Life in Allspark Wells

Part 16; Roots and Berries, Wolves and Boars

"You're sure you have to go on that stupid trip?" Tender Taps asked Apple Bloom as he took a bite from his sandwich. As she swallowed her mouthful of crushed apple, the former farm girl lamented, "Unfortunately, yeah. If Ah don't do this, Ah'll fail the class and put up with that hippie all over again!"

It was Friday, and unfortunately for the former farm girl, the infamous root and berry retreat was only a few hours away. 'Ugh. Ah can't stand the idea of an extra class with that jerk, let alone a whole weekend.' She thought to herself. After all, Mr. Compost not only gave her a poor grade for her project, but he also gave a passing grade to Oak Leaf, who simply went on a pro eugenics rant he pulled out of his ass.

Sighing as she allowed her head to fall to the table, Apple Bloom groaned, "It just isn't fair! Ah don't need an A plus, but this is just…." Unable to finish her sentence due to her frustration, she could only complain, "He's a dick!"

Tender Taps nodded as he replied, "I know. I'm sorry you have to put up with him." He then took his girlfriend's hand as he said, "Wish I could go with you. At least then you wouldn't have to do it alone." Apple Bloom couldn't help but blush as she locked fingers with her boyfriend and reply, "Ah got a feelin' this is the sorta thin' Ah wouldn't wish on mah worst enemy." She then leant into his face as she added, "But Ah appreciate the offer." Starting to feel his face turn red, Tender Taps rested his free hand against Apple Bloom's cheek as he reassured her, "You're welcome. I'll always be willing to risk it for you."

The two teens then pulled each other into a gentle but passionate kiss.

As they finished their kiss, Apple Bloom leaned against her boyfriend as she gently whispered, "Ah love you Tendy." Resting his arm around her, Tender Taps gently replied, "I love you too Apple Bloom." The two would have continued their embrace longer, but the ringing of the lunch bell cut their mini date short.

Sighing to herself, Apple Bloom lamented, "Guess we better get movin', huh?" Tender Taps nodded as he replied, "I guess so." He then pulled the burgundy haired girl into a tight hug as he asked, "Just try to stay safe, ok?" Hugging her boyfriend back, the former farm girl replied, "Ah'll try. Hopefully the worst Ah'll have to deal with is bein' a bit worn out."

As the two teens began to make their way to their classes, Apple Bloom blew her boyfriend a kiss as she bade him, "See ya once this nightmare is over." Nodding, Tender Taps replied, "See you once you get home. I'll take you out anywhere you want." Eventually, the orange hoofer disappeared into the crowd, leaving Apple Bloom alone as she thought, 'Ah got a bad feelin' about this.'

Later That Day

Making their way outside the school, Apple Bloom and Sideswipe began to make their way towards the latter's bike as she asked, "So, aren't you and the others leaving for the retreat from here?" The former farm girl replied, "Yeah, but not for a few hours." As they approached the parked motorcycle, Apple Bloom continued, "Besides, Uncle Ironhide wants to make sure Ah have enough stuff."

As they mounted the motorcycle and its sidecar, Sideswipe remarked, "You know, if you guys are gonna be out in the middle of nowhere, I'm sure Mr. Compost could suffer some sort of "unfortunate accident," if you catch my drift." Apple Bloom could only groan as she replied, "Don't say that! Anythin' happens, And Ah'll probably get blamed for it."

Sideswipe raised her hand in defense as she apologized, "Sheesh. Sorry. But seriously, I'm sure someone could…." Apple Bloom interrupted with a harsh, "Please, just don't!" Sighing to herself, the pale biker could only rev up her bike and began the trek home.

Apple Bloom's Room

As the former farm girl rummaged through her closet for clothes that could handle a weekend in the middle of nowhere, Ironhide asked, "Find anything there kid?" popping her head out of her closet, Apple Bloom replied, "Ah found some older pairs of Overalls that might be useful." Pulling an older pair of dark blue overalls out of the closet, she asked, "You think these will work?"

Smiling, Ironhide replied, "That will certainly be better than that kilt you've got on right now." As Apple Bloom looked down to the green and blue kilt she was wearing, the former soldier continued, "However, your pants aren't the most important thing you'll need out there." Curious, the burgundy haired girl asked, "Really? What about shirts?"

