Chapter 2:
Scootaloo’s violet eyes skimmed over the pale yellow soda before her, “Dash, why do they make ginger ale if its only for sick ponies?”
Dash chuckled as she slurped on her own soda, “ I don’t know, maybe it was made by a crazed doctor who wanted to find a way of delivering medicine that actually tasted good,” Dash looked at the drink once more, “It’s like some sort of anti-soda.”
“Speaking of medicine, it’s time for yours, Scootaloo.” Sunny Day said, her orange mane swaying as she walked in the room.
“What? No, Mom, I don’t need it really. I am fine, “ Scootaloo then began to cough a little, “Uh-oh, Dash, Help!” Scoot looked toward her sister with pleading eyes.
“Sorry, but I can’t help ya squirt,” Dash smiled at Scootaloo, “But, I’ll teach you a trick. Just drink it as quick as fast as possible at first. Then quickly drink the soda to wash it down, you’ll barely taste it!”
Scootaloo nodded as she took the med cup from her mother, looking down at the sickly colored liquid, “Ok…here goes.” Scootaloo then drank the medicine as fast as possible and then drank her soda just as fast. However, she still could feel the horrible taste as it past her throat, “UGGH!!!! It still tastes horrible!”
“Hey, I didn’t say it would remove all of the taste, just make it go down quicker,” Rainbow Dash laughed as she saw the frown on Scoot’s face, “Awww, don’t be like that. It did help didn’t it?”
Thinking quickly, she nodded in a very quick agreement, “ So, could you please continue? Please?” Scootaloo let out a small yawn.
“As you wish,” Dash replied, reopening the book.
________________
Armed with their three new gifts, the three mares walked further and further into the woods. Their journey led them over many hills and a long trail until they had reached the small town of Bismoth, a town that focused itself on its trade and bars. As the three walked around, they took in the local color of the populace, “Ohhh, look at this daring. This hat would be perfect for you,” taking a big white hat, Rarity placed it onto Sweetie Belle’s head.
AJ smiled as she watched Rarity picking out the different clothes for her and sister, thinking about all of the things she is missing out with her siblings right now. Turning to face a passerby, AJ tugged at his shoulder, “ Hey partner. Do ya know where the capital city is and where the castle is?”
“T…The castle?” The stallion looked very nervous as he began to think of the castle, “NOPE! Have no idea where it is, not at all.”
AJ looked straight into his eyes, trying to see just how much of a liar he was. It didn’t take long for her eyes to catch the little white lie in his voice, “Y’all sure about that?”
“Oh most definitely, as a matter of fact I don’t think anybody knows where the castle is. Not even those who live in Capital City. NowIgotogonowBYE!!!!!”
As she watched the stallion run off into the distance, a curious look in her eyes, “Now why did that guy lie to me?”
With Sweetie Belle skipping right behind her, a smile on her face as she wore her little boa, Rarity walked behind AJ, “AJ, Dear, am I to understand that you have no idea where the castle is?” Rarity watched as AJ nodded, “ARE YOU NUTS!? What, did you go off the moment that you found out about your family without an idea of where to go?” As if to empathise her anger, Sweetie Belle looked with a scowl.
“Well, Ah was thinking that the townsfolk would at least know where the home of their king is. At the very least their capital city,” AJ said walking through the shopping district, “Then, Ah was thinking about maybe winging it the rest of the way.”
Rarity facehoofed in response, “Let’s go and ask somepony in of these taverns and see what they know.”
“How about this one?” AJ pointed to a bar that read ‘Barbarian’s Bar and Grill’.
“Uggggh, a place with such uncouth ruffians? I wouldn’t dream of going in there. This place here is much better, ‘Sgt. Butterfly’s Drinkery’. By the way, what are we going to do about money? The bag could duplicate many gold pieces but it would need some coins for the spell to work.”
“Well, ah figured we could take up a few bounty hunting jobs here and there.”
“Bounty hunters? Really? Those uncouth ruffians of that harsh and deplorable profession?”
