//------------------------------// // Part 7 // Story: Frigid Winds and Burning Hearts // by Grey Prophet //------------------------------// Frigid Winds and Burning Hearts Part 7 Standing just outside the small woodland cottage, Luna and Fluttershy beheld with awe the tremendous array of colors that, for the moment, had dispelled the utter darkness that enshrouded Equestria. Luna was enthralled by its color, the way the moonlight touched the precipitation created a faint, ghastly spectrum that permeated across the welkin. It was not often that she had a rainbow grace her night sky, and certainly none as magnificent as the one now illuminating the heavens in concert with the light of her shining stars. Together with the moon they wove a wondrous tapestry that brought joy and inspiration to Luna's heart. The spectacle invoked memories of the Aurora Borealis she was fond of painting into her nightly masterpieces centuries ago, and suddenly her cares melted away with the sprawling burst of color. Feeling a jolt of exhilaration take her as she marveled, Luna desired above all else to tame the rainbow blast and scatter its beauty across the heavens. "Magnificent, wouldn't you say Fluttershy?" Luna asked. Hearing no response, the goddess turned to her side to find nopony there. Obviously, Fluttershy did not share in Luna's enthusiasm. Recognizing Rainbow Dash's signature Sonic Rainboom, the young caretaker immediately worried for her friend's safety and disregarded the stunning sight. Compelled by her fears, Fluttershy took to her wings and flew as fast as she possibly could against the chilling gusts. She was a naturally weak flier, but such was her love and determination that the winds soon found a worthy adversary in the usually meek pegasus. However, the winds posed little challenge to the moon goddess as she effortlessly sailed through the air to catch up with the struggling pegasus. "Fluttershy!" Luna shouted against the current, "What's the matter, dear? Did it spook you?" "Oh, no, umm, sorry! I, uh, it's just that--well, Rainbow Dash…" "I can't hear you, could you speak up?!" "Uh, well, you see…" Fluttershy sputtered; a bit flabbergasted that Luna felt it necessary to carry on a conversation when she was putting all of her heart into just remaining airborne. "Hold that thought, I can see Twilight and another pony in the distance." "Oh thank goodness!" the pegasus thought to herself as the pair descended on hoof and dashed over to the moonlit figures before them. It didn't take long for the two newcomers to see that not all was well with their companions. "Rainbow, I told you to make sure to avoid the guard!" Twilight fumed, "Not race them! What were you thinking?" "Well, to be fair Twi, there was only one…" Rainbow Dash said nonchalantly, hoping her casual attitude would compliment her 'no big deal' defense. "Only one? Only one? There are going to be fifty armed elite guards on our tails pretty soon because of that one." "Okay, okay, my bad Twilight…" "Oh Rainbow Dash, I'm so glad you're okay!" Fluttershy said, interrupting the bickering ponies. "I was sooo worried!" Rainbow Dash smiled and gave Twilight a condescending look. "Well at least somepony cares about how I'm doing after barely besting one of the greatest fliers in Equestria. Thanks Fluttershy." "Indeed, what a truly impressive performance!" Luna said emerging from the shadows, a fiery joy still evident in her words, "Such a rarity it is to see a mortal outdo a goddess, and on her own canvas at that!" What was just as rare was to see Rainbow Dash blush at a complement. Even the praise of her heroes, the Wonderbolts, paled in comparison to the deity's words. "I guess it was kinda great…" Rainbow Dash said, rubbing the back of her head. Twilight rolled her eyes; she knew Rainbow was now just angling for more of the princesses' flattery. