Chapter 2: Arrival to Hope Hollow
Towards a few hours later now night, most were asleep expect Twilight and Chase as the two alicorns cuddled up with each other. Twilight was doing some late night reading while Chase was busy sharpening his katana swords. Nyx was sleeping next to her mother while clutching a killer whale plush toy she bought for the trip.
But Pinkie was still awake as she kept on singing.
[Pinkie]
Two bottles of pop on the wall
Two bottles of pop
Twilight and Chase were getting a little annoyed as they shook their heads.
[Pinkie - She slides up in front of Rainbow Dash, Sokka, and Fluttershy, who were still asleep while the cerulean pegasus was sleeping on the edge of the basket. Pinkie's singing woke them up as Sokka looked cranky of her being awake all night."
Take one down, pass it around
One bottle of pop on the wall
"And a-one more time!" Pinkie cheered and the others got up.
"Oh come on, Pinkie. Cut it out!" Sunray said, cranky and annoyingly.
"Yeah, we're trying to sleep here!" Jade added while rubbing her bloodshot eyes with an irritating look on her face.
[Pinkie]
A hundred bottles of pop on the wall
Having enough, Sunray and Rainbow each placed a hoof over Pinkie's mouth stopping her.
"Six times too many?" Pinkie sheepishly asked her friends with a nervous smile.
"Ya think?" Sunray asked irritatingly as Pinkie looked nervous.
"Ugh. Shouldn't we be there by now?" Rainbow asked her friends, hoping that they won't have to keep on riding on the hot-air balloon.
"Huh. I thought so, too." Applejack said, agreeing with her. "Maybe we should've turn left at that last cloud instead o' right."
"Yeah, and I don't see Hope Hollow anywhere." Clay said while looking down at the ground with concern
"Ooh, and it's getting darker by the minute." Fluttershy added as Sokka held his wife protectively.
Night was soon upon them.
"Maybe we should try to find a clearing for the balloon and land for the night." Chase suggested. "We don't wanna have to run out of fuel."
"You're right, Chase. The sooner we get to Hope Hollow the quicker." Trini said as the others, minus Rarity, nodded in agreement.
"I can't see ANYTHING!" Rarity exclaimed with her sleeping mask on.
Applejack then removes her mask off with an annoyed look she and Clay had on their faces.
"You just had your sleeping mask on, Rarity." Clay bluntly said as Rarity turned to the Earth Pony couple.
"Oh." Rarity said with a sheepish smile.
"We better find a place to land soon. We've only got a little amount of fuel left on the balloon." Jade said with concern.
"I spy with my little eye... a rainbow!" Pinkie looking out ahead.
"Great." Rainbow said with an annoyed look as she had her front hooves crossed and she rolled her eyes. "We're playing that game now!"
"No, I really do spy a rainbow!" Pinkie said, snapping Rainbow out of her annoyed look.
"In the middle of the night?" Nyx asked confusingly as she frowned as Antonio looked ahead.
"Wait! I see it too! Look, guys!" Antonio said, pointing to what Pinkie was seeing.
They all turned and appearing from the clouds was a huge bright rainbow as the group were in complete awe.
"Wow! That's the biggest rainbow I've ever seen." Twilight said, astonished.
"Don't rainbows usually appear at day?" Jade curiously asked.
"I guess maybe rainbows are a little different than normal ones." Sunray said while gazing at the rainbow with confusion.
"Like the night rainbow?" Chase said to his younger siblings. "They often appear in the sky on their own, but this one looks a little weird."
"And we're headed right for it!" Rarity said panicked.
"Don't worry." Rainbow assured. "We'll pass right through it. Rainbows aren't solid."
"Yeah, just water particles reflects from sunlight." Sokka said, remembering from his class lectures he gave to the school.
"I hope you guys are right." Clay said with concern.
Then suddenly they strangely bumped against the rainbow and the rainbow strangely shook.
"Whoa! What the?" Chase asked in surprise.
"Tell that to the rainbow." Applejack said, dumbfounded of what happened.
