//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: The Pale Land // by OrphiusOlyandra //------------------------------// "You've got to be kidding me!" "Oh please, calm down, you make it sound like I'm asking you to eat meat or something," sighed Twilight as she rubbed her temple. "It's very simple, either you go along with it or you go on alone and fend for yourselves. Then again, considering we're merely travelling in the same direction and not actually travelling together, I'm sure you'll be fine with that." "Shut up," snapped Dash as she grabbed a packet of the unicorn's foul food and gulped it down without a second thought. Immediately afterwards, she drowned an entire bottle of water and wiped her mouth. "That is horrible. How can you eat that?" "Don't eat and I die, pretty simple really," shrugged Twilight as she grabbed her saddlepack. "Or you could try meat and gems," said Spike causing everypony present to gag. "Hey, it's better than that crap." "Language mister." "I'm older than you." Dash burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, but there is no way you're older than her. You're freaking tiny! I mean, just look at you, there's no way you're older than her." "Well... um... actually, if it's alright, dragons live a long time so they grow a lot slower and, um..." Fluttershy smiled sheepishly from behind her mane. "I've, um, I've talked to Spike a lot on the subject and, well, I guess I picked some things up?" "Don't see the point unless you're gonna kill one," muttered Dash under her breath. "But seriously, the answer is no. There is no fucking way I'm gonna help you get inside a pegasus compound. Just no. I'd rather die than do that." The two freaks exchanged a look, but it was the unicorn who spoke. "Look, we're going in there one way or another. We can either sneak in or try to bluff our way in, and I do not intend to die today, so if I get caught, I will fight my way out. If you help, there's less chance of that happening, so one last chance, you coming with me or not?" Dash glared at the unicorn, but said nothing. As much as she wanted to walk away right then and there, she knew that there was no way that was going to happen. She needed that bloody unicorn to stay alive, to keep Fluttershy alive. There was some place out there that was safe and hidden away from war and death, and Dash was willing to do anything to make sure her fillyhood friend got there. And these other pegasi, she might not have known them, but they were still pegasi, and that was enough for her. She was not about to let them die on her watch. "Fine, whatever, but you're my slave," said Dash. "Excuse me?" Twilight's eye twitched. "You did not just say what I think you said." "Yeah well, the way I see it is that you need my help to get in and out safely, which means you need me. So guess what? You're gonna have to work for it." Dash's grin was almost predatory. "Take it or leave it, but that's my offer." "We don't ne-" "Spike, leave it," sighed Twilight, "Plus, it would give us a good cover to work from." "You can't be serious!" "Spike, relax. It's not like they'll be able to keep me in a cell even if they tried." Dash snorted in amusement at that comment."Very well, I agree to your terms" What. She's joking. That unicorn had to be joking. There was no way in Tartarus anypony was that stupid, not even a horned freak. But from the way she slipped off her bow, undid her gauntlets, and took out some of the crap from her backpack, it was clear she was indeed serious. Torn between smiling like a maniac and slamming her face into the ground, Dash never got the chance to do either as the combined stare of Fluttershy and Spike was enough to give her pause. That lasted a second before a huge grin split her face. To think, a day or two of that unicorn completely under her control. Two days of being forced to do whatever Dash ordered. The possibilities were endless. "Alright then." Dash walked forward in an almost predatory fashion. "Looks like it's just the two of us, slave." "Yes Master." Twilight’s sultry whisper caused Dash to scramble back and gag. "No. Just... just no. By the sun, I think I need to throw up." On trembling legs, Dash walked away, her face ashen. "Don't ever do that again." "Then don't call me slave unless it's for our cover," said Twilight. "You sure about this?" Spike landed on Twilight's shoulder, the two sharing a light nuzzle. "I can come along if you want." "No, stay here and make sure our gear is safe, especially my backpack. There are important documents in there, and they must not be lost or damaged." "Alright..." Spike