//------------------------------// // Changeling survivor enclave, that first day // Story: What If // by elPossenreisser //------------------------------// “Ambush!” Rainbow Dash cried while throwing herself out of the way of the charging attacker. From the corner of her eye Applejack saw her kick one of the changelings as it tried to jump her, sending it crashing into the wall as she prepared herself for impact. Two more changelings who had been lying in ambush in the adjacent cellar room fluttered in front of Applejack, hungry grins on their ugly insectoid faces. With practiced ease she parried their first strikes and, as they moved back to set her up for another attack, launched herself at the left one, driving her shoulder into its face. As Applejack fought her momentum so she wouldn’t be carried into the wall as well, Rainbow Dash charged the remaining changeling and flattened it against the wall where it collapsed in a sad little heap. “Not bad for a rookie,” Applejack said, huffing. “Piece of cake,” Rainbow Dash retorted. “Once you’ve been in an air fight with a dozen of these guys this is just routine.” Applejack rolled her eyes, grinning at the other pony’s attitude. “Don’t get cocky, kid.” She dusted off her hat and put it back on before nodding towards the room the changelings had been hiding in. “Let’s see what’s left in there. I got a suspicion…” “What exactly are we lookin’ for again?” Rainbow asked, picking up her lantern. “Your honcho zebra only told us to check for changeling activity in the village, not on some remote farm.” Applejack huffed and approached the room. She didn’t care to explain what the remote farm had once meant for the village, or her. Instead she just said, “You’ll see.” She carefully stepped into the room, but the darkness made it impossible to discern anything. “Bring the light!” Rainbow Dash followed her and promptly bumped into her rear. Applejack didn’t care too much, as in the flickering light she had already spotted their prize: an unimpressive wooden crate. Without hesitation she heaved the crate onto her back and signaled Rainbow Dash to back off out of the room. “That’s it. We’re leavin’.” When they left the basement below the big red barn they realized that the sun was already setting, and the many trees surrounding the farm buildings were casting long shadows over them. Their investigation of both the deserted village and the farm had taken longer than Applejack had thought. “Looks like we ain’t goin’ back to camp tonight.” “You wanna stay here?” Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. “This place is totally busted!” Applejack let her gaze wander over the farm. Although it hurt her to admit it, the pegasus was right. The barn’s roof was sagging, and all the main house’s windows were broken. She knew from earlier visits that the interior had been smashed to pieces. What used to be the chicken coop was only a pile of splintered boards and debris. She sighed, fighting back the lump in her throat. “It rightly is,” she agreed hoarsely. “How ‘bout the village?” Rainbow Dash suggested. “There were no changelings there. Maybe we can find a place.” “There’s a cellar below the large dead tree,” Applejack heard herself say. After a last glance at the derelict farm she turned around. “Let’s go,” she added brusquely. “There ain’t nothing left here.” *** The basement under the big dead tree was almost inaccessible, the trap door leading down there blocked by a big branch. It took their combined effort to push it aside far enough so they could open the trap door. Before they descended, Rainbow Dash collected a few smaller dead branches and other debris and carefully arranged them around the trap door to obscure their entrance. Only when they had closed the door they dared light up the lantern again in the completely dark room. The room was filled with abandoned and broken furniture and little else. There was no indication that anyone had entered the room ever since the tree had been knocked over on the day the village had been attacked and abandoned. Applejack pushed the memory of that day as far away as she could, given the circumstances, and settled down on a relatively open stretch of floor. Rainbow Dash followed suit. “Good work out there,” Applejack said without looking at her new comrade. “Told ya,” Rainbow Dash replied. “We’ve fought them every day ever since the attack on Canterlot. There’s a reason we held out so long.” “Ya,” Applejack said. She wanted to ask the pegasus in more detail about what had happened up in the sky in Cloudsdale. At the same time, after a day of sneaking through the ruins of what had been her home, and now even spending the night in this forsaken place, she didn’t trust her emotions. Or Rainbow Dash’s, for that matter. After all the pegasus had lost her home just