//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Rainbow Spiral // by TheRainbowDashShow //------------------------------// The train hummed noisily as the wheels began to grind against the rusted iron tracks. The steam whistled in a high pitched tone, the last of the ponies clambered into its cars as it slowly pulled away from the station. The passengers pushed and shoved their way through until they reached their private booths assigned to their tickets. Rainbow Dash slid open a sticky wooden door with a small pane of glass. She peered inside the small rectangular box. The wooden benches built into the walls had been lined with what appeared to be a new layer of green velvet cloth. On the opposite side from the door was an open window that let in the chilly gushing air from outside. Pushing down on the half-oval handle and closed it, Rainbow Dash watched as they moved further and further away from Canterlot. The small filly lying on her back yawned and rolled herself off onto the plush green seats, "Where are we going Dashie?" Raven asked. Rainbow Dash shifted her eyes back at the black filly, her mind still trying to adjust to the idea that Raven was actually here, "We're going to Manehatten." She responded. Scootaloo took a spot on the bench, "Is Applejack there?" "I hope so." Rainbow Dash said, still watching Raven Flame as her mind tried to come up with a reasonable explanation. "What happened to her?" Raven Flame asked. "I wish I knew. The doctor at the hospital said he wasn't allowed to 'discuss' any medical information." Rainbow Dash sat down next to the filly and ran her hoof through the filly's mane. The warmth of the pony sent shivers through her. Her mind had only managed to manifest memories of the filly being cold and hollow. Raven noticed Rainbow's subtle change in appearance, "What's wrong?" "Huh? Oh, nothing is wrong it's just…" Rainbow Dash ran her hoof through the filly's mane a second time, "I guess I just keep expecting I'm going to wake up…" she lifted Raven Flame and held her, "and I don't want that to happen." "Well you aren't sleeping, I can promise that." Raven said. "I hope not…" Rainbow Dash said sounding a little dismayed, feeling it more likely that she really was dreaming than this being real. Raven grinned and bit at the rainbow mane and tugged hard on it. "Ow!" Rainbow Dash cried, "What was that for?" "Huh, guess you aren't asleep!" Raven giggled. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and grinned a little, "I guess not." "Dashie, can we get something to eat?" Raven asked staring up at Rainbow with her pouting blue eyes. "Sure" Rainbow Dash lifted up Raven Flame and placed her securely on her back again, "I think they have a dining car." She said sliding the door back open and trotting out, Scootaloo following close behind. After passing through two of the train's cars they reached one that was dimly lit. In place of private booths aligning the walls there were tables with rectangular menus placed over the red linen sheets. Rainbow Dash pulled out one of the wooden chairs and sat Raven upright against it, then took a spot next to her. The waitress pony walked by floating a small notepad and quill with her horn, "Can I get you anything?" she asked. Raven stared at the choices and finally decided, "Can I get the daisy salad and a side of apple slices?" The unicorn jotted down the order and turned to Scootaloo who mimicked the previous order. She then turned to Rainbow Dash who shrugged and duplicated the order as well. "So, how did you two make it to Canterlot?" Rainbow Dash asked when the waitress walked away, "They shut down the trains and it's nearly freezing at night now…" "It wasn't that hard really." Scootaloo said sounding overly confident. Raven Flame scoffed, "Says the Pegasus who almost died on the way over." Scootaloo waved her hoof, "I had everything under control." "Yeah maybe…" Raven Flame stuck out her tongue, "Did your plan involve being an icicle at the bottom of a pond?" Rainbow Dash stared as the two went back and forth and found she was regretting that she had even asked the question, "So, Raven, you know what we still need to do?" she asked trying to change the subject. "What's that?" Raven asked, ignoring Scootaloo who was still rambling on in an attempt to defend her own honor. "Well, when you are feeling up to it…" Rainbow Dash extended her wings and ruffled her feathers a little, "Flying lessons!" Raven Flame let out a small squeak of excitement. The waitress unicorn returned with a floating tray that held three large plates and three small plates. The plates hovered themselves over onto the table two in front of each pony. The unicorn then placed the small white receipt on the table cloth and she left once again. "How long is this train ride going to be?" Scootaloo asked as she prodded at the green leaves on her plate. "It's