slipped off her shoulder and floated over to Fluttershy. "Looks like it's just the two of us then." "Mmhm." Fluttershy turned to Dash. "That alright with you?" Dash glanced between her longtime friend and Twilight, trying to figure out where to go or what to say. As much as she needed to go with the horned freak to make sure nothing bad happened, if that meant leaving Fluttershy alone, Dash wasn't sure if it was worth it. All it'd take was for Spike to slip out one night, throw some sort of signal into the sky, and next thing you know, unicorns everywhere with those slimy hooves of theirs. "Dash... I'll be alright." Despite how meek her smile was, there was an edge in her eyes."I am a Senior NCO you know, and I didn't get there by being your friend." If there was one thing Dash had learnt from being a recruit, it was to never ever question a female in charge. Especially if they got that look in their eyes. To do so was death, though in Fluttershy's case, it would probably be a disappointed look, which was ten times worse. Ponies died all the time, but that look? It was made Dash want to crawl off into a hole somewhere with her tail between her legs. "A-Alright." Dash nodded slowly and turned to face Twilight. "Looks like we're going in then. Don't do anything stupid, or I will turn you in." "Don't do anything stupid and I won't have to destroy the base," she shot back. Eyes locked, the two began walking down the slope, their gaze never leaving each other. Each step was perfectly in time with each other, somehow managing to avoid the trees and fallen branches that littered the ground. In the end, it was Twilight who looked away first, snorting in either frustration or amusement. "Should have expected such foal-like behavior from you," said Twilight with a toss of her mane. "What is that supposed to mean?" growled Dash, taking an aggressive step forward. "Oh, nothing. Now, you coming or not? We've both roles to play, and if you blow this, I will be most displeased." Twilight glanced over her shoulder at the pegasus, " I have a collar in my bag as well as a magic inhibitor ring, put them both on me, but if you so much as even think about ordering me around in private, I will remove your wings." "Fine, but you need to act submissive in public. Head bowed, always answer 'Yes master' or 'No master' unless asked a direct question, and absolutely no walking in front of me. Whatever you do reflects on me, and since you're my only slave, you've got to play this perfectly." Dash grabbed Twilight's mane and yanked her head back so they were face to face once more. "Got that?" "Fine," snarled Twilight. "Neither of us likes this, so the sooner we get this done the better." Dash nodded and ruffled through the bag, drawing out the ring and collar. With a bit of fiddling, she managed to get both onto the horned freak with minimal contact. As far as Dash was concerned, once they hit the fort and got inside, she was going to take the hottest shower possible for as long as possible. Who knows what sort of bugs that unicorn had. "Just so you know, this ring doesn't actually do anything, so no funny business." Twilight took a step forward only for Dash to pull her back once more. "What?" "Pegasus in front remember?" said Dash as she took the lead. "Head down, and no speaking, got that?" A glare was shot at Dash. "No glaring either. No emotions. Actually, scratch that. If what Lightning tells me is true, then be submissive, but smile and sound happy. Do everything as though it makes you happy when I'm happy. Or something like that. I dunno, never saw the point of actually owning a slave, but I hear that those slaves fetch the most money. Well, other than the sex slaves, but let's admit it, there's no way you could pass as one of those." "I don't know whether I should be insulted or thankful," muttered Twilight under her breath. "How about both?" Dash threw a grin over her shoulder. "Now get into character, you are not messing this up." "Yes, master," replied Twilight in a silky smooth voice that sent shudders down Dash's spine. Some things were simply never meant to be heard. Still, she had to admit that the horned freak did manage to do a good job , especially with the way her hooves dragged along the ground and how her head was tilted down. In fact, the way she held herself had completely changed. Her shoulders were slumped, her tail had shifted up slightly, and her head was held to let her mane just cover her eyes. All in all, she looked like the perfect picture of a submissive slave. Probably because all unicorns were good for was being ordered around and so there