Chapter 13: She Flies With Her Own Wings
She Flies With Her Own Wings
Applejack slid her body into the soapy goodness, her cuts and bruises melting away from her body. "Darn it."
The farm pony was well aware of what Rainbow Dash had achieved. Stalling was no longer a viable option. Again she admonished herself for her incompetence. But then again, what was she supposed to do: not respond to Rainbow Dash's assault? That couldn't have helped.
The orange mare continued to grumble as she used one soggy hoof to grab the scroll lying next to the window: Pony Profile: Rainbow Dash. She just couldn't understand. Her ability to plan was that which distinguished her from the pegasus. Applejack planned, Rainbow Dash didn't, and therefore the former would always, always, win.
Character Traits. Sure, sometimes planning worked. Rainbow Dash had been the recipient of several bloody noses at Applejack's hand. But that was small comfort compared to the great gains that the pegasus had made, all seemingly done on a whim. To be fair, Applejack was making gains too - but now, once again thanks to the impulsiveness of the cyan mare, she was going to lose them.
Impulsive. There it was, first amongst all others. Impulsive. Just reading it made Applejack's body heat up with self-loathing.
Brave. Well, okay, Rainbow Dash was brave. But so what? Preparation could best even the most spirited of armies.
Lazy. Not a detriment.
Competitive. Certainly Rainbow Dash was all about winning. But this, again, meant little if you couldn't actually win. Applejack had this covered.
Mischievous. The pegasus was certainly up to a lot of 'mischief', if one could deign to call it that.
Loyal.
Only one real reason, then. Impulsive.
"But I can't deal with that!" Applejack exclaimed, hitting the sides of the tub in frustration. How can I plan 'gainst somepony who doesn't plan?!
Her mind refused to furnish her with a response.
Defeated, the orange mare submerged her head underwater. Guess I hopin's all I have left.
*
Rainbow Dash, newly healed, re-confirmed that the lights were actually out in the opposite tower. Let's see what Applejack's got today.
Tucking two large-sized cider bottles under her forelegs, the cyan pegasus crept out onto the window ledge. Cautiously, she stretched her wings. She looked around. Nopony. Slowly her hooves left the floor. Still nopony. She dropped just below crenellation height, hugging the stone walls, gradually inching her way towards the farm pony's quarters.
Rainbow Dash paused below the window ledge and strained her ears. Was that whinnying, or was that the breeze? The cyan mare couldn't figure it out. She tried to look into the window. The curtains were blowing around in the wind, obscuring the view. Darnit, Luna, of all the times...!
Leap of faith. Rainbow Dash silently took a deep breath. Her hooves, sweating with anticipation, were beginning to lose their grip on the bottles... now! Quick as a flash, Rainbow Dash powered up and went in, back legs going in first. Just in case Applejack happened to be standing on the other side-
The pegasus beat her wings frantically as she sped through the curtains and approached the masonry. Gust after gust of wind reverberated around the room. The rustling of the parchment, the flapping of the drapes - it was too loud, it was just too- too late, the pegasus realized her mistake.
"Oh, sheesh," Applejack mumbled. Rainbow Dash's body instinctively locked up: she hit the ground back first, landing on her wings in a dull thud. The cyan mare bit her lip to stop the cry of pain. The bedstead towered over her, obscuring the her line of sight. Get under! the pegasus' brain commanded. But Rainbow Dash, wide-eyed, her chest moving up in short, sharp bursts, spaced out in anxious anticipation.
Applejack grumbled a few incomprehensible words. Then came the sound of rustling fabric. Oh Celestia, she's -
The hoof sounds never materialized. Applejack exhaled and returned to her whinnying slumber.
Thus delivered, Rainbow Dash's eyes darted around, looking for the saddlebags...by the door! Quick as a flash, she shimmied over to them, eagerly inspecting their contents.
Cork mark, cork mark, cork mark, cork... cork! Rainbow Dash's forelegs went into motion. Grab the two Apple Cider Bottles. Pull them straight out. Set them down on the nearby rug. Pick up the two used bottles, now filled with Rainbow Cider instead. Check cork marks. Slide them into the relevant compartments. Pick up the two new cider bottles and-
*
Twilight Sparkle stood behind Applejack's door. She gave an audible sigh, knowing that her words would not be registered by their intended recipients. Just as well. For all purposes and intentions, she was talking to the long-dead.