“HEY! Mah cousin is a bounty hunter, and besides it will be something to practice mah rope on.” Aj smirked as she walked into the bar.
Sgt. Butterfly was a wanted felon, known for 30 confirmed kills and 20 more assumed kills. When he was released on bail, he had decided to set up a small tavern within the town because his other specialty was in fact: bartending. It was why his cutie mark was a butterfly over a mug of ale. When he had set up his establishment, he had set up only one rule for everypony there to follow- no witnesses. As AJ and Rarity walked into the bar, their ears were assaulted by the loud fracas of the ponies drinking and rumbling on the inside, “ Ah am going to get some information, you two can see about getting something to drink,” AJ said as she walked up to the bar table.
Rarity nodded, disgusted by the sight of the ponies around her and the way that they acted. Sweetie Belle walked very close to her sister, a look of worry and fear in her emerald eyes, “Its going to be all right Sweetie. I am sure that despite this place’s vulgar… appearance that the food and drink are simply,” a small shudder escapes her lips as she takes a seat, “marvelous.”
To that, Sweetie gave a disbelieving look to her older sister.
AJ walked up to the bar, looking around for the barkeep as the bar seemed to continue on with its loud and rowdy nature, “Hey barkeep, ah need some information from ya.”
Slowly, a heavyset stallion strolled up to the bar, and looked at the orange mare, brushing a hoof through his red mane as he spoke, “Yeah, what type of information are you looking fer,” he said with a gruff voice.
“Well, first Ah would like to have some Chernobog’s Blood,” AJ said as she watched the barkeep went to get the order from the barrel, “and second, ah want to know where the capital city is.”
“Capital City? Planning on going to see the emperor huh,” Said Sgt. Butterfly as he poured AJ’s drink and handed it to her, “Well, I wouldn’t plan on seeing the castle there, not unless you are good and lucky.”
“Why is that,” AJ asked, drinking from her frothy mug.
“Because of the spell.” Butterfly said, taking note of some of the commotion going on in the back of the bar, “Y’see, the emperor had a team of unicorns put a spell around the castle that teleports it location randomly every 2 weeks. Sure, sometimes it can be in the capital city, but others? It can be as far away as the frozen north. The only way you can have any HOPE of finding it, is either be a unicorn or have a dang good tracking spell on ya.”
“So why is everypony afraid to say that?”
“Because the emperor doesn’t want any potential rebels to find out and get to the castle. So he only told those who live in Capital City about the trick, and the punishment for blabbin’… is death.”
“Well, you don’t seem to have a problem telling me about it.”
Butterfly leaned in close to AJ, their snouts touching each other, “Rule one of this bar, lady…no witnesses.”
AJ stepped back a little as the meaning of the words hit her hard, just as a pony came sailing through the air and hit the back of the bar, “And I will do WORSE if you even THINK about touching mine or my sister’s flank again,” Rarity yelled from the back, her horn still glowing with blue magic. Sweetie Belle, her eyes scrunched up, tweeted on her flute in agreement. In anger, several of the stallion’s friends began to rise from their seats, knives in their mouths drawn while others put a crossbow onto their hooves and began to pull their strings with magic and teeth.
AJ ducked under two thugs kicks as they came up behind her. While crouching, she kicked her back legs at the two goons, bucking them in the chests and sending them both flying back. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the lasso that she had been given and used it to rope in one stallion by the neck, swing him around in a circle to hit a few more men, and then sent him flying across the bar through several chairs. Sgt. Butterfly, watching all of this, slowly got up from behind the bar, walked to the door and changed his sign to close before walking back to his original spot and ducked behind the bar.
