//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: The Tale of Two Pegasi 
// by PvtFlutters 
//------------------------------//

             "What are we gonna do, y'all?" Applejack asked in a concerned voice. "We've lost Fluttershy, and Twilight is out cold." Rainbow Dash was hovering around the library's ceiling, as if she was looking for something. Rarity watched in disgust as Pinkie Pie chewed a cupcake loudly. Crumbs from the little cake dropped to the floor. 
"Pinkie Pie... honestly," Rarity said. The pink pony looked at Rarity. Then at the floor. Then back at Rarity. 
"Oops, almost lost a piece!" Pinkie said happily. Then she licked it up off the floor. 
"That is gross!" Rarity exclaimed. 
"No, it's actually really tasty! Wanna try one?" Pinkie smiled, picking another crumb up off the floor. 
"No... I'm uh... full, yeah," Rarity said. 
"Whatever, more for me!" Pinkie replied. 
Applejack watched as the two talked. It was almost as if neither of them knew the seriousness of the situation. She then looked up to Rainbow Dash who was buried in a book. 
"What'cha got there, sugar cube?" Applejack asked. Rainbow closed the book and landed next to Applejack. 
"A book on portals, but it's talking about a lot of complex stuff. Guess only unicorns understand it," Rainbow explained. Applejack looked up to Twilight's room where the purple unicorn was sleeping. 
"Twi's in no shape to do that again. And after what happened today, I doubt she'll ever do it again," Applejack said. Rainbow looked at her, concerned. 
"But she has to! Fluttershy's trapped in there. Who knows what's happening to her?" Rainbow said. Applejack rubbed her hoof against her chin. Rainbow was right, they had to save Fluttershy. But there was no way to open the portal up without Twilight, and it had already nearly killed her. Who knew when or even if she'd ever be ready to cast it again? 
"I could do it," a voice said. Rainbow and Applejack turned to the source. It was Rarity. "In theory any unicorn could. It's just very... difficult." She finished. Pinkie spit out her half chewed cupcake. 
"Are you loco in the coco?!" Pinkie said. 
"Pinkie's right, no offense Rarity, but Twi's just better with magic. And you saw what happened to her," Applejack said. Rarity knew it was true and took no offense. 
"I know, but it's our only shot. I'm the reason Twilight and Fluttershy are in this situation, it's my obligation to clean this up," Rarity said. Rainbow and Applejack looked at each other. Rarity was right. She was their best hope at this point. 
"But, we saw what happened to Twilight-even if you pull off the spell, you'll be so exhausted that you'll have no energy to go through the portal to look for her," Rainbow said. Applejack nodded in agreement. "We need someone fast. Someone strong." Rainbow continued. 
"Oh, oh! Pick me!" Pinkie screamed with excitement. The other three laughed. 
"I'll go, Fluttershy and I have been friends since we were fillies," Rainbow said. 
"Now hold on there," Applejack said. "We need someone who can keep calm in a situation like this. I've already showed how calm and collected I am by saving Twilight when the rest of ya just stood around like a bunch of statues" 
"You should really let the element of loyalty do this," Rainbow replied. 
"I can honestly say that you're just not right for this job!" 
"Am too!" 
"No ya ain't" 
"Stop this insensate bickering!" Rarity shouted. Rainbow and Applejack looked at Rarity. "Neither one of you deserve it if this is how you act!" she remarked. She then picked up a bit from a near by table. "Heads, Rainbow Dash, tails, Applejack," she said calmly. She placed the bit in the center of her hoof and threw it into the air. Her horn began to glow and as the bit fell it was caught in her levitation spell. 
"What is it?" Rainbow asked. Rarity looked at the bit and gave a sigh implying that their argument was over. 
"Tails, looks like Applejack will go into the portal," she announced. Rainbow looked down at the floor in defeat. 
"I'll bring her back, Rainbow," Applejack said with a smile. Rainbow smiled and gave Applejack a strange look. A look that she used when looking at a Rival before a big race. 
"You'd better," Rainbow said with a grin. The two ponies spit into their hooves and shook on it. 
"That's still gross," Rarity said in disapproval.