//------------------------------//
// FaR Chapter Eight 
// Story: Following a Rainbow 
// by malikvamp 
//------------------------------//

FaR- Chapter Eight

Her lungs felt like poison inside Applejack's chest, tearing at her from the inside. With each heavy breath a new dagger of pain formed, but Applejack pushed through it. There was no way she was stopping now.

The sun was gone, and in its place in the night sky was the moon, as well as an abundance of stars like nothing Applejack had ever seen before. Out in the desert, with no light pollution, the night sky was an unending supply as sparkles. Once again the world had become a sea of purple sand.

Luckily the rock formation was much closer than Applejack first thought, and after several grueling minuets of Applejack's finest running, she had made it. The rocks stood taller than any building in Ponyville, but one larger rock in the middle stood out the most. It was huge, and carved into it was a dark cave.

'That must be where Rainbow is!' Applejack, despite her pain, continued forward at a brisk pace. 'Ah'm so close!'

"Applejack, wait." Despite AJ's excitement, she did as Strongheart asked, turning to the buffalo. "Listen, I don't know what to expect in there! We have to be careful, and despite your eagerness, we need to move slowly."

Applejack understood, and she hated it. Her eyebrows, crooked in anger soon calmed when she thought more deeply of what Little Strongheart was saying. She was right, after all, who knew what lay wait in the cave and its surroundings. In the night sky the duo may not even notice a cliff until they were already tumbling down it.

Calming herself, Applejack realized something. There was no wind. None at all. Little Strongheart seemed to notice as well, but seemed to be panicking.

"Ms. Strongheart, what's eatin' at ya?" Applejack tried to speak in an upbeat tone, but the worried expression of her friend was slowly slaying any hope she had.

"The desert, it is quiet." The buffalo began slowly making her way towards the cave, her observant eyes flying from left to right. She was looking for something. "This has never happened before. There is only one explanation."

Applejack, following her guide closely, kept her eyes open. All around them now were large rocky slopes, and spires shooting up from the desert sand. And then she saw it, it was slim, but it was there. There was a form moving about the spires in the darkness, slowly growing closer and closer to the duo.

At first glance Applejack knew that it was not Rainbow Dash. The figure was tall, but lanky. It moved with a grace unknown to Applejack, darting from pillar to pillar like a shadow. As they moved Applejack and Ms. Strongheart stayed close together, side by side.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the creature advanced with one beat of its powerful a set of disturbing, purple eyes were no more than a hove away.

"Boo!"

AJ screamed out of reflex, jumping away and landing roughly in the sand. Strongheart, however, did not even flinch. Instead, she began to bow.

"Princess Luna, it is an honor."

"Luna!" Applejack quickly fumbled to her hooves, advancing on the princess. She stood, in all her beauty, standing proudly over Applejack and Strongheart. One of the strangest things about Luna was that instead of hindered by it, the moonlight only made Luna more beautiful. "W-w- what are you doing here, princess!"

"No, Applejack, what are you doing here!" Luna smiled kindly at the orange filly. She spoke loudly, and demandingly, but Applejack knew that it was more out of habit than actual anger. "I've been watching you travel under my beautiful night, and couldn't contain my interest."

By this point Little Strongheart had risen, a look of confusion struck across her face. When she spoke the buffalo couldn't contain her awkward feelings. "Wait, Applejack! You know the princess?"

It was Luna who answered. "No, not well." The princess's face fell slightly in a twinge of sadness. "However, I wish to change that. I've decided to explore this magical 'friendship' you speak of."

"Luna, thank you for coming!" Applejack threw her hooves around the princess in a tight embrace, to which Luna awkwardly accepted.

"But, Applejack, what speakest thou of? I know not why you trace through the desert." Slowly Luna pushed Applejack away. "I've done my best to aid you, by stopping the harsh winds and keeping the moon bright, but as to the goal of your journey, I know not."

'Luna stopped the wind for us...' Applejack, who for so long was scarred of the princess of the night, now found unending comfort. She knew that Luna would help Applejack find Rainbow Dash.

"It's Rainbow Dash, Princess. She ran away, but Ah need to find her! She could be in danger..." Applejack felt her face redden lightly, and she brushed a free hoof back and forth in the sand, avoiding eye contact. "And Ah love her."

A bright light formed around Luna's horn, illuminating the surrounding area. "Well, let's go than!"

Stongheart spoke, not believing what was going on. "Wait, you're actually going to help us? But why?"

"Because, Little Strongheart. I owe both Applejack and Rainbow Dash my life." Luna smiled warmly at Applejack, but the orange pony couldn't help but laugh at the buffalo's expression. "However, we can speak of this later. We must move to find Rainbow, and hope she still has some color in her..."

And so without another word the trio set out, led by the light of Luna's horn. After only two more turns they stood face to face with the cave. Even with the glow of Luna's light the cave was dark, cold, and unforgiving.

"This is it." Applejack stepped forward, not waiting for her companions. She couldn't wait any longer. With Luna following close behind the pony entered the cave, eyes searching furiously. She immediately wished she never had to be in this cave again.