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, there's no need to play humble with me! I insist, we must fly together under the midnight sky and play among the stars someday…" "Princess Luna," Twilight broke in, annoyed that the goddess had seemingly lost all sense of urgency because the sky looked pretty, "now isn't the time for talk. We have to get moving, but I just don't know where to..." Luna's spirit drained as Twilight brought her back down to earth, all of her cares, fears and doubts returning to the front of her mind. Once again, she was astounded by her own irrationalities. Celestia remained missing, the guard belligerent, and their situation hopeless and without direction yet she could not help but get lost in her passion at a crucial juncture that required an astute, decisive decision. The worst part in the whole matter was that Luna had failed to lead her little fellowship; instead she relied on the plans of others despite her own reservoir of ancient knowledge and experience. No more. Now was her chance to fulfill her duty as a princess of Equestria. "It seems, Twilight, that we have little choice but to enter Everfree Forest." Luna said sternly. Twilight's eyes widened at the suggestion. "No princess, I thought of that too but it's just too dangerous! I don't want anypony else hurt today." "What should we fear from Everfree?" Luna said as if Twilight had insulted her, "There are dangerous beasts, yes, but that same dread the forest inspires in you will also shield us from the Royal Guard. At the moment, it is far more dangerous to linger around Ponyville than to enter Everfree." Twilight bit her lip. She had made the mistake of belittling the dangers of the dark forest before and nearly died in a coffin of stone because of it. However, Luna was right; the Royal Guard posed more of a direct threat. As she at last consented with a silent nod, she could only hope that Luna would be able to protect them if things became awry. Yet Everfree was unpredictable and Luna still mortal. One wrong turn could very well spell the end of the world. "Excellent," Luna said, "let's waste no more time here, follow me." "Umm, princess," Fluttershy spoke up, "I think its best that I just go back, uh I can't just leave Applebloom alone and Big Mac is still in need of care…" Luna frowned. Once again she failed to take into account the entirety of their situation, and again that somepony else would have to solve. "…we don't have time to argue." Twilight sighed in frustration, "For the moment, Luna, Rainbow Dash and I need to hide. If the other three are coming, they'll need to know just where we're going: Everfree Castle. Fluttershy, I need you to wait for them, it's pointless to throw another pony in harm's way when we don't have all the Elements. The guard still views you as innocent anyway…I think…but hanging around us will do you no good. Everypony understand? All right, let's go." Luna looked at Twilight with a mixture of envy and curiosity; the way she quickly calculated, interpreted, and directed their current situation was reminiscent of Celestia's own ability. Yet it was imperfect. Surely Twilight did not seriously expect that her friends had managed to escape Ponyville when they were already so many hours late. It seemed that Celestia's pupil was taking a leap of faith into the unknown where cold rationality was of little use. Luna smiled. Twilight was learning. As the company broke up and the trio passed under the dark boughs of Everfree Forest, Twilight was both relieved and terrified. On one hoof, she was now certain that Lightning Strike was holding back the guard, there was no other reason that they weren't currently under arrest. On the other, she had let Fluttershy return to her cottage. The pegasus had an inexplicable mastery of the wildlife and had saved Twilight's life in the past because of it, but Twilight knew it was pointless to try and tear Fluttershy away from a patient. Now she was gone, and, even in the company of a goddess, Twilight could not shake off the foreboding sense that something terrible was about to happen. Rainbow Dash, too, had her doubts, but for different reasons. Now that the thrill of her race with Nightshade had begun to dissipate, she began to grow a little curious about Princess Luna's intent and innocence, but her unshakeable loyalty to Twilight kept her from seriously questioning the goddess. At any rate, the princess was quite the fan of her flying…maybe she wasn't so bad…maybe she was even cool. Following Luna's lead, they walked in silence, until another question came to Rainbow Dash. "Uh, Twilight, I know you're usually pretty good at comin' up with solid plans, but uh, why Everfree Castle? Couldn't we just go to Zecora's, it's a lot closer to Fluttershy's…" "No Rainbow," Twilight quickly responded, "I don't want to drag Zecora into this mess. We don't need any more Big Macs today…" "Uh, what exactly is that supposed to even mean?" Twilight sighed and prepared to fill all the gaps for Rainbow Dash. As the unicorn informed her friend of their various trials, Luna was on high