Shaking his head, Ironhide answered, "It's socks." Intrigued, Apple Bloom asked, "Socks? What's so special about socks?" The former sergeant explained, "There's nothing more important to a soldier than a fresh pair of socks." The burgundy haired girl tried to speak up, but Ironhide interrupted with a gentle, "I'm serious kid. I'd suggest you take at least nine pairs." Apple Bloom shrugged as she decided it would not be wise to fight her uncle on this sort of thing.

Several minutes later, the father and daughter pair had packed an old hiking backpack full of several days' worth of clothes. Wiping a few beads of sweat from her brow, Apple Bloom remarked, "Well, that should be enough to get me through this nightmare." However, Ironhide sighed as he replied, "I sure as hell hope so."

Walking up to her uncle, Apple Bloom asked, "You alright Uncle Ironhide?" The former soldier shook his head as he replied, "I got a bad feeling about this. I don't trust that washed out hippie." He then pulled his daughter into a tight hug as he said, "Promise me you'll be safe, ok?" Apple Bloom hugged her uncle back as she replied, "Sure thing."

Ironhide then stepped back and rested his hands on her shoulders as he sternly reiterated himself, "I'm damn serious. I want you to promise me you'll be safe and won't get yourself hurt!"

Taken aback by her uncle's seriousness, Apple Bloom nodded as she repeated the promise she learned from Ratchet. Crossing her heart with her finger, she said, "Cross mah heart to the brass. Stick a round right up mah ass." Smiling as he nodded, Ironhide replied, "At a soldier. At ease."

As Apple Bloom gave her uncle a salute, Ironhide asked, "Now then, what else do we need?"

Iacon High Parking Lot, One Hour Later

Pulling his van up into the parking lot, Ironhide glanced out the window as he remarked, "I think I found Compost's car." As Apple Bloom looked out the window, she noticed a rusting white and dark purple van with a circular symbol on the hood. Gulping, the former farm girl couldn't help but reply, "Ah wouldn't be surprised."

As the family's red van pulled into an empty parking spot, Apple Bloom couldn't help but take note of her outfit. She'd changed into a pair of blue overalls, a red and white plaid shirt, and a pair of black hiking boots that Ironhide had gotten her a few days earlier (he insisted her normal boots weren't suited to the rugged outdoor terrain). Now, she would be putting his advice and expertise to the test.

Stepping out of the van with her backpack, Apple Bloom noticed a group of other students standing around the aging vehicle. 'Guess they're the ones Ah'll be goin' through this farce with.' She thought to herself. 'At least Ah won't be doin' this alone.'

At that moment, Apple Bloom heard a familiar girl's voice call out, "Apple Bloom? Is that you?" Turning to see who it was, the former farm girl found herself faced with a teenaged girl who had yellow skin, bright red hair, and was dressed in a similar red plaid shirt, a blue undershirt, khaki shorts, and brown hiking boots. Looking this girl over, the burgundy haired girl asked, "Dream Wave?"

Nodding, Dream Wave remarked, "Haven't seen you in a hot minute. You here for the you know what?" Apple Bloom sighed as she replied, "Yeah. Mr. Compost didn't like mah report on the impact of war and how we can use pieces of weapons to undo the damage." Dream Wave let out a little laugh as she remarked, "Sounds like a better project than me. I tried to demonstrate an electric scooter." She groaned as she added, "Mr. Compost asked, "Do you know how much energy it takes to charge something like this" and he gave me an F."

At that moment, the familiar voice of Mr. Compost rang out, "Hopefully this weekend will teach you to give the environment the respect it deserves." As the two girls turned to find their teacher approaching them from the school building, dressed in a brown woven poncho over a dirty gray shirt. As he walked up to his students, the sickly green teacher continued, "Just as I hope you will also give me the respect I deserve."

Ironhide immediately spoke up with a stern, "Respect must be earned." Mr. Compost glared at the former soldier before continuing, "Nonetheless, it seems that everyone is here. Now then, will everyone please board my peacemobile?" As Apple Bloom and the others made their way to their teacher's van, Ironhide walked up to Mr. Compost and bluntly warned him, "You better bring those kids back in better condition than they are now, or you'll wear that satisfied smirk around your waist ass first!"

Nervously gulping, Mr. Compost replied, "Sure thing soldier boy. Don't go fragging anyone over it." The moment those words exited his lips, Apple Bloom ran up to her teacher as she warned, "Sir, you might not wanna use that word around mah uncle." As she said this, Ironhide took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and began cracking his knuckles, something the burgundy haired girl was a desperate attempt by her uncle to keep himself calm and not lash out at her teacher.

