It's a Date?
Rarity and Twilight Sparkle walked through Ponyville on their way to a brunch with their pegasi friends Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. It had originally been planned as a breakfast but Rainbow Dash made it clear that she didn't want to get up early on her day off. As they neared the cafe, they saw Fluttershy seated at one of the outdoor tables. There was no sign of Rainbow Dash.
A shadow passed over them and a heavily laden pegasus unknown to them landed at the cafe entrance and immediately walked up to Fluttershy. Both unicorns noticed the surprised look on the face of their shy friend and quickened their pace.
“Do you know him?” asked Rarity quietly.
“No,” replied Twilight, “I've never seen him before. I don't think he's from Canterlot. It looks to me as if he's been flying a while.”
He was a large brown fellow with a black and brown mane and he wore goggles. His saddlebags were marked with a star with an 'M' in the middle. His cutie mark was a dark gray cloud with rain falling beneath.
“Good morning Fluttershy,” said Rarity, “who's your handsome friend?”
“Oh! um, we just met,” explained Fluttershy, blushing. “His name is Rain Chaser. He's from Manehatten. Rain Chaser, these are my friends Twilight Sparkle and Rarity.”
“How do you do,” said Rain Chaser. “I hope I'm not intruding on you but I just arrived and saw a fellow pegasus. I thought she might be able to help me.”
“I'm sure we can help you,” said Twilight with a smile. “What seems to be the problem?”
“Oh, there's no problem,” said Rain Chaser. “I'm on vacation and I was hoping for a little adventure. I heard that the Everfree Forest was near here and I'm looking for a guide.” He turned his gaze to Fluttershy.
“Me?” said Fluttershy looking really scared, “guide you through the Everfree Forest? No, thanks! I don't need any adventures! No adventures today, thank you.”
“Maybe Zecora would be a better choice,” suggested Rarity. “After all, she lives there.”
“Really,” said Rain Chaser, “I didn't think anypony lived there.”
“Well, Zecora is different,” explained Twilight, “for one thing, she's a zebra.”
“A zebra,” said Rain Chaser in surprise, “I'd like to meet her but I was hoping to fly rather than walk. Don't any of you know a pegasus that might make a good guide?”
As one, the three friends said; “Rainbow Dash.”
“Hi all,” said a blue pegasus that appeared seemingly from nowhere, “sorry I'm late. Slept in a little longer than I planned.” She laughed.
“Rain Chaser, this is our friend Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight. “If anypony can help you out, it's her.”
“Pleased to meet you Ms. Dash,”said Rain Chaser.
“Hi,” replied Rainbow Dash, “so what brings a Manehatten weather pony to Ponyville? Need some help with something or looking to transfer?”
Rain Chaser laughed. “No, nothing like that. I'm on vacation and I'm looking for a pegasus to show me around the Everfree Forest. Er...how did you know I was a Manehatten weather pony?”
“Saw the saddlebags,” said Dash. “I circled a couple times before I landed. Yeah, I could show you around Everfree but it kind of throws off my plans. I wanted to practice my moves today.”
“Your moves?” asked Rain Chaser.
“Aerobatics,” said Dash, “you know; stunts and stuff.”
“Sure,” said Rain Chaser, “I do a little of that myself. Maybe I could show you a few tricks in exchange for showing me around.”
Rainbow Dash tried hard to stifle a laugh and was partially successful. “Yeah, sure. I'll tell you what, you pay for my meals today and I'll take you on a flyover. It'll be good exercise anyway.”
“Sounds like a good deal to me,” replied Rain Chaser. “I'd like a little more than a flyover though. I was hoping to land and see what the forest is like. Maybe find a souvenir or something to take home. I have a pretty good collection from my other vacations.”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “Well, okay but you have to agree to do exactly what I say. I've been in there before and that forest is dangerous.”
Rain Chaser smiled. “Good! I was hoping some of the stories I heard were true. I'll heed your advice but I'm used to danger. I look for a new adventure every year when I go on vacation.”
“Rainbow Dash is right, Rain Chaser,” said Rarity. “You don't know what you're getting into. I've been in the forest too, and so has Twilight and Fluttershy. There are things in there that you really don't want to meet.”
“It's different than Equestria too,” said Twilight, “if you go in there, you listen to Rainbow Dash.”
“That's right,” said Fluttershy in a stern tone, “if anything happens to her because of your thrill seeking you'll answer for it.”
“Calm down Fluttershy,” said Dash, “if we get in trouble I'll just fly off and leave him for the manticore or whatever else that tries to eat us.” She gave Rain Chaser a fierce grin.
“Rainbow!” exclaimed Twilight. “You wouldn't!”
“Well,” mused Rainbow Dash, “probably not. Anyway, there shouldn't be any trouble as long as we're careful. Where's the waiter? I'm hungry and I have a free meal coming.”
The waiter appeared almost as Dash finished talking and took their orders. Talk of the proposed adventure was postponed as Rain Chaser was bombarded by questions about Manehatten. The stallion answered politely and impressed the mares with his confidence and humor though he did not endear himself by being somewhat boastful. Rainbow Dash was not bothered by this but her friends wondered how these two would get along by themselves. It turned out that Rain Chaser was not just on the weather team but was, in fact, in charge of it. Rainbow Dash was delighted.
“What a coincidence,” she said, “I'm in charge of the Ponyville Weather Team. That's why I asked you if you were looking to transfer. I'd never pass up an experienced weather pony.”
“Me neither,” replied Rain Chaser. “If you want to move up to the big time, I'm sure I can find a spot for you.”
“A spot for me? I don't think so. Why would I want to do that? I'd rather run my own show than take orders,” said Rainbow Dash. She sounded insulted now. If this city pony thought she was fool enough to take an offer like that he could think again.
Rain Chaser just laughed. “I don't blame you for that but you must admit that Manehatten is more high profile. It would look good on your resume.”
“Pass,” said Dash curtly, “I like it here. The only other job I'm interested in is getting on the Wonderbolts.” She gave her attention to her food.
Rain Chaser was surprised and looked at the others. Rarity was daintily enjoying her meal. Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash in admiration. Twilight swallowed a bite of food and spoke.
“I'm sure you'll make it soon,” said the purple unicorn. “You're the best flier I've ever seen...including the Wonderbolts.”
“Thanks Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash. She turned to Rain Chaser. “I hope you appreciate my taking my time to show you around. I had planned to spend my day off practicing.”
“You're serious aren't you?”said Rain Chaser. “You're really that good?”
“Yep,” said Dash, “you'll see. I'm done here. I'm going by my place and pick up a few things. You can go by the market and get us a little food for later. I'll meet you there. See you tonight girls, wish us luck!” Her three friends were still in the middle of their goodbyes when she took off and flew towards her cloud home.
“She's really something else,” said Rain Chaser as he watched her fly away.
“She is,” said Rarity, “and she's our friend so we expect you to take good care of her. Some very important ponies are her friends too and I assure you that they will hear of it if you don't.”
