//------------------------------// // 4 - Curiousity // Story: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell // by Briarlight //------------------------------// The Apple Family Farm, or at least what was left of it. She had been meaning to explore and catch up on what’s changed in Ponyville, but no matter what she thought about, her plan was always incessantly on her mind. Rainbow trotted along the dirt road as she approached the barn somewhat casually. She heard it had been taken over by new farmer ponies but she never really bothered to check. Dash softened her hoofsteps as quietly stepped up to the barn door. She hadn’t seen anypony around but she wanted to make sure to not be seen. She knew nopony would dare stop her, but she did think it was awkward to be seen without her armor on. She peeked into the opening, seeing the standard barn equipment and features. Dash opened the door slowly as she heard a small grunt and the shrill sound of metal rubbing into each other. Rainbow slinked towards the sound, peeking around the corner and imagining all the ridiculous possibilities it could be. What she saw instead was a small orange filly struggling to pull a pipe. The filly flapped her tiny wings as she attempted to pull the metal into place. Dash rolled her eyes as she stepped forward, clearing her throat. “Eep!” The filly squeaked before she turned around to face Dash. Rainbow took a step forward as she gained a pleased grin on her face. “Just what are you doing here?” Dash raised her brow as she bore into the filly. “Hey! I should be saying the same thing to-” The filly’s eyes fluttered open in realization. “W-wait. You’re Captain Dash?” “Yes. Now answer the question, runt.” “Oh! Yes Ma’am!” She saluted in haste. “I’m Scootaloo and I work here. I’m trying to fix this here pipe!” “You… work here?” “Yep!” “What are you, eight?” Dash scowled as she nodded at Scootaloo’s wings. “N-no, I’m fourteen and that’s totally allowed on farms!” “Certainly fooled me, half-pint.” Dash walked past her to look around the barn. “If that’s true then where is everypony else?” “It's the pre-harvest season and a Saturday, so only I work today. I’m mainly here just to keep the little things in shape.” Scootaloo gave a sickly sweet grin to Dash. “Got it.” Rainbow didn’t like this little twerp at all. Dash shuffled through farm equipment lying against the wall and started pushing hay bales aside to look for anything possibly incriminating. A hidden entrance, a secret map, rebel plans, etcetera. Nothing. “Hey Cap, are you on a secret mission or something?” “If it was then I couldn't tell you, and if I did I’d have to execute nosy little twerps like you.” Dash rolled her eyes. She hated kids. “Oh! That’s why you’re in a disguise, right?” Scootaloo smiled through Dash’s comment, her being unsure if the filly even heard her. “A disguise?” She turned to the filly who was staring at her bandages. “Oh yeah. Yep, you sure found me. Now scram before I follow up on my promise.” “But I'm still on shift. I can’t just leave!” “Then just shut it and do whatever it is you needa do. Proper pegasi are doing their jobs.” Dash scowled as she kicked up dust with her hind hoof. Rainbow peeked around the barn a bit more, looking at the piping and railings above. She went up to mess with the piping before she heard the filly behind her. “Wait! That takes forever to get into place, it barely stands up by itself.” “It’ll collapse the barn?” “Err, no. It's just one of the drainage pipes, but still!” Dash groaned as she did one more quick sweep of the barn before huffing in defeat that nothing was there. There’s still the farm house though… Dash turned towards the barn's exit. “Bye Captain!” Scootaloo said eagerly before returning to her work. Something was off about that filly. At the very least Dash couldn’t stand her, just everything about how she came across. Dash trotted over a small pebble before a devilish grin overtook her face. With a swift kick her back hoof hit the rock back as it ricocheted off the wooden barn door and into the piping, causing it to start creaking and spurting. “Huh? No no no!” Scootaloo panicked as she hurried over to the sabotaged piping. Dash gave a cruel chuckle as she galloped swiftly over to the farmhouse's door. Everything hurts. Applejack turned in the bedding as her eyes slowly opened and with a flutter she tried to adjust to the light of the lamp above her. She heard murmuring getting louder as she came to, rubbing her forehead with her hoof. “Applejack, you're okay!” She heard her sister’s voice as small hooves wrapped around her neck. “Woah, not so tight there Apple Bloom!” She chuckled as she hugged her sister back. With a pained groan she sat up and looked at the others in the room. Apple Bloom was up next to her, with Big Mac standing at the foot of the bed and Lyra and Bon Bon coming in through the tent’s flap. “I told you it would be tonight hun!” Lyra cheerfully exclaimed. “Told ya’.” “Yeah yeah I get it darling.” She trotted over to Applejack. “So glad you’re okay though AJ. Can you tell us what happened though? You two ran off out of sight!” “Ah’m okay y'all, just a bit