an overnight train." Rainbow Dash said, "So we should arrive sometime in the morning tomorrow." "Tomorrow morning?" Scootaloo let out an irritated groan, the idea of being cramped inside a train compartment for the night sounded incredibly boring to her. "Just be glad it isn't a tent in the middle of nowhere in freezing weather." Raven said, trying to conceal her excitement. This being her first train raid she was rather enjoying the experience and the thought of sleeping somewhere warm for the first time in days was a much welcome change. Rainbow Dash finished eating her salad and felt her body starting to crash once again. She looked over to see Raven Flame had also finished eating and Scootaloo was just stacking the lettuce into a small pyramid, "Scootaloo you finished?" Scootaloo nodded and hopped out of her seat. Rainbow Dash looked at the paper withdrew the appropriate amount of bits and a few extra from her saddlebag and dropped it onto the table. Lifting up Raven Flame and placing her on her back for the third time they trotted back to their car and returned to their booth. "Where are we going once we get to Manehatten?" Raven Flame asked. "Applejack was sent to a doctor there, so we'll start by talking with him. Rainbow Dash answered as she pulled down the two roll-up sheets that covered the window on the wall and door of the booth. "If we're lucky he might even know where she is." Raven Flame noticed the tremors in Rainbow Dash's body, "You okay Dashie?" "I'm fine." Rainbow Dash placed Raven on the corner of the seat and laid down on the opposite side, "I just need some sleep." Raven Flame crawled her weak body over to Rainbow Dash Laying down on one of Rainbow Dash's arms she rested her head on Rainbow's shoulders and nuzzled up closer, "Good night, Dashie." Rainbow Dash smiled, placing one of her forearms on Raven Flame she hugged her softly, "Good night, Raven." She whispered as she shut her eyes and for the first time in a month she closed them without being visited by the horrid memories that had always invaded her thoughts when she had. Finally, she slipped into a much needed deep and peaceful sleep. The train came to a sudden and screeching halt which caused Rainbow Dash to roll off of the velvet bench and crash into the floor. She opened her eyes to find her face being covered by Raven Flame's extended wings as she clung onto her neck to stop herself from flopping about. Spitting out a couple of dark feathers from her mouth she pulled the tightly gripping filly off of her throat allowing her to breathe again. "Just a thought but, could you possibly… I dunno, not strangle me to death?" Rainbow Dash asked as her face returned from a shade of purple back to its cyan-blue. Raven Flame yawned and ignored Rainbow Dash; her attention was completely set on the lack of aching or weakness that had been afflicting her. Stretching out her hooves and then her wings she gingerly tested them to gauge just how much stress they could handle. Rainbow Dash too was quite focused on the vigor that was surging through her. She hadn't had a sleep this rejuvenating in the past month. She cracked her wings, giving them a few flaps to warm them up and rubbed her eyes to help adjust them back to the waking world. "Come on, I wanna get out of this room!" Scootaloo whined impatiently as she watched the two indulging in their newfound energy. Raven Flame hopped up, excited to see the city of Manehatten and overjoyed to have her independence back, "Yeah Dashie, hurry up!" Rainbow Dash waved a hoof around frantically, "Keep your hooves on geez. Give a pony a chance to wake up." She said, starting to feel a little old; normally it would have been her trying to speed up everyone else, not the other way around. Raven Flame slid open the door and bolted out of the train, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo blinked when all they saw was a black blur exiting the room. "Wait up!" They both called out chasing after her. Raven Flame stood just outside the station and stared in awe at the tall glimmering buildings tinted in a pale gray from the overcast that dimmed the city. The three ponies' eyes wandered, examining the city. Thick clouds of heavy dark gray smoke filled the sky, allowing only the faintest amount of the already dwindled light of the winter sun. Most of what lit the city was the hundreds of electrical lights that shone through the windows of the colossal towers, or the lamps posted every dozen feet on the sidewalks that ran through Manehatten. Apart from the ponies that trotted through the streets, there were no other signs of life through the city. The pollution had driven out the wildlife that once habituated the land. Any pre-existing foliage had been de-rooted to make way for the concrete roads and construction to better suit the lifestyle of the business ponies who made homes