Turning to her uncle, Apple Bloom bade her uncle farewell with a gentle, "See you when we get back?" Ironhide nodded as he replied, "You've got this kid. Love you." The former farm girl nodded as she replied, "Ah love you too." With that, Apple Bloom straightened her backpack and stepped into Mr. Compost's van.

Stepping into the van, Apple Bloom made her way to an empty seat next to Dream Wave. As she sat down, the red-haired girl asked, "So, you ever do anything like this before? The former farm girl nodded as she replied, "Ah've been campin' a few times with mah sister…." Pausing for a moment as she recoiled at the mere memory of Applejack, she continued, "But Ah got a feelin' this'll be a bit different than this."

Before Dream Wave could reply, Mr. Compost opened the driver's door and sat down as he called out, "Alright everyone. Ready for an exciting weekend?" Neither Apple Bloom nor Dream Wave gave an answer, though a few others responded with unenthusiastic, "Yays." Slamming the van's door shut, Mr. Compost complained, "Come on now. We're gonna be embracing nature, living off the land the way our ancestors did. Doesn't that sound exciting?" This time, no one said anything in response.

Shrugging to himself, Mr. Compost mumbled, "They'll change their minds once we get there." Reving up his van, the sickly green teacher began the trek to the Yellow-Steel national park, hoping his pupils would embrace nature the way he had.

Yellow-Steel National Park, Several Hours Later…

"I like your hair." Dream Wave complimented Apple Bloom. The yellow girl continued, "You really rock burgundy." As the former farm girl began to awkwardly blush, Dream Wave continued, "I've been thinking about dying my hair myself. I'm thinking of doing like a dark green."

At that moment, the rusting van began to slow down. Looking out the window, Apple Bloom found herself greeted by the sight of an evergreen forest resting at the base of a rounded mountain. "Whoa." The former farm girl remarked as she took in the majesty of the forest. Turning to Dream Wave, she exclaimed, "You gotta get a see this." As the other girl looked out the window, she exclaimed, "It's beautiful."

The moment was killed when Mr. Compost called out, "Alright everyone. I need you all to give me your cellphones and other electronics." One of the other students called out, "But sir, my parents said I need to keep my phone on or near me at all times." The scruffy teacher shook his head as he replied, "We're going to be in nature, and I don't want anyone here to be distracted by these stupid little contraptions. You will leave your devices in this van, and that's final!"

As Mr. Compost made his way through the van collecting everyone's phones, Apple Bloom spoke up with a gentle, "Uh, Ah don't have a phone sir." The sickly green teacher nodded as he replied, "Well, one less device to worry about." After collecting all his students' electronic devices, Mr. Compost called out, "Now then, will you all follow me?"

Once she'd stepped out of her teacher's van, Apple Bloom took a deep breath as she said, "Ah, gotta love the fresh air." Dream Wave smiled as she replied, "Yeah, even if we're stuck here for that stupid root and berry retreat." The moment she said this, Mr. Compost called out, "I heard that! I'll show you that this retreat isn't stupid." Pointing to the forest, he continued, "Now then, follow me!"

As Mr. Compost began to walk towards the forest, Apple Bloom asked, "Uh, sir? Shouldn't we be, you know, headin' for the start of the trail or somethin'?" The sickly green teacher crossed his arms as he scoffed, "Trail? We won't be following some sort of beaten path. We're gonna be exploring the wilderness in all of its untapped and untamed glory." The mood quickly turned sour as the other students began to murmur to themselves, clearly worried about just what their teacher was planning.

Groaning, Mr. Compost told his students, "Well, if you don't follow me, you'll just have to repeat the semester with me." This seemed to give everyone the proper motivation, as the gaggle of students began to line up behind the scruffy teacher. Smiling, Mr. Compost pointed towards the forest as he called out, "Alright, forward fellow citizens of the planet!"

As they made their way to the sea of evergreens, Apple Bloom could only think to herself, "Somethin' about this don't feel right.'

Several Hours Later

"There we go." Mr. Compost said as he finished nailing the final support spike down to the ground. After what seemed like an eternal hike, the group made it to an empty clearing and set up a large communal tent. Turning to face his pupils, the old teacher asked, "See what a little hard work and teamwork can do?"