was some inherent slave attitude in them. Because, let's admit it, there was no way a unicorn was that good of an actor. "Good. How far away is the encampment?" "Just over the ridge, master." Geez, it was creepy how good she was at the whole voice thing. "Very well then, come pet." Dash began trotting forward, making sure to hold her head up high, throwing in a bit of a strut as she did. Arrogance was always a nice way to open up communications, make it seem as though she actually had the power behind the attitude. As they came over the ridge, a party of pegasi was there already waiting for them. Some had crossbows, others had wingblades and gauntlets, but all were armed. The two groups stood three feet apart, gazing at each other silently as a single pegasus glided in from the fort behind them. Snow was tossed in all directions as he landed and Dash inclined her head politely towards Flight Commander West Wind. "Flight Commander Rainbow Dash," he said neutrally. "West." That earned her a glare from his pegasi though the corner of his lips twitched slightly. "It's been a while." "That it has. It’s a miracle you made it to Flight Commander at all considering your record with following orders." With a flick of his hoof, the others immediately began moving back to the base in perfect unison. "I'm surprised, I thought you hated slaves." "I do." The silence and complete unison from the soldiers made Dash's spine crawl. "I'm here on business." "Curious. Last I heard you had gone missing along with what's-her-name, leaving your base to Lightning Dust." The ground before them opened up and the group swooped down the vertical tunnel. "We have not yet installed a way for slaves to enter, so we'll have to carry you down." "Lovely," muttered Dash as she glared at Twilight over her shoulder. "You heard him, get over here." Nodding meekly, Twilight approached, and some pegasus grabbed her and held her to his chest while Dash slipped onto West's back. With how close they were, Dash could seethe unicorn breathing faster. Afraid of heights? Good to know. "And you never answered me." The edge in West Wind's voice immediately caught Dash's attention. "Where have you been these past couple of days?" "Mission. It's super hush-hush so I can't really say much on it," lied Dash, ignoring the tightness in her chest. "Good thing we've got a Wonderbolt around so we can verify that." Dash resisted the urge to gulp or show any outward sign, but she could see Twilight tense up. "Oh, is that so?" said Dash as casually as possible. "Great. I needed to report in anyways." "Very well, follow me then." West banked to the right, going down a diagonal tunnel. "I have to admit, the wide tunnels are really nice. I might need to make the same changes when I get back," said Dash, hoping the idle chatter would distract West, but he merely grunted in response. "Geez, what has you so uptight?" "I'll tell you later." Once more he veered off, this time going straight up. "Some pegasus’ secretive." "In here." Dash frowned at the tone, but did what was asked. "Meet Captain Spitfire." Dash's eyes snapped up and her jaw dropped. "S-Spitfire!?" Did her voice crack? Please say her voice did not crack, that'd be beyond embarrassing. "Captain!" said Dash with a smart salute. "Rainbow Dash?" Dash was forced to smother her giggle at the fact that Spitfire—Captain Spitfire—knew her name. "What are you doing here?" "Ma'am, she claims she's on a secret mission. Considering your clearance, I figured you would be able to verify her claim," said West. Spitfire's eyes darted over to Twilight, and Dash felt a cold sweat break out. They were dead. They were so dead. Right then and there, she was totally dead. Best case scenario? Wings cut off and sent to the breeding pens like some filthy earth pony. No doubt the horned freak would enjoy that, it'd be the only way any pony would ever fuck her anyways. "Very well," said Spitfire. "West Wind, you may leave." "Yes ma'am!" Another smart salute and they was out the door. Spitfire turned to face us with a frown. "What. The. Fuck. Seriously, what the fuck? I should send both of you to the breeding pens! What in the fucking world do you think you're doing? You've got a job that you left unattended just so you could go on a wild hunt? You are an idiot!" "B-" "No. Don't you dare say a thing." The glare Spitfire gave Dash was enough to make her whimper. "What? Did you think we don’t watch her? That we would let a clearly dangerous mare wander around aimlessly?" "W-" "No. No talking. Shut up." Though Spitfire was no longer yelling, that just served to chill Dash to