//------------------------------// // Faith Hole // Story: Eljunbyro // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// "Is it..." Bellesmith gulped, trembling slightly. "Is it deep?" "Yup," Rainbow Dash said. "Is it dark?" "Yup." "Is... Is there a chance there might be horrible creatures down in there?" "Yup." "Is it possible that—" "Good heavens, Belle!" Pilate exclaimed, leaning against her as the lights in his runic plate dimmed gradually. "What's with this sudden inquisition? We trotted all this way here for a reason, so let's let Rainbow do what Rainbow has to do!" "But... But..." Belle gestured towards a large, gaping chasm in the earth, leading forty-five-degrees down into a spiraling tunnel lined with glistening red rubies and quartz. "It's so long and... and scary...!" "Must I quote Platrot at a time like this?" Pilate managed with a smirk. "Look, I know a thing or two about caves," Rainbow Dash murmured from above, hovering over the mouth as she made a grand survey of the enormous, rocky pit. The thin, emerald line of a forest lingered to the east of that site while an afternoon sun glistened shimmeringly overhead. "They're all a bit-a-dozen, but I've got enough wits about me at this point that I can fly through them in my sleep!" She paused for a moment, her eyebrow raising as she spun to glare at Pilate. "And who the hay is 'Platrot?'" "Maybe we can rest on it!" Belle said with a nervous smile. She gulped. "Maybe... uhh... we can get a good night's sleep and then we can go down there in the morning once the sun has angled itself just right to cast more light down the shaft and—" "Yeah, no. When I talk to Luna again, I wanna have this crap taken care of." Rainbow Dash cracked the joints in her neck and flexed her dangling limbs. "I'm going in." "But, Rainbow Dash!" Belle pouted. "Maybe there's another, less... uh... scary cave—" "Yeesh, what's your friggin' deal, girl?!" Rainbow smirked at her. "It's not like you're going down there too!" Belle blinked. "I'm not?" She hissed, wincing. "I'm not! I know I'm not! But that's not the point!" "Good!" Rainbow Dash angled herself towards the cave. "Wait here! I'll be back in a Manehattan minute—" "There could be plenty of towns nearby that we can buy a crystal to recharge my beloved's machine!" Belle exclaimed. "Besides, even if you did find a magic shard down there, it's not like any of us can zap O.A.S.I.S. back to life! We'd need a unicorn—er... a unicorn with a full horn capable of magic and—" "Beloved..." Pilate reached over and nuzzled Belle, smiling. "She wants to do this for us, and the sooner a chance I have to keep reading the map, the better for all of us, don't you agree?" "I... I..." "Look..." Rainbow Dash hovered down in front of Belle, smiling. "I'm not gonna do anything crazy. I know you're worried about my neck and all, but I'm not about to do anything stupid that could endanger myself. You think I'm that... uh... life-stupid?" Belle gulped and her voice waveringly uttered, "You've done so much for us. I don't want a life as precious as yours being threatened by anything—" "At this point, I'd be scared for death itself if it tried clawing at me again." Rainbow Dash winked. "Not like it's gonna matter. I have you guys to come back to, so the only stunt I'm about to perform is resisting the urge to slap you silly." "Okay, Rainbow Dash..." Belle took a deep breath, nodding "I get it. I'll... uh... I'll calm down and let you do your thing." "Dang right, you will." Rainbow pivoted aside. "Pilate, makes sure she doesn't lay an egg while I'm gone." "I'll... er... do my best, Miss Dash." "Call me Rainbow, for crying out loud! Yeesh! Are we fugitives or are we having a tea party?" "Remember to watch your head for low-hanging stalactites!" Belle said. "I will." "And remember not to go flying too deep where it gets really dark!" "I will." "Oh! And don't touch anything moving that shouldn't be moving and—" "Shut up, Belle." Rainbow dove deep into the chasm, disappearing like a blue speck beyond the throat of rocks, rocks, rocks... Bellesmith sighed and leaned against Pilate. "I swear, I'm gonna have a heart attack because of her." "I daresay you will have a heart attack because of yourself." "I just want her to be careful from now on. Is that too much to ask?" "I'd say it's too little to ask at this point." Pilate smiled. "Isn't it enough to have faith? It's brought us this far." Belle gulped and gazed forlornly down the hole. "I just wonder if it's enough to bring Rainbow as far as she needs to go..."