Twilight reached the rendezvous first, her horn shimmering with mild excitement over feeling out a new spell. The idea was simple enough to copy, but she couldn't help but feel she was overdoing it - the ground behind her was a bit looser whenever her magical field left it, unlike Flint's which seemed to even strengthen the ground even when his magic no longer affected it. Sitting down in a large, flat expanse of stone, the unicorn set about affecting different areas with her magic in an attempt to replicate what she saw.
Dash laid down on the cool ground, a yawn escaping her gaping maw as she laid her head in her hooves. "So how long do y'think those two'll be? We were here almost an hour when she was dragging Fluttershy." Her eyes rolled lazily, dropping mid-roll to close her eyes. "I don't see why I can't just shoot up the mountain and check for her."
Twilight sighed wistfully as she placed her hoof over an area she had just let her magic subside from, only to be rewarded in what felt like softer earth. "Ugh! What?" Twilight looked up toward her friend, having paid no attention to the pegasus."I'm sorry, Rainbow. Say again?" The blue pony exasperated, but repeated her quandary. "Dash, if she's already up there, then at least she should be safe, but if she fell or something horrible happened, we need to be sure of where she is." Dash curtly nodded, her mind refreshed. "And we have to wait here by the chance those two found her along that pathway." The unicorn added.
"Well we didn't, so you can go off and scratch the lower part of this here mountain off yer map." The country-styled voice called out. The blue and purple mare's jumped with surprise as the red and orange pair made their way toward them, Flint's horn showing off a green mist of residual magic energy as they approached. Looking about, Applejack's expression fell as no butter yellow Earth pony could be seen with the girls. "No sign a AppleBloom so far?"
Twilight shook her head, patting at the ground beneath her hoof. "None. Dash just made a round across the mountain with no sign of her yet, so we know she didn't fall."
Applejack nodded. "Thank Celestia fer that, Ah guess." Stretching her muscles, the farm pony could feel the fatigue on her muscles already, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the unicorn. Twilight sighed explicitly, the orange pony caught her gaze and outwardly huffed. "Ah'm fine, Twilight. Flint here's been keepin' me honest all day." Gesturing a hoof out towards the pony in question, Flint couldn't help but grin like a loon.
Dash -ahemed- loudly enough for the others to turn to face her, the pegasus stretching her wings. "Well, as long as we're all bein' honest, then I gotta say we're wasting time sitting around and talking."
Flint nodded in agreement. Even though they had been there for a short amount of time, his hooves were tapping against the ground as he made slight paces forward along the path. As he moved forward, his hoof hit a spot where Twilight had practiced her spell, pausing briefly as he stared down. "I agree with Rainbow Dash, AppleBloom isn't safe by herself up on this mountain." Looking about, he padded the area a couple times, Twilight staring at the ground underneath his hoof.
"Uhm... Flint?" She ventured, hoping he wasn't thinking what she thought he was thinking. "Is something wrong with the ground?"
Turning to the other unicorn, the red pony nodded slowly. "Yes... it feels less solid. Just in this spot though." Stepping with two different hooves, he tested it a few other spots. "It's like the mountain has a soft spot for us." Giving a bit of a grin, Rainbow dash face-hoofed slightly.
"Ugh, that was terrible." Dash muttered, shaking her head.
"Ah don't know, Ah thought it was clever." Flint smiled at Applejack's defense of his joke, but a look from his mentor quieted his expression as she stepped forward and poked the spot herself.
Sighing, Twilight fessed up. "Actually, it was my fault. I was trying to copy the spell you were using with Applejack earlier. Dash and I saw you on the ridge above and I saw how you held the rocks together, and I was trying to duplicate it." Horn sparking with purple energy, Twilight brought the rocks beneath them into a hardened state, perfect for walking. However, as soon as her spell ran its course, the entire area in which they stood depressed slightly, the ground beneath their hooves cracking slightly as the top layer turned to blue sand, much to the unicorn's surprise and displeasure.
Flint looked about interested, but shook his head. "That is impressive, Twilight." Kicking some of the loose material, some of it got trapped in Twilight's coat, turning her foreleg a pastel blue.
"But it's wrong!" The unicorn muttered, scratching her hoof where the blue mountain dust had dug into her coat. "What do you do that's different?"