“Really? Anypony I know?” asked Rain Chaser.
Rarity put on her sunglasses and looked up at the sun. “Oh, yes, I'm sure you know them.”
The hint was not lost on Rain Chaser and he swallowed hard but quickly regained his composure. “Well I'll do my best. I really have been in some tight places and can handle myself if I have to. It's been a pleasure meeting you all but I should be going. If one of you could direct me to the market, I'll go get the supplies we need.”
“I need a few things too,” said Fluttershy, “I can take you there.”
They paid their tab and left the cafe. Twilight and Rarity went to their respective homes while Fluttershy guided Rain Chaser to the market.
“Thanks for the help, Ms. Fluttershy,” said Rain Chaser.
“No trouble at all,” replied Fluttershy. “Always glad to help out.”
“What do you think I should get?” asked Rain Chaser. “ I guess just something to snack on will be enough. We should be back this evening.”
“You can get apples from the Sweet Apple Acres stand. Applejack runs it. She's another friend of ours,” said Fluttershy. “And Sugar Cube corner is over there if you need some baked goods. There are lots of other vendors with anything else you may want. Don't let them push you around though, some of them might try to take advantage of you since you're new in town.”
“Thank you Fluttershy,” said Rain Chaser, “I'll be careful.”
“Just one more thing,” said Fluttershy quietly, “Rainbow Dash can be rash and she's also very brave. Don't taunt her or dare her to do anything dangerous because she won't back down. And you'd better be a gentlecolt too, for your own sake.”
“Of course,” said Rain Chaser, “there's no need for threats.”
“Oh, was I threatening,” stammered Fluttershy, “I'm sorry. No, I just meant if you try anything she doesn't like, she'll probably hoof you your head.” Fluttershy smiled. “Have a nice trip.”
“What a strange town,” said Rain Chaser to himself as Fluttershy walked away. “Who are these mares?”
Chapter 2
Rain Chaser quickly went from stand to stand gathering what he felt was a light meal for two. He bought a few apples from Applejack but didn't mention the trip to the forest. He found another stand that had fresh clover which was hard to get in Manehatten. At Sugar Cube Corner he bought a loaf of bread from a bouncy, funny pony who offered to throw him a welcome to Ponyville party. He politely refused, explaining that he would be gone for the rest of the day. He was purchasing a jar of jam to go with the bread when Rainbow Dash returned.
“All ready?” asked Rainbow.
“Yes,” said Rain Chaser, “I just finished getting our supplies. I'd like to get a room so I can leave some of my luggage there if that's alright.”
“We've wasted almost half the morning already,” complained Rainbow Dash. “Why not leave your stuff at my place until you get back? It will be quicker.”
“Alright,” agreed Rain Chaser, “lead the way.”
Without a word, Rainbow Dash took off and flew towards her home in the clouds. Rain Chaser followed her. They landed and entered Dash's home.
“Here it is,” said Dash. “Pardon the mess but I use this room for work.”
Rain Chaser looked around at the clutter. Most of the available space that could support solid objects was filled with papers containing charts, rosters, maps and schedules. A large chart on the wall contained a list of ponies and their duties for the week. Compared to the highly professional office in Manehatten, it looked terribly disorganized. There was a small space to the right of the door and Rain Chaser unloaded his bags keeping only the provisions, a blanket and his canteen.
“That's better!” said Rain Chaser. “Let's go!”
“Alright,” replied Dash, “I've been thinking of a place that might be interesting for you. How would you like to see the ancient home of the Princesses?”
“Really?” said Rain Chaser, stunned at the suggestion. “That would be awesome Rainbow Dash.”
The blue pegasus tossed her mane and laughed. “Please, you can call me Rainbow or Dash. Some ponies even call me RD.”
“Sure Rainbow, you can call me Chase,” said Rain Chaser.
“Okay, Chase,” said Rainbow, “you can start by chasing me!”
Rainbow Dash flew out the door followed closely by Chase who paused only to kick the door shut. Chase followed his guide towards the forest which grew larger as they approached and gained altitude. The city stallion had never seen a forest so vast even on his travels.
Chase tried to catch Dash but couldn't quite seem to match her speed. He realized that he was flying nearly as fast as he could and knew he couldn't keep up the pace indefinitely. He was about to ask Rainbow Dash to slow down when his guide stopped flapping her wings and went into a glide.
“You're pretty fast Chase,” said Rainbow, “maybe we can have a real race before you leave.”
“If you want,” said Chase as he tried hard not to gasp, “but I'm not even the fastest pony on my team. I'm just a good leader.”
“Oh,” said Rainbow, she sounded disappointed. Privately, she was puzzled at how Chase could be the Manehatten leader without being the most awesome flier. Still, he was pretty fast and maybe he could clear clouds really well or something.
“You seem kind of young to be a team leader, even for a small town,” said Chase. “How did you get the job?”
“I was looking for work after I left the Cloudsdale Flight School. I heard about an opening here and thought I'd give it a try,” said Rainbow Dash, omitting the circumstances of her leaving school. “I didn't know it was because the old team leader was retiring but when they saw how awesome I was, they elected me leader.”
“That’s it?” said Chase. “You got the job just on your physical abilities? But what about all the other things like schedules and personnel resources, experience with bad weather. What about your past experience? You must have had great grades or advanced training.”
Rainbow Dash had a hard time holding back her laughter. Grades? Advanced training? This guy was such an egg-head. Weather was weather and it was up to pegasi to make it behave. “Well, the old leader trained me for a few weeks and after I got to know the team, it was pretty easy. If I thought any of the ponies were going to have trouble, I just pitched in where I was needed. Every pony knows they can count on me.”
Chase stared at Rainbow Dash. He'd spent several years working and studying to get his job and here was this young mare who just fell into a leadership position. “So your management style is to lead from the front, eh?” he said.
“Is there another way?” asked Dash. “I guess things are different in Manehatten. You probably have a lot of full time weather ponies there. I only have three two pony wings full time plus four ponies part timers. Of course I can call out all the town pegasi for really big jobs like Winter Wrap Up or in case of emergencies.”
“Yeah, it is different,” said Chase. “We need more mainly because of the storms coming in from the ocean. I guess you don't have that problem here.”
“Just the stuff that slops over from Everfree,” replied Dash. “We don't control the weather there. Clouds move on their own and we can get some bad weather from them. I send out patrols twice a day to keep an eye on things.”
“Wow!” said Chase, “I didn't know about that. I guess Everfree isn't just a name.”
“Nope,” said Rainbow Dash in a serious tone. “And there are things down there you really don't want to meet; timber-wolves, manticores, cockatrices and Celestia knows what else. Oh! If you see any blue flowers, don't touch them.”
They flew in silence for a while. Chase spent much of his time gazing down at the forest, hoping to get a glimpse of some creature but the canopy of trees was largely impenetrable. When he looked up he saw a dark line far away on the horizon.