alert. Like Twilight, she had felt uneasiness upon entering the eerie wood that was unusual for the goddess. Naturally she loved to wander Everfree during the night, but something was just not quite right, the forest just felt…off. Nearing the gorge that had once tested Twilight's faith, Luna stopped to gather her bearings and soothe her misgivings. But before she could even so much as think about a way out, the earth below the trio suddenly began to writhe and convulse, throwing the three to their knees. Looking up, Luna could not help but feel fear grip her as a tremendous dragon arose from the pit before them. Its scales were blood red, but it bore black markings as well across its body. Eyeing the shocked group, the beast angrily glared at Twilight and Rainbow Dash. As his gaze reached Luna he paused, the ferocity in his eyes melting into a pensive contemplation. At length he grinned, revealing a row of beautiful obsidian teeth that complimented his black claws. "Чтобы думаю, что моя Немезида должна невольно вхожу в свой притон и спаси меня боль найти ее. Наконец-то мы встречаемся, проклятый и поносил демона. Ты пришел, чтобы искупить свои грехи?" It had been centuries since Luna had spoken Wyrmish, but it was a simple, chilling question. "To think my nemesis should unwittingly enter my den and save me the pain of finding her. At long last we meet, accursed and reviled demon. Have you come to atone for your sins?" Gathering her courage, Luna did her best to reply in the dragon's tongue, but it came across sounding like this: "Dragon, no quarrel have I had of you. Never have my eyes seen you, go back home and sleep on your treasure bed." Much to her dismay, the dragon erupted into laughter. "Ha! This is the tongue that enslaved so many of my brethren?" the dragon roared in perfect Equestrian, "Surely your words are fairer in the language of your own kind, demon? Or has a millennia of banishment utterly drained the Nightmare of her potency? " The dragon's insolence infuriated Luna, her voice now shaking with fear and rage. "I don't need to prove anything to you, dragon. It's not wise to taunt a goddess who has defeated so many of your kin in ages past, now be gone and leave us in peace!" The beast ceased his laughter and stared indignantly at Luna. "Leave you in peace? Do not speak to me of "peace", Nightmare! I shall never know it because of you. For centuries you have haunted my sleep, mocking me from beyond the surreal rift between truth and dream. No, I will never be at peace, the most I can hope for is to see you face the justice her highness spared you from. Only when you feel the same suffering your shadow left upon Celestia shall I return to my slumber." "Dragon!" Luna cried out, taken aback by the beast's unwarranted vitriol, "I'm not the villain here! Celestia imprisoned me, how can I be responsible for the evils you accuse me of!? I was not part of your war!" "Huh, a tale I heard a thousand times over from the mouths of the enemy." the dragon snorted, "But you cannot deceive me, witch, I saw firstclaw what you did daily to blessed Celestia!" The dragon's reverence for Celestia struck Luna as very unusual since his race had a very contentious relationship with the sun goddess that was characterized by conflict and distrust. The dragon's accent also prodded her curiosity, not only was it much more refined than the deep growling sounds that usually emanated from the mouth of dragon, it was tinged with a ring reminiscent of the noble accent commonly heard at the medieval court of Canterlot. As her observations coalesced, a very simple question came to mind. "Who exactly are you, dragon, to know my sister so intimately as to know her daily struggles?" Once again, the dragon snorted in contempt. "Do not pretend that you have never heard my name. It was I who broke the siege of Canterlot, I who decimated your forces outside the gates of St. Ponyburg, I who routed and crushed your griffon allies in the high passes, I who slayed my own kind so yours could finally find peace under Celestia's sacred heaven!" "You're Blackteeth!" Twilight interrupted enthusiastically, her fear being replaced by her natural scholastic curiosity, "You were one of the legendary heroes of the forgotten war! You were only a drake at the time, yet you managed to lead the Royal Guard and Celestia's army to victory!" Luna gave Twilight an ugly look, causing the exuberant student to blush. The dragon, however, smiled at her, bearing his