A salamander yanked the collar around Rainbow's neck down, forcing her onto her knees. Her forehooves had been chained to each other, and the shackles around her hind hooves were connected with a chain too short to run with. A heavy rope bound her wings to her sides.
Rainbow knelt in a large, very ornate room. Paintings lined the walls and columns capped in gold supported the cave's roof. Ahead, the best-dressed salamander that she had seen yet stood up from a bronze throne.
"This is the animal that's caused all this trouble in my colony?" he said, adjusting his robe.
"My name's Rainbow Dash and I'm a pony, not an—mmph!" A gag had been forced into her mouth by a guard.
"My apologies, Lord Hezak," the guard said. "We should have muzzled it sooner."
Lord Hezak slowly walked around Rainbow. "This creature broke in and attacked four scholars?"
"My lord," one salamander said, "it also spied on me in the bath and smashed one of my priceless statues."
If looks could kill, Rainbow would have set her on fire.
"Typical sex-crazed beast," Lord Hezak said. "Not only does it expose its own genitals, it seeks out those of others before destroying art it cannot understand."
Rainbow wanted to tell Lord Hezak exactly what she thought of him, his colony, and salamanders in general. Her first few words were too muffled to understand, and she gave up. Instead she took a deep breath and let it out through her nose.
Lord Hezak walked in front of Rainbow, looking down on her. "Is that why you scurried in?" He leaned down and removed her gag. "For sex and destruction?"
Weighing her options, Rainbow took a breath.
"I came here," she said, "because I'm looking for my wife. I know she's here. Please, just let her go."
After gagging her again, Lord Hezak turned away. "See? Even in chains and the point of a spear, all it can think of is satisfying its base sexual desires."
Murmurs of agreement spread across the room. Rainbow growled, trying her best to bite the gag in half. Her chains rattled as she shook.
"These are the great ponies of Equestria? I can't tell if this one is even sapient. The other one has a use, but what is there to be done with such a violent, sex-crazed beast like this?" He put his hand to his chin. "Perhaps a few moments of entertainment can be had."
Lord Hezak stood over Rainbow again. "Beast, let us test your so-called intelligence. If you best me at a simple game of chess, I'll let both you and the other animal go, the one you call your wife. Such an insult to the word."
Rainbow found her mouth freed once more. "Chess?!" She surged forward until her collar dug into her neck. "I don't know how to play chess!" she shouted.
An uproar of laughter filled the room. Hezak said, "Take this beast to its sex-mate, so it can satisfy itself while I decide what to do with it. Let it not be said that I am unmerciful."
The guard holding her leash replaced her gag and led her out of the room.
---
Going through a single door, the opulence of the salamander colony gave way to bare cave walls and an uneven floor. Three guards led Rainbow down a rough hallway lined with torches. At the end, they rounded a corner to find a large cage with her wife inside.
"Rainbow?!" Rarity said. "What are you doing here?"
"Mmph," Rainbow replied through the gag.
Two guards held Rainbow and Rarity at spearpoint while the third unhooked her shackles and removed her gag. Rainbow considered running away, but she didn't want to think of what they might do to Rarity in retaliation. With some prodding, Rainbow entered the cage and the guard closed the door behind her.
Moments later, the sound of a door closing indicated that the last guard had left.
Rarity turned. "Rainbow, dearie, might I repeat myself? What are you doing here?"
"Same thing you are." She sat down and looked Rarity over. She had a black ring over her horn and her mane was a mess.
Rarity took a breath. "I'm surviving. However, I am somewhat more upset than I was. What were you thinking coming out here?"
Looking up, Rainbow said, "When you didn't come home, I got worried. I decided to come out here and find you. I mean, what was I supposed to do, not look for you?"
"Yes!" Rarity shouted.
Standing up, Rainbow said, "What? How could I just leave you?"
"By staying home! By asking somepony else to look for me! Do you ever think about what you're doing? Must I remind you that you are with foal, Rainbow?" Rarity stepped towards her.