“Is that some of the bad weather you were talking about?” he asked Dash.
“Good eye, Chase,” replied his guide, “we'll have to watch that.”
“I hope it doesn't interfere with our trip,” said Chase.
“Hard to tell,” replied Dash. “you never know what's going to happen here. All part of the fun.” She grinned.
Chase smiled back. He wasn't going to let this country mare show him up.
“Hey look!” said Rainbow Dash, “we're almost at the river already. Come on! If you're lucky you might get to see a river monster.”
“Really? Okay, lead on Rainbow” replied Chase.
Rainbow Dash did a half roll and dove towards the river with Chase following. They flew along the banks for a few minutes and came to the place where Rarity had replaced the river serpents mustache with her tail hair. The creature was nowhere in sight and they continued up the river. Rounding a bend, they found the creature gazing at his reflection in a calm part of the river. He combed his mane with what looked to be the skeleton of a gigantic fish.
Chase hung back slightly but Rainbow Dash landed and walked up to the creature. “Hi there!” she called. “Remember me?”
The startled creature turned and dropped his comb. “Oh, don't do that,” he said, “you scared me out of my wits! Oh! I remember you! You were with that nice pony that helped me with my mustache. It's all grown back now but I kept her gift as an accessory.”
The serpent turned his head so the ponies could see his ear. Hanging from it was Rarity's curled tail as an earring.
“Sorry, we scared you,” apologized Rainbow Dash, “I'm taking Chase here to see the old ruins and thought I'd stop to see how you're doing. Nice earring by the way. I'm sure Rarity will be happy that you kept it.”
“Oh, how nice,” said the creature, “I don't get visitors very often. Or gifts. Pleased to meet you Chase, I'm Steve.”
“er Pleased to meet you too, Steve,” replied Chase. “I've never met anyth...anyone like you before.”
“Ooh thank you,” replied Steve. “I do like being unique.” The serpent then launched into a seemingly endless speech about his life since the mustache incident.
At first, Chase was amused by the serpent's speech but soon both he and Rainbow Dash became bored since it consisted mostly of proper grooming habits such as how to get ones scales to shine or how to maintain a hairstyle even when wet. Even Steve had to pause to take a breath now and then and Rainbow Dash quickly interrupted.
“We'd really love to stay longer but I'm taking Chase on a little tour of the forest,” said Rainbow. “We need to get going if we're going to be back by dark.”
“I understand,” said the disappointed creature. “It was nice meeting you Chase. You two can visit me anytime. And tell Rarity hello for me.”
“Sure!” said Dash, “bye for now.”
“Goodbye,” said Chase, “nice meeting you.”
As the two pegasi took off the creature sighed. “What a nice couple,” he said to himself as he returned to his preening.
Rainbow Dash and Chase were soon back on course but before long Chase suggested a short halt for a snack. Rainbow agreed and spotted a clearing on the top of a hill. It was about the size of a small cottage, sandy and surrounded by trees and boulders. It seemed to be the perfect spot for a picnic.
Rainbow Dash spread out her blanket while Chase unpacked their food. They had barely started to eat when the wind picked up and a little dust devil blew past them. Neither of the ponies was alarmed by this but when that dust devil was followed by another even larger one and then three more, Chase realized what was going on.
“Oh no!” he exclaimed, “Dust Devils!”
“Big deal,” said Rainbow Dash, “it's annoying but...”
“No,” said Chase as he glared at the small tornadoes, “you don't understand. We're in the middle of a Dust Devil nest. Grab our stuff, we've got to leave!”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Huh?” she said intelligently.
“These things aren't natural,” explained Chase, “I mean they're not just wind. Hey! Give me back my saddlebags!”
Rainbow Dash was still baffled but grasped that the dust devils seemed to be guided by some sort of intelligence. The dusty little tornadoes picked up the blanket and food and sucked them into the vortex. Dash flew in after them.
Rainbow Dash realized her mistake too late. The wind took her outstretched wings and threw her out of control. “Weird,” she thought, “that shouldn't have done that. A dust devil should barely disturb my flight.” The abnormal little storm threw her out and up, crunching into the trees.
On the ground, Chase wasn't fairing much better. He had latched onto his saddle bags with his teeth and was in a tug-of-war with one of the dust devils. He had almost pulled them clear when another one hit him from behind and threw him off balance. Chase let go of the saddle bags and went rolling across the sand.
Rainbow Dash emerged from the trees and charged in on foot to grab the blanket. As she did so, she felt something hit her shoulder. It stung more than the swirling sand but she was getting angry now and ignored it. Oddly, the dust devil that had been making off with the blanket vanished. She snatched up Chase's blanket and ran to the side of the clearing. She dropped the blanket and went in after her saddlebags.
By now Chase was back on his hooves and had seen what Rainbow Dash had done. He ran to the spot where the dust devil had been and stared intently at the ground. Suddenly he stomped down with a hoof and held it against the ground.
“Alright!” he roared, “give us back our stuff or this one gets it!”
His saddlebags shot out of a dust devil and hit him square in the face. A bit of blood trickled out of his nose but he didn't move. “I mean it!” he said as he raised his other hoof. “Knock it off now!”
To Rainbow Dash's surprise, all the dust devils died away leaving the debris of the picnic lying on the ground. She grabbed her bags and walked over to Chase. Pinned by it's wing beneath the stallion's hoof was a strange insect like creature. She looked around and saw that there were several more gathering in front of the two pegasi.
They were small, about the size of a mouse. All were a dark shiny red with six black legs and black eyes and large chests. Two yellow horns protruded from their heads where a normal insect would have antennae. The one held immobile by Chase butted his horns against Chase's hoof ineffectually a few times and gave up.
“This is a dust devil,” said Chase to Rainbow Dash. “Gather up what you can of our stuff and pack our bags while I hold our little friend here. I don't think they'll try anything if it means I'll squish him.”
There was a collective gasp from the little devils and they scrambled to assist Rainbow Dash. Unfortunately most of the food was ruined. The jar of jam had landed on some rocks and was smashed and the bread was filthy. The clover had been scattered to the four winds. All that was salvageable were their packs, blankets, canteens and a few bruised apples. Rainbow Dash checked her pack and found three broken power bars still in their wrappers. She quickly packed.
“All set,” she told Chase. “I guess you can let the little guy go now.”
“Okay,” said Chase who then addressed the dust devils. “Sorry about disturbing your nest. You can keep the rest of the food as a peace offering. We'll leave now and won't cause you any more trouble as long as you leave us alone.”
This seemed agreeable to the devils as they chittered and nodded their little heads. Chase cautiously lifted the hoof holding down the captured devil who sprang to his feet and ran to join the others. Rainbow Dash assisted Chase with his pack and the pair took off. They looked back and saw the devils swarming over the ruined food. They tore it apart and began taking it down holes in the ground.