here. "This is Manehatten?" Raven Flame asked in astonishment, her eyes widening while she imagined just how the towering structures had been made. "Yeah." Rainbow Dash said, "I almost hope Applejack isn't here, I think she'd climb the wall if she were." "I think it's amazing." Raven Flame said. "Well I think it smells!" Scootaloo blurted out. Raven Flame gently kicked Scootaloo's leg for the comment then turned to Rainbow Dash, "So where to?" Rainbow Dash read the small white card and pointed a hoof. "This way!" she said sounding a little excited and the three of them started walking. She let out a nervous chuckle when she noticed she was leading them the wrong way, "Sorry…" she turned around, "This way…" "You do know where we are going… right?" Raven Flame asked worriedly. "Of course!" Rainbow Dash said quickly with a hint of being offended, "I'm the best navigator in all of Equestria!" Raven Flame tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, "And in what universe is that?" Rainbow Dash smirked, "In every universe Raven… in every universe." "Then how come you just walked straight past the hospital?" Scootaloo shouted, Raven Flame giggling beside her. "I was just testing you!" Rainbow Dash said defensively as she ran back to them. Looking down at the card she checked the street address to ensure this was the right place. It was baffling to her that this hospital was even larger than the one in Canterlot. She guessed it was at least eight stories tall, if there were more they weren't visible due to the thick smog blocking her vision. Rainbow Dash waved her hoof, gesturing for the two fillies to follow her and they walked towards the only entrance of the building. The door opened for them on its own as they approached. They began to feel incredibly out of place with how much more advanced the city was in comparison to what they were used too. Approaching the vacant front desk, Rainbow Dash pressed on the small bell and a brown pony in sea-green scrubs walked in from the swinging door behind the desk, "What do you want?" he asked tiredly, the heavy bags beneath his eyes seeming to bounce when he spoke. Rainbow Dash used all her willpower to not focus on the attentive tired eyes that distracted her, "I'm looking for uh, Dr. Clover, the neurologist." She said her eyes shifting around to keep from making contact with the exhausted pony in front of her. The brown pony yawned, "Her office is on the fourth floor, third door on the left just outside the elevator." Rainbow Dash trotted away quickly saying nothing in fear she might not be able to control herself and say something rude. She looked at the metal doors and pushed the button shaped in an up arrow, which illuminated itself upon contact with her hoof. The doors split open each half sliding the opposite way and the three stepped inside. Never actually having seen an elevator before, let alone use one, the three were quite hesitant to step inside. Eventually Raven Flame walked in first and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo followed. Pushing the button labeled 'four' the doors closed once again and the box lurched upward. They stared uncomfortably at the door, holding tightly to the railings. A tickling sensation ran through their stomachs as they rapidly ascended up the building. There was another sudden jerk and the doors opened again. "Next time we're taking the stairs." Rainbow Dash chuckled, finding herself terrified of being contained in the small room that moved up and down on its own. Raven Flame and Scootaloo just shrugged, the experience not bothering them nearly as much as it had Rainbow Dash. A bright green unicorn dressed in a thin white lab coat stopped as the three ponies approached her, "Can I help you find something?" she asked. "No thanks, just going to talk to Dr. Clover." Rainbow Dash pointed down the hallway, not noticing the pony's nametag on the coat. Dr. Clover jingled the tag pinned to her jacket's collar, "Then I guess I can help you find something." She said, walking to her office's door, unlocked it and trotted inside beckoning for them to follow her. "So what can I do for you?" she asked with a smile as she placed herself on a wheeled chair. "Well, my name is Rainbow Dash. Dr. Trotsky said he was going to let you know I was coming." Rainbow Dash said as she sank into a deep cushiony couch while Scootaloo and Raven Flame explored the book shelves set against the office walls. "Oh, so you are Applejack's wife then?" Dr Clover asked. Rainbow Dash nodded. Spinning around on her chair she turned to a shelf behind her desk and withdrew a folder, "Now, I'm sure as Dr. Trotsky told you, I can't divulge any information regarding the patient's medical history." Rainbow Dash not wanting to appear rude as this was her only lead she held back a groan of irritation, "What can you tell me?" she asked