Ringing, all Rainbow Dash heard was ringing. She coughed, something warm and salty ran out of her mouth. Her hoof twitched. It hurt- Badly. Slowly, Dash opened her eyes. Soft, dusty moonlight poured down into them as she took a second to recollect her thoughts. She let out a groan, looking upward as many pebbles rolled off her head. Above her was moonlight bleeding out of the hole she fell into.
Dash looked to her left, a giant rock pile inconveniently didn’t reach anywhere near the hole that sent them down there. To her right was Applejack, her being half buried in rocks right next to Rainbow Dash, her chest still rising up and down. Great, just great, she was still alive. Would have been a great way to take out the nuisance without incurring any blame from Nightmare Moon. It would’ve been Applejack’s fault, not much Dash could've done about it. Alas, the ex-farmer was still alive and unconscious in front of her.
Rainbow Dash prepared herself and pulled all the strength she could to try and stand up. The rubble that was covering her like a blanket smoothly fell off as she stretched her forelegs. Maybe it wasn’t too late to take the apple in? Dash grinned as she got ahead of herself trying to trot forward with her crying out in pain as she was forced back down onto her hooves. Her eyes wet as she looked to where the pain came from. She gave a small sigh of despair as she saw it. A boulder was crushing her left wing.
“Why me, oh nagging nightmare!” She pushed her forehead into the dirt as she clenched her teeth through the pain.
Dash rolled slightly onto her left to try and take pressure off the crushed wing, with the pegasi propping her right hoof up to shove it. “Come off easy, nice boulder. Cmon now…” Tunk. It didn’t move an inch. She let out a whine before stomping her hooves into the ground in anger.
“GYAH! Curse you stupid rocks, stupid cave in,” She looked straight at Applejack with spite. “And most of all, curse you AJ!” She spit at her currently unconscious body. “Now I’m gonna die in a cave, with the opening right above me!”
Rainbow Dash let out a few more petty insults before calming down mostly. She gave a sigh, trying to pass the time by thinking about Nightmare Moon. Her dominating presence, her fierce looks, her beautiful and intensely cruel eyes. She gave a dumb smile and exhaled dreamily, there was truly nopony like her in or out of Equestria. She couldn’t fail her, not now and especially not in such an embarrassing way like this.
She braced herself to try and go for another round of boulder escape attempts before halting, catching the mumbles of Applejack in front of her. She was waking up.
“Welcome to the waking world, apple.” Dash said tiredly as she tapped her hoof on the dirt floor.
Applejack opened her eyes slowly, mumbling something as she gained consciousness. Her eyes darted open sharply, looking around the cave. The pony spotted Dash, an indecisive grin developed on her face.
“Ah so ya’ survived now did ya’? Captain Dash stuck around for little ol’ me?” Her grin got more smarmy as she raised her brows.
“My wing got crushed. Not much choice here AJ.” Dash answered with her teeth gritted.
“Ah.” Her grin disappeared as she looked away, shaking her mane to get the rocks covering her neck and head off. “So yur stuck here under a rock, while so close to yur goal? How gran spankin’ hilarious!” Applejack chuckled.
Oh how Dash wanted to grind her into nothingness so badly. Rainbow gave a stark huff of frustration as Applejack pushed herself up, the rocks seemingly not holding her down at all as they slid off her cleanly. She grabs her hat and puts it back on her head as she steps towards Dash, looking down at her.
“What, gonna kill me or something?” Dash grumbled sarcastically.
“And why would ah do that?”
“You would if you weren’t a coward.”
Applejack rolled her eyes and kicked Dash in the chest lightly with her forehoof. She groaned as the wind was knocked out of her.
“Ack! Nice one apple.”
Applejack ignored Rainbow as she stepped around her.
“Hold still Dash.”
“Hold what still- Ack!” Rainbow croaked as Applejack started pushing the boulder on her wing.
She held her jaw tight in pain as she felt the jagged weight crush her wing even more before the pain stopped. She opened her eyes and flexed her left wing, distinctly not crushed under a rock anymore. Dash stood up sharply as she turned around, raising her brow at Applejack with unease as she took a step back.
“What’s with that look? Ya’ know I ain’t gonna leave ya’ down here to die just because we’re enemies.” Applejack gave a wary, almost warm smile.
“Well I can’t say the same. Seeing you die alone down here would've been hilarious.”
Dash’s grin faded as she realized no reaction came. She looked behind her to see Applejack walking off. She grumbles, deciding to follow her. Dash trotted up to AJ weakly, her still dragging her crushed wings on the dirt below them with a distinct limp in her back leg.
“You know this won’t change a thing, Applejack.”
“Ah’m aware.”
“So you’re just an idiot then?”