The pegasi gained altitude and soon Rainbow Dash got her bearings and headed towards the castle ruins once more. Looking around, Rainbow Dash noticed that the dark line of clouds they had seen earlier had shifted to the west but was sweeping like a sickle northwards. The way to the ancient ruins was still open but she was more worried about the way home.
“I guess you never saw a dust devil before,” said Chase, interrupting her thoughts.
“Huh? No, I haven't but I guess you have,” replied Dash.
“Yeah,” nodded Chase, “I ran into some a couple years ago out near Appleloosa. They like the arid regions. Never thought I'd see them in a forest.”
“That's the Everfree Forest alright,” said Dash grimly. “You never know what you'll run into.”
“I wonder what's next,” said Chase. “That storm seems to have circled to the west but it's heading north east now.”
“I noticed,” said Dash, “but I think we can make it to the ruins. If the storm hits, we can hole up there until it passes. I think it might be too late to turn back now anyway. We'd have to either fly through the storm or fly out of our way east to avoid it.”
“So we keep going?” asked Chase.
Dash thought for a moment. On one hoof, she didn't want to worry anypony by not returning on time and the weather team might need her help if the storm headed towards Ponyville. On the other, she also had a responsibility to keep her guest safe and didn't want to abandon Chase in the Everfree Forest.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Yes, we keep going. We'll just have to hope the storm passes so we can get back to Ponyville tonight.”
“How far are the ruins?” asked Chase. “I can see lightning now.”
“I'd say about a half hour at our present speed,” answered Rainbow Dash, “but that's just a guess. I was only out here one time. Feel up to going a little faster?”
“Sure,” said Chase, “I'm not tired.”
Rainbow Dash smiled and increased her speed. Chase followed gamely and found he could match her pace without too much trouble. Either the little mare was finally tiring or she was taking it easy on him.
Chapter 3
After about twenty minutes the pair could see the outline of the old palace on the horizon. Beyond it was yet another band of storm clouds. The storm was closing in on them. Lightning flashed and loud rumbles of thunder became more frequent and soon they began to feel the sting of rain.
Rainbow Dash adjusted her goggles and accelerated. Chase flew after her but she slowly drew away from him. The rain stung harder with the faster speed and soon became almost unbearable. Then there was a sound to go with the stinging; a clacking sound as pellets of hail struck their goggles and saddlebags. They neared the ruins.
“”Wonderful!” thought Rainbow Dash, “we have to get undercover now!” She went into a shallow dive towards the nearest structure.
Chase was following as fast as he could. The impact of the hail had gone beyond stinging and was really hurting now. The hail stones were getting larger. One hit his goggles with enough force to crack the lens. He could see Dash ahead of him trying to both fly and shield her face with one hoof. She was losing feathers which whipped past him in his rapid descent.
Rainbow Dash flew over the bridge she had mended during the quest for the Elements of Harmony. She aimed for the door and skidded inside the building. Some rain and hail found it's way into the decaying structure through numerous holes but it was safe and dry for the most part. She looked back and saw Chase fly through the doorway. As he touched down his wet hooves skidded on the stones and he collided with a startled Rainbow Dash.
“Get off of me!” shouted Rainbow Dash.
She was lying on her back and pinned against the display that once held the Elements of Harmony. Chase was sitting on top of her with his tail in her face. Chase tried to rise and was assisted by a powerful push from all four of Rainbow Dash's hooves. He flipped over and landed upright a few hooves away.
“Sorry,” he stammered. “Are you okay?”
“I think I'll live,” said Rainbow Dash as she rose painfully. “I feel like I've been beat with sticks covered in bees.”
Chase laughed and instantly regretted it. “Ow! I know what you mean.” His lower lip was cut and puffy. He examined his injuries. There were bumps and bruises all over his body except for the areas protected by his bags and goggles. His once pristine wings were full of broken and bent feathers and gaps where some were missing altogether.
Rainbow Dash was doing the same thing. Her right eye had a nasty bruise and was swelling shut. She was shocked by the condition of her wings and abruptly sat down. She looked like she was going to cry.
“Some guide I turned out to be,” she muttered sadly.
“Hey, it's not that bad,” said Chase trying to comfort her. “I asked for an adventure and I sure got one. I got to meet a river serpent and you did get me to where we wanted to go. If it hadn't been for the trouble with the dust devils, we'd have made it here before the storm hit. Don't blame yourself. You made the right calls.”
Rainbow Dash gave a weak smile. “Thanks, I'm glad you don't blame me.”
“So what now?” asked Chase. “Is there a better room than this? What about that tower up there?”
“It's not much better than where we are,” said Rainbow. “and I don't know of anyway to get there without going outside. I've only been here once and really didn't get a chance to explore much.”
“May as well take a look around since we're trapped here,” suggested Chase. “I'll check those doors over there and you can take a look down that hallway.”
“Okay,” said Rainbow Dash, “call out if you find anything.”
Chase went to check the doors on the opposite side of the room and Rainbow Dash went to investigate the dark hallway nearby. It went only a short way before turning sharply to the left ending in a drop of unknown depth. Peering into the gloom, Dash could see a gap in the wall ahead and below her. A dim light entered and illuminated the wall below the Hall of the Elements. Here and there were the remnants of old timbers jutting out from the wall. They descended at regular intervals into the darkness below.
Rainbow Dash realized she was standing on a stone landing that once had wooden stairs going down to another part of the palace. The wood had long ago rotted away leaving only the more durable stone. She tested her sore wings and slowly flew downwards. She soon came to another stone landing. Here she had a choice to make. There was a large door to her left while the ruined stairs continued down in front of her. She decided to try the door.
Cautiously, Rainbow Dash pushed on the door. It moved inwards, grinding on rusty hinges which squealed as if angry at being disturbed after so long. She peered into the darkness but could see nothing at first. A flash of lightning came through a long vertical crack on the opposite side of the room, briefly providing some illumination. She swallowed hard and stepped into the room.
“Rainbow!” called Chase, “did you find anything?”
Rainbow Dash nearly jumped out of her skin. Angry at herself for losing her cool, she stuck her head back out the door. “Maybe,” she called back, “I'm checking it out now. Just wait there.”
She grimly re-entered the dark room and made her way as fast as she dared to the other side. She was not going to run back to Chase like some scared little filly just because of a dark room. Another flash of lightning outlined a large doorway. Rainbow pushed on the door but it didn't budge. Feeling around, she found a catch and two rings big enough to accept a pony hoof. Grasping one ring in her hoof, she lifted the catch with the other and pulled. The door opened.
The storm filtered light entered the room. Looking around, Rainbow Dash could see the remnants of furniture. A collapsed bed sat against a wall, it's decayed canopy crumbled atop it. There were dressers and wardrobes, couches and chairs, all in varying degrees of decomposition. The carpet was moth eaten and the paint was peeling off the walls. There were three other doors in the room but what really caught Rainbow dash's attention was the fireplace. If they could get a fire going they could at least get dried off and stay warm at night. Then she looked above the fireplace. There on the wall was a depiction of Celestia's cutie mark. The sun symbol was wider than the fireplace itself and was carved into the stone wall. Rainbow Dash giggled and walked back to the door.