"What just happened?" Nyx asked the others surprised by this.
"I don't think that's a rainbow." Twilight said, realizing something. "It's a rainbow billboard!"
And then trouble began as the billboard started tilting down and towards them.
"Uh-oh!" Nyx said as she trembled with a scared look on her face.
"Oh, no!" Fluttershy nervously said.
"Hang on, everypony!" Twilight yelled.
They brace themselves as the billboard lands on the balloon and it was enough to rip a hole in it. They started going down with the balloon and billboard as they screamed at the top of their lungs. In sheer desperation, Pinkie blew hard into the balloon.
"I DON'T THINK THAT'S WORKING!" Rarity screamed.
"THERE'S NOTHING WITH TRYING!" Nyx screamed, clinging onto Twilight.
"Guys! We've got less than fifty seconds before we brace for impact!" Jade said looking at something that scared her.
"Thanks for the update, Jade!" Sunray shouted as he appeared next to Jade with an angry look. "Are you doing sports and weather next?!"
"If you're gonna be nasty about it, then I guess you don't wanna know that there's gonna be a pavement event happening in forty three seconds!" Jade shouted with worry.
"Are you saying there's…?" Trini said, realizing where they're gonna hit as Chase looked down to see that they were heading to the ground level.
"THE GROUND!" Chase shouted as the others screamed in fright.
"WE'RE GONNA CRAAAAASH!" Applejack yelled as she and Clay held onto each other.
The Mane thirteen continued screaming as they fell closer to the ground. Chase began to think of something and looked at his medallion. Using his magic, he summons his dragon out as it roared out while hovering in the air.
"OVER HERE, BOY!" Chase shouted as his dragon swooped in and grabbed the thirteen ponies with his hands while flying through the balloon.
The Mane Thirteen climbed onto the back of Chase's dragon as the beast flew down to the ground and the group jumped down from the creature's back.
"Thanks, buddy." Chase said as the beast friendly growled before it turned into a magical aura ball and it went back into the alicorn stallion's medallion.
"Good job, honey." Twilight said to her husband gratefully as she and Chase shared a loving kiss on the lips as the rest of the group sighed with relief.
"Phew, that went better than I thought." Nyx said with a relieved smile and then they heard a rustling sound as they looked up.
"Oh, dear." Sokka quivered with a fearfully look.
"Everypony, move!" Chase shouted as they quickly got out of the way as the basket hit the ground and a dust cloud formed.
The dust cleared as Pinkie and Nyx coughed as Twilight and Chase had their wings shielding them. They turned and gasped of seeing the basket totaled as the others regrouped.
"Phew!" Applejack said in relief. "Thanks y'all. That basket could've been us."
"Yeah, we almost would've gotten ourselves killed if that happen." Clay added while holding Applejack close to him as his wife cuddle up next to her husband.
"Where... are we?" Fluttershy wondered.
"This place doesn't look familiar." Sokka added with a curious look on his face.
Pinkie soon saw a sign as she clears part of the rubble away.
"Uh-huh!" Pinkie beamed and reads it. "Welcome to Hope Hollow: Home of the Famous..." But then the sign broke apart and drops as Pinkie finishes reading it. "...Rainbow Festival"!"
"We've arrived, and there's nopony to greet us?" Rarity said grabbing her scarf and placed in her suitcase.
"Good thing, too." Twilight said. "The guest of honor and her friends just destroyed the town sign."
"It doesn't look too bad." Jade said while examining the damage. "There's only a few peaces that can be put back together, but the balloon's gonna need time to fix though."
"For now, we'll need to know what location this is." Trini said as Fluttershy then went up to Rainbow, who was resting in the balloon like a hammock.
"Rainbow Dash, did your letter say where our hotel is?" Fluttershy asked.
"Uh..." Rainbow said as she hopped out with the letter and looks at it. "The middle of town"."
"Town? What town? We're like in the middle of nowhere!" Sunray exclaimed while the others turned to him. "We don't have a way to get back home! We don't have any other directions and we sure don't know who to ask!"
