Rainbow glanced behind her nervously. She scanned the clouds for movement, listening for the telltale roar of an airship engine or the distant form of a pegasus approaching her. To her relief, nothing broke through the cloud cover.
She flinched at that thought. Ever since she had left Cloudsdale, high on adrenaline and fear, she had been looking over her shoulder for any sign of a pursuer. What she was doing was dangerous. The Second Division didn’t take kindly to deserters like her.
Rainbow shuddered as she remembered the stories. The commander always threatened to cut off a pegasus’s wings and throw them off a cloud, and it was said that he loved doing that to traitors.
Well, if he wants my wings, he’ll have to catch me first, Rainbow thought through gritted teeth.
A yawn escaped her body. She’d have to stop for rest, whether she wanted to or not.
Rainbow began her descent, coming through the clouds to see a small town in the distance ahead of her. Dusty brown buildings popped up in the sand, breaking up the otherwise sandy landscape.
She made her way towards it, taking in the details as she drew ever closer to the ground. A few ponies dotted the streets, heading about on their daily business, oblivious to her presence.
Perhaps that was for the best.
Rainbow touched down gently in the soft morning sand, setting a small cloud of dust into the air as her hooves touched the ground. After a quick survey, she tugged her field cap a little lower over her eyes and trotted down the dusty roads.
She maneuvered her way through the maze of general stores and commercial buildings, dodging other pedestrians and the occasional lamppost.
As she made her way down the sidewalk, two ponies with matching brown dusters and hats suddenly turned the corner. Rainbow froze up, seeing the patches on their sleeves and weapons strapped to their sides.
Rainbow drew a sharp breath and took a few steps backwards. “They’re probably not related,” she muttered to herself. “But still…” she turned around with a flick of her trail and trotted off in the other direction, away from them.
She kicked a rock underneath her hooves as she walked, feeling her stomach growl. A part of her regretted leaving as early as she did, but she never was one to make plans. Still, it probably would have been smart to snag a few rations before she ran.
Her eyes scanned some of the wooden signs labelling the buildings around her before she finally located a motel and ducked inside.
After a few seconds her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The lobby itself was fairly empty, with a few chairs, couches and bookshelves dotting the room. The receptionist’s desk was empty, a small sign on the counter indicating that they had gone to lunch.
Rainbow left the reception room quickly, following the signs to the hotel’s cafe. The room was fairly dim, as the windows had their curtains drawn to keep out the heat. A few ponies were scattered about the room, finishing off their early meals or taking a quick break from their daily tasks.
She went over to the bar counter and slid onto a stool, catching the eye of the waiter. “Could I just get a hayburger and some fries?” Rainbow asked, pulling at her jacket collar.
The waiter nodded, disappearing into the kitchen quickly. Rainbow unzipped her flight jacket, dumping it on the seat next to her. It was still fairly early in the morning, but the heat was already picking up.
Rainbow folded her forelegs on the counter in front of her and sighed, lowering her head into them slowly. The adrenaline from her earlier flight had mostly worn off now, leaving her weary and tired, but still with a long way to go.
Now that the novelty was beginning to wear off, a part of Rainbow was beginning to regret her actions. She had years living, training, and fighting with the Second Division, and in a second she had thrown it all away.
She couldn’t lie, though: she wouldn’t be the first pegasus to consider escaping from their clutches. But even if she wasn’t there anymore, she could still feel Wind Rider’s smug face staring at her from the shadows, calculating how to crush her spirit and waiting for the right time to strike…
What was she even doing? Did she really think that she could just walk away from one of the most powerful private armies in Equestria? She shuddered. What were they going to do when they caught her?
No, Rainbow. Not when. If. You’re still the fastest pony in Equestria, she reminded herself. You’re going to get out of this. Somehow.
“‘Scuse me?”
Rainbow shot up, swinging her head to the right, where an earth pony was standing.
“You, uh…” she gestured at the Rainbow’s jacket on the stool.
It took her a few seconds to realize what she was saying. “Oh, my bad. Were you sitting there?”
“Eeyup.”
Rainbow balled up her jacket and shifted it to the countertop. The pony tipped her hat in thanks and sat down, giving her a sideways glance. “You doin’ alright? You seem mighty tired.”
“Fine, fine,” Rainbow said with a wave of her hoof.
The other mare shrugged, going back to her food. A few seconds later, the waiter reappeared, leaving a plate of steaming food in front of Rainbow and the bill with the other pony.
Rainbow dug in quickly, savoring the taste of some real food. It tasted miles better than the MRE’s she usually had to eat while on patrol. Her chewing slowed a bit as she thought of that. She’d miss her patrol mates.
A twinge of guilt snapped through her body. There were plenty of ponies stuck with the Second Division who deserved a better life. Rainbow wasn’t sure if she was one of them.
She set the half-eaten burger back on her plate, frowning. It’s too late for regret, she thought to herself. What are you going to do, go back and grovel for mercy? No way that’d go well, the LT would probably just clip your wings and throw you off a cloud.
Rainbow poked at her hayfries with a sigh.
“You, uh… you from the Cloudsdale area?”
Her ear flicked as the earth pony’s scratchy voice spoke up again. “Uh, yeah?” Rainbow replied, slightly suspicious. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason, just had some friends up there,” she replied. “And besides, we don’t get many pegasi ‘round these parts…” she trailed off. “Apologies, didn’t mean to bother you at all.”
“It’s fine,” Rainbow replied, going back to poking at her fries.
The mare dumped some bits into the tray and stood up. She hesitated for a few seconds before turning and trotting away.
Rainbow sighed, munching on the last bits of her food as her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling. The farther she could get from Cloudsdale, the better. Rumors from the others were that the Southlands were the best bet for any fool brave enough to desert.
“Alright, screw it,” muttered a voice from behind her, causing Rainbow to jump up a bit. She turned around to see that the earth pony had returned and was now looking her directly in the eye.
Rainbow’s heart began to race and her eyes darted around, looking for an escape route.
“Listen, stranger, I don’t know you at all, but your kind’s hard to come by,” the pony said. “You lookin’ for work at all? I own a place down south, and we’re lookin’ for extra farmhooves.”
It took a few seconds for Rainbow to process what the pony had just said. “A… job?”
“Eeyup, if you’re interested. We can give you food, bits, and a place to stay,” the pony replied with a nod.
Rainbow chewed on her lip in thought. Was she seriously about to accept a job offer from a pony she had just met?
She weighed the choices in her mind. Rainbow was fast, and a decently good fighter, she could probably take this pony if it came to that. Plus, travelling with a companion would likely look less suspicious, as her pursuers were only looking for her. And to cap it off, a job would give her cover and a new identity, along with bits to tie her over…
“Sure,” Rainbow finally said, almost surprised at the sound of her own voice. “I’ll go.”
The pony smiled at her. “Great to hear. Name’s Applejack. Yours?”
“Uh, Rainbow. Rainbow Dash.”
Applejack nodded, sitting back down next to her. “Great to have you aboard. Let me tell you a bit about what you’ll be doin’...”