“Hey Chase,” she called, “fly down here. I think I found us a room.”
Chase flew down to the landing and Dash beckoned him into the room. “Welcome to Princess Celestia's bedroom,” she said dramatically.
“You're kidding,” said Chase in awe.
Rainbow Dash pointed to the sun symbol. “It makes sense,” she said. “We're right under the hall that contained the Elements of Harmony. She probably wanted to have them close by.”
“Yeah,” said Chase in a hushed voice as he looked around. “This is where the Royal Pony Sisters lived a thousand years ago. Wow.”
“I think this would be a good place to hang for a while,” said Rainbow. “Maybe even spend the night if the storm doesn't let up. Do you think you could get a fire going?”
Chase snapped out of his revery. “Uh...maybe. Look around for small dry stuff and check to see if there are any lamps that might have some oil in them. I'll be right back.”
Chase went back upstairs and Rainbow Dash gathered what she could find. It wasn't difficult to find splinters of wood and scraps of old cloth in the room. As Chase did not return she decided to check the other doors. The first door collapsed as soon as she touched it revealing an empty closet. The second opened into what may have been an office but it was very dark and Rainbow Dash decided to wait to investigate further. The third door was difficult to open but she forced her way through into a bathroom. It was large with a huge tub. Near the tub was a contraption that Rainbow Dash figured was made for heating water. Most of the cabinets were empty and the mirror that had once hung on the wall had settled awkwardly to the floor, the glass was broken with only one jagged fragment stubbornly clinging to the frame.
Rainbow Dash checked the few remaining jars and bottles but their contents had long ago dried up. She took another look at the heater. There were two tanks on it. One was obviously made to hold water but the other had a pipe that entered the bottom portion. The whole thing was made of brass or bronze and had thus survived the passage of time. She removed the cap with some difficulty and sniffed at the contents. It smelled like some sort of oil. She found a piece of splintered wood and wrapped a shred of old cloth around it. She dipped it into the tank. When she pulled it back out she found the rag was damp with the contents. It looked more like syrup than oil but she hoped it would still burn.
Rainbow Dash returned to the bedroom and placed the oil soaked stick with the rest of the tinder. Chase still had not returned. She was about to go look for him when she heard the sound of wings at the doorway.
“It took me a while to find these,” said Chase as he laid two objects on the floor. “I saw some old torches upstairs and hoped somepony had left a flint and steel to light them. I found a couple of flints but the steel was nothing but rust.”
“So what are you going to do?” asked Dash.
Chase stomped a hoof. “I'll use the steel on my feet,” he said with a smile. “Don't you wear shoes?”
“No,” laughed Rainbow Dash. “I don't like the extra weight. I don't really need them in Ponyville anyway since the roads are made of dirt.”
“Well, I guess I'd better give it a try,” said Chase, “It's getting dark.”
“Try to get that stick with the rag on it to light,” said Dash. “I think it's soaked in old oil.”
It took Chase several minutes to get a small flame going but the oil soaked rag did ignite and quickly spread to the larger wood. Light from the fireplace flooded into the room and raised the spirits of the battered pegasi. The pair finally removed their saddlebags and relaxed for a short time. It was obvious that the original wood Rainbow Dash had gathered would not last long so they spent a little time breaking what remained of Princess Celestia's old furniture into usable pieces.
“I don't know about you, Chase,” said Rainbow Dash, “but I'm getting hungry. We may as well eat whatever we have left.”
“I guess,” said Chase, “not that we have that much.” He unpacked his saddlebags and Rainbow Dash followed suit.
What they had left was certainly no feast. Four apples and three power bars. An unexpected windfall was a small amount of clover in Chase's bag but it would only make a mouthful for each of them. They divided up their meager rations equally and began eating in silence.
“You don't think we should save anything for tomorrow?” asked Chase.
“I'm still hoping to fly to Ponyville tonight,” said Rainbow Dash. “If we can't, we'll leave first thing in the morning. We may be able to find some food when it gets light. If there's no food, we're going to be hungry until we make it back to Ponyville.”
“Alright, if you think we can get back tomorrow,” said Chase.
“I think so,” said Dash. “Violent storms like this don't usually last long.”
“Maybe not here,” replied Chase, “but along the coast it can go on for days. There was a bad one a couple years ago that stretched us to our limits. Cloudsdale and Canterlot even sent some extra ponies to help out.”
“I remember that,” said Rainbow Dash. “I almost went myself but we got some of it even this far inland so I had to stay.”
“The drawbacks of responsibility,” said Chase. “I can sympathize. There are a lot of times I'd rather be in the air with the team instead of in the control center.”
“Another reason to turn down your job offer,” said Rainbow Dash.
“My offer was to find you a place on the team,” replied Chase with a smile, “I didn't offer you my job.”
“How long do you think you'd hang onto it with me around?” teased Rainbow.
Chase laughed. “You would be out of your league, Rainbow,” he said. “The Manehatten Team operates a lot differently than Ponyville. You would make a great wing leader but you couldn't run the team the way you do here. And the politics, I don't even want to talk about that.”
“I'll admit I wouldn't care much for that,” said Rainbow Dash. “I don't think I'd care much for the city life either. If I ever go back to a city, it would be Cloudsdale. I grew up there.”
“I like Cloudsdale too,” said Chase, “but I have friends in Manehatten that couldn't even visit me there. I guess you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, earth ponies and unicorns don't really fit the Cloudsdale lifestyle,” admitted Dash.
“Any special pony you'd miss?” asked Chase.
Rainbow Dash looked at him. “Just friends, nothing romantic if that's what you meant.”
“Well, uh, yeah,” said Chase, “just curious.”
“It's okay,” said Rainbow Dash, “I stay pretty busy between the team, my aerobatics and some other things.”
“Like being one of the Elements of Harmony?” asked Chase.
“How did you know that?” asked Dash.
“Well, I didn't until just now,” replied Chase, “but I suspected. You knew about this palace and the room above us and what it was for. Your friends at the cafe said some things that made me think too.”
“Like what?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Your friend Rarity implied that some 'very important ponies' would hear about it if anything happened to you,” said Chase. “I'm pretty sure she meant Princess Celestia. Twilight and Fluttershy seemed concerned for you too. Maybe it was just because they're your friends and then again, maybe not.”
“You're pretty smart,” said Rainbow Dash, “I guess there is a reason for you being team leader.”
“Thanks, I like to think so,” said Chase. “So, are you going to tell about it?”
“About what happened here?” asked Dash. “I guess so. It all started when Twilight Sparkle came to Ponyville to check on preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. At least that's what Princess Celestia told her.”