Wiping some sweat from her brow, Apple Bloom remarked, "Maybe, but we certainly can't do much on an empty stomach sir. What's for dinner?" Dream Wave then spoke up with, "Yeah, I'm starving!" Yet another student called out, "What's for dinner sir?"

Extending his arms, Mr. Compost declared, "Dinner is all around us. We're gonna be living off the land." For several seconds, Apple Bloom, Dream Wave, and everyone else stared at their teacher in stunned silence. After a few more moments, Mr. Compost continued, "It's called a root and berry retreat, so we're gonna be living off roots and berries."

The first person to speak up was Dream Wave, who could only ask, "You've gotta be kidding us." Even Apple Bloom couldn't help but ask, "But, what if we can't find anythin'?" Mr. Compost answered with a simple, "Then I guess you won't eat until the trip is done."

Taking this in, Apple Bloom could only think to herself, 'For the love of…. That is bullshit!' She was about to speak up, but remembered, 'Don't do that. The last time you said that, you only dug yourself deeper into this mess.' Sighing in resignation, Apple Bloom turned to the rest of the group and said, "Well, looks like we aren't gonna find any roots or berries or anythin' by standin' here."

As the group began to spread out in the search for food, Apple Bloom gave one look to her teacher, glaring at him as she couldn't help but think to herself, 'That pathetic little…' Shaking her head, the former farm girl continued, 'Don't think that. Besides, how hard could it be to find a few berries?'

The Next Morning

Slowly stirring from her restless slumber, Apple Bloom let out a yawn as she began to rise out of her sleeping bag. Blinking her eyes, the burgundy haired girl felt her stomach rumble as she lamented, "Ugh. Can't believe we couldn't find anythin' to eat last night."

Indeed, despite everyone's best efforts, no one was able to find any food, and everyone went to bed hungry. Now, cramped together in the large communal tent, it was the start of a new day, and Apple Bloom knew that there was no point in just lying around in the tent all day.

As she stepped outside the tent, the former farm girl was greeted by the sight of Mr. Compost meditating. Looking up to his student, the scruffy teacher stretched his arm and said, "Good Morning Apple Bloom. Ready for a fun filled day in nature?" Glaring at her teacher, Apple Bloom could only reply with a dejected, "Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

Rising up to his feet, Mr. Compost remarked, "I take it the others are still asleep?" Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, "Pretty much. They'll probably start wakin' up within the next fifteen minutes, give or take." At that moment, one of the other students, a girl with cream skin, black hair, and dressed in a gray tee shirt and blue denim pants, emerged from the tent as she asked, "Morning sir. Morning Apple Bloom."

Mr. Compost walked up to the girl as he greeted, "Good morning Windshear. I hope you're ready for another fun day out here in nature." As Windshear walked up to Apple Bloom, she asked, "So, what's for breakfast? Anyone find any roots or something?"

At that moment, Mr. Compost lit up as he explained, "Actually, I found several raspberry bushes nearby, and there should be enough for everyone." Windshear gulped as she nervously asked, "Uh, there anything else? I'm allergic to raspberries." The scruffy teacher shook his head as he replied, "Nope. Guess you'll just have to go hungry for now."

'No way!' Apple Bloom thought to herself. 'There's no way he just said that.' The former farm girl could hardly believe that her teacher had told a student that she could go hungry at best or suffer an allergic reaction at worst. Allowing her anger to consume her, Apple Bloom turned to her teacher and angrily asked, "Are you out of your mind sir?"

Shaking his head, Mr. Compost defiantly replied, "I know it's not ideal, but it's the hand we've been dealt. If you'd like, you can take one of the others and look for food yourself." He then cracked his knuckles as he continued, "Now then, I better wake everyone else up." As the scruffy teacher made his way to the large tent, Apple Bloom could only groan, "Well, this is just prime."

Several minutes later, after everyone had woken up, Mr. Compost had everyone gathered around him as he said, "Alright now everyone, now that you're all up, I want everyone to begin foraging for food. Time to nourish ourselves on nature's gifts." Apple Bloom leaned into Dream Wave's ear as she quipped, "Maybe mother nature will gift us a shower and rid us of his stench." Both girls snickered as Mr. Compost turned to them and scolded, "I heard that! In that case, if you two don't find anything, then you will not eat until later today, got it?"

Nodding, Apple Bloom replied, "Ah understand sir." Turning to Dream Wave, she said, "Come on, let's find some grub." The red-haired girl nodded as she replied, "Lead the way."

