//------------------------------// // CalmNQuiet // Story: I'll Love You To Tartarus and Back - AppleDash Group Collab 100th Prompt Special // by LunaTheFox //------------------------------// This chapter was written by CalmNQuiet. “Ready to reconsider?” The changeling presented them with an acidic grin filled to the brim with jagged teeth. Applejack exchanged a look with Dash and nodded. “What do you want?” “Simple, we just want to take turns feeding off your love for one another. Of course, that means we’d have to separate you. But, I promise you’ll both to get to Tartarus by the end of the night.” Applejack nodded and smiled. “Well, that certainly is a temptin’ offer. Might I make a counter-offer?” Two counter-offers later from Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee, Applejack smirked. “Speechless. Let us know your answer when you wake up.” Dash snickered and prodded the unconscious changeling with her forehoof. “Now what Applejack?” “We do things the hard way.” “I like it hard.” Dash sauntered over to Applejack and nuzzled along her marefriend’s neck. Applejack blushed. “Dash, as much fun as that sounds right now, we have a load of changelings bearing down on us. We need to get out of here. Fast.” “Right!” Dash flared her wings and pawed at the ground with her hoof. “The Rainbow Dash Express is ready for takeoff!” Chuckling to herself, Applejack climbed onto Dash. She rested her forehooves over Dash’s shoulder so her back legs were free to dangle near Dash’s flanks. “I’m ready to go partner.” “Heh, this might be the only time I let you on top without a fight.” Dash leaned her head back and nuzzled Applejack under her neck. It was tricky with a Stetson atop her head, but she pulled it off. Flapping her wings a few times to get a good feel for their combined weight, Dash lifted into the air and surveyed the massive green glow around them. “So, how are we going to make our daring escape?” Applejack groaned at the emphasized word. “Dash, why can’t you be serious at a time like this? We’re only minutes away from being turned into some bug-horde’s supper.” Dash flew a lazy circle around their campsite as the mass of green slowly closed in. “Because, I know that isn’t going to happen. Look!” She stretched out her forehoof in front of her, “There doesn’t seem to be quite as many of them over there. Want to make a break for it?” “We don’t have much choice do we?” “Not unless you want to be a bug-horde’s supper. I’m okay dying with you Applejack.” “What?!” Applejack stuttered and nearly lost her grip on Dash’s shoulders. She clamped down just before she slipped and held on tightly. “N—nothing. Sorry. I don’t know why I said that, it just slipped out.” “Shh... I’m scared too Dash. But, we have to get out of this. So, fly. You can do it.” Applejack leaned in and whispered into Dash’s ear. “Because you’re the best flyer out there and my one true desire.” Dash shuddered as the words trembled through her mind. She was going to get them out of here. She wouldn’t let Applejack down. Gritting her teeth, she pumped her wings hard and rocketed toward the sparser mass of green in the distance. It only took a few minutes, but as the green glowing orbs approached, Dash and Applejack shared a mutual gulp of apprehension. They slipped by the first few flying changelings without much difficulty, but it was only a matter of time. Suddenly, out of the darkness a loud hissing sound came from the right. Applejack looked to the source and found a changeling hot on their tails. Surely it was calling for its hive-mates by now. “Dash! I need you to slow down for just a second!” “What, are you crazy?! They’ll catch us!” Applejack tightened the grip of her forehooves around Dash’s shoulders. “No they won’t. Trust me.” Dash grunted wordlessly, but Applejack could feel the deceleration. The changeling quickened its pace and rounded up behind Dash—its fangs bared and ready to strike. Just as the changeling reared its head back, Applejack struck out with both her hooves. She caught the changeling right in the face. She mentally notched another one up and tapped Dash on the shoulder. “Nice flyin’ Dash! Now let’s get outta here!” If only things were that simple. Dash did her best to navigate between the changelings posted all over the sky and on the ground. Even in the wide expanses of the sky, they kept getting spotted