Willpower

noun

1. Control exerted to do something or restrain impulses.

Synonyms: moderation

Applejack Apple's POV

"What in the Hell is wrong with you, AJ?" More tears were streaming down the side of my face as I shoved open the glass doors of the hotel open, shattering them in the process. I swiped my nose with the side of my hand and refused to look back behind me.

I didn't even mean to do that to Rainbow. I was just so fed up with everything. I was tired of always having to wait around to do something. My significant other was literally dying, and we were forced to sit around and wait for Pinkie Pie to show up again. I have nothing against Pinkie, but I know how she is around her family and I doubt that visit would be cut short. I understand that we can't afford to be separated, but I'm not about to lose another person from our circle... And that's something I couldn't believe Rainbow Dash would wait around for, considering her element.

"You idiot..." I kicked at the dirt angrily and continued on down the paved streets of Las Pegasus. When I reached an intersection where Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had been training, a bright flash of white suddenly appeared in my field of vision. A small cloud of orange dust appeared just beneath Pinkie's feet once she hit the ground. She looked frantic.

"A-Applejack... We have to go. Now." Pinkie wasted no time to grab me by the arm and pull me opposite of where Rarity was.

"Hey, now..." I ripped my arm free from her grasp and stared at her. "I'm not going anywhere else. I have to rescue Rarity. She's dying, Pinkie."

"W-What?!" Pinkie's icy blue eyes widened in both shock and devastation. She only covered her mouth in response and shut her eyes tightly - something she always did to prevent herself from crying. We stood still together as I waited for another response from the girl in front of me.

"I have to go... I... Got in a fight with Rainbow Dash a few minutes ago. I don't think she wants to see me right now... I think it's best if you go and check on her -"

"Are you crazy?" Pinkie blurted out. Her eyes were misty and her bright pink hair was suddenly looking duller than before. "We're losing our friends, AJ. Look around you! We only have each other... And we're the reason why Twilight is in danger right now -"

"Wait, you found Twilight?"

"No... I don't know how exactly it happened, but I was with my family when suddenly I just got this huge headache that wouldn't go away. Soon though, I started... Hearing Twilight's voice in my head - as if she was standing right next to me! She's hidden out in the San Palomino Desert. She's really hurt, Applejack. She's fighting against... Well... Herself. She needs us!"

"You mean..."

"Midnight Sparkle is returning." Pinkie responded in a hush. Pinkie once again shut her eyes closed and held her head down. She was quiet for a moment, and for once I was actually left speechless. Pinkie exhaled slowly.

"... We have to get Rainbow, Fluttershy and Rarity." I replied in a more serious tone of voice. Pinkie stared up at me with the same broken expression in her blue eyes. "We can't rescue Twilight if we're low on numbers... With Sunset gone..."

"We need each other more than ever." Pinkie finished with the tiniest smile in her voice. I returned her smile and was instantly wrapped up in a tight embrace by her. I returned the hug and buried my face into the fluff of her pink hair. Somehow she still smelled like Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie suddenly released me and shouted, "Rainbow Dash!"

I immediately spun around where Pinkie was staring. Rainbow was exiting the hotel looking understandably glum. My eyes fell to the ground as those same hurt feelings returned causing my heart to ache tremendously. Pinkie sprinted off in Rainbow's direction - a bright pink blur followed and soon disappeared into the air.

"Heh... Nice to see you too, Pinks..." Rainbow Dash awkwardly pat her friend on the back. When she pried herself away from Pinkie's hug, her ruby eyes landed on mine. A moment of tense silence washed over us. I exhaled slowly and began walking in their direction. I was the reason why she was feeling bad... I might as well own up to it, and apologize for it.

"Look - Dash... I'm -"

"AJ." Rainbow held up a hand and smirked. I stared at her in disbelief as she lowered her hand back to her side and chuckled. She scratched the back of her neck and looked away, "I shouldn't have kept you waiting. I know how much it means to you to get your girl back... Especially now more than ever..."

There was a moment of silence between all of us. Rainbow sighed in relief and held her hand out toward me, "No more fighting. I'm sorry for upsetting you back there. Let's go get her."