Sweetie belle leapt away from the grasps of a few stallions and mares, keeping herself away from being caught. When one mare tripped over herself in an attempt to grab her, she took the time to lift her flute over the fallen mare’s head and hit her head several times with the flute and then whistled a “so there,” from it. Turning around, she saw a few more thugs standing behind her, weapons drawn. Turning around she began to run away, dodging and hitting ponies with her flute where it would hurt the stallions the most. Making it to the safety of her sister’s legs, she watched as Rarity lifted up a few chairs and tables with her magic and threw them at some of the thugs. Some of the mares ducke out of the way before getting hit by the incoming debris and drew their crossbows; however, before they fired their weapons, each one was pulled away by AJ’s rope and onto the ground. As the mares ran to pick up their fallen weapons, AJ reared up and proceed to buck each mare with her front hooves. One stallion lifted up his blade and tried to stab AJ in the back, but was pulled away by a magically controlled curtain that Rarity was using and thrown out the window. AJ turned her head up to Rarity, and smirked a thank you as she ran to join her friend. Four thugs were left as they surrounded the three mares. Taking a step back, they jumped at them in an attempt to jostle them. It failed as Applejack bucked two of them in mid-jump while Rarity smashed the other two with a magically grabbed table. Panting, the girls turned to watch as Sgt. Butterfly grabbed some rope and proceeded to walk to the fallen bodies, “What’s that fer,” AJ asked, watching the unicorn tie up some fallen thugs.
“For these men, I have got to admit, you took them down the fastest that I have ever seen.”
Rarity, arched her eyebrow in shock, “Wait, you wanted us to beat your customers senseless?”
“Yep! See, this here’s a bounty hunter trap as well as a bar. See, after I was caught for all of the murderin’ I had done, I decided to turn a new leaf and bring in the criminals instead. Of course, this place also has the benefit of taking out any possible rebels that’ll pop up in here. Either way, I get a profit.”
AJ took a step forward, “ That’s just underhanded! Those ponies trust you and you just betray them so easily?”
“ Look babe, this is the way I sees it,” Butterfly said as he lifted the last of the thugs to lay them down with the others, “On the one hand, I am taking out potential saviors by weeding out the weak from the strong. On the other, I am cleaning up the streets slowly by letting the so-called heroes take out the undesirables. Either way, I’m helpin’ the community,” he then turned to the three mares,” Tell me, if these mooks were to give ya trouble, would ya have been able to tell me that you would be ready to handle the real threats that lie ahead of ya?”
AJ said nothing, unable to form much of an argument to what he had just said. In a way, he was right, there would be no way they could say they would defeat the emperor if they couldn’t handle some low rate thugs. She simply just put her Stetson over her eyes, turned, and proceeded to walk out the bar followed by Rarity and Sweetie Belle. She may have thought it to be a good idea, but it didn’t mean that she have to like it, “Thank ya kindly for the information,” she said as she walked away.
“Hey, I be careful when you leave town and pass the graveyard,” Butterfly said as he finished the clean up.
Rarity turned around to look at the blue stallion, “Whatever for darling?”
“Because rumor is, that around that area, a ghastly and sorrowful moan can be heard throughout the night. Some say that it’s the victims of the past moaning at their inability to help their loved ones,” As he began his ghost story, the young Sweetie Bell hid behind her sister’s legs, “Others say that it’s a banshee waiting to drag in young fillies and mares so she can feed on their youth and beauty. Still others say it’s a wandering spirit of a lost soldier, doomed for eternity to walk the graves in search of his patrol. Personally, I think that it’s a poor young mare who had lost a dear friend and now can only mourn for her loss.”
“And Ah think that you are just trying to scare us both, come on girls,” AJ said, walking out the door followed by Rarity.
“Don’t worry Sweetie Bell, I’ll keep you safe from any ghost that might come from the cemetery,” the white unicorn said, running her hoof comfortingly through her sister’s light purple and pink mane. The little filly looked up at her big sister with a smile on her face, “AJ, you don’t really think that there really is a ghost within that cemetery.”
“Maybe not a ghost,” AJ responded as they began to walk through the town, “But there is something there in that cemetery, Ah could tell.”
“How?”
“It’s…a gift Ah have,” AJ said , “Ever since Ah have been born Ah been able to see when a pony lies just by looking at them straight in the eye. When Ah can make eye contact, Ah just can feel when they are lyin’ to me. Used to drive mah sis…,” she drooped her head a little, thinking about what is going through her sister’s head right now.