Over the next hour Rainbow Dash told chase the story of Nightmare Moon and the Elements of Harmony. Every now and then Chase asked a question but for the most part he listened intently as Rainbow Dash told her tale.
“Then Celestia came in through the window and we found out that Nightmare Moon was really her sister Luna. And that's about all there is to tell,” concluded Dash.
“That was some story,” said Chase. “So Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon are the same pony? And Princess Celestia took her back? That is too much.”
“No,” said Rainbow Dash, “Luna and Nightmare aren't the same at all. I don't know the full story because it happened a thousand years ago but something happened to Luna that made her change. The Elements were able to change her back. She's actually pretty nice but I think she's lonely. I feel sorry for what happened to her. I hope you get to meet her someday. You'll see.”
“I'll take your word for it,” said Chase. “I remember stories from when I was a foal that scared me more than anything.”
“That's all they were, Chase,” said Dash, “just stories. But I guess the truth is just as scary. I kind of like the night but not eternal night. Anyway, she's okay now. She came to Ponyville on Nightmare Night and we got to know her better. She has a great sense of humor.”
“So what now? Still want to try flying back tonight?” asked Chase.
“Let's go check the weather,” said Rainbow, “I can still hear the rain but it doesn't seem as loud.”
The ponies went back upstairs and looked out the door towards Ponyville. Flashes of lightning could still be seen and thunder rumbled in the distance. Rainbow Dash took off into the rain and gained altitude. Chase hesitated and followed her up. The way back to Ponyville was completely blocked by the storm they had just endured. Worse still, another band of storms was approaching from behind them.
“So much for making it back tonight,” said Dash. “I don't want to get caught between these storms with no shelter. It'll be dark soon too.”
“Yeah,” agreed Chase, “I don't think I'd like to fly through that again.”
They flew down to the ruins and made their way back to the bedroom. It felt cozy after being out in the rain. Chase added some more wood to the fire and Rainbow Dash unrolled her blanket in front of the fire. A chilly wind blew through the room so Chase closed the doors as best as he could. He got his blanket and laid down next to Rainbow Dash on her blanket.
“What are you doing?” she asked suspiciously.
“I thought we could lay on your blanket and cover up with mine,” said Chase. “I'll be on my best behavior, I promise.”
Rainbow Dash thought for a second. It did make sense. They would be warmer that way. In the back of her mind was something else too. Though she would never admit it to anypony, she didn't like the idea of spending the night in these creepy ruins one bit. She was glad Chase was there. He was, after all, a big strong stallion. He seemed to like her and he was rather handsome... She abruptly cut off that line of thought.
“I guess that would be alright,” said Rainbow.
Chase smiled. He gave the blanket a flip with his head and it settled over them both. The flickering fire made them both drowsy. Even though it was not very late, both ponies were exhausted. They were tired, sore, damp and still a little hungry. Chase was the first to fall asleep. Rainbow Dash lay awake a while longer mesmerized by the fire. Chase shifted his position a bit and Rainbow Dash felt his breath against her neck. She almost changed her position to avoid it but decided that it was kind of pleasant. She stole a quick glance at Chase, laid her head back down, closed her eyes and was soon asleep.
Chapter 4
Rainbow Dash awoke slowly the next morning. It was still early and the damp night chill hung in the room. The fire was nearly out and gave off little warmth. She was fairly warm but still very sleepy and unaware of her surroundings. One thought entered her mind and she voiced it aloud without thinking.
“Why is my butt cold?” Rainbow Dash mumbled.
The sleepy mare felt something shift and cover her flank. “That's better,” she thought. She snuggled down into the blanket and tried to fall back to sleep but something was not right and it nagged at her. She slowly opened one eye. She was not at home and slowly the events of the previous day took shape. She lifted her head and turned to see what had covered her.
The blanket had ridden up around her midsection. Covering her hindquarters was a large brown wing. Chase! Rainbow Dash awoke fully and got to her hooves. Chase woke up and snorted.
“Huh? What?” he said.
“Er, good morning,” said Rainbow Dash. She stretched. “Ow,” she complained. “That blanket wasn't nearly as soft as my bed.”
Chase got to his hooves. “I feel like a giant bruise,” he said with a groan. “At least it looks like the weather cleared up.” Sunlight streamed in through the crack in the balcony door.
Rainbow Dash went to the door and opened it further. It was the most light the room had seen in a thousand years. She went out onto the balcony and stood in the sun.
Chase watched her. “She's really a pretty mare,” he thought, “too bad things probably wouldn't work out between us.” He frowned and started to walk towards her but a glint from something near the remains of the bed caught his eye and he went to see what it was.
Knocking aside some splintered wood and dust, Chase exposed a gilded box about the size of a large text book. Whether it was the type of metal or some enchantment, the box look nearly new and opened easily. Chase gasped at what he had found and looked again at Rainbow Dash. He thought for a moment and made a decision.
“Rainbow Dash?” he called, “would you come here a minute, I have something for you.”
Rainbow stuck her head in the door. “I hope it's a sandwich,” she replied.
“I'm afraid not,” said Chase with a laugh. “Come on, I guarantee you'll be surprised.”
Intrigued, Rainbow Dash came towards Chase who turned and went into the bathroom. Dash followed him.
“Stand in front of the mirror and close your eyes,” said Chase. Dash stared at him with a bemused look for a few seconds but obeyed.
Chase removed a gem encrusted necklace from the box and hung it around Rainbow Dash's neck. “There,” he said, “you can open your eyes now. I just found it and I think you deserve it after all you've been through.”
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and saw what Chase had given her. The chain and settings were made of silver. Two spread wings jutted out from a central circle and were encrusted with sapphires and amethysts. A pattern of onyx and diamonds sat in the circle. “Oh Chase it's beautiful! Thank you so much! I've never seen anything like it. It's gorgeous. It...it...it's Princess Luna's.” She sighed.
“What?” cried Chase, “How do you know?”
“The crescent moon made of diamonds in the middle is Luna's cutie mark,” said Rainbow Dash. “And the colors are blue, purple and silver. It must belong to her. I really appreciate your generosity Chase, and I wish I could keep it but I'm afraid it will have to go to the Princess.”
“I guess you're right,” said Chase. “I wouldn't want us to get into trouble with royalty.”
“Yeah,” agreed Rainbow, “it sure looks good on me though.” She admired herself in the mirror again.
“You look great,” said Chase.
“I look like I've been in a fight,” said Rainbow Dash, “but thanks.”
“Maybe you should take it off,” suggested Chase, “just in case it's enchanted or haunted or something.”
“I don't feel any different,” said Dash, “but maybe you're right.” She admired herself in the mirror a little more, sighed and took off the necklace.
Chase held the box open and Rainbow Dash placed the necklace inside. “Put it in my saddle bag and I'll get Spike to send a letter to Celestia when we get back,” said Rainbow Dash. “That's one souvenir I'd like to keep.”