toothy grin proudly in response. "Ha, that one so young should know while the eternal should plead ignorance! You are close unicorn; "Blackteeth" was but a name my soldiers would call me on the battlefield. It was rare in those days to be born the way I was, leaving me markedly different from the other dragons fighting in the war. Against her highness." The dragon paused, his voice lowering to a solemn growl. "No, when she hatched me, Celestia named me Ajax. She was a mother to me in those earliest of evil days when the sun did battle against the moon and the fires of war burned across her land. Though day and night became impossible to distinguish, it mattered little to Celestia. She toiled without end trying to curtail the severity of the famine, suppress the rebellion, and restore order in the heavens. Despite this hell, rarely did she neglect me. Celestia loved me dearly and saw to it that I was at her side whenever she was at Canterlot Castle. Growing up among the military commanders at her court no doubt trained my body and mind for war, but it was you, Nightmare Moon, who gave me cause." At the mentioning of the hated name, Ajax's anger and fury rekindled, a change that startled Twilight, but the anxiety she now felt was of a different nature. Celestia had always been reluctant to tell her anything about the past, insisting that she rely on her own scholarly abilities and do the research herself. Suffice it to say, this dragon had told her more in a few sentences than her teacher ever did. Not only that, it seemed that Celestia had reduced "Blackteeth" to nothing more than an old mare's tale, much like she had done to Luna. What drove Celestia to erase the names of those she loved most from the annals of history? "For hours at a time, Celestia went out to push back your fell shadow so that the light of the sun could warm the land and supply the pony folk with at least a meager harvest. But your cruelty knew no bounds, for as she gained the upperhoof, you would refuse to usher in the night so that the sun would scorch the earth and undo all of Celestia's efforts. Through this way, you embittered her ponies and turned them against her, turning rebellion into a total civil war." Ajax paused once again, as puffs of black smoke began to escape from his mouth and nostrils. "But even this was not your greatest crime! No, not only would you not give Celestia a moment of peace as she struggled against your armies and black magic, you plagued her every dream, the one place we should have been free of you! Every time I slept by Celestia's side I was awoken by either grief-ridden mutterings of "Luna" or her tortured shouting. She would later apologize to me, saying that it was just a nightmare and not to worry, but I knew. It was the Nightmare. For two decades you slowly sapped Celestia of her strength and will to resist the evils you unleashed, and eventually her responsibilities became too numerous for her to bear alone." With a deafening roar and a burst of flame, Ajax made it clear to Luna that he wasn't just storytelling; his words served to awaken a wrath that had lain dormant, festering deep within his mind for centuries. He was working himself into a frenzy. "It was when I came of age and alleviated her from the command of the armed forces that Celestia could at last focus her efforts at purging you from the heavens and bring harmony back to the land. I gladly accepted the task, honored that I could at last smite Celestia's enemies from the earth, and smite them I did! A thousand souls perished by my sword alone, hundreds more incinerated and turned to dust at the touch of my flaming breath! And you know what, demon? I feel no remorse for those pathetic ponies, for every one of their deaths was not just of your own making, but a necessary sacrifice to Celestia's ultimate triumph and glory!" The dragon lowered his mighty head to meet Luna's gaze. The goddess, however, remained undaunted and stood her ground in pensive silence. "When the war ended and you were banished, Celestia sent me here to guard the path to Tartarus. Faithfully I have done so with the promise that someday you would return to your accursed wood and I could at last exact my vengeance!" Ajax spat another jet of flame into the night sky, filling the forest with an ominous fiery light. "Now you can no longer deny your sins! It's time you faced judgment!" Preparing his claws to strike, Ajax felt a sharp kick strike him across the temple. With an