The air was tense in the small room as Luna asked Dash again the same question, her voice getting more and more intense with each syllable. “How do you know that name?”
“Because where I come from Equestria is not at war!” cried Dash, “I come from an Equestria where everypony lives together in harmony; a harmony that’s shared even between two sisters!”
Luna was once again befuddled by the words coming out of this mare’s mouth, she looked at Fluttershy, “Captain! What is the meaning of this!?”. Fluttershy at a loss for words moved her lips in an awkward fashion trying to voice an explanation.
“Listen Luna! I know the story and it’s not supposed to have happened like this, you were banished from Equestria, not Celestia!” said Dash trying to keep her composure as the Princess of the Night seemed to grow larger and fiercer in this small room, darkness seemed to engulf the space they stood in and her eyes began to glow white.
“That’s PRINCESS Luna to you commoner, and how dare you make up such fantasies and silly stories of Equestria’s proud history! I will have you detained in the Bay until the end of your miserable little-”
“You used the Elements of Harmony to banish her didn’t you?” interjected Dash. This stopped Luna cold in her tracks as she gave the rainbow haired pegasus another wide-eyed look. The room became brighter again as the Princess seemed to shrink back in her chair, once again dumbfounded.
“H-ho...h-how?” stuttered Luna quietly.
“Something happened between you two, didn’t it? And one of you became a monster because of it, so to save everyone you had to use the Elements of Harmony to banish your only sister, but something like that would only last for a thousand years.” said Dash
Luna slowly nodded, completely at a loss for words.
Dash suddenly realized something from her little speech, “But I don’t get it, weren’t you supposed to find the pony incarnates of the Elements of Harmony? Didn’t they gather the elements and stop Night-er, I mean ‘The Solar Empress’?”
Luna disheartened looked at the ground, “l couldn’t find them...” she quietly whispered.
Dash was shocked, “What?”
“I couldn’t find them dammit!” cried Luna, “I had searched all over Equestria, but nothing! I had no choice, I had to build an army, if the Elements weren’t going to stop them, then the power of Equestria would!” Dash had to tell her, she had to let the Princess know how to stop them!
“But Princess, you have three of them right now in this room!”
“What?” said Luna with a look of cynicism on her face.
“Yes!” she pointed at herself, “I’m the Element of Loyalty,” she pointed at Fluttershy, “,Fluttershy’s the Element of Kindess,” then she pointed at AJ “,and Applejack is the Element of Honesty!”
Dash was hoping the Princess would accept these conditions and let her go, but instead she just laughed. “Ha! You’re kidding, you’re kidding right?” Dash didn’t understand, Luna began to elaborate, “Captain “High-Flyer” Fluttershy is hardly known as a ‘kind’ pony, despite her docile exterior, our Wonderbolts captain is an ace combat flyer with a record of over 50 aerial kills and with dozens more on the ground; and according to many of her subordinates and squad leaders the Captain has a very intimidating and bloodthirsty ‘Stare’ that has caused many enemies on the end of it to kill themselves out of sheer fear. She can hardly be called an ‘Element of Kindness’!”
Dash was shocked by such information, she looked over to Fluttershy who didn’t seem too particularly proud of her track record, for she was retreating into her hair as she always did when she was nervous.
“And Major Applejack is also quite the decorated war pony with one of her most infamous campaigns involving an intricate web of lies and deceit that won us the battle of Appleloosa. If you knew of the schemes and double crossings she made with the now non-existent Appleloosa Mafia you would hardly consider her ‘honest’.”
Dash looked over at AJ who still remained stoic, unfazed by her Majesty’s praise.
“And you, as far as I know you betrayed the trust of your Captain and you stole a government project meant to help pegasi more deserving of those wings than you! Rather undeserving of the title, ‘loyal’ if you ask me.”
Dash sunk into her seat, she thought she had the Princess on her side, but once again she was back to where she started.
“Please Princess you have to believe me! There’s an Equestria that isn’t at war like this, and my friends aren’t ruthless killing machines!” Luna glanced at Dash as she continued, “Fluttershy is the kindest pony you’ll ever meet! She takes cares of animals and everypony she can, and Applejack works at an orchard in Ponyville with her Granny, Brother and Little Sister!” Applejack’s stoic demeanor broke at that last part as she took a sudden interest in the peculiar pegasi.
