The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: Ponyfan on January 07, 2015, 05:59:47 AM
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Hi,
We did this once a long time ago at the Trading Post and it was a lot fun, Each person posts a sentence or two of a story It's okay to finish the sentence of the person that posted before you and then start a new one. :)
The Beginning: One day some ponies decided to go explore a part of Dream Valley they had never been to before. When they got there....
Ponyfan
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...they were surprised to see some interesting creatures that they had never seen before! The ponies approached the creatures slowly to see if they were friendly.
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They looked like a small elf, they looked like a crystal rock. The ponies watched them to see what they where doing. They where collecting crystals from the rainbow caves under the water fall.
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Suddenly Duck Soup flew forward and away from Sprinkles side. The pull of the water was too strong for the little duck.
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"Come back, Duck Soup!" Sprinkles yelped, and flew towards the waterfall after her pet. The rest of the ponies followed her as she chased Duck Soup, who was headed right for the mysterious crystal elves.
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Duck Soup looked back to see everyone chasing him and crashed right in the big pile of crystals the crystal elves had collected. Several crystals were broken. The elves...
Ponyfan
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...flickered and disappeared, as they'd only been crystal-powered holograms! All except one, who turned towards the ponies and...
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... ignored them as it ran past them towards the crystals. The Elf started to dig through the collapsed pile, then sat back and started to cry.
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The ponies felt terrible! Especially Sprinkles since it had been her pet that had caused all of this trouble. She decided to go over to the elf to see if he needed any help.
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Bouncy asked 'would you like some help?'
The little Elf replied 'NO! No I don't need your help! Look what you've done'
Now I'll never get these to my master in time'
He sat down and cried even more.
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Sprinkles still felt really bad and deiced to help whether the Elf wanted them to or not. She flew in to a cave and saw a big beautiful glowing crystal The Elf noticed Sprinkles just as she was about to grab the crystal.
Ponyfan
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The Elf screamed: "Don't touch that crystal, you stupid horse!" But it was already too late as Sprinkles' frontleg touched the crystal and a horrible rumbling sound came forth out of the cave before everything started to collapse.
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Sprinkles froze from fright but Masquerade lept forward and grabbed her and the mysterious elf out of the way before a portion of the cave ceiling could hit them. The elf kept struggling and weeping, "The crystals. They crystals!" as the ponies dragged him away from the collapse zone.
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The ground shook. Everyone closed their eyes until the shaking stopped. When they opened their eyes they saw...
Ponyfan
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A beautiful rainbow of light in the center of the cave, where the collapsed roof had been. Stunned, the ponies and the elf went towards it and. . .
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. . . it suddenly turned into the Rainbow of Darkness and transformed Sprinkles, Masquerade, Bouncy, and any other nearby pony into a horrible monster. Then Tirrac appeared and kidnapped them.
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Only Applejack was far enough away to avoid being turned into a monster. The elf also managed to escape the curse. "I need to save my friends!" Applejack cried.
The elf said "Well, to do that, you'll need to..."
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"go to the underground crystal city and ask the ruler there how to find what you need to save your friends. It won't be easy. There are many creatures underground that..."
Ponyfan
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"Might attack at any moment." The elf finished. He looked frightened.
Applejack was concerned but she knew she couldn't abandon her friends. "We have to help them!" She insisted. "I know who we can go to." And with that, she-
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... picked up the Elf and threw him on her back whilst she dashed away. The Elf protested loudly and demanded to be left out of whatever Applejack had in mind concerning her friends but the orange Pony just galopped on and ignored him.
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Applejack ran all the way to the Moochick's house. When she got inside The Moochick....
Ponyfan
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Seemed like he knew she was coming. "I'm so glad you're finally here Applejack! My magic allowed me to see that you are all in great peril! For two days from now, Ponyland will be...
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... covered in darkness. And everything and everyone the rays of darkness will touch, will turn to stone. Applejack gasped in shock. How could she stop this?
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"How can I stop that from happening and rescue from friends from Tirrac?"
While Applejack was talking to the Moochick the Elf had been quietly walking to the door hoping he could run away from the orange pony. The Moochick smiled and used his magic to put the Elf gently on Applejack's back. "You two must work together. It's the only way to make everything right again. First..."
Ponyfan
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Applejack frowned, annoyed that the moochick had put the elf so close to her, but she soon put her feelings aside when she realized what was at stake. She looked over he shoulder, gave the Elf a smile and then stepped forward. She puffed out her chest and bravely said "I'm ready Moochick! What do I have to do?"
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The Moochick looked puzzled. Hadn't he already explained? Then, he noticed his rabbit companion, Habit, rappin his foot anxiously next to him. An open book of Dream Valley lore lay at their feet.
"Oh, right. First, you must travel to the Valley of the Silver Moon. There are many challenges there. But-"
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... you won't have to face them alone." Moochick had only just finished or a group of Baby Pony's came tumbling inside all over each other, having the time of their life and completely caught up in their little game. Applejack stared ... Surely the fate of them all didn't depend on her and these baby Pony's?
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The Elf stared at the Baby Ponies. Having to deal with one pony at a time was bad enough. How could he handle a bunch of little ponies? "I can glow in the dark!" Baby Moondancer shouted while the other Baby ponies started a game tag knocking over several of the Moochick's belongings while they chased each other inside the house.
"Baby Ponies, come here" the Moochick said gently. They laughed as he used his magic to gather all of them together between himself and Applejack and the Elf. "Listen Baby ponies. I have something important to tell you. "
Ponyfan
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Does anyone still want to play? :)
Ponyfan
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(Ill go. I wanted others to give a chnce, but what the heck ...)
"Do you want to play with us too?!" Baby Lemon Drop shouted, jumping up and down in joy. Soon the entire little house was filled with excited chatter from all the Baby Ponies who wanted Moochick to join in on their little game of tag. Seeing the orange large Pony distratced as well as the strange little fellow, the Elf took his chance, jumped off Applejack's back and ran to the door. But just then the door burst open and ...
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A shimmering colorful mist filled the house. The Moochick tried to use his magic to make the mist go away but Baby Lemon Drop jumped on him and threw off his aim. The mist encircled Applejack and started pulling her outside. Applejack tried to stop the mist from pulling her but it was too strong and fast. When she looked back Baby Moondacer was also being pulled by the mist. Finally the mist stopped pulling them and instead split into several clouds of mist. Applejack and Baby Moondancer watched as the mist swirled around them and ...
Ponyfan
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...they started to doze off! The elf, too, was caught in the mist, and he could feel his own eye lids growing heavy. No matter how hard they struggled against the effects of the mist, they couldn't stop themselves from falling asleep. When they woke up, they...
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Were all in another land. The sun was high and bright in the sky. It beat down relentlessly on the pile of ponies and one little elf.
The ponies woke up lazily, one by one. Baby Moondancer swallowed a yawn. "Where are we?"
Applejack glanced around. The grass was high and very green. Nothing looked familiar. "I don't know." She said, uncertainly. "Maybe-"
She was cut off by the suddenly frantic elf, who was pointing wildly to something just beyond them. "What is that?"
They all turned and saw-
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A huge dust cloud. As the dust cloud got closer everyone could see that it was really very large creatures that were several times bigger than themselves. The large creatures were pulling a large wagon filled with stuff. Baby Moondancer grew frightened and tried to run away. She took a few steps back and bumped into something hard. As she did a bright glow surrounded them. When the glow was gone everyone realized they were trapped in a huge cage. At that very moment the large creatures pulling the wagon reached the cage. When they say the ponies and elf inside....
Ponyfan
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...they looked very startled. "What are these tiny creatures?" The one in front asked.
"We're ponies!" Applejack cried. "Where are we? We need to go home and save our friends!" The creature started to speak again and said...
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"Home? You are home." At these words all the other large Creatures started to laugh in an evil way. One of them stepped up to the cage, leant in and let his enormous eye fill Applejack, baby Moondancer and the Elf's sight. "How much do you think these will bring us at the market?"
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Everyone huddled in a corner of the cage. "Let us out! We have to get back to Dream Valley!" Applejack pleaded, but the large Creatures only laughed harder. One of the large Creatures pulled Applejack by the tail and then held her upside down. "Put me down!" Applejack cried. The Creature let go and she dropped down to the cage floor unharmed. "I think we'll get an excellent price for such rare tiny creatures" said the one that had held Applejack. But before we take them to the market we should..."
Ponyfan
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... consult with our boss to see how much he wants us to sell them for. Remember what happened when we under priced something last time?" The creatures shuddered collectively. The ponies and the elf quivered with terror; these creatures were terrible enough, and if even they were frightened of their boss, he was probably truly horrible.
"We need an escape plan!" Applejack whispered to her friends. "How about..."
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"We kick the bars of the cage? Maybe we can open it if we all work together!"
The little ponies were scared but curious. They huddled with Applejack, getting ready to force the door to the cage open. The elf, however, stayed on the other side of the cage. He was trembling madly, arms crossed in front of him.
"We need you, too." Applejack quietly called to him.
"Oh no!" The little elf replied. "You've gotten me into enough trouble already."
"Come on. Help us!" Exclaimed Baby Tiddly Winks, nudging the elf with her nuzzle.
"Yeah!" Said Baby Lemon Drop.
The other babies crowded the elf and finally, he reluctantly agreed to help. Applejack gathered everyone around the door. "Okay. On my count! One-two-three!" They all kicked together as one. And with a tremendous shake-
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The door opened a little, "Kick it again, everyone!" Applejack shouted.
Just when they were about to kick the door again the ponies suddenly found themselves sliding away from it and tumbling over each other. Only the little elf managed to hold on to one of the bars near the door. The ponies looked up and saw the door was now at the top of the cage and they were at the bottom. The very large creatures were laughing hysterically
"You won't get away that easily" one said as put a huge lock on the cage door before tipping the cage again. "We'd better be getting back" he said as he picked up the cage and placed it in the wagon.
In their hurry to get the lock on the door the very large creatures didn't notice that the little elf...
Ponyfan
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... had managed to snatch the key to the lock! The creature had been wearing it on a frayed piece of twine around his neck, so it had only taken a quick cut with a sharp piece of crystal that the elf had in his pocket to free the key. He hid it behind his back and waited for the creature to turn away before he quickly and quietly unlocked the cage door. The elf made a "shhh" sound and gestured to the ponies to sneak out the door.
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Each of the little ponies carefully tip-toed out of the cage, keeping themselves as quiet as they possibly could.
Everything seemed to be going well! Not a peep was heard. That is, until Applejack tripped over her own hooves
and fell flat on her stomach. The fall had forced a "thump!" from the ground below.
All of the baby ponies dashed behind the adults, seeking comfort and protection. Applejack pushed herself to her feet
and gazed upwards, terrified at what she saw before her...
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The biggest of the large creatures came stomping towards them with a giant stony club in his hand. The Baby Pony's huddled backwards terrified and Applejack released a whimper when suddenly small icy blue lights popped up behind them in a trail leading up the hill. The lights started to shout with soft female voices. "Hurry, over here. We'll help you."
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There was no time to lose. Everyone started racing toward the path the lights made. Baby Moondancer looked back and saw Applejack still frozen in front of the large creature who was raising his club. "Run, Applejack! she screamed . Some of the blue lights left the path, surrounded Applejack and carried her to the others. They all ran up the pathway to the top of hill. As soon as they all reached the top more blue lights spun around the large creature and he soon dropped his club and ran off in to the distance.
"You're safe now." the blue lights said as they glowed brighter and turned in to beautiful fairies. Before anyone could say thank you all of the ponies suddenly turned very pale and...
Ponyfan
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... realized that maybe these fairies could help them out to get back to Dream Valley! Or at least tell them where they were. To everyone's surprise, the Elf spoke up.
"Can you help us get back home?" he implored. The fairies said...
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"Sadly we can not," they spoke together as if they were one. "Our land is under the reign of darkness. It has limited our powers." Applejack wondered. Could this be the same darkness that was threatening them? Had the mysterious myst perhaps brought them to where they had to be?
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"Maybe if we help restore your land we can save Dream Valley and our friends as well," Applejack said hopefully. The fairies smiled for a moment but then turned sad again.
"We would be very gratefully for your help," one of the fairies said "but it's too dangerous. You would have to travel far away from here. You are safe here as long as you stay with us but if you leave we can't...."
Ponyfan
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...protect you from those creatures any longer. They used to be kind woodland animals, but the darkness turned them into evil creatures. Our magic was just strong enough that we were spared."
"Well," pondered Applejack, "why don't you come with us then?"
"We have never left home before." The fairies said sadly, "Who knows what would happen..."
"Isn't it worth a shot?" Applejack asked, to which the fairies responded...
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The lights dimmed as the fairies turned sad. "No. Years before our brothers undertook the voyage. They never returned. This land is full of dangers now that the darkness reigns. If we go with and disappear, this land will trully be lost. Our light is the only thing that still stands between utter night." The fairies fell silent but immediately Baby Moondancer stepped forward. "Then we will save everyone here. We aren't afraid off some darkness!" she boosted as she started to shine from her own power.
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Applejack smiled at Baby Moondancer's bravery, But she was beginning to wonder if the Baby ponies would be safer with the fairies. She shook slightly at the memory of how the very large creatures had treated them . There might be other creatures in the land that were even worse.
"Maybe I should go alone" she said...
Ponyfan
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The baby ponies protested loudly. They didn't want to be left out of the adventure.
"It's for the best, baby ponies! Stay behind with our new friends." Applejack told them. She simply couldn't risk taking the baby ponies on such a dangerous mission.
"I'll go with her" declared the elf, shocking everyone. He looked flustered. "Well, I live in Dream Valley, too, so I need to go along to make sure you don't mess this up!!"
The fairies told Applejack and the elf where to go, and they set off on their journey. But what they didn't realize was that...
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the Baby ponies had decided to follow them. Baby Moondancer was leading the way and telling everyone to be extra quiet so they wouldn't be noticed.
Applejack and the Elf reached the edge of a vast desert. Applejack took a deep breath and started across the desert.
"Thank you for helping us get out of the cage," Applejack told the elf so softly that he almost didn't hear her. He wondered why she was talking so quietly.
The elf was just about to reply when he found himself flying through the air and landing hard on the ground.
The elf was very angry and was about to tell Applejack to be more careful but when he got to his feet and turned towards Applejack he saw...
Ponyfan
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A pink bottom peeking out from behind a large rock formation. The Elf signaled Applejack and when they sneaked back, they heard the excited chatter from the naughty Baby Ponies. "Do you think they spotted us?" Baby Lemon Drop whispered. "Impossible," Baby Buttons replied whose butt was sticking out for all to see, "we are way too sneaky. They will never know. "
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"Baby ponies! How could you be this naughty?" Applejack cried. The elf shook his head.
"We didn't want to miss out on your adventure." Baby Buttons pouted.
"This isn't a game, baby ponies, this is dangerous." Applejack sighed. "We'll need to take you back to the fairies right away."
Baby Lemon Drop frowned. "Can you afford to lose that much time? Bringing us all the way back would take a while."
Applejack said....
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"You have a good point, Baby Lemondrop It might take a long time to go back to the fairies."
Applejack decided she needed a few minutes to decide what to do so she walked a short distance away from everyone and behind another set of rocks. Applejack was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the sand that was she standing on looked different than all of the other sand in the desert. She also didn't see a rope that was near the big rocks.
Suddenly...
Ponyfan
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a strange little man jumped down from the rocks next to which Applejack was standing. The little man wore his pair of trousers as a shirt and had his shirt tied around his waist as a skirt. "Got you!" the little man cried, picking up the rope and throwing it over Applejack. "I knew you couldn't resist this delicious sand!"
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Applejack was so surprised that she could only stare as the little man made sure the rope was tight and shouted "You'll help me find more gold!"
He began pulling Applejack away from the rocks. "What do you mean? Where are you taking me?" Applejack cried.
Ponyfan
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Applejack remembered that she was bigger and stronger than he was, so she just dug her hooves into the sand and wouldn't budge.
"How rude!" Applejack spluttered. "You can't just expect to drag me off somewhere and make me work for you!" By this point, the elf and the baby ponies had heard the commotion and scrambled over to see what was wrong. They looked just as confused as Applejack as the little man continued to pull and pull on the rope to try and move Applejack.
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The little man started to jump up and down and threw a tantrum. "I caught you! You have to do now what I want you to do!" Then he threw himself on the ground and started to cry. Baby Cotton Candy took pity on the little man and stepped up to him. She nuzzled him with her nose. The little man stopped his bawling and ...
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watched Baby Cotton Candy for a few moments. She playfully started taking things out of his pockets. One of the things she pulled out was a small bag.
"My sand! This will make things much easier. " the little man cried as he grabbed the bag and scared Baby Cotton Candy who was still playing with the stuff she found.
Applejack had been trying to slip out of the rope it but the little man had tied it so tight that no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get it off.
The little man walked up to Applejack and before anyone could stop him starting throwing sand on her. When the sand hit Applejack ....
Ponyfan
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... nothing happened. The little man screamed: "Impossible!" and he turned the bag upside down. All the sand ran out and the man started to mutter: "Wrong bag. Now where did I put it?" Whilst the little man started to empty his pockets further Baby Glory sniffled at a bag Baby Cotton Candy had already pulled out of the little man's pocket. It tickled her nose and she sneezed, making the sand fly over a few of the baby Ponies who started to light up as disco lights, colours shifting between red, green and blue.
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The baby ponies thought lighting up in different colors was so much fun that soon they were all changing colors and laughing. The little man stopped and smiled at the baby ponies.
"Here it is!" he yelled as he found the bag he was looking for in his pocket. He opened the bag and grabbed a handful of sand, ready to throw it on Applejack.
"Wait!" Applejack pleaded. "Why are you doing this? Can't you just take the rope off and let me go? If you don't we'll never be able to restore this land."
The little man...
Ponyfan
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"That can wait!" he shouted, and blew a puff of the magic sand on her, and she started changing colors just as much as the baby ponies.
"Play with us, Applejack! Play with us!" The baby ponies cried, frolicking around her gleefully.
"There isn't time, Baby Ponies!" Applejack was starting to get exasperated, but thankfully the Elf came over and untied the rope quickly. He said...
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"Stop blowing sand on Applejack! You can't make her work for you and we're leaving!"
The little man grabbed the rope but soon realized that Applejack was free.
He started laughing hysterically. "You think all my sand does is make them change colors? It does much more than that. You haven't seen the last of me!" he yelled as he jumped behind some rocks.
The Elf noticed all of the ponies seemed to be walking slower than usual. They hadn't gone too far when all of the baby ponies started to cry at once.
"What's wrong, Baby Ponies? " Applejack asked
Ponyfan
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Is anyone else still interested in playing? :)
Ponyfan
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One last bump just in case someone still wants to play. :)
Ponyfan
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Patience, Ponyfan. Give us a chance to come up with ideas. :biggrin:
On to the story!!!!