over and over again. Applejack clung on for dear life as Dash looped and weaved between changelings. Occasionally she’d slow down and Applejack would deliver a swift buck to the face of a lone pursuing changeling. Panting heavily and dripping with sweat, Dash dipped in altitude. The good news was: there weren’t any more green glowing eyes in front of them. The bad news was: there was still a pair of changelings in hot pursuit. Applejack steadied herself and readied her hind legs. The two changelings dived toward the two ponies in the sky. Their fangs bared and ready. Applejack waited for the crucial moment and bucked hard. The sickening crunch of hoof on carapace crumbled through the early dawn light. However, her other hoof missed. Dash screamed. The piercing cry cut through Applejack’s heart like a hot iron and instantly brought tears to her eyes. Cursing words she did not even know, she wound up another kick and delivered it so forcefully to the changeling’s face, it nearly knocked her off Dash’s back. Her hooves sunk in deep before the the limp body fell away to the ground below. Her flight-partner quivered and her wings sagged. Applejack glanced back and noticed a thin stream of crimson dripping from Dash’s rear right hoof. She barely had time to tighten her grip before they plummeted downward from the sky. Dash’s mind screamed at her. She had to flap, she needed to keep them afloat in the air. But, the pain seared her thoughts from her before she could respond. She opened her eyes and watched the rapidly approaching ground. No! She fought back the pain and forced her muscles to respond. Her wings flapped numbly in the whistling downward pull. She strove harder, she couldn’t let Applejack down. She called every last reserve of strength in her body and pumped her wings with every ounce of her being. They crashed to the ground in a rough tumble. Applejack sputtered and rolled several feet away from Dash. Overcoming her momentary daze, she pulled herself up and scrambled over to her bleeding marefriend. The wound did not look too bad, but she was certain the toxins in the changeling’s fangs were doing their horrid work. She swallowed nervously and pressed her mouth against the wound and sucked. The morbid metallic taste filled her mouth but she continued. She pulled the tainted blood from the wound with each inhale until she could stand it no more. Pulling back, she spit the blood out on the dirt and wiped her mouth with her hoof. The blood continued to ooze out slowly. Applejack looked down at the sleeves of her Daring Do costume. She gritted her teeth and gripped the fabric and pulled. She mentally apologized to Rarity as the cloth came apart at the seams. She wrapped the makeshift bandage around Dash’s leg and tied it firmly in place. Sitting down on the ground, she cradled the Dash’s head in her hooves and waited. The time felt like an eternity, but eventually, Dash opened her eyes and smiled up at Applejack. “H—hey AJ. Guess we lost them?” Applejack smiled and brushed Dash’s messy mane to the side. “We sure did. Here, have a drink.” Applejack tipped a small flask of cider to Dash’s lips. Dash sucked in a gasp of air from her nose and drank deeply from the flask. After a few moments she pulled her head away and grinned at Applejack. “I was almost tempted to fly us back to get the cider. Where did you hide it?” “It was under my Daring Do hat the whole time, Dash.” “Wow... I love you, Applejack.” “I love you too, sugarcube.” They shared a brief kiss. Applejack still tasted like Dash’s blood. Drawing back from one another, Dash looked around and up at the glowing morning light. “Why didn’t they chase us all the way over here? There was certainly enough of them.” She winced and rubbed her back leg with her forehooves. “And my leg hurts.” Applejack wrapped a forehoof around Dash’s neck and directed her marefriend’s gaze to a ominous stone arch in the distance. “I think we landed ourselves at the gates of Tartarus. I can see why even the changeling’s aren’t keen on coming over here.” Dash swallowed and nodded. “So, let’s scope it out and sneak in tonight.” “Dash, you know that’s not gonna work anymore.” Applejack pulled Dash in into her chest and hugged her. “You’re hurt and we both need to recover our strength.” “Oh good... I don’t know what I’d do without you Applejack.” Dash’s eyes drifted shut.