Rarity put a comforting hoof onto AJ’s back and smiled softly, “We’ll save her, on that you can be sure of,” She then turned to see Sweetie Belle shivering in fear, “What’s wrong Sweetie? Oh that’s…why.”
AJ walked up alongside Rarity to look to where Sweetie was standing and looked at the dark and misty graveyard. With the sun down and the night fallen, it gave the graveyard a barren appearance. The stones within the field acting like stone reminders of those lost. Further inside the graveyard was a dead tree with its rocking branches. As the mares looked through the graveyard, they could hear the unearthly moans and cries of a mare that lay deep within the field. Looking confident, AJ took a few steps forward into the field, “Uh, AJ dear,” Rarity questioned, “What are you doing?”
“Ah am gonna investigate the source of that there moaning and wailing.”
“May I ask, why?”
AJ took a few more steps into the graveyard, the ground cracking beneath her orange hooves, “It could be a trapped unicorn in there that might need our help and knows of a good tracking spell.”
“Or, it could be a dirty, mangy, ugly, undead pony that smells absolutely horrid and has a dreadful fashion sense!”
“What, not afraid of walking through a graveyard and meeting up with a zombie, are ya?”
“No, it isn’t the zombie that scares me,” Sweetie Belle looked to Rarity and whistled a ‘it scares me though’ in protest, “ It’s the idea that he might touch me with those cold and undead hands of his,” Rarity shudders, “I shudder at the thought of such an uncouth ruffian.”
AJ shrugged her shoulders at Rarity’s comment as they continued to walk further, “So it ain’t the biting, mangling, or the eating that bothers you, it’s being touched?”
“Yes darling, who knows where that thing has been in his previous life. Now if he took a bath before trying to kill us, it wouldn’t be so bad,” Rarity was then interrupted by a wail of sadness coming from the other side of the tree, “Wait, did you hear that? It came from over here.”
Walking around the tree to where the crying was the loudest, they saw a statue of a pegasus with a lightning bolt cutie mark on her flank. She stood on her hind legs with her arms stretched out protectively as if she was trying to defend a pony. Sitting at the base of the statue, was a yellow Pegasus who was the source of the cries, “Oh, Rainbow…it didn’t work again. I am so sorry for failing you again, please…forgive me,” turning around, she saw the three mares staring at her. Frightened, she let out a small squeak and hid by the tree, “Oh, my. Y…you aren’t guards are you? I must warn you, I am ready to die fighting for my friend, and I am very fierce!”
“No sugarcube, we ain’t part of the emperor’s guard,” AJ said as the yellow Pegasus walked out from behind the tree, her pink mane falling over one of her blue eyes, “The name’s AJ and this is Rarity and her little sister Sweetie Belle.”
“Hello, Rarity, Sweetie Belle,” The demure Pegasus said, in a soft voice as she held out her hoof to shake their hooves.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, miss… ?” Rarity said as Sweetie happily popped out from behind her legs and skipped to the buttery Pegasus.
“Fluttershy,” she said as she watched the little filly walk up to her and nod happily, “Is your sister all right?”
“Can’t talk. Hasn’t spoken since our parents died,” Rarity said, a tinge of sadness in her voice.
“Oh, I am so sorry,” she then turned her head down to the little unicorn, “Maybe you’ll speak again one day when it is really, really important!”
To this, Sweetie Belle whistled in her flute happily.
“So who’s your friend,” AJ asked, walking around the statue, not seeing a plaque.
“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said, tearing up a little, “ You see, me and her used to be part of the Three Queens’ royal air force.”
“Wait, Three Queens? I thought we were under the rule of the emperor.” Rarity looked confused.
“Oh I’m sorry, of course you wouldn’t remember, the spell wiped them from memory,” Fluttershy said, clearing her throat, “5 years ago, we had been under the rule of three queens. The eldest, ruled with fair and just laws, the second ruled during the night and would punish the wicked, and the last used love to help guide the other two from becoming corrupt. One day, an evil sorcerer was able to surprise them and overthrow them by transforming them and sending them far away,” Fluttershy then walked over to the statue, putting her hoof onto the base and stare up at it, “Then he put a spell over the kingdom to make everypony forget the queens and accept him as the true ruler.”