... "We are fading!" The Baby Ponies started to yell and true to their words, their little Pony bodies were slowly starting to shimmer through. Applejack looked down to herself and then to the Elf. They were undergoing the same fate. Suddenly words from the Blue Lights they had encountered before drifted over. "Don't forget," they called out softly before everything turned black and Applejack woke up back in the cottage of The Moochick. "Good, you're back awake," The Moochick spoke.
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Applejack got up and starting walking in circles around the Moochick
Where were we? How long have we been gone? What about the fairies? Should we go back?"
The Moochick started frantically looking in his books The Baby Ponies started running around the Moochick so fast that he couldn't tell which Baby Pony was which. Over the Baby Ponies laughter he could hear Applejack still questioning him.
"Are were really back in Dream Valley? Are you the real Moochick or is this some kind of trick?"
"Please, everyone, " The Moochick began...
Ponyfan
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...settle down for just one moment and listen!" The Moochick implored. He had to repeat himself several times to be heard over the chatter of the baby ponies and the confused pondering of Applejack and the elf. Even though they knew the Moochick had the answers in all likelihood, they were so caught up in trying to figure out what had happened that they mostly ignored him. Finally, he got them all to settle down enough to listen and explained...
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"... you never really left my place. That green fog seemed to put you all in a deep slumber. Although perhaps a slumber wouldn't be the best way to describe it as you all seemed to have dreamt the same thing. What you all experienced was a glimpse of a possible future. What can become of our world if we can't stop the darkness. The world you were shown was probably one that was unable to stop the threat."
"Oh no!" Baby Moondancer yelled. "Those poor creatures and we can't help them!"
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"I wish we could have helped the fairies." Applejack said sadly "That world was a terrible place and the fairies helped us. Is there any way we could help them?"
The Moochick shook his head. "I don't know. It will take time to figure that out. Time we might not have. You must get started on your journey to save Dream Valley. Please be careful. Dream Valley is changing as we speak and becoming more dangerous all the time. I'll stay here and see what I can find out about the fairies."
Applejack, The Baby Ponies and the Elf started on their way. Soon they came to a big lake that no one had ever seen before. All of the ponies realized they were very thirsty and started to drink. Suddenly...
Ponyfan
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...vines shot out of the water and wrapped around Applejack's front legs! She yelped in shock and tried to pull backward, but the edge of the lake was slippery and muddy and the vines were stronger than she expected. Bravely, the Elf dashed forward and started chopping at the vines with his trusty piece of crystal.
"Don't worry Applejack!" The elf said, "I...
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..." The Elf didn't get any further as some of the vines swung at him and smacked the crystal piece out of the Elf's hand. The crystal bounded a few times on the sandy ground and then got snatched up by one of the vines that pulled the crystal into the water and underneath the wet surface. For a moment nothing happened and then suddenly the green vines turned into crystal.
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The crystal vines were even stronger than before and quickly wrapped themselves more tightly around Applejack. Applejack fell in the water as more vines grabbed her and pulled her toward the center of the lake. Applejack struggled but the vines were so tight now she could barely move.
"Please help me!" she cried as the vines dragged her under the water.
The Elf was just about to get in the water and try to rescue her when he saw the vines resurface. To his surprise the vines went to the other side of the lake and then unwrapped themselves. He could see a very wet orange pony. As the Elf got closer he realized something was very wrong. Applejack was now they same size as the Baby Pones and she looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Ponyfan
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Bumping back to page 1. :)
Ponyfan
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"What do you mean, 'who am I'? We've been on a... quest? Mission? Journey? Well, whatever this is, for kind of a while!" The Elf was incredulous, and wondered if Applejack was joking. She could get pretty silly sometimes. It was weird that she has shrunk, though.
"I dunno?" Applejack wondered aloud looking perplexed. "And uh, would you happen to know who I am?"
The Elf looked at Applejack, bemused, and said...
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"Don't you know who you are?"
Applejack looked more confused than ever, laid down in the grass and started to cry. "No. You seem to know who I am even though I've never seen you before", she said through her sobs. "Maybe I should find someone else to help me."
The Elf went over to Applejack and gently said "Something must have happened to you while you were under water that erased your memories. Don't cry. I know who you are. "
"You're Apple" the Elf began but stopped when he looked up and saw the Baby Ponies running around the lake. They would reach them in a few minutes. He thought about how upset the Baby Ponies would be if they found Applejack with no memory. He had to think quickly. The Elf...
Ponyfan
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Bumping back to page 1 :)
Ponyfan
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...quickly hid Applejack behind a clump of flowers so he could think of a plan before the baby ponies got scared. He gave her a pat on the head and told her "don't worry, we'll sort this out!" in his most reassuring voice. Applejack hiccuped sadly in response.
"Where's Applejack?! Where's Applejack?!" The baby ponies yelped, frolicking around the elf merrily.
"Er, she's... busy. But do you want to be a big help to me baby ponies?" He said. He had suddenly remembered a home remedy for memory loss that the elves frequently employed. Applejack would still be small, but if she had her memories back it would make things that much easier.
"Yeah!"
"Well, I need you to help me find..."
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"... a potion I keep in my cave," the Elf spoke, looking at the Baby Ponies.
"What potion?" "What cave?" "Why do you need a potion?" "Is it eatable?" "Is it for us?" "I don't like potions!" The Baby Ponies all started to shout through each other.
The Elf grabbed his head and grumbled something under his breath that this was why he didn't want children of his own.
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When the Elf noticed that all chattering had stopped he looked at the Baby Ponies. They were all looking at him with big eyes and he realized they must be waiting for him to respond to something they asked.
"I'm sorry, Baby Ponies. What did you say?"
"We wanted to know why you need the potion," Baby Cotton Candy said.
"It's for Applejack. She's not feeling quite like herself right now and I'm hoping the potion will make her feel better. Could you be very brave and helpful Baby Ponies and get the right potion from my cave and bring it back here? You have to promise that you will only get the potion I tell you to and you will not touch anything else that you might see in my cave."
"We promise! We promise!" The Baby Ponies shouted excitedly.
The Elf started wondering if having the Baby Ponies get the potion was a good idea but wasn't sure what other choice he had. He couldn't leave Applejack alone for too long but could he really trust the Baby Ponies with such an important task?
The Elf took a deep breath and said....
Ponyfan
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"Okay, baby ponies, don't make me regret giving you such an important job!" The elf explained the quickest route to his cave and then told the baby ponies "Only touch the little blue bottle on the lowest shelf on the right side. ONLY the little blue bottle! That's the one I need. Make sure you don't touch the one-" He stopped himself. Telling the baby ponies a specific bottle that they shouldn't touch was basically inviting them to go after that one. It would be too tempting. "Got it?"
"We got it! We got it!" The baby ponies cried gleefully, and scampered off in the direction of the Elf's cave as he watched them go, worried that he may have made a mistake.
The baby ponies reached the cave in short order, and they quickly found the blue bottle. But Baby Cotton Candy spied a tantalizingly sparkly pink bottle just out of reach. "Ooooh... pretty!" She whispered, reaching out towards it with a tentative hoof.
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Baby Moondancer noticed Baby Cotton Candy reaching for the sparkly bottle and jumped in front of her.
"No, Baby Cotton Candy! We promised we'd only get the bottle the Elf told us to."
Baby Cotton Candy looked longingly at the sparkly bottle. "But it's so pretty! I'm sure the Elf won't mind if we take just one little peek," she said.
Baby Cotton Candy smiled mischievously at Baby Moondancer. If she jumped on top of Baby Moondancer she would be able to reach the bottle. The other Baby Ponies started tugging on Baby Cotton Candy's tail trying to pull her away from the shelf with the pretty bottle.
"We promised! We promised!" all of the other Baby Ponies cried.
"I want to see what's in the pretty bottle!" Baby Cotton Candy shouted so loud that her voice echoed in the cave.
Before the Baby Ponies could say anything they heard voices and footsteps nearing the cave entrance.
"Hide!" Baby Moondancer whispered.
All of the Baby Ponies ran quickly to find hiding places. They watched from their hiding places as....
Ponyfan
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... more Elfes came in. There were 11 of them and none of them looked as friendly as their newly acquired friend.
"Now where did that lazy bum get to?" one of the Elfes spoke. His voice was deep and low and held a menacing touch.
The Baby Ponies shivered and crawled a bit further out of the newcomers' sight.
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"He's been even worse than usual about missing shifts! Where has he gone off to this time? No doubt he's wandering around somewhere with his head in the clouds to gather more stuff for these darn potions of his. He should know crystal gathering is where the money is at, not this garbage!" The Elf grumbled, and stomped further into the cave as the baby ponies shrank deeper into the shadows. He snatched the pink bottle that Baby Cotton Candy had been admiring and inspected it for a moment.
"Nothing but garbage!" He yelled, throwing the bottle onto the ground. The delicate crystal bottle shattered against the hard floor. Suddenly...
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everything the pink potion touched turned to crystal. The Baby Ponies and the group of elves watched as the floor, a table, several bottles and even a plant turned into giant pieces of crystal. Luckily the Baby Ponies were close enough to the wall of the cave that the potion couldn't reach them. The group of elves jumped out of the way of the pink potion and watched as the potion glowed and dissolved leaving only a small pink stain on the otherwise flawless crystal floor.
Baby Cotton Candy was shivering so hard that she knocked over one of the empty bottles she was hiding behind and it fell to the crystal floor. It made such a loud noise that it drew the elves attention. The Elf that had thrown the pink bottle on the floor walked over to the other bottle and pulled Baby Cotton Candy out of her hiding spot.
"How did a Baby Pony get in here?" he growled as he held Baby Cotton Candy tightly. "Are you lost, Baby Pony?" Without giving her a chance to answer he continued "Lost or not you're going to be my new pet!" and with that he shoved Baby Cotton Candy in a large sack.
"Let's get out of here!" The Elf yelled as he picked up the sack with Baby Cotton inside. I wonder what that silly little Elf will do when he finds out we broke one of his potion bottles?" the Elf laughed as they left the cave.
As soon as the group of elves was gone the Baby Ponies...
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... jumped out of their hiding spot.
"We can't let them leave with Baby Cotton Candy!" Baby Firefly shouted.
"You're right," Baby Glory agreed. "Let's all grab some potions and go after them. We'll throw them at the Elfes."
"Won't that be dangerous?" Baby Blossom asked. "We were told not to touch anything else and look what happened with the pink potion."
"As long as we don't drop them on ourselves but on them, we should be fine," Baby Glory spoke after which she gave the example and picked up a potion from a shelve and darted outside after the Elves.
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The other baby ponies carefully picked up other potions and ran after their friend. Baby Blossom was terribly nervous about the whole thing, and paced back and forth in front of the shelves, but she wanted to get her friend back, and now that everyone else had taken off too, she didn't have much of a choice. She snatched a rather ominous looking purple bottle and chased after the other baby ponies.
By the times she caught up, Baby Glory was preparing to throw the crystal bottle at the elves.
"Remember guys, we need to be careful not to hit Baby Cotton Candy!" She whispered. "Ready... Steady... Gooooooo!!" she yelled, and the baby ponies flung the potion bottles at the elves, careful to avoid their friend.
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The combination of potions hit the group of elves and they suddenly grew twice as big as they were before.
"Maybe this wasn't a good idea," Baby Glory said quietly.
The group of elves turned around to see who had hit them with the bottles and were surprised to see the Baby Ponies with determined expressions on their faces.
"More Baby Ponies?" The Elf holding the sack said. "Do you want to be my pets too?"
"We're not pets!" Baby Firefly yelled.
"Give Baby Cotton Candy back!" Baby Lemon Drop shouted.
Baby Firefly flew close to Elf holding the sack hoping he would drop it. The Elf grabbed her and threw her in the sack with Baby Cotton Candy.
"Hey, you can't have all of them for pets. Leave some for us!" one of the other elves complained as he tried to throw a sack on Baby Glory.
Baby Glory jumped out of the way just in time and the sack landed beside her. Baby Blossom realized she had forgotten to throw her purple bottle at the elves when everyone else did. She picked it up and got ready to toss it at the elves.
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Bumping back to page 1 :)
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Giving this another bump. :)
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It looks like no one is interested in playing this anymore. This will be the last bump if no one posts after me.
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((I'm still interested! This week has just been so crazy that I forgot to see if anyone else had posted. Sorry!))
And the elves froze when the contents to the crystal bottle splashed over them. For some reason, the baby ponies had been unaffected. Perhaps the potion only affected things made of crystal? Either way, the Baby Ponies didn't question it and took the opportunity to make their great escape, fleeing from the cave before the potion could wear off.
"Great work, Baby Blossom!" Baby Firefly encouraged as they raced back to the shore of the lake where the Elf and Applejack were surely waiting for them. Baby Cotton Candy had been put in charge of the potion, and she carried it carefully in her mouth. She was worried that she would forget she had it and start talking.
Finally, the lake came into sight.
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The Baby Ponies dashed a final spurt to where they had left the Elf and Applejack. Seeing the Elf fretting and walking back and forth in circles, Baby Blossom took immediate pity on him. She opened her mouth: "We got the potion" and yelled enthusiastic at the Elf in the hope of lifting the little man's spirit. Sadly she had all forgotten about her important task. The blue bottle tumbled out of her mouth and ...
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I'm glad people are still interested in playing. :) I know real life can get pretty hectic sometimes.
Baby Glory dived after the bottle and caught it right before it crashed to the ground. The Elf breathed a sigh of relief as Baby Glory proudly gave the him the bottle.
"What took you so long, Baby Ponies? I was getting worri-uh Applejack really needs this." The Elf said.
"We would have been back sooner, but-" Baby Moondancer began
Baby Lemon Drop suddenly tackled Baby Moondancer and whispered "Don't tell him what happened. He might get angry at us for taking the other potions even if we did it to rescue Baby Cotton Candy."
"I think we should tell him," Baby Moondancer whispered back. "I'm sure he'll understand. Besides those other elves might come looking for us."
The Elf waited for Baby Moondancer to finish what she was saying, but she only glared at Baby Lemon Drop and said "Oh, never mind."
"Can we see Applejack now? Can we?" Baby Blossom begged.
"Not yet. " The Elf said. "Why don't you go play for a while? Stay where I can see you and don't play in the lake."
The Baby Ponies ran off to play but Baby Moondancer and Baby Lemon Drop lagged behind and were still arguing with each other. The Elf sighed. He had a feeling that whatever Baby Moondancer had been trying to tell him might be important. Soon Baby Moondancer and Baby Lemon Drop were playing with the other Baby Ponies.
The Elf turned to Applejack.
"Here. This should help" he said as he gave her the bottle.
The Elf was about to ask Applejack if she remembered anything when he suddenly realized he didn't hear the Baby Ponies playing anymore. He looked to where they had been playing and saw...
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... all of them standing behind him staring at Applejack!
"Why's she all tiny?" Baby Moondancer asked.
"Yeah! Yeah! Tell us!" Baby Cotton Candy begged. Baby Fire Fly ran right up to her and looked at her intently, head cocked with curiosity.
"Who are you?!" Applejack gasped, horrified.
"What?" all of the Baby Ponies chorused, unsure why their friend didn't recognize them. They came even closer to investigate the situation as Applejack back peddled nervously. The Elf tried to get them to back off and give her some space, but he was too late, and Applejack panicked and ran away.
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The Elf flopped down on the ground. 'Great', he thought to himself. 'First I get dragged into a quest I have no desire for. Then one of them has to get wet and lose her memory. And now she ran off to who knows where. I am so done with this. This is not my problem in fact. Elves and Ponies don't mix. I am going back home.'
The Elf jumped back to his feet and opened his mouth to teel the Baby Ponies he was sorry but that he was going back to his little cosy home when he saw them all look at him with hopeful shining eyes. They clearly had bombarded him to their leader and the one who they had faith in to fix things ... The Elf sighed. He couldn't abandon them, could he?
"Okay, okay," the Elf began. "Let's run after Applejack. The potion can take effect any second now and I am sure she'll have her memory back then and will stop running and come back. Let's meet her half way. I'll explain what happened whilst we walk."
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Applejack was still running as fast as she could when her memory started to return to her. She stopped, suddenly unsure what she had been running away from or why. The last thing she clearly remembered before this moment was being stuck in the vines underwater. She had a very faint memory of hiding in a bunch of flowers and the Elf giving her something but it seemed more like a dream. Applejack looked around and realized nothing looked familiar and wondered why she wasn't with the Elf or Baby Ponies. She tried to figure out what direction she had come from but everything looked the same.
Applejack heard the Elf and Baby Ponies calling her name. She still wasn't sure how she had gotten separated from them but she could easily catch back up to them by following their voices.
Applejack tried to run toward the voices but felt herself being pulled back by her tail. She signed loudly and said to herself. "Not again! Why does this always happen to me? How do I always manage to get my tail caught on something?"
Applejack turned around to see what her tail was caught on. She...
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...was surprised to find a duck had latched onto her tail. The duck looked like an ordinary duck. The fact it was wearing a hat, however, was unusual.
"Well, I guess my tail didn't catch on something. Someone caught my tail! Um, could you let go?"
The duck blinked.
Applejack tried again, this time shouting. "LET GO OF MY TAIL! Please?"
The duck stood there. Tail in bill. The duck blinked.
"Obviously there is a language barrier." Applejack cleared her throat. "Quack! Quack quack."
The duck blinked. Twice.
"Please, duck, I need to get back to my friends. I'm not quite sure where I am or how I got here, but I can hear my friends calling out to me." Applejack started to worry. The sound of her friends was becoming fainter.
"Well, duck, I hate to do this, but you leave me no choice!" Applejack started pulling away from the duck. The duck held on to her tail with all of its might, but it was no match for Applejack's strength. The duck found itself being dragged behind Applejack as she made her way back to her friends.
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As she moved forward, Applejack could hear the voices of her friends grow stronger anew. She called out to them and soon she could hear hooves thundering towards her. One for one the Baby Ponies sprang out of the bushes. Baby Glory had the Elf on her back.
"Applejack! Applejack!" all the Baby Ponies shouted through each other. "Where were you?! Do you remember us again? You are still tiny!"
Baby Moondancer walked around Applejack. "Why is there a duck attached to your tail?" she asked dumbfound.
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"Why wouldn't I know who you are? What are you guys talking about, tiny?" Applejack wondered. "And the duck is just kind of, uh, along for the ride I guess..." She looked at the Elf for clarification.
"There was a... small incident that resulted in some memory loss. Everything is fine now, of course, except for the fact that you've become a bit... small." He ventured.