Rarity took a breath. "In fact, I would be perfectly satisfied spending the rest of my life here, having this ghastly ring on my horn, giving me only enough magic to lift a needle to repair the outfits of those awful salamanders. I would gladly do it all if it was with the knowledge that you and our daughter were safe."
Rainbow backed up. "Rarity, I couldn't just... not help you."
"You could have and you should have." She turned to look across the dim cavern. "Now both the mare I love and the foal she's carrying are trapped in this terrible place. What am I supposed to do now?"
Moving to her side, Rainbow answered, "We'll figure something out."
Rarity looked at Rainbow's back. Her horn flickered under the metal band and magic tugged at the rope tied around Rainbow's wings. With some grunting from both ponies, Rarity soon had it loose.
"Thanks, Rarity," Rainbow said. She extended her wing across Rarity's back and held her in her grip.
The pair sat in silence.
Curious, Rainbow asked, "How did you end up in here, anyways?"
"I was out collecting gems, when a salamander approached me. One asked if I could fix their suit. When I did, two more jumped out at me, tied me up and dragged me here. Now they treat me like an animal and force me to mend their clothing."
Rainbow said, "I think they're expecting me to jump your bones."
"Pardon me if I'm not in the mood." Rarity sighed. "But it's a wonder that they thought you'd have a sex drive at all with your pregnancy."
Rainbow thought for a second. "Actually, they never mentioned that. I don't think they know I'm pregnant. I mean, I said it once or twice, but it's not like they listened to me."
Giggling, Rarity replied, "For all their superior intelligence they never noticed that your belly's twice the size that mine is?"
Rainbow chuckled back.
After another pause, Rainbow asked, "So, did he ask you for a chess game, too?"
With a sigh, Rarity answered, "Yes. It went well at first, but I missed a fork threat and lost my rook. From there, things steadily got worse. Eventually, I chose to resign rather than give him the pleasure of a mate." She smiled. "By upending the board in his smug face."
"That was better than I did," Rainbow said, "I told him I didn't know how to play. They laughed at me."
In the distance, they heard the door to the cave open. A guard approached with a sewing kit and a suit jacket.
"How may I help you, darling?" Rarity chimed.
The guard dropped the jacket and kit on the ground without a word, then turned to leave.
"I'll have that fixed before you know it!"
After the guard was gone, Rainbow said, "You sound like you're enjoying this."
Rarity sat up straight. "A lady is always polite and always keeps herself presentable."
Rainbow finished her sentence: "Except in bed."
Turning red, Rarity added, "That is nopony's business except our own!"
With a chuckle, Rainbow said, "Oh, have you tried whining your way out yet?"
"Why do you think we're alone in here, dearie?" Rarity smiled.
Rainbow's laughter echoed off the cave walls.
"Now, if you'll excuse me." Visibly straining, Rarity used her magic to levitate one of the needles. "They'll check back every so often and don't feed me until I'm done. And it takes a lot of concentration to use my magic with this ring stuck to my horn."
In the darkness of the cave, Rainbow had no way to tell the passage of time. She could only lay in silence, watching Rarity struggle to perform simple needlework.
Before long, Rarity had finished the repairs. She wiped the sweat from her brow. "I haven't had this much trouble with magic since I was a filly."
"What do you think I should go for when the guard comes back?" Rainbow asked. "Violent or sex-crazed?"
Rarity tidied up the jacket. "I would prefer that we act like civilized ponies and not give our captors any reason to worsen our situation, especially yours."
Rainbow hated it when Rarity was right.
Soon the guard came, and Rainbow sat still like a good little beast. Their dinner was two bowls of something mushy and green.
Once they were alone again, Rainbow inspected the bowls. "At least they're not fattening us up to eat us."
Rarity pushed her bowl towards Rainbow.
"Huh?" Rainbow asked.
"You're eating for two," Rarity said. "Just take it."
Rainbow pushed it back. "I'm not the only one who needs to eat."
