War...war never changes.
Earth ponies and unicorns alike fought the massive changeling army below, while above the pegasi were having dog fights with their flying troops.
Every so often a blast of magic caused groups of changelings to fly away, or send them tumbling to the ground.
Pleased with the army she had so carefully constructed, Twilight looked at her leading generals and friends. Rainbow Dash was head of the Air-Force, Applejack led the main army and Twilight herself took the lead of special operations team.
Fighting a changeling army was no small feat, for they could turn into anypony and cause mass confusion within the ranks of the soldiers, and perhaps, if they were lucky, having them kill each other.
This only brought moral down even lower after the Canterlot incident and the capture of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
Twilight resented the fact that she could do nothing with the shock of the death of her brother and new sister in law, immobilizing her with the fear that she was next.
“Twi?” she heard a voice near her, but it seemed so far away.
„Twilight?” It was Rainbow Dash.
Snapping out of her deep thoughts she turned to Rainbow “Hm...what?” she said a little confused.
“We’ve cleared the skies of the enemy, would you like us to aid the ground forces now?” asked Rainbow.
“Uh…yeah go ahead and do that I want this battle finished as soon as possible, understand?” Rainbow nodded in agreement. She hated it when Twilight got like this, drawn back from what matted the most, the present.
Ever since the Canterlot incident she hasn’t been the same, but she guessed that was what happened when you loose somepony so close to you.
“Well?” asked Twilight.
“Huh? Oh, sorry.”
With that Rainbow Dash flew away to give the orders to the front line of the pegasi. Twilight didn’t like being rude to her friends but she had to keep an air of authority, even among her closest friends.
An explosion shook her from her thoughts. The explosion was to close and strong to be from the other unicorns.
She scanned the battlefield from her vantage point, on top of a hill, and saw what she feared the most.
Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings, was firing bolts of magic into the ranks of the ponies Twilight commanded, sending them flying about.
Twilights mind reeled as she tried to figure out a way to save her troops and her friends.
She charged down the hill to call a retreat, when a blast of magic tore the ground in front of her into a gaping hole and sent her flying back a few feet.
A little dazed she scrabbled to her hooves looking wildly about for her attacker. She gazed up to see Chrysalis wickedly grinning at her.
Rainbow Dash heard the earth shattering explosion and was momentarily distracted, allowing the changeling she was fighting with to punch her in the muzzle.
Stunned Rainbow wiped the blood off of her muzzle and smashed the changeling in his groin with her hind hooves, then spun around and punched it back in its ugly mug, destroying its skull with sheer force.
She then spun towards the direction of the explosion and flew there with incredible speed.
When she got there she saw Chrysalis and Twilight in a deadly duel of incredibly strong magic being shot back and forth between the brood mother and the small unicorn.
Twilight saw the cyan Pegasus and flung a shield around herself, just as several large bolts of magic slammed against it.
Rainbow took the opportunity while the changeling queen was distracted, kicked her in the stomach and landed another powerful blow at her face.
Taking the opportunity Rainbow had opened; Twilight gathered all of her strength, blasting the hive queen from her hooves with the sheer force of magic, sending her flying into the back of the changeling lines.
The queen dizzily shook her head and ordered the retreat.
They had won.
Twilight couldn’t believe that her small army of five hundred fought off more than one thousand changelings and their queen!
She tackled Rainbow dash out of the air and hugged her tightly, not letting her go.
Rainbow hugged back Twilight just as tight as she was hugging her, when Applejack came walking by and stood over them, a confused look on her face.
Rainbow looked up at Applejack, blushed, and pushed Twilight off of her, face still as red as one of the apples from Sweet Apple Acres.
Twilight looked up at what Dashie was looking at, fearing it was another attack, but instead saw Applejack, hugged her too (to a lesser extent) and let go after a couple of seconds.
Usually Applejack would have hugged her back, but after the war started she was more withdrawn with the loss of her little sister at the wedding.
She remembered it all too clearly.
The day of the wedding, after Twilight came back with the real Candace, the force field broke, letting in the army of changelings.
With the capture of Celestia and Luna and the death of Shining Armor, Candace threw attack after attack at the wretched Queen, failing each time, magic bouncing off the shield the Queen had conjured up.
Tired and already weak Candace couldn’t pull a shield up fast enough to protect herself, as the hive queen shot a big blast at her.
Apple Bloom, the brave little filly, jumped in front of the attack unleashed by the queen, hoping to buy Candace some time, but ultimately failing to save Candace’s life.
Her lifeless body was blown back into Candace, knocking her over.
Taking the opportunity Chrysalis sent the final blow into Candace’s exposed chest, killing the young princess instantly.
Laughing hysterically, Chrysalis gathered up her prisoners and flew off.
Nopony knew where she took her hostages, but it wasn’t any place good for sure.
