Young at Heart (Closed: Granny Smith)(Corralwood)

[Mojo]

 

Granny quickly devoured her apple, well, as fast as someone Granny's age could eat an apple.  The elderly mare smiled as she noticed her eager granddaughter had read her freshly opened map faster than she could!  After discarding her apple core, the gray maned mare took a closer look at the map, nodding her head in approval.

 

"I reckon Longbeard's is as gooda place as any ta start out with," Granny said as she placed one of her front hooves on that spot on the map.  It was then that she noticed something else on the map she hadn't before.  It triggered a long dormant memory from the last time she was on this island. 

 

"That sure is strange.  If this here map's right, I kin see a weird turn in that thar path lead'n away from Candle Cove.  When I was here last time, one of the older ponies on this island told me a story about a set of windin' stairs, a magical set of disappearin' stairs that only showed up at certain times of the day.  He also said them stairs was off of a fork in a road, kinda like THIS one.  Them stairs is supposed ta lead ta a hidden stash of treasure.  What do ya say, AppleBloom?  Ya think this here's somethin' we orta be checkin' out?"

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom listened intently to her Granny's musing regarding that path, including some olden story from when she had been there before. Well, Apple Bloom wasn't about to go believing that was a real pirate treasure or anything because that'd seem silly, wouldn't it? She'd been excited to go treasure hunting mostly on account of treasure hunting always being a good bet. If there was any real pirate treasure to be found it'd have been found by now, especially if there was a local legend that the tourists could be told about. But the fact that she knew deep down there wasn't gonna be any treasure there didn't stop her Granny's story from exciting her greatly. Who needed actual treasure when a journey of the beaten path came with a greater sense of adventure?

 

Apple Bloom nodded along to Granny Smiths' story as she looked at the map and imagined what a vanishing staircase may actually look like. Maybe it was made out of glittering gold or it was alive. Maybe giants placed it! That'd be a hoot of a story to tell everypony else? And if both Granny AND Abby said it...maybe somepony'd be liable to believe it after all. “That sounds even better than Ah imagined! Why, Ah bet that staircase is only thar a few minutes a day if its so dang hard for ponies ta find. We gotta hurry! Wait...or do we? Since we don't know what it shows up Ah don't think it matters just how fast we get thar ta be honest but...errr...ta the vanishing staircase! Apple Family Crusaders, yay!” Apple Bloom bellowed out excitedly as she leaped forward.

[Mojo]

 

Granny Smith could tell that her youthful granddaughter was thrilled to hear about the old legend.  But was the legend true?  Could there be a set of magical, golden stairs that would somehow become visible long enough for the two of them to climb up and retrieve the legendary treasure?  The elderly mare didn't want AppleBloom to be disappointed, but it seems there was no turning back now. 

 

"Easy now, AppleBloom," Granny said cautiously, "let's not git our hopes up too high.  After all, this is only a legend an' it, well, may not be true.  But still, it sure is worth checkin' out.  Now that we'd had our breakfast, reckon it's time to git movin'.  Let's go!"

 

Granny led the way, since she was the one with the map.  After traveling for about an hour, the pair came to a fork in the road.

 

"Here it is, that thar point on the map fer us ta take a left turn," the gray maned mare said as a panicked looking Earth Pony galloped up to them.

 

"Do not go down that road, ladies!  There are many hives of fierce bees who chase away anypony that travels on that path!  Do NOT follow that road, or you'll be sorry!" the stallion warned before he and the tourist group he was leading galloped off.

 

"Hmmmm.  Fierce bees?  Shucks!  T'aint do such thing as mean bees!  I say let's keep goin'!  What do ya think, AppleBloom?"

[SteelEagle]

 

Of course Granny was right. She shouldn't let her imagination run wild on her and allow her to believe for a moment that the stories were actually true. She knew they weren't. Of course they weren't. Fact was that unless something was tucked far away from civilization that it was more than likely torn to bits by scavengers. Equestria was an old, old nation and ponies tended to sniff out anything that seemed highly unusual. Natural instinct was to do so because they were all caretakers of their world to such an extent that allowing something to fester without trying to work it out seemed dangerous to them. So even if there was some sort of vanishing staircase- likely not true, anyway- it would have been investigated. If there was any treasure to be found it would have been found. So yeah, she wasn't really expecting much. More along the lines of just giving in to her foalish fantasies and that- well, she was just fine giving into them.