A Few Hours Later

Crawling along the dirt with her eyes glued to the ground, Apple Bloom groaned to herself, "Ugh. There's gotta be somethin' around here." As she crawled along the ground, the burgundy haired girl was distracted when she bumped her head into something. "Ouch. What in tarnation was that?" Looking up, Apple Bloom realized that she was kneeling right in front of a large birch tree.

Scratching the back of her head, Apple Bloom remarked, "Heh, guess Ah'm startin' to lose mah head." Before she could laugh at her quip, the former farm girl began to groan and sway before needing to sit down. Feeling her head ache and her stomach groan, she couldn't help but complain, "Ah hate this."

From her left, Apple Bloom heard Dream Wave tell her, "You aren't the only one." Turning to see her friend, the former farm girl asked, "Find anythin'?" Shaking her head, Dream Wave dejectedly replied, "I wish. All I found was poison ivy and pig scat." As Apple Bloom tilted her head in confusion, the red-haired artist explained, "Hog shit." The former farm girl let out, "Ew. Also, how do you know somethin' is pig shit anyway?"

Dream Wave let out a wistful sigh as she explained, "My grandpa used to hunt hogs, and he brought me along a few times." She then turned to the former farm girl and added, "You know, now that I think about it, I saw some bushes that looked like they'd been ravaged by pigs." Lighting up, Apple Bloom asked, "Well, if there's pig shit around, Ah guess that does mean pigs are around."

At that moment, both girls were startled by the unholy sound of a wild beast squealing. As they rose to their feet, Apple Bloom asked, "What was that?" Dream Wave pointed at something behind the former farm girl, leading her to turn around to see what it was.

Sure enough, there, standing atop a fallen log, stood a large, brown boar staring the two girls down. Leaning towards Dream Wave, Apple Bloom whispered, 'What do we do now?' As the feral hog let out another screech, the red-haired girl whispered, "Step. Back. Slowly."

It was at that moment that Apple Bloom stepped on a stray twig.

The feral hog let out a fierce bellow and began to charge the two girls, leading Dream Wave to scream, "Run!" Both girls then dashed away, hopeful they could escape the wrath of the wild hog.

The Communal Tent

As the two out of breath girls approached the tent, an exhausted Apple Bloom remarked, "Ah think…. Ah think we lost him." Dream Wave let out a deep breath as she replied, "Yeah. He'll probably be heading home by now." The former farm girl nodded as she replied, "And Ah thought the pigs we had on the farm could be a handful."

Before either girl could say anything else, they were caught off guard by the sound of someone screaming, "Somebody do something!" Apple Bloom gulped as she remarked, "Sounded like it was from the other side of the tent. Come on!" She then took Dream Wave's hand and dragged her friend along with her. Once they made it to the other side of the tent, Apple Bloom and Dream Wave were greeted by a terrifying sight.

There, surrounded by the rest of the group, they found Windshear, on her knees, the cream girl's face turning red as she lay on the ground, struggling to breathe.

Running up to Windshear, Apple Bloom asked, "What's goin' on?" One of the other students, a gray skinned boy with black bangs that covered his eyes, exclaimed, "We were eating some of the raspberries and Windshear just started choking!" Gulping in fear, the former farm girl exclaimed, "Oh no! It's an allergic reaction! Ah heard her say she was allergic to raspberries!" Dream Wave then knelt to Windshear and asked, "Windshear, you have any medicine?!"

The cream girl was barely able to motion to the tent before she continued to struggle to breathe. Turning to the tent, Apple Bloom charged into the flimsy structure and began to frantically search for Windshear's bag. "Come on. Come on!" The former farm girl muttered to herself as she looked for her friend's backpack.

After a few seconds, Apple Bloom found Windshear's backpack lying next to her sleeping bag. Seeing it, she said, "There we go!" The former farm girl leapt towards the backpack and scoured through it, opening every single flap and zipper until she finally found a small bottle of antihistamines. Smiling, Apple Bloom continued, "Finally!"

Darting out of the tent, Apple Bloom ran straight towards Windshear and handed her the bottle as she exclaimed, "Here!" As the cream girl snatched the bottle, everyone heard the sound of Mr. Compost's voice asking out, "What's going on over here?" Turning to face the sickly green teacher, the former farm girl found her teacher lazily waltzing up to them as he munched away on a root.

Pointing to Windshear, Apple Bloom shouted, "Windshear is havin' an allergic reaction to those Raspberries!" Mr. Compost glanced over to the cream girl, who was now taking a deep breath as the color began to return to her face. Shrugging, the scruffy teacher simply replied, "Looks like everything worked out just fine."