calmly. Dr. Trotsky spun back around, "Not much." She said, leaning back in her chair. "But, given the circumstances of this patient's case, I am willing to go out on a hoof here and give you the address where she is currently living." Rainbow Dash lit up, "R-really?" Dr. Trotsky smiled and her horn started to glow. Soon a nearby quill began to levitate and dipped itself in an ink jar. It then began to scribble something on a small slip of pink paper, "This is her address." She said as the paper floated over to Rainbow Dash, "Is there anything else I can do while you are here?" "Nope." Rainbow Dash read the address to herself repeatedly until it was locked away in her memory just in case she were to lose the paper, "Thank you so much." She said, digging herself out of the couch. Rainbow Dash pulled open the office door and called out to Raven Flame and Scootaloo. "Hey Dashie, we should take the elevator again!" Raven teased as they walked down the hallway. "Sure, whatever…" Rainbow Dash said distantly, her mind trying to work out why Applejack would have a place to live here. Manehatten had to be one of the last places an earth pony like her would ever want to be. Raven Flame and Scootaloo led Rainbow Dash into the elevator and pushed the '1' button. The three of them were unsure whether they had already became used to the strange box or the way down just wasn't as bothersome. Raven Flame studied at the cracks of the metal doors, trying to see the mechanisms behind it. "So, where are we going now?" Scootaloo asked through clenched teeth as she dragged Raven Flame away from the elevator. "We're going to Applejack's apartment." Rainbow Dash said holding back a laugh at the thought of a nature loving pony like Applejack living in a polluted city in a tiny apartment. "How far is it?" Raven Flame asked as they walked out the self-moving doors of the hospital. Her legs were finally starting to grow tired. Rainbow Dash pointed across the street at another tall building made of red bricks, "Right there." They crossed the road and started clambering up the black painted iron winding staircase. With each step their hooves made a loud clanking on the metal as they climbed. After the third story the noise began to wear at them. By the sixth and final floor Rainbow Dash found herself not only carrying Raven Flame, but Scootaloo as well. Rainbow Dash allowed herself a moment to recover her breath before starting down the wooden hallway. A thought occurred to her that caused her heart to start racing and adrenaline to rush through her. For the first time in a month she would be seeing Applejack. Rainbow Dash grinned excitedly and started running down the hall and halted at the door labeled '6F'. Taking a deep breath, she combed her mane with her hoof, checked her tail and then knocked on the door. Within a few seconds the door was pulled open, a familiar red unicorn with a fiery blue mane standing at the doorway. Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed, "Scootaloo, Raven Flame, go and wait by the stairs." The fillies nodded and trotted out of sight giving the other two ponies privacy. Ice Ember's eyes widened, she quickly stepped through the doorway and shut the door behind her, "What are you doing here?" she asked. "What am I…? What am I doing here?" Rainbow Dash stuttered, "What are YOU doing here?" "I live here." Ice Ember said, "Look I'm kind of busy, can you come back some other time?" she turned and started to open the door. "Hold on!" Rainbow Dash said swiping the unicorn's hoof away from the door handle, "The doctor said Applejack was here…" "I don't know what you're talking about!" Ice Ember said nervously. "Don't play games with me!" Rainbow Dash hissed, "Where is she?" Ice Ember shifted her gaze at the apartment door and then back at Rainbow Dash, "You don't understand, I can explain…" Rainbow Dash noticed the glance, "Is she inside?" she asked not waiting for an answer. She opened the door and walked inside the brightly lit room. "Wait!" Ice Ember called out, grabbing at her tail to try and pull Rainbow Dash away. Applejack sat in the corner of the living room on a plush round cushion reading a book. She peeled her eyes away from the pages and saw the two ponies enter. Setting down the book on the desk nearby she stood up, "Well howdy, the names Applejack!" she greeted, extending a hoof to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash stared at Applejack, a small faded scar near the center of her forehead. Her attention changed to the pale emerald eyes looking back at her. They weren't filled with love or excitement to see her. Applejack's eyes seemed distant and foreign as though she didn't recognize her, "Hi…" Rainbow Dash said gripping at the hoof. "Applejack, my friend Rainbow Dash and I are going to go outside to talk for a bit. We'll be back soon." Ice Ember said giving Applejack