“How do you remember this if he had a memory spell.”
“Rainbow had never been one to be fooled by memory spells, especially if they made her betray a friend, “Fluttershy looked down, “Even one like me. She broke free of the spell, found me and helped me to escape Capital City. We had spent 3 years trying to find a way to get the queens back into power.”
“I assume your missions have been for naught,” Rarity asked, putting a hoof onto the yellow mare’s back as she began to cry.
“You see, I am a horrible flyer and Rainbow…was always the one who needed to protect me. She kept pushing me to do my best and was always there for me when I needed her. When we were asked to join the force, she said she would never join without me. When I needed to be protected, she was always my guardian angel, according to her,” she sniffled, “so it was no surprise when one day, as we were on the run from some unicorn guards who wanted to bring us in, this happened. All because I was a worthless flyer.”
“What happened?”
“We were flying through the trees and I got stuck. Rainbow came back for me, even when I told her to leave me behind. She kept refusing to and soon got me out and pushed me ahead when the guards caught up with us. R-Rainbow stood in front of them, protecting me as they unleashed their stone spells at her,” Fluttershy fell to her haunches, crying harder as the memories came back, “When I came back, I found her like this. I had my animal friends help me carry her here, where I thought she could be safe while I tried to cure her. It…its been three years and I haven’t found anything that works.”
Rarity rubbed the crying pegasus’s back, trying her best to comfort her. Then her eyes widen at a thought she had, “IDEA! Sweetie Belle, your flute might cure her.”
Fluttershy looked up, wiping her eyes with her hooves, “How?”
“Sweetie Belle’s flute has a magical healing properties attached to it. A witch said if the song in the heart was good, then the magic could heal.”
“But Rare, Sweetie can’t talk much less sing,” AJ said.
“No, but Fluttershy can. Surely you have a song that you could sing.”
Fluttershy got up, “Well, there is a song that Rainbow and I used to sing together…she joked that it was our song.”
“Perfect, Sweetie you begin to play a tune and then Fluttershy can sing,” Rarity said as Sweetie Belle began to play a tune on her flute. Fluttershy nodded and stood up. Getting to the front of the statue, she cleared her throat and began to sing
Fluttershy-
You've been there for me
No matter what we lose
My best friend since we
Believed in Santa Hooves
You have always stood beside me
And I want to let you know
The magic of the flute and Sweetie’s horn began to glow in perfect synch with one another, flowing from their sources and around the statue. Slowly did the pink energy began to slide itself across Rainbow’s hind hooves and forehooves, causing cracks to form.
I'll be the one who hears your prayer
Don't have to ask me, I'll be there
I'll be the friend you'll never have to do without
When you have nothing at all
You'll still have nothing to worry about
Oh nothing at all
The magic wrapped itself around the torso and neck of the Pegasus, cracking the stone skin to reveal bits of blue fur within. As it continue to entwine itself around her body, her form seemed to become more and more alive.
When I was lost inside
A forest of despair
You always knew just how
To help me find my way
In a world that's so uncertain
I will promise this to you
Soon the magic began to wrap around Dash’s head, breaking it slowly and revealing a rainbow mane on top of the blue head. The magic began to crack open her wings, allowing more of her form to be released.
I'll be the one who hears your prayer
Don't have to ask me, I'll be there
I'll be the friend you'll never have to do without
No...
When you have nothing at all
You'll still have nothing to worry about
Oh no...when you have nothing at all
You'll still have nothing to worry about
A blinding light shines through as the stone prison is shattered.
Oh nothing at all...oh.
Rainbow Dash fell off the base, her hoof to her head as she shook it, “ohhhh, what happened,” she then looked up at the three ponies before her, “WHO ARE YOU? WHERE’S FLUTTERSHY? IS SHE OK? IF YOU DID ANY… “
“RAINBOW!!!!!” Fluttershy yelled as she tackled her dear friend with a hug, tears flowing from her eyes.