 

“Don't worry Granny. Ah'm not that silly as ta actually think thar'll be anything too interestin' at tha end of this, even if tha path thar might be. And Ah know it probably won't be anythin' too interesting thar anyway. It's fine, Granny. It's more 'bout hanging out with you an' letting the imagination go! Ah wonder what sort of pirate treasure was there at on time? Ah'd think somepony finding it woulda been big news at some point. Tell me Granny, you've been 'round since forever. Y'all ever hear of anypony ever findin' anything quite like that?” Apple Bloom asked as she trotted along with her Granny Smith before being stopped by the panicking Earth pony guide. Shoot, bees? Apple Bloom wasn't afraid of any bees. She had bee friends. She knew how they ticked and tocked. Maybe island ponies were scared by every little critter but Apple Bloom wasn't going to fret over a few buzzing bees. “Shucks Granny, Ah've never been afraid of a few busy bees or nothin' like that. You an' me are gonna go down that path for sure!” Apple Bloom laughed confidently, one hoof in front of another as she turned left upon a new path.  

[Mojo]

 

Granny Smith was very happy that her granddaughter felt the same way she did about the potential bee threat.  After all, the elderly mare had worked with bees all her life!  She knew how to handle them, and AppleBloom had witnessed this for herself, the past few Zap Apple seasons. 

 

"Glad yur with me on this, AppleBloom!" the gray maned mare neighed proudly.  "You an' I kin handle any ol' buncha bees.  The trick is ta treat'm extra nice, like we do fer every Zap Apple season!  Let's pick up a couple bunches of big, good smellin' flowers an' then walk on down that thar path!  Won't no bees bother us!"

 

Quickly, Granny gathered up a large bouquet of flowers and started to walk down the path ahead of AppleBloom.  Granny's calm demeanor was sensed by the swarm of bees that flew over to greet her.  Confidently, she offered the flowers, and the bees buzzed them, as if they were accepting them as a gift.  Now Granny glanced behind her, hoping young AppleBloom would follow her example.  Slowly, Granny moved forward down the path.

 

"So fer, so good," she whispered to AppleBloom.

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom made sure to do exactly what her Granny Smith did. For all of her oddness her Granny Smith was a smart cookie when it came to the ways of the world and one of the wayish things in the world were bees! Silly bees. Apple Bloom hung out with them all the time because they helped the flowers so well that they needed to be her friends. It always helped to befriend the critters improving your quality of life, after all. That way they continued to better your life! Speaking of, why did they like flowers so much? It was something she'd have to ask eventually. They were pretty and all but you'd think a bunch of bees would have better things to do than hang 'round on flowers. Maybe they should hang around some Apple trees and help the Apple trees grow more apples. It made sense to her!

In any case, the pair moved their way through the Terrible Bees of Terribadness or whatever the locals called them to satisfy their desire to be afraid of anything and everything in sight. Silly native ponies were very silly. In no time at all, thanks in no small part to Granny Smith and the realization of the method to deter the bees, they got through to the end of the buzzing bee area. Only a few bees continues to root around the pretty flowers. Joyfully sapping it up before realizing they were away from their little bee hives and zipping away. Not soon after the sounds of the hives started to fade away and in no time at all the 'ordeal' was over. Flawless victory Apple ponies! Nothing was going to stand in the way of a really interesting if fatefully uneventful adventure.

“You had that down pat Granny Smith! So, why do bees like flowers and stuff? Think we could get'm to work on some Apple trees? Apple sap would be a mighty big seller, Ah think,” Apple Bloom asked absentmindedly as they moved forward. It never hurt to pick the brain of an elder. Next stage: A short boring path to the 'vanishing staircase'. She didn't mean to sound dismissive but...wait, she did. Because she was. Hehehe, but it was fun to think about. “Think this here 'vanishing staircase' is gonna vanish itself right from beneath our hooves?” Apple Bloom asked with an impish snicker. Yeah, she was gonna have fun but she was old enough to find the concept of it a bit silly. Cool but the closer they approached, the more she felt the need to puff up her chest 'bout how big of a pony she was.

[Mojo]

 

Granny smiled when she heard AppleBloom's questions.  These were the kind of questions a youthful, curious filly would ask.  Why do bees like flowers so much?  A very good question indeed.