“But you won't?” said Chase.
“No,” said Dash, “it wouldn't be right. Come on! Let's see if we can find anything to eat.”
“Okay,” agreed Chase, “I'm starved.”
The pair walked through the bedroom to the balcony. Chase stopped long enough to put the necklace in Rainbow's saddlebag and put his own bags on. He then joined Rainbow on the balcony. The mare was standing by the rail looking down into what once had been a garden.
The remnants of walls and large paving stones littered the area. Though some trees had invaded the garden, it was still more open to the sky than the rest of the forest. In the center of the garden was a fountain with a statue. The statue was broken but once a rearing pony had stood on a pedestal. The hindquarters part of the pony was still in place but the front had collapsed into the pool at the base. The pony's face jutted out of the algae covered water and leaned against the side of the pool. A moss covered wing pointed skyward like the fin of a shark. Both pegasi found the scene disturbing. Chase was the first to shake off his dread.
“Look,” he said, “there's some grass. And there are some wildflowers too. I recognize them; they're safe to eat.”
“There's plum tree,” said Dash, “but I don't think they're ripe. Look there! Blackberry bushes. Come on!”
The pair flew down to the garden and began eating. It wasn't the best breakfast but they were able to sate the worst of their hunger pangs.
“That should last me until we get back to Ponyville,” said Rainbow Dash. “Are you ready to go?”
“We can leave now if you want,” said Chase, “but I'd like to look around a little bit first if that's okay.”
“Sure,” said Dash, “you really didn't get to see much last night. I've been up to that tower before. That's where we defeated Nightmare Moon.”
“Sounds like a good place to start,” said Chase.
The pair flew up to the causeway and walked the short distance to the tower where Nightmare Moon was banished and Luna returned. The room had not changed since the last time Rainbow Dash had been there. Her pace slowed as she neared the center of the room and Chase passed her.
Rainbow Dash stopped near where she and her friends had stood when they received the Elements. She smiled. That had been a great day and was something she was still proud of. She found it odd that she didn't think about it much anymore.
“Wow,” said Chase, “look at this. I think I found my souvenir”
Rainbow Dash looked at him and smiled. “Nightmare Moon's helmet? Yeah, that would be a great.”
“Gah!” cried Chase. He dropped Nightmare's helmet as if it had burned him.
Rainbow collapsed in a fit of laughter. Chase was not amused.
“You could have warned me,” he said.
“I wasn't paying attention,” said Rainbow. “Anyway, I think it would be safe if you really want to take it.”
Chase eyed the helmet suspiciously. “You think so?”
“It's just a hunk of metal,” said Rainbow. “Luna left it here so she must not want it anymore.”
“I'll keep it in mind,” said Chase, “but I think I'll look around a little more.”
Rainbow Dash flew over to Chase and tried on Nightmare's shoes. “How do I look in these?” she asked.
“Very fetching,” said Chase. “Are you going to take them?”
“Nah,” replied Dash, “not my size.” She flapped her wings and the shoes fell off as she rose.
Chase laughed. “I guess she was a big girl.”
“As big as Celestia,” replied Dash. “Here's what's left of her breast plate. It's even too big for you.”
“Yeah,” said Chase, “that's pretty cool too.”
“Well, she may have been evil but she sure knew how to dress,” said Dash with a laugh.
“Let's look around some more,” said Chase. “If I can't find anything else, maybe I'll take that helmet.”
There was not much in the chamber so they started to search behind the few doors in the room. It was set up in a similar fashion to the Hall of the Elements. A stair, also rotted away, led down to lower levels. They stopped at the first level and entered the open door. It was laid out identically to Celestia's room where they had spent the previous night. It was not nearly as well preserved. It’s balcony door was missing completely and the balcony itself had been reduced to a jagged ledge.
The biggest difference between Celestia's room and that of Luna was the decor. There was no evidence of carpet on the floor. It was black marble with a crescent moon of white in the center. The motif was repeated on the ceiling. The walls too, were black, studded with small crystal stars, as random as the night sky.
“It's like walking in space,” said Chase in awe. “It's beautiful and scary at the same time.”
Rainbow Dash was more succinct. “Creepy,” she said.
The other rooms in the suite where similar to the bedroom with decayed furniture and old broken items of indecipherable purpose. They returned to the bedroom and there Chase found a souvenir. He had been examining the fireplace more closely and bumped a decorative moon symbol on the mantle. To his surprise, it came loose.
“I'll hang onto this,” said Chase. “I should be able to polish it up real nice.”
“Good,” replied Dash, “now lets go. I feel like I'm in a tomb or something.”
“Okay,” said Chase, “I'm going to fly down to the bottom level on the way out. I just want to see how far it goes.”
“Okay,” said Dash, “I'm going back to Celestia's room and pack up. Be careful, alright? I'll come look for you if you don't come back soon.”
“Relax,” said Chase, “I'll be fine. Check and see if the fireplace symbol on Celestia's fireplace is loose too. I may as well make it a set.”
“Heh,” laughed Dash, “okay. Don't be long.” She walked to the balcony and took off, flying directly back to Celestia's balcony.
Rainbow Dash checked the mantle and indeed the sun symbol came off easily. She put it in her bag and packed her blanket and canteen. Chase had not returned so she decided to check the lower rooms. The hole in the outer wall let in enough light to see into the depths below. She flew slowly down.
The next level was partially blocked but the doors had collapsed inwards and Dash was able to enter. It was darker than the bedroom. Individual rooms ran along one wall but only one doorway was on the other. Dash entered the single doorway and looked around. Light from a shattered window let light into what once had been a kitchen.
She was surprised to find a few dishes lying on the stone counter. She blew off the dust and saw both Celestia and Luna's marks on them. “Chase will love these,” she thought. She gathered up a few of the best plates, wrapped them in her blanket and returned it to her saddlebag.
Dash left the kitchen and after a few glances into the other rooms, returned to the landing. She flew down to the next floor. Here, her way was blocked by fallen stones. She could see the top of an arch but the way was completely blocked and instead of a landing the passage ended in a wall. She flew back to the bedroom.
Chase had still not returned so she flew back to the Hall of Elements and walked out onto the causeway. She had just started walking toward the tower where she had left Chase when he appeared flying towards her.
“Are you ready to go?” asked Rainbow.
“I guess so,” said Chase as he landed in front of her. “ Did you get that sun symbol?”
“Yeah,” replied Rainbow, “and I went down a level and found you a few old royal dishes.”
“Really?” said Chase with excitement. “Can I see them?”
“They're all packed up,” said Dash, who was anxious to be off, “wait until we get back. Did you find anything else?” His bags looked more bulky than they had been.
“Just a couple things,” said Chase, “I couldn't get into the next level because the door was blocked. I flew to the bottom but it was under water.”
“The bottom level here was blocked too,” said Dash. “Come on! Let's do some flying!”
