//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 - Heavy Rain // Story: Reforging a Broken Blade // by ElkinFencer10 //------------------------------// It was difficult to see in the low light that the dungeon torches provided, but Rainbow Dash could have sworn that she recognized that voice. "Gilda? Is that you there? It's Rainbow Dash," she said. I know we weren't exactly on the best of terms when she we last saw each other, but hopefully she's gotten past that Rainbow thought. Rainbow still couldn't make out the details of the face, but she was able to tell that gryphon had stopped and was looking directly at her. "...yeah, Dash, it's me. They didn't tell me it was you we had down here. Hell, I didn't even know you'd be come a Wonderbolt. Then again, I don't really keep up with Equestria much anymore. At least, not until this war started." Gilda walked over to Rainbow Dash. She had a small loaf of bread in one claw and a bowl of water in the other. "Open up. It's time to eat," she said, raising the bread to Rainbow's mouth. "Hang on, tell me what's going on," Rainbow said. "What are you doing here? I thought you went back to Cloudsdale." Gilda shoved the bread against Rainbow's snout. "I said eat!" Rainbow was about to protest when her stomach growled so loudly that it echoed off of the dungeon walls. With a glare, she grudgingly ate the bread. Awesome. The bread's stale. Then again, I'm a prisoner of war; what did I expect? The stale bread had been so dry that Rainbow didn't even offer protest when Gilda shoved the bowl of water towards her face. "Alright, I ate the stupid bread and drank the stagnant water. Now will you answer a few questions for me?" Rainbow Dash asked, her impatience growing. "Quiet, pony! Speak when spoken to!" Gilda shouted as she slammed the top of her skull into the side of Rainbow's face. Through the searing pain, Rainbow Dash could feel a light trickle of blood make its way down her face, leaving a red trail on her cyan coat. Before pulling back from the headbutt, Gilda whispered "They're watching. I'll tell you what I can, but I have to do it carefully and over time. Sorry." She pulled back and said "Next time it'll be more than a gentle headbutt." She spit at Rainbow's hooves before turning and ascending the stone stairs out of the dungeon. Rainbow Dash watched Gilda walk out of the dungeon. Once she heard the dungeon door slam shut at the top of the stairs, Rainbow said to herself, "Well, she doesn't seem to hate me. I can't help but feel like she got a little bit too much pleasure from headbutting me, though." She looked around the dank, dark dungeon once more. "Well, she left me chained to a damn wall, so I can't really do anything to pass the time. If only I were chained lying down instead of standing, I might be able to take a nap..." She leaned her head back on the board to which she was bound and gazed up at the stone ceiling. Her mind wandered to her friends back home. I hope Applejack is doing okay.... She closed her eyes and forced her mind to wander to places more pleasant than her clammy prison. It wasn't long before Rainbow did one of the things for which she was most famous; she fell asleep. ~~~ Most of Ponyville's residents had gathered at Sweet Apple Acres along with members of the Apple family from all across Equestria, all of the Wonderbolts, and the Royal Pony Sisters. At the top of a small hill under the shade of an apple tree, Celestia and Luna stood on either side of Rainbow Dash, who was dressed in her Wonderbolts uniform save for the mask and goggles, in place of which she wore the golden laurels from her Grand Galloping Gala dress. Behind Rainbow sat a make-shift altar of crates. Standing several dozen yards away, looking at the trio and trying her best not to cry, was Applejack in a simple white dress and her well-worn cowboy hat, both of which were much to Rarity's dismay. The townsfolk and visiting friends and family were assembled into two groups, forming an isle wide enough for two ponies between them. Bridging the gap between the princesses and the crowd were two rows of the ponies closest to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. To the left of the make-shift altar, from back to front, stood Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell; to the right stood Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, and Babs Seed. Rarity, of course, had insisted that they each wear brand new dresses of her design for the occasion. Far to the left of Celestia, Octavia stood with her cello. As she began to play the wedding march, everypony rose from their seats to watch Applejack walk down the isle to wed the pony with whom she'd been in love for so long. Escorting her down the isle was Big Macintosh, though he looked like a different pony all together in a tuxedo as opposed to his typical yoke. When Applejack finally walked up next to her, Rainbow Dash noticed that she was crying. These weren't tears of joy, though; the look on her face was one of pure misery. This isn't right... Rainbow thought. "Why, Rainbow? Why did ya have to die?" Applejack asked as tear freely flowed down her face. "I waited so long for ya to come home, but the only thing that came home was a royal messenger to tell me that ya'd been executed by gryphons. Why did ya have to leave so soon?" ~~~ Rainbow's eyes shot open, her heart pounding. A bead of sweat slid down the left side of her face, mixing with the dried blood from Gilda's headbutt. Rainbow had awoken from some bad dreams during her life, but no dream had upset her quite like seeing Applejack like that, especially during what was supposed to be such a happy memory. Don't worry, Applejack. That will NOT happen. I'm not going anywhere. I'm