 

"Well AppleBloom," the elderly mare began to explain, "I ain't exactly sure why bees like flowers so much.  Maybe cause they hang around'm a lot.  Maybe cause they have a nice smell to'm.  Maybe cause bees like ta pollenate'm.  All I know is, I found out in mah younger days that bees like flowers an' bees kin sense fear.  That's why they're lettin' us pass through their territory now, cause we ain't a-feared of'm!  Take a look down at this here trail.  Notice ya don't see a lot of hoofprints in the ground, and them ya do see, all of'm look like ponies turned around and went back the way they came!  I'm guessin' all them tourist folks either got scared er got stung by bees an' turned back!  City slickers like them don't know how ta treat bees an' other critters with respect like we do, ain't that right youngin?"

 

During the course of their conversation, Granny Smith led AppleBloom down the path.  The trees and abundant foilage made the path darker and darker the further the pair went.  Even though the path became very spooky, the gray maned mare was determined to see this trip through.  When AppleBloom joked about the vanishing staircase, Granny giggled a little before responding.

 

"Well, I don't know if'n we'll find it, we probably won't.  After all, what's the chance that we're gonna reach the end of this here path an' all of a sudden, a set of stairs appears outta thin air.."

 

As Granny spoke, the 'impossible' just happened.  Fading into view directly in front of the two ponies was a bright set of golden stairs, a winding staircase that went upward into the sky.  The other end of the stairs were hidden by clouds.  Granny Smith's eyes grew as big as saucers as she stared at it.

 

"AppleBloom, either I'm seein' things, or that thar's a golden staircase!  Are ya seein' it too?"

[SteelEagle]

 

City dwelling ponies didn't have all the skills that country ponies had because they didn't deal with nature much, if at all. Ponies were natural creatures of the sunshine on the fields, not stuck up in large brick buildings in the teeming masses of cities. You removed the pony from the environment and you removed environmental skills from the pony! Even Babs Seed had a hard tome adjusting to Sweet Apple Acres and she had the same blood as the best family in all of Equestria charging through her. If she had a hard time acclimating to one of the most venerable farmsteads in the land then by whose good graces could the average city dwelling family lean on to teach them how to deal with what the Apples could count on through experience? That helped explain why so few hoof prints found their way under hers as they trundled up the path. It also explained why her Granny Smith knew everything about the bees.

It more or less fit in with what Apple Bloom thought, but it was always good to have an older pony verify what you were thinking. They were never wrong and were always trustworthy sources of information, and Granny Smith was the oldest and most trusthworthiest pony of all. Maybe she'd have to plant more flowers to make sure that her bees had more places to play around with. That would make everything go just honkey dorry and everypony and bee would be happy, because even ponies loved a nice clutch of flowers tossed their way every once in a while. Maybe if she gave Diamond that sorta gift she would stop being such a super crankypants all the time and start treating others with a modicum of respect. Well, Apple Bloom was allowed to have her flights of fancy from time to time, as unrealistic and silly as they were. It was, after all, a pipe dream of the highest order.

Speaking of pipe dreams of the highest order, was she having one right now? For all of her assurance that the staircase was just a fable, there it was. Her Granny was equally stupefied, neither Apple mare ready for what they were seeing. Ponies were ready to accept mystical qualities every once in a while but Apple Bloom had steeled herself against the possibility so much and hardened her heart to the fantastical that seeing it happen in front of her, it stunned the little Apple filly for a few seconds. Without respond, she stepped forward. She half expected her hoof to fall through the transparent beginning but found a solid beneath an increasingly gelatin like hoof which shook with shock every step. “Ah...Ah guess its safe?” Apple stated with a questioning tint, advancing further despite her inclination to avoid.

[Mojo]

 

Granny Smith was still amazed as what she was seeing.  Could the old legends be true?  Was there a golden treasure to be found up these mysterious stairs?  AppleBloom confirmed the fact that the elderly mare wasn't just seeing things, the stairs seemed to be quite real, and quite solid.

 

"Them stairs look safe ta me, AppleBloom, let's git ta climbin'!" the gray maned mare neighed excitedly.  They got this far, they just had to see this through all the way!  Granny's natural curiousity was now getting the best of her as she led her granddaughter up the winding staircase.  As they continued climbing the stairs, the clouds covering the top of the staircase became clearer and clearer, revealing a large stone pillared doorway.  It was a huge entrance, big enough for dozens of ponies to enter.  It's sheer size didn't deter Granny Smith one bit.  The more she saw, the more determined she was to see what was inside.