Flint paused a moment, his horn glowing slightly as his magic covered the area in which they stood. There was the sound of cracking as the rock hardened around them, turning back into hard stone. As his magic faded, however, the rock stayed as such, hardened and flawless. Rainbow Dash gaped slightly, attempting to poke at the rocks with her hoof. However... "Hey, what gives!? I can't move my legs!"
Applejack raised her hoof, only to find it stuck hard to the rock below her. "What the hay- Neither can I. Flint, what'd you do this time?" She sighed, unhappy with the ponies new situation. The red unicorn's features melted into confusion as he took a step forward only to realize his other hooves were stuck fast, slamming his snout into the ground.
Despite the situation, Dash guffawed loudly. "That's two for two! Aw man, Twilight, you should keep score of this guy!" Turning to the purple unicorn, the mare was busy sparking the area around her hooves with her magic, and soon freed herself from the rocky prison. "Hey, how'd you- well, magic, duh."
"I ain't gotta 'splain manure, as they say." Twilight giggled, her horn taking care of the spots around each pony's hoof, the ground letting go of its prisoners, including Flint, who was busy nursing a sore snout - and ego. "When I weakened the rock and turned it to dust, our hooves sunk into the dust, and when Flint did... whatever he did, the rock hardened around our hooves, essentially sticking us where we stood." She sighed as she raised her hoof, swinging it against a nearby rock wall. As she did, bits of hardened rock fell off her, the dust from before having hardened into a thin shell around her hoof.
Flint nodded, understanding the concept well enough. "If you like, Twilight, I could teach you how to correctly copy the spell as we go along," Flint offered, obviously enjoying the idea of teaching his mentor something new. "But we really should get a move on..."
Applejack agreed, taking a couple steps forward as she made sure that her hooves were all free. "Flint's right, we gotta get a move on, girls."
The purple unicorn found herself in full agreement as well. "Right. Ah, Flint, I'll take you up on that offer later, when we aren't hanging precariously over narrow outcroppings and jumping over chasms..." She muttered, taking off from the small safe area and back to the ledges that made up their path.
"Chasms...?!" Flint breathed, halting his stride. Applejack passed him, giving him a small wink.
"Don't worry shugahcube, I got yer back."
Flint gave a passing smile, but he was surprised when Dash walked by with a small scowl on her face. "You can walk over it..." She mumbled, rolling her eyes at the memory of Fluttershy's reluctance.
-----
"Thank Celestia we're here..." Dash muttered, her wings retracting as she rejoined the group off of her last run down the side of the mountain looking for AppleBloom. Looking at the gaping maw of the cave, Rainbow Dash likened the entrance to that of a pony yawning. Or rather, Pinkie singing. The pegasus waved toward her friends as they neared, Twilight at the head. "No sign of AppleBloom anywhere, everypony. She's gotta be around here."
Applejack looked around, a small, proud smile on her face. As Flint circled the entrance to the cave, he caught sight of the orange mare, trotting up alongside her. "What is with the smile?" He asked, finding it strange that the mare was smiling at a time like this. Nearby, Dash ventured a look into the cave ahead of them.
"'Taint nothin' much, shugahcube." She mused, her mane bouncing as she moved her head. "Ah know Ah should be angry at her, but most 'ah me is proud she could come all this way on her own," Applejack admitted. Flint gave a reciprocate smirk, sharing the sentiment. "Not that Ah ain't gonna chew her out fer makin' me worry like this."
Twilight trotted closer to the two, a confused look on her face. "Flint, are you sure AppleBloom came up the mountain?" As she spoke up, both ponies turned to look at her. "I don't really see her anywhere..." She confessed, Rainbow Dash popping out of the cave with a similarly confused expression on her face.
"Hey guys, I really didn't see AppleBloom in there at all," She related, he eyes squinting as they got used to the light again. Flint glanced furtively towards the cave, his mind buzzing as Applejack turned her attention back toward the male unicorn.
"Ah thought you were sure she came this way." Applejack sighed, obviously frustrated. However, the mountaineering pony picked himself up and trotted over to the dusty cave, his horn coming to life, the tip glowing as he lit the area up. "Shugahcube?"
"Hoofprints." Flint called, the girls trotting up alongside him. Before him, a small layer of dust was disturbed by a set of prints in the ground, smaller than any of the ponies present. Not only that, but a wind passed by then, obscuring the dust slightly, proving how fresh the agitated dust was. "I believe that is proof enough - if not AppleBloom, some filly has come up this way."
"Well, this cave is kinda big, but not that big, is it?" Dash questioned, putting a hoof to her mouth.
