Chapter 3
A few hours later, Electric Sky and Cloud Nova, having managed to sneak out of their homes, have started on their way to the arranged meeting place.
"I've got my sword ready. I hope you have yours, Cloud." Sky says while motioning towards her bag where she keeps her weapon ready, yet out of sight.
"Yeah yeah, I've got it. I just don't see why you think it's necessary."
"You'll be glad I thought it when she's trying to mug us."
Cloud, not believing a pony as beautiful as Grace would do something like that, simply rolls his eyes at that statement. "Ahuh, I'm sure I will."
After a few minutes of silence, the duo arrive at the Diner where they were expecting to meet up with Chrome Grace. The Diner's large neon sign lit up most of the area around it, so it wasn't difficult to spot her sitting at a metal table drinking a soda while waiting. As they approach, Grace notices them and waves her hoof.
"Hi, guys! I wasn't sure you'd actually be coming!"
"Pfft, I'd never flake on a promise" Cloud quickly responds, nervously rubbing the back of his head with his hoof.
Sky glares at Cloud for a moment, then turns to Grace. "Hey Grace... So, this is the part of the Wall we can actually get out of?" She says skeptically.
"It sure is. Follow me." Grace says as she moves toward the Wall.
Cloud trots right up beside Grace while Sky moves a bit more cautiously, still wary of what the white and green Unicorn might be planning.
"So, are you guys ready for this?" Grace asks them excitedly.
"Y-yeah, I suppose so..." Sky stammers as she prepares to pull out her sword. She motions for Cloud to do the same. "What about you, Cloud?
"Of course I am! I've been ready since you dropped the book on me in the Library!" Cloud says with confidence, showing no signs of readying his weapon.
Grace smiles and faces the Wall. "Then check this out!" Her horn then starts to glow an intense green color as a decently sized square section of the Wall does the same. The glowing portion slowly starts to remove itself from the rest of the Wall, until its slams onto the ground, leaving a square shaped hole in it's place.
Cloud and Sky, both taken aback in shock shout simultaneously, "What the hay!?"
Cloud looks towards Sky with a smug grin on his face. "I told you we could trust her."
"So you were right, whatever." Sky admits, putting her sword back safely into her bag.
They both take a moment to just gaze through the hole at what lies before them. A grassy field, seeming to go on forever.
"I told you there'd be nothing out there..." Sky says, still awestruck at the sight.
"No, I told you that. You said there would be flowers or something." Cloud retorts.
"Pshh, whatever." Sky responds as she rolls her eyes. She slowly begins to stick her head out of the hole and into the vast empty grasslands before them. "Okay, so I guess I've gotten over my trust issues with Grace, but... now I'm not so sure about going out there..."
Cloud, not so intimidated by grass, jumps through the hole and lands roughly on the other side. "Come on Sky, lets check it out."
"Uh, I can see it fine from here..." Sky says as she slowly starts to back away.
"Oh, come on, just go! Its fine!" Says Grace, who by now has grown impatient waiting for her to gather the courage, and pushes Sky through the hole, causing her to land on her back in the soft grass.
"Hey, what are you doing!" Sky yells as she lays uncomfortably in the grass.
"Sorry about that, but you were taking too long to decide so I decided for you." Grace apologizes as she jumps through herself, landing softly on the other side.
Before Sky has a chance to get up and back through the hole, Grace's horn glows once more as she closes it up behind them.
Sky runs up to where the hole once was, and pushes against the wall. "Why did you do that, do you realize how risky that was!?"
"Uh, no? Its fine, trust me." Grace says assuredly.
"So, wait, how did you even do that?" Cloud questions.
"Anypony can do it as long as they have a special power source known as 'Aura'."
"Aura? I think I've read about that somewhere."
Sky watches, dumbfounded. "I don't get it. Just what is Aura?"
"Its the force that powers just about everything in the world, and that's what we're out here for." Grace explains.
"That's why? What do you mean?"
"I mean, we're out here so we can harvest some."
"Oh, okay! I still don't get it, but why do we need to harvest some in the first place?"
"Look, it's a lot to explain." Grace says, trying to avoid answering so many questions at once.
At that, Cloud quickly realizes something. "Hey, why do you know so much about this anyway? You never even pay attention in class." He says with a raised brow.
"Hey, that's right! Why do you know so much, Grace?" Sky says as her newly acquired trust starts to fade. She puts a hoof in her bag, ready to remove her sword.
"Calm down, I'll explain everything in time. But before then, you guys need to follow me." Grace puts up her hooves and looks to Cloud, expecting him to back her up.
Just as she had hoped, Cloud steps in between her and Sky. "Wait, Sky. If she says she'll explain herself then I'm sure she will. Come on, its fine."
With a huff, Sky takes her hoof off of her weapon. "Fine, but I'm trusting you, Cloud, not her."
"Thank you for the help, Cloud." Grace says as she winks at him. "Come on though, we should probably get going." And with that, she trots onward. Cloud and Sky closely in tow.