 

"Come along, AppleBloom!  Thar's bound ta be somethin' special inside here!" the gray maned mare neighed as she led the youthful filly through the doorway.  Inside was a very elegantly furnished chamber with a black and white tiled floor, tapestry covered walls and very ancient looking furniture, all in perfect condition.  In the center of the room was a large, glass cylinder-shaped structure.  Granny gasped when she saw what in contained:  a golden pelted unicorn mare who was lying on the floor of it, looking very weak.  The mare, startled by the sudden noise, opened her eyes and moved her head to look at the newcomers.

 

"Thank Celestia you are here," she managed to speak, "please, help me.  My name is Golden Treasure and I have been imprisoned here for a very long time.  I was once the ruler of this island, but an evil unicorn stallion used his magic to trap me inside this glass cell.  The mist inside has kept me weak and unable to free myself.  Could you somehow release me?  Many have tried before, but none have succeeded.  My own magic is so weak, I can only make the stairway leading here visible for a few moments each day.  Please, I beg you both, free me."

 

While Granny Smith was in a state of shock, she didn't let it cloud her common sense.  This pony was in trouble, and she needed to try her best to help her.

 

"AppleBloom, we gotta figger out a way ta git that lady outta that glass thingie!  Got any idears?"

[SteelEagle]

 

This trip was really turning out to be something special, the sort of private experience you shared with your elder once or twice in your life that would stay with you forever. Of course she was led to believe these were smaller and kinder moments, not expeditions to the tiny points of mystery remaining on an island that had already been so thoroughly explored that any sort of resolution to it seemed absurd. That made it the very best type of experience an adventurous young filly possible! The staircase had been a real hoot, never before had she seen such a thing. Even Cloudsdale didn't have something like that and that was a city in the clouds of modern Equestria! And the castle was so big, and the poor unicorn queen so pretty! This was all just about enough to blow her little filly mind. Just about.

Almost. She was still a smart little cookie and there was something weird about all this. This was such a large castle in an obvious location and the story of the staircase so well known that even an elderly tourist knew of it from her own youth that it seemed odd nopony ever had been able to get here. They were good with bees but throughout the ages had they really been the only ones to do this? Bees could be a deterrent to a lot of ponies but there were so many adventurers and brave folk that Apple Bloom didn't think some angry bees would be able to stop them. And somepony would have had to have tried what they did. It was so close to a major destination and so many ponies traveled the island to see the sights and sounds. It beggared belief that nopony had ever answered the unsung call for a hero that this unicorn queen was singing. Apple Bloom may have been a little filly but she wasn't born yesterday. It was all pickingly the back of her neck.
 

But for all that, she still believed in miracles. And stories. And even if she was skeptical, this was one awfully pretty mare asking her to be a hero. How could she say no to that and her Granny? Answer: She couldn't. And the quickest route to any point was a straight line. “Ah got tha perfect idea! Just buck it!” Apple Bloom bellowed before she reared up, neighed in excitement, charged, and bucked that glass thingie something fierce!  

[Mojo]

 

As Granny Smith looked on, Golden Treasure watched the energetic filly bucking the glass-like barrier that held her captive.

 

"You are quite brave, noble filly, but alas, many others have tried that tactic before," the unicorn mare said with a sigh, "Many a strong Earth stallion have tried kicking the barrier, but to no avail.  Many unicorns have tried to break the magical spell holding the barrier together, but all have failed.  I have been trapped here for so long, I am beginning to lose all hope of rescue!"

 

As Golden Treasure started sobbing, Granny Smith rushed up to the glass barrier.

 

"Now now, don't ya go give'n up hope!  Me and mah granddaughter's gonna git ya outta thar somehow," the elderly mare said as she was deep in thought.  "Hold up a minute!  Now, kickin' an' magic didn't work, then we've gonna try somethin' else.  HAY!  AppleBloom, you remember a while back when yur brother was practicizin' fer that thar Ponytones singin' group?  Remember when ol' Big Mac hit that really deep an' powerful note that cracked a whole row of mah glass jars?  Maybe, if'n we kin somehow sing a strong note like that, it could shatter this here glass thingie an' set our new friend free!"

 

"Pardon me, miss, but did you call me, your friend?"

 

"Sure did, your highness!  Back where we come from we have a sayin':  A stranger's jist a friend we ain't met yet!  We came a long way ta find ya, we sure ain't gonna abandon ya in yur time of need!"