But at least, I owe them this much. Her conscience had nagged, nipped, tore at her for too long. These were your friends. At least, one last friend talk.
"Um, hey, Applejack. You know I will have to make a decision tomorrow between either you, or Rainbow Dash. I know there's no way you two will ever be friends again. I also know there's no way I can ever force you two to ever be friends again, unless, of course," she gave a dry chuckle, "unless I hold you both in thrall; but I don't have the energy to do that. Not both at once.
" I know I've been a total horse to you ever since I came to this land. I know I've said words, done things; all that will take a long time to heal, if they ever will. For a unicorn like me," the purple mare dabbed her eyes. "F-for a unicorn as 'smart' as I am, I really am a foal... I-I-
"... I'll just... I just wanted to say, Applejack, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I took it all for granted. And now... a-and now... "
And now, I've turned you into a monster.
Those last words, so laced with bitterness, so laced with regret, Twilight Sparkle once again could not find the will to say.
*
Rainbow Dash slid back out into the open air and raced back towards her quarters, all concern for stealth having been consigned to the oubliette. I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry...
The pegasus zoomed back into her own room and crash-landed on the bed, taking the drapes with her. Her knee was grazed by the ledge. She didn't care. I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry...
She took the two bottles of Apple Cider and put them on the side table. I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry...
She furiously ripped the cork out of one bottle and downed its contents in one gulp, barely savoring that extra tang that Applejack - that lying thief - had so selfishly reserved for her own cider. I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry...
Clang, clang. Two empty bottles hit the floor. Rainbow Dash flung open the door to her room and waited in the doorway, half-expecting, half-hoping for the sound of Twilight's hooves, the magical flash of purple light, the "Rainbow Dash... " the pegasus had heard so many times before.
I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry...
...
I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry...
...
I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry...
Darn it. Darn it to Tartaros!
Rainbow Dash slammed the door shut and flung herself back onto the bed. She dove into her own subpar stash, seeking consolation. Here she was, merely an hour ago, feeling so happy and so smug, feeling that she had outwitted even Twilight Sparkle at long last. No, she didn't. It was just an illusion. A gosh-darned, horseappled illusion. "Rainbow Dash, you total...!"
Clang. Clang. Clang. The sound of empty bottles resonated throughout the night.
*
Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes in pained determination. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were not saying anything. The unicorn knew that they were looking at her.
But I can't decide! Twilight Sparkle's inner monologue was hollering at the top of its inaudible voice. The list she had drawn up didn't help at all. Back in the old place, that would have been pure heresy. But something here had changed to make her life that much more difficult.
(Rule in favor of) Applejack: Applejack (A) would be be satisfied with me (T).
Rainbow Dash: Rainbow Dash (R) would not be satisfied with A or T.
Applejack: Because A knows that R would not be satisfied, A would take steps against R.
Rainbow Dash: Because R knows that A knows that R would not be satisfied, R would escalate further against A and T.
Applejack: Because A knows that R knows that A knows that R Argh!
How was she supposed to decide like this? The unicorn knew that coming down on one side meant making an eternal enemy out of the other. Now, if this alone had been the tradeoff, then the solution was obvious: give it to Rainbow Dash, and watch her take down Applejack with ease.
But then there arose the problem of balance. Twilight Sparkle needed Applejack as a counter to the pretentions of Rainbow Dash, who had proven profoundly liberal - all too liberal - in interpreting the limits of her power. So rule in favor of Applejack: but then, doing so would permanently alienate her most powerful vassal, whose power Twilight doubted she could even curb, let alone destroy.
I can't decide. I can't. I can't! The unicorn's mind, once so famously agile, had turned into stone overnight.
Oh, such a short while ago, Twilight Sparkle seemed to possess so much faith in herself. After all, had she not struck down both Rainbow Dash's and Applejack's actions in righteous indignation? Had she not delivered County Fluttershy into Rainbow Dash's hooves with just a few words?
But therein lay the problem. She had failed. She had failed, repeatedly, consistently, totally. Twilight Sparkle, once that paragon of success, that first-ranking of students, that savior of Equestria - Twilight Sparkle's confidence had been ground down by the crushing weight of her despair. What was once a mighty fortress had now been reduced into a smoldering wreck. And look at me now, so utterly, pathetically, totally useless...
The purple unicorn let out a bitter sigh. Who was I to think that only Applejack and Rainbow Dash had died...