"Small? What do you mean?" Applejack asked, as she abruptly recalled that the baby ponies had said something about her being "tiny" as well. Suddenly, she realized that she was nose-to-nose with the baby ponies rather than towering over them as she usually did. She gave a squeak of surprise and jumped backwards, accidentally landing on the duck, who...
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squawked loudly but still firmly held on to Applejack's tail.
"Can you help me get back to the right size?" Applejack asked the Elf hopefully.
The Elf shook his head at her. He jumped off of Baby Glory's back and sat down beside Applejack.
"I'm sorry. I don't know how to get you back to your normal size" he said sadly. "I wish I did."
Applejack was upset that she was going to have to be small for quite a while but she decided to be brave for the Baby Ponies. She remembered the duck was still holding on to her tail.
"Okay, duck, I gave you a ride. Will you let go of my tail now?"
The duck shook his head and bit down harder on Applejack's tail.
"Ouch! Not so hard!" Applejack cried as she glared at the duck.
Applejack was about to ask the Elf if he could help with the duck when everyone heard a twig snap in the bushes behind them.
"Who's there?" the Elf called out to whatever was behind the bushes.
Everyone watched as the leaves on the bushes started moving and...
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... a white goose stepped out. Just like the duck holding on to Applejack's tail, the goose was dressed. It wore a red bowtie and a white T-shirt with red striped. On its beak were a pair of glasses.
The goose stepped closer to Applejack's tail, pushed his glasses up a bit with his wing and studied the duck.
"As I expected," the goose started, "running away again?" It was clear the goose was addressing the duck who only bit down harder on Applejack's tail to avoid being seperated from the Pony.
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The duck said something, but no one could really understand what he was saying because his beak was full of Applejack's tail.
The Elf and the ponies looked on in confusion as the goose continued to scold the duck, and the duck responded, still impossible to understand since he wouldn't let go. They had seen some strange things on their journey, but this probably ranked among the oddest occurrences. Finally, the duck let go, just long enough to yell...
"I'm not running away! They're on a journey and I want to help!" He quickly snatched her tail once more.
The goose said...
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... "Help? You'll only cause more trouble for them." The goose then directed its attention to the Ponies and the Elf. "I'm sorry. I don't know what he told you, but he won't be of any help at all."
"He didn't promise us anything," Applejack answered, staring over her shoulder at the duck. The little animal looked miserable. As if the goose's words had been physical blows and had harmed the poor creature. Applejack's heart immediately wnet out to the little fellow. "But that doesn't mean he can't come with us," she stated firmly. She let her tail fly upward, dislodging the duck effectively who landed on her back. The duck immediately wrapped his wings aroudn Applejack's neck and buried his face in her manes.
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The duck cried softly in to Applejack's mane. The Baby Ponies got closer to Applejack and started all talking at once.
"Don't cry,duck. You can come with us. We're friends now!"
The duck looked at the Baby Ponies.
"You're going to let me come with you?"
"Of course" Applejack said "but try to remember not to bite my tail so hard."
The duck nodded his head and flew off Applejack's back. The Baby Ponies surrounded him and took turns nuzzling him.
"Don't say I didn't warn you" The goose muttered as it walked back in to the bushes.
Suddenly a deep, low voice yelled "They're over here! Don't let them get way this time! Got those nets ready?"
The Baby Ponies froze as they recognized the voice of the Elf that had smashed the pink bottle and tried to take Baby Cotton Candy.
"Don't let them get us!" The Baby Ponies cried desperately.
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The Elf recognized the voice, too. He groaned loudly. "Oh no! Baby Ponies what did you do?" They all started chattering anxiously at the same time. "Actually, on second thought, I don't even want to know. Instead, just run!" He led the way through the thick undergrowth, hoping to lead the ponies deep enough into the forest that the other crystal elves wouldn't even be able to follow.
Applejack was more surefooted than he was, though, so she quickly tossed him onto her back so he was riding double with the duck.
"Just tell me where to go!" She yelped, and galloped bravely on, even though carrying two passengers was probably a bit much for her in her current tiny state.
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"Turn right! Turn left! This way! That way!"
The Elf was shouting directions and turns so fast that Applejack scarcely had time to run in one direction before the Elf told them to run in another. She noticed she was breathing hard and could barely carry the Elf and duck together. The duck started to jump up and down on Applejack's back Applejack sank to the grass.
"Applejack! Come on, get up!" The Elf cried.
"I'm trying!" Applejack replied.
The Elf realized that Applejack must of forgotten for a moment that she was so small when she decided to carry him and the duck. Baby Glory rushed to Applejack's side grabbed the duck by a wing and put him on her back. Without the duck Applejack was able to get up quickly and they kept running in the directions the Elf called out.
They had turned in so many directions that Applejack wasn't sure she could find the way out of the forest without the Elf. By now all of the ponies were breathing hard. The Elf got off Applejack's back and looked around.
"I'm going to make sure they didn't follow us. Stay here, everyone and wait for me. Got that, Baby Ponies? Stay here.
Everyone waited for the Elf to return. A few minutes later they heard footsteps approaching.
"Did they follow us?" Applejack asked as the footsteps got closer.
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Giving this a bump. :)
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Giving this another bump. :)
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"Um, yes?" The Elf squeaked, as he came into sight, suspended slightly off the ground with the collar of his shirt firmly grasped in the hand of the elf from the cave.
"Oh no!" The ponies cried in unison, horrified by the sudden turn of events and worried for the safety of their friend. The other elves were clearly not at all happy with him.
"What do we do?" Baby Blossom asked Applejack, who she had determined to be the leader in this situation. Applejack, unfortunately, had no idea what to do, but the duck suddenly...
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flew right up to the elf from the cave and started flapping his wings and squawking.
"Stop that, duck!" the elf from the cave yelled but he still held on to the Elf's collar. "This is where you've been all this time? Walking around in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of ponies?" he said to their friend.
"Let him go!" Applejack demanded stamping her hooves.
"I'll let him go...Just as soon as we make sure he can't help you escape. You've been such naughty little pets, throwing potions at us and running off. You won't get away this time."
The Elf was shocked. Had he really just head the elf from the cave say "pets"? He was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened at his cave with the Baby Ponies. The Elf was struggling hoping the elf from the cave would let go of his shirt but the other elf was just a little stronger than he was and only held on to his collar even more tightly.
"That reminds me," the elf from the cave continued. "We did a little re-decorating while you were gone. I hope you like it."
"What do you mean?" The Elf asked.
"Oh, nothing really. I broke one of your potion bottles and a lot of things turned in to crystal."
Before the Elf could say anything he saw a blur as the duck flew right next to his head. The duck quacked loudly and opened his beak wide.
"Ouch! That duck just bit me!" the elf from the cave yelled as...
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...Baby Glory shrieked confidently,
"That's it, little duckie! Get 'em!"
Applejack didn't have time to think she was odd for cheering the little fowl on. She knew she had to get these foals out of here, and fast! Otherwise their chances of escaping might just fly out the proverbial window.
Still trying to keep her panic to a minimum, the little pony shooed the Babies onward towards what looked like an exit. Baby Firefly was having none of it.
"Let him go NOW!" she screams, bolting towards the bigger elf, leaping upwards and giving a sharp kick to his face with her tiny but hard hooves.
The bigger elf...
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tried to grab Baby Firefly. She had anticipated this and flew just out of his reach.
Applejack saw some blackberry bushes just a few steps away and nudged the Baby Ponies under the plants hoping the thorns would discourage the elves with the nets from capturing them.
Applejack went back to the Elf. Baby Firefly and the duck were flying as close as they could to elf from the cave without getting caught by him and he was still holding their friend's collar. The other elves with the nets stood nearby but didn't move as they watched a baby pony and a duck fly in circles around their leader.
Baby Firefly and the duck returned to the ground. Applejack whispered her plan to them and hoped it would work. Baby Firefly and the duck flew behind their friend and starting trying to pull his collar out of the other elf's grasp. Applejack jumped up and caught The Elf's foot in her mouth. Applejack pulled as hard as she could while Baby Firefly and the duck continued working to free the Elf's collar.
Suddenly The Elf shouted , "Applejack, behind you!"
Applejack turned her head and saw...
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Giving this a bump. :)
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Giving this another bump. :)
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...a troll!
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Applejack stared at the troll and he stared back at her. Applejack was frightened of him but she knew if she let go of the Elf's foot she might lose the only chance they had to rescue their friend.
Applejack turned back to the Elf and kept pulling. The Elf watched as the troll got closer to Applejack and threw a rope around her.
"Applejack, the troll!" The Elf tried to warn her but even as he spoke the troll pulled hard on the rope.
Applejack was pulled back so hard she fell to the ground. The Elf heard his shirt rip and before he knew it he was safely on the ground beside Applejack. The other elves stared at the Elf and then at the troll trying to decide if having the ponies for pets was worth facing the troll for.
"Retreat!" The Elf from the cave shouted as he and the other elves began running away.
The duck and Baby Firefly flew down to the ground. The duck hid behind Applejack and Baby Firefly stood next to The Elf who was standing next to Applejack.
The troll spoke and said....
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"Was I correct in assuming you were in trouble?"
Everyone was startled. They had expected the troll to be another attacker, but it appeared that he was actually an ally.
"Yes, we were. Thanks for your help." Applejack ventured, a bit shyly. Even if he was a friend, he was still pretty big, especially compared to Applejack in her current tiny state.
"Not a problem. May I ask what exactly you're doing?" The troll asked. Applejack also hadn't expected him to be so well spoken.
The Elf said...
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"We're trying to save Dream Valley and some ponies that were changed in to monsters and taken away."
"A very noble quest indeed. I'll gladly offer any assistance I can to help you." the troll replied.
"I'd better go get the rest of the Baby Ponies and tell them it's safe to come out." Applejack said suddenly remembering that she'd left them under the blackberry bushes.
"We'll go with you!" Baby Firefly and the duck shouted at the same time.
"That will give us a chance to get better acquainted," the troll said to the Elf.
The troll and the Elf watched as Applejack, Baby Firefly and the duck started walking back toward the blackberry bushes. The Elf saw a worried expression cross the troll's face.
"Have you noticed how remarkably pale the orange pony looks compared to the pink one? Is the orange one ill?" The troll asked.
The Elf was a little surprised at the troll's question. He hadn't noticed that Applejack seemed unusually pale before but now that he thought about it she did seem to be a little less brighter orange. He wondered if it was another effect of being in the lake.
"I'm not sure." he finally said. "She got caught in some vines and was trapped under water for a short time. It did cause-"
Before The Elf could say another word Baby Firefly landed right between him and the troll. She had clearly flown back as fast as her wings could carry her.
"You've gotta come quick! Both of you!" Baby Firefly said breathlessly
"What's wrong, Baby Firefly?" The Elf cried
Baby Firefly said...
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"Applejack has fainted!"
"Oh no! Not more problems!" The Elf groaned.
"You said she fell in the lake?" The troll asked, hurrying to keep pace with the Elf as they dashed towards Applejack and the others.
"Yeah, she was pulled under by some vines." The Elf mentioned again.
The troll looked troubled and he appeared to be very deep in thought for a few moments, mulling about something important.
"We need to act quickly." He said. "If what I think happened is what indeed occurred, there isn't much time. We must..."
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see what condition the orange pony is in as fast as possible. " the troll paused and added "I'll be able to tell you more after I've gotten a better look at her."
When they got to where Applejack and the Baby Ponies were all of the Baby Ponies were surrounding Applejack trying anything they could think of to revive her. Baby Lemon Drop nuzzled Applejack and licked her face. The duck was holding Applejack's tail in his beak.
"Bite her tail as hard as you can" Baby Moondancer told the duck. "Maybe that will wake her up. "
"Let's try jumping on her," Baby Blossom suggested as she jumped on top of Applejack's back.
"I got 'em" Baby Firefly shouted to the others. "I'm sure they can help." she added confidently.
The Baby Ponies moved and The Elf and the troll approached Applejack. The Elf gasped when he saw that Applejack was getting more pale with each second that passed. He sat down next to Applejack and started gently stroking her nose.
"Applejack, can you hear me? Everyone's worried about you. I'm worried about you." The Elf said softly while petting her nose.
The Elf felt the troll tapping him on the shoulder. The troll motioned for the Elf to follow him a few steps away so no one could overhear their conversation.
"What's happening to Applejack? Can you help her?" The Elf asked
The troll ...
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Giving this a bump.
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Giving this another bump. :)
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..., to everyone's surprise, took a magic wand out of his bag. He muttered an strange incantation, and Applejack was surrounded by a pink, sparkling glow. Suddenly, the glow started swirling around Applejack until it obscured her completely. The Elf gave a startled gasp, and the baby ponies could only sit and stare.
When the glow had cleared, though, Applejack was left behind, no longer pale and once again at her full size. She shook her head with vigor, obviously more than a bit dazed.
"What just happened?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her front hooves.
The Elf gave Applejack a hug, which was somewhat of a shock.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" He exclaimed.
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"What did you say?" Applejack asked still surprised the Elf was hugging her.
"I said, um, I'm glad you're okay." The Elf replied quietly as his face started getting red when he realized everyone was staring at him.
"Are you feeling better now?" the troll asked
"Yes. I'm just a little dizzy" Applejack said as she got up and took unsteady step.
"That will disappear in time. Are you thirsty?" the troll said
The troll waved his wand and a bowl of water appeared for each pony and the duck and glasses of water for the troll and the Elf.
"There is something we must discuss concerning the orange pony, away from the others" the troll whispered mysteriously in the Elf's ear.
"Why? I thought you made Applejack well again." The Elf whispered back.
The troll said nothing more and walked further away from the ponies. The Elf reluctantly followed almost afraid to let the ponies out of his sight.
The troll noticed the Elf kept looking back towards the ponies and said. "We're right here if they need our assistance. You must watch the orange pony carefully for a while. Her case was so severe she isn't quite completely recovered yet. That's why she's experiencing the dizziness. It should go away in a short time but you'll need to make sure she doesn't try to do too much too soon."
The Elf wondered if the troll knew how determined Applejack was or how hard she had pushed herself when she was the wrong size.
The Elf was about to reply when suddenly they heard....
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Bumping back to page 1. :)
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Giving this another bump. :)
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Does anyone still want to play?
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Anyone still interested in this?
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(If you wanna continue I'm game for it! Sorry I kinda disappeared I've not had much computer access this week...)
...the baby ponies causing a ruckus. The Elf and the Troll ran back to check what was wrong. Applejack was struggling to stay on her feet and appeared to be fading again. The Elf felt panicked. For a while he had been able to relax, thinking his friend was okay, but he had been very wrong.
"Hurry!" The Troll said. "Talk to her to keep her conscious so she doesn't fade away."
The Elf said...
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No problem, HelloGoodbye. :) I think writing this story is fun.
"Keep her conscious? Fade away?" The Elf was so stunned by what the Troll and said and the sudden change in Applejack's condition it was all he could say.
The Troll gave the Elf a firm, but gentle push towards Applejack to remind him he needed to hurry. The Elf ran to Applejack. Applejack's attempts to remain standing had been unsuccessful so she was lying down on the grass.
"I feel strange, I'm really tired and sleepy." Applejack said faintly as she faded a bit more.
"Don't go to sleep, Applejack!" The Elf cried with a note of panic in his voice.
"We can...still...save...Dream Valley....after I...wake up." Applejack said slowly as her voice became softer.
"You have to stay awake." The Elf said again.
"Let me sleep!" Applejack pleaded impatiently "Please...just for... a short while...I promise...." Applejack's eyes closed before she could say anything else.
The Elf had to think of something else fast to keep Applejack awake since just talking to her wasn't working. He noticed the water bowls and grabbed as many as he could without leaving Applejack's side. The Baby Ponies quickly caught on and brought him more bowls. The Elf hesitated for a moment unsure if his idea would work or if it would make things worse. Before he could change his mind The Elf grabbed all of the bowls and threw the water at Applejack. Applejack...
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Giving this a bump
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Giving this another bump. :)
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((I'm having fun writing it also!))
...Applejack was startled and jumped up, shaking water out of her mane.
"What was that for?" She pouted as her color became less washed out and more like her usual vibrant orange though she was still a bit pale.
"You were fading away! I had to do something!" The Elf exclaimed, trying to hide how rattled he was by the whole experience. It seemed like every time he thought Applejack was okay or that their mission was taking a turn for the better something terrible happened. He had known that saving Dream Valley would be really difficult, but he had not expected it to be like this.
"Oh. Sorry about that." Applejack looked a little flustered, but clearly wasn't grasping the seriousness of the situation.
"Sit down and have a drink of water. You need to take it easy, Applejack." The Troll explained. "Without your friend's quick thinking to revitalize you, you would have been in really serious trouble."
Applejack just nodded and accepted the drink of water she was offered, though she looked pretty worried. She asked...
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"What are you talking about? I thought you made me well again when you waved your wand at me and got me back to my real size?" Applejack said to the Troll. As the Elf's words finally sank in she grew frightened. "Did you say I almost faded away? I don't want to fade away!" she cried.
"I won't let that happen to you, Applejack. The Troll is right though. You have to be careful for a while. We'd better stay here until it's safe to go on." The Elf said.
"All of the effects you've been experiencing are because you fell in the lake. Your case was rather severe and unusual" The Troll said. "It's remarkable that you made it this far before the more serious symptoms started. In time you will be completely recovered but I also advise you to wait until your condition improves before continuing on your noble quest."
Applejack decided to check on the Baby Ponies and make sure they weren't getting in to trouble. Most of the Baby Ponies were playing nearby but Applejack noticed Baby Firefly, Baby Moondancer, and Baby Cotton Candy were missing. Assuming they weren't far Applejack started looking for them. She finally found them on the other side of a group of trees playing with something on the ground. As Applejack got closer she saw that the Baby Ponies were playing with a large pile of shimmering crystals.
"Baby Firefly, Baby Moondancer, Baby Cotton Candy!" Applejack scolded them. "Why did you wander off without telling anyone?
"Look what we found! Aren't they pretty?" Baby Moondancer asked.
"Very pretty" Applejack said as she tried to remember where she had seen crystals like that before. "The waterfall!" Applejack cried suddenly as the memory returned.
"Run!" Applejack told the Baby Ponies, but at that very moment...
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...the troll had already appeared.
"We need to leave quickly! This area is unsafe!" He scooped up Applejack under his arm and grabbed Baby Cotton Candy, who was a very slow runner, under his other one, and took off quickly though the forest.
"We noticed!" Applejack gasped, surprised at being lifted up so suddenly. She glanced back behind her, at the horrible monsters patrolling the forest, blinking back tears. They may have been monsters now, but they were her friends deep down. It wasn't as if they had chosen to get caught in the rainbow of darkness. If only they were with her helping to save Dream Valley!
