I can hear them fall, hit the metal, make a ting! I hate that ting, it reminds me of when they hurt Applebloom. I can still hear her pained screams, picture her pale face as the blood in her body tinged in a bucket reminding us all there was no hope. Even now. Now, when we’re safe, we’re never safe. We have no hope.
I hoped that when I got back to Rainbow it wouldn’t be on the verge of war, she wouldn’t be insane like everyone kept saying she was, and that the girls wouldn’t disappear the second we got back! So I stand here, on the roof, more tings equals more tears!!
“Applejack?” Her voice is weak, pained. I turn to her and cringe at the sight. Half of her face is bandaged but it’s flat under the bandages. The one eye the is peaking out is tear filled and her lip is quivering.
“What is it?” I ask her, she runs up to me and cries.
“S-she woke up, she woke up!!” Twilight cries in my shoulder. Happy tears, not sad ones. So why does she sound so sad?
“Pinkie?” She nods letting me go rubbing her eye.
“It’s worse than we thought though!” She says as more tears come then runs away to go tell the others.
“Wait, what is worse? Twilight?” She long gone though. I fall onto my knees, face in hands as water drips through my fingers. My throat is dry, lips are quivering, eyes puffy and red. I don’t know if these are happy tears or sad ones. Hopefully the happy ones.
Pinkies awake yet she comes with bad news, Applebloom and the others are missing, Rainbows insane and needs saving from something but what, nobody has any doubt that we’re going to lose this war, I can’t help but agree, but worse of all it’s completely my fault!
“Applejack, don’t cry!” Her voice is calm and sweet. Strong, just like it used to be.
“Why shouldn’t Ah?” I ask her as the ghost in my head gives me a light hug.
“Because your the strongest one left. Only you, now, can save me. When Scoots and the others get back then we will be truly saved but until then we need you!” So confident and so right.
“Then tell meh, sugarcube, how do Ah save you?” I ask her as I feel tingles on my cheek.
“All you need to do is remember and help her remember!” I feel her flicker away.
“Remember what?” I say look around to see something that, even though I’m crying so hard, even though I’m so sad and have no reason, makes me smile. I run, I run as fast as my legs could carry me. Bobbing and weaving through corridors and people.
The door slammed open behind me as I charged into the room. I was at the bedside before it even closed. I didn’t care that everyone, even the newly awakened Pinkie, was staring at me. I didn’t care that she was insane, that I was insane, I loved her with all my heart and knew! I just knew! That if I told her this she would wake up.
“Rainbow, Ah remember ok, Ah remember. Ah remember a little girl just as old as meh sittin’ in my trees watchin ‘me day in, day out protectin’ meh. Ah remember ‘er pain, ‘er battle, how it made ‘er strong. Ah remember ‘er rainbow hair and ‘er magenta eyes. Ah remember the rain and the lightning. Please Rainbow wake up and tell me that that little girl was you. That you protected meh no matter the pain you went through, Tell me that yall will keep your promise!” I yell at her while shaking her body. An image flashes across my vision and it’s exactly what I saw.
“Please remember.” I hear her voice whisper. Everyone gasps.
“Ah remember sugarcube. And Ah promise ta never forget!” Than I lean down and kiss her weak form. Her eyes flicker open and simultaneously both of ours flicker close. “Just like Ah know yall will always keep it.” I tell her as I pull her away.
“B-but how?” She stammers out still plenty weak. Fluttershy takes a few steps forward.
“You told meh sugarcube, don’t underestimate the powers of the truth.” She nods completely understanding. She gives me a kiss on the cheek and I know what she’s telling me. I take a step back letting Fluttershy do the rest.
“St-stop hiding i-it then,” she yells at me before coughing up blood.
“Have your fun,” his cold, ruthless voices fills the room.
I’m gone, I just bolt. I have to get away. How did she know that? It’s literally impossible! “Applejack?!” I turn a corner my tears staining my cheeks as I run. “Applejack, stop!”
“Oh, I will!”
“Leave me alone!” I yell trying to knock her back with plants but missing her completely.
“Good.”
“Please?” Her voice is quieter this time. I slow down and come to a stop. As she reaches me I collapsed to the floor hiding my face in my knees letting my tears flow.
The door closes and that laugh, that horrible laugh fills the room.
“Why did ya follow me?” I ask her as she rubs my back. I look up at her kind smile. Even through the bandages I can see her worry.
