Rainbow Dash sat on a rock just outside the entrance to the Big Thunder Mine. The sun was setting as Celestia circled the skies above the mine, looking for the two dragons that had disappeared right in front of her… thanks to Rainbow Dash.
Celestia was still in straight-up Slayer mode— all business. She hadn't taken the time yet to reprimand Rainbow for tackling her in the face, an action Rainbow only took in order to protect the two dragons specifically from Celestia. Well, really just the one dragon; that blue one could go die for all Rainbow cared.
There was still a glimmer of hope in Rainbow’s mind that she might be able to pass that tackle off as an accident or something, and not be forced to reveal to the Queen of the Celestial Slayers that she believed dragons were good actually, and that she was friends with one of the dragons they just encountered.
On the bright side, Rainbow was able to convince Celestia to stop looking for Rainbow’s friend that she’d been separated from, under the excuse that Rainbow and said friend agreed to meet up at the mine entrance if they got separated.
No sense in looking around for a friend that escaped the mine already, especially since Celestia would’ve tried to butcher her anyway.
As Celestia came back into view and gently flew down to the ground, Rainbow stood to her hooves and felt like she had rocks in her stomach. It was now or never, and she had to grapple with the fact that she might have to tell the most powerful bigot in the world to go fall in a ditch, basically.
“Celestia, I—”
“I couldn’t find the dragons,” Celestia sighed with a shrug, stretching her arms over her head as she walked past Rainbow Dash. “Did you hear from your friend?”
“Y-yeah,” Rainbow said, “she’s on her way, she already got out. I’m— I’m sorry.” Rainbow bit her lip. Honestly she wasn’t even sure herself if she actually felt sorry, but it just slipped out.
“Why are you sorry?” Celestia asked curiously, then affected a hearty chuckle. “For flying into my face? You just got nervous, Rainbow Dash. It happens to everyone, it’s no big deal.”
“So you’re not mad?” Rainbow said awkwardly. She didn’t want to get her hopes up too much, but that was a great sign!
“Mm-mm,” Celestia shook her head, soft smile on her face.
“Even though I let the dragons escape?”
“You couldn’t have known they would have an escape route like that,” Celestia sat down on the big flat rock Rainbow was on earlier and breathed a heady sigh. “It looked like they were fighting each other, so I’m kind of hoping that even after they escaped together, they still end up destroying each other.
“Either way, they certainly won’t be coming back to the Big Thunder Mine for a while, and you’re actually quite lucky to have escaped that dragon’s mouth. All in all, I consider this a victory.”
Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the grass, laying flat like a starfish and looking up at the sky. She couldn’t believe that went so well, and she felt like a twenty ton anvil had been taken off of her chest and she could breathe for the first time in like a year.
Still though, Rainbow did have some questions that needed answering, and Celestia was the only one who might be able to, so…
“So what was that, anyway?” Rainbow sat up and looked at Celestia. “One of those dragons was turning the miners into ghouls? Any idea why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Celestia clicked her tongue. “The dragons are intent on starting a war with Equestria. This isn’t the only operation of this magnitude that I’ve seen. Perhaps you’ve seen these sickly black thorns embedded into the skin of monsters on your missions?”
“I have seen those!” Rainbow’s eyes widened as she remembered the cragadile mission, and according to Rarity, the manticore she and Applejack fought had one too.
Goddammit, now Rainbow missed Applejack and her big strong arms. Rainbow just tried to keep in mind that it wasn’t gonna be too much longer before Rainbow was back in Green Neigh and Applejack could hold her and kiss her forehead and tell her she did a good job. She wished Applejack was here right now though; she’d be a lot less nervous with Jackie around.
“I encountered the dragon who has been creating them,” Celestia groaned, putting a hand up to her head and rubbing her temples, Rainbow forced to shove her gay thoughts outta her brain to focus on Celestia. “And just like this one, it barely managed to escape my blades. These bastards are careful, I’ll give them that.”
“Anything you can tell me about that dragon?” Rainbow asked. “In case I run into ‘em?”
“Oh, good question, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said with a bright smile; the kind of smile that would’ve lit Rainbow up inside like two months ago, but now just felt awkward and bitter. “It was a purple dragon, calling itself Aria Blaze. I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than that, I didn’t get a good look at it in the heat of combat.”
“Okay, Aria Blaze, got it,” Rainbow nodded. The fact that there was someone who was causing those thorns to make the monsters go feral sure was something… specifically, it was something Rainbow would have to tell Rarity and the others cuz she had no idea what the implications of that might’ve been. She just didn’t have the head for this kinda nonsense.
“Between those thorns and this mine,” Celestia continued, “not to mention the everlasting winter, which I’m certain the dragons are involved with, it’s pretty obvious the dragons are looking to start a war. Their attack on Bitsburgh and their dealings with the Crystal Empire are proof enough as well, and sure signs that we need to take action sooner rather than later. We'll take the fight to their own damn doorstep if that's what it takes.”
Okay, wait. Hold up.
That sure escalated fast.
Was Celestia talking about starting a war with the Dragon Lands? No way, right? And she was using the Bitsburgh thing as an excuse, even though that was just a personal beef between two specific dragons. Cuz of course she would, why wouldn’t she? She didn’t know anything about dragons.
“Something on your mind, Rainbow Dash?” Celestia asked concernedly, Rainbow’s eye twitching. “You seem troubled. If you’re worried about the dragons, please don’t be. I promise I have everything under contr—”
“You’re wrong about dragons.”
Rainbow spoke up, and a chill wind blew through the air, as the evening sun began to fade behind the horizon, leaving an inky black night sky in its place.
“W-what?” Celestia gave a single humorless chuckle.
“You’re wrong,” Rainbow repeated. No turning back now as far as she was concerned. “About dragons.”