like she had, and probably friends and family as well. Applejack chanced a look. Rainbow Dash was hanging her head and seemed to be lost in thought. In fact, she looked about as happy and energetic as Applejack herself felt. She blinked to fight back the suspicious itch in her eyes. “Welcome to Ponyville,” she murmured. Rainbow Dash didn’t react. Without a second thought Applejack opened the crate she had looted from the farm’s basement. All eight bottles inside were still intact. She took one out and uncorked it with her teeth. The strong smell of her family’s traditional cider wafted up her nose. “Here, take a sip,” she said, extending the bottle to Rainbow Dash. “What’s that?” “Spoils of war.” When Rainbow Dash continued to just look at her, she added, “Hard cider. Family recipe.” Rainbow Dash grabbed the bottle and drank. “Wow,” she said. “Worth the effort.” She handed the bottle back to Applejack. “So, did you live here? You know, before?” *** “… and then Applebloom said, ‘Who even likes oatmeal?’” Applejack finished her story before taking another sip from the bottle. Four empty ones were already lying scattered in the basement’s debris. Rainbow Dash burst into laughter. She took the bottle out of Applejack’s hooves and drank. “Cool story,” she said. “Are you cold? You’re shivering!” “It’s alright,” Applejack refused. “I’m… huh?” Rainbow Dash scooted closer and unceremoniously put a feathered wing across Applejack’s back. The warmth felt good, adding nicely to the cider’s warmth in her belly. “Um, thanks,” she stammered. “You’re welcome,” Rainbow said with an audible smile. “It gets lonely, nights like this.” She pulled Applejack in a bit closer, caressing Applejack’s barrel with her wingtips. “It does,” Applejack agreed, reaching for the bottle. Rainbow’s touch felt nice. With a happy sigh she leaned against the other pony. “You’re way cute for a ground pounder, y’know,” Rainbow said with a mischievous grin. “I’ma make you forget for tonight.” Applejack was just lonely and drunk enough from the cider to not pull back as Rainbow moved in for the kiss. *** The trapdoor amidst the debris of the fallen oak was lifted by about an inch and remained motionless in that state for a few moments. Other than that, the deserted and ruined town lay in silence as the morning fog slowly vanished. “I’d say it’s as safe as it’s gonna be,” Rainbow said in the basement, carefully pushing the trapdoor open so that it wouldn’t make a loud impact. She flew out of the basement, trying her best to be looking in every direction at once. The town remained quiet. “Let’s skedaddle,” Applejack said, climbing out as well. “Once we make it to the Everfree we should be fine.” “I could fly us there in like two minutes flat,” Rainbow mused. “But I guess we better keep a low profile so they don’t follow us.” “Ya.” They started walking through the deserted streets. The atmosphere, Rainbow thought, was oppressive. Once ponies had lived here, probably hundreds of them. Now it was just a pile of rubbish. She didn’t even want to think about how Cloudsdale was looking. “So um. About last night,” Applejack suddenly said hesitantly. “It was a one-time thing,” Rainbow interrupted her resolutely. “We could both use some distraction. That’s all it can be, sorry.” She bit her lip, trying to push back images of Firefly. The moment before she was swarmed by changelings. Changelings who looked like Rainbow Dash, who instinctively sensed how strongly Firefly felt for her. Those blasted feelings that made Firefly vulnerable for their attack... Applejack gave a relieved chuckle. “No worries, sugarcube. That’s what I was gonna say, you just beat me to it.” Rainbow Dash forced a smile and nodded. “I just think for now we better focus on winning the war, gettin’ our lives back. Good thing we’re on the same page.” “Yeah,” Rainbow agreed, trying in vain to fight back her memories. There was no need to share them with Applejack, regardless of the previous night. They carefully made their way through the ruins. In the grassland bordering the forest the fog remained, providing them with some cover. Although it probably wouldn’t have prevented them from being spotted by probing eyes it still made them feel more confident that they remained unseen. It was only when they had reached the twilight underneath the forest’s foliage that Applejack spoke again. “So, do you still wanna join us?” she asked. “After catchin’ a glimpse of what life in the Everfree is like?” “Yeah, I think I do,” Rainbow said, trying her best to sound enthusiastic. Under the old trees of the forest she was much more aware that this wasn’t her home. She felt trapped, almost buried under the thick canopy, and she didn’t want to be here. But still, those ponies had offered her help, and she really didn’t have anywhere else to go.