack looks into the cave. Squinting at something that she isn't seeing.

 

"sheesh. I know..but look. Look at the cave. Normally it would get dark gradually. We should see a bit of the entrance and further in, it would get darker and darker, shadowing into the dark. Here...it's just a wall of black"

 

Applejack jumps back realizing this.

 

"Why..your right. It just starts out a wall of black. Like no light is getting into it...weird..."

 

"I smell magic. We should be very careful from here on out...more so than usual. We do not know what we will be getting into. In fact. We don't even know if this is..."

 

Pinkie squeals

"Oooh magic dark!!" she sticks a hoof into the dark opening.

 

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouts!

 

"Hehe" she pulls the hoof out, and back in. Amazed at how she is not able to see it in the dark.

"Neat! Insta-dark!"

 

"Ugh...Pinkie! That is very dangerous. What if it sucked you up or trapped you or..." Twilight starts to rattle.

 

"But it didn't!!!!!hmmm?" she smiles

 

"True. Not this time...but it could have!"

 

"But it didn't! Ha!" Pinkie reiterates and Twilight just shrugs and gives up the argument. She nods though having to admit that she has a point.

 

"Well, at least we know it won't trap us. But that is still a bit dangerous to do! We need to study it!"

 

"Pfff" Pinkie makes a face.

"Well. Remember Twilight I DO know a thing about rocks. Caves, well. Caves are the absents of rocks, so I guess I know about a lack of a think. Hmm, I wonder what Maud would say?"

 

 

***Elsewhere at Sweet Apple Acres***

 

 

 

Maud is assisting with the furnace. Heating up some rocks and putting others near the fire. When she freezes for a moment, her ears twitching.

 

"Pinkie." She whispers.

 

"You ok Maud?" Sweetie Bell asks assisting Maud with the oven.

 

She just looks at Sweetie bell.

 

"Oh, My. It's something serious. I can tell by the look in your eyes!"

 

Maud just stairs as Granny appears and stops in her tracks

 

"My Word! I have never seen such display of emotion! Sweetie Belle, what in tarnation did you do?"

 

"MEE??? I didn't do anything! I was just helping when she said 'Pinkie' and...well...look at her."

 

"Rock" Maud responds impassively.

 

"Hmm..." approaches and scrunches up a bit.

 

"I know you are worried about Ms. Pie...They are doing what they can. As are we....I have seen her do amazing things! Things that I, in all my years, can not even explain, yet she does it flawlessly! She will be fine."

 

Suddenly a Single Tear forms on Maud's eyes. Both Sweetie Belle and Granny gasp. They rush to her and give her a hug. Whispering that its ok. Boulder is sitting on a plate with a half-eaten sandwich, as a small piece of quartz suddenly rolls out of a pile and lands right next to Boulder, and winds up leaning against it.

 

***Back at Saggy Bottom Swamp***

 

"Yep...this is a definite Rock face. Nothing magical about it...but this hole..." Pinke suddenly appears with a monocle and top hat to look closely at the rockface.

 

"Well...we will rest tonight. I have been using my magic all day. Plus. We should try to map this area...at least what we have found! Oooh! Maps! I love maps! When I was a Philly I used to draw maps for fun! I would imagine all the adventures we would have and all the places we would go and see!" Twilight jumps in excitement. Then blushes

 

"Actually, when I saw you guys join Spike in the game time with discord. I was a bit Jealous...I wanted to join! I have so many maps that would be awesome in a game setting!" She sighs looking at Rainbow dash who is looking at her rather cheeky. Rainbow puts a hoof on Twilights shoulder.

 

"Spike is Fine Twilight! If anything, He is probably frustrating them completely! Ha! I bet they will want to give him back to us when we get there! I tell ya what. Next adventure, we will use one of your maps. You could play if you wanted to. I am new myself so.....I don't have much to tell ya!" She nuzzles Twilight and she smiles.

 

"Your right. I will have to join you all after this is over!" Twilight floats a piece of parchment and a quill pen and starts to draw. She looks up sticking her tongue out thinking out loud.

"Hmm. Which way is north?"

 

They all giggle and set up camp. Rarity and Pinkie decide to take watch.

 

Twilight snuggles in for the night as she finished her crude map.

 

"I will clean it up later on when I can." She yawns and looks out at Pinkie who is eating a stack of pancakes with goggles around her neck and a safari hat.

 

"hehe, Pinkie." She winds down and slips into her sleep sack.

 

She immediately falls asleep as drifting images start to float through her mind. Queen Chrystalis, Sombra, Nightmare Moon, Tirek, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer. Then the image changes to Agagio, Aria, and Sonata and then flooded with every creature she came across since her adventures.

 

"Twilight....oh twilight..." a soft voice fills her thoughts. The images blur as a mist appears as the images of the enemies she has fought intensify. Then an image of Discord appears and a violent loud crash of disgust "Bah This Runt." as the image disintegrates which frightens Twilight.

 

"Come here dear...do not be afraid. We were meant to meet." The mist slowly glides towards Twilight. As her energy starts to weaken, the images of the enemies grow stronger.

 

Something is wrong. Very wrong. Normally in dreams, there would be transitions, changes, but this...this feels constant. She noticed that these images are pulled from the cave. Not sure how she knows this as all sense of directions are lost...but she knows. She starts to feel sleepy within the dream. When suddenly...

 

"Stop!" In a loud booming voice that shakes the whole of reality.

 

Princess Luna appears out of thin air, with an image of Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence. In small bubbles next to her.

 

"You may have power in our physical domain, but in this place. THIS realm. You do NOT have any control."

 

"Ahh...Luna...Étaín...Turan" They look at each other in question.

 

"Ha, You are all too young to even remember! You three grow weaker. While I grow stronger!" The image wavers a bit, the bubbles that hold Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence disappear. But Princess Luna starts to glow.

 

"Perhaps. Perhaps not!" Suddenly the glow intensifies and the sudden feeling of draining and tiredness as well as the mist. Disappear.

 

Princess Luna turns towards Twilight as her eyes are glowing white.

 

"Do not be alarmed. It...SHE...won't interfere with your dreams again. At least not for some time. But She is right. She has become very strong indeed. I know you need to rest. So I will help you with this. For every hour of sleep. You will rejuvenate 10 fold. I can do this. But you need to be aware that what you are facing up. Is older than the land itself. Eris will use everything at her disposal. Do not let anything through. Images, Thoughts, Feelings. Be warned. I can not go into where you will be. Even there....I have limited visibility. But You are close. "

 

Princess Luna drifts over to her. She looks behind Princess Twilight for a moment as if looking at something and she smiles. Then returns to look at Twilight.

 

"You are strong. You have gotten stronger and wiser since even when we have met. You have developed so far and so fast." She smiles

 

"Just remember, even if we can not assist, We will do what we can. We will always be by your side and have your back. In fact, we are preparing things here." She pauses and smiles

 

"You definitely have a wide variety of friends. That is for sure! But we will always be with you. Some...."She looks behind her again. Twilight turns her head to see a puff of smoke as if someone were there but disappeared.

 

"Hehe Some are closer than you realize." Suddenly Twilight starts to shimmer as she feels peaceful and restful.

 

"Now sleep. Sleep the rest of the warrior. The Scribe, The Valor, and wisdom of truth and magic and friendship. Sleep" suddenly the image slowly drifts into a peaceful gray.