The Elf flew by, hitching a ride on Baby Firefly. "I think they're patrolling the forest for us! We've been stirring up quite a bit of trouble for them lately, so their master is probably getting pretty desperate to get rid of us." He sighed dramatically.
"It's true." The troll said, sounding bitter. "I used to be forced to work for him, but I managed to escape so I wouldn't be caught up in his evil plans any longer. I hated having to make things bad for you ponies."
The Elf looked shocked. He said...
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"You escaped and lived to tell about it? I though escaping was almost impossible."
You used to work for Tirrac?" Applejack said in a small quivering voice as she shivered a little. "We have to change my friends back in to ponies!" she cried.
The Troll felt Applejack go limp against him. At first he thought he might be holding her too tightly but when he checked he was holding her firmly but not tight enough to harm her. In a few minutes they arrived at the Troll's huge house. He quickly rushed everyone inside and locked the door. The Troll put Applejack and Baby Cotton Candy on the floor.
"Is Applejack fading away again?" The Elf asked afraid of what the Troll might say.
"No, her color remains the same" The Troll said as he looked Applejack over carefully. "I think seeing her friends as monsters doing whatever Tirrac tells them was a little too much for her. There are a few things I must attend to. Do not leave the safety of my house."
The Elf nodded as the Troll left and locked the door again.
""Where are we?" Applejack asked as she started waking up.
"In the Troll's house." The Elf began but at that moment the Troll opened the door.
"Tirrac is looking for you. It's all over the forest that he is sending out the monsters to find a bunch of ponies and an Elf. And you are in peril as well." The Troll said as he pointed a finger at the Elf.
"Me? How could I possibly be in more trouble than I am now?" The Elf asked,
"The elves I scared away are spreading rumors that when they find you, you'll be arrested and charged with breaking the elf rules of conduct. A most serious charge I assume?"
The Elf....
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...sighed loudly.
"I had a feeling this would happen." He mumbled, burying his head in his crystal hands. "I mean, I don't like how things have been going in the Crystal Caves lately, but I also didn't want to get kicked out!"
"What do you mean?" Applejack asked, going over to sit beside the Elf.
"Well, if I get found 'guilty' I can be banished from my home, never to return. I knew leaving with you guys to try and save Dream Valley was a big risk, but I never could have expected that they would act on it." Applejack was horrified by the Elf's words. She felt incredibly guilty.
"I'm sorry!" She gasped, unable to make eye contact with the Elf. After all, she was the one who had dragged him on this crazy adventure and put him in danger and now had put him at the risk of getting put in exile from the only home he had ever known.
"Why are you apologizing?" The Elf looked perplexed.
"Well, I'm a big reason why you're here breaking rules." Applejack pawed her hoof sadly across the floor of the Troll's home.
"Don't say that. I want to save Dream Valley, too. I'd have gone home much before now if I didn't. Anyway...."
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"What if I tell them it's my fault?" Applejack interrupted the Elf as she started frantically pacing around the room. "Would that help? I could tell them I forced you to come with me."
"Applejack, didn't you hear what I said?" The Elf asked but Applejack didn't respond to him and kept looking at the floor.
"Maybe" Applejack continued "If I let those other elves make me and the Baby Ponies pets you wouldn't have to worry about leaving your home."
The Elf was shocked that Applejack could even suggest such a thing. He tried to move closer to her but she started running for the door. Applejack didn't realize the door was closed and landed on the floor hard in front of it. Unable to hold her tears back any longer Applejack started sobbing. The Elf went over to her.
"Applejack, look at me" The Elf said as he gently lifted Applejack's head to meet his gaze. "I don't want to see you or the Baby Ponies turned in to pets. They can't do anything until after the trial and the verdict. We're in this together and I want to help you save Dream Valley and the other ponies. If we don't save Dream Valley there won't be a home for any of us to go back to."
"They're going to put you on trial?" Applejack cried hysterically with fresh tears in her eyes as she dropped her head.
"Yes." The Elf said but wished he hadn't mentioned the trial to her. He had been trying to reassure Applejack that the elf law would have to take its course before anything happened to him, but it seemed he'd only made her more upset.
"Your friend is right" The Troll finally said. "You must save Dream Valley and your friends. I'm afraid your quest is getting more dangerous with each moment that passes. You must be very cautious from now on whom you trust. I'm sure Tirrac and the elves have convinced others to try to find and capture you."
Suddenly there was a loud noise just outside the door. The Troll...
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...peeked carefully out the window, and then whirled to face the ponies and the Elf.
"Everyone, hide!" The Troll exclaimed. "I'll be able to use some magic to make you less noticeable, but unless you're already out of sight it won't be strong enough! And make sure you stay still! And quiet!"
The Baby ponies were quite good at hide and seek, and being small, it wasn't too tricky for them to find good places to hunker down in. For Applejack, on the other hand, it was a different story. A full grown pony is a lot bigger than a baby, and she was still crying loudly. The Elf put his hand over her muzzle.
"Hush! We can talk about this later but there won't be a later if you don't quiet down and hide!" He pulled her along with him and they squeezed in under the Troll's bed. The Elf felt bad for speaking harshly to Applejack, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Anyway, he was preoccupied with worry about what exactly was outside the Troll's door that was scary enough that they had to take cover and use magic. He didn't have to wonder for long, though, since the Troll opened the door to reveal...
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A group of large gnomes.
They had long beards and scowling looks on their faces. Most of them were carrying heavy crystal collars but one of them was holding a large basket filled with items. The Elf had been keeping one hand lightly on top of Applejack's muzzle to keep her quiet since she was still pretty upset and he was afraid she would start crying again and give them away. The Elf was quite surprised and alarmed to see the gnomes and the crystal collars. The gnomes could have only gotten the crystal collars from the other elves and if the elves were so desperate to find them that they had actually talked the gnomes in to helping them The Elf couldn't even think of who Tirrac might have looking for them also.
"Sorry to trouble you," the gnome with the basket said as the gnomes entered the Troll's house and starting looking everywhere they thought a pony could hide. "But we have come here on a very important mission. There are dangerous creatures roaming the forest and we want to make sure they have not been bothering you."
"What kind of creatures are you looking for?" The Troll asked.
"We heard a large group of ponies were seen in this area. They have run away from their owners and must be caught before they can hurt anyone. The most dangerous one is an orange pony and the elves told us we are not to listen to any of her lies. We are also looking for a small Elf that was last seen with the ponies. The other elves want him returned unharmed so he can stand trial." the gnome with the basket said.
"We have found out since the elves approached us that Tirrac is also looking for the ponies and the Elf" another gnome said with a wide smile. "We promised the elves we would return them immediately after they've been caught but have decided to take them back with us instead and see who can pay us the most for them." The gnomes were generally very greedy and nothing pleased them more than getting more treasure.
The Elf couldn't believe the other elves had gone so far as to tell the gnomes that the ponies were their pets that had run away or that they were dangerous. He hoped the Troll's magic would be strong enough to keep them hidden. Baby Blossom had chosen to hide in a dark corner under a large chair. Unfortunately the gnomes' beards were stirring up a lot of dust right in Baby Blossom's face, She was trying very hard not to sneeze.
Suddenly...
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...the Trolls eyes widened, having spotted Baby Blossom wrinkling up her nose, trying to hold the sneeze in to no avail. Thinking quickly, he faked a pretty convincing coughing fit that covered up the nose of Baby Blossom's sneeze, which was thankfully rather quiet.
"The pollen is so bad this time of year." The Troll said apologetically, throwing in a sniffle for good measure. The gnomes seemed thoroughly unimpressed, but seemed to have bought the act and didn't question him. "Feel free to have a look around if it makes you feel better. But I've certainly seen no ponies around these parts, especially not any nasty runaway ones in league with evil elves."
"Whatever you say, mister. Either way we're searchin' this place from top to bottom."
"Do as you please." The Troll shrugged. Meanwhile, the Elf shuddered. He knew that the Troll needed to act this way to avoid suspicion, but it was still a bit disconcerting to hear him talk like that. Anyway, he mostly needed to worry that the Troll's magic would hold and focus on keeping Applejack quiet.
Luckily, the gnomes were passing by the hidden ponies without noticing them. In some cases, they practically met each others eyes and the gnomes didn't even know it.
"Well, pal, at first this seemed kinda fishy but I guess everything looks all clear. If you see any trouble, make sure you report it or you'll be in hot water."
The Troll sighed with relief as soon as the gnomes had exited. That had been a close call. He said...
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"They're gone for now. It's safe to come out although I'm afraid you haven't seen the last of them yet." as he relocked the door.
"I think you're right," The Elf said as he and Applejack emerged from under the Troll's bed, "Applejack, I was pretty hard on you when we had to hide. I only spoke to you like that because I didn't want you to get us captured."
"I know," Applejack said understandingly. "I still feel awful for getting you in so much trouble but I'd feel even worse if I gave us away and we couldn't save the other ponies or Dream Valley.
"Applejack I was trying to tell you before that..." The Elf began.
"I thought those sparkly necklaces they had were pretty." Baby Cotton Candy interrupted the Elf as she came out from behind some of the Troll's books.
The Elf sighed heavily. He couldn't blame Baby Cotton Candy for thinking the crystal collars were pretty or for not realizing he had been speaking since she was just a baby pony but The Elf was beginning to wonder if he'd ever be able to explain to Applejack that although she had started him on this journey she hadn't been forcing him to stay with them. Applejack seemed a lot calmer now but the Elf was afraid if he mentioned the trial to her again she might become hysterical or do something crazy that would get her in trouble. The Elf glanced at the Troll and hoped they might get a moment alone without Applejack so he could talk to him.
"They may look pretty, but trust me you don't want to wear one." The Elf said to Baby Cotton Candy while he was still trying to figure out a way to talk to the Troll without Applejack overhearing.
"Next time we have to hide, can someone else take the duck?" Baby Firefly complained as she flew down from the top of a high shelf with the duck close behind. "He kept trying to fly away. I had to hold on to his wing to stop him,"
Applejack and the Elf both noticed the Troll had been unusually quiet since telling them it was safe to come out. When they looked at him he had very serious expression on his face but said nothing. The Troll waved his wand and a large pile of toys appeared in the next room.
"Toys! Are they for us? Can we play with them?" Baby Moondancer cried happily.
"Of course, go have fun." The Troll said as the Baby Ponies ran in the next room. "That should keep them occupied for a while" he added when he saw the Baby Ponies were busy with the toys.
"That was very nice of you. They should have said Thank you." Applejack said as she started going in to the next room to make the Baby Ponies remember their manners.
"They can thank me later. Right now we have something we need to discuss." The Troll said as Applejack and the Elf moved closer to him. "I'm very concerned" , he began
"Applejack! Help! We saw it looking at us through the window!" The Baby Ponies all cried at once as they rushed in to the room and hid behind Applejack, The Elf and the Troll. The Troll suddenly realized he hadn't thought of the possibility that the gnomes might walk around the house and try looking inside the windows to find the ponies and the Elf, but the Baby Ponies hadn't said it was a gnome so maybe they had seen something else that wasn't a threat.
"Baby Ponies, what did you see that scared you?" Applejack asked trying to keep her voice calm for them.
Baby Lemon Drop stuck her head out from underneath Applejack's tail and said....
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"The gnomes are outside!"
"Did they see you?" The Troll asked urgently.
"No, they're looking in the trees, but they're still out there." Baby Firefly explained with a shiver of fear.
"It's entirely possible they suspect we're here and they're staking the house out." The Elf muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and giving a blustery sigh. "Who knows how long they'll stay?"
"There's no way of knowing." The Troll said. "But this does mean that this place is no longer safe for you all and we must sneak away as soon as we are able. If they catch us, all hope is lost for Dream Valley.
Applejack looked concerned, but then perked up a bit. "Wait, 'we?' So you're going to come with us?"
The Troll nodded gravely. "Of course. Dream Valley is my home, too, and I want to protect it. Anyway, I know the evil that Tirac can do and I want to do all that I can to make up for the time that I was forced to work in his service. It's the least I can do." That made sense. But Applejack nibbled her lip nervously. She didn't like the idea of someone else leaving their home to help on her crazy mission, but she also couldn't deny the big help that the Troll had been, and how having him around would really improve their chances of success.
She said...
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"Are you sure you want to come with us? I've already gotten the Elf in so much trouble that he might never be able to go home again and if you come with us you might be in danger as well. What if Tirac finds out you're helping us? He might do something even worse to you than he's done to my friends."
Applejack sighed sadly. Thinking of her friends being turned in to monsters and working for Tirac always made her sad. Applejack wanted desperately to save them and Dream valley but it seemed like she only caused more trouble for anyone that tried to help her. Sometimes she even thought of leaving everyone else behind and trying to save Dream Valley and the other ponies on her own but deep down she knew it was a bad idea.
"I am aware of the many dangers will have to face in order to be successful" The Troll said as he petted Applejack. "I will not change my mind. I'm coming with you."
Applejack noticed the Baby Ponies had been very quiet for a while which was pretty unusual for them. When she looked around she saw they were all sound asleep and snoring quietly. Even the duck was snoring.
"They must be exhausted" Applejack said as she watched them sleeping.
"Actually, I made them fall asleep. It will be much easier to escape without drawing the gnomes' attention if they are sleeping. That way we don't have to worry about them making noise." The Troll said
The Troll waved his wand and several baskets appeared. Applejack peeked in one and saw a soft pillow and blanket for each Baby Pony. In a few minutes the Troll had placed all of the Baby Ponies and the duck in the baskets. He gathered a lot of things in a huge sack including the toys he'd just given the Baby Ponies.
The Troll picked up a few of the baskets and The Elf and Applejack also took one. The Troll walked to the middle of the room and pulled a knob that in the middle of the floor. A door opened revealing a stairway.
"From now on, don't make a sound until I tell you it's okay. Stay close to me and don't lag behind." the Troll instructed them.
Applejack and the Elf nodded. The Elf climbed on Applejack's back and they started down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a tunnel. The Troll lead them through the tunnel and after a long time Applejack say daylight ahead. When they came out of the tunnel the Troll turned and Applejack and the Elf saw the gnomes still looking around the other side of the Troll's house. Applejack was so focused on making sure she followed the Troll that she didn't notice the tiny crystal shards on the ground. One of the gnomes had broken a crystal collar when their search of the Troll's house left them empty handed. Applejack stepped on several of the shards and felt pain in the hoof that touched them. The Troll began running and Applejack had to gallop just to keep up with him. The pain was getting worse but Applejack knew she couldn't stop running. The Elf also hadn't seen the shards but he did notice the sudden change in Applejack's usually steady gait as she galloped beside the Troll. Finally the Troll stopped in front of a cave and motioned them inside.
"We should be safe in here while we plan our next move," The Troll said as he put his baskets and sack down. "We can talk freely in here without risk of being overhead."
The Elf climbed off Applejack's back and he and Applejack put their baskets down. The Baby Ponies and the duck were still sleeping peacefully. Applejack limped away from the others to see how badly she was injured and laid down on the cave floor. When the Elf noticed Applejack was lying down he went over to her and...
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I'll definitely post the next section soon! I'm all caught up in final exams right now so I'm super busy! I'll have some time tomorrow probably to write a section. I don't want you to think I'm randomly disappearing because I definitely want to continue on the story because I'm having a lot of fun working on it! :)
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Don't worry that you haven't had time to post the next part of the story yet HelloGoodbye. I understand real life can get really busy sometimes. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story too :)
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((I'm back! I'm finally finished with exams and my first year of college!! :biggrin:))
"Oh, tell me you didn't just do that!" The Elf exclaimed, grasping her hoof and pulling it closer to examine it more closely.
"Owwwww! Don't touch it!" Applejack yelped and tried to pull her orange hoof away from the Elf. However, despite his small stature, the Elf had a surprisingly strong grip and he didn't let go no matter how she tugged.
"Hold still, Applejack! This is no ordinary splinter!" The Elf said gravely. "We need to remove it immediately. The reason it hurts so much is that it's crystallizing your leg as we speak. If we get rid of it now, your leg will recover quickly, but we can't waste any time."
The Troll finished checking on the duck and the baby ponies and hurried over as well. "He's right, you know. We need to be prompt." From his seemingly never ending supply of tools and gadgets, he produced a pair of tweezers and passed them to the Elf. "I assume that you have more experience in this area than I do?"
"Yes, I've dealt with them before, but removal of the crystal is always a bit tricky." The Elf explained, looking over the tweezers tentatively. Applejack didn't like the edge of uncertainty that she could hear creeping into his voice. "Now, you can't move around too much Applejack or it'll be way harder for me to grab the crystal, not to mention that it will hurt more."
Applejack gulped fearfully. The orange pony was not so keen on how the procedure was sounding. If the Elf was this worried, surely it would hurt a lot. On the other hand, though, if she didn't get it taken out right away then it would only cause worse problems for her, and probably hurt more in the long run.
"Okay! I'm ready!" Applejack announced, holding her hoof out to the Elf. Her ears were pinned back with anxiety and she felt shaky, but she knew that she had to let the Elf get the splinter. He...
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Congrats on finishing your first year of college HelloGoodbye. :biggrin:
held the tweezers and hesitated for a moment.
"You have to be as still as possible. " The Elf said again. "I'll be as gentle as I can, but it's going to hurt when I take it out."
"I'll try not to move," Applejack said bravely
The Elf began moving the tweezers closer to Applejack's hoof. Applejack remained motionless until she felt the edge of the tweezers touch her hoof. Applejack started to squirm due to the pain and once again tried to pull her hoof out of the Elf's grasp.
"Applejack, stop that!" The Elf shouted as he held on to Applejack's injured hoof despite her attempts to get him to let go. "I'll never be able to get it if you keep moving around like that!"
"I tried really hard not to move!" Applejack cried. "I couldn't help it. It hurts!"
The Elf put down the tweezers but still didn't release Applejack's hoof. He was afraid if he let go Applejack would run to another part of the cave and he'd have a hard time getting her to let him see her hoof again. The Elf shivered a little as he thought about what would happen to Applejack if he didn't remove the crystal.
"I know it hurts." The Elf said as he petted Applejack. "I wish I could ease the pain but until I get the splinter out it's only going to get worse."
"Applejack, if you will allow me, I can hold you tight enough so you don't move while the Elf is working on your hoof" The Troll said as he sat down and pulled Applejack on to his lap.
Applejack knew now that it was going to be lot harder than she thought it would be to remain still while the Elf removed the crystal. Although she knew the Elf and the Troll were doing everything they could to help her Applejack wasn't sure she liked the idea of being held so tightly she couldn't move even by someone as kind as the Troll. Applejack looked at the Elf who was no longer looking at her but at her injured hoof. He had a very serious expression on his face.
"Okay, Applejack said at last. "I'll let you hold me so the Elf can remove the splinter."
