Chapter 18: Dear Friend
The whole world was still a blur for her. Her heartbeat was still sounding loudly in her ears.
“Don’t Worry Rainbow. Ah’m still here” —she said again.
Rainbow? Who was that? She figured it was her name, since the filly carrying her always called her like that. Every time she spoke, the silence in her mind would shatter. She didn’t know where she was or how she got there, her mind was a mess and trying to remember was a headache for her. She could barely move and her breath was stiff. Then she was laid on the floor as the filly took something out.
“Come on, sugarcube. Let’s eat” —said Applejack.
The cyan mare opened up her mouth slightly and let Applejack feed her the food she had carried for her trip. Neither knew how much time had passed ever since, so Applejack had been forced to divide the food into rations and reserve as much as the medical equipment as possible. However, the pain in her leg returned to haunt her and she realized she couldn’t fight it anymore. At least de-infecting the wounds would help her walk faster. She sprayed disinfectant over her leg as pain shot through her body. She grunted and shut her eyes as tears of pain ran down her face. She then proceeded to put a bandage around it.
Applejack had been really lucky. She hadn’t encountered a single monster in the whole ordeal she had gone through. As soon as she felt better, she lifted Rainbow and continued her journey, keeping her senses high for any predators that might want to eat them.
As if on cue, something rustled a bush near her. She turned around to see if there was something behind her. Nothing.
‘Calm down, AJ. You’re just hearing things’ —she told herself.
Just then, out of the bushes behind her, something growled at her. A big black dog was showing its teeth to her and seemed to crave for a meal of ponies and apples.
Applejack put Rainbow down and tried to divert the dog’s attention to her.
“Hey! HEY! Come here, ya big fat ball!”
The dog seemed to take the bait and pursued the orange pony. Meanwhile, all the downed pegasus could do was just raise a hoof forward. She stood there for an eternity until she heard hoofsteps behind her. Her friend had returned.
“Sorry ta keep ya waitin’ sugarcube.”
With that, Applejack once again put the limp pony on her back. She didn’t know if her friend could register what she said, but trying couldn’t hurt anyone, so she pushed forward.
“Hey, don’t give me that look! There’s no way ah’d leave mah friend behind.”
Silence. Was Rainbow listening to her at all? She then saw a tree’s root like the one they had used before and figured to go inside to take shelter and rest a bit. Applejack laid Rainbow down and both sat on their haunches. Maybe a conversation could get a small response.
“Hey, Rainbow. What’re ya gonna do once we get ta Ponyville? Well, first we need ta recover an’ rest plenty… Ah wonder what business ah’ll be able ta do. Maybe ah need ta try ev’rythin’ while we’re still young. Go through many hardships and find mah path… Right, an’ since ah possess many skills an’ knowledge many ponies don’t have, ah’ll open a business that does ev’rythin’. Troublesome stuff, dangerous stuff. Ah’ll do anythin’ dependin’ on the reward. Ah’ll be rich in no time.”
Now she was starting to sound like a mix between Applebloom and Pinkie Pie.
“So, Rainbow. What’re ya gonna do?”
Silence. Not even a muscle was moving.
“Ah’m jus’ kiddin’ sugarcube. There’s no way ah’d leave ya behind. Also, ah got a farm ta keep, an’ ah already have mah cutie mark. Listen, Rainbow: when we reach Ponyville, ah’ll make lots of challenges so you an’ I can hang out as much as possible this summer.”
Then Applejack looked off into the distance trying to see if the dog had returned. She was shivering and panting and kept her senses high. Then something caught her sight on the corner of her eye. To her left were a couple of purple eyes looking at her with a worried expression and a stupid grin. Applejack just kept looking at Rainbow trying to figure out what she was doing. Then the pegasus held out a hoof and pointed to Applejack. At that she practically understood what she was saying: ‘You’re bleeding’.
“Aw, it’s nuthin’ sugarcube” —said Applejack as she covered the bleeding left side of her neck with her hoof. Probably a horned branch had scratched her while she distracted the dog. However, the blood had dried off and the wound was impossible to decipher.
Both were shivering and were pretty exhausted, so Applejack figured she had to let them both rest. She stretched her back (something she wanted to do after carrying a pegasus for quite some time) and looked around for the blanket.
‘Oh. Right’. She had used the blanket while she was away as a decoy for the dog. With no other way of getting warm, Applejack shifted her tail and made it land on the pegasus’ back, making it act like a sort of blanket. Rainbow then did the same in an act that surprised Applejack not only for being selflessness, but because she could sense what the other filly was trying to do. Both of them quickly fell into a deep slumber.
Just then something sounded outside as it was approaching their hiding spot. The black dog had returned, this time not alone. Two others were accompanying him. Since Applejack had been all over the place nearby, it was difficult for them to pinpoint exactly where they were hiding. They turned around and continued their search for food elsewhere. Applejack was not sure if they had left or not, so she waited a moment before peeking out of the roots. She turned her gaze at her friend who now had a terrified look on her face: ‘Wait! Where are you going?!’.
“Don’t worry, sugarcube. Ah’ll just peek fer a sec.”
Rainbow’s face relaxed as she felt somewhat relieved. The worried expression had returned: ‘Be careful out there, AJ.’
“Ah will, sugarcube.”