“If showing concern for somepony is idiocy, call me the Princess of Fools”
Rainbow Dash scoffed at her, giving an annoyed look.
The two ponies walked in silence for a few more minutes trying to find an exit to the cavern. Dash’s mood got slowly more neutral as she tried to spot any way to get out or possibly ditch AJ, while Applejack was progressively getting more antsy with something clearly on her mind. They passed by more cracks in the roof above which leaked moonlight upon them before giving a small sigh and opening her mouth.
“Why’d you do it?” Applejack asked solemnly, still looking ahead.
“Do what. Be specific.”
“Why did ya’ betray us Dash?”
“Excuse me?” Dash squinted her eyes, glaring daggers at the pony beside her.
“Did ya’ really agree to this hun’? Did she force ya’ to join her?” Applejack genuinely looked concerned for her, and that sickened Dash to her stomach.
“This was my choice. Mine. None of your flowery concerns will change that.” She gritted her teeth fiercely. “And there is no us. Being friends with somepony doesn’t mean I'm suddenly betraying them when things change.”
“Ah’ really now? So the Dash who was so dedicated to her new friends that she was willing to take on Nightmare one-on-one so we could escape; suddenly goes and abandons her friends to join said murderous dictator who loves her daily public executions?”
“That’s not even true! She hasn’t even had a public execution in like over half a year!” Dash stated matter of factly, as if she made a great point.
“What!? ‘Hasn’t even had a public execution in over half a year’.” Applejack looked completely baffled with her jaw agape. “Are ya’ even listening to yourself? Ya’ sound like a crazy pony!”
“You brought this on yourself, Apple. Don’t get on my case just because you can’t stand the thought of a new ruler. You all just had to go and resist Nightmare Moon didn’t you?”
“Yes we did. Me and Rainbow Dash did, because we stand up to bullies.”
“Bullies? We aren’t foals anymore AJ. Your self-righteous schtick won’t work on me.” She gave a tired growl, being sick of AJ and her argument.
“I can’t believe you’d become a pet to somepony like her, Dash.” Applejack said, ignoring Rainbows previous statement.
“What’s with you and pet related insults? I’m the loyal Captain to the ruler of Equestria, nothing more.”
“Yur the only pony allowed in her room!” Applejack raised her hoof in disbelief.
“Yeah because I’m her right hoof mare! Just because-” Dash’s eyes shot open as she looked straight into AJ’s. “Wait. How do you know that?”
Applejack's expression changed wildly over just a moment before she gave a big fake grin.
“Err, you just told me! Ah was just assumin’ and ya’ just confirmed my suspicions, yep.”
“You! You all must have a spy or something!”
“We wish! It’s no spy Dash, ya’ just always refer to yurself or Nightmare with ‘we’. It’s not hard to see that ya’ view yourself as a pair.
“Huh? I haven’t been doing that, don’t try to lie to my face!” Dash furrowed her brows as she pushed her face right close up to AJ. “I oughta- wait, a pair? What do you mean by that?”
“I mean whatever ya’ mean Dash?” Applejack raised her brow in confusion as Dash turned away, realizing she misunderstood what AJ meant.
Dash shoved Applejack away, stumbling a few steps. “Whatever. Conversation over.” Applejack grumbled in frustration as the two walked side by side with plenty of space between them. Minutes passed, scrapes and cuts coagulated while both ponies got more and more tired. Rainbow Dash perked up as she saw a ray of light shining in not from the ceiling.
“Jackpot!”
Right in front of her was the exit. Sure it was still high up, easily three times taller than her height wise, but that was no problem!
“Woo wee, finally a way out!” Applejack grinned as she nudged Dash.
Rainbow ignores her and gallops before taking off towards the hole, forgetting her broken wing before pain strikes her body and she falls face first into the dusty stone floor. She groans, getting up as she stomps her hooves down in frustration.
Applejack chuckles, waking up to her. “Ah don’t think either of us are getting out with attempts like that.” She nudges up to the wall. “Boost ya’?”
Rainbow tries to take advantage by stepping on Applejack to get up before falling back down due to AJ moving out from under her.
“Not so fast.” Applejack dropped her hat before fishing a rope out of it. “Tie this around ya’ before we do.”
“Why? It’s not that high.”
“Ya’ very much know why ah want a safety rope for ya’ Dash.”
Dash snorts as she grabs the rope from her. “Spoilsport. Would make my job a lot easier” She wraps it loosely around her body. “Okay, ready to go now?”
“Nope. Needs a knot that won’t let ya’ slip away easy.”
Applejack took a few steps towards her. “Look I don’t know that many knots.”
“Ah do.” Applejack grinned before she shoved Dash over, pinning her down as she got to work tying the rope around her body.