Applejack ran to her dead sister and cried profusely. Some ponies went to her; others went to Twilight, trying to comfort them.
From that point on they both swore vengeance on the horrid Queen to either kill her or die trying. Either way, they would make sure it was an honorable death, but only if they failed.
If they defeat the brood mother, they swore to themselves, they would make her suffer as much as they were on this fateful day in Canterlot.
Coming back to reality was a bitter relief for the earth pony.
The dead bodies of ponies and changelings alike were strewn across the hilly plain, some burnt by magic, some with arrows sticking out of them like pincushions, and others just plain broken by the powerful hooves of their enemies.
It was painful to think that the ponies they trained so hard and had gotten to know so well; could be taken away so easily.
Applejack could see the soldiers gathering the bodies of their fallen brethren and tears welled in her eyes.
She looked away from the awful scene and at her friends, who were checking each other’s bodies for serious injuries.
She then remembered her own wounds and flinched in pain, coming from a gash in her side. Twilight was still inspecting Rainbow Dash’s sleek muscular body, a light blush appearing on her cheeks, while tending to a bleeding cut on the mares slender flank, as she noticed Applejack flinching in pain.
Twilight pulled herself away from the mare’s flank, ending the healing spell, running over to her earth pony friend and asked Applejack if she was hurt badly.
“I…it ain’t nothin but a little scratch. I’ll have a doctor look at it. Save your magic for bigger things Sugarcube.” Applejack said in a slightly pained voice.
“Are you sure? It would only be a quick look to see if it is bad or not...”
“YOU callin ME a lier!?” Applejack shouted seething with an unknown source of rage to both her and the two mares in front of her.
Twilight looked like she was on the brink of tears and scooted back to Rainbow Dash’s side, seeking comfort from the cyan pegasus.
When she realized what she had just done, she began to apologize “Look Twi I...”
“No! Just stop!” the cyan pegasus barked at Applejack with steel in her voice and a deathly stare in her eyes.
Taken aback and still angry for some reason, she lashed out still directed at Twilight “Yah haven’t changed a bit, have yah Twilight? Still the same little weakling as before. Not even a year of war, a year of death and destruction can change a weakling like you!”
Applejack had no idea where these words were coming from. She really only wanted to apologize to her friend, but it was like the words were being put into her mouth.
Seeing the unicorn now fully crying into Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and Dash glaring at her, Applejack slowly backed away from the two mares, then turned tail, and ran towards the nearest doctors’ tent.
Around four minutes after Applejack ran off, Twilight had reduced her crying to sniffling and short sobs.
Rainbow Dash was crooning soothing words into her ear.
Words like, “Shh shh shhh. It’s gonna be ok.” “It’s ok you’re safe with me.“ and “I promise I will never ever let go.”
Twilight looked up to the mare that held her in her hooves. They held each other’s gaze nearly muzzle to muzzle.
Twilight smiled and nuzzled into Rainbows chest, blushing slightly at the affection she put into the movement.
Rainbow startled at what the lavender unicorn had just done, blushed wildly and smiled to herself and the unicorn in her lap...still not letting go.
AUTHORS NOTE
I’d like to thank BronyDragon for all his help with editing the story and Maverik who helped me with writing this first chapter. There will be more to come hopefully during or after thanksgiving break. I threw in a little Fallout quote, hope it didn’t confuse you I just thought it was a good start to the chapter. Anyways thanks for reading any suggestions/critiques are welcome.
-Taco
“I promise I will never ever let go.”
These words bounced around in Twilights head while she paced around her tent.
She didn’t have to avoid hitting anything while she paced, for the only things in the tent were a cot, a small desk and her saddle bag filled to the brim with books of war and changelings.
"I promise I will never ever let go.”
The words made her stomach tingle and made her heart pound and she began to wonder, what she really felt about Rainbow dash.
‘No no no! She’s just a friend and I don’t want anything more out of her!’ She screamed at herself in her mind.
‘Oh come on you know you liked searching her sleek, slender body and you also couldn’t take your eyes off her flank.’ her mind slyly replied.
She couldn’t deny it she almost couldn’t take her eyes off Rainbows small...”NO NO NO” she continuously told herself, flinging herself onto her cot, covering her head with her pillow, as to shield herself from the thoughts of the amazing pegasus that plagued her mind.
She threw the pillow off of her head and turned on to her back, staring into nothingness.
It was then that she recalled the harsh words that Applejack screamed at her earlier that day, then the comforting Rainbow Dash gave her... the long held gaze with those beautiful cerise eyes, how Rainbow held her tight protecting her from the harsh words, from the world it seemed.