With a scowl, Rarity said, "The foal needs this more than I do."
Returning the look, Rainbow said, "I'm not going to let you starve."
"Rainbow Dash! If you do not eat my food, I will dump it out across the floor!" Rarity stomped the ground, causing the bowls to wobble.
Reluctantly, Rainbow took Rarity's bowl. She paused, then held it up. "If you can't sew, then neither us nor the foal are eating. So take one bite. For me?"
Slowly, Rarity leaned over and took a bite of the green mush. Rainbow smiled at her.
"Thanks, babe," Rainbow said before starting on it herself. It tasted as good as it looked, but within moments, she had wolfed down both bowls.
"If tonight is anything like last night," Rarity said, "then there is nothing left to do but get some rest."
She lay down in the corner. Rainbow joined her, wrapping her hooves around Rarity in the chill of the cave.
---
The next morning, or what Rainbow assumed was morning, started with two torn outfits and no salamander conversation. Rainbow was starving. She could only guess how Rarity felt.
Rarity had closed one hole and was halfway through the next when suddenly they heard a distant rumbling. Dust wafted down from the cave ceiling.
"What do you think that was?" Rainbow asked.
Rarity paused her sewing to look at her. "I can't imagine what it could have been. But there's nothing I can do about it except finish this so you can eat."
"You're eating too, Rarity." Rainbow lay down next to her.
"We'll see."
Rarity finished the patching, but no salamander came to retrieve them.
"Rarity?" Rainbow asked after what felt like an hour.
"Hm?"
"Do you think something happened?"
Rarity looked towards the exit. "We can only hope for the best."
"What if—" Rainbow was interrupted by the sound of the cave door opening.
Both ponies looked in the direction. Around the corner came Twilight Sparkle, with no salamanders escorting her. A set of keys hung in Twilight's magical grasp.
"Twilight!" Rainbow and Rarity shouted in unison.
Starlight Glimmer rounded the corner after Twilight.
"Looks like Lord Hezak was telling the truth after all," Starlight said.
Twilight unlocked the cage. The two captives rushed out and hugged her. With a flash of Twilight's horn, the ring on Rarity's split in two and dropped to the ground.
"How did you find us?" Rarity asked.
Leading the way out, Twilight said, "After Rainbow told us you were in Dodge Junction and disappeared, I assumed she went after you. I questioned the ponies there and pieced together that she was looking in the Badlands for you."
They moved into the ornate hallways. They passed a salamander guard, who gripped his spear and stared daggers at the group. Rainbow stole a nervous glance as she went by. Ignoring him completely, Twilight continued, "There, I found the salamanders and learned that they had two ponies in a cave below their colony. I asked politely for you to be released, then we let ourselves in."
"They didn't stop you?" Rainbow asked.
"They tried," Starlight answered with a smile.
The group climbed a stairway and rounded a corner into another hallway. More salamanders met them, but none blocked their way.
Twilight smiled, too. "With Starlight's help, we made our way to their ruler. I offered them a diplomatic solution, but he refused to listen."
Reaching the foyer that Rainbow had briefly glimpsed the previous day, her pace faltered. The paintings on the wall were in tatters. Bookshelves lay on the floor and large statues sat in pieces. Several scorch marks stretched from the front door to every corner of the room. The door itself had been blown clear off its hinges.
Several salamanders were present, some with burnt clothing. All of them stopped and stared.
Walking towards the outside like the place wasn't a disaster area, Starlight resumed the story. "I noticed that he had a chess set. I offered to play a game. He agreed to let you go peacefully if I won. And I did."
Outside, the early morning sun shone over the cliffs behind the ponies. "So what if you'd lost?" Rainbow wondered.
"We'd be running right now," Starlight answered.
"Although," Twilight said, "We might want to pick up the pace anyways before he reviews the game." She sped up a little.
Keeping pace, Rarity asked, "Why?"
"Because Starlight moved her queen while he wasn't looking."