The Troll gave Applejack a few moments to get comfortable. He placed the biggest, juiciest apple Applejack had ever seen right in front of her. She felt the Troll's strong arms wrap around her and hug her firmly. Held securely by the Troll Applejack couldn't move more than her head and neck but the Troll had made sure she could easily reach the apple.
The Elf moved Applejack's hoof a little and glanced up at her. The apple was so big that it blocked the Elf's view but he was glad that the Troll had thought of giving Applejack the apple and hoped it would help Applejack stay clam while he removed the crystal.
"Applejack.take a big, deep breath and I'll get the splinter out."
The Elf heard Applejack breath in. He got ready to pull the crystal out of her hoof.
No one realized the duck was awake and had flown out of a basket. His eyes blazed with anger as he saw the Troll holding Applejack tightly and the Elf about to use the tweezers on Applejack. The duck hadn't heard the first part of the conversation where the Elf had told Applejack the crystal splinter would have to be removed so he thought they were harming Applejack.
"Stop hurting my Applejack!" the duck screamed as...
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... he flew angrily across the cave, wings flapping wildly.
"Hey, wait just a second!" the Elf exclaimed, but it was too late. The duck started beating at the Elf and the Troll with his wings in a misguided attempt at defending Applejack. In his haste to escape the duck, the Elf accidentally flung away the tweezers into the dark, shadowy part of the cave.
"Duck!! Stop!! They're helping me! I have a splinter!" Applejack exclaimed, squirming in the Troll's grip, fearful of being dropped in the chaos of the duck's attack.
"Huh?" The duck momentarily ceased his flapping, looking perplexed.
"I said they're helping me!" Applejack huffed. "Unlike you!" The pain from her splinter was making her horribly grumpy.
"Sorry!" The duck quacked, and retreated back to the baby ponies.
"Shall we continue then?" The Troll asked, adjusting his hold on Applejack so she wasn't about to land on her head.
"Slight problem there..." The Elf gave a blustery sigh. "I seem to have lost the tweezers..."
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"You lost them? Go get them and hurry up!" Applejack ordered the Elf. "Do you have to hold me so tightly?" she said to the Troll.
The Elf and the Troll tried to ignore Applejack's grumpiness. The Troll knew Applejack was getting tired of being held but like the Elf he was afraid to release her until the splinter was removed.
"Do you have another pair of tweezers?" The Elf asked the Troll.
"Unfortunately, no. I only have that one pair. Is there another method to successfully remove the splinter?" The Troll replied.
"Using the tweezers is the best way. There are other methods but they will take much longer-" The Elf began
"The pain is getting stronger!" Applejack interrupted the Elf, her voice softer now and not as harsh as before.
"I think I tossed them over there" the Elf said as he stood up and pointed to where he thought the tweezers might have landed.
"I'll find 'em!" Baby Moondancer shouted suddenly as she ran off in the direction the Elf had just indicated even though she had no idea what the Elf was looking for.
"Baby Moondancer, wait for me!" The Elf cried "Applejack, stay here with the others."
"I guess I don't have a choice about this do I?" Applejack said gloomily with a heavy sigh.
"Applejack. trust me." the Elf tried to comfort Applejack. "I need you to stay right where you are so I can remove the splinter quickly after I get the tweezers."
Applejack nodded her head, afraid to speak for the moment since she was being so grumpy. The Elf went over to Baby Moondancer who was waiting for him a few steps away. She glowed brightly, ready to go in to the dark part of the cave. The Elf climbed on her back. Applejack and the Troll watched as the Elf and Baby Moondancer disappeared in to the shadows.
It only took a few minutes for the Elf to realize that the cave was much bigger than he thought. Baby Moondancer continued to glow as they went deeper in to the cave.
"What are we looking for again?" Baby Moondancer asked for the fifth time since they had left Applejack and the others.
"Tweezers." the Elf replied for what seemed like the tenth time to him. He was trying to be as patient as possible with Baby Moondancer. Without her glow this part of the cave would be completely dark and the Elf knew it would be much harder to find the tweezers if he couldn't see anything.
The Elf and Baby Moondancer kept looking for the tweezers. The Elf was more than a little surprised they hadn't found them yet. He could still hear Applejack and the Troll's voices, but they sounded like far away whispers.
"There they are!" the Elf yelled when he saw the tweezers on the ground.
The Elf grabbed the tweezers and put them in his pocket so he wouldn't lose them.
Suddenly...
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...a swarm of bats came flying down from the ceiling of the cave, sweeping towards the Elf and Baby Moondancer.
"Uwaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!" Baby Moondancer shrieked, rearing up onto her hind legs and then galloping as fast as her short legs would carry her towards the entrance to the cave. She swerved and jumped wildly as she avoided rocky outcroppings and holes in the cave floor.
"Stop, Baby Moondancer! They're just bats! They can't hurt you!" The Elf yelled, desperately clutching at her mane and trying his best not to fall off of the panicking baby pony. Her back was awfully slippery, and with the way she was dashing about at top pace, staying on was easier said than done. Since the Elf had lived in the Crystal Caves for his whole life, he had plenty of experience with bats and he knew that as long as you didn't bother the bats, they wouldn't bother you. Baby Moondancer, unfortunately, did not have the same knowledge, nor did she want to slow down enough to listen to the Elf, so she just kept on running.
It didn't take them long to reach the part of the cave where everyone else was waiting for their return. As soon as they came racing into sight, followed by the cloud of bats, a scream went up from the rest of the baby ponies . They all jumped up from where they were sitting and ran off in all directions into the surrounding forest, yelling all the way. The duck, too squawked in alarm and followed behind them.
In her haste to get to the perceived safety of the forest, Baby Moondancer stumbled over a rock, pitching the Elf over her shoulder. Before he even had a chance to stand up, she was back on her feet and charging after the other baby ponies, not even realizing that she had thrown the Elf off of her back.
"Baby Moondancer!" He yelled, but she just kept on running as the bats swooped over his head and into the night sky.
At least the Troll had kept his cool and hadn't fled from the cave with his others. He'd also managed to hang onto Applejack, who was squirming madly in his grip, made frantic by the bats.
"Well at least I have the tweezers..." The Elf said, standing up with a groan and walking towards Applejack and the Troll. "Let's at least get you sorted out before we go round up the babies."
"Ready, Applejack?" The Troll asked. "Hold still now."
Applejack nodded grimly, and the Elf approached with tweezers at the ready. Despite Applejack's gasp of pain, which made the Elf wince with pity, he managed to remove the splinter efficiently. As soon as the splinter was out, Applejack sighed in relief.
"Well, now it's time to track down some baby ponies." The Elf said as...
-
as he threw the crystal splinter in to the empty memory potion bottle he had pulled out of his pocket.
The Troll put Applejack down on the ground and finally released her. Applejack was feeling much better now that the splinter was out of hoof and the pain that had been so intense moments before was fading quickly.
"We were lucky it was such a small splinter. Applejack, if you see any more crystal shards don't step on them," The Elf said in a different tone than the one he usually used when talking to Applejack.
Applejack hoped the Elf wasn't angry with her. Maybe he had just been really worried about her and was trying to hide it. Before Applejack had much time to wonder what the change in the Elf's tone meant, the Troll spoke.
"The Baby Ponies and the duck most be located immediately," he said.
"We can find them faster if we split up," Applejack replied as she started to run after the Baby Ponies.
"Oh no you don't" The Elf cried as he quickly grabbed Applejack's mane. "We're staying together. I'm not going to let you go looking for them by yourself."
The Troll went back in the cave and returned with a lantern, his wand, some rope and a few other things he thought might be useful to bring the Baby Ponies and the duck back. The lantern glowed a faint blue but still gave enough light that they could see a little further ahead.
"Shouldn't the lantern be brighter?" Applejack asked.
A sudden rustling of the leaves of the trees seemed to distract the Troll as he didn't answer Applejack right away but instead tried to determine the source of the sound.
"We need to take precautions we are not seen. It's not safe for any of us to be out in the forest at this time," The Troll said after he was satisfied that the noise in the trees was only an owl returning to it's home.
"You mean the Baby Ponies and the duck are in danger?" Applejack cried as she once again tried to run after them but it was useless since the Elf was still holding her mane.
"We are all in peril at the moment. There are many creatures in the forest that would think nothing of turning us over to the other elves or even Tirac." The Troll said.
Applejack shivered a little at the Troll's words. They reminded her just how much the Elf and the Troll were risking to help her. She looked at them both and felt terrible for disrupting their lives so much and getting them in to all of this trouble. Applejack was so lost in thought it took a few minutes for her to realize the Elf was saying her name.
"Applejack," he called her name again. "Are you still in pain? I was sure I got all of the splinter out, but I'll check again" The Elf said as he started reaching for Applejack's hoof.
"The pain is gone," Applejack replied just before the Elf could grab her hoof. "We have to find the Baby Ponies and the duck!" Applejack exclaimed, too upset to admit to the others that how guilty she felt for getting everyone in to this.
"Hopefully we'll find them before anyone else does," The Elf said.
"There is no time to lose. We must begin searching for them," The Troll said. His expression grew very serious as he added. "It is critical that you stay close to me and follow my directions exactly if we are going to be successful in retrieving the Baby Ponies and the duck. When it is safe to do so we will call out the Baby Ponies' names quietly so they know we are looking for them but we must not do anything that will alert anyone else to our presence here."
The Troll picked up all of the things he'd brought out of the cave.
"If we're lucky, they didn't run too far ahead. We'll go this way first," The Troll said as he started walking and Applejack and the Elf followed behind.
Meanwhile the Baby Ponies and the duck...
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...were split into several small groups throughout the forest. When they had bolted, everyone had gotten split apart, and though they had managed to find at least a few of their friends, they were still very frightened and felt terribly alone.
Baby Cotton Candy started to cry.
"I w-want to g-go b-back to A-applejack and e-everyone else!" She wailed, flopping down to sit on her haunches in the crunchy leaves of the forest floor as she hid her eyes with her hooves.
"Don't cry Baby Cotton Candy! We'll find 'em! Let's go and look for them!" Baby Firefly exclaimed. She flapped her tiny pink wings determinedly. "C'mon, ponies!"
"Wait, Baby Fire Fly! Snuzzle told me once that when Baby Ponies get lost they should stay put where they are so grown ups can come and find them. We shouldn't wander away." Baby Blossom said in her most reasonable voice. She stood up a little bit straighter, feeling very grown up for knowing what to do.
"I dunno about that. If we wanna find them we need to take action!!" Baby Firefly stomped her hoof angrily. It annoyed her that Baby Blossom was questioning her plan. "Anyway, what does Snuzzle know about that?"
"Snuzzle knows lots of stuff!" Baby Blossom pouted, "And she's right about this, too! We aren't moving! They'll come find us because they are the grown ups!!"
"Well what if they don't! Then what?" Baby Firefly flapped her wings so angrily that she lifted up off of the ground by accident.
Baby Cotton Candy cried harder. "W-what d-do you m-mean they m-might not find us?"
"Of course they'll find us, Baby Cotton Candy." Baby Blossom said confidently.
"Will not!" Baby Firefly yelled.
"Will too!" Baby Cotton Candy countered. They went back and forth, ever increasing in volume as they got more and more frustrated with the situation and each other.
~*~
"Did you hear that?" The Elf asked. "It sounds like arguing?"
"I heard it too." The Troll said, and Applejack nodded in agreement. "We should go in that direction since it's probably the Baby Ponies. If they're being that loud, we need to find them before someone else does."
"Good point. Let's go." The Elf said worriedly, wrapping his fingers into Applejack's mane as she trotted away over the uneven ground of the forest. With his big steps, the troll could keep up easily.
"I hope we get to them first." Applejack muttered worriedly.
"Don't worry, we will." The Elf said with grim determination. "On one hand, it's good that they're being so loud because it's easier for us to get to them. But on the other hand, that means it's easier for others to find them, too."
"Exactly." The Troll said. "We can only hope that the Baby Ponies and the duck all managed to stick together. It will be a lot easier for us if they are not scattered throughout the forest."
The group of three continued to make their way towards the sound of the yelling Baby Ponies.
Suddenly...
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Applejack, The Troll and the Elf heard a loud thud followed by the distressed cries of the arguing Baby Ponies.
"Now look what you've done!" Baby Blossom cried.
"Ow! I didn't mean to! I bumped in to that branch!" Baby Firefly yelled.
"If you had been watching where you were flying instead of saying Snuzzle isn't smart we wouldn't have gotten caught!" Baby Blossom shouted
"If we had followed my plan in the first place, I wouldn't have flown in to the branch. This is your fault, Baby Blossom!" Baby Firefly screamed angrily,
Baby Blossom and Baby Firefly were yelling so loudly at each other that Applejack, the Elf and the Troll could clearly hear every word. They also heard Baby Cotton Candy's sobs.
"We've got to hurry!" Applejack cried as she started to gallop toward the voices, forgetting for a moment that she was supposed to stay with the Troll.
"Applejack, stop!" The Elf and the Troll both exclaimed at the same time.
The Elf gave a gentle, yet firm tug on her mane and the Troll stepped directly in front of Applejack blocking her path. Applejack was more than a little startled by all of this but she managed to stop without colliding in to the Troll or throwing the Elf off her back.
"Get out of my way!" Applejack yelled more loudly than she meant to at the Troll, confused by her friends' actions. They were supposed to be finding the Baby Ponies and the duck so why were her friends preventing her from going to them?
"I stepped in front of you because we have to be cautious. We don't know exactly what is happening with the Baby Ponies and if we rush in to the situation without being careful we might end up not be able to help them." The Troll said.
Applejack nodded and felt a little embarrassed now. She should have know the Elf and the Troll were only tying to make sure they didn't get in to more trouble. They could still hear Baby Blossom and Baby Firefly blaming each other for getting caught
"I don't hear any other voices," The Elf said encouragingly. "Maybe that means they got caught on something instead of being caught by someone."
"I hope you're right," Applejack said.
A sudden clap of loud thunder made Applejack jump.
"Don't tell me ponies are scared of thunderstorms too," The Elf groaned.
"I'm not afraid. I just wasn't expecting it," Applejack replied.
The Troll looked up at the sky as the thunder claps increased. Applejack was surprised to see a smile on his face considering the seriousness of their task.
"Why are you smiling?" Applejack asked as another clap of thunder rang out.
"I think the thunder will provide cover for us, the Baby Ponies and the duck. Hopefully it will help hide the Baby Ponies being loud and any noise we might make trying to find them." The Troll said.
The Troll led the way and in a few minutes Applejack could tell they were very close to the arguing ponies. Their voices were so loud it was hurting Applejack's ears. She wanted to run ahead but waited for the Troll to say it was safe to do so.
"I think it's safe to proceed" the Troll whispered with a nod after they had listened for a few moments to make sure they didn't hear any unfamiliar voices.
They took a few more steps forward and found...
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...the baby ponies trapped in a net dangling from a tree branch. They were all squished together, but Baby Firefly and Baby Blossom still managed to bicker viciously while Baby Cotton Candy kept crying at what seemed to be an impossibly high volume.
"Shhh, baby ponies!" The Troll scolded, and the ponies were so startled that they instantly fell silent.
"Don't you know that the woods are very dangerous right now? What were you thinking being so loud?" Applejack chastised them. "And how in the world are we going to get you down from there?"
"Sorry Applejack." The baby ponies chorused sadly. They knew that they had been silly, but they hadn't thought about the potential danger that they had put themselves in at the time. Even Baby Firefly and Baby Blossom quieted down. Baby Cotton Candy was still sniffling, but the reappearance of the "grown ups" had been enough reassurance to stop her loud sobbing.
"If you get ready and catch them so they don't fall, I think I can climb up there and cut the rope on the booby trap." The Elf suggested to the Troll, sizing up the net from ground level. To Applejack, it seemed like a good plan, and the Troll must have agreed because he stood under the net, ready to catch the baby ponies as they tumbled down.
Quick as a flash, the Elf scaled the tree and positioned himself above the net and started sawing at the thick rope with a shard of sharp crystal. It was much harder to cut than he'd expected.
"Baby Firefly, make sure you flap your wings so when the net drops the Troll doesn't need to try and catch all three of you." Applejack suggested.
"Will do, Applejack!" Baby Firefly said boldly, obviously not as bothered by the situation as she should have been. It occurred to Applejack that for most of the baby ponies, this had been a great big adventure, and even if it had been more than a little scary sometimes, she wasn't sure that they knew quite what was at stake.
"Got it!" The Elf cried just as the baby ponies started to plummet downward. Beating her wings quickly, Baby Firefly managed to land on her feet, and the Troll expertly caught Baby Cotton Candy and Baby Blossom. He set them down gently on the floor of the forest.
"Now, baby ponies, do you know what direction any of your friends happened to run off in?" The Troll asked, arms crossed seriously. There was no use in scolding the baby ponies any more right now. What counted was making sure they all got rounded up safely. Later, though, the Troll decided that they would all sit down and have a serious discussion about behavior and safety. If this incident was any indication, the baby ponies certainly needed a refresher course.
"Um, I think I do." Baby Cotton Candy said shyly. "Baby Moondancer and some others went..."
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"through that group of trees" Baby Cotton Candy pointed a hoof to where the tress were very big, thick with leaves and seemed to disappear in to one another.
"Are you certain some of them went that way?" The Troll asked worriedly.
"Of course I'm sure. Well, pretty sure. I think so." Baby Cotton Candy replied.
"Are you certain?" The Troll asked again.
"I think so!" Baby Cotton Candy yelled loudly, stamping a hoof not understanding why the Troll kept asking her the same question.
"Baby Cotton Candy, did you forget already that we just told you to be quieter?" The Elf asked as he climbed back down the tree.
Baby Cotton Candy looked at the ground and nodded "Sorry," she mumbled.
The Troll kept his gaze focused on the area Baby Cotton Candy had just pointed out. He didn't want to alarm anyone but if they had to go in to that part of the forest to find the others their task was about to get much harder and even more dangerous
"That part of the forest is especially hazardous," The Troll said "We will have to be extra careful while we search for them."
"I bet I get to Baby Moondancer and the others first!" Baby Firefly shouted as she began flapping her wings.
"No, Baby Firefly!" Applejack cried as she quickly grabbed Baby Firefly's tail in her mouth.
Baby Firefly soon realized although she was flapping her wings as hard as she could she wasn't getting any higher off of the ground.
"Applejack, let go! Wanna fly!" Baby Firefly whined when she turned and saw Applejack was holding her tail.
"Baby Firefly, this isn't a game and it's not a race. The important thing is we stay together and find the rest of the Baby Ponies and the duck," the Elf said seriously.
"You must be quiet, Baby Ponies and we must locate everyone else quickly," the Troll added.
"Wanna fly!" Baby Firefly yelled as she kicked furiously, hoping Applejack would release her.