a quick kiss on the lips before pushing Rainbow Dash back through the door of her apartment. "What… What's going on?" Rainbow Dash said when the door was shut behind them. "Applejack doesn't know who you are anymore." Ice Ember said placing a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. Rainbow Dash shook the hoof off of her shoulder, "What!" Ice Ember sighed, "Applejack doesn't remember anything at all." "So what, you just decided to… keep her?" Rainbow Dash asked sounding disgusted. "What? No!" Ice Ember cried out. "Then why didn't you bring her home, back to Ponyville?" Ice Ember turned away, "Because…" "Because what?" Rainbow Dash shouted, "Ponyville is where she belongs, it's her home, she had friends and family there! She is my WIFE and you just hid her away from every pony else making every pony think she was dead!" Rainbow Dash pointed around her, "Look around you, do you honestly think Applejack is happy in a place like this? So what reason could you possibly have to not bring her back to the ponies and places she loves?" "Because…" Ice Ember frowned, "I love her…" Rainbow Dash nearly laughed, "You love her?" she asked, "You LOVE her and your idea of showing Applejack you love her was to bring her miles away from her friends and family. You took her to a polluted city where the most natural thing here is the wood your furniture is made of." Rainbow Dash shook her head in disappointment, "Do you honestly think she is happy here?" Ice Ember took a step back, "I think she is happy here…" she said with little confidence. Applejack opened the door and stepped out, "What's going on?" she asked wrapping a hoof around Ice Ember's shoulder, holding her close and giving the unicorn a kiss on her cheek. The sight caused jealousy to stab through Rainbow Dash. She couldn't help but cringe and feel tears start to form in her eyes seeing the pony she loved now in the hooves of another. She shook her head and pushed back the tears, "Nothing!" she said angrily. "Applejack, go back inside, Rainbow Dash was just leaving. I'll be inside soon." Ice Ember said nudging her forehead against the earth pony's neck. Applejack nodded and retreated back inside. "I told you, Applejack's happy here, you should just move on Rainbow." "She is my WIFE and you let me go a month believing that she was dead!" Rainbow Dash filled with rage and shoved Ice Ember into the door, pressing the side of her leg against the unicorn's neck she whispered, "You're just as sick as your father was." The comment burned at Ice Ember, "I'm nothing like my dad!" she shouted, pushing Rainbow Dash off of her. "I'm not letting her go." She said breathing deeply to keep herself calm. Rainbow Dash smiled as she realized she had a major hoof up on Ice Ember, "You don't have to let her go. Applejack is going to let you go." Ice Ember looked confused, "Why would she let me go, she loves me." "You think she loves you? How could any pony love a twisted thing like you?" Rainbow Dash "I know she loves me and I'm the only pony she knows anymore." Ice Ember said confidently. "You're forgetting just one thing" Rainbow Dash's grin widened, "You might be the only pony she knows, but I'm the only pony that really knows her." Ice Ember's confidence suddenly faded at the comment, "What makes you think I'll let you anywhere near her?" Rainbow Dash chuckled, enjoying that she was making the unicorn squirm so easily, "I won't go near her, but you can't watch her all the time and I can't promise she won't come to me." "Get out of here!" Ice Ember screamed waving her hoof threateningly at Rainbow Dash. "Did they ever tell you what exactly happened to your father?" Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. Ice Ember stared blankly indicating she had no idea. Rainbow Dash began to trot away back towards the steps, "Applejack killed him." Ice Ember slammed her apartment door shut and kicked at it leaving small dents in the wood. Her mind burned with anger toward Applejack. Despite her deep loathing for her father, in some small corner of her heart she still cared for him. She turned to Applejack who stared at her with frightened eyes as she had never acted out in such away before. "Are yah alright?" Applejack asked sheepishly. Ice Ember continued to stare, her anger slowly melting away. Even if it were true, she could never stay mad at Applejack and given just who her father was it had to have been completely necessary. She trotted over towards the orange pony, "I'm fine…" she said. Sitting down next to Applejack she started to fear what Rainbow Dash had said. "Applejack, are you happy?" Applejack let out a quiet laugh, "Am ah happy? Why wouldn't ah be?" "So you don't want…" Ice Ember started to choke back the words and the tears burst from her eyes, "You don't want to leave me, do you?" "Oh, sugarcube…" Applejack took the red unicorn in her hooves