Applejack took her head out and looked left and right. No big black bulges were around to be seen, so she assumed the coast was clear and their surrounding was safe.
“Come on, Dash. Let’s move. This is a very vulnerable spot we’re hidin’ in.”
Applejack lifted once again her limp friend for who knows how many times that day and quickly continued her way onwards to Ponyville.
_______
Dash had been on her friend’s back for so long, AJ was sure it had made the mare come into an uncomfortable position. Her breathing had become slower and both needed to sleep. However, three big, black dogs chasing them changed the situation drastically. Applejack adjusted the weight once again.
“Oops. Sorry Dash. Mah bad. Ah wanna let ya rest, but it seems like we don’t have time fer that.”
Just then a familiar growl sounded behind them. The orange pony counted down the time it would take them to get to the right spot. Then, all of a sudden, she turned back, took out her rope and lassoed one of those black dogs with a loud “Yeeehaww!”.
She turned around and saw Rainbow on the ground, probably having fallen down as she turned to tie up the dog.
“Like a small pup can take me on. Right?” —she said as she (again) carried Rainbow.
Suddenly, two more growls, probably farther than the last one, sounded behind them.
“What a bunch of persistent guys! Like they’ll catch me” —complained Applejack. She continued running until pain once again shot through her body. Both legs were aching now and her temperature was rising. She tripped forward and the pain became worse. Rainbow rolled on the ground as inertia made its effect on her body. Now Applejack’s head was about to explode and front hoof was burning. Thorns had encrusted themselves into her leg. With no time to lose, she quickly cast a bandage over it and carried Rainbow on her back. She quickly oversaw a cave and decided to take shelter inside.
================================================================
How much time had passed, she didn’t know. Everything became clearer to her as she opened her teary eyes. She was awakened by noises outside. Growling. She looked around and noticed an orange lump behind her. Looking back and forth between the entrance of the cave and the unconscious pony behind her, she realized the situation was bad.
Did they do this to her? Then they would pay hard.
Rainbow took a stance and waited for the monsters to show their faces. Growls and yells soon filled the air as the pegasus fiercely fought back the intruders. How much time had passed, no one knew, but eventually all three dogs were running back to their lairs as Rainbow stood her ground. She had a lot of scratches, gashes and wounds. Her right wing hung limply at her side as blood dripped out of it. Her mouth was also dripping out blood, probably an inside wound making itself known. Suddenly, a noise behind her made her turn around. Her friend was lying down and looking at her with a half-open eye.
“Rainbow… Dash?” —she said.
Suddenly the pegasus looked down the other mare’s body and saw three red symbols on her flank. Apples. Apples? Applejack! Yeah, that was her name.
—“Applejack” —she whispered.
—“T-thanks, sugarcube… Ya kept yer promise… Ya really are a loyal friend.”
Rainbow just smiled weakly, not really paying much attention to what Applejack was saying. She helped her friend back on her hooves as both winced from the pain. They got out of the cave and continued on their way, not sure if they were on the right track. They really supported each other. Whenever one grew tired, she leaned on the other. Rainbow hung her injured wing on Applejack’s back and Applejack supported herself on Rainbow’s weight to compensate her injured legs. Their breathing grew heavier as both panted and exited the trees as they were greeted by a sunny area. A river flowed freely to the right side as it rounded a cottage.
“We made it Dash. We’re home.”
With those last words, both mares collapsed. They were so dirty that if one would have passed by, they would have been confused with two friends who went out partying and ended up sleeping in the road or two twin sisters taking a nap in each other’s embrace. If one would look really carefully, one would make out their cutie marks and a rainbow-colored mane and tail on one of them. They truly seemed to be sleeping peacefully and probably no one would have bothered them at all. That is, if there wasn’t so much blood dripping from them.
=============================================================================
“Well, thank you very much.”
—"Not a problem” —said the other pony.
—“I just don’t know what to say. Maybe I’m overreacting too much, but it seems something a bit excessive for you to do so over some insolation.”
—“Think nothing of it, Fluttershy. After all, you couldn’t quite move.”
—“And I’m glad you came here, nurse” —said the yellow pegasus. “Allow me to brew you some tea. It’s the least I can do.”
—“Well, alright then” —said Nurse Redheart.
Fluttershy then went down the stairs and into the kitchen. She hadn’t left her house in a day, so she figured some fresh air would do her some well. She stepped out for a moment from her cottage and inhaled deeply. The scent of grass and dew calmed her deeply. Just then, a white fur ball came hopping down towards her and started nibbling her leg.
“What’s the matter, Angel?” —asked Fluttershy.
The white bunny then took her near the Everfree Forest and suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Angel only pointed towards something.
“Angel, what are you trying to te—?”
The yellow pegasus stopped midsentence as she noticed two brown lumps on the ground. She slowly stepped closer until she saw it. Hair reflecting the sunlight, the other with a shadow of what was once a full spectrum. A faint orange tone on one, a faint blue one on the other. Fluttershy was left shocked and speechless. Her legs failed her, her eyes welled up. She was never one known for raising her voice, but desperation can change things easily. With one huge breath, the yellow mare uttered one word to the world.
“Hgh. Gh… N-n… Nuh-nuh-nuh. NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURSE!!!!!!!!”