her core. "Do you realize who much you've just complicated matters? Of course you don't. You’d have to think first." This time Dash decided to keep silent. "Good. It seems you can learn. Now listen, and I swear, if you even get one word wrong, I will personally find you and feed you to the manticores. Got that?" hissed Spitfire. "You two will stay one night and one night only. If you stay even one second too long, it will not be pleasant, and I will not cover for you. Second, you're going to march yourself right out of Pegasopolis without any delay or any more involvement with any of the towns or cities or forts. Lastly, if I see either of you again before the month is out, I will skin you. Probably alive, but I'm not picky, I'll take whatever it is I can get at this point." Silence. "Now get out!" Dash immediate sprinted out of the room only for a flying purple pony to slam into her from behind, sending them tumbling downwards.For a split second, she considered being a second too slow, maybe 'accidentally' kick her rescuer in the face. Mistime a twist or angle slightly too far to the right when West came in for the catch. All it would take was a subtle shift and they'd be forced to focus on catching her, leaving the unicorn to be smashed flat against the floor. It’d be such a horrible accident. There'd be tears and some speech about- Oh who was she kidding? The night that the horned freak died would be a night she'd never forget. It’d be years before they sobered up from that celebration. But Fluttershy would have that sad look on her face, maybe a tear or two, and the mere thought was enough to make Dash shudder. The last time Fluttershy had that look on her face, the entire base had leapt to do her bidding in an attempt to cheer her up, and Dash doubted that even a direct order from Spitfire could have made them change their minds. Dealing with that by herself? Without any backup? With a sad sigh, Dash grabbed West's hoof and expertly swung herself onto his back while the other one grabbed Twilight. "So where to?" asked West as they hovered in mid air. "Wherever you keep your books," replied Dash. "Books? You? Don't make me laugh." That earned him a smack on the back of his head. "Alright, alright! Geez. Talk about anger issues." "I can and will hit you again," growled Dash. "And I'm the one carrying you." "I've got Spitfire on my side." "After she threw you out?" "Hey, she only threw me out. Remember that." "Whatever." West began veering to the left and Dash held on as they rapidly descended to the bottom-most floor. "Just go along the corridor to the end. When should I send pegasi to pick you up?" "Tomorrow morning," said Dash. "We can sleep down here." "Sure? It is ra-" "I said, we can sleep down here." The two stared at each other, neither moving an inch, but in the end, West backed down. "Don’t bother with feeding us, I've got enough food as is." "And your slave?" asked West. "What about her? She’s a slave." He blinked in surprise, eyes darting between Dash and the unicorn before he simply shrugged. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you have a slave at all. I thought you said they were for the weak and lazy." "They are, but it's helpful to have somepony distract timberwolves and manticores while I take them out from behind." Out the corner of her eyes, Dash could see Twilight roll her eyes. "Of course," said West as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Regardless, I will return to my duties now. Come, Resolute, let us leave Flight Commander Dash to her... reading." "Hey, I can so read!" yelled Dash as the two pegasi flew off. "Bloody West." Twilight merely grunted in response. "And stay in character," hissed Dash, earning her an eye roll from the horned freak. "There's no one else around, but if you insist, Master." "Do you have to say it in that tone of voice?" growled Dash. "Of course Master, how else would I say it?" she asked innocently. "Oh shut up," snapped Dash. The two walked in silence, neither willing to look or speak to the other. Every so often, a faint moan would echo down the corridor, and the two would glance at each other with haunted eyes. Unconsciously, Dash wrapped her wings around herself tighter, trying to ignore those sounds. More than once they passed a door with shadows lurking behind it. Sometimes there were cries of pain, other times begging, and more than once a string of oaths that made Dash blush as some mare was fucked senseless. "Why are the books located down here?" sighed Twilight. "Do pegasi not know how to treat books properly?" "Does no unicorn know how utterly pointless books are? I mean, oh yeah, I'm going to read some crap about some stupid thing that no pegasus cares about, like how to dance or something stupid." "You know, there are books on things like hoof to hoof combat and using wingblades," said Twilight. Dash's ears perked up at that, but they quickly flattened against her skull as she scowled. