I do not own MLP or any of the references

Chapter Twenty: The City in the Sky

Apple Bloom awoke to a strange whistling noise and frowned as she got out of bed. It didn't sound like Big Mac and Granny Smith didn't whistle said it attracted the Timber Wolves. The red maned earth pony thought about it before heading out of her house and towards the direction of the whistling. Which led into the Everfree Forest. 'Why is it that everything interesting seems to lead in or through the Everfree? Well I can always see Zecora after I find out who is whistling.' thought Apple Bloom as she headed into the dark forest. The pale olive filly followed the sound through the forest making sure to keep on her guard just incase she was attacked. The strange thing was that the creatures of the forest seemed to leave her alone. 'Still doesn't hurt to be careful.' she thought before she came up to a large mountain on the other side of the forest. Apple Bloom looked around confused wondering how she even got through the forest so quickly. She turned around to see that the forest was a ways back. The gamboge eyed pony turned back towards the mountain and began the hike.

'Alright, what in the hay is going on here?' thought Apple Bloom as she turned around finding herself near the top. 'Is this my powers? Am I using the stone and rock to move me to where I want to go? Did the old Earth Ponies have this power?'

A whistle was heard again and the filly noticed a thick layer of clouds blocking the top of the mountain. The red maned pony looked around before pressing a hoof against the cloud noticing it didn't pass through. She frowned before focusing, rock covered her and she pressed forward. It did the trick she felt herself moving through the cloud barrier but didn't want to release her stone barrier until she was sure she was passed the clouds.

Once she removed the stone barrier did she notice that she was at the top of the mountain. Far above her was a floating island, surrounding the island were large birds and what seemed like pegasus. Suddenly a large gust of wind pushed the small pony up into the air causing her to scream.

Up on the island a mustard maned stallion slept on a cloud peacefully before his ears twitched hearing the scream. The earth pony opened his eyes before leaping off the cloud bringing a hoof up to his mouth and whistling. A large red bird swooped down and caught him on the back before he steered it over towards the screaming pony.

"Catch." he told his steed before shooting forward and the large bird extended its talons and caught the pony. It was when they landed on the island did the burly wood colored pony get a good look at her. The filly was a pale olive with a red mane and brilliant gamboge eyes. Though he knew she was different, he had never seen a pony like that on the island before.

"Who are you?" he asked as the pony stared up at him her eyes frightened as she glanced towards the bird. "This is my Skymount, Horus, who are you? How did you get passed the cloud barrier?"

"Uh, I climbed a mountain? Oh my name's Apple Bloom." the pale olive pony said still very nervous. "Where is this place?"

"In the sky." replied the cerulean eyed stallion watching her carefully. "You are in Skytopia. Home of the Hewa and the Daron."

"Hewa and Daron?" Apple Bloom was confused, she hadn't even heard of them. That was when she realized that she was on the island from before. She looked around seeing unicorns and Earth Ponies walking on the clouds. There were Pegasi gathering strange fruit from the clouds and brining it over to the larger island.

"Yes, the Equestrian species of Skytopia." the mustard maned earth pony repeated his eyebrows furrowing. "You are from the surface? How is this possible?"

"What do you mean? Of course I'm from the surface!" retorted the red maned filly looking up at the other one. "Who are you?"

"I'm Courage!" the burly wood stallion introduced himself before explaining. "The surface is a barren wasteland right? Destroyed when the ponies fought against the forces of evil?"

"No." Apple Bloom was really confused and wished that Midnight Sun or Aqua Star was there. "There is an entire pony race down there!"

"There is?" asked Courage curiosity blooming in his eyes before Horus landed next to him. "Maiden wants to see me? Fine, probably wants me to practice for the race."

"Race?" the red maned pony raised an eyebrow. "I should be getting home if you're busy."

"Nonsense!" laughed the mustard maned stallion before climbing on top of the the Skymount holding out his hoof. "You haven't seen Skytopia yet!"

The gamboge earth pony looked towards the surface before taking the hoof and climbed onto the red bird. When they took off Apple Bloom squeezed her eyes shut before opening one to take in the beauty of the area around her. The floating island was huge.

"Hold on!" yelled Courage before flying forward quickly doing a barrel roll causing the filly to cling to him. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall!"

"So which one are you?" asked Apple Bloom loudly peering up at the older earth pony who replied. "I am of the Doran. I have the blood of both the pegasi and earth pony but take the features of the wingless race. Maiden is a Hewa taking the appearance of the magical race. The Hewa have the blood of both unicorns and pegasi. They are different from the Alicorns having only take the form of one or the other. Do you understand any of this?"

"Not really!" the pale olive filly answered as they flew. "Has there been any unicorn/earth pony mix?"

"Yes! The Ceàrd!" replied the cerulean eyed Doran as he peered down before steering Horus closer to the middle of the island. "Jump off!"

"Are you crazy!" Apple Bloom peered down before looking at Courage seeing him nod his head. She gulped before jumping off of the Skymount only to find that she wasn't that far from the ground. She heard the mustard maned pony laughed as he jumped off and the gust of air from the wings of Horus as he flew up and away.