"Applejack's only trying to protect you," the Elf said to Baby Firefly trying to calm her down.
Baby Firefly stopped struggling for a moment. She smiled her biggest smile at Applejack.
"If I promise be good and not fly off by myself will you let go of my tail?"
Applejack nodded. As soon as Baby Firefly knew her tail was free she immediately broke her promise and began trying to fly further in to the forest. The desire to find the others first was just too strong for the baby pegasus pony to resist. Luckily the Troll took a few big steps, caught up with Baby Firefly and held her in his hands as he returned to the others.
"Baby Firefly, you promised!" Applejack scolded her as the Troll sat down next to Applejack, still holding Baby Firefly.
"This is no time to go deeper into the forest unaccompanied," The Troll said firmly to Baby Firefly. "Now, will you behave and listen to my instructions?"
"No!" Baby Firefly insisted.
"What's gotten in to you?" Applejack said sadly confused by Baby Firefly's behavior. Baby Firefly could be a little stubborn at times but she wasn't usually so defiant. Applejack began to wonder wondered if sudden change had something to do with being caught in the net but Baby Blossom and Baby Cotton Candy were watching all of this silently with huge eyes and Applejack could see from their expressions they were just confused as she was.
"Baby Firefly, I'll give you another opportunity to keep your promise but if you try that again..." The Troll said sternly. Applejack and the Elf waited for him to finish his sentence but instead the Troll released Baby Firefly and stood up.
"We must continue our search." the Troll said.
At that very moment...
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...Baby Moondancer's voice came through the trees. It was hard to make out what she was saying since she was pretty far away, but nonetheless it was possible to figure out what direction the sound was coming from, so everyone continued on in that direction. Applejack had been worried that Baby Firefly would try and take off again, but the voice of her friend, even from a distance, seemed to ground her enough that she was content to fly beside the Troll for the time being.
As they got closer, they could make out snatches of what she was saying.
"...I'm telling you, you're supposed to just go in the direction of the moss! See the moss is on THIS side of the tree so we should go THIS way..."
Another Baby pony chimed in. It sounded like Baby Quackers.
"...Baby Moondancer, I'm pretty sure that the moss supposedly means that side of the tree is North, and Wind Whistler told me that was a fib anyway..."
"Well, don't you always want to go North?" Baby Moondancer asked.
"That's not how it works. Sometimes you go East, West, or South." Baby Quackers explained. Their voices were getting clearer.
"But, compasses always point North! So I'm right! Ha!" Now Baby Moondancer's glow was becoming visible, too. Her bright white coat shone faintly through the trees, though it grew stronger with every step that the small group took towards the missing Baby ponies.
"Well, yeah, but you can still go other directions!!" Baby Quackers scolded. She was clearly getting very frustrated by Baby Moondancer's lack of understanding.
Right when they got close to the two Baby Ponies, Baby Firefly...
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No problem HelloGoodbye. :) I know real life gets busy sometimes. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story and want to keep going as long as you want to keep going also. :)
...zoomed to the right and landed a few trees away on a high branch.
"Baby Firefly, what are you doing?" Baby Blossom asked
"I see something sparkling up ahead! It's pretty! I'll go check it out!" Baby Firefly shouted back and with a flap of her pink wings she started flying just below the tops of the trees stopping every few seconds to see if she was getting any closer to what she had seen.
"Baby Firefly, stop! Come back!" Applejack cried as she ran after Baby Firefly, trying to keep her eyes on the pink blur that was moving quickly through the trees.
Baby Moondancer and Baby Quackers were determined to find out who was right about the directions and moss so they had quickly gained the Elf and the Troll's attention
"Tell Baby Quackers I'm right! You follow the moss" Baby Moondancer begged the Troll.
"Tell Baby Moondancer I'm right! You can go in any direction, moss or no moss!" Baby Quackers told the Elf.
Baby Blossom and Baby Cotton Candy were trying to tell The Elf and the Troll about Baby Firefly and Applejack but they were having a hard time making themselves heard over Baby Moondancer and Baby Quackers. The Baby Ponies kept talking loudly, each thinking their part of the conversation was the most important.
"One at a time, Baby Ponies!" The Elf finally cried when he could no longer make out what anyone was saying since they were all talking at once.
Baby Blossom took a deep breath. "Baby Firefly's gone!" she shouted as loud as she could.
"Applejack went after her." Baby Cotton Candy added
The Troll and the Elf both turned a little pale, any scolding they were about to give Baby Blossom for being loud forgotten as the words sank in.
"We've got find them!" The Elf yelled with such an intensity in his voice that it surprised even him.
"Indeed, Do you know what direction they went? " The Troll said as he moved closer to the Elf.
"That way" Baby Blossom said as she nodded in the right direction.
The Troll moved even closer to the Elf and when he was sure none of the Baby Ponies could overhear he whispered, "The gnomes are frequently in that area. There is no time to lose."
Meanwhile Applejack was still chasing Baby Firefly. Applejack was so focused on making sure Baby Firefly didn't get herself in to trouble that she didn't realize that she and Baby Firefly were alone.
"Baby Firefly! Get down here right now!" Applejack whispered loudly.
"No way, Applejack!" Baby Firefly's laugh echoed in the trees. "You can't make me!"
"Can you make Baby Firefly come down?" Applejack asked the Troll. When only silence answered her question Applejack looked around and realized she and Baby Firefly were no longer with the others.
"Baby Firefly, do you see Baby Moondancer or the Troll's latern anywhere?" Applejack asked hoping Baby Firefly would understand how important it was to return to the others for their own safety.
Baby Firefly landed on a high branch. She looked all around. In one direction she could see Baby Moondancer's glow although it was faint and it would be no trouble at all to guide Applejack back where the others were. In the other direction Baby Firefly saw the sparkling object that had captured her attention. Baby Firefly knew it was wrong to lie and that if her mother was here instead of Applejack she would be in trouble for the way she was behaving. If Baby Firefly told the truth, she never find out what the sparkling object was. She was also enjoying having an advantage over Applejack since Applejack couldn't fly.
"I don't see Baby Moondancer anywhere" Baby Firefly lied.
"Are you sure?" Applejack asked. She didn't think they had gone that far from the others. Applejack looked around to see if Baby Firefly was being honest but all she could see were more trees.
Baby Firefly flew forward and starting doing loops in the air. Applejack was getting more suspicious by the minute but she couldn't leave Baby Firefly alone. Applejack took a few more steps forward and suddenly felt the ground give way beneath her. The next thing she knew Applejack was at the bottom of a deep hole. Applejack tried to climb back out but the sides were too steep and she kept sliding back down.
Baby Firefly quickly flew down the hole and landed on Applejack's back,
"Applejack what happened? Are you okay?" Baby Firefly asked
"I'm not hurt, but I can't get climb back out." Applejack said with just a hint of anger in her voice. "Why didn't you do as you were told?"
Baby Firefly looked straight down at Applejack's back, afraid to meet Applejack's eyes. She felt awful for lying and for not listening when Applejack told her to stop or return to the ground.
"I was having fun. I knew you couldn't catch me because you can't fly. And I saw something pretty this way. " Baby Firefly said as she began to sob.
"That's no excuse." Applejack lectured. "You got us separated from everyone else and now I'm trapped in here. "
Baby Firefly cried harder. "Sorry, Applejack. I'll make it better though. I'll go get everyone else and bring them back here. "
"How? You said you didn't see Baby Moondancer anywhere," Applejack reminded Baby Firefly.
"I lied before." Baby Firefly confessed as she spread her wings "I wanted to find out what that pretty thing was, but I didn't mean for you to get stuck. You can count on me! I won't let you down!" and with a few quick flaps Baby Firefly flew out of the hole and disappeared.
After a while Applejack heard voices and footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw...
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... the group of Gnomes that they had had trouble with earlier at the Troll's house walking by the hole and arguing loudly.
Applejack suppressed a gasp and grabbed Baby Firefly's tail in her teeth, pulling her down and tugging her to the far side of the hole so they'd have the best chance of hiding from the Gnomes. Baby Firefly was too shocked to even protest like she usually would. Thankfully, due to the surprise, she stopped crying, too. Applejack wasn't sure that hiding would be enough, though. The hole would be a logical place to look for someone who could have fallen in, and it wasn't a large enough hole that there were really any good hiding places. All that she and Baby Firefly could do would be to press themselves up against the wall and hope for the best. Maybe the Gnomes would be so busy bickering that they wouldn't see Applejack and Baby Firefly at all.
"I'm telling you I heard a big commotion over here! Some yelling and a crashing sound!" One of the Gnomes huffed, annoyed at being doubted by his companions.
"I didn't hear anything. Maybe you need your ears checked!" Another Gnome countered. Applejack inferred that tensions were probably running high in the group of Gnomes since they had been unsuccessful in capturing any of their targets. Since the Troll had fled his house with Applejack, the baby ponies, and the Elf, they had probably figured out that he was on their side, too, and that meant that they had to try and capture him as well. The extra work was in all likelihood annoying them, too.
"Will you two stop arguing and look where you're going!" A third Gnome scolded. "None of us can focus on finding these ponies if you won't quit squabbling! The boss isn't going to be happy if he finds out our group has gotten nothing done. He wasn't made the Chief Gnome for being a tolerant and relaxed guy!"
Suddenly the Gnomes gave a collective yell, and the whole group of five fell down in the hole, too caught up in their argument to even notice the gaping pit that was right in front of their feet. They thumped to the bottom of the hole in a heap. Applejack's heart hammered. What were they going to do now that they Gnomes were in the hole with them?
"Now look what you've done you-" The third Gnome started yelling, but cut off when he saw Applejack staring at him, horrified.
Applejack protectively jumped in front of Baby Firefly, snorting and pawing her hoof threateningly.
"I thought the boss was lying when he said these ponies were dangerous, but look at that orange one! She's scary!" A Gnome that hadn't spoken yet said in a tremulous voice. "We need to call for help!" He sucked in a big breath as if he was getting ready to give a huge yell.
"No! Wait! Don't call out!" The Gnome that seemed to be the leader of the little group clapped a hand over the other gnome's mouth. "How mad do you think the boss will be if he finds out we got ourselves into this mess?! We need to figure this out ourselves!"
"But-"
"No 'but's! We're the elite scouting squad for a reason! We need to get this disaster sorted out on our own. Anyway, do you really think these silly little ponies look dangerous?" The leader Gnome gestured angrily at Applejack and Baby Firefly.
Applejack...
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...remained frozen in fear still standing in front of Baby Firefly. She wasn't sure what the Gnomes might do to them to make sure they couldn't escape. For the moment all of the Gnomes were staring at Applejack None of them had ever
seen a pony so close up before. The leader Gnome moved closer to Applejack, his hand mere inches from her nose. Applejack looked in to his eyes and saw some kind of emotion in them that she couldn't quite figure out. Applejack remembered the Troll's story about being forced against his will to work for Tirac. Could it be the Gnomes were in a similar situation with the Chief Gnome? Applejack shook her head and tried to stay focused on protecting Baby Firefly.
"Don't get too close, she might bite you!" one of the other Gnomes cried suddenly as he pulled the leader Gnome away from Applejack.
Applejack saw one of the Gnomes reaching for Baby Firefly. She quickly stomped on his hand with her hoof but he was still able to grab Baby Firefly.
"I told you she's dangerous! Did you see what she just did to me? We brought muzzles, we should use them!" he yelled as he showed the others his injured hand and held Baby Firefly sideways by a wing with the other.
All the other Gnomes except the leader Gnome nodded and began pulling the very uncomfortable looking muzzles out of their knapsacks. Applejack backed up a little, getting even more nervous about this situation. She hoped she and Baby Firefly wouldn't be forced to wear one of the muzzles. Now that the Gnomes had fallen in the hole also there wasn't as much space to move around in and no where that Applejack or Baby Firefly could go where the Gnomes couldn't reach them easily.
"I'm in charge here!" the leader Gnome shouted. "I'll decide if we need the muzzles."
"But, she hurt me!" the other Gnome countered
Baby Firefly squirmed, trying to fly and getting dizzy from being held at such awkward angle.
"Applejack, help!" Baby Firefly screamed, no longer seeing any need to be quiet.
Applejack tried to get closer so she could take Baby Firefly away from the Gnomes but she as soon as she stepped forward two of the Gnomes were suddenly at her side and both were holding her mane tightly.
"The orange pony was only trying to stop you from grabbing the little one. You should have restrained the orange one before you ever tried to take the pink one away from her. And you don't hold flying creatures by their wings. Don't you know anything?" the leader Gnome grumbled as he snatched Baby Firefly out of the other Gnome's grasp and turned her right side up.
The leader Gnome maintained his grip on Baby Firefly who was still struggling but was now turned so Baby Firefly had a good view of Applejack.
Applejack was quite puzzled by the leader Gnome. He had guessed correctly why she had stepped on the Gnome's hand that had grabbed Baby Firefly and he didn't seem to think ponies were as dangerous as they had been told, yet Applejack wasn't sure she could trust him or any of the Gnomes.
"We can use this flying one to get us out of here," the leader Gnome said after a few minutes. You two," he ordered the two Gnomes that were not standing next to Applejack "get some rope."
Applejack watched as the two Gnomes pulled ropes, nets and two crystal collars out of their knapsacks. Applejack shifted nervously from one hoof to the other.
The leader Gnome took the ropes that the other Gnomes brought him and tied one of them very tightly around one of Baby Firefly's back hooves to make sure she couldn't fly away.
The leader Gnome put Baby Firefly down but held on to the rope he had just tied. "Now, listen, flying pony" he said "You're going to fly out of this hole and tie this other rope to a tree branch so we can climb out. Got that? No tricks now. Remember we'll have the orange pony down here with us."
"No! Don't wanna! " Baby Firefly protested. "Applejack, do I have to?" She looked at Applejack for an answer about what she should do. Surely Applejack would tell her not to follow the leader Gnome's orders. Baby Firefly was stunned when Applejack nodded her head.
"You better do what he says, Baby Firefly" Applejack said at last
"Good choice," the leader Gnome nodded approvingly "Now get going!" he yelled as he roughly tossed Baby Firefly in to the air, who flapped her wings so hard that she sent a shower of leaves and twigs down in to the hole.
Baby Firefly didn't want to help the Gnomes at all but she soon realized there was no other option. She sniffled a few times as she flew around looking for a suitable branch to tie the rope to. Baby Firefly looked where she had last seen Baby Moodancer's glow but that part of the forest was dark. She darted about this way and that hoping to find any sign of the others but was sadly disappointed. Baby Firefly wasn't sure how much time had passed since she had flow off in this direction but by now the others should have noticed that they were missing. If that was true, where were they? Baby Firefly finally found a good branch and tied the rope in a big knot the best she could.
"Hurry up! What's taking you so long?" an angry voice called up to her just before she felt a hard tug on the rope.
Caught off guard by the sudden pull, Baby Firefly was having a hard time staying upright as she tumbled back down the hole. Luckily. she landed on Applejack's back which prevented her from being injured. Baby Firefly noticed right away that something wasn't right. Applejack's back was usually very soft to land on but although it felt soft, it seemed rough in some places too. One of the Gnomes quickly grabbed Baby Firefly and tucked her under his arm.
Baby Firefly tried to wriggle out of the Gnome's hold but it was no use. She looked at Applejack and her eyes grew huge when she saw Applejack was tangled up in a net. The Gnomes' clothes were dirty now and the dirt around Applejack was pushed aside in several areas. Applejack had put forth a valiant effort to avoid the net but she had obviously been unsuccessful.
"Applejack how'd you get in there?" Baby Firefly asked
Applejack opened her mouth to speak but before she could answer one of the Gnomes said "Don't worry. She won't be in that net for long. We have a nice cage waiting for you back at Headquarters."
"All right, let's get out of this hole" the leader Gnome ordered after he was satisfied that the rope would hold and allow them to climb out, and before long all of the Gnomes expect himself were out of the hole.
The leader Gnome picked up Applejack like she was no heavier than a Baby Pony and carried her out of the hole and then put her down beside it. He quickly grabbed Baby Firefly from the Gnome holding her.
"What do we do with these ponies?" one of the Gnomes asked.
"We have our orders," the leader Gnome snapped "You guys go over there and check the maps to see what area we should search next."
The other Gnomes did as they were told. The leader Gnome glanced over at them to make sure they following his directions. Then he...
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... whispered in Applejack's ear.
"Just play along for now. Things are not as they may seem."
Applejack was startled and began to say something. She desperately wanted to know what was going on and what exactly the gnome meant by his strange words. Was he an ally in disguise?
"What do yo-" Applejack began.
"Quiet, pony! You're a prisoner of the Elite Scouting Squad now!" The leader Gnome barked and made a move like he was going to savagely kick Applejack in the side. She recoiled in anticipation of pain, but was shocked when he barely tapped her ribs with the tip of his boots. A meaningful look from the Gnome prompted Applejack to fake being injured to avoid suspicion. She groaned rather convincingly and rolled onto her side.
"Applejack!!" Baby Firefly hollered, clearly concerned deeply about Applejack.
"I'll be okay, Baby Firefly." Applejack said, pretending to pant in pain.
"What did I say about talking?!" The leader Elf yelled and grabbed Applejack by the forelock. He tugged up with a theatrical show of force, even though Applejack barely felt a pull on her mane. Once her head was raised to be level with the Gnome's, he whispered so quietly that only she could hear it. "Tonight, once the others are asleep, I will explain."
~*~
Meanwhile, the Elf was fretting about Applejack's whereabouts. He wished that she hadn't dashed off alone after Baby Firefly. If only she had waited for him and the others to help. Applejack could be wonderfully brave and resourceful, but she was also impulsive and clumsy and had a knack for getting herself into problematic situations. Just like this one.
The Elf groaned. Together with him, the Troll, and the baby ponies they had rescued so far, it wouldn't have been too tricky to get Baby Firefly back. Applejack just always seemed to forget that she had friends on her side and didn't have to do everything by herself.
Still, as exasperating as Applejack could be, he was worried about her, and Baby Firefly, too. Why hadn't they come back yet? Was Baby Firefly still escaping from Applejack? Had they found other baby ponies? Had they gotten into trouble?
With a loud sigh, the Elf rubbed at his temples.
"Don't worry." The Troll said encouragingly, "We'll get them back." He patted the Elf on the shoulder, nearly knocking him down with his big hand.
"Thanks." The Elf managed with a somewhat wobbly smile. He really, really hoped that the Troll was right.
Then...
-
...The Troll looked up in to the trees and gave a sharp whistle A moment later the Elf heard the sound of flapping wings. He breathed a sigh of relief. assuming it was Baby Firefly and was getting ready to give her and Applejack a pretty harsh lecture. The Elf was disappointed when he saw it wasn't Baby Firefly, but a large owl. The owl landed on the Troll's shoulder.