 

"You two, are very kind.  Often those ponies who found me asked for wealth, lands or, even my hoof in marriage before they would attempt to free me.  But the two of you, have not asked for anything in return!  Your hearts are truly pure!  Thank you!  I will aide you the best I can with your idea.  Can either of you sing?"

 

"I could sing in mah younger days, but mah ol' voice ain't what it used ta be.  Hay Applebloom, didn't ya once sing with your two little friends on stage a few years back?"

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom charged up and bucked the little prison with all of the power her hooves could muster, years of training under the tutelage of her sister and experience on a life of hard work giving her the taut muscles needed to deal the best buck of her life. It cracked against the prison and did...absolutely nothing except send Apple Bloom stumbling back. The filly lost her balance and fell down, getting back up as the unicorn queen explained the fruitlessness of their efforts if they were to be physical. Well, that answered an earlier question. Other ponies HAD found this place. But if they had, why didn't they contact the authorities? Eventually word shoulda reached back to Celestia and she could have done something. The fact none of this happened and instead she was simply trapped like this told Apple Bloom that the fish were out of the river and trying to walk on land. That means it was getting quite fishy!

Then Granny Smith came up with an idea something quick, which was also a bit odd too. Granny was smart and all but how in the world was she able to make that leap to a song so quickly and easily, and sounding so sure? It seemed a little odd to Apple Bloom that she jumped to it so fast to it, almost as if she knew something Apple Bloom didn't...but that train of thought was abandoned in relatively quick order when Granny asked for Apple Bloom to be the one to do the singing. Based on what, that talent show that hadn't gone so well in retrospect? At the time she thought it was great because maybe they were talented at comedy but it turned out they were just so bad that ponies couldn't help but laugh and who wanted their talent to be being bad at something? Not Apple Bloom, that's for sure. So it was a little strange her Granny would suggest her doing it, but she figured it couldn't be helped. If she was the only one who could do it...

“What? You want me ta sing? Ah don't think Ah have quite that much in me, Granny...” Apple Bloom trailed off, her hoof traveling to her mouth in an effort to hide it. Who knows, maybe she could keep her not so pretty singing voice. But really, who else could do it? If this was anything less than the real deal she'd have to bury her head in sand until she couldn't hear anything but the embarrassed beating of her own heart. And even if it worked she'd still have to hide from it. Apple Bloom cleared her voice and stepped up. “Ah don't think Ah can hit a low note like that, though Ah'll try. Anypony have any ideas?”

[Mojo]

 

 

Granny Smith looked at AppleBloom, then back at Golden Treasure, and then back at the young filly.

 

"Well AppleBloom, I really can't thinka nuthin' else.  The two of us ain't strong enough ta kick that thar glass thingie ta break it.  Maybe the singin' a shatterin' note idea's a bit far fetched, but unless we kin gallop back ta town an git more help.."

 

"There isn't time, my friends," Golden Treasure explained, "I can only maintain the magical staircase for a short time once every 30 moons.  I do not have the strength to keep them up for much longer.  I fear, if I cannot be freed very soon, I will have to send you both back down the stairs before they vanish again.  Time is not our ally at the moment.  Young AppleBloom, will you please try?  I may have just enough magic that I can cast a small spell of you to enhance your voice so you can shatter my glass prison."

 

"If'n y'all kin do that, yur highness, why can't ya jist cast that thar spell on yurself so ya kin break it on yur own?"

 

"Alas, I cannot, Miss Smith.  I am powerless to affect this glass structure from within it.  That was part of the evil spell that created it.  My only hope is that some outside force can shatter it.  Oh please, Miss AppleBloom, please, will you not try?  I will grant you whatever you want if you will free me!  I beg of you, please try?"

 

"C'mon AppleBloom.  You kin carry a tune way better than me.  Ya heard the lady, time's runnin' out!  Won't ya try it, fer yur ol' Granny Smith?"

[SteelEagle]

 

This was all so very strange! Logically none of this made so much as a lick of sense. Applejack had always taught Apple Bloom to be practical and there just wasn't anything practical about any of this. You may as well have said an Earth pony was flying through the sky using her tongue to unlock pearly gates that held the trident of sea ponies- it would have made just as much sense as what was happening right now! Why couldn't I have been a colt or a stallion they got to do this? They could hit low notes a whole lot easier than a little filly with a little voice could. Even with a spell- seemed like it was a relatively hopeless cause, especially for something that Apple Bloom hadn't entirely bought into just just yet. Boy, wouldn't she feel like a loser if this turned out to be some tourist trap and she was being played like a squeaky fiddle. Her Granny bought into it though- that was the only reason Apple Bloom was playing along with any of this.