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever." "And who knows, maybe you would use that brain of yours for once." "Real funny. Also stop talking or you're going to break our cover." "I think I've even got such a book back in my backpack," said Twilight with a grin. "Shut it," but it was obvious her heart just wasn't in it. After all, there were apparently books on wingblade duels, and there was absolutely nothing cooler than that. Plus, at this point she was willing to take whatever help she could get if it meant being able to beat Lightning. Even if it came from a horned freak. Once more they descended into silence, but that meant letting all those Tartarian sounds fill her mind. The air was just so damp and heavy, making it impossible to breathe and causing the clothes stick to her body. All those cries of pain and despair and utter hopelessness. They were nothing more than dirt though. Nothing more than the very ground that she walked on. They weren't beings, they weren't even alive. They were just things to be used and tossed aside when they broke. "So, are you proud?" asked Twilight. "They're maggots," Dash whispered. "They're dirt. They just make sounds the same way a dog barks. Nothing more, nothing less. Why care about dirt?" "They're no-" "Yes they are!" screamed Dash. "They're dirt, you're dirt, everything's bucking dirt! It doesn't matter if you're an earth pony or a unicorn, it's all dirt! Things to be used then tossed aside. Pegasi are all that matter, and that's that. So just shut the fuck up!" "They're not dirt! They're ponies! They have hopes and dreams and emotions an-" The two stared at each other as Dash lowered her hoof, flicking out her wing blade as she did so. Without a word, Twilight slipped into a defensive stance and spat some blood out. Slowly, the two began circling each other, each hoofbeat swallowed by the hollowness of everything. "I was wondering when we'd finally get to this," said Twilight far too calmly. "Just shut up and die," hissed Dash. "I'm sick of your words, of your magic, of your stupid face, and that fat flank of yours. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to crush your skull and rip out your spine and feed you to that stupid fucking dragon of yours!" "I'd like to see you try. Do you know the amount of force you'd need to exert to literally rip somepony's spine out?" The unicorn shuffled forward, throwing out two quick jabs. Both were blocked and a hoof snapped out, just missing Twilight's head before the pegasus moved low with an elbow to the stomach. With a grunt, Twilight stumbled back and spun to the side, narrowly avoiding Dash's wingblade. A single lock of mane drifted towards the ground. "I don't care how hard it'll be, I'll enjoy every last second of it," said Dash as they began circling once more. "You can't win. You're a unicorn. A slimy, useless, weak unicorn." "And you're an idiotic pegasus. You win not by brute strength, but by outsmarting yo-" This time Dash moved in first with a series of rapid punches and kicks. Each one forced Twilight back just that bit further. With each passing hit, the unicorn slipped a little more, falling behind the rhythm. Dash smirked as she kept the pressure on, forcing her limbs to move that slight bit faster. No matter how hard she pushed though, that horned freak kept ducking and blocking. A growl of frustration slipped out as she went straight for the throat. A sudden, searing hot pain went through her and Dash stumbled back, clutching her stomach. A sickening crack echoed through the hall as she was bucked in the head. Slamming into the ground, Dash rolled with the momentum and just managed to block the downward stomp. Her knee rammed itself into Twilight's stomach and Dash threw her weight backwards, tossing the freak over her head and into the nearby wall. Scrambling onto her hooves, Dash wiped the blood from her eye and gasped in pain when she turned her head to track the unicorn's movements. Whatever that bitch had done, it left a stinging pain in her neck. No doubt some voodoo poison or something. No matter, let that freak cheat, she was Rainbow Dash, and she would never lose to a horned bitch. She moved past the pain and threw herself forward once more. At the very last second, Dash