annoyed grunt, he turned away from Luna to see Rainbow Dash hovering before him. "Hey pal, that was a pretty stuffy story! Ha! What a real snooze-fest geez! Could you possibly talk anymore? I think I got two naps in during your little intro alone! Someone really needs to take himself a little less seriously." Staring at Rainbow, Ajax released a puff of black smoke from his nostrils, engulfing the gutsy pegasus in a suffocating black cloud. "See that's, what I'm talking about." Rainbow coughed, "What's the deal with holding a grudge against Princess Luna anyway? It's not like you can even beat her." "Hmm," the dragon said, looking the pegasus over, "this gnat must be the one the birds are chattering about, Rainbow Rush." "…it's Dash…" "Yes, you're the pegasus who thrice awoke me with your incessant "trick". Normally I would snap your wings, but I suppose I should be grateful. You alerted me to the stillness of the earth, something I have not sensed since last Nightmare Moon walked upon it." Turning his sharp gaze back to Luna, Ajax continued to address Rainbow Dash. "As for 'beating' Nightmare Moon, it matters not if I fail to defeat her. My only wish is to make her suffer as much as what is in my power! If that demands my death, so be it. I shall die happy!" With his intent clear, the mighty dragon slashed again at Luna. Having anticipated such a move, Luna evaded the strike with a quick duck and sprung into the air. "Ajax!" she shouted, "What would Celestia say if she could see you now! Do you honestly believe you honor her name with bloodshed and battle?" "Silence demon!" he shouted, slashing wildly at the evasive deity, "Everything I have ever done was for her! You will not poison me with doubt, seductress!" Ajax unleashed a flaming spiral that consumed Luna, but it was quickly repelled, revealing the goddess protected by a magical barrier. In response, Luna's eyes glowed with a terrifying blue aura. "Do not test me. I will not tolerate your threats!" Again the dragon swiped at Luna, only to see her dissolve into the shadows. Reappearing, Luna slightly grimaced in response to the painful transformation. "Fine! Then suffer nature's wrath!" From far above the forest canopy, several pillars of lightning struck Ajax, shocking the beast and causing him to retreat behind his wings. Seeing this, Rainbow Dash cheered. "Yeah, show that dumb lizard who's princess…uhh…princess!" Turning to Twilight, it was clear that Rainbow Dash still did not understand the gravity of their predicament. "Twi, did you see that? That was so flippin' awesome!" Twilight shook her head in exasperation, but in doing so, she noticed a disturbing new development. Not far from where Luna had been standing, several trees were alight with the dragon's fire. "The forest is on fire! Oh no, no, no, no! What do we do, what do we do?" Unlike Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash was no genius, thus over thinking was rarely a problem for her. She liked her facts straight and forward, with very little dressing on top. This much she did know though: water puts out fire. Saluting Twilight, Rainbow Dash gave a proud smile. "Ponyville's weather officer reporting for duty! No prob Twi, I got this!" "But Rainbow," Twilight cut her off, "You can't tame the weather here, this is Everfree, it's unenchanted!" Rainbow brought her hoof to her chin and thought for a few seconds. Wetting it, she tested the direction of the wind and smirked once again. "You worry too much Twilight. You think the princess is summoning lightning from nowhere? I can do something like that...but I'll need to reach the border of the forest. The precipitation in the air is fine for a good downpour, but it's cold so don't blame me if we get snow instead. Anyway, even these stupid freak winds are in our favor…" No sooner did she say this, a gust of wind fanned the flames, igniting the highest branches of the tree next to them. "…more or less. I can use 'em to send a storm headed this way pronto!" With no better alternative, Twilight hurriedly agreed. "Okay, okay! Get going and be safe!" Rainbow Dash nodded and bolted off as quickly as she could back to the forest edge, leaving her signature rainbow trail in her wake. While the two friends planned, the battle between goddess and dragon continued furious and unabated. Deftly Luna dodged the beast's flaming blasts as she spiraled down into the canyon in the hope of keeping her companions out of harm's way. Ajax followed her