Chapter 5
Rainbow Dash did not wait for an answer and took off towards Ponyville. Chase really wanted to explore more but he knew that Rainbow Dash needed to get home. There were probably ponies looking for them by now. He reluctantly followed her into the clear sky.
They flew in silence for a while and the ruins faded in the distance and the forest stretched out before them. Chase flew up along side Dash.
“Are you planning on flying straight through to Ponyville?” he asked.
“Pretty much,” replied Dash, “I figure we can stop when we get to the river and get some water but that's about it. Are you okay? I'm still hurting from that storm myself.”
“I'm alright,” said Chase, “I'm sore too, especially my right wing, but I can make it.”
“Well, let me know if you're having trouble,” said Dash, “I can't carry you out on my back.”
“I'll be fine, “said Chase, “and this pace is good. I can handle it.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Chase. He looked alright but there was something in his voice that made her worry a bit. She decided to keep an eye on him and kept what she felt was an easy pace. He continued to fly with her for quite some time and they made good progress. They talked little as both were tired and weak from hunger. They sighted the river in the distance and Rainbow Dash turned to talk to Chase only to find that he was not there. Looking around she saw that he was twenty lengths behind her and was losing some altitude. She dropped back and flew beside him.
“I thought you were going to tell me if you were having trouble,” chided Rainbow. “The river isn't far now. Just stay in the air another minute or two.”
Chase smiled. “Sorry, I wasn't paying attention and fell behind. I can make it. A little rest and a drink and I'll be ready to go again.”
Rainbow Dash said nothing. It was obvious that Chase was putting on an act. She had done it often enough herself to tell when another pony was doing it. They flew on together and landed by the river.
Dash shrugged off her saddlebags and went to assist Chase with his. To her surprise he backed away.
“I've got it,” he said as he removed the bags. They dropped to the ground with a clang. Chase winced when he heard the sound.
“Chase,” said Rainbow Dash, “what do you have in those saddle bags?”
“Oh, um, just some souvenirs.” he replied sheepishly.
Dash shouldered her way past him and opened the bags. Inside was Nightmare Moon's armor.
“Oh sweet Celestia,” said Dash, “you've got to be kidding me. You took all her armor?”
“I guess I got a little carried away.” said Chase.
Dash started to dig through the bag. “Alright, I'll help you carry some of this stuff but... What is this?”
Dash pulled out a stone slab, then another and again two more. She glared at Chase.
“I went back to Luna's office after you left and found this cool table top on the floor,” explained Chase.
“You put it together in a frame and it forms a picture. I thought...”
“It's made of marble you rock head!” Dash yelled. “Between this and the armor, you're carrying close to half your own weight! How did you expect to fly all the way to Ponyville with all this junk?”
“I got it this far didn't I?” countered Chase becoming irritated himself. “I can get it the rest of the way.”
“I really doubt that,” said Dash angrily. “Look at yourself. If you were in good shape you probably could do it, but you're not. You're injured and you haven't had a real meal since yesterday morning. Even if we fly slower you're going to have a hard time.” She reached down and dumped the bags out completely.
Rainbow Dash started to separate the items and found something else. “Bricks!” she screamed. “You brought bricks!”
“Turn them over,” said Chase hastily, “They have some really nice carvings on them. I took them from around the bathroom window.”
Rainbow Dash was really angry now. For a while she couldn't even speak. She sputtered incoherently and raised up on her hind legs as if to strike Chase. She couldn't hit him. He was in bad enough shape as it was. She spun and stalked away to a rock that jutted out into the river and laid down with her back to him.
Chase looked at her and then at the pile of loot on the ground. He realized she was right. There was no way he could haul all of this much further. He had failed to take into account his weakened state. It wasn't fair to ask Rainbow to carry more weight either, even though she had offered.
“I'm sorry,” Chase said at last, “you're right. I can't do it in my present condition. I'll leave it all.”
Rainbow turned to look at him. He was obviously embarrassed. That stung her a bit and changed some of her anger to pity. “Okay,” she said sternly, “lets pack up. I'll help you with some of it but anything stone stays behind. If you really want that stuff, you can come back for it later.”
“No pony will take it?” asked Chase.
“Look around,” said Dash, “we're in the middle of a forest. There's nothing here that wants your junk.”
“I guess not,” said Chase with a smile. “Let me get a drink first.”
“I need one too,” said Dash. “and fill your canteen, just in case.”
They both took a long drink and filled their canteens. There was even a little grass near the river and they ate what they could. They could have searched for more but it was at least noon now and they still had a flight of about two hours to go. They repacked their saddlebags and took flight. Rainbow's bags were considerably heavier but Chase's were much lighter and he could keep up now.
They flew in silence for a while and at last Chase couldn't take it any longer. “Still mad?” he asked.
Dash didn't look at him. “A little,” she said. “I'm a little disappointed too. I thought you would have known better.”
“Yeah,” said Chase, “I guess I do know better. I tend to go after things I want and I'm pretty sure of my abilities.”
Rainbow Dash said nothing for a moment as she thought about this. At last a smile crept onto her face. “I know what that's like,” she said.
“Curse of the pegasi,” said Chase.
“Huh? What's that?” asked Dash.
“Just something a history teacher told me once,” said Chase. “You know how long ago we were a warrior race, right?”
“Sure,” said Dash, “I even played Commander Hurricane in a Hearth Warming Eve play once.”
Chase chuckled. “I'm sure you'd have made a good one. Anyway, this teacher had a theory about pegasi being hot headed, take charge kind of ponies because of our warrior past. He said that even though it allows us to do some just super things, it can also get us into a lot of trouble because we don't think ahead. We're not naturally studious or artistic like unicorns or patient and steady like earth ponies. We just try to force things to be what we want. He called it a curse.”
“Was he a pegasi?” asked Dash.
“No,” said Chase, “he was a unicorn.”
“Figures,” replied Dash, but she secretly could see the reasoning behind the teachers theory.
“He thought we'd be even worse but all three races have benefited from interbreeding over the centuries since Equestria was founded,” said Chase. “So you might get a studious earth pony or a unicorn that's quicker to act or a patient pegasi. It's just that now and then a pegasi of the old type pops up.”
“And you're one of those?” asked Dash with a laugh.
“Maybe,” said Chase, “or sometimes anyway.”
“Sure sounds like I'm one of the old type,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Nah,” said Chase, “a true old pegasi would have killed me when she found all that stuff in my bags.”
“I thought about it,” said Dash.
Both pegasi laughed and they flew in silence for a while. Rainbow Dash thought she was steering a true course but continued to look around for landmarks. Then, in the distance, two specks appeared in the sky. She altered her course and flew towards them.
“What is it?” asked Chase.
“I think I see a couple of pegasi over there,” replied Dash. “They might be a search party or we're getting close to Ponyville.”
“Good,” said Chase, “this wing is killing me.”
“You got guts, Chase,” said Rainbow, “I'll give you that.”