flapped her one good wing, suddenly tossing herself to the side while letting the blade cut deep into that horned freak. Skidding to a stop, Dash glanced over her shoulder, smirking at the blood on the blade and Twilight's crumpled form. Then slowly, gradually, the unicorn stood back up and turned around with a limp. "Not bad, but not good enough." Dash spat some blood out and faced her opponent. "I've won and you know it." "More like you've evened the field." Once more they began circling. They moved slowly, but even then Dash winced with every step she took. One slice. That was all it took. One well placed cut and the unicorn would be dead. Dash licked her dry lips before darting in, but Twilight merely backed up out of reach. Fear. That's what that look was . It had bugged Dash ever since the start of the fight, but now that she knew, it filled her with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Then again, if the unicorn knew to be scared, maybe she wasn't as stupid as Dash had originally thought. Nah, who was she kidding? Even a dumb animal knew when to be scared. Both rushed forward at the same time. There was no time to think, to plan the next move. It was just act and react. Punch, block, counter, sidestep, repeat. Again and again they went at it, both throwing their all into it. Sweat dripped down her brow, blood left her right side exposed, and her neck was a constant distraction. One that the bloody unicorn kept taking advantage of. Back and forth they went, each vying for dominance and the upper hoof. Slowly, but surely, the unicorn began slowing down, dragging her hooves and panting a bit more. Every so often a hoof would slip past. A hit here, a hit there. Nothing that did a lot of damage, but it slowed the unicorn down. Ducking under a punch, Dash rammed her shoulder into Twilight. A quick one-two punch to follow up before she bought her wing forward in a downward arch towards the unicorn's throat. Metal scraped against metal and Dash's eyes widened before darting down to the blade at her throat. Twilight on the other hoof found herself pinned against the wall with a hoof threatening to crush her windpipe. "So, there I was, thinking about what's the worst that could happen with you two working together. After all, if I've dealt with Soarin and Rapidfire, there's no reason why I wouldn't be able to deal with you two." Spitfire glared at each of them in turn. "That is, until I realized neither of them wants to fucking kill the other one!" Spitfire sighed and rubbed her temple with her one free hoof. "I should just have you both executed for being complete idiots. Rainbow Dash, I order you to not kill, maim, harm, or put this unicorn in harm's way. Got that?" "Wh-what!? But Cap-" "No. Buts. Get it through that stupidly thick skull of yours! She is important. She has information. She has intel we need to win this fucking war, so don't you fucking do anything or I will have you fucking skinned alive!" Spitfire sighed and withdrew her wing. "Listen kid, war ain't pretty, and sometimes we need to work with the enemy to get out on top. Alright? So just tolerate her. You don't need to help her, you just need to keep an eye on her. Got that?" "I- I think so." Dash saluted. "I'll do my best Captain." "Good." Spitfire looked over at Twilight. "As for you, stop provoking her, or do I need to talk to Spike again ?" "Fine," spat Twilight as she walked away. "I swear, I have no idea how that dragon can stand that mare sometimes." Spitfire ran a hoof through her mane before she took to the air and vanished. Dash wiped the blood from her eyes and walked after the limping mare, unconsciously drawing and sheathing her wingblade. All it would take was one little cut. One slice along the neck and then that monster would be dead. Sure, she had a direct order from Spitfire to keep Twilight alive, but Dash was running away anyways. What did it matter if she followed orders or not? A quick flick and then the world would be a better place. Licking her dry lips, Dash followed the unicorn into the room and shut the door behind them. Wingblade still unsheathed she began walking forward, stalking the oblivious unicorn as it wandered through the shelves of books, a look of ecstasy on her face. But... Spitfire had said the mare had intel. That was the deal right? Books in exchange for information. Sure, they would win either way, but how many would die? How much longer would the war drag on? As much as Dash hated that mare and everything she stood for, the pegasus was forced to admit that the horned freak had to live. For now at least. "We have to go