Twilight clicked her tongue. "Dash, this cave was big enough for a Dragon and his horde of jewels, with enough room to move around." The statement was enough to deflate the pegasus' ego a bit, Dash lowering her head slightly in response. Her own horn brightening up the cave, she could just barely see what looked like tunnels and side chambers to the main room. If her words didn't prove the cyan pony wrong, her actions sure enough did.
"So there was more to the cave than I thought - I can't exactly see in the dark," Dash muttered, before picking up the pace toward one of the side chambers. "Come on girls - er, and Flint. Sorry, not used to having a colt with the group."
"No offense taken," Flint bleated, rolling his eyes at the mare. Applejack chuckled behind him, with even Twilight cracking a smile. "So where are we going to find AppleBloom-"
There was a high pitched scream, stopping everypony in their tracks. A young filly's scream. Applejack galloped forward, Flint picking up the pace right behind her. As they started out, Flint easily caught up with the orange mare, the latter's legs still tired from her earlier full-speed gallop. "APPLEBLOOM!" Applejack cried. To her surprise, she found a male's voice mixed with her own, the hard gallop from Flint not betraying his booming voice inside the echoing cave.
"Applejack!? HEEELP!" Behind them, Dash and Twilight were galloping behind, the former of which not risking flying into any low hanging rocks. As the quartet galloped at full speed, they wheeled a corner to see a vague shape in the shadows heading toward them. "Applejack!!!" The filly shouted, her butter yellow coat reflecting in the dim light cast by the unicorn horns.
"AppleBloom! Come here!" The two girls collided in mid-gallop, the older catching the younger in a tight hug. "Don't you ever! Ever! Run off again!"
"Applejack-" The filly bemoaned.
"No! You listen' and you listen' good, AppleBloom, Ah nearly had a heart attack this morning-"
AppleBloom persisted. "Applejack-"
"-Do you have any idea how much of a scare you've given everypony."
"Applejack..." Twilight hushed in a low tone.
The orange mare shot her friend a look. "What? She's mah sister, and Ah was worried sick-"
"Applejack!" Dash gave a hoarse whisper, an apprehensive look on her face.
"Not now, Dash!"
"APPLEJACK, LOOK!" Flint shouted, with a lot less grace then the others. Turning to where the filly had come from, she saw what the others had been trying to warn her about.
Stepping into the light of the horns, the beast lumbered forward. Not a pony, but yet not completely unequine, it stood over two ponies tall, its muscles rippling as it snorted. Its snout was long, its teeth carnivorous. It moved unnaturally, its eight legs moving in tandem as it made a sound of rumbling thunder toward the assembly of ponies before it. Its white coat was dashed with dirt and mud, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. Its fetlocks... were unshorn.
"W-w-w-what is that thing?" Applejack stammered, holding unto her little sister harder.
"It's... I think it's a sleipnir!" Twilight mumbled under her breath, yet she was the only pony who stepped forward to get a closer look, her eyes scanning over every inch of the strange equine's body. However, all she got were blank looks from her companions.
Dash was more vocal about it. "Well, what's it doing...?"
Flint watched the eyes, a force behind them moving between them as it turned to look at them all. "I think it is... sizing us up."
"Fer what, exactly?" Applejack called lightly, her hooves shaking under the supernatural beasts gaze.
"Dinner." Flint breathed.
A squeak issued forth from Applebloom as she dug her face into Applejack's chest, the elder sister looking down at her. Looking up, the pony's face was awash in determination. She would have none of this. "Now see here!" She shouted. The large horse stared at her, its eyes turning a shade of red. "You git out of our way! We're just passin' through, and you ain't got no right to be here, scarin' my family!" Stepping forward, AppleBloom removed herself from her sister and instead moved behind Applejack. "So git on then! Git!" Shooing her hoof in the opposite direction, the pony stood firm against the beast's gaze.
Dash leaned in close to Twilight as the sleipnir looked between the ponies, unmoving. "Um... did it work?" Twilight watched the beast, one of its legs lifting slightly, before padding at the ground.
Shaking her head, the unicorn disagreed. "No..." She swallowed air. "She made it angry."
Lowering its head, the beast's eyes narrowed on the orange mare. Whatever determination she had fading, the pony looked straight at the malevolent stare. "Ah Horseapples. Everypony..." She breathed, pushing AppleBloom along with her hindleg. "RUN!"