"Just fine?!" Apple Bloom furiously shouted as she took her teacher's words in. "Didn't you hear me? Windshear had trouble breathin'! She could've died, and you're sayin' that this is JUST FINE?" As Mr. Compost glared at her, the former farm girl couldn't contain her anger anymore, and she angrily asked, "All due respect sir, but are you OUT OF YOUR FUCKIN' MIND?"

This moment of frustration caught everyone's attention. As the other teens began to approach the two, Mr. Compost pointed right at Apple Bloom's chest as he angrily scolded her, "I don't know what your problem is young lady, but you have been a killjoy the entire trip." He then folded his arms as he continued, "You better start behaving yourself from this point forward." He then began to walk towards Windshear, all while Apple Bloom thought to herself, 'Behave mahself mah ass!'

As Dream Wave ran up to her, the red-haired girl asked, "You ok Apple Bloom?" Shaking her head, Apple Bloom replied, "Ah'm tired, Ah'm hungry, Windshear had an allergic reaction, and Mr. Compost is a jackass." Sighing, Dream Wave tried to lighten the mood as she remarked, "Well, I'm sure things can't exactly get worse."

At that moment, something in the corner of her eye caught Apple Bloom's attention. 'Huh? What's that?' she thought to herself. Turning to see what it was, the former farm girl found herself staring at several dark clouds off into the horizon. Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom could only say, "Ah really hope Ah remembered to pack a poncho or somethin'." Dream Wave could only gulp as she replied, "Me to."

That Night

The crash of thunder and the flash of lightning outside startled Apple Bloom as she scooted deeper inside the tent. To her right, Dream Wave handed her something brown as she asked, "Want a root?" Nodding, the former farm girl accepted the root as she reached into her pocket and pulled out some of the wild raspberries and offered, "Berries?" The red-haired artist nodded as she accepted the red berries, popping one in her mouth.

Just as Apple Bloom feared, a thunderstorm was now raging outside, forcing the entire group to seek shelter inside their communal tent. Now she, Dream Wave, Mr. Compost, and a half dozen other kids were hiding under the large tarp, hoping the rain and lightning would eventually stop.

From the other end of the tent, the gray skinned boy emerged from outside, absolutely soaked as he set the spade in his hand down on the ground and complained, "Sheesh, when will it stop raining?" Apple Bloom could only sigh as she replied, "Ah wish Ah had an answer, but Ah'm not psychic." Dream Wave then sighed as she added, "And even if we had our phones to check to look up the forecast, we probably wouldn't get a signal out her anyway."

At that moment, Mr. Compost raised his finger as he remarked, "Hold on. I have an idea." He then began to rummage through his bag as Apple Bloom whispered to herself, "Please let him have somethin' useful." Instead, the scruffy teacher pulled out something that looked like a mini xylophone made of cylinders as he said, "The pan flute. It will surely lift our spirits." Mr. Compost then began to blow into his pan flute, playing a simple (and to Apple Bloom, very unimpressive) song.

At that moment, Dream Wave began to rise up as she said, "I hate to interrupt the jam session, but I have to pee." As she rose up to leave the tent, Apple Bloom added, "And Ah need a little fresh air." The boy with low bangs asked, "But it's raining like hell out there!" The former farm girl sighed as she replied, "Yeah, but Ah'll take the rain over the pan flute." Mr. Compost could only shrug as he replied, "Your loss. I'm sure everyone else will be happy to enjoy some fun tunes." He then continued to play his instrument as Apple Bloom slipped on a red poncho.

The moment she and Dream Wave stepped outside the tent, both girls found themselves completely drenched in rainwater as the red-haired artist lamented, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about that stupid pan flute." Apple Bloom giggled as she replied, "Yeah. Honestly Ah just want to get away from him for a few minutes." She then asked, "So, where are you gonna, you know…"

Dream Wave began to ponder on that question, but the cold rain pouring down on them made both girls shiver. Pointing at something away from the tent, she said, "Come on, I think there's some rocks over here." She then took Apple Bloom's hand as she dragged her into the woods, the former farm girl calling out, "Hey, not so forceful!"

No sooner had she said this than Apple Bloom tripped on an overturned log, faceplanting straight into the mud. Pushing herself up, the former farm girl groaned in frustration as she tried to wipe the mud from her face, only to realize her hands and arms were smothered in mud as well.