back for them!" yelled Rarity. "Who knows what horrible things they are doing to poor Sweetie and mother right now. And it's all your fault!" Applejack merely rolled her eyes and tried to block out that annoying mare. Again. It's not like she asked that horned freak to stay around or anything. She could have left at any point, gone home, gotten lost in some woods and died, or any stupid thing to get her killed. "I should have let them take you in! I should have stepped aside and shown everypony just how insane Trixie is. Idiot! And you, don't think I've forgotten about you! I've got half a mind to throw you out into the storm and let it kill you. I gave-" Whatever. Applejack didn't particularly care. She just let that drama queen rant on about whatever it was. If that horned freak really wanted go back so badly, she could walk right out there and try to survive. Applejack didn't care. She was free and that was all that mattered. Let the unicorn act all pissy. In fact, if she kept going on, Applejack was tempted to buck her out into the cold and leave her there. Seriously, that mare's voice was grating. "-ok at me when I'm talking to you!" Applejack simply cocked an eyebrow at Rarity before going to back to gazing at her fire. It was a good fire. It wasn't the largest one Applejack had ever seen, but it was warm and yellow and bright. That was enough for her. Sure it wasn’t much, but it was still better than what she had to endure in the slave pens. Something that the unicorn had absolutely no experience in. With those dainty hooves and perfect mane, there was no doubt in Applejack's mind that Rarity had never experienced a day of hard work in her life. A day, maybe two, and then that bitch would be dead in a hole somewhere and the world would be brighter because of it. "Listen here, if you do not ta-" Applejack's hoof flew out, sending Rarity to the ground, and for the first time ever, that damned mare actually stopped talking. At first it was just a small snicker that she tried to hold back, but soon it dissolved into all-out laughter as she stood above her master. Oh that felt glorious. A gasp of pain echoed through the cave as Applejack's hoof connected with that soft, squishy stomach. She couldn't say she wasn't surprised. With how little the mare actually worked out, it made sense she'd be all fat and no muscle. But just that sound. It was the most divine thing Applejack had ever heard and it left such a sweet aftertaste on her lips. Was this what an apple tasted like? Her legs trembled as she raised a hoof above Rarity's face. The grin on her face was so wide it hurt, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop. Not that she wanted to. That fear. That fear and confusion and horror was so delicious. It warmed her soul and filled her with a desire to- to- to... It didn't matter what she wanted to do! But it left her feeling more alive than ever before. Where was a whip when one was needed? A good whip, maybe a collar and leash, or a red hot poker. Let's see how this horned freak liked being a slave. Forced to work the fields, forced to bend over a bench, forced to- A snarl escaped as Applejack's hoof came down, shattering the stone beside Rarity's face. Every single fiber of her being trembled with barely suppressed rage. She wanted to smash that freak’s face in. Break her horn like they ripped off the wings of pegasi. Break her legs like they broke the legs of disobedient earth ponies. Break her soul, her spirit. Break her down until she was nothing more than a hollow wreck willing to do anything to please her masters, just like how they had tried to break Applejack. But she wouldn't stoop that low. She was an earth pony, and that meant she was better than them. As much as she wanted to kill that unicorn, she knew that Rarity wasn't responsible for what had happened to her. Hurting an innocent, even if they were a horned freak, simply rubbed her the wrong way. As Applejack turned away, her hind hoof lashed out, catching the unicorn as she tried to get back up. Well, seriously hurt that freak anyway. With a satisfied nod, she sat back down by her fire to bask in its warmth. A happy sigh escaped as Applejack held her hoof towards the flames. Even if she died tonight with a dagger in her throat, she'd be happy. Out the corner of her eye, Rarity slunk around the side, nursing her stomach as she sat down by the fire. The two stared at each other, neither breaking the gaze even as the flames danced between them. Then, with something that could almost be called a smile, Rarity looked away, causing Applejack to frown. Had it just been a