There was so much strength in Rainbow Dash that Twilight deemed herself unworthy of receiving any love she might receive from the pegasus.She used her levitation magic to pick up the pillow that was flung across the quiet bland room and brought it back to her cot, where she lay like a bump on a log.It was not long before she was in an uneasy sleep, dreams of death, especially one death and it was not hers but Rainbow Dash’s.
It was more a premonition than a nightmare.
Twilight wasn’t even at the event just hovering over it like a ghost.
Rainbow Dash was being dragged by two huge changelings with a burlap sack over her head, so she could not tell where she was, as she was dragged through what looked like a throne room.
She thrashed and bucked, but to no avail.
The beasts dragging her were too big.
They came to a stop at the throne and removed the sack from her head, revealing that it was truly Rainbow.
Dash looked up and saw the ugly face of the brood mother, who was smiling evilly down upon the poor scared mare in front of her.
She made a bug like clicking noise and hundreds of changelings crawled out of the walls of the vast, poorly lit throne room.
“It seems you’re the one who becomes my pets new play toy for a little bit” The Queen said while petting the changeling closest to her.
The wretched beasts Queen maniacally laughed and walked out of the room, only to return on a balcony to watch her children tear the pegasus limb from limb, but not without a fight.
They made the mistake of loosening her binds and she broke out instantly.
Starting the fight, she took out one of the big changelings (with some effort). When she finished him off, two or three other changelings jumped her, but with great ease she side stepped them and took a fighting stance.
Two more came her way and she dispatched them as well, but that’s where things went wrong.
Six changelings jumped at her from all sides and pinned her down.
The big changeling, whose brother she had killed first, stepped through the crowd and stood in front of Rainbow Dash.
He raised a jagged pointed hoof up.
“Any last words little runt?” his overly deep voice echoed above the clamor.
“Yeah I wish my last vision wasn’t your ugly m-” and with that he brought down his hoof on her leg.
She screamed as the dirty jagged hoof plunged through her flesh, tore her muscles and broke the bone.
She cried and screamed obscene words.
The next three plunges were through the arms and the remaining leg.
By the time this happened she had passed out from the pain and loss of blood, which soaked the floor and the arm of the murderous changeling.
His arm took, what Twilight thought, was going to be the last stroke, but she was wrong.
After he killed Rainbow Dash, he kept stabbing the lifeless, blood soaked body of the one pony Twilight had cared for so much.
When the changeling brought his arm out, it was covered with the pegasus’s blood and guts.
One of the changelings reached into her chest, ripped out her heart and gave it to the large changeling, who promptly ate it.
Her eyes glued to the horrific scene, quite literally spilling out in front of her.
She vomited on herself, unable to move her head to the side, only able to puke straight ahead.
When the changelings were through, beating the lifeless body, they tossed her aside like an old rag doll.
Her body hit the floor and made a wet slap on the pristine marble floor, smearing it with blood.
Rainbows body, slick with blood, slid a few more feet and stopped at Twilights hooves.
Slowly looking down, and with a horrified expression on her face, Twilight saw the mangled corps of her best friend, a hole where her heart should have been.
Holes were in each of her limbs and scattered all about her slim frame.
Twilight screamed as loud as she could, attracting the changelings attention.
As soon as the changelings saw her, they charged for their new toy, the biggest getting to her first. He raised his jagged hoof to do the same horrid things to her as he did to Rainbow Dash. Then the hoof came down.
Twilights eyes ripped open, sweat and tears matting her fur and soaking her blanket.
She must have been screaming, because there were four guards in her tent and sitting on the cot, unseen before, was Rainbow Dash.
Twilight nearly tackled her out of the bed with the hug she gave Rainbow.
She cried into Rainbow Dash’s chest, still hugging her tightly.
The prismatic mare looked at the guards and motioned them to leave with a free hoof convincing them that she had things under control.
When they had left the room, she turned back to the weeping unicorn and asked what was wrong.
Twilight meekly answered.
“It was only a nightmare.”
Not taking the hint to leave it at that, she continued to ask what it was about.
Twilight just shook her head and started to softly cry once more. This time Rainbow Dash lifted Twilights sweat and tear soaked head, so they would be eye to eye.
Twilight’s heart fluttered when Dash took her chin in her hoof and lifted it lightly, so they were muzzle to muzzle, staring intently in to Twilights eyes.
Rainbow Dash, not one pony to give up easily, asked her what was wrong again. This time the truth spilled out of Twilights mouth.
She told her everything about her nightmare and how she was shocked as the changelings tore Rainbows heart out and ate it.
She told her about her fear of losing every one of her friends and everyone she ever knew to the hooves of the changelings.
While every one of her worries and fears left her mouth one by one, she began sobbing again and soon after, was fully crying into the chest of the cyan pegasus mare.
“Rainbow. I just don’t know how to handle this situation. So many of us fell fighting the changeling army and none of my books are helping. I was prepared for everything but this.” The lavender unicorn wailed, hugging her friend tight.