"Don't be alarmed" The Troll called quickly when he noticed the Elf had gathered all of the Baby Ponies very close and looked ready to carry them all at once away from any danger "This owl is my friend. There is no need to be frightened. Now" he said returning his attention to the owl "Have you seen any baby ponies or a large orange pony and a small pink baby pegasus pony traveling together? It is of great importance that we locate them."
The owl began to hoot rapidly and the Elf wished he could understand what he was saying instead of having to guess from responses and watch as the Troll's face became clouded with worry and concern
"Where...How long ago?...Are you certain you saw them?...That is quite distressing news....At once...Please go keep an eye on them... " The Troll said as he talked to the owl. "Be safe my friend" the Troll added right before the owl flew back in to the trees.
"What did he say? The Elf asked although he was already dreading the answer
The Troll looked first at the Elf and then at the Baby Ponies. He realized they would have to take the Baby Ponies with them to rescue Applejack and Baby Firefly It would be too dangerous to leave them in the forest alone and they still needing to find the others that were missing. Maybe they could find a safe place to hide the Baby Ponies once they got closer and saw just how much trouble Applejack and Baby Firefly were in.
"Stay right here, Baby Ponies. The Elf and I need to talk" The Troll said and the Baby Ponies obediently sat down where they were.
The Troll and the Elf walked where they still see the Baby Ponies but the Baby Ponies couldn't overhear the conversation.
"The owl saw Applejack and Baby Firefly" The Troll began. He paused for a moment knowing there was no easy way to tell the Elf the rest. "They've been captured by the gnomes." The Troll said haltingly having a hard time saying those words out loud.
All of the color drained out of the Elf's face. "No! We need Applejack and Baby Firefly to help us save Dream Valley and the other ponies! We can't let the gnomes have them!" The Elf cried and suddenly the headache he'd felt coming on intensified. He had been hoping Baby Firefly was just giving Applejack a really hard time and that's why they hadn't returned yet, but now he didn't even want to think about what the gnomes were doing to them at this very moment.
"All hope is not yet lost! You must try to remain positive that we will be able to successfully rescue them and continue on our quest. The owl has gone back to observe what is going on and will give us reports on what is occurring." The Troll continued "Here, drink this" The Troll said as he waved his wand and a drink appeared in the Elf's hand. "It will help your headache to go away and we both need to be at our best if we are going to be successful. Now," he said after the Elf had taken a couple of drinks. "we need to come up with a plan."
Meanwhile Applejack continued groaning and muttering "Ow!" every once in a while to keep up the illusion that the leader Gnome's kick had hurt her. Applejack was still pretty confused about everything but she didn't want to do anything to betray the leader Gnome If she became too compliant and stopped struggling or protesting the other gnomes would know something wasn't right. Applejack felt sorry for Baby Firefly who was crying hysterically thinking Applejack had been hurt.
"Hush!" the leader Gnome shouted as Baby Firefly's terrified cries got louder.
Baby Firefly quickly realized she could still fly even though the leader Gnome had tied her rope to a log. She was close enough to see Applejack but not so close that she could hear what the leader Gnome had whispered to her. Baby Firefly flew closer to the leader Gnome's face.
"Why'd you hurt Applejack?" She cried as she tried to hit the Gnome's face with her tiny front hooves.
"I told you to hush!" the leader Gnome ordered sharply. "Both of you be quiet or else!"
"No! Don't wanna be quiet! You're a big meanie!" Baby Firefly began.
Baby Firefly didn't get a chance to finish because the leader Gnome grabbed her and put her back down on the ground,
"You dare to question my orders?" the leader Gnome yelled "For the last time be quiet or face the consequences!"
The other Gnomes finished looking at their maps and returned.
"Are the prisoners giving you trouble?" one of them asked
"Nothing I can't handle. I just had to show them who's in charge around here. Where do we search next?" the leader Gnome replied.
One of the Gnomes looked at the map again and started to speak but before he could answer the Gnome with the throbbing hand spoke.
"We've been searching for hours and so far we've only found these two ponies. Besides I want to go back to camp and get the first aid kit and some disinfectant We don't know where these creatures have been!"
"We can get an early start in the morning," another Gnome suggested. "We could put these two in the cage we have back at the camp. It's not quite as strong as the one at Headquarters but I think it will hold them. "
"I can't believe you guys want to go back to camp. We're the Elite Scouting Squad!" the leader Gnome complained although that was exactly what he wanted them to do. "Fine! We'll go back but tomorrow we have to search even more areas to make up for not continuing the search now. Let's grab our prisoners and head back."
The Gnomes picked up Applejack and Baby Firefly and headed to the camp. A few minutes later they reached it. Applejack shivered a little when she saw the cage. The leader Gnome took Applejack's net off but as soon as it was off the other Gnomes blocked Applejack's path until there was no way for her to go but in to the cage
"Get in there! Move, pony!" the leader Gnome shouted to Applejack loud enough for everyone to hear. He leaned down as if to give her strong push and pulled her head very close to his own. "Soon" he said so quietly that Applejack thought for a minute he hadn't said anything to her at all and then she felt his hands lightly touching her which Applejack took as her signal to enter the cage. Applejack took a few very slow steps and made sure her breath came on in gasps as if she was in great pain. She even let herself fall to the ground right as she was about to reach the cage. One of the other Gnomes grew tired with Applejack's slow progress and pushed her the rest of the way. Baby Firefly was quickly tossed in also.
Applejack's heart sank when she heard the lock click. She hoped the leader Gnome hadn't been trying to trick her. It wasn't long before she and Baby Firefly were left alone as the Gnomes went to their tents. Applejack heard the Gnomes snoring soon after. If the leader Gnome was true to his word that he would explain everything, he should be here any minute. Applejack hoped the Elf and the Troll were on the way, because she knew she could trust them completely while she was still unsure about the leader Gnome. Applejack sighed deeply.
At that very moment...
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.... the leader gnome crept out of his tent and tip toed over to the cage where Applejack and Baby Firefly were contained. He put a finger to his lips as a signal to be quiet and leaned in close to the bars.
"We need to be quiet. They're all heavy sleepers but I don't want to take chances." The leader gnome whispered.
"Wait wh-" Baby Firefly exclaimed loudly, but Applejack covered her mouth.
"Hush, Baby Firefly! Just listen!" She whispered and gave Baby Firefly a stern glance before withdrawing her hoof.
"I'm on your side, but I'm assuming you've already figured that out." The leader gnome explained, sitting cross legged on the ground beside the cage.
"But I don't think I can trust you quite yet." Applejack sighed. "See, you haven't done anything that would make me think I can't trust you, but on the other hand with the state Dream Valley is in right now, I can't be too careful. Trusting someone who doesn't deserve it could put not just my friends and I in danger, but the whole Valley." Applejack thought back to the days when she could trust almost anybody in Dream Valley. Finding someone untrustworthy was a rare occurrence. Now, outside of her travelling companions, she just wasn't sure she could put her faith in anyone until this whole mess was cleared up.
"I don't blame you for being suspicious. In fact, I'd be more worried if you weren't." The leader gnome responded. "That's why I'm going to show you this to prove that I can be trusted." He reached into a leather satchel that he had brought with him and removed a well worn scroll. Carefully passing it through the bars to Applejack, he sat back and awaited her response. Baby Firefly just sat there looking confused and a little overwhelmed.
Applejack unrolled the scroll gently. It seemed old and fragile to her, and the last thing she wanted to do was accidentally wreck it. Drawn out meticulously in dark blue ink on the paper was a map of a castle. Suddenly, Applejack gasped.
"Is this... the map of Tirac's hideout?" She asked incredulously, pouring over every detail of the map.
"That it is." The leader gnome confirmed. "Now, if I wasn't on your side, would I let you look at something that important?"
"No, you certainly wouldn't. If you wanted to help Tirac, you wouldn't show off his location like this. You have my trust." Applejack did her best to commit details of the map to memory while she could.
"Hey, don't worry about memorizing it now. We'll have it with us."
"Wait 'we'?" Applejack was perplexed.
"Yep. Come morning, I'm busting you out of here and coming with you. I don't intend to sit by while Dream Valley is ruined. Anyway, it's not the fault of the other gnomes that they're acting this way. Tirac placed a spell on them to put them under his command. I thankfully managed to resist it since I had magic training from my uncle when I was a young gnome and I knew what to do. So I need to help my friends, too." The leader gnome explained and Applejack bobbed her head eagerly. Now that she knew the gnome was a good guy, too, he could be a very valuable ally.
"Wait, why don't we all just sneak away now while they're sleeping?" Applejack abruptly realized.
"It would be too suspicious. I have a plan that will work far better. I'll be the one to bring you your breakfast in the morning. You and your friend will burst free from the cage as if you were pushing past me, and you'll grab me as if you were taking me prisoner. I'll pretend to put up a fight, but not too much. You will be far faster than the gnomes without any restraints, so escaping should be a piece of cake. Then we can find your other friends." The leader gnome explained. Applejack thought it sounded like a solid plan, and she was more than eager to give it a try. The thought of getting back to the Elf, the Troll and the other baby ponies was a strong motivator. The Elf, in particular, she thought, must have been worried sick.
"Okay, we'll try it." Applejack said with determination.
"Good. At first light, we take action." With that, the leader gnome sneaked back to his tent.
-
Voices awakened Applejack from a fitful sleep. She yawned and nudged Baby Firefly. Applejack had spent most of the time since the leader Gnome had gone back to his tent going over the plan with Baby Firefly and making sure Baby Firefly knew there was no room for error. After that Applejack had been too worried about the Elf, the Troll and the Baby Ponies to get much sleep. She hoped they were safe and hadn't been captured by another group of Gnomes. Applejack kept expecting them to arrive at any moment, but she kept telling herself that it was hard to know exactly how much time had passed since Baby Firefly had flown away from the others and she had fallen in to the hole. Maybe it had only been a few hours. Applejack watched as the first rays of the sun turned the clouds pink. She marveled at how beautiful it was until she remembered what the Moochick had said. If he was right, they only had one more day to save Dream Valley and the other ponies. For a moment Applejack hoped the Moochick had been wrong but that would be too great a risk to take with Dream Valley at stake.
Applejack nudged Baby Firefly again, who was always a little hard to wake up in the morning and from naps. "Wake up, Baby Firefly Remember the plan and you can't say anything about what went on last night." Applejack whispered in Baby Firefly's ear.
The voices were becoming louder and Applejack could tell the Gnomes were getting ready to start searching again.
"You guys get everything ready. I have to feed the prisoners before we leave." Applejack heard the leader Gnome tell the other gnomes.
The leader Gnome approached the cage with two buckets.
"Get up ponies! The Chief Gnome wants to make sure you're in excellent condition so we can get the most treasure for you. Enjoy your meal."
Applejack's stomach growled at the mention of food and she looked in the buckets hoping there was something good to eat. She was disappointed when she saw not hay or grass but something she couldn't even identify.
"I'm not eating that!" Applejack protested as she shook her head.
"Be grateful you're getting anything to eat all, pony!" the leader Gnome snapped at Applejack. Then he got as close to her as the bars of the cage would allow and whispered "No matter what may seem to happen, stick with our plan."
The leader Gnome set down the buckets and got ready to open the door. He made sure he was standing with most of his weight on one foot so Applejack could push him down without too much trouble. Applejack and Baby Firefly waited for the door to open and as soon as it did Applejack and Baby Firefly immediately jumped on the leader Gnome and he fell to the ground.
"The prisoners are escaping!" he cried.
"I'm giving the orders now! You're coming with me!" Applejack yelled while the leader Gnome struggled.
"Yeah!" Baby Firefly added as she hit the leader Gnome with her tail
"Get back in your cage!" the leader Gnome ordered
All of the shouting and the yelling caused the other Gnomes to come out of their tents to see what was happening. They stared in shock at the scene. Applejack began tugging on the leader Gnome's uniform collar. The leader Gnome sighed loudly.
"Did you see that? She must have bit him." one of other Gnomes said. "I knew we should have muzzled these creatures when we had the chance!"
"You're right" another agreed. "Let's get those muzzles. I left mine in my tent."
The other three Gnomes nodded and ran back to their tents. Applejack realized this was their chance to escape. If the situation wasn't so dire she would have laughed at how unprepared the other Gnomes were. She almost couldn't believe that they had run out of the tents without the very things they could use to subdue her and Baby Firefly. Applejack noticed the leader Gnome hadn't moved or made a sound since that loud sigh. He seemed to be unconscious. The leader Gnome was much too heavy for Applejack to try to carry on her own but she had discussed this with Baby Firefly had come up with an idea that she thought might work.
"Get ready, Baby Firefly. We have to do this now while they're getting the muzzles." Applejack told Baby Firefly
"Ready, Applejack" Baby Firefly responded.
Applejack took a deep breath and got ready to slide the leader Gnome on her back as much as possible. She braced herself and began trying to get him in the right position. Applejack expected this to be the hardest part of her task so she was quite astonished when she was able to do it so easily. Baby Firefly grabbed one of the leader Gnomes' boots and flapped her wings as hard as she could. She was shocked when she saw she actually lifting his boot off the ground.
"Two of us will grab the little pink flying pony and the other two get the orange one" Applejack heard one of the Gnomes instructing the others and she knew they would be back in a few minutes.
"Baby Firefly, keep flapping your wings just like that until I tell you to stop." Applejack directed Baby Firefly.
Baby Firefly nodded and Applejack ran as fast as her hooves could carry her. Applejack figured the extra weight of the leader Gnome would slow her down but she seemed to be running just as fast as if the Elf were on her back instead, Applejack made sure she didn't run back towards the hole, assuming that would be the first place the other Gnomes would go to look for them. Applejack finally stopped running when she reached an area that looked safe enough. She looked up in the trees and only saw a large owl staring at he. Applejack was positive she'd seen that owl back at the camp but she was too tired right now to try to figure it out.
"Okay, Baby Firefly you can stop now" Applejack called as she tried to catch her breath when she was sure it was safe.
Baby Firefly gently dropped the leader Gnome's boot and began tickling his nose with her tail, hoping that would revive him. Seeing her efforts were having no effect Baby Firefly joined Applejack who was laying down on the grass still breathing hard.
"Applejack, when will he wake up?" Baby Firefly asked
Applejack was about to reply when the leader Gnome spoke.
"It looks like everything went exactly as we planned." he said.
"You're awake?" Applejack asked as she moved closer to him. "How was I able to carry you so easily? You're much bigger than I am. What will happen to your friends when they find out we've escaped and why is that owl staring at us?"
"One question at a time Applejack." the leader Gnome laughed as he petted her. "I used my magic so you would be able to carry me, but it wouldn't make you run any slower. It also made me become unconscious when you touched my collar, which helped the other Gnomes to still see you as a dangerous creature. Unfortunately, the others will be severely punished for letting you 'capture' me, but there was no way to avoid it I don't see an owl."
"You look exhausted. Do you want me to carry you?" the leader Gnome asked Applejack.
"No, I can walk," Applejack replied as she tried to take a few steps but it was obvious from the way she was walking in unsteady circles that despite her words she wasn't capable of walking in a straight line at the moment.
The leader Gnome picked up Applejack and cradled her in his arms. Applejack's heart ached for the Elf and the Troll even more. Applejack yawned but then her ears perked up as she heard familiar voices.
"Are you sure you're translating owl correctly and this is the one wer're supposed to follow?" The Elf's voice came through the trees. "We should have found Applejack and Baby Firefly hours ago. If the Gnomes have hurt either one of them I'll..."
The Elf, the Troll and the Baby Ponies they had found before Baby Firefly had flown away appeared. Applejack was overjoyed to see them and that they were safe. Her heart started to beat faster when she realized they were not looking at her but at the leader Gnome. The Elf's eyes were filled with rage and the Troll stood with his wand aimed directly at the leader Gnome. Applejack began to panic as she realized the Elf and the Troll didn't know that the leader Gnome was any different from the others that had been looking for them.
"Put her down!" The Elf cried his eyes still focused on the leader Gnome. When the leader Gnome made no move to set Applejack down, the Elf added. "I said release her, Now!"
Applejack realized the situation was escalating and she or Baby Firefly had to do something quick before the Elf or the Troll hurt the leader Gnome without knowing his intentions.
Baby Firefly...
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After the next two weeks my work schedule is going to increase so it will probably take me longer to post my sections of the story. I'm still having a lot of fun writing this story and want to keep going if you want to keep going also HelloGoodbye. :)
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Anyone still interested?
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Hi! I'm definitely still interested! It's horse show season right now so most of my spare time has been spent at the barn prepping for them. I'll try and be better about keeping up with the story!!
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No problem HelloGoodbye. :) I'm glad you want to keep going. I know real life gets really busy sometimes. Like I said a few posts above it's going to take me longer to post my sections of the story also once my work schedule starts picking up again.
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^.^ I'll try and get the next section up soon!
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I'm looking forward to reading the next section of the story. :)
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((I'm back! Sorry I took so long!))
... swooped in front of the Gnome and Applejack just in the nick of time.
"Stop it right there!" She exclaimed loudly in her high pitched voice. "Let Applejack explain!"
Everyone froze, eyes locking on Applejack as she squirmed for the Gnome to put her down. She thought that it would calm everyone down a bit if she didn't look like she was restrained. The gnome complied and set Applejack down so she could discuss the latest developments with her friends.
"Calm down everybody!" Applejack huffed, a little grumpy from her sleepless night. "The Gnome is on our side, and he's ready to be a big help for us. He has a map of Tirac's hideout!"
Everyone gasped.
"But can we trust him?" The Elf asked, inching towards Applejack.
The orange pony bobbed her head. "He's proved himself to trustworthy so far." Applejack assured him. Unable to contain himself a moment longer, the Elf rushed forward to hug Applejack.
"Thank goodness! I was so worried!" The Elf exclaimed. "We looked everywhere for you two!"
Applejack bumped the Elf's shoulder with her nose. "We were worried about you all, too. I missed you! Did you find the rest of the baby ponies?"
"Yeah, finally." The Elf sighed. "It took the better part of the night while we were looking for you two as well." The Elf explained, gesturing behind him at the now complete herd of baby ponies standing in his wake. They looked exhausted, but happy to see Applejack and Baby Firefly back with their group.
"If you think he can be trusted, Applejack, I'm willing to follow your judgement." The Troll said after a moment of consideration. His brow was still furrowed thoughtfully, though, and Applejack got the sense that he wouldn't have been so fast to trust the Gnome under normal circumstances. His next statement confirmed her thoughts. "After all, if we assume that the Moochick's information is reliable, time is running awfully short and we'll need all of the help we can get. Especially if he has a map."
"I agree, for what it's worth." The Elf added. "Granted, you can bet we're going to be keeping an eye on you!" He said, gesturing at the Gnome.