trick of the light or had that mare actually smiled? Was there something behind her? Or was it merely a trick to make her look away so Rarity could attack? Wiggling back out of reach, Applejack threw a quick glance over her shoulder before turning back to the unicorn. Nothing. No monsters behind her, no sudden attack from the front. It was eerie how passive the unicorn was being. No magic, no sudden moves, no- It was almost as though Applejack was being treated like a wounded and cornered animal. In fact, that was exactly how she was being treated. Even now, even when she was free, she still had to deal with this shit. How easy it would be to crush that mare's skull. To snap that horn in half and then stab her to death with it. She was a pony damn it! She was a fucking pony and deserved to be treated like one! She had emotions and hopes and dreams and bled red blood just like the rest of them. She wasn't an animal! The only animal here was that fucking horned freak. She was the animal, the monster, the creature that didn't deserve to be alive. She was th- They were plunged into darkness as the fire went out. "G-Golden?" There was that fear again and it sent shivers down Applejack's spine. A second later, light flooded the cave as Rarity's horn lit up. "Oh, there you are. I was afraid that..." She shook her head. "T'was a silly thought." Right, as though she was that stupid. Regardless, Applejack jerked her head down at the timber and Rarity must have gotten the message for she tried to relight the firewood. It flared up for a brief second, but the wind immediately blew it out. "I'm going to give it one more try," said Rarity as the wood burst into flames once more. And once again it was immediately extinguished. "I'm sorry darling, but I fear this isn't going to work. I can set it alight, but without something to block the wind, I fear it shall be in vain." Though Applejack said nothing, she still swore under her breath. That heat was the one thing that would have kept them alive and now it was gone. By the bloody stars, she didn't escape to die to the stupid weather! Being killed by a unicorn she could handle, but the weather? That was just wrong. She just got her freedom damn it, and she was going to use it! Reaching out with a hoof, she grabbed that useless unicorn and pulled her close. As much as Applejack hated it, as much as she wanted to throw up from being so close to that stinking mare, this was the only thing that'd help, and even then, it wasn't guaranteed. Though the freak was tense and Applejack could feel that heart thumping away faster than ever, she could feel the unicorn slowly relaxing into her grip.Soon enough, they were lying on the warm embers, their hooves around each other as they tried to keep whatever meager warmth they had left between them. But even then, the chilly wind would breeze through, ripping away whatever semblance of warmth they had managed to gather. Again and again it would come. Stripping them down to their fur, and even with the hot embers against her back, Applejack shivered under the constant assault. Above her, Rarity's teeth chattered away, forcing the unicorn to move closer to Applejack.Together the two lay, every so often trying to move away from each other only to be driven back by the cold. She could feel that heartbeat and the heavy breathing on her neck. "Let us never talk about this ever again," hissed Rarity, a concept Applejack found herself eagerly agreeing to. As the seconds passed and the minutes dragged on, the chill seeped in. It was impossible to tell the time, impossible to know how long they had been lying there, huddled for warmth. All they knew was the impossible cold, freezing their very core. The lightest touch and they'd shatter. There was no escape from this deathly embrace, nowhere to run, nowhere to possibly hide. With the night still to come, their death was a good as guaranteed. Maybe if they had clothes designed for travel it'd be a different matter, but with what they had on, there was no way they'd survive. Hope was one thing, but this was a delusion. Of all the times for there to be a fucking snow storm. Well with her back to the floor and the unicorn above her, the one who'd die first was that horned freak. She'd still have a decent chance of survival. Maybe. It really depended on when the freak died and became a lump of frozen meat, but with a bit of luck, all that fat would help to keep her alive longer. Rarity being alive longer meant more heat, and that meant survival. Or at least a better chance at it. One minute a slave, next minute a frozen pony. Fuck her life.