Pinkie stood between Rainbow Dash and I hopping in excitement. Rainbow was still looking at me apologetically, but with her famous side-smile. A small laugh escaped my lips. I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me and bear hugged her. She was obviously caught off guard, but she still laughed. Pinkie squealed and joined in on our embrace.

"Operation Rescue Rarity has commenced!" Pinkie shouted in glee. We all separated, and gave each other a quick nod before taking off running toward the direction of Luna Bay.

"I have an idea." Rainbow muttered under her breath. Pinkie and I both stared at the multicolored hair girl curiously. Rainbow whispered something to Pinkie. She nodded in response before she disappeared in a bright white light.

"Wha - hey, wait!" Without warning, Rainbow slung me over her shoulders. Her hands held onto my ankle and wrists tightly before taking off sprinting, leaving a large cloud of orange dust behind us along with the same seven vibrant colors of the rainbow. I had to shut my eyes tightly because of the speed. There were a few sudden twists, turns, and even jumps before Rainbow finally stopped and set me down gently on top of the sandy shore of Luna Bay.

To our right was the snowy mountain range - behind it was Yak Yakistan where Fluttershy was currently at. Rainbow Dash eyed the mountains with worry in her eyes. She shook her head and turned her attention towards me once again, "I hope you're up for flying."

I sighed nervously and stared out toward the enormous bay. Further out into the ocean were the two islands. I swallowed hard and pushed myself up off the sandy terrain. Rainbow chuckled and started stretching. While she was doing that, I continued to eye our surroundings before we had to take off again.

Behind us opposite of the mountain range was a large forest and a train station that would take us to Vanhoover. It was quiet with the exception of the ocean waves lapping over large rocks and cascading against the sand. Seagulls chirped and flew around the shore in search for something of their own.

"Ready?" Rainbow suddenly asked, breaking me out of my own trance. I nodded in response. Rainbow opened up the tracker on her arm and smiled. "Just as planned... Pinkie is waiting for us at the island already. Once we meet up with her... Well, I hope you're prepared for a second run with me."

Rainbow crouched down in front of me, signaling me to climb onto her back. It was a little tricky at first, but I was finally on top of her back. Rainbow held me up by grasping onto the back of my thighs. My arms wrapped themselves around her neck. I swallowed nervously - I absolutely hated flying...

A set of large and ghostly blue wings suddenly sprouted from her back. Oh no...

Rainbow took a few steps backwards to give herself a running start. In just a few seconds we were finally airborne. Luckily, we weren't too high off of the ground - well... Sea. Rainbow was flying fast, but not as fast as she normally would like to go. We glided against the currents of the cold sea. Rainbow lowered herself so she could reach out with one arm and feel the water beneath the palm of her hand.

I stared down at the water and occasionally found myself looking at a plethora of marine life. A handful of dolphins were squeaking and leaping out of the water alongside us both. The islands in front of us were growing larger by the second. Even from the distance, I was able to see Pinkie Pie's signature color skipping back and forth on the beach happily.

"Whoa, check it out!" Rainbow Dash shouted out loudly. She suddenly flew upwards until we were at least more than a hundred feet away from the sea. When I looked down, a large shadow-like figure was swimming slowly through the sea. "Blue whale!"

Sure enough, a large mist of water sprayed from the whale for a couple of seconds before it sank back into the ocean, followed by it's large tail. It slapped against the water loudly like a crack of thunder, sending water to spray everywhere behind its wake. "Wow..."

"Pretty awesome, huh?" Rainbow glided through the air, descending toward the island. Pinkie Pie spotted us and waved us over enthusiastically. I couldn't help but smile. In the pit of my stomach I was nervous. I felt like I wasn't ready to see Rarity. How is she going to react when she sees us? Oh god... I hope she's still alive...

Seconds later, Rainbow hit the ground delicately and released me back on the sand. The pair of wings on her back folded and soon disappeared from view. Rainbow stretched out her arms and legs and exhaled with a large smile on her face, "That was crazy awesome. I seriously can't wait to do that again."