"Ugh!" Apple Bloom screamed in frustration. "Well, this is just prime! Stuck in the middle of nowhere, starvin', soakin' wet, and completely filthy! Ah wonder how this could possibly get any worse!"

However, no one answered her rhetorical question. The former farm girl found herself standing in the depths of the woods in the middle of the night and in the middle of a thunderstorm. 'Oh shit. This ain't good.' She thought to herself. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she called out, "Hello? Dream Wave?"

Apple Bloom didn't get a response, only the heavy pitter patter of rain and faint sound of thunder. 'Keep calm Apple Bloom. Keep calm.' The burgundy haired girl thought to herself as she looked behind her, only to realize she couldn't see the clearing or the communal tent. Gulping in fear, Apple Bloom called out, "Hello? Dream Wavey? Mr. Compost? Anybody?"

At that moment, the former farm girl heard Dream Wave's voice call out, "Apple Bloom? I'm over here?" Apple Bloom lit up as she replied, "Where's here? Ah'm over here!" Looking around, she continued, "Wherever hear is." Dream Wave's voice continued, "Hold on! I'm coming towards you! Just sit…."

Dream Wave's voice immediately cried out, "Tiiiiiggghhhttt!" This was followed by the red-haired artist's voice screaming, a loud cracking sound, and her voice crying out in pain. Apple Bloom immediately let out a gulp as she called out, "Oh no! Hold on Dream Wave! Ah'm commin'!"

If there was any consultation to her current predicament, it was that Dream Wave's screaming made it easier to figure out just where she was. After a few moments, Apple Bloom found herself approaching a rocky outcrop. "Huh. Never noticed this here before." Indeed, she and the others had scoured the entire area surrounding the clearing, and there hadn't been any sharp drops anywhere nearby. The former farm girl thought to herself, 'Then, how far are we from the tent?'

Looking over the ledge, Apple Bloom was able to make out Dream Wave huddled against the rocky wall, her legs seemingly laying in front of her. Taking a deep breath, the former farm girl asked, "You alright there Dream Wave?" Looking up to her friend, the red-haired artist said something that shook Apple Bloom to the core.

"I think my legs are broken!"

"Your legs are broken?" Apple Bloom impulsively asked. A flash of lightning then flashed, startling both girls but showing the former farm girl that there was a path down the outcrop. Noticing this opportunity, Apple Bloom called out, "Hold on, Ah'll be right there!" She then began to make her way down towards her friend.

Making her way up to Dream Wave, Apple Bloom found the red-haired artist had tears bleeding out of her eyes as she cried, "Primus Apple Bloom! My legs hurt so bad!" The former farm girl looked down, only to find that one of Dream Wave's legs was bending at an unnatural angle. 'Oh no!' Apple Bloom thought to herself. 'This is bad. This is really, really bad.' She tried to help straighten her friend's leg, but the moment she touched her leg, Dream Wave screamed out in pain.

From above them, both girls heard Mr. Compost call out, "Apple Bloom? Dream Wave?" The burgundy haired girl immediately called back, "We're over here!" She immediately thought to herself, 'Ah don't think Ah'd ever be happy to hear his voice.' Sure enough, the scruffy teacher made his way first to the outcrop, then down the path and towards the two girls as he asked, "I heard you two shouting. What happened?"

Rising up from her friend, Apple Bloom explained, "We were tryin' to find somewhere to…. You know…. And Dream Wave fell down here and broke her legs!" A she said this, Dream Wave let out another cry of pain as she took a nearby stick and bit down on it in an attempt to contain her pain.

Mr. Compost folded his arms as he scolded the girls, "Well, I guess you'll just have to stay at the tent for the rest of the retreat." Taking this in, Apple Bloom furiously replied, "Didn't you hear me? Dream Wave's Legs! Are! Broken! She needs help right now!" The sickly green biology teacher pointed right at Apple Bloom's chest as he replied, "Well she wouldn't be in this mess if she followed the rules!" The former farm girl shot back with, "Well none of us would be in this mess if you hadn't pulled all those poor grades for that damn assignment from out of your ass!"

It was at this moment that a new sound caught everyone's attention. It wasn't the roar of thunder or crackle of lightning. It wasn't even the squeal or belch of another wild boar. It was the sort of sound that sent a shiver down Apple Bloom's spine.

It was the sound of a wolf's howl.