Apple Bloom sighed. She had already stepped forward and accepted the role but that didn't mean she had any more confidence in her ability to actually do it. She coughed to clear her throat, putting her hoof to her chest. “Y'all ready ta cast that spell?” She asked quizzically. The unicorn nodded in a panic and her horn lit up, a light from outside working its way down her throat. She could taste the sun camping out in her throat. That was really, really not what she expected, the amber stardust of the cosmos seemingly planting itself on every taste bud. It...hurt. A bit. A lot. It was powerful- she had to get it out!

“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmm.....UUUUhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm.......UUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHmmmmmmm.......UUUUUUUHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!” Apple Bloom went lower and lower and more powerful each moment, the walls of the prison shaking. But there was a price- the power hurt, it hurt a lot, and Apple Bloom couldn't get it out all the way- it seemed to be growing even as she expelled it! She could...was she floating a few feet off the ground...what was...was happening...why couldn't she...continue with the note! ”UUUHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMM!”

[Mojo]

 

 

Granny Smith smiled and cheered as AppleBloom began to sing.

 

"That's it, AppleBloom!  You're a doin' it!  Keep it up!" the elderly mare neighed as Golden Treasure nodded in agreement, her horn starting to glow slightly.

 

"Thank you, dear filly, I will assist you the best I can!" the gold pelted unicorn mare neighed, closing her eyes to concentrate.  Slowly, AppleBloom's note began louder and louder.  The rhythmic pulsing of the magically amplified note started to shake the very room they all stood in.  Seconds later, tiny cracks formed in the 'barrier' that held Golden Treasure captive.

 

"That's it!  That's all I can do!" Golden Treasure shouted as the unicorn mare dropped to her knees, her horn starting to lose it's glow.

 

"By thunder!  We got this here thing THIS fer, we ain't gonna give up now!" the gray maned mare yelled as she galloped up to the barrier, spun around and gave it the hardest kick she could with her hind legs.  This caused the barrier to crack slightly more."

 

"I will join you, oh noble elder!" Golden Treasure shouted as she got up, turn around and kicked the barrier herself.  At last, the glass like barrier shattered, making a noise similar to glass breaking as the excited unicorn mare leapt out to freedom.

 

"WE DONE IT!  WE DONE IT!" Granny Smith shouted as the entire room vibrated violently around them.

 

"The room is starting to collapse!  We all must escape quickly, before it's too late!" Golden Treasure shouted, "I will try to keep us safe with my magic as long as I can, but we all must flee down the magical stairs, NOW!"

 

"Ya heard the lady, AppleBloom, TIME TA GIDDY UP AN' GO!" Granny Smith shouted as she and Golden Treasure raced for the stairway, hoping little AppleBloom would join them in a fast climb down the stairs and back to solid ground.

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom belted out the last deep tone she could push out of her tired, beaten chest, her heart hammering intensely against her breast as every last vestibule of breathe exited her harshly used lungs. Her vision clouded for a second as she beat back the environs of unconsciousness just long enough for their plan to work, Apple Bloom falling to the ground with a wet thud of meat hitting floor. Her Granny kicked and cracked the barrier keeping the supposed unicorn princess imprisoned, and it fell apart soon afterward. Well, she had started to believe when the magic in the air had started to impact her singing, but when everything started to collapse around her that belief was doubled Why the heck had this happened to her of all the ponies it could happen too? If Applejack was here it woulda been solved already and there wouldn't have been so much as a lick of trouble about it.

“On mah way!” Apple Bloom tried to yell, but it came out as little more than a an agitated whisper as she haphazardly pushed herself up. No matter how hard she may have wanted to run she just couldn't seem to get up to the sped she could before, her whole body feeling like it was stuck in some terrible tree sap. She tried to trot forward but the unicorn and her granny faster than she did. “Wait-” she said, though it too came out as a whisper, and it was drowned out by the sound of the room collapsing. Pillars broke and fell apart, the floor caved in, and the ceiling, no longer supported by the pillars, started to fall from above. Apple Bloom dodged with practiced precision of a farmer the falling pieces but none of it was doing her a lick of good. She ran ahead to try and catch up, but a whole heaping of the ceiling landed in front of her, cutting her off from the others. “Granny...!” Apple Bloom tried t scream but once again all that escaped was a forceful breath.