"I bet. I wish I could have done that!" Pinkie responded with a little grin. The three of us soon eyed our surroundings. The island appeared to be its own massive jungle. How were we going to get to Rarity if we have to go through here? "Where's Rarity on the map, Dash?"

Rainbow looked at the tracker on her forearm and raised her eyebrows every so slightly, "Looks like she's on the move, guys. She's heading toward the edge of the North side of this island. Let's go." She closed the flap shut and began running. Pinkie Pie and I followed at a steady but quick pace.

"Pinkie - give AJ a boost and follow me." Pinkie nodded and turned her gaze to me. I rolled my eyes, as we stopped in our tracks so I could hop onto Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash kept her eyes on us. Once we were settled, Rainbow nodded and took off as fast as lightning. Soon though, Pinkie dashed after her, following her rainbow trail. "We're nearly there!"

I swallowed hard in response and kept a tight grip on Pinkie's shoulders. In the blink of an eye we came to an abrupt halt. Rainbow Dash stood in front of us looking down at the tracker. She turned to my direction and smiled, "Just through this clearing..."

I slid down Pinkie's back until my feet touched the uneven rocky and grassy terrain. The large trees towered over us, surrounding us in green. Further up ahead, the trees and vegetation branched out into what appeared to be a cliff side. The ground faded from emerald into a light beige color. Tiny pebbles of dirt and rock littered the ground beneath my feet. We walked up further until finally...

Standing at the edge was Rarity Gem herself. Her purple hair was a bit of a mess, but it still retained its natural curls. A white robe-like dress was draped around her small frame.

"Go get her." Pinkie whispered to me. She was smiling widely and a tiny tear fell down the side of her cheek. Rainbow Dash nodded at me. I returned my gaze back to my lover. I walked forward with no hesitation. My hand reached up to my head and grabbed my Stetson off of my head and held it in front of my chest. I continued walking until finally...

"R-Rare?" It barely came out as a whisper. I swallowed hard, and sucked in a quick breath before finally amplifying my voice, "R-Rarity?"

Her figure jumped in place and she spun around. My heart nearly stopped. Though no make up covered her face, she was still as flawless as ever. She was certainly looking thinner than when I last saw her. She brought both hands up to her mouth and her face twisted into a mixture of relief and sadness, "J-Jackie?!"

"Oh my God, Rare..." My voice cracked and I sped walked toward her direction, tears spilling from the sides of my eyes.

"Wait - RARITY! AJ! STOP!" Pinkie cried out, startling everyone. Almost as quickly as she cried out her warning, there was a steady beeping noise coming from somewhere nearby. The four of us stared at one another cautiously. I closed my eyes and attempted to follow the noise.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

I locked my eyes immediately on Rarity, and took off sprinting in her direction. The noises were drowned out by the sound of my own breathing and heartbeat. Everything seemed to slow down in this instant. Rarity rushed toward me, reaching both arms out toward me.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Our fingertips brushed slightly, before I lunged forward and pulled Rarity toward me. She instantly wrapped her arms around me tighter than ever before.

BEEPBEEPBEEP

"NO!" From the corner of my eye, I saw Pinkie and Rainbow attempting to reach us both. Not even a blink later, an explosion was heard. Rarity and I held each other tighter as our figures were shrouded in a large cloud of grey and brown. And suddenly... Our feet were no longer touching the ground. ~~~~

Both Rarity and I screamed in absolute terror as we fell further from the ground. A large cluster of rocks were just beneath us. We stopped in mid-air abruptly. Rarity and I both opened our eyes slowly and found that Rarity had made a magical construct just beneath our feet. It was flickering, and Rarity was noticeably sweating.

"Rare -" Rarity was gritting her teeth and continued holding her hands up in the air tensely. The blue aura of magic was slowly fading from her fingertips. Rainbow Dash suddenly appeared beside us and wasted no time grabbing hold of Rarity and I. Her translucent wings were beating fast and hard as she tried her hardest to hoist us both up. Rarity had suddenly fainted, and the flickering construct was no longer in sight. Wisps of blue flew into the air from her fingertips. "Oh God... Rarity!"