and cradled her, kissing the pony's forehead, "Why in tarnation would yah think such a thing?" Ice Ember looked up at her, "I don't know." She dried off her tears from her eyes and laughed, "Guess I'm just having a bad day." She pressed her lips against Applejack's and silently told herself no pony would ever take her away from her. "Why don't yah go make us somethin' tah eat while ah finish this chapter." Applejack said waving the book she still held in her hooves. "Okay." Ice Ember said as she walked away into the kitchen. Applejack's eyes returned to the pages of the book but she wasn't reading. She had purposefully avoided directly answering Ember's questions because the pony could easily tell when she lied, if she did lie. Her feelings towards Ice Ember, she did care for the pony but often times she felt it wasn't in the way Ice Ember wanted. She liked her and she was the closest pony in her life but she never did feel a spark between them when she was with her. As for how she felt about this place, she didn't dislike it but she never felt that she actually belonged in a place like this. Her heart always longed for another place and as she tried to understand just what it was, spots would seemingly cover her thoughts and she would soon give up. It was maddening to her every time it occurred. Applejack just wished she could put her hoof on what seemed to be missing in her life, even if only for a moment. Her life in this place with this pony filled her with a kind of emptiness as if she weren't really living. She sighed heavily and finally returned her mind to the pages of the Daring-Do novel. She didn't know why but they brought her comfort and reminded her of something hidden in the back of her mind just barely out of reach. Turning the page with the tip of her hoof Applejack's eyes met with blank white paper that was bound to the backside of the book. She closed it and set it down, the small amount of comfort the story had provided to her quickly dissipating. Taking a seat at the table, Ice Ember trotted up with two sandwiches and sat next to her. "You okay?" Ice Ember said noticing the orange pony's now slumpish mood. "Ah'm fine." Applejack said with a smile taking a small bite of the sandwich, "Just finished the book is all. Yah mind if ah go get the next one tomorrow?" "I'll get it for you!" Ice Ember said quickly, she was afraid Rainbow Dash might try something. "Thanks but ah kind of want tah go mahself." Applejack took another bite to buy her time to think of an excuse of why, "Maybe ah'll find some other books ah want tah read while ah'm there." "Alright." Ice Ember said reluctantly, she couldn't fight it or Applejack might get suspicious. Applejack leaned over and kissed Ice Ember's cheek, "Thanks." She said sounding more cheerful. Ice Ember placed a hoof behind Applejack's head and pushed her closer, pressing her lips against hers again. With everything Rainbow Dash had said she found herself feeling an overwhelming urge to show her affection. Their lips parted and she softly ran her hoof down Applejack's cheek, "I love you." Applejack avoided repeating the phrase back to her in the same manner she always did. She pressed herself back onto Ice Ember with a passionate kiss. Although on occasions where she felt lonely she did find some comfort in Ember's hooves. The gesture was always enough to get her out of the situation, though she felt guilty for manipulating the pony in such a way. "Ah'm kinda tired, ah didn't sleep much last night. Ah think ah'm gonna hit the hay." Applejack said with a quiet yawn. "Okay, I have some work to do anyway." Ice Ember said pointing to her desk littered with papers. Applejack trotted down the hallway and into the bedroom closing the door behind her. She looked at the cowboy hat hanging from the bedpost. She smacked her hoof into its brim causing it to spin off and land directly on her head. She didn't know where or when she had learned to do that, but the hat seemed special to her and it was the only thing that she still had before waking up that day in the hospital. She tipped down the hat against her nose and inhaled, the smell of apples and dirt still lingered on it. The smell brought images of green fields and tall trees with orange and red leaves clinging to the baring branches. Collapsing onto the bed, Applejack wrapped her hooves around the pillow and squeezed it. She closed her eyes and let herself imagine she was lying in a field of grass. She wanted so much to feel the warm sun against her face and the soft breeze of the summer air to flow through her mane as she wasted time just sitting there, enjoying everything that the world had to offer. Her mind began to grow tired and her thoughts slowed. She snored softly as her head filled with pleasant dreams of warm and far off places saturated with the beauty of nature that her heart longed for.