Rainbow opened her eyes wide at seeing her best friend, “Fluttershy! You’re all right,” she then returned the hug, nuzzling her yellow friend, “ I didn’t know if those morons back there got you after they stoned me.”
“No, they didn’t. I spent most of the time trying to heal you.”
“Fluttershy, pal, you didn’t need to-“
“I wanted to, you have protected me so much in the past. I wanted to repay the favor and I did thanks to them,” Fluttershy said pointing her hoof to the three mares across from them.
Letting go of Fluttershy for the moment, Rainbow turned to the three ponies and smiled a little, “Hey, whoever you are, thanks for the save. It was boring being like that, being unable to fly around or move. Plus, I think my wings got cramped,” To prove a point, Dash moved her wings a little, wincing, “ who are you guys?”
“How about we get out of this cemetery first, before we begin the introductions, Sweetie Belle over there is starting to look frightened,” AJ said, pointing to the white filly shivering a little behind her older sister.
Nodding, the two pegasi flew behind the three mares as they walked out of the graveyard and back into the city. Walking at a slow pace to take in the town at night, Rarity began the introductions, “My name is Rarity Belle, please to meet your acquaintance, and this is my little sister Sweetie Belle,” in response, the little filly skipped over to Dash to say hi, to which Dash rubbed her mane affectionately.
“And the name’s AJ, please to meet ya, partner,” AJ said, shaking Rainbow’s hoof.
“ So, why were you guys in the graveyard, have a desire to hunt down zombie ponies?”
“No, we were on our way to find a unicorn that has been to the castle before and then see if she has a tracking spell that’ll allow us to find it when we heard Fluttershy crying,” AJ said as they made their way to the north side of the village,
“Looking for an unicorn so you can get to the emperor, eh? Fine,” Dash said, flying in front of the group with Fluttershy in tow, “We’re in.”
Fluttershy turned to Dash, looking a little nervous, “We…we are?” she said with a small eep.
“Why?” AJ asked.
“Look, you got your reasons for wanting to buck the emperor’s face in and so do we. You probably, uhhhhh, want to get a new stetson and I want to find a way to free the Queens,” Dash said, looking at AJ, “The best way to get both done is to team up. Besides, you’re gonna need the fastest flier there is to save your flanks once in a while.”
AJ rolled her eyes, she wasn’t expecting to pick up more companions, “She does have a point, maybe we could use a flyer. All right, you can come along. But why are you bringing Fluttershy, she doesn’t look like much.”
“Oh, uh…wherever Rainbow goes, I go to,” Fluttershy said, lowering her head.
“Besides, she may not look like much, but give her time and you can see how much of a firecracker she can be,” Dash said, a sense of pride in her voice, “Now, we’re wasting too much time talking around here. LETS GO!” She then flew up into the air and took off into the distance.
“HEY! You don’t even know where we are heading,” AJ said, taking off after her at full gallop.
“Neither do you! I just figure we’ll hit an unicorn when we find her!”
Rarity began to gallop after the two ponies as Fluttershy flew next to her,” Is your friend always this, abrasive and headstrong?”
“Well, uh, maybe…yes,” Fluttershy said flying alongside Rarity.
Rarity groaned a little, thinking about working with such a boastful pony, “Oh well, such is life. Come along Sweetie Belle.”
Excited and with a big smile on her face, Sweetie Belle ran after her sister feeling a song in her heart.
----------------------
Their run took them over many hills along the long trail leading away from the village. A run that had soon left three of the fillies panting for a bit while the two up at the front looked ready to continue their run. AJ turned around and noticed how her other companions were getting tired. Turning around to face Dash, she nodded to the three ponies behind her to show the pegasus how tired they were. Dash nodded in agreement as she landed next to her group and began to look around for a place to camp.