We were nearly to the top. Rainbow was shouting something, but I couldn't hear a thing. Sweat dripped from Rainbow's forehead. Her knuckles were white as her grip on Rarity and I tightened. I looked toward the side of the cliff and noticed a large root dangling in place.

I'm not too sure how I did it, but that root suddenly grew larger and thicker. It appeared to be reaching out to us, "What the -"

Rainbow Dash stared at the growing tree root. The vegetation around us all suddenly enveloped Rarity and I closely together. Rainbow let go of our wrists and watched in awe as the plants circled us both in delicate arcs of brown and green. Rainbow flew up to the top of the cliff and simply watched. The branches and roots were pulling us back up. But how?

Soon, the roots separated for us and transformed themselves into a sturdy staircase that led to the top of the cliff. I wasted no time hoisting Rarity up onto my shoulder and scurried up the stairs. Once we arrived to the top, the tree branches shrunk back to their previous state into the cliff. I looked around the wooded area past the clearing and noticed that all of the trees were growing fruit rapidly right before my own eyes.

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash looked around in surprise. I walked toward the duo further away from where the cliff collapsed and set Rarity down on the grass. I knelt down beside her and leaned towards her listening for a pulse.

...

...

I sighed in relief and planted a small kiss on Rarity's forehead.

"Uh... A-Applejack?" Rainbow stuttered out in what sounded like fear in her voice. I looked up at her in confusion. Pinkie was looking around me with amazement in her eyes. I hesitantly stared behind me and saw a number of trees growing all around Rarity and I.

I held a hand out toward the green apple tree growing just behind Rarity. The branch grew toward me instantly and produced a beautiful ripe apple. It fell onto my hand neatly and retracted back to the tree.

"W-Was that..."

"That's your new power!" Pinkie Pie shouted out gleefully. Rainbow Dash's widened eyes never seemed to close. She was truly awestruck. I felt my lips curling into a large smile. I actually got a new ability...

"Plant manipulation... I should have known," Rainbow Dash finally said with a laugh. They both walked towards us and knelt beside Rarity.

"She's got a pulse... We need to let her rest."

"Not here... We have to find a place to hide ASAP." Pinkie whispered out to us urgently. I nodded and scooped up Rarity into my arms bridal style. I kissed her forehead once again and held her closer than ever before.

I got you...

Twilight Sparkle's POV

"ENOUGH!" I shouted out loudly. I was fighting against Midnight Sparkle. I was shrouded in large clouds of black. Through the shadows and corners of the shack I was still in, I was able to see Midnight's large figure flipping back and forth from the walls laughing maniacally.

I hit and punched the sides of my head repeatedly. Tears had formed and cascaded down my cheeks rapidly. I threw myself against the wall behind me and desperately tried to find new ways to hurt myself. If I did it enough times, perhaps she would go away... Right?

"Now, now, Twilight..." Midnight suddenly appeared from the shadows in front of me and pinned me up against the wooden wall by my throat. She was a clone of myself... Tanned skin, and highlighted purple hair. That skin suddenly begun changing into a dark shade of violet. Her eyes blinked and were now a ghastly shade of bright aquamarine that glowed immensely. Her hair grew wild and stood up on its own. "You're wrong."

"I... I will not let you defeat me, Midnight Sparkle! You are not me!" I screamed into her face.

"There's a reason why I fell in love with you Twi." Sunset said to me with a shy smile. Her face flushed pink for a brief second. When she looked over at me, her teal eyes met mine and it felt as if all my worries just washed away.

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Midnight yelled back into my face. It was deafening. My eyes shut tightly as her hands wrapped themselves around my neck with a vice like grip. My vision began blurring.

"And what's that reason?" I questioned with a little smile of my own. Sunset tucked a few strands of my purple hair away from my face and leaned in close. She planted a delicate kiss on my nose before wrapping her arms around my waist slowly.

"Because..."

Midnight Sparkle continued choking me until I was sputtering and coughing and struggling to breathe for air. For once, her eyes were actually happy.

"Because you saved me from myself."

Everything soon went black.