coming home just as soon as I can break out of here. When Soarin, Rapidfire, and Fleetfoot arrived back in Cloudsdale, Soarin immediately started in the direction of the city's government building. "You two head back to HQ," he called over his shoulder. "I've got to get word to Princess Celestia. It's too late to warn Luna, but at least we can tell somepony higher up what happened." The Cloudsdale city hall was a huge building constructed of cloudstuff that rose eight stories. Not only did it contain the typical municipal government offices of Cloudsdale but also the logistical coordination center for the weather teams across Equestria. A recent addition to the series of public departments was a newly created public relations office for Cloudsdale's rainbow factory in hopes that showing a public front would help to dispel the rather unsavory rumors that had begun to circulate about it. The offices of the executive branch of the local government, which included the city's representative in Canterlot, was on the top floor of the building. Soarin practically galloped through the building and up the seven flights of stairs to reach the representative's office. Practically knocking over the security guards the top of the stairs, Soarin sprinted down the hall and smashed through the door. "Representative Sun Beam, ma'am, I'm sorry to burst in like this - literally - but I need you to get a message to Princess Celestia immediately," Soarin said a bit too quickly, trying desperately to catch his breath. Sun Beam's look of shock at having a winded Wonderbolt barge into her office completely unannounced and unexpectedly had not yet faded. Soarin either didn't notice or didn't care. "Somepony needs to tell Princess Celestia that the-" Soarin cut himself off, remembering just in time that the mission on which he and his four comrades had been sent was supposed to be secret. I don't see the point in keeping it a secret anymore, but I'd better not risk it. "Just, uh, somepony needs to tell the princess, umm," he stalled as he tried to think of a euphemism that the princess would understand but that wouldn't risk letting slip a secret anymore than he was already risking it. "Umm, that the trade deal fell through and that we're down 20,000 bits. She should know what it means." I hope he thought, kicking himself for not being able to think of anything better. Sun Beam stared at him blankly, blinking a few times. "Right...I'll get a messenger out to Canterlot immediately. Thanks...I think..." she trailed off as she turned her head to reach for a quill to jot down the message. When Soarin got back to Wonderbolts HQ, he saw Fleetfoot and Rapidfire sitting in the lounge room drinking what he assumed was some kind of alcohol - probably whiskey, knowing Rapidfire - and talking about their mission's failure and their brush with death. "I can't believe Spitfire and Rainbow gone. I mean, what was that thing even? I've never seen anything like it," Fleetfoot said. "Maybe that's the gryphons' new weapon?" Rapidfire posited. "It's certainly effective if it is. I've never seen anything kill a pony so fast, let alone two of the strongest pegasi in Equestria..." "I don't think Rainbow Dash is dead," Soarin said, startling Rapidfire and Fleetfoot who hadn't noticed his entry. "From what I could tell, she was only hit in the wing. They probably took her prisoner; a Wonderbolt would be a useful bargaining chip with Princess Celestia." Both ponies shot to their hooves and saluted. Rapidfire spoke, saying, "Of course, sir. I certainly hope so. Sorry, we didn't see you there. Did everything go well with Sun Beam?" Soarin motioned for them to stand at ease. "As well as can be expected. I'm going to Ponyville while we await new orders from Canterlot. Someone ought to tell Rainbow's wife what happened. Fleetfoot, you're in charge until I return." Without waiting for confirmation of his instructions, Soarin turned and left the room. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince his subordinates or himself when he said that he thought Rainbow was still alive. Big Macintosh stepped back from the apple tree he'd just bucked to wipe sweat from his brow and catch his breath. Since Applejack had been at town hall all day meeting with the mayor, Lyra, and Bon-Bon about the readiness of Ponyville's defenses, he'd been working himself twice as hard as usual to make sure the farm didn't fall behind with the apples for the army. Apple Bloom had started helping buck apples on the farm, as well, but she was still just a filly; there was only so much she could do. When Big Macintosh saw a lone figure flying towards the farm, he took in his teeth the scythe that he had taken to carrying with him just in case he needed it. As the eldest able bodied member of the Apple family, it was - at least in his mind - his duty to assume responsibility for protecting the farm and his kin, so he had taken to relying on a "better safe than sorry" philosophy, which included not assuming that any unidentified pony - or other creature - had friendly intentions. When he saw the Wonderbolts uniform, however, he quickly dropped the scythe. At first, he thought it was Rainbow Dash. When he saw the broad body and dark blue mane, however, he began to worry. There aren't many reasons that a single one of your sister-in-law's comrades would visit the farm unannounced unless...He quickly shook the thought from his mind. Eenope. No reason to go assuming the worst before you hear what he has to say. Soarin landed next to Big Macintosh. "Big Mac, right? Applejack's brother?" "Eeyup." Soarin had met Big Macintosh only briefly and hadn't gotten used to his relatively non-communicative mannerisms. "Right. In case you don't