Fluttershy turned her head to look at a nearby white owl resting in the tree. Walking up to it, she began to hoot to it and, in response, it hooted back. Turning to the others as they began to search, “Girls, there is a nice little hill over there that we could rest. Farnsworth said that its out of the way and we won’t have to worry about others bothering us,” Fluttershy said, pointing to the hill a few feet away.
“Who’s Farnsworth,” AJ asked.
“ The owl, he told me his name when I asked him,” Fluttershy said as she led the ponies to the hill.
“Your friend, can talk to animals and understand them,” AJ asked.
Rainbow Dash looked up ahead as she responded, “Yeah she can. See, she’s a druid.”
“A dru-what?”
Rarity walked next to AJ, “ A druid darling, an old order of mages that could control and command nature as easily as a Pegasus can control the weather or an unicorn bend magic.”
“Like me with mah farming?” AJ asked, an eyebrow arched.
“Not quite, more like how an animal handler can command their pets. I have heard stories, but I thought them to be wiped out,” Rarity said, looking at Rainbow Dash.
“Not all of them, they are mostly just been scattered everywhere. Most of them have just been keeping to themselves for a while and others try to pass on their teachings to their kids. Fluttershy learned her druidness-“
“That isn’t a word Rainbow,” Rarity said, smirking.
“Whatever. From her mother and uses it to help me scout around.”
“Why on earth were they mostly wiped out?” AJ thought to herself, deciding to ask that question later as they reached the top of the hill.
Sitting around a small campfire that AJ and Dash made, they began to spend their night eating and talking of their pasts. They began to joke and tell each other stories of times long past, allowing the flames to provide the appropriate scenery for them to discuss anything that they could think of. As Rainbow let an apple warm by the fire, she looked up at the bright moon, “Look at that girls, beautiful isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is kind of lovely. Never took the time to admire that thing until now,” AJ said, looking at the moon.
“Why not,” Asked Rainbow.
“Because, when that moon is shining, Ah am usually asleep. Not much Ah can do in the evening on the farm.”
“You are missing out AJ, you are missing out,” Dash said, “You could do so many cool things in the moonlight, like sneaking around ponies and scaring them. Midnight flying, camping, midnight pranks, all sorts of fun things at midnight.”
“Or better yet,” Rarity added, “Long walks with a mate along a beach while you two are embracing your love for one another,” The marshmallow pony then giggled at the thought while Rainbow and AJ rolled their eyes.
Fluttershy looked to Dash as she watched the moon, “Do you think one of the queens might be trapped up there?”
“Have no idea, I know that the middle child loved the moon though, so its possible,” Dash said as she watched the moonlight began to glow brighter, “Wait, WHAT…”
Suddenly, from within the moonlight, an olden pony wearing a midnight blue cloak appeared, “Greetings ponies, I am the witch who rewards Kindness and Loyalty,” she said from within her cloak, the cloak that hid all but her gender and age, “To you, Rainbow Dash, I give thee a gift for being so loyal that you were willing to sacrifice yourself in order to keep your promise. This,” she waved a hoof and on Rainbow’s right leg, a bracelet with a jagged ruby lightning bolt appeared, “lift the leg and think of a sword and it will form. This,” she continued as she watched did as she was told, lifting her leg and causing a rainbow colored blade to appear with a swish, “is the sword of loyalty. It will never harm a friend and will never betray you, even if somepony else were to obtain it. And as for you, Fluttershy. For your desire to help your friend and to heal her, even when it seemed futile” She said, looking to the little yellow Pegasus, “I grant thee, a shield of kindness,” she again waved a hoof and a ring appeared on Fluttershy’s left leg, a butterfly gem in the center, “When you think of a shield, it form an impenetrable magical shield around both you and your comrades. It will never break and if you were to sleep under it’s pink glow, you be fully healed in the morning. Remember, these are weapons, not toys. I trust that you will use them well. Now, I will take my leave, fare thee well ponies.” And with that, she faded into the moonlight.
Rainbow dash was going to ask questions, but a hoof on her shoulder and a nod from AJ told her not to question when you have been given a gift from a witch.
