Orange and Cyan

by PaperBack

FREEDOM!!!!

Applejack was the first to break the hug, “ Now wadda ya say we find our way outta here?”

Rainbow sniffed, wiping the residual tears from her eyes, “ Yeah, that sounds like a plan. But don't tell anypony about me crying...would ya” she said looking at her friend.

Applejack smiled and started putting her sketchbook and pencils away into her saddlebags, "Would'nt dream of it,sugarcube." she said strapping them to her body and putting her stetson on her head when Rainbow noticed one of her feathers sticking out of where the brim met the head of the hat.

She unfolded her uninjured wing and examined it for any missing feathers, of which there were none missing.

“AJ why do you have one of my primaries in your hat?” she asked her orange friend.

The orange farm pony turned around, “ One a yer what?” she asked

“One of my feathers, why do you have one in your hat?”

“Oh. yeah… sorry ‘bout that Ah ment ta tell ya that one a yer feathers came out. It just came out so easily and without any effort and when ya didn’t yelp out in pain Ah just assumed that it was gettin’ ready ta fall out anyway, ‘cause Ah’ve see ya lose feathers before.”

“Yeah I guess you’re right, but it’s going to take, like, forever for that feather to grow back. Which means that I can’t do any of my awesome stunts… and it’ll be hard for me to fly in general.”

“Well if Ah were you Ah would take me pullin’ out that loose feather as a service, ‘cause what woulda happened if you had been flying around and it just fell out?”

The rainbow maned pegasus just blinked at her friend, “ Oh… I didn’t think about it like that.” she moved closer to Applejack and gave her a thankful hug, “ Thanks AJ for watching out for me.”

AJ returned the embrace, “ Yer welcome, sugarcube. How am I supposed ta beat ya when yer lyin’ in a hospital bed?”

“Hah, you beat me? Psssh, in your dreams.”

The two mares looked at each other and busted out laughing, letting it echo off the cave walls, as they continued to walk down their set path.

A long silence followed their laughter, which Rainbow Dash could not stand.

“… AJ?”

“Yeah RD.”

“Just out of curiosity… what are you looking for in your special somepony?”

Applejack looked at her friend, surprised that she would even think to ask such a question, “... Well Ah’ve never thought about that before, nor have Ah had the time ta think about it. But if Ah were lookin’ fer a special somepony, Ah guess they would have ta be honest, not only with me, but with themselves, they’d have ta be loyal meaning they can’t go messin’ around behind mah back.” she finished, her voice heavy with anger.

“I would never go behind your back AJ.” Rainbow said trying to ease her friends anger

“Ah know ya wouldn’t, sugarcube. You and Ah have been friends too long fer anything like that ta be a big deal.” said the orange mare, calming down if only slightly

Silence fell upon the glowing mares once again, as they made their way down the dark empty tunnel, in hopes of reaching fresh air and sunlight.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Out in the forest out surrounding Bozeman six ponies a trudged through fallen pine needles,tree branches and the occasional fallen tree all eyes searching for the smaller entrance to the cave with their friends trapped inside.

“How much further, Cast Iron.” shouted a lavender alicorn

“Not much further Twilight, y’all just keep your eyes open. The outlet for that cave is barely wide enough for me to fit through.”
“PaperBack!” Cast Iron shouted to the sky, searching for his wife.

“Yes dear!” she shouted in return, flying into his line of sight

“Have you found the outlet,”

“No, but I… OH wait I think I see the waterfall you said was next to it. I’ll fly over there and check it out!” she said as she veered off to the right.

Cast Iron looked behind him at the four mares following him, “ Come on guys PaperBack thinks she’s found it. Let’s get going.” he said breaking out into a gallop to keep up with his airborne wife.

Flying over the tree tops PaperBack could see the waterfall that Cast Iron said was next to the outlet of the cave Applejack and Rainbow Dash were currently trapped in. She hovered in the air for a moment or two then she turned around and landed just ahead of her husband.

As he slowed to a trot and walked up to her she asked, “ So are they there?”

“No, they still must be inside.” answered the snow white pegasus

The four other ponies caught up with them, “So did they make it out?” asked Twilight

PaperBack shook her head, “ No they’re still inside.”

“Do you think, maybe if we shout their names, that they would hear it, and find their way out?” Fluttershy asked

“I don’t know… I guess we could give it a try.” Cast Iron said putting a hoof to his chin thoughtfully.

“How much further till we reach the outlet?” asked Rarity

“Not much further, about five minutes.” PaperBack said turning around and beginning to walk toward the waterfall.

Meanwhile on the inside of the cave the two mares continued to walk in silence. This time Applejack shattered it.

“Hey RD?” she said

“Yeah AJ.” the pegasus said shyly

“Why would you wanna date a pony like me?”

Rainbow stopped in her tracks and stared at her friend, “...W-why would y-you ask me something like that?” she said her voice cracking on a few words

“Well… Ah’ve noticed fer a long time now that you get a little nervous around me when it’s just the two of us… and you stare at me when Ah’n not lookin’.”

The cyan pegasus looked at the farm pony is shock, “ How could she have noticed me staring at her, I know I’m not the most subtle of ponies, but come on.” she thought to herself. “Well...um…” she stammered

“Ah’m not sayin’ Ah it’s creepy or anythin’. Ah just wanna know why ya do it?”

“Well do you remember when I asked you what you are looking for in your special somepony?” asked the nervous and blushing mare

“How could Ah ferget, when it happened not that long ago.”

“And when you said you caught yourself ‘starin’ at a mare or two. Just thinking if it would workout,’” she said impersonating her friends southern drawl

“Yeah, and Ah also remember when you, PaperBack and Ah had lunch that one day and you just stared at me, till a waived mah hoof in yer face.”

“Oh yeah heh… sorry about that… Hey I thought you didn’t want to talk about this while we are trapped in here?”
.

“Yeah yer right...Ah’m--” Applejack was interrupted by a disembodied voice that made both ponies jump.

“RAINBOW DASH! APPLEJACK!”

The two mares looked at eachother and said at the sametime, “ Is that Pinkie?”

Then the two ponies started walking a little faster toward where their pink friend's voice was coming from. They rounded a corner and saw daylight through a slit in the cave wall, barely wide enough for a stallion to fit through.

The pink party pony shouted again, “RAINBOW DASH, APPLEJACK!”

They started running for the slit in the mountain, and Applejack shouted “WE’RE HERE PINKIE!” as both mares arrived at their only way out.

“Ohhh great,” squeaked the pink mare, “ Hey I can see you.”

“That’s great Pinkie now move.” said the farm mare as she tossed her saddlebags out first then she herself squeezed through the gap, followed by Rainbow Dash. All of the ponies rushed to embrace them in a group hug.

Upon breaking the tender moment PaperBack asked, “Did you happen to find the statue while you were in there?” she said trying not to be insincere.

“Yeah we did.” Rainbow said

“Yeah, if ya go through here then take a left you’ll come to a column and if ya look down there are two rock trails leadin’ to the head and the body.” Applejack said as the snow white pegasus wrote down her directions.

“Great! I’ll take this to the mayor after we get back.” she said sounding very happy.