She was trapped. No escape. She looked around and saw nothing but more of the collapsing structure around her, debris and pieces of the ceiling cracking against the flow which itself started to fall off. “Granny! Granny!” Apple Bloom said as she dodged more pieces of the ceiling, then a hole in the ground, then another pair of both until she was at a window. She looked outside, her ears held back in terror- she was so far up! But if she-
-Another piece fell and knocked her right of the window, the little filly giving a terrible shout- that ended up just above a squeak- as she fell through the clouds!

[Mojo]

 

 

Unable to hear AppleBloom calling out, Granny Smith and Golden Treasure got to the top of the staircase, only to see the stairs starting to fade away.

 

"As I feared, my magic is fading," Golden Treasure confessed as the gold pelted unicorn mare saw Granny Smith calling out.

 

"APPLEBLOOM!  WHERE ARE YA!!!!" the frantic elderly Earth mare screamed.

 

"OH NO!  Where is she?" Golden Treasure asked, turning around to help Granny try to spot her.  Suddenly, both mares saw the little filly falling downward.

 

"APPLEBLOOM!" the gray maned mare yelled out.

 

"Only one chance to save her, and ourselves!" the unicorn mare neighed, her horn glowing, but flickering as she cast one more spell, a spell that instantly put parachutes on each of them seconds before the magical staircase faded away.  AppleBloom's chute instantly deployed, rapidly slowing her descent to a safe pace.  Granny screamed as she and Golden Treasure fell downward, but their parachutes opened quickly and soon, like AppleBloom, their fall was at a slow, safe pace.

 

"That was some smart thinkin' thar Golden Treasure!  Er, Golden Treasure?" Granny Smith asked, seeing that the unicorn mare was now unconscious.  Using her last bit of magical energy to save herself and her new friends completely drained the gold pelted unicorn mare.  She was out cold as she floated down towards the ground.

 

"AppleBloom!" Granny shouted as she watched the hooves of her granddaughter gently touch the grass below.  "Thar's somethin' wrong with Golden Treasure!  Have yur First Aide kit ready!"

 

As she and Golden Treasure made gentle landings, Granny looked up to see that now, the sky above was completely clear.  No low clouds, as had been there before.  As the bees raced over towards the unicorn, Granny turned her head towards them.

 

"It's alright, bees!  She's with us!"

 

Hearing this, the buzzing bees retreated as Granny unfastened her parachute.

 

"AppleBloom!  You ok?"

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Apple Bloom fell through the sky like a rock being tossed violently into the water, the ripping waves seeming close enough to the clouds being parted in a confused manner as an Earth pony who didn't belong so far up tumbled swiftly to where she did belong. She didn't have the time or control over her thoughts to think or feel anything other than the sheer terror of being dropped out of the womb of the sky. She tried to right herself in mid-air but the whole time all she could manage was an inaccurate tumble that lost any sense of momentum after a second and turned into a flopping meat sack hurtling towards the planet with devastating speed. If only her ma had been a pegasus so she could have some swings suddenly sprout to save her hide!

 

As she tumbled and fell she could feel magic flow around her like a nice, warm hug. It embraced her, calmed her, and in a flash started to form around her. It took a second for Apple Bloom to realize what it was doing but it was already a little too late when she did- the chute that had materialized around her caught the air, giving her a tight hug of the cord and stealing her breath and sense. It knocked her about in such a whiplash fashion that she briefly lost consciousness. She snapped back to the waking world a few moments before she landed, her head foggy and her body weaker than ever before. But at least now she was safe, the world approaching her far more gently and easily than before. She landed softly not tio far from her Granny and Golden.

She took a few steps as the chute vanished, giving out a feeble, “Granny!” that came out as little more than a coarse whisper before she feel back on her back haunches, nearly tipping over due to inertia.  

[Mojo]

 

Granny Smith glanced over towards the staggering AppleBloom.

 

"AppleBloom!  Stay right thar!  Granny's on her way!" the elderly mare shouted as she galloped over to her granddaughter.  "Are ya alright, kido?"