"Hmm... Well, it doesn't really help when you don't know where the middle is." Chase said. "Let's start looking." He then saw a trail. "Maybe that trail will lead us to town. Let's go."
The group grabbed their things and headed down the trail with Twilight and Chase leading the way.
(Scene changes)
Several minutes later, they followed the trail down to a town and the whole place looked almost like it's abandon a little with some fog in the air.
"Does it seem rather quiet to you guys?" Jade asked while looking at the scenery.
"Huh. Funny." Applejack said as she frowned. "You'd think a big luxury resort would be sorta, well... easier to spot."
"Looks like all of the residents are in bed for the night." Clay added while looking around the place.
"Yeah!" Pinkie said, hopping pass the Earth Pony couple and onto a statue. "It seems like the whole town's shut down."
"That kinda rhymes." Nyx said. "And, uh, this place kinda looks abandoned."
"Well, we better find a place to rest for the night. This place gives me the creeps." Sokka said with a scared look.
"Oh, look." Fluttershy said flying up. "There's somepony."
Not far away, a pony was leaving a building likely closing for the night.
"Hmm." Twilight frowned as she and Chase flew over to the pony. "Hello!"
"Oh." The pony gasped, turning to the royal couple.
The pony is revealed to be an Earth pony mare with a shirt on, and has a Cutie Mark of 2 flowers.
"Maybe you can help us." Twilight as her friends join her and Chase. "We're here for the Rainbow Festival."
"If it's not any trouble, you might know where it is?" Chase added with a hopeful smile.
"Oh, uh, "Rainbow Festival"?" The mare said as she frowned in a Minnesota accent.
"Yeah, you know, the one where I'm the guest of honor?" Rainbow said as she flew up, did a pose, laughed with a cocky smile, and landed. "Yeah!"
"Don't pay any attention to her, she just likes to be this way." Jade said with a smirk while Rainbow glared at her annoyingly.
"Oh, for cryin' in the mud, what's Sunny done now?" The mare said with a very nervous look.
"Excuse me?" Applejack asked as she frowned.
"Who's Sunny?" Chase asked curiously as the mare cringed fearfully.
"I mean, um, you'd best talk to Mayor Skies about that." The mare said with a nervous smile.
"Great!" Twilight beamed. "And where would we find him?"
"City hall." The mare answered. "Uh, but it's closed 'til tomorrow, don'tcha know? Is there somethin' I can help ya with?"
"Uh, yes, please." Rarity said. "Could you direct to the Hope Hollow Luxury Resort?"
Surprisingly the mare giggled, and then she realized she was serious.
"Oh!" The mare said as she realized what she meant. "Oh, you mean the hotel?"
"Mm-hmm." The Mane Thirteen nodded.
"That's easy." The mare said. "There's only one in this town."
"Could you, uh, give us directions?" Applejack asked.
"And maybe tell us it's not too far?" Clay added with a hopeful smile.
"No need. You're there." The mare said and then she opens the building's doors."I mean here!"
The Mane Thirteen entered inside and the lights turned on.
"Wow, this place is amazing, despite being a little tiny." Nyx said in amazement as the mare approached the desk.
"Hotel Hope, also known as the Town Information Center and Library!" The mare said. "My name's Petunia Petals, by the way. Helloooo!"
She zips off as they turned to her.
"I'm the librarian and the information guide..." Petunia said and dings the counter bell. "...and the hotel manager, historian, chef, portrait painter-"
"Wow! That's a lot of jobs for a pony." Sunray said, a little stunned.
"Yeah, how can she handle these many careers?" Jade added, just as stunned as her brother was.
"Um, I'm Rainbow Dash, and this is everypony." Rainbow introduced herself and her friends.
"Hello." Rarity and Pinkie greeted.
"Howdy." Applejack greeted.
"Well, hello, everypony!" Petunia greeted the whole group with a smile. "You wait just one hoofshake, and I'll take ya to the room."
"The room?" Rarity asked as she frowned.
"What're talking about?" Chase asked curiously with the rest of his family sharing the same look.
