Appledashery

by Just Essay

Live and Let Lancie

The wind was piercing at this point.

It knifed at Rainbow's eyes, tearing her sockets to the bleeding point.

She gnashed her teeth, daring to squint down into the impenetrable darkness, hoping to see a sliver of substance against the fog of night.

"Lancie...!" she hollered, hoping her voice would sail faster than her own body.

All was silence, save for a howling cold.

Rainbow dropped and dropped.

"Lancie!!!" Louder this time, practically exploding.

And then—

A glint. Like a burst of sparks from the bosom of the world. Rainbow saw a pair of gray eyes blinking—a dull sheen against the ever widening nothing. Then, just as quickly, the figure toppeled, and a sea of gravel and stone loomed directly beneath his fragile body.

"Sparky, I think—ohhhhh that's not good—!"

"Httt!" Rainbow clenched her jaws tight, angled her wings like scimitars, and corkscrewed past the pull of gravity. The air behind her clapped, and she carved downward in a frictious arc. Before she could blink, she was scooping Lancie up in outstretched hooves. A fraction of a second later, she angled her wings, pulling up—stretching the tendons of her muscles until every nerve screamed. And soon, she was too. "Aaaaa-aaa-aaauugh!"

The fuzz of her chest curled from the sheer heat of skimming the earth. A few palpitating seconds later, she finally struck gravel.

"Ooomf!"

She bounced, struck it again, then tumbled. Her body rolled and rolled more times than she could count. All the while—though—she clutched her legs to her chest, and protected the fragile statue nestled neatly within.

"Grnngh—augh! Unnff!"

Finally, at long last, Rainbow Dash skidded to a stop alongside a cluster of large boulders. Soft starlight filtered between them in a band, christening the pegasus' forehead with silver shine. She sat up, shivering, not once letting go of the figure in her grasp.

"Yeeesh! Sparky!" Lancie wheezed, sticking his muzzle out so he could have the space to utter: "Wonderful swan dive, but could you maybe score more than a three point five on the landing?" He shook his head. "The Caneighdians could do better!"

Rainbow shook, shuddered.

"Wait... wait..." Lancie glanced around at the dark expanse surrounding them. "What the...?" He gnashed his teeth. "You lost the griffons' ruby? Hoooo boy... you're gonna hate yourself in the morning—"

"I don't care..." Rainbow squeaked. "I don't care about no stinkin' ruby, okay?"

"But—"

"I don't care!" she snarled, but it was a very brief thing. A wilted foal dripped out the other end. "I need you."

Lancie blinked into the starscape. His stone gullet closed up. "Sparky..."

"I n-need you," she whimpered again, burying her moist eyes against his stone mane. "I need you to save Apple Bloom. I need you to save Applejack." She shook. "I need you to save me..."

He glanced awkwardly at her, his granite ears folding back. "I always could... y'know..."

Rainbow shook and shuddered.

The statue shrugged. "All you ever needed to do was to wish for—"

"Just shut up, stupid," she stammered, sniffling. "We both know what I wish."

"Yes..." Lancie nodded. With a sigh, he eventually reached out and patted the edges of her shoulder. "Yes, I suppose we do."

The two remained there, huddled in the shadow of stars, alone in a beastly world.

Comments

[Sharp Quill]

Live and Let Lancie

Bond reference: Live and Let Die.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

6337995 So I wasn't the only one who noticed that.

[Shipmun]

That pretty much hammers the nail in your coffin, Lancie. If you turned bad now you would be The. Absolute. Biggest. Jerk. Ever. You have no choice now but to be reformed once you've been, *ahem* reformed

no regrets

[viofriedsevey]

Those are some intense feels man, if he betrayed her at this point I'd probably punch a hole through the screen in an attempt to punch him in the face.

[DeathFox4]

The countdown begins...

Lancie better be reformed, otherwise Pinkamena will haunt him.

[Cotton Fluff]

"I need you to save me..."

Interesting, she hasn't ever really thought or spoken about Lancie being able to save her except to deny it to my recollection. Yet here she seems to be at the point where she realizes she needs his powers too.

"Just shut up, stupid," she stammered, sniffling. "We both know what I wish."
"Yes..." Lancie nodded. With a sigh, he eventually reached out and patted the edges of her shoulder. "Yes, I suppose we do."

Yet she won't let herself be saved, unless Lancie does something about it himself.

6338197
I don't think that Lancie will be truly reformed at the end of all this (he does, after all, have some Chaos to unleash), but I do think he's spent enough time with Rainbow to appreciate her presence and doesn't mind extending her a reward for helping him beyond what she's asked for.

[Fishberry]

When you were young
And your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
You know you did

You know you did
You know you did
But if this ever changin'
In which we live in

Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die

What does it matter to ya
When ya got a job to do
Ya got to do it well
You got to give the other fella hell

You used to say live and let live
You know you did
You know you did
You know you did

But if this ever changin'
In which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die

[Leftover of Saikano]

Now, how much is Dash doing this for Lancie and how much for what Lancie can do.

[Hestia]

Too many feels. It's too early in the morning for feels.

[zaponator]

This chapter is my favourite.

6337995

Live and Let Die

Play on the old phrase 'Live and let live'.

[Appledash_Gurl]

So...um..I kinda...kinda wrote a song for this story, or what I've read of it. I still have 200 more chapters 'till I catch up. So then song isn't finished until the story is. But it's a saddish happy song. I play piano and drums so it sounds pretty cool. I just need lyrics.

[Leftover of Saikano]

6341195 I can try and help`.

[LucyHorseThing]

This.
Made.
Me.
Cry.
Legit.
Tears.

[Seraphimus]

6888989 I know what you mean. It's so friggin... He'smore afraid of losing her than he is of never getting the rest of his power.

[arancaytar]

I think Appledashery has given me a new perspective on Austraeoh's Discord. Maybe that guy is a lot more redeemable than he seems.

[True Edge]

6342593
*Poofs into existence!* Did you ever get that written?!