Dash was looking down on the crying bundle of lavender coat, leaning against her.
“Twi I promise we’ll find a way to get through all of this.” She whispered in the ear of the unicorn, holding her close. A sudden heat rose through Twilight when the pegasus pulled her in closer to her cyan body causing the unicorn to blush noticeably. Dash saw the blush fill the mares face that she held in her arms and gradually put two and two together. The same heat crept up her that crept up Twilight, she looked down at the unicorn buried in her chest and blushed even more. When Twilight looked up to Dash she saw the blush in the pegasus’s face and sheepishly smiled, she knew that the mare had figured it out.
Dash held still while Twilight rose from her chest to come muzzle to muzzle. They held each others gaze the look in each others eye told them that they wanted each other. Closing her eyes Twilight made the initial move, sliding her head closer to her soon to be lovers mouth. Dash closed her eyes and moved the remaining distance interlocking their lips in a passionate kiss, they fell backward onto the cot and held each other close breaking only to catch their breath then dive back to each others mouths. Their kissing lasted a few more seconds, before Rainbow Dash reluctantly pulled back.
"Twi. I...I think we shouldn't be doing this." The cyan mare whispered. "It's just neither the time nor the place for something like this."
"B...but Dashie." the lavender unicorn mare responded, lips quivering and ears falling flat.
"What if there is no tomorrow? What if we will fail against the changelings? What i..."
She was silenced by a cyan hoof in her mouth and at its end was Dash looking Twilight deep in the eyes.
"Listen Twilight. I can't predict the future and I don't want to. All I want is that we survive this madness and can live our lives in peace again. But if we jump hoof over head in a relationship and learn to love each other, then the pain will be even bigger for us if one is to fall on the battlefield. Our heads would be clouded by agony and rage. We have to act reasonable if we want to save our world from the doom that is knocking on our door. If everything is over and the changelings are beaten, we can do whatever we want, but now we need a focused leader to reach our goal." she said with a frown.
Twilight wanted to tell back on her, to outrun her with some intelectual speech, or just begging her to think about it again, but she knew that her pleading and reasoning would be futile.
Rainbow was right.
They shouldn't risk their whole race for a relationship that eventually breaks apart because of the death of one of them.
The pegasus mare got up and was about to leave the tent, when Twilight called out to her.
"Rainbow, wait. I know you're right, but could you please stay with me for the night? It's hard enough to deal with the leadership and the loss of the two closest friends I had before I met you and the others. I don't want to be alone." she pleaded to the cyan pegasus.
Rainbow Dash slowly looked behind her where Twilight was still sitting. "I don't know if that's such a good idea Twi." she said, frowning at the other mare.
"Please Dash. I promise I just want some company for the night. Nothing more." she assured Rainbow, giving her the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster. Tears were also forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I...I...I. Okay Twilight, but if you try something, anything, I'm outa here really damn fast. You hear me?" Dash gave in, turning back to her friend and lying herself next to her again.
"Oh thank you, thank you,thank you." Twilight cried out, hugging the pegasus mare.
"Twilight." the hugged mare growled. "Let go, or..."
"Oh yeah. Nearly forgot that. No hugging and kissing. Sorry." she said, releasing the prismatic mare from her grip.
The other mare shot her an annoyed glance. "Let's go to bed now. A new day of fighting lays ahead and we have to be recovered to be able to face it." Rainbow said, turning to face away from Twilight.
The lavender mare mirrored her friends motions and were soon lying back to back with Rainbow.
The two laid there and slowly drifted off into a soft sleep.
Twilight woke up first, disturbed by the bustling of the camp. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the pegasus beside her, the smell sending shivers down her spine.
She really appreciated, that Dash stayed with her for the night, giving her some company, but she quickly laid down again, pretending to be asleep, so she could inhale the scent of the tomboyish mare some more. She was lying like this for several minutes, until the flaps to the tent burst open and a green unicorn raced through the opening, panting and out of breath. He tried to speak but it was hard for him to speak between heavy gasps for air.
“Ma’am.... I .... have...some” He then noticed there were two bodies in the cot and realized his many mistakes, backing away slowly. "You can stay and report whatever information you've got." came Rainbow Dash's voice from the cot. "And Twilight I know that you are awake. Don't even try it." she added.
The two mares set up and looked at the green unicorn.
“Calm down and take a few deep breaths then tell us whats wrong.” Twilight calmly said, getting out of the cot.
The soldier took a few deep breaths and calmly said “ It’s General Applejack ma’am she’s missing.”
AUTORS NOTE
Thanks again to Bonydragon for editing and giving me ideas for the story. Here's the romance we were looking for and a bit of darkness there will be more chapters. Don’t forget to rate and leave a comment(good or bad)! see you on the fanbase!
-Taco
