Chapter 14
"What do you want Blank-flank?" demanded Diamond Tiara at the mansion's entrance.
"...Just wanted to return these cameras you and Silver Spoon left at the clubhouse..."replied Applebloom. "So where's Silver at?"
Diamond quickly swiped the cameras away from Applebloom's hooves and began to look through the pictures inside the device.
"Silver had to go home to rest after her therapy sessions Ugh!" exclaimed Diamond in frustration, "What happened to all the timber wolf pictures we took?"
"...I deleted them..." answered Applebloom.
"You what?!" said Diamond with a cold rage that terrified Applebloom for a second.
After Diamond calmed down a little she sighed "Whatever. Get out of our property before I call the police..."
"-but I wanted to-" said Applebloom.
"Get out!" shouted Diamond then she threw her camera at Applebloom's head.
Diamond threw Silver's camera at Applebloom and this time the red-head quickly dodged away from it then ran out of Filthy Rich and Diamond's yard.
Applebloom touched the stinging bruised side of her head gently with her hoove.
"I only wanted to apologize to Diamond...Some things about her will never change... " Applebloom said to herself on the way to meet with the rest of the gang at the edge of Everfree Forest.
Once Applebloom left, Diamond picked up the remains of the broken cameras. "It's okay. Daddy can always buy new cameras to replace these right?"
She looked beyond the gates in the distance and saw a lower class family walking by. They had worn clothing that seems they were bought from a garage sale and/or charity donation center. Even though this family did not have much Diamond could easily tell they were all very happy.
"This sickens me..." Diamond thought to herself, "I have everything any girl could ever want; toys, the latest fashions, movies, and can eat all the sweets I ever want... Yet it feels like I've got nothing but this emptiness..."
Diamond looked around for something, anything to keep herself from feeling depressed but found nothing could satisfy her.
While Diamond used her special golden spoon to eat her gallon of ice cream she had formed a crazy idea.
"Maybe if I can capture a timber wolf I can prove to daddy that I'm capable enough to come along with him on his business trips...At least I would not be inside this mansion being bored all day..."
She gathered all of her items she thought was necessary into her shiny new bag then set off to her friend's house.
"Alright everypony, I have a checklist of everything we need to take with us before we enter the EverfreeForest." announced Twilight, "Pinkie Pie, did you bring lanterns and extra oil with you?"
Pinkie Pie nodded enthusiastically, "Yep, I also brought some balloons, party streamers, some left overs of Spike's cake, plus long-lasting glowing rocks for all of us if we run out of oil but remember the pink one is mine." While each pony and Spike picked their color of choice Pinkie told a story about the origin of the glow-rocks.
"One time Maud Pie and I decided to explore in an abandoned tunnel nearby to look around. Inside we found the cave floor full of glowing rocks like a walking inside a living, breathing, rainbow. After we both collected all the rocks we could carry there were some mean gargoyles showed up and blocked the exit. My sister had fought all of them for us to escape and it was very scary to watch Maud Pie being so angry at the gargoyles that she almost had hurt them really badly to protect me. The gargoyles ran away into the darkness with fright when the older gargoyle appeared. Thankfully she was nice enough to let us have all the rocks we wanted and guided us out of the maze. Once me and my sister reunited with our family they said had searched for us all night and ran out of oil for their lamps. Maud decided to grind the soft rocks into tiny pieces then put them into the lamps and they worked! We used the glowing rocks to light the way back home. Sometimes, an idea might seem crazy at first but we can never be completely sure if an idea works unless we try it."
"Applejack," asked Twilight after Pinkie finished another one of her crazy stories, "Can you check again by making sure everypony has enough food and water to last on our journey there then back?"
"Twilight," sighed Applejack, "I already had checked five times already we have all the meals and canteens we need for the trip..."
"Check again one more time before we leave." then Twilight turned to Fluttershy, "Did you bring the medication bag from your cottage with you?"
"...Yes" Fluttershy answered after she looked inside her bag so she has all the medicine and bandages they need.
"Rainbow Dash, did you bring anything to help for the quest?" Twilight asked.
"I brought Daring Doo and the Lemur Island to read with Scootaloo tonight..." Rainbow replied. Then she briefly took the book out of her saddle bag to show it to Twilight.
Before Twilight as able to comment negatively on Rainbow's lack of contribution for their quest, the ponies flinched when they heard the squeaking wheels of Rarity's carriage which was pulled by Sweetie Bell and Spike that contained mostly clothing plus their tents.
"Rarity, you can't expect your sister and Spike to drag all this junk around Everfree Forest do you?" questioned Twilight.
"What!?" exclaimed Rarity, "All of this are not 'junk' they are all artistic and elegant masterpieces..."
"Well first of all; your masterpieces have a chance of being damaged, stolen, or lost in Everfree. Second but most importantly it would not be to fair for Spike and Sweetie Bell to drag all of your clothes for miles. If these two have this much weight to carry they could be exhausted and unable to escape if any wildlife predators show up. Remember to bring only what you need and leave the rest of them behind..." said Twilight.
Rarity sighed with disappointment "You're right Twilight. I suppose at least some of my work needs to stay behind at Ponyvile but I am still bringing my hiking outfit..."
Applebloom an hour later joined the group and ready to set out with them on their quest.
"Hey Applebloom, where'd you been?" asked Applejack.
"I wanted to give Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon their cameras back before we leave..." Applebloom said while she rubbed her throbbing head.
"Can we leave now?" asked Rainbow impatiently.
"Okay. We are ready if we bump into any hazards we might come across. Now let's go." Twilight then signaled to Fluttershy to get her attention.
"Can you remember from here where exactly where the flowers are?" asked Twilight.
Fluttershy scanned the atmosphere before she answered, "Yes, but this path we're taking is also the last place where I saw Clover..."
Twilight stepped aside to allow Fluttershy to lead the group, "Who knows maybe you might find her along the way?"
"I hope so..." replied Fluttershy.
Applebloom walked over to her friends as the ponies and Spike filed into the forest.
"That's weird," whispered Applebloom to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, "The sheep I was looking for a couple of months ago ran off through this direction too..."