"There's only one." Petunia explained. "Makes it easier to find!"
She chuckled and grabs a key. Chase, Jade, Sunray, Trini, and Antonio glanced at each other with confused and skeptical looks.
(Scene changes)
Soon the Mane Thirteen followed Petunia to their room, and they soon got to a door.
"Here it is!" Petunia announced and unlocks the door. "The Royal Suite!"
She opened the door and she went in. The Mane Thirteen gasped at the room as it was an avenge room and the ceiling lights flickered as Rarity gasped dramatically.
"How rustic and charming." Rarity said while looking at the scene with a horror look.
"Isn't it just?" Petunia said as she smiled, not noticing what the problem was.
"I couldn't help noticing there are only three beds." Rainbow said and then one of the beds broke in half. "Okay, four."
"Oh, there's a pop-out, too!" Petunia said and she kicks at a section of wall where the pop-out bed is. "It can be a little tricky."
She kicks it twice as the pop-out bed falls and hits the floor with dust getting into the Mane Thirteen's faces as they shut their eyes tightly from getting blind.
"Well, I guess now we have five beds." Clay said with a skeptical look on his face.
"There she is." Petunia said. "Sleeps two. You'll be all fresh and ready to see the mayor in the mornin'."
Then she leaves the room before she opens it again in a second.
"Sleep tight." Petunia said.
She leaves and closes the door as the door's sign comes loose, hits the floor, and shatters. Sokka picks the pieces up with his right wing while examining it.
"Not really fragile at the least, are they?" Sokka said as he looked at the broken piece.
"Did anypony notice anything strange about Petunia?" Twilight asked.
"Other than that she just called this place "the Royal Suite"?" Rarity said while looking at the room with a flat look.
"More than that, Rarity. It looks like she was hiding something." Chase said as he looks out the window to see her walking away.
"Yeah. And hard to tell in this light, but she looked a little gray, didn't she?" Applejack said, agreeing with Chase.
"Now that you mention it, she does look to be in a shade of gray." Jade admitted. "But I think I can make out she's a purple color."
"Maybe even a light purple color?" Sunray guessed, following along with his sister's thoughts about Petunia."
"Probably from all the dust up here." Rarity said.
She blew on a dresser when a cloud of dust appeared in front of the white unicorn and Rarity coughed while walking away..
"Aw, this room's not so bad." Pinkie said hopping onto the dresser while being optimistic and opened her case. "All it needs is some balloons, streamers..." She quickly sets a streamer up. "And... a pinata! Good thing I brought some!"
"Well, good thing you did, Pinkie. Because we could use them for the younger ones at the Rainbow Festival." Antonio said, liking the idea of Pinkie bringing a few things for fun.
"Huh? And look." Fluttershy noticed something and flew up near the ceiling as Sokka joins her. Near the ceiling was a small spider. "It comes with a cute little spider. Hello, spider."
"Nice web you got there." Sokka added with a smile.
The spider smiled and then quickly formed a heart shape at the center of its web.
Sokka and Fluttershy nuzzled the spider.
"Sorry, everypony." Rainbow groaned apologetically. "I didn't know what I was getting you into."
"Aw. The most important thing is we're all together." Twilight said.
"And nothing is gonna stop us." Chase said, agreeing with his wife.
"Yeah." Applejack said as she and Clay hop onto the pop-out bed. "As long as we have beds to sleep in, we're set."
"Well, this is not so bad." Clay said and lays down.
Suddenly, the pop-out bed fwip back closed into the wall taking Applejack and Clay with it while the Earth Pony couple let out a yelp as their hats floated to the floor.
The others glanced at each other.
"Um. A little help please?" Clay called from inside.
"We'll get you guys out in a minute." Sunray said as he and Antonio approached the bed.
"Something tells me this is gonna be the strangest night of our lives." Chase said with a tired look.
The rest nodded with him in agreement.
Author's note: Hey guys,
Here's two chapters of Rainbow Roadtrip. I did my best on them and I hope you like them.
Peace out!