Dream Wave turned to Mr. Compost and asked, "Sir, was that a wolf?" The scruffy teacher gulped as he nervously replied, "Maybe. But don't worry, I'm sure that they're miles away by now." This statement was interrupted by another wolf's howl, this one louder than the other, signaling that it was much closer.

Apple Bloom immediately ran towards Dream Wave and wrapped her arms around her as she frantically said, "Come on! We gotta get you out of here!" She then helped her friend up, only to stop in her tracks when Dream Wave screamed in pain as she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can move. Just get the hell out of here!" The former farm girl immediately shot back, "Ah'm not leavin' you behind!"

At that moment, both girls and Mr. Compost heard what sounded like a large dog barking. Dream Wave pointed to something off in the distance as she whispered, "Over there." Apple Bloom followed her friend's finger, only to find herself staring at two yellow-colored eyes. As the former farm girl processed what she was looking at, Dream Wave whispered, "It's a wolf."

Mr. Compost immediately began backing up towards the path up as he nervously muttered, "Uh… I'll g-g-g-go g-g-get-t-t h-h-h-h-e-e-e-el-l-l-l-p-p-p." He then bolted up the path and ran away as he called out, "Don't worry! I'll get help!"

But neither Apple Bloom nor Dream Wave felt reassured. If anything, both girls felt even more terrified now that their teacher had abandoned them. Dream Wave, in particular began, to hyperventilate as she repeated to herself, "He left us. He left us! HE LEFT US!" All Apple Bloom could do was reach over and grab her friend's hand as she practically screamed, "Get a hold of yourself!" Once Dream Wave managed to regain some of her composure, the former farm girl tried to smile as she said, "We're gonna get through this."

At that moment, a large, gray wolf leapt out from the shadows, followed by two other wolves. The three canines barked at each other as they approached the two girls. Apple Bloom gulped as she muttered, "Oh shit." Scooping Dream Wave up in her arms, the former farm girl tried to approach the way up, only to be blocked by one of the wolves. The four-legged beast snarled and barked at her, forcing Apple Bloom to walk backwards towards the rocky wall.

"Ok, can't go that way." Apple Bloom whispered to herself. She tried to walk away, only to find herself staring face to face with the third wolf. Nervously trying to extend her arm, the former farm girl stuttered, "Uh… N-n-ni-ic-c-c-e-e-e d-d-d-dog-g-g-gy…." The wolf replied by trying to clamp down on her hand, forcing Apple Bloom to pull her hand back as she exclaimed, "Whoa!"

'Ok, so the way up is blocked…' Apple Bloom thought to herself. 'The sideway is blocked, and the front….' Before she could finish her thought, the first wolf, the leader of the pack from what the two girls could tell, leapt onto a nearby rock and gave them a furious glare. Apple Bloom could only think, 'And the front is blocked. So that means….'

"We're trapped." Dream Wave uttered in absolute dread. As Apple Bloom turned her head to face her friend, the red-haired artist frantically continued, "We're trapped. There's no way out!" The former farm girl tried to think of something to say, but she realized that Dream Wave was right. They were up against a rocky outcrop surrounded by three angry looking wolves. It was at this moment that the young artist uttered something that shook both girls to the core.

"We're gonna die!"

The moment Dream Wave said those three words, Apple Bloom couldn't help but think to herself, 'So this is it?' She was bombarded by the thought of never seeing her other friends again. 'Marble, Rattrap, Pastel, Sideswipe, Tender…' Feeling her eyes water up, Apple Bloom muttered, "Tender Taps." She then thought, 'Double Shuffle, Wheelie, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Wreck-Gar, Brains, Aunt Chromia….' Feeling tears fall down her cheeks as her nose began to run, she could only mutter, "Uncle Ironhide."

It was now that she realized that this was it. This was the end. Both she and Dream Wave were about to be devoured by a trio of hungry wolves, and there was nothing neither of them could do about it. The only thing Apple Bloom could do was set her friend down on the ground as they both leaned against the rocky outcrop that now acted as their tombstone.

Turning her head to look Dream Wave in the eyes, Apple Bloom could only tearfully mutter, "Ah'm sorry. For everythin'." Dream Wave, for her part, simply pulled her friend into a tight hug as she replied, "At least we aren't going out alone." All Apple Bloom could do was hug her friend back as the lead wolf charged at the two girls and leapt into the air as an unfamiliar loud boom rang through everyone's ears.

To Be Continued