“Hey- ack!” Dash groaned as Applejack flipped her around, tying the rope tight around her limbs. She was still trying to kick at AJ which didn’t make the knot tying any easier.
“There we are!” Applejack said as she stepped off of her. Dash stood up and groaned, looking down to see that AJ had tied the rope into a type of full-body harness for her, the kind that was really hard to undo without another pony.
“Happy now, Apple?” Dash squinted at her.
“Yeup!” She proudly said while trotting back up to the wall, gesturing at it with her hoof.
Dash snorted as she followed her, hopping onto her back. Applejack stood, pushing her up to the ledge. Rainbow grins, grabbing the ledge that led to her freedom. With one last push she gets up onto the ledge, kicking at the wall below her, hoisting herself up as she stands up on the grass floor.
“Yes! Finally out of there.” Dash hurried away, trying to slip out of her harness quickly before being pulled back.
“Ah can feel the rope’s slack ya’ know?”
“Yeah yeah, give me a second.”
Dash came back and looked over the edge, Applejack was holding onto the rope tight and her hat tighter. Rainbow bit down on the rope and pulled hard. Yeah she had a harness on but she never liked how those pinched around her neck. Bit by bit she gained ground, pulling up Applejack before she too landed on the soft grass.
“Good ol’ dirt, thank Celestia!”
Dash rolled her eyes at the expression before nudging Applejack with her hoof. “Take it off. Now.”
Applejack chuckles a bit before standing up and starting to release the ties and knots on her. The rope falls off Dash before AJ scoops it up and stores it in her hat. Applejack puts her hat back on as she looks around before staring back and Dash, the two saying nothing as they stand around.
“Ain’t ya’ gonna say something quippy or try to apprehend me again?”
“Uh…”
Dash pondered as she looked down at her bleeding flank. Nightmare Moon would be disappointed in her if she bled to death and she was feeling quite light headed.
“No, I've got to get back. I’ll get you later or whatever.” Dash stammered, her words starting to slur.
“Bye then.”
“Okay, bye?”
Dash turned to walk away before Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder.
“I said bye, what-”
“Is… Fluttershy doin’ okay?” Applejack looked at her somberly, with clear worry on her face.
“Oh.” Dash avoided her gaze as her heart felt a twinge of sadness as well. “Uh, yeah. She's doing fine. Just animal stuff as usual, Southern Equestria.”
Applejack nodded before turning away and trotting off in the opposite direction. Dash gave a scowl as she started to walk back to the castle.
A week before Nightmare Moon’s takeover
Rainbow Dash yawned as she stretched her legs, she had fallen asleep on a cloud again. She shielded her face from the bright sun, looking down from her napping spot. Applejack and Fluttershy were talking in front of the Apple Family’s barn. This was her chance! She crouched in the cloud, waiting for Fluttershy to walk off. She jumped and shot down into the dirt, creating a dust cloud in Applejack’s face.
“Pfft ack! What in tarnation, Dash?”
“Gotcha!”
“Not funny Dash.” She grumbled.
“Yeah whatever, how have you been doing AJ?”
“Pretty darn well. The harvest seems to be ahead of schedule this year and sales have been good.” Applejack gave a warm grin to Dash as she dusted herself off.
“Does that mean cider sooner?”
“Yes Dash, it does.”
“Woo hoo! Yes!” Dash hoof pumped with a giddy grin on her face.
Applejack chuckled as she turned and started pulling on a barrel. Dash stopped her celebration and turned to AJ.
“Wait, I needa ask you something.”
“Sure thing. What about?”
“It’s about… Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy?”
“Yeah, her!” Dash grinned, tapping her hooves on the dirt.
“I know. What do ya’ wanna ask about her, sugarcube?”
“Well it’s… hard to explain.”
“Ah’m listenin’.”
“Well it’s just, uh. Is she in a good mood right now?”
“Yeah? She just came over to help with Winona’s stomach ache. She seemed real peachy with her!”
“Okay good! Well, do you know if she likes anypony?”
“Like in general or-”
“You know what I mean!” Dash rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth.
“Err, no. I don’t. Are ya’ bein’ overprotective of her again Dash?”
“No! I mean I have something to ask her and I just want to make sure it's a good time, y'know.” She tilted her head back and forth nervously.
“Oh. Oh wow.” Applejack opened her eyes in surprise. “Yur gonna try and take that next step? I wish ya’ luck Dash.” She grinned, giving her a hug.
“Well yes! But I’m still worried, she’s been my best friend since foalhood.”
“Just be honest with her. No time like the present, sugarcube.” Applejack winked as she gestured to the path behind Dash.
“Okay! Thanks a lot AJ!”
Dash gave Applejack a big hug before flying off after Fluttershy.