The Gnome shrugged. "That's fair. At a time like this, who can blame you? Especially after what all of the other Gnomes did. As I told Applejack, their behavior isn't their fault. They were put under a spell by Tirac so they cannot help but act the way that they are."
"We'll be sure to take that into consideration." The Troll said. "What's important now is getting a move on and arriving at Tirac's hideout before it is too late."
"Agreed." Everyone chorused.
"Follow me then, everybody." The Gnome said, taking the lead of the small expedition. "We have a hideout to infiltrate."
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No problem HelloGoodybe.:) I know real life can get really busy. I'm still having a lot of fun with the story and hope you are too.
"Once we get inside Tirac's castle we must watch even more carefully for the monsters and traps. " The Troll said as they walked "And, Applejack, you're most likely already aware of this, but consider this a reminder that if we should happen to come close to any monsters do not approach them or interact with them. I know they're really ponies but in their current state, they will follow any orders Tirac gives them. Is that clear?"
Applejack gasped but managed to nod. Secretly she had been hoping that if one of the monsters confronted them then maybe they would remember that they were really her friends and not turn them in but with a heavy sigh she realized the Troll was right. It would much too dangerous and foolish to try to reason with her friends as long as they remained monsters.
"Applejack, no matter what happens or who wanders away or gets lost don't go off without one of us with you," The Elf who had taken his usual place on Applejack's back said. He lowered his voice and added. "And I do mean one of us Not him Got that?"
Applejack started to nod but then shook her head. She understood the Elf's misgivings about the Gnome completely but she didn't want to make any promises she couldn't keep. They still had a long way to go and there was no way to know what else might happen or who they might run to. Applejack noticed the Elf was keeping a firm yet gentle grip on her mane like he would never let go.
"I'll try, but you should really give the Gnome more of a chance. As scary as it was things could have been a lot worse if didn't help us." Appplejack whispered back hoping the Gnome wouldn't overhear them.
"I just don't want to lose you" The Elf said quickly, glancing around to see if anyone was paying attention to them.
Applejack was about to reply but then she heard Baby Firefly telling the other Baby Ponies everything that had happened to her and Applejack since they had gotten separated and now that that part of the adventure was over, Baby Firefly was embellishing the details to make it more exciting.
"...And then they tied my wings down so I couldn't fly and they muzzled Applejack so she couldn't talk and then they said if we didn't do exactly what they wanted us to they'd turn us in to big fat toads!"
Baby Firefly yelled the last three words so loudly that the Gnone stopped leading the group and walked back towards Baby Firefly while Applejack, The Elf and the Troll wondered if the Baby Ponies would ever understand the concept of needing to be quiet so they didn't attract unwanted attention.
"Baby Firefly, don't exaggerate. Just tell what really happened" Applejack scolded while the Gnome nodded.
"I was just trying to make it more interesting. Baby Firefly countered.
The Gnome sighed loudly and muttered something under his breath. The Elf got off Applejack and tried to help the Troll calm the other Baby Ponies who had already been a little cranky and were now even crankier to find out Baby Firefly hadn't been telling the whole truth. Applejack walked over to the Gnome and tried to read the expression on his face. He didn't look angry exactly but he didn't look pleased either.
"Baby Firefly can get a little dramatic sometimes", Applejack said still trying to figure what the Gnome's expression could mean.
"She's only a baby pony," The Gnome replied. "It's just that I'm afraid it will be harder to fully gain your friends' trust if she keeps telling stories like that."
"I scolded her. I don't think she'll do it again. Besides the Elf and the Troll said they trusted my judgement and you've already proven yourself to me." Applejack said.
The Elf had noticed Applejack was no longer beside him and began looking for her hoping she hadn't decided to go off by herself especially right after the conversation they'd just had. When the Elf saw Applejack with the Gnome he decided to keep a very close eye on them just in case the Gnome decided to pull any tricks.
Applejack was still talking to the Gnome. She knew the Elf and the Troll were probably watching but she didn't mind. Applejack knew they were only trying to protect her and the others and with so many creatures against them it was wise to be cautious. The Elf looked away just for a moment to check on the Baby Ponies when he suddenly heard Applejack's muffled cries. He quickly spun on his heel and saw Applejack was holding something in her mouth and the Gnome was yelling at her.
"Hush!" The Gnome yelled in his most authoritative tone Applejack had no idea why the Gnome had shoved the satchel strap in her mouth so suddenly. "Take it! If they find out it exists we're all in even more trouble. Now get away from me!"
Applejack was still trying to protest but with the satchel strap in her mouth the words were lost. The Gnome hadn't meant to speak so sharply but he had to make Applejack and the others get out of sight and fast. The Gnome was pretty sure he'd seen one of the Chief Gnome's top advisors nearby and if the advisor found out that he wasn't really under Tirac's spell or found out the contents of the satchel he didn't want to think about the consequences The advisor could just be checking on the search parties progress to see how may of the "dangerous creatures" had been captured or the Chief Gnome might have issued new orders. There was still a chance that the ponies, the Elf and the Troll might not be discovered if they moved quickly enough.
The Gnome noticed Applejack was still beside him, shaking her head. She was afraid to be put in charge of the delicate map and knowing that she sometimes could be clumsy she didn't want to damage it. The Elf and the Troll had both left the Baby Ponies and come over to check on Applejack when they heard her cries.
"Please" the Gnome softened his tone a little but it still had more than a hint of someone used to ordering others "You've got to find a place where the advisor can't see you. Oh, and take this" he added as he took the insignia pin off his collar that identified his rank. The Gnome held it in his hand for a moment. "My uncle pinned this on my uniform the day I was promoted to the Elite Scouting Squad. I've never taken it off until now. My uncle always told me to take good care of it even though he never explained why."
With a sad sigh the Gnome placed the pin in the Troll's hand since the Elf was trying to get Applejack to safety. The Troll studied the pin for moment and realized the design seemed vaguely familiar. The Troll carefully placed the pin in his pocket and started gathering the Baby Ponies reminding them once again to be very quiet. The Gnome quickly used his magic to change both his uniform and hair color hoping that would be enough to disguise who he really was.
"You there!" The advisor called out. "I have orders from the Chief Gnome"
The Gnome glanced behind him to make sure everyone was hidden.
"I said I have orders from the Chief Gnome!" the advisor repeated as he came closer.
"What are the orders?" The Gnome asked in a much deeper voice than usual.
The advisor said...
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"We all have been commanded to return to Tirac's hideout pronto! No time for dilly-dallying!"
"Yes, sir. I'll be on my way, then!" The Leader Gnome said in his gruffest voice and started to inch away after popping into a salute.
"Oh no you don't!" The adviser grabbed the Leader Gnome's collar. "I'm not done with you, yet. Why are you not with your troop?"
"I was separated, sir." The Gnome replied. From her hiding place, Applejack reasoned that when the Gnome said he got separated it wasn't even really a lie. He just left out the part where he got separated on purpose. Meanwhile, the Elf offered to take the map from Applejack and she was terribly relieved. The Elf was much more trustworthy with delicate items, in her opinion. She had never seen him be half as clumsy as she was, anyway. He carefully tucked the map under is arm and clambered onto Applejack's back, ready for a quick getaway.
"Well, you're coming with me now. You can meet up with your group back at the Hideout." The adviser huffed.
"But-"
"No buts. There is no time to mess around looking for them. Come with me, that's an order!" The adviser barked at the Leader Gnome harshly and started dragging him along down one of the trails. Applejack briefly thought of charging after him to rescue him, but he held up a hand to stop her the second he saw her orange hoof rise out of the dead leaves.
Applejack was suddenly filled with anxiety. Even though the others hadn't been so sure of his loyalty, meeting the Gnome had been a stroke of good luck, and perhaps their best chance of defeating Tirac and saving Dream Valley from impending doom. Now, though, he was being taken away from them, leaving behind only a map and a mysterious pin.
Before Applejack could freak out completely, the Gnome mouthed "Wait" and then "Follow me" accompanied by a finger to his lips to indicate that they should be quiet. Applejack understood, and nodded, and then the Gnome was far enough down the trail that their communication ceased.
"This isn't as bad as it could be," Applejack thought. "Our job is sure harder now, but in the end, the Gnome is still leading us to the hideout. We just need to be quiet now, and be sure to keep our distance."
Once the two were out of sight, Applejack explained to her group in hushed tones what they had to do.
"We're still following the Gnome, but we just have to stay back and keep quiet. That means you, Baby Ponies!" Applejack said. "When we get there, odds are that there will be so many Gnomes around that he'll be able to slip away without being noticed. And even if he can't, well, we have the map. We can still do this. Dream Valley depends on it."
Everyone nodded seriously, and they set off down the trail. The Elf and Applejack led the way, and even the Baby Ponies managed to keep quiet for once. Even they seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. For a while, it was pretty easy going, even though the Leader Gnome was out of sight. Then they came to a fork in the road.
"Oh no!" Applejack despaired. "We let them get too far away! What are we going to do?"
"Wait!" Baby Quackers said in excitement. "Look!" She pointed at the dirt, and there were clear tracks from the Gnome. It looked like he was dragging his feet through the turn to make sure he made a clear mark for them to follow.
"Thank goodness." Applejack said, and they pressed on, taking the right fork of the trail.
Suddenly, the Troll said...
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"Look out Applejack!"
Applejack stopped short right in front of a huge cloud of strange, sparkling purple smoke that had seemed to appear out of nowhere and completely covered the trail in in front of them.
Applejack stood still in front of the smoke, unsure whether they should go through it or around it. Applejack was afraid if they tried to go around the smoke they might miss the marks the Gnome was making in the dirt for them to follow the correct turns. She realized she missed the Gnome just as much as she had missed everyone else when she and Baby Firefly had gotten separated from them. Applejack hoped the Leader Gnome would be able to keep the advisor from finding out that he wasn't under Tirac's spell and she also wondered if the Leader Gnome's pin could help them save Dream Valley.
"Where did this smoke come from? The Gnome wouldn't be leading us the wrong way, not after everything he's done so far to help us." Applejack questioned.
"The Moochick said that Dream Valley was changing so it's possible this smoke wasn't here when the Gnome and the advisor passed this same point." The Elf said.
"Hold on tight!" Applejack instructed.
"What?" The Elf asked, making sure that he had heard Applejack correctly.
"I said 'hold on'" Applejack repeated as she started backing up a little so she could gallop at full speed through the smoke.
"Applejack. wait! I don't think that's such a good idea" The Elf protested as he tightened his grip on Applejack's mane and the map.
"Indeed, I insist-" The Troll began but Applejack dashed right into the smoke reasoning that going through it would be the quickest and shortest way.
Applejack soon realized she made a terrible mistake by trying to gallop through the smoke. The smoke was much thicker than it looked and already her lungs were aching for fresh air. Applejack coughed several times as she tried to push on.
"Applejack?" The Elf called to her as her coughing increased
"It's...really hard...to breathe...I.." Applejack gasped
The Elf noticed he seemed to be unaffected by the smoke so he quickly dismounted Applejack and stood in front of her.
"We've got to get you out of this stuff," The Elf said as he starting trying to pull Applejack to the side where he assumed the smoke wouldn't be as thick. Usually Applejack didn't resist when the Elf tried to lead her, but this time she refused to move.
"Why?" Applejack asked
"Why" The Elf cried barely keeping his temper in check. "Did you just ask me why?"
Applejack nodded and the Elf noticed the outline of a circle forming around Applejack's neck. The Elf realized Applejack's odd behavior was because the smoke had been infused with tiny shards of the same type of crystals used to make the crystal collars and if Applejack didn't get out of the smoke soon she'd be wearing a crystal collar in no time.
The Troll appeared, his arms filled with the Baby Ponies who were in the same condition as Applejack. The Troll set some of the Baby Ponies down and picked up Applejack.
"They ran after her" he explained.
The Elf gathered the Baby Ponies the Troll had just put down and they carried them out of the smoke. The Elf and the Troll put the ponies down in soft grass right beside the trail they had been walking on. Both them gasped when they saw the smoke disappear suddenly leaving no trace that it had just been there.
"Applejack. why did you run in to that smoke like that? Of all the crazy, impulsive things you've done so far...How could you take a chance like that?" The Elf yelled but soon realized lecturing Applejack was useless as she was lying perfectly still in the grass
"Her decision might have not been well thought out, but her heart was in the right place. The Troll said. "I'm sure your fellow crystal elves designed that as a trap to try to make the ponies pets especially since we were unaffected by it. I can anticipate your next question" The Troll continued "I don't suspect the Gnome of being involved. If the smoke was present in this area when he was here, he was most likely unaware of its effects. The fact that the Gnome trusted us with his map and pin is quite significant, but I regret to say I have not been able to figure out how the pin could help us save Dream Valley."
"Have to keep going....Must save Dream Valley" Applejack muttered.
"Shh!, Applejack You're safe now." The Elf said as he stroked Applejack's muzzle. "What made you decide to run through the smoke?"
Applejack was quite surprised to find herself no longer in the purple smoke and lying down in the soft grass beside the trail. The Baby Ponies were also quickly recovering from the effects of the smoke.
"We must continue," the Troll said urgently. "We don't have much time."
Applejack stood up, already feeling much better now that she was no longer breathing the smoke and nodded. The Elf climbed on her back still clutching the map. Just as Applejack was about to step back on the trail, she felt something snap around her front hoof. She tried to pull her hoof away but whatever she was caught on wasn't responding to her efforts.
"Now what?" The Elf grumped wondering how Applejack had managed to get herself caught in such a short time.
"My hoof's caught on something!" Applejack cried as she turned first one way and then the other trying to free her hoof.
The Elf sighed and wondered how many more times Applejack would get herself into these type of situations before they finished their quest. The Elf was growing quite close to Applejack but he was a little put out with her for taking such a dangerous risk of going straight through the smoke.
"I'll get it" The Elf sighed. "Really, Applejack, you should watch where you're going"
"I was watching!" Applejack retorted. This thing grabbed me!"
The Elf gasped as he realized that Applejack wasn't caught on a plant or dead tree branch like he thought she would be but there was a small metal ring studded with jewels fastened securely around her hoof. The Elf pulled the crystal shard out of his pocket, hoping he could use it to pry the ring open and free Applejack but no matter how hard he tried, the ring remained in place.
"Let me try," The Troll offered as he approached his wand aimed at the ring. He hesitated for a moment. "Applejack, you will most likely experience pain when my magic hits it Do you wish-"
"Just get it off!", Applejack interrupted, "We can't save Dream Valley if I'm stuck here!"
The Troll nodded and Applejack tried to stay very still. The Elf, no longer annoyed at Applejack, wrapped his arms around Applejack and petted her.
"Don't you dare!" A loud unfamiliar voice bellowed from beside them. "Not until I'm finished with her!"
Everyone gasped as they turned and saw the voice belonged to another Gnome, taller than the leader Gnome and looking quite a bit older since his hair and beard were streaked with silver. Applejack started to panic, realizing she was trapped by the ring and not knowing what the stranger wanted with them. The Elf hid the map just in case.
"My business is with the orange pony and that little pink flying pony" the stranger said as he pointed at Baby Firefly who was trying to hide behind the Troll but still had a wing sticking out. "I strongly suggest the rest of you stand aside."
"No!" The Elf yelled as he pulled Applejack even closer to him. "We're not leaving her!"
"This is none of your concern!" The stranger shouted back.
"Please," Applejack pleaded desperately. "We have to save Dream Valley! If we don't we won't be able to save my friends or the Gno-" Applejack stopped abruptly as she realized she'd almost told the stranger about the Leader Gnome. Applejack hoped he hadn't caught the last word.
The stranger raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He seemed to be looking for someone as he kept glancing around. The Troll noticed a gleam as the sunlight hit something on the newcomer's shirt.
"Well, pony," the stranger said. "It seems your friends are unwilling to leave you even though they could easily escape. A rare quality if I do say so myself. Now, I'm about to ask you a question. Choose your words carefully, for your answer may determine your fate."
Applejack hoped she would be able to answer whatever he asked. The next few seconds until the stranger spoke again seemed like hours. At last he spoke.
"What have you done with my nephew?" he asked.
Applejack....
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Giving this another bump. :)
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Bumping up. :)
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Giving this another bump. :)
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Bumping up. :)
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I just wanted to tell you that I haven't forgotten about the story and I want to post my next update really soon!! I was going to do it tonight but I'm super tired and anything I wrote probably wouldn't make sense lol
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I'm looking forward to reading the next part of the story :)
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Back to page 1. :)
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I think I'll have time to write the next part this weekend! Tonight I have to study for a Japanese exam so I can't do it now unfortunately (even though I really want to!). Sorry I've been taking so long, my classes have just been a little crazy :(
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No worries, HelloGoodbye. I understand that real life has to come first. It will probably take me longer to post my next section also due to my work schedule. :)
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back to page 1 :)
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Sorry I disappeared again :(
My computer crashed and it's been in the store trying to get fixed for well over a week and they just told me that it has to get sent back to the factory for 4-6 weeks because it's so wrecked. :cry:
I just got my dad's old laptop that I'm borrowing, so I'll be able to be online a little bit more! And thank goodness all of the documents on my computer appear to be salvageable at this point anyway.
I definitely want to keep going with the story, though!! I'm really sorry about all of the delays.
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I’m really sorry your computer crashed HelloGoodbye. I hope the people working on it are able to save all of your documents so you don’t lose them. I know it’s hard when you don’t have your own computer and have to rely on someone else’s computer while yours is being fixed.
Feel free to take all the time you need to post the next section. :)I want to keep going on the story too.
Ponyfan
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Back to page 1. :)
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back to page 1. :)
Ponyfan
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I have my computer back at last! It took over a month, but I have it (and all of my documents thank goodness) back once more. It took so long because the store tried to say it wasn't covered under warranty even though the computer was only about 8 months old so it took a while to get the store to honor the warranty agreement but it's all good since they did the right thing in the end. I'm having a very low-key thanksgiving weekend this year, so I'll have the next section up shortly! Sorry it's taken so long but I'm glad to be back!
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I'm glad you got your computer back HelloGoodbye and that you still have all of your documents also. :) I'm sorry it was such a hassle to get the store to fix it though.
I'm glad you're back too and I'm looking forward to reading the next part of the story. :)
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back to page one. :)
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Giving this a bump back to page 1. :)
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back to page 1. :)
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back to page 1. :)
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So sad the story isn't finished! It's too late for me to write on it tonight. My daughter has an appointment in ten hours. I could write some after that. If you want.
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So sad the story isn't finished! It's too late for me to write on it tonight. My daughter has an appointment in ten hours. I could write some after that. If you want.
Feel free to write on the story anytime you like. :) The last part is on page 15 I want everyone to have fun with this and not feel like this is something they have to do. Everyone is welcome to add to the story :)
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