Flint and the others needed no other prodding. Turning tide, the ponies took off into a desperate gallop, the large eight legged beast belting out an angry whinny as it took off after its prey. As the ponies broke into the large cave that used to house the dragon, the ponies split slightly, covering more ground. Dash found herself the target of the sleipnir first, the pegasus smirking as her wings splayed out. "So you think you can catch 'The Dash'?" With enough light coming from the cave entrance, the pegasus took off from the ground, flying about the sleipnir as the others made their way to the outside. "Go on, guys, I'll keep it busy! Get to safety!" Dash shouted, Twilight wheeling back at her words.
"Dash! I won't let you take this thing on alone! You gotta be crazy!" The lavender unicorn shouted.
"Ah, come on Twi, I can fly circles around this thing, and you can't! So get outta here!"
Applejack passed by the purple pony, shaking her mane. "Come on, Shugahcube, Dash knows what's she's doing! AppleBloom! How did you go about gettin' that thing angry with you?!"
As the Apples ran out the cave, Twilight reluctantly followed suit, but not very far out into the setting sunlight, Flint on her heels. Before them, the little filly shook her head. "Ah didn't do anything, sis! Honest! Ah was real friendly, too! I came out on a field on the other side of tha' cave, an' Ah saw it grazin' there! Ah thought it was another pony, but when it turned it had eight legs 'n angry eyes 'n a horrible teeth 'n-"
"I get it AppleBloom, it's not really your fault - you had no idea that it would do that." Twilight confided, earning herself an odd look from Applejack. A silence reigned for the new quartet, Flint itching to head back into the cave. "We have to do something about that creature-"
"How d'ya know what that is, Twi?" Applejack spoke up, cradling her sister slightly. "Is it from one of your hokey ol' books?"
"My books aren't hokey!" Twilight snapped, giving Applejack a hard look. It melted quickly as she facehooved. "Not the point! But yes, I saw one in one of my books - they were referenced as old equines - akin to angels or something like that. They're supposed to be completely docile!"
Flint huffed. "That one is not at all docile."
Twilight sighed. "No, it's not. It doesn't make any sense! They aren't supposed to exist! They supposedly died out centuries ago - millenia, before Luna was trapped in the moon!" Racking her brain, the unicorn moved toward the edge of the cave next to Flint, who was watching the pegasus deal with the mythical beast. "We need a plan."
Flint stared at the beast, watching his hooves. His face started to spread in a calm smile. "I have a plan."
Twilight's eyes widened, prodding the stallion against his side. "Well? Tell me!"
"Sorry, still getting the details correct. The beast is used to moving with eight hooves, yes?" Flint began, the gears in his mind moving. "So what happens if they are stopped?"
Twilight stared forward, Applejack moving forward next to them. "Whaddya mean? You can't exactly expect to pull that thing's legs off!" She questioned, unsure of the red pony's plan.
Twilight's eyes sparked as the idea dawned on her. "Of course! The spells! The rocks! Of course! Flint, you're a genius!" Stamping her hoof down, her horn started to sparkle again, the colt giving a loopy grin.
"You hens gonna keep cluckin' or are ya gonna let me in on yer little party?" Applejack deadpanned, but the unicorns moved forward without a word, intent at putting the plan into motion. As they rushed in, the sleipnir kicked out at Dash, catching the pegasus' wing as she spiraled out of control.
Slamming into a wall, the dazed pegasus tried shaking off her confusion, catching sight of the unicorns. "Guys? I said get out of here! I can - ow - handle this!" However, she soon found herself being jostled by the orange Earth pony, grabbing the filly's tail in her mouth and dragging the pony unceremoniously behind her. "What the- Hey! Lemme go, AJ!"
Rushing forward, the sleipnir attempted to run over his new opposition, the shining horns acting as signal flares for the angry beast. But it wasn't paying attention as its feet clacked against the hard stone floor. It never noticed when it suddenly felt soft underhoof. As it approached, Flint's horn suddenly sparkled, and the ground that had been so eager to give way hardened quickly, catching its legs as it moved forward. Finding its forward momentum hindered, the beast found itself going the only direction available - down.
With a sizable crash and a rumble, the sleipnir slammed against the hard floor, a couple sickening cracks accompanying its fall. The beast groaned and shuddered, a number of its eight hooves stuck fast in the rock. Releasing his magic, Flint blinked hard as he looked over the heaving beast, flaying its free hooves out. Turning to Twilight, the unicorn breathed hard, sweat on his brow. "Well... good work?"