*
"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash demanded. The unicorn pretended not to notice.
"TWILIGHT!" the pegasus yelled again.
The unicorn closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate. "Applejack... Rainbow Dash..."
The prismatic mare couldn't help but notice that Twilight had put Applejack's name before hers.
"... please, can we just talk this- "
"No." Oh no you won't.
"Please, Rain- "
"No!" If that's the last thing I do.
"Ra- "
"No, no, NO!" Rainbow Dash suddenly burst out. "NO! You're doing this with Applejack, aren't you? You're going to drag this out again, aren't you? Well, You're. Not. Doing. This. Again!"
*
Twilight Sparkle could only stare, open-mouthed, in disbelief. "W-wha... ?"
On the other side of the room, something within Applejack clicked. Rainbow Dash... impulsive... yes, that's it! That's how!
The orange mare cleared her throat. "Actually, Duchess, I've thought of this some more and I think it would be mighty fine for us to talk this over... "
The purple unicorn barely even acknowledged her. "Rainbow Dash, you see, even... please- "
Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed.
"Yes, come to think of it, let's talk about this, Rainbow Dash," Applejack continued.
"Rainbow, just this once, please... "
Rainbow Dash's world began to turn red.
Time to push this horse over the edge. "By the way, I thank you, Twi', for arranging all of this- "
Too late, Twilight realized what was going on. "Applejack! What are- "
"Stop," Rainbow Dash was mid-air, her voice turning deathly normal. "Just stop. I knew this was a stupid idea. Of course. You two are great friends. Have always been great friends."
"Rainbow!" Twilight protested, flashing an angry glare at the farm pony.
"Sure. I get it. Of course you would work together against me. Of course you would. I should never have trusted you. Yeah, you just go on and give it to her, Twilight Sparkle."
"Rain- "
" 'I just wanted to say, Applejack, that I'm sorry!'" the pegasus mocked with her best Twilight impression.
"Rainbow Dash, what... I- " Twilight stammered. Applejack cast a suspicious gaze at the bookish mare.
"Just give it to her, Twilight! It doesn't matter one bit to me anymore!" Rainbow Dash yelled, taking up position next to the window. She pointed derisively at the Duchess. "You and your horseappled reign! You'll get what you want!"
"Rainbow! Please...!" Twilight collapsed onto the floor, weakly raising a pleading foreleg.
"Go on! Go on and help Applejack all the way! I'm never listening to you again!" Rainbow Dash's face had become a furious scarlet. "I'm going to be my own pegasus now!"
Twilight closed her eyes and begged for death. Anything. Lightning. Fire. Plague. Anything...
"From now on!" Rainbow Dash was lost in her own megalomania. "From now on, I will be the true ruler of the Outer Lands! You'll see! You'll see what happens when you mess with the Great and Powerful Rainbow Dash...!"
Shards of glass crashed onto the marble tiles. A violent gust of wind swept through the Grand Hall. Applejack shrieked with glee: "Traitor! Get that traitor!"
The Ducal Guards obliged, dashing out of the double doors.
Yet as the world around her erupted into a primal rage, Twilight, her body crumpled on the ground, remained still. There was no more struggle for her. There could be no more struggle for her. Now even to the laypony, Twilight Sparkle's legacy was sealed. The unicorn who started the first Equestrian civil war in a thousand years.
Twilight Sparkle: The End.
Meanwhile, Applejack looked with barely-disguised scorn at her liege. "By Celestia, are you gon' lie there forever? We got work to do!"
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I'll be honest, this is losing focus, it's not bad it's just not as great as it had started off as
2430418 Damn.
could you elaborate further? I want to see if it's something about the plot or the reactions of the ponies, because (as you probably know) things are just moving towards their conclusion now.
2430449 yeah I got that feeling, maybe its the fact that everythings moving at such a rapid pace coupled with the fact the mane 6 seem to be shuffling constantly through personalties they shouldn't have, like one minute twilight is being the devious puppet master, a few scenes later she's a wallowing mess, vice versa for AJ, I don't feel right criticising it since its a very good piece of writing, but I just cant shake the notion that in the last few chapters its not working as well as it should, sorry I cant be more specific
2430459 Cool. What you said will definitely help with the writing. Thanks a lot
This, I believe carries the intensity of this chapter's end. Truly a foul play by A.J.