 

"SHE WILL BE THE LEAST OF YOUR WORRIES NOW, OLD ONE!" a booming voice echoed around them as a tall, red pelted unicorn stallion dressed in ancient armor appeared in front of the three ponies.  "I AM CRIMSON FLASH AND IT IS I WHO IMPRISONED GOLDEN TREASURE IN THAT DIMENSIONAL CELL WHEN SHE REFUSED TO MARRY ME!  YOU AND THAT BRATTY FILLY DARED TO UNTO MY MAGIC AND FREED HER AGAINST ME WILL?  I CAN SEE SHE IS UNCONSCIOUS NOW, BUT WHEN SHE AWAKES, SHE WILL DISCOVER THAT THE TWO OF YOU HAVE JOINED HER IN HER OLD CELL!  THIS TIME, THERE WILL BE NO ESCAPE FOR ANY OF YOU!  SO, OLD ONE, HAVE YOU ANY LAST WORDS BEFORE I IMPRISON ALL THREE OF YOU TROUBLEMAKERS, FOREVER?"

 

"Yep!  I got some last words, ya loud mouth yahoo!" Granny Smith neighed as she pointed a front hoof in Crimson Flash's direction.  "GIT'M, BEES!"

 

"WHAT??" the red pelted unicorn yelled as several swarms of large bees descended upon him, repeatedly stinging him all over his body, causing him to scream out in pain before galloping out of sight, with the bees still in hot pursuit.

 

"Calls ME old one, will ya?  Serves ya right!" Granny neighed before turning towards AppleBloom.  "You ok?  Gonna need yur First Aide kit ta help Golden Treasure too.  I sure am glad our bee friends took care of her enemy fer us."

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom was balancing on her back haunches like she was being hit by a slow moving tidal wave, being held in place by only her force of will and a desire to not fall on her back like a turtle, which would have been mighty embarrassing even if the only one around was Granny Smith. Sure Golden Treasure was there but she wasn't planning on coming back to this place ever again after all this, so embarrassment in front of her mattered a lot less. Granny Smith came over and asked Apple Bloom if she was alright. Well, short answer was no, long answer was probably but not at the moment, and the longest answered involved a lot of flubbing over words as they meekly escaped her. “Ah'm okay...Ah think...kinda...everythin' is a bit...wavy or somethin' but...better than 'fore,” Apple Bloom whispered, her voice still shaking.

Speaking of shaking, the supposed big bad showed up. Apple Bloom was a bit out of it still but something he was saying was catching her way off guard. His armor looked pretty ancient but it wasn't that old, or at least as old as they wanted it to be. She'd done enough arts and crafts projects and had read enough to know artificial aging when she saw it. His booming voice was certainly loud but it had a decidedly Manehattan accent to it. She'd listened to Babs enough to detect it, after all. And the kicker- the sort of armor he wore and the story they were telling didn't match with the fact that Manehattan came after. It was all enough for Apple Bloom to return to her suspicions as her Granny bravely led...bees...to victory...over the big bad who fled. Wait a second, why would a big stallion with armor who could create shield and container spells be frightened of bees? Something was not adding up here.

It was then that the thought that she needed to help Golden Treasure kicked in. Well, she needed to help her, no matter what kooky story was actually going on. “...Alright, Ah...can help,” Apple Bloom forced out, getting up in a wavy fashion and trotting towards Golden.

[Mojo]

 

As Crimson Flash started his villainous monologue, Golden Treasure slowly opened her eyes.  Still unable to move, the gold pelted unicorn mare could only watch as Granny Smith called out her friends, the bees, to go to battle with her arrogant ex-fiancée.   After the screaming unicorn stallion fled, she looked to see Granny Smith and AppleBloom trotting towards her.

 

"Are you alright, your highness?" the elderly Earth mare asked.

 

"Now that you two have freed me from my power draining prison, my strength is returning," Golden Treasure announced as her horn and body started to glow brightly.  Within seconds, the unicorn mare was on her feet, attired in a medieval times looking elegant light blue dress with golden trim.  "My magic grows stronger with each passing second."

 

"That's good ta hear, yur majesty."

 

"But how did you know Crimson Flash's one weakness?  That he was highly allergic to bee stings?"

 

"Well, actually, I.."

 

"When he and I were dating, he wanted to destroy every bee in my realm.  He nearly succeeded until I stopped him.  It was after that I saw his cruelty, his mean personality that I called off our wedding.  That is when he placed me in that prison, in another dimension, intending to leave me there forever.  But you, noble mare, and you, heroic filly, have at last set me free!  For this, I will be eternally grateful.  Is there anything I can do for either of you now?"

 

"If'n ya got some kinda healin' spell, please use it on mah AppleBloom!"

 

"How about it, brave AppleBloom, shall I use my magic to make you well?"