Twilight coughed out a dry chuckle, feeling a pony brush up against her. Dash haphazardly pushed herself off the lavender unicorn, trying hard to walk straight. "Soooo..." Dash drawled, looking over the sleipnir as it through its tantrum. "...That thing is messed up!"
They were joined by the Apple girls soon, the elder of which stood next to Flint. "Well that was..." She breathed, her heart still racing. AppleBloom peeked out from behind the blonde tail of her sister, giving the thing a fearful look. "Good thinkin', Flint."
The pony smirked, a tired expression on his face. Still, the question held heavy in the air. What now? It wasn't a pony's nature to leave a beast in such a position, even if it wanted them dead and eaten. Twilight was having a hard enough time trying to understand how such a majestic creature of legend could of been so marred with time as it had.
"D...Does this mean we can see the Moon's Tear now?" AppleBloom piped up. Applejack shot her a glare, but the filly shook her whole body in response. "Well, we already came this far, and I wanna see it!"
There was a small silence. Twilight cleared her throat. "It would be nice to see it..." She offered meekly, her head turning as the last rays of the sun sparkled off her mane.
Flint coughed slightly, to the point where Applejack just sighed heavily. "Alright, Ah guess we can go see tha' flower. Ol' sleepnear isn't goin' anywhere..." She said, defeated. Turning to AppleBloom, the elder pony raised an eyebrow. "Ya' said you saw a field where this thing was grazin'?"
AppleBloom nodded. "At least, Ah thought it was grazin'. Mighta been drinkin' water. But it's this way!" She cried, running into the dark. Applejack cried after her, taking a couple steps forward as Twilight rushed past her, her giddiness to see the flower overtaking her more bookish sensibilities, her saddlebags slamming against her sides with wild abandon. Dash ran alongside the purple unicorn, eager to get along with it. Applejack chuckled slightly as she stepped forward as Flint trotted past, her eye on the beast as it strained its hooves.
Crack.
Applejack turned slowly, seeing a hoof thrown up, rocks spraying everywhere.
Crack. Crack-Crack Crack!
Flint spun around, followed suit by all the other ponies. The sleipnir started to pick itself up, its eyes trained on Applejack. It's hooves free as it used it's colossal strength to tear the rock apart. The Earth pony froze as the strong horse brought itself up to its full height, its eyes blazing as it realized it was the only thing between the ponies and their exit. Wearing a malicious smile, it started to move forward, its mouth watering as it lunged for Applejack.
What happened next was as if Flint was in a cloudy dream. Flint's eyes spun around the cave, his horn glowing and highlighting the stalactites above. Breaking them off, gravity took it's course as the spires of stone came down. Bracing himself, the unicorn shot off another spell, a basic copy of his own rock-strengthening spell. Releasing it, the stone turned to dust in mid-air, heavy sand raining upon the great beast. Flint's mind flashed with imagery from before - the floating origami animals. Turning each one individually. Every grain of sand it's own little fold. It seemed so simple now.
As it collapsed under the avalanche of blue dust just inches from Applejack, his horn gleamed brightly, hardening the dust around the beast. It felt its whole body encased in stone, yet the dust around Applejack's hooves stayed dormant, soft as newly upturned soil. The sleipnir whinnied loudly, its face and a single hoof sticking out of the new stone. It breathed lightly, unable to expand its lungs out to their full extent. Its eyes stared hard at the pony. Letting his magic release, the red unicorn sighed bitterly, sweat literally pouring from his brow.
There was a silence as the ponies looked about. Applejack scrambled slightly as she moved away from the beast, bumping into Flint a moment. The two stared at eachother a long moment, until a raspy voice broke the silence. "Oh man! I don't think that things moving!" Dash cheered, trotting right past the pair and up to the equine's face. Giving it a bump with her hoof, the prideful pegasus smirked as she looked to the others. "Smooth moves, Flint!" Laughing in her own special way, Rainbow Dash called for AppleBloom to lead the way to the Moon's Tear. Twilight smiled at the two as they trotted off, her horn giving them some light to walk to. Flint waited for Applejack to move, the orange pony silent as she picked herself up and walked after the others. The red unicorn took up a stride at the rear, casting sideways glances towards the prone monster.
-----
Standing out in the field, Applejack sat next to the stallion, Twilight setting a small area up for them all to lay upon. Apparently, her saddlebags were packed with the basic things that were for a picnic, rather than a rescue mission up the mountain. However, as the unicorn revealed some food and a closed pitcher of juice, the others hardly cared.