closely, stretching out his claw and smacking her against the rock. A rush of pain ran through her body, but Luna endured. Using her magic, she returned the favor and crushed Ajax directly into the bedrock below them headfirst. The dragon roared in pain. He quickly arose and blasted the princess with another wave of flame. Again Luna shielded herself, but her response was not quick enough, allowing a tongue of flame to leave a small but nasty burn across her the left side of her face. When the stream of fire ceased, Ajax saw Luna grimace in pain, his handiwork clearly marring the goddess' complexion. At the sight, his eyes lit up and laughed with a twisted joy. "Never have you looked so beautiful to me, Nightmare! Now you shall never be free of me, a fitting penance for your sins!" Ajax's heated words angered Luna, but her heart was conflicted. She had listened to the dragon's story intently, and though she learned through him that Celestia had openly demonized her, it had become clear that Celestia did not have a firm handle of the war and very nearly came close to losing it. Luna was deeply disturbed by this fact, this idea that her sister was not at the helm of history. Rather, she was just like her subjects: a victim of circumstances. Then was all that suffering Ajax described really Luna's fault, had her simple abdication really brought about so much death and destruction that even Celly could not abide? "No, how can that be?" she contemplated, doing her best to avoid Ajax's claws, "How could my sister ever be at the mercy of mortals?" Unfortunately for the goddess, her distracted mind dulled her reflexes. Among her twist and turns, Ajax had managed to bring his claws down upon her. Luna escaped the worst of it, but they still tore at her left foreleg. Through the pain, Luna responded in turn by binding the dragon to the earth, bearing down upon him a greater gravitational pressure. In vain Ajax resisted the inescapable force, but Luna's magic soon had him on his knees before the moon goddess. "No!" the dragon growled through his clenched jaw, "I will not be defeated by some cheap magic trick!" After a brief struggle, Ajax managed to open his jaw and release a torrent of flame, just barely catching Luna off guard. Again, the goddess shielded herself, but Ajax did not relent in his assault; he was pouring all of his energy into the circling inferno that now engulfed the goddess. Already having endured the extreme temperatures of several spurts of flame, her mortal body could not handle the scorching heat. Before her barrier could crack under the strain, Luna burst through the wall of fire, only to be greeted by a sharp blow from Ajax. Flying into the side of the canyon, Luna's magic had managed to soften the impact but a searing pain still ripped through her body. At last though, Luna had enough distance to concentrate and focus her power in order to finally subdue the dragon. Crushing him with gravity, the goddess tried fixing him in place again. However, the dragon resisted and continued to slowly crawl towards her. Seeing she had little other choice, Luna sent a bolt of blue magic into the open heavens above. Closing her eyes, Luna plucked a meteor from the cosmos and hurtled it towards earth. Looking up, Ajax saw the flaming doomsday the goddess had in store for him. Cursing, Ajax braced himself for impact. As the debris hailed down from the sky, Luna was surprised to see the dragon bear the brunt of the incredible celestial force. With his massive claws outstretched, he pushed back against the meteor's crushing power, but it was too much to bear. Seeing the dragon fall to the ground, Luna noticed that the dragon amazingly had sustained no visible injury from her assault. No, what crippled the dragon was the rippling shock of enduring a mighty blow.. Despite his shock and the heavy gravity, Ajax tried to stand up again, only to be pushed back down on his back by Luna. As an agonizing roar filled the air, the promised storm arrived on the breath of the wind. A downpour of cold, heavy rain extinguished the flames threatening the forest of Everfree and cooled the fatigued goddess. Luna panted in exhaustion, the beads of sweat once trickling down the side of her face were now washed away by the cleansing rainfall. Her flesh was burned and torn, but nonetheless she stood victorious over her foe. Flying above Ajax, she descended, landing upon his chest as a conqueror would her victim. At her touch, the dragon