"Welcome to Skytopia!" announced the Doran waving a hoof around and Apple Bloom swore she could hear a cheerful tune in the background. "Right now we are in the Bazaar, this is the place where we buy all of our stuff. Potions, shields, items, stuff like that. So you're a Guardian huh?"

"You really don't talk much do you?" the amaranth maned pony questioned looking at the stallion next to her who grinned sheepishly. "But yeah, I am a Guardian Core. Did you say potions?"

"I've never seen a Guardian who is interested in potions." Courage said with a look of mild surprise. "I've actually never seen a Guardian before either. Well a pure one anyways. Most of us up here have two cores, a Pegasus core and the core of either a Unicorn or an Earth Pony. I'm a Guardian/Sentinel Core. Even though I don't have the wings my Skymount represents my other half..."

"Yeah your more idiotic one!" laughed a voice causing Apple Bloom to turn around to see a buff looking pegasus with a red pompadour.

"Driver." sighed the burly wood pony rolling his eyes. "Nice hair."

"How dare you insult my pompadour!" snapped Driver glaring at the mustard maned Daron before his eyes looked around. "Where's Maiden and who's the runt?"

"Hey!" Apple Bloom commented not liking the pegasus or his two friends one bit.

"Maiden is with her dad at the moment." replied Courage cooly before looking at the pony with the pink ribbon. "And this is Apple Bloom."

"She ditched you didn't she?" the tan pegasus sneered causing Apple Bloom to twitch. "That's why you're hanging out with the..."

Suddenly Apple Bloom slammed her hooves against the ground causing Driver to get launched into the air by stone. He was worse than Diamond Tiara. Diamond she could understand, they were kids. This guys was older than her! Courage just stared at her in disbelief before taking her inside the Bazaar before Driver got back down.

"Courage!" greeted a stallion at a potion cauldron stirring with magic as a baby cried on his back. "How are you doing today?"

"Great!" the Daron replied looking around. "Got any stamina potions Bird?"

"You know you should talk to my wife, Love, about that." laughed the potions master as he continued to stir. "I'm only making and infusing the potions."

That caught Apple Bloom's attention, she made sure Courage was distracted before looking at the potion. She could tell that the potion could do better with a few ingredients from the surface.

"Are you interested in potion making?" asked the Hewa looking at the Earth pony who nodded. "Here I'll set up a station for you. Now just be warned it will take a while for you to get a hang of it."

Apple Bloom just wondered if these ponies ever experienced some form of hardships. They were very similar to their own without the oncoming threat of getting taken over. She watched as the Hewa potion master set up a small pot and set some ingredients beside it motioning her over.

"I will show you how to work on a basic healing potion." instructed Bird with a small stutter. "Even though my wife makes the potions she sells I dabble in the potion making as well. Now watch closely."

The pale olive filly watched the stallion carefully before following his instructions with her own twists. Soon the potions looked exactly the same however Bird was more than impressed with what she did.

"You're a natural!" he complimented before calling over his wife who examined the potion.

"I think this may be better then the ones we sell." hummed Love her wings twitching in praise. "Have you made this potion before?"

"No." replied the gamboge eyed pony blinking. "It just seemed to be better do make it the way I did. It could explain why the first potion I made turned out so well."

"Well we can always test it. Did you add something to it?" asked the potion maker looking at it closely.

"I just add some of these." answered Apple Bloom before pulling out some apple and plant seeds. "I know that they hold some healing properties."

"Amazing!" mused the brunette pegasus looking at them. "I've never seen plants seeds like this before! Where did you get these?"

"I... found them?" the gamboge eyed pony offered before sighing.

"Well it was a good thing you did." laughed Bird with a grin as he bottled the potion up taking note of Apple Bloom cutie mark, a flask with an apple in it. "Because this might be one of the best potions ever made."

"It is a good thing they are both distracted." whispered Courage as Apple Bloom was given the potion. "Or else they would have noticed that you were questioning your own excuse. Come on I will take you to the school. I'll explain everything to the headmaster and see if he could let you use an empty room until your ready to go home."

"Yeah." sighed the amaranth maned pony before following her guide over the island and to the large school. "So what is this school for?"

"Mainly to become a knight." answered the mustard maned Daron looking at the setting sun. "Are you tired?"

"Kind of." yawned the small filly before they entered the school. Courage brought her to the headmaster's office and walked inside. He did most of the explaining and the headmaster listened carefully. Apple Bloom jerked awake when they started talking to her.

"You're situation is unusual to say the least." the headmaster, a Hewa, spoke and this caused the filly to get confused. "You can stay the night but in the morning I am afraid you will have to leave."

"I understand." replied the gamboge eyed pony with a nod. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"Oh it isn't that... I'm just afraid your presence might... intrigue my daughter into trying to go down to the surface again." sighed the cream colored Hewa shaking his head. "If she found out about you she would start asking questions. Courage will bring you down to the barrier as far as he can after he is done with his test tomorrow."

"Thanks." Apple Bloom said as Courage showed her to a spare room. It was sparse with only a bed, dresser, and a desk. The pale olive earth pony walked over to the bed and collapsed on it falling asleep almost instantly.

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