Dash and AppleBloom lay nearby, the former praising AppleBloom for her brash decision to go up the mountain. Applejack would of given her an earful for it, but decided to leave it, laying down on her stomach next to Flint, sighing wistfully as she took off her hat and laid it on the ground nearby. Flint glanced over, a look of mock surprise on his face. "Ah, it comes off!" He joked.
"Can it, file sorter." Applejack stuck her tongue out, looking up at the moon - or rather, lack of moon. The sky was still a decaying orange, feeding into the black and blue sky, dotted with stars. Flint still grinned, shifting slightly as he felt his coat brush against the orange mare's. However, the filly made no effort to remove him. "Flint, Ah... Ah'd like ta apologize."
Surprised, the stallion could only shake his head. "Apologize? What for?"
Applejack sighed. "Fer... well, it really wasn't yer fault. Fer what AppleBloom did t'day. Not really." Looking over at AppleBloom, the Earth pony smiled warmly as the filly laughed at some joke Dash told her. "You had no idea she'd be hard headed enough to do something like tha'. Not ah'tall." Picking her hat up, the mare pulled it close to her chest, resting her chin on top of the inner brim. "Guess she gets it from me."
Flint chuckled. "It's no problem, Applejack. I had no right to fill her head." He tried, but the orange pony waved it off.
"If not you, then some other pony may have. 'Sides, can't really fault a pony for bein' a bit romantic, even if it 'tain't a sure thing." She prodded, the red unicorn giving a bashful smile as she brought up his failed courtship. "Still, is nice ta be appreciated like that." She added, the unicorn giving her a confused, if not hopeful, look. However, the pony said no more on the matter, and instead crossed her hooves.
From behind them, the scratch of a quill on parchment could be heard over their silence, prompting both of them to look back. Twilight was laying where she was before, but now she was writing something on parchment. Seeing the two ponies staring at her with expectant gazes, the purple pony gave a forced smile. "This is great material for my next Friendship Report."
"Twilight, Ah swear Ah will buck you off this mountain-"
The last rays of the sun disappeared over the edge of the horizon, the sky finally free of the sun's final bow. The sky opened up, the stars above twinkling in an immaculate chorus of sight. But in the field where five ponies lay, flowers, unassuming in the sunlight, twitched and swayed in a the cool mountain breeze. High above them the dark spot in the sky, the new moon, seemed to stare at Equestria. And in response, the flowers answered.
They glowed. The Moon's Tear opened up around them, all around them, their deep blue leaves phosphorescent, brightening the sky above them. All around the gathered ponies, the sparkling display quieted them all as they peered around them. A small pond of water sparkled as well, some of the flowers quickly losing their petals, drawn to the water as the gathered around each other, mimicking a reflection of the moon in its gentle waves.
AppleBloom was the first to pronounce her awe vocally. "Woooow! It's beautiful! Sis! Do ya see them!? They're everywhere!"
Chuckling, the Earth pony nodded. "Yes AppleBloom, Ah see 'em alright." Her brilliant emerald eyes shimmered as the filly started to gallop through the leaves, some of the material that made the flower glow rubbing off on the small child as she ran through them, giving her coat a beautiful glow.
"Well, Applejack?" Flint asked suddenly, drawing the mare's attention.
"Well what?"
"Would you like to run through the flowers too?" He asked, a playful grin on his face.
Applejack snorted, but made no effort against the idea. "Frolic through the flowers? Are you sure you ain't inta colts? I'm sure mah brother's available!" Laughing at her own joke, the orange pony shot up to her hooves and took off running around the small garden.
"Wha-!? Why you...! Get back here, Applejack!" Flint cried out in dismay, chasing after the filly, kicking up the blanket as he took off after her. The blanket went airborne, getting caught under Twilight Sparkle as she continued to write her report, deftly picking one of the flowers and sealing it with magic. Sniffing it, she smiled as wrinkled her nose slightly as some of the pollen got on her, causing her snout to light up. Chuckling, the pony tucked her parchment away, instead deciding to enjoy herself among the flowers and friends.
Nearby, a couple pieces of paper tumbled together in the wind. A red paper crane, somehow still together, fluttered in the breeze, alongside it an orange crane, the two dancing together in the wind. Pollen of the Moon's Tear drifted on the wind's fingers, delicately brushing the papers with its sparkling embrace.