The night wore on, and the ponies began to get tired. Dousing the flames of their fire, each pony took up a separate position to get some sleep, also ready to move if somepony were to attack. Rarity sat a small distance from the group, Sweetie Belle snuggling up close to her sister as she snored softly. The small unicorn filly rested her head on Rarity’s side as the older Unicorn slept curled around her little sister. AJ sat at the front of the group, making sure she could keep an eye on everypony and kept herself vigilant in case she needed to move swiftly. She looked to the side where she could see Rainbow and Fluttershy snuggled up close to one another. Rainbow’s blue wing was draped over the yellow Pegasus while she rested her head on Rainbow’s shoulders, snuggling up to Rainbow’s neck. Rainbow calmly ran her hoof along Fluttershy’s pink mane, “Hey, Rainbow. Can Ah ask ya somethin’?”
“Shoot,” Dash said, looking down at the Pegasus, glad that she wasn’t hurt while she was stoned.
“What did that witch mean, ‘keep your promise’? Is it why you are so protective of her?”
“Yeah,” Dash looked down at the grass before her, “I was always the small one in any group, my family, friends, school, you name it. I was the runt. So, naturally I was usually picked on. Didn’t mind, I knew I was awesome and I could always prove it in anything, having a great dad will do that to ya. One day, I saw Fluttershy being picked on by a bunch of bullies who thought she was easy prey. I, of course, jumped in and stopped them. She thanked me and we spent some time together for the rest of the day,” Rainbow Dash raised her head, looking to the sky as she smiled, “I found out the next day that the bullies tried again, and I stopped them, again. It soon got to the point where we were hanging out almost day after day. I found out when I visited her home one day, that she had live by herself for the most part, her mom was sick and her dad had run out on her. “
“Why did he do that?”
“He had something against druids and when he found out that she was training Flutters, he left,” Dash sighed, “When I had found out about that, it was when I realized that, for as small as I was, and as much as I could be the runt…there was always someone smaller and weaker than myself. Fluttershy, was one of my first friends, and I couldn’t stand the thought that somepony would pick on her. So, I made a promise to her mother that I would always protect her and be there for her no matter what may happen to me. When I wa inducted to the queens’ royal air academy, I told them to take me and Fluttershy or no deal. When I decided to rebel, I made sure she came with me. I will always be there. You can understand right?”
AJ nodded, a smile on her face, “Yep. When Maw and Paw died, Ah promised that Ah would take care of the farm and my siblings. Ah would always be there to provide for the family Ah was given and nothing would stop me from making sure that they were safe.”
“And that is why you are going off half-cocked into a battle that you may not win, against a foe you may not beat”
“Ain’t you?”
Dash chuckled as she nodded in agreement, “Guess we’re both just too stubborn aren’t we?”
“YEP!” AJ said proudly as she began to fall asleep, “Night Dashie.”
“Night”
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“And with that,” Dash was about to continue the story when she heard a soft breathing noise coming from the bed, “Scoots? Are you there,” Dash asked as she looked over the bed and saw that the little filly was now on her side, asleep. She held her blanket bunched underneath one leg while the rest was splayed out, “Ok, I’ll read more tomorrow Scoot,” Dash said, as she laid the young filly onto her back and took the cover away. She then unfurled the cotton fabric and laid it onto the sleeping filly, making sure to tuck her in securely. Leaning over the head of the young filly, Dash kissed her on the forehead, “Night squirt, see ya…” Dash tried to turn around, but found herself stopped. She tried to pull again, but still found herself unable to move. Looking down at her hoof, she saw that Scootaloo had taken hold of her blue hoof and wrapped her leg around it. Try as she might, Rainbow could not get free from the young pegasus’ strong grip, “Come on Scoot, I have to…”
“Stay,” mumbled Scootaloo in her sleep.
Dash stopped her struggle as she sighed, looking at her sleeping ‘sister’, “As you wish,” Dash then got into the bed, snuggling up close to the young filly. Laying her hooves over her sister’s sleeping form, she tucked herself in and went to sleep.