renewed his attempts to strike her, but Luna held him down fast. "Ajax, stop!" she pleaded with shortened breath, "It's over!" "No! No! Not until you die can the war end!" the dragon's voice quivered in frustration. "Ajax, you know that is a hopeless dream. If I were to die, this world too would perish." Thrashing beneath her the dragon roared with a terrible suffering. "Then this war shall never end! But I shall fight it until Celestia's golden sun turns black, I swear it! I swear upon my undying love for her beauty, her wisdom, her majesty!" Watching from atop the ravine, Twilight could not help but feel compassion for the defeated dragon. His loyalty to her teacher reminded her of her own little dragon's constant quest to earn Twilight's approval and admiration. She saw in Ajax the same love, obedience, and protectiveness Spike had for her. A tear rolled from her eye as she waited for Luna to free the dragon from his excruciating torment. Ajax's unbridled zeal and tragic life, too, moved Luna to pity. Looking into his eyes, she saw the serpentine stare of Nightmare Moon. Like Luna, Ajax's festering hatred made him willing to destroy all of creation just to achieve his vengeance. Yet they differed too, for this creature's hate for her was dwarfed by the love he had for Celestia while Luna had loved only herself in that darkest hour. In her heart, Luna felt inferior to the dragon. She could not kill him for she was guilty of much greater sins. Plucking a feather from her wings, Luna transfigured the plume into her sleeping powder and spread it across the dragon's face. "Sleep, Ajax. For once I will leave you in peace…" As the tranquilizer took its effect, the dragon stopped his struggling. His heart slowed and his eyes grew weary. Closing them, he found himself surrounded by a dazzling white light. As he focused, he saw a radiant Celestia emerge to greet him with a loving smile. A single tear escaped his eye as her sweet laughter filled his ears and soothed his spirit. A loud snore signaled to Luna that Ajax had been at last subdued. Flying back to the top of the valley to meet Twilight, Luna faintly smiled to the unicorn. However, the act only served to highlight her fatigue and injury instead of assuring Twilight she was all right. "Princess!" Twilight shouted, trying to help support the weakened goddess, "I knew you'd push yourself too much! You're still not used to being mortal, yet you seemed as eager to fight Ajax as he was to fight you. You hardly bothered to reason with him at all! Princess, you need to be more careful, I was really scared for you." "Twilight," Luna panted, "You can never understand us, you will never know hate so deep as ours. We kept our wounds green for a thousand years and daily we drank deeply from our bitterness. No…a few words would have never deterred Ajax from his desire to punish me. You should understand this better than anypony: did you try to reason with me on that fateful summer day? Twilight, I know you know that this world isn't dictated by reason alone." Suddenly, Luna heard chattering voices coming from down the path before them. Her keen night vision caught sight several ponies running towards them, and sure enough, they were Twilight's friends. With a light chuckle, she faced the unicorn again. "See Twilight, your friends came." Luna said with ragged breath, "Despite everything, they came. Don't be afraid to follow your feelings, in the end …reason…is…you know…feeling…" "Luna, Luna!" Twilight shouted as the goddess trailed off, her eyes becoming glazed and unfocused "Look at me!" Feeling her knees buckle underneath her, Luna collapsed to the wet earth, finding herself once again in utter darkness. / "Whoa nelly!" Applejack exclaimed "You ain't kiddin', Pinkie, there's definitely a mighty big fire out there, just look at that smoke!" As the three escapees looked past Fluttershy's cottage, they could see large black plumes of smoke billowing above the foliage. It was dispersed across the night sky by the wind, but the fume faintly lingered, blotting out the stars. A bit worried, Applejack ran to Fluttershy's door, hoping that her friends were still within the safe confines of the humble abode. Knocking wildly on the door, she was greeted by a meek voice. "Umm, just a second, uhh, may I know who this is please?" "Fluttershy, it's me Applejack! Y'all might wanna come out here, the forest is a blazin' somethin' fierce!" The door creaked open as the timid pegasus popped her