bruised.” She looked to her left and found her hat resting on the ground next to her. She put it back on her head as she looked unsure at the others. “So did everypony make it out all okay?” Lyra nodded cheerfully. “Yep! We’re all a bit scuffed up because of that spoilsport, but nothing bad especially compared to yours.” “Really? Well ah’m glad then y’all. We may not have succeeded in our plan but we all got out and that's still better than a plan success but with a capture at the very least.” Apple Bloom gave a small sniffle as she sat next to Applejack. “Well it’s still horse apples! Didn't y’all have a big plan after this was supposed to succeed?” “Ya’ I get it sugarcube, but we still needa do this one step at a time. We’re the little ponies, remember? We don’t have anypony to really spare.” Applejack brushed her hoof through her little sister's mane as she gave a soft smile. Big Mac grumbled as he walked out of the tent flaps. “What’s Mac’s deal?” Applejack said confusedly. Bon Bon tilted her head side to side a bit frustrated. “He’s… just been stressed.” “Well darn tootin’ but I ain’t never seen him act so flippant or whatnot about his own family!” Bon Bon shrugged sheepishly as she stepped aside while Applejack got up and walked past her and out of the tent. She almost bumped into somepony as she opened the flap and out into camp. Big Mac was standing right next to the flap, almost in the way. He was talking to Scootaloo who was looking annoyed. Her haze drifted from Mac to Applejack as her eyes shot open. “AJ! I’ve got something to tell you.” Applejack groaned as she flapped her ear. “Not so loud Scoots, I just woke up.” “Sorry. Basically that rainbow meanie came by the barn while I was working.” “Huh!? The Cap came by the barn? What for?” “She was trying to be sneaky and stuff but she was really obvious. I had to keep up my whole eager to please act with her, bleck. I think she was looking for evidence or like secrets somehow. She left a few hours ago all grumpy looking.” “That makes no sense, she of all ponies should know all my family’s property was hauled off out of there a long time ago.” Applejack snorted. Scootaloo shrugged. “I dunno. She was really mean though.” She grumbled, looking downtrodden. Big Mac squinted his eyes at them. “Like how so? She ain’t hurt you has she?” “No, she was just really… demeaning to me. She kept calling me things like runt and  half-pint, and kept gesturing to my wings, saying stuff like how I’m not a proper pegasi or whatever. I tried really hard not to tear up there, but I did good!” Scootaloo smiled wise, small tears welling up at the corner of her eyes. Why, Applejack had half a mind to go over to the castle right now and give Dash a piece of her mind, or at least when she next saw her. Applejack pulled Scootaloo in for a hug as she caressed her long and messy mane. “You listen here Scoots. No matter what happens and whether you end up big or not, you are wonderful. To me and to everypony here.” Scootaloo gave a heartfelt giggle as she cuddled up to Applejack more. “I know I know. You don’t need to embarrass me more!” Scootaloo jokingly pushed her away as she ran into the tent to play with Apple Bloom. Big Mac cleared his throat as Applejack came to his attention. “Yeah, Mac?” “We needa talk. About her.” “Do we gotta?” “Yeup!” “Ya’ know as well as I that there’s nothin’ to talk about with her.” “Yur shrine says otherwise, AJ.” “Don’t ya’ bring that up. That’s my thing and that’s how I’ve been grievin’ for that stupid pegasus!” Applejack huffed loudly as she squinted her eyes at him. “Ya’ still really consider ‘em different ponies still?” Applejack cringed as she closed her eyes in pain. “Y-yeah. I still do.” “Maybe let the bruises talk for ya’ AJ.” Mac raised his brow at her. “Look. I’ve got some new stuff on her, just… wait. I have some stuff to think about. Stuff that I think you’ll like Mac.” He gave a snort as he walked off to the gardens. Applejack gave a long sigh as she held her head low before walking off into the trees. Trotting along she thought of Dash. In that cave she was weirdly non-violent? She was all big talk about how she would kill them but when she had the many chances to, she didn’t. Applejack gave a faint hope of a smile. Was Dash going against Nightmare Moon by doing that? Did she still have a soft spot for them? Applejack wasn’t sure but at the very least that was something positive to hold onto. Applejack’s canter slowed as she approached the tree. She pushed the bush in front of it aside as she looked into the tree hole. In the hole were a few things: a sky blue feather, a small but very clearly expired vial of apple cider, and a single wilted morning glory all in front of a frame. Applejack grabbed the frame and held it up in front of her face as she stared somberly at it. It was a picture of Rainbow Dash years ago. Her mane was long and her face looked free of anger and hate, beaming with only innocence and determination for what was to come. “Oh Dashie. If ya’ were still here I wonder what ya’ woulda said.” Applejack gave a chuckle. “Who knows, maybe this tough ol’ captain that replaced ya' can still be saved.”