“What to do first?”
“I want you to tell me Rainbows promise.” She says sweetly pulling me into a hug while still rubbing my back to calm my tears.
“Please, don’t!”
“S-she promised, when we were little, that she...” I trail off. “When I was little, I had memory problems from constant blows to the head. I could barely remember simple things so when Ah would see Rainbow in mah trees the next mornin’ Ah was always surprised ta see her, ta have ‘er protectin’ me as Ah worked. One day she came when he wasn’t there. Ah remembered ‘er. The next mornin’ Ah went up to tha tree and asked ‘er why.” I can’t finish.
I struggle against the restraints on my hands and feet, to no avail, terrified of what is about to come next.
“What did she say?” Twilight asks. I look right into her purple eyes and a tear runs down my cheek at the memory.
He pulls a knife and runs it down the front of my shirt smiling all the while.
“She told me that this was all she could do to save me. That we would meet again at separation and Ah won’t need ‘er help anymore. We were standin’ near the gate. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me that she will only do that once again and that would mean I’m safe.” Another tears makes a line on my cheek. “She said if she did it a third that meant that she’ll never leave my side. Her dad saw ‘er and thats when he started do what he did to ‘er.”
“Lets have a little fun before we get to the big stuff?”
“Then what?” I lean against the wall and she just leans back on her hands. My eyes are puffy but I don’t have any tears left to shed.
His hand runs down my bare skin and up to my face, “oh, yes, this will be fun!”
“‘er sis came to ‘er a years after he started and told ‘er about ‘er crush on the youngest farm girl. Rainbow knew what he did and knew that she had to protect ‘er sis. She had no way to, though. Than on Scoots ninth birthday she got the chance she needed and killed him. She knew ‘er sis wouldn’t forgive ‘er for the longest time but she chose to protect ‘er anyway.” I tell Twilight giving her a small smile.
His knife moves along my skin lightly, as not to cut it, before settling in a spot that makes me gulp.
“So Rainbows promise was to always protect you, as long as you need protecting?” I nod as more tears slip from my eyes.
A small, almost clear, line runs down my cheek as he has his fun before dripping to the ground with a small splash.
“Yeah and she couldn’t keep it.” I yell at her bolting faster than I had in me. I don’t even know where I’m going. I end up on the roof to see it’s still there. In the grey night sky shines a bright, beautiful rainbow.
“I had my fun, you enjoy my after present. I’m sure Dashie will just love it!” He says backing away.
“P-please tell m-me?” She shutters limping towards me. Almost little a baby first learning to walk. She’s so weak a feeble. Helpless.
“Why do yall care what Dash thinks of it?” I say between sobs.
“Yall don’t want to know.” I tell her while helping her to the railing.
“Because, I’m her brother. Don’t you see the resemblance? After that, thing, did this to my eyes?” He spits.
“Celadon?” She asks making me flinch.
“What did Dash do ta yer eyes?” His cold, flax eyes lock on my puffy, green ones.
“He said somethin’ really, really weird Dash.” I say laying my head down on her lap and staring into her deep magenta pools.
“That, thing, that you all call your Rainbow Girl or whatever can change the color of something. So she took the color of my eyes!” He yells lashing out at me. The knife connects with my chest letting a steady stream of blood flow.
“About his e-eyes?” I nod touching her face sweetly. Something catches her eye tho. Her hand reaches up and moves my shirt down revealing the long gash across it. I wince back at the touch. “What did he do to you?” She asks throw clenched teeth a new energy flowing throughout her weakened body. I shake my head.
“Why did ya do this ta meh, tho?” I smirks running his fingers through the blood.
“Ah-Ah...” I can’t tell her. I bury my face in her stomach and cry.
“Because, she loves you more than even you know. Giving her this present will be the last straw to insanity.” The laugh. I hate that laugh.
“I know you don’t want me to but, I promise I find him and kill him for what he did to you!” We stand up and look over in the distance where fire comes up over the wall threatening to bring it down. Where an army of thousands stands ready to kill us all. And no matter what will happen, no matter the amount of doubt and hurt weighing at our hearts, and no matter how much fear boils in our blood, we know we will stand tall and fight till our last breath if we have to!
“Rainbow?” She looks at me with flared, protective wings.
“Humm?” I hold her tighter and give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Ah won’t doubt ya ever again!”