Luna’s once mocking demeanor suddenly softened into something akin to pity. “I’m sorry my little pony, as lovely as that sounds, it just isn’t po-”
“Please Princess you have to believe me! The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful things I have ever seen! I’ve seen them stop you, I’ve seen them stop Discord-”
“Discord?” Luna thought, as she continued letting the pegasi ramble.
“-the Elements might be the only thing that can change Equestria back to the way it was!”
The Princess was quiet as if considering the possibility, but instead she said, “I’m sorry, your words are pretty, but we’re in too deep to back out now. You may not be a spy, but I don’t think I can trust you, for now you’ll be incarcerated on premise.” she turned to Applejack, “Major, please take our pegasi to a holding cell, I will retire to my quarters for the rest of the day.” Applejack saluted, then Luna turned to Fluttershy, “Captain, I want you to return to your quarters as well, and you are not allowed to have any interaction with your friend until further notice, be thankful you haven’t been suspected in this as well.” Fluttershy saluted meekly. “Dismissed!” cried Luna as she exited the small room.
Fluttershy quickly made her way out of the door, she seemed like she was about to cry, while Applejack approached Rainbow Dash who was still trying to make attempts at talking to the Princess, “Wait! Please Princess!” shouted Dash hoping her voice would reach Luna.
Applejack suddenly put a hoof up to Dash’s mouth and said gently “Sugarcube, please...ah think both of y’all have had enough for tonight...”
Applejack was right, Dash was exhausted, she sunk into her chair as Applejack attached a bridle to her mouth to lead her out of the room and into her cell. The building they kept her in was very solid, like the interrogation room, no clouds, and it was a greenish gray color, AJ led her to a cell a few feet away from the interrogation room, she took off the bridle and Dash went inside, the cell was cold and lonely, only a toilet, a sink, a mirror, and a cot on the floor resided in this bleak space. Dash heard the bar door slide shut and lock with an echoing metallic thunk. She laid herself on her cot ready to sleep, but was surprised to see that Applejack was still standing in front of her cell.
“Yeah? What do you want?” said Dash annoyed, AJ amused to see Dash in such a position? Applejack didn’t reply and just stared at Dash.
“Well if you’re expecting to see a show, don’t bother, I’m going to be sleeping for the time being.” Dash curled up and nuzzled her nose into her legs and closed her eyes, but was awaken again by the sound of AJ’s voice.
“That Equestria you were talkin’ about...is it real?” asked AJ inquisitively.
Dash opened her eyes and raised her head, “Yeah, yeah it is...why?”
“Ponyville...what’s it like?” AJ asked as she got closer to the bars.
Dash began to scoot closer too. “Well, it’s a small town really, but it’s got lots of open space too, green fields and blue skies far as the eye can see.”
“Yeah...” Applejack’s face started to look like a cross between happy and sad.
“And there’s lots of cool stuff in town too! The bowling alley, the arcade, Sugar Cube Corner, the library, Sweet Appleacres.”
“Yeah! Yeah, what’s that like?” said AJ seeming like she would burst into tears.
“Well...it’s a huge orchard of apples, it’s where you and your family work, you harvest apples and make them into cider and a bunch of other delicious stuff.”
“Yeah, yeah! That’s true, that’s what I used to do!” Despite her smile Applejack was actually starting to wipe teardrops from her eyes.
“You work on the farm with Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Applebloom.”
“Yes! Applebloom!” Applejack couldn’t contain it anymore she put both hooves up to cover her mouth as tears began streaming down her face.
“AJ what’s wrong?” Dash got closer to the bars to the point where she could see Applejack’s red eyes dripping hot tears.
“Nothin, jus-just please g-go on...” her voice was starting to shake and her entire body began to shiver too, “t-tell me bout’ Applebloom...”
Dash sighed and tried to think, “Well I didn’t spend that much time with her to be honest,” Applejack suddenly seemed disheartened, Dash quickly tried to save herself, “But...I do know that she’s a proud, honest hard working filly like her big sister.” Applejack smiled again and started to wipe away more tears from her eyes.
“Heh heh, eeyup, that’s true...”
“She would always be causing trouble around town with Sweetie Belle and that pip-squeak Scootaloo all because they’re trying to find their cutie marks.”
“Yep, that sound’s just like her...”
Dash smiled and kept going, “She’s a real cute one too, with a yellow coat and a red mane tied up with this big red bo-” Dash saw the charred ribbon in Applejack’s hair and stopped herself, she looked at AJ who was silently crying into her own hooves.