The cave was not only dark, but it was damp; a rare sight indeed in the Appleoosan desert. Drips of water, or rather what Applejack hoped was water, fell from the ceiling, dripping onto Applejack's coat and mane. The same liquid pooled around Applejack's hooves, splashing as the pony walked. The cave had a musky, raincloud smell about it.

And there she was. There was no frantic searching, no exploring a dark unknown world. Instead, not ten hooves into the lip of the cave lay Rainbow Dash. Something wasn't right though.

The Pegasus's cyan body was limp; her once beautiful rainbow mane tossed and tussled about, as if it hadn't been groomed in weeks. Rainbow's once powerful frame was a skeleton of what it once was, her limbs bony and frail. And she was just... Laying there, unmoving.

"Rainbow!" Applejack galloped over to her friend, dropping to the cold stone beside her. Quickly she wrapped a firm grip around the Pegasus, taken back by how cold she was. Rainbow's body felt like ice beneath Applejack's grip.

Applejack was surprised that after the last last few days she still had enough tears to cry. She cried heavily. Placing both hooves on the cyan Pegasus she shook her friend lightly. "Rainbow, darlin', please- please wake up!"

Rainbow's body did not respond. Applejack shook a little harder, but still to no avail. Soon tears were streaming from the earth pony's eyes, assaulting a rainbow mane.

"Applejack, please." Nightmare moon spoke softly, her voice echoing in the cave. She placed a strong grip on AJ's shoulder. "You have to calm down, and-"

"NO!" Applejack did not turn to face the mighty alicorn behind her. Instead she pulled Rainbow's body closer, wrapping all four hooves around the frozen creature. "I will not calm down! I cannot let Rainbow get away from me again!"

The cave was silent, except from the constant crying of a pony's broken heart. Applejack's constant spoken words, begging Rainbow to wake echoed throughout the cavern.

"Applejack." One of Nightmare Moon's large wings circled around the pony and Pegasus, blanketing the two of them. "You have to listen to me, in order to save Rainbow Dash."

Applejack fell silent. 'In order to save Rainbow Dash.' Helplessly she nodded, holding Rainbow tighter.

"Can you feel Rainbow's breathing, Applejack?" Nightmare Moon had a strange calmness about her, a kind of calmness that filled Applejack's own soul. It reminded Applejack of Fluttershy.

Applejack concentrated. Looking up she found her face level with Rainbow Dash's. Rainbow's eyes were closed, and looked like they were going to stay that way for a while. Unwilling to pull her hooves off of Rainbow Dash, in hopes to be warming the filly up. No, she couldn't risk taking her arms of Rainbow Dash, and so instead she moved her face closer.

Slowly Applejack inched closer, until their lips were separated by only a thin slice of air. Several moments passed, but Applejack felt nothing. "I- I can't feel her breath!"

"Applejack, can you feel her heartbeat?"

Focussing again Applejack pulled tightly on Rainbow Dash, their chests together. The whole world seemed to stop. Nothing. "No..." Applejack cried to herself. "Nothing."

The cave grew silent. This time not even Applejack's cries filled the air, only stifled crying.

Time seemed to stop. Applejack didn't care about the pools of liquid assaulting her coat, or the constant dripping above her. She didn't notice the strong wing wrapped around herself and the one she loved. Rainbow was dead, and nothing else mattered now.

"Applejack." Nightmare Moon's voice was longer calm. She was crying. Nightmare moon was crying! "I'm...I'm so sorry."

That was it, then. Applejack was too late.

"Princess, Luna..." It was Little Strongheart who spoke now. "Is there nothing we can do? Do we really simply... Give up?"

'Give up... That's how all of this started, isn't it?' Applejack was silent, holding Rainbow Dash's body close as she thought to herself. 'I can't give up on Rainbow...'

Confidently Applejack rose to her hooves, still staying as close to Rainbow Dash as possible. Locking eyes with the princess, she spoke. "Please Luna, is there nothin' ya can do her her?"

Luna did not answer right away. Instead she casted a wayward gaze to the limp Rainbow Dash. For a long time the princess was pondering to herself, showing no emotion, and no hint into her thoughts. The water continued to drip occasionally in the cave, creating a constant splashing sound.

"Rainbow Dash..." Princess Luna spoke slowly, as if she did not want to speak the words at all. "Is not dead yet. I still sense a faint glow of life emanating from her body. It is weak, and I wish not to elevate your hopes, but..."

"But what!" Applejack practically screamed at the princess, but quickly corrected herself and backed away. "Princess Luna, if there is even the faintest chance of saving Rainbow Dash, I will do it."

Again the princess stalled, this time only for a moment. "All right Applejack, we shall test my theory, but if it goes wrong I cannot be held responsible for the outcome. However, before we do anything else, we return to Ponyville."

"Thank you, Luna!" Applejack immediately leant over to pick up Rainbow Dash up on her back. Rainbow was horrifyingly light. "How are we getting back?"

This time Luna smiled brightly. "Well, that's the fun part. I haven't been able to test mass teleportation yet, and over such a great distance! It is risky, but it's the only chance we have at saving Rainbow Dash."

"Well..." Applejack stood confidently before the princess. "Rainbow Dash is well worth the risk."