remember me, I'm Soarin. I was at Rainbow's and your sister's wedding a few months ago. Is Applejack around?" "Eenope." "Okay...Where is she? Can I talk to her? It's very important that I find her. It's about Rainbow Dash." Big Macintosh's heart sank. "Eeyup," he said very flatly and monotone. "She's at town hall. Come with me. I'll take ya there." Big Macintosh turned to walk towards down, but stopped suddenly. Not turning around to face Soarin, he asked, "Is Rainbow Dash alive?" "....I don't know," was all that Soarin knew to tell him. The ten minute walk to town hall was made in complete silence. It was not an awkward silence, however, but rather a somber one. When they walked into town hall, Bottlecap, the receptionist at the front desk, saw Big Macintosh and said, "Hey there, Big Mac. Looking for Applejack?" "Eeyup." "I think they just took a lunch break," Bottlecap said. "They should be in the conference room upstairs if you want to go on up. I'm sure they won't mind." "Thank ya kindly," Big Mac said as he led Soarin up the spiral staircase behind the front desk and to the right. When they walked into the conference room, Applejack, Mayor Mare, Lyra, and Bon-bon were eating a cheesecake that Mr. and Mrs. Cake had sent for them. Applejack saw her brother and trotted over to him with a smile on her face. That smile quickly faded when she saw Soarin, however. "...what are you doing in Ponyville, Soarin?" she asked, the dread in her voice almost palpable. "Hello, Applejack. I'm afraid that there's been an...accident. Is there somewhere a bit more private we could talk?" Mayor Mare told them that they were welcome to talk in her office, and Applejack led the way. When Applejack closed the door behind them, she asked "What's all this about? Where's Rainbow? Why ain't she here with you?" although she feared that she already knew the answer. Soarin's gut tightened knowing what he had to tell Applejack. He knew it wasn't fair to keep her in the dark, though. More humane in the short term, perhaps, but he knew that in the long term, she'd rather be told right away, especially if there's a chance that she's still alive. "Applejack, I'm not quite sure how to tell you this. I'm not even supposed to be telling you a lot of this, but as Rainbow Dash's wife, you deserve to know." "Just spit it out already! What happened? Is she alright or ain't she?" Applejack's frustration was growing exponentially. Soarin sighed. "You've got to keep this to yourself. Technically, it's still supposed to be secret and off the records. Princess Celestia ordered that a team of the five most skilled Wonderbolts - Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, Fleetfoot, Rapidfire, and me - go ahead of the army being led by Princess Luna and try to assassinate the gryphon's commander to diminish morale and cause chaos in their ranks." Soarin paused for a moment to let Applejack digest what he had told her. "Everything was going fine at first, and we spotted the target and began our attack just like we'd planned. Remember that 'secret gryphon weapon' that the rumors keep talking about? The one that they need sulfur to make?" Applejack nodded her head. "Well, we saw it first hand. That's what caused the problem. It's some kind of...I don't even know how to describe it. An explosive crossbow, I guess, is the best description I can think of, except one that can shoot several times before needing to be reloaded." He saw Applejack's eyes widen as she began piecing together in her head what he was telling her. It was no secret that pegasi were especially vulnerable against arrows, and whatever projectiles this new weapon shot were probably just as deadly if not more so. "Long story short, the commander started shooting at us. Spitfire's dead, hit right between the eyes, and I'm not sure what happened to Rainbow Dash. From what I could tell, she only got shot in the wing. I heard the gryphon commander's weapon four more times after he killed Spitfire and shot Rainbow down. I think he was trying to shoot Fleetfoot, Rapidfire, and me, but I honestly don't know for sure. I think that he left Rainbow Dash alive to take as a prisoner." As he looked at Applejack, he could see tears well up in her eyes and spill over, staining the fur on her cheeks; the sight broke his heart. "I wish I had more information, Applejack. I'm so sorry. Believe me, though, I plan to do everything I can to either rescue her or recover her body for a proper burial - a hero's burial. But I haven't given up on her, and neither should you." Am I trying to convince Applejack or myself? he thought. Applejack stood in silence for what felt like hours but was, in reality, only a few minutes. She looked down at the floor, making no effort to fight the tears streaming down her face. When she did finally break the silence, her voice was very soft and quiet, so much so that Soarin had to strain to hear her. "She ain't comin' home, is she? I've only been married for a few months, and I'm already a widow..." Soarin took a step towards Applejack and raised her face to his with his hoof. "Applejack, listen to me. I honestly think she's still alive," he said, starting to believe it himself, "and I am going to find her and rescue her, and if not me, then somepony else will, but you are NOT a widow, and you're not going to be. Not if I have anything to say about it." Having allowed herself a moment of emotional release, Applejack tried to regain her composure. "Right. Of course. I know that. I mean, she's one of the Elements of Harmony. Princess Celestia will make sure she gets back to Equestria alright." Applejack walked over to the window and looked down at the town's market. Please, princess, bring her home to me safe and sound....