Dash was quiet for a few seconds and then looked up at Applejack. “Applejack...what happened to Applebloom?” Applejack sniffled and looked up from her hooves, her tears still wet on her somber face. She took a hoof and pulled her ponytail up to Dash showing her the charred red bow.
“It was the Summer Solstice Celebration a yearly holiday fer Equestria, Ponyville was given the honor of holdin’ the festivities. Everythin’ was goin’ great, ponies were dancin’, eatin’, drinkin’ just havin’ a good ol’ time, when suddenly in a ball of fire that damn’d Solar Empress fell on Ponyville like a plague. I’ll never forget the heat, the screams, the fire, she was going to burn down everything, we tried to get as many ponies out as soon as we could, but our efforts just weren’t enough...Applebloom was one of the first few victims of the Solar Empress, she died in mah own hooves...from that day forward I joined the army, my ambition and strength advanced me forward in the ranks in no time at all.”
“Why did you join the army?” asked Dash.
“Cuz I promised myself that I would avenge Applebloom by putting my hoof through that flaming mare’s skull.” said Applejack rather morbidly.
“What about Big Machintosh and Granny Smith?”
“Big Macintosh is in the army with me, he’s stationed in Dragon Country right now tryin’ ta fight off the Solar Army, but Granny Smith...she was heart-broken after she heard what happen’d ta Applebloom and she died a few weeks after.”
“I’m...I’m sorry...” said Dash sadly.
“Don’t be, cuz' you’ve got the power to change this!” Applejack said. Dash was confused.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“If you say that the real Equestria is a place where my family is alive, then that’s all I need to trust you.”
“Really!?” said Dash, finally excited that she has someone on her side.
“If you can fix this world and change all this pain many of us have had to suffer through, then I’ll do everythin’ in mah power to help you.”
“Thank you! So will you let me out?” asked Dash.
“Shyoot no!” said Applejack dumbfounding Dash.
“But, but you just said-”
“Ah know what ah said Sugarcube, but you’d be mighty useless without those wings of yours and a fugitive soldier won’t be of any help neither if we’re always on the run. We need to be patient and plan our next step, I’ll talk to the Princess and see if I can convince her to trust you, you seem to have really gotten in her head. I’ll convince her, honest I will.”
Dash slumped back, disappointed but satisfied as well. “Alright we’ll do it your way for now, but please make it soon!”
Applejack began to walk away, “Don’t worry sugarcube, I’ll be back, ah promise.” she left the cell block and the door closed with a heavy thud. Dash lied down in her cot, she was tired, but hopeful, she closed her eyes and waited for Applejack. Her dreams had her flying fast again, but she was flying fast because she was racing someone...but who?
Luna was in the office the Air Force provided her. She couldn’t sleep, her thoughts preoccupied her mind about this pegasus and her situation, the knowledge she possessed, who was she? Luna’s brain was wracked with such speculation and eventually it came that time to raise the sun, as she brought it over the horizon Applejack came in and stood at attention. Unfaltering from her duty she addressed the Major simultaneously. “Yes Major? What can I do for you?”
“Yer majesty it’s about the pegasus Rainbow Dash...”
“Yes what about her?”
“I trust her and I want you to release her so that she may find these ‘Elements of Harmony’ you two were mutterin about.”
With the sun able to rise on it’s own, Luna turned her attention again to the Major. “Are you giving me an order Major?” she asked rather sternly.
“No yer Majesty, I’m just suggesting that we trust what she has to say and trust in her power.”
“On what grounds?”
“She seems to know more than she lets on yer Majesty. She knows about Ponyville and she knew about this Celestia figure.”
“It’s not nice to eavesdrop Major.”
“Yer Majesty...” said Applejack nervously. But the Major was right, of all the things Rainbow Dash had said it was the Discord one that surprised her the most, nopony alive today knows about the ancient battles her and sister became involved in, Discord’s especially. This pony knew things and if she does know who the Elements of Harmony are, then she may be of a more valuable asset than she thought.
“Alright Major, I will release Rainbow Dash.” said Luna
“Yer Majesty!” said Applejack happily.
“But you and Captain Fluttershy must accompany her from now on her mission to locate the Elements of Harmony.”
“Yes Ma’am!” Applejack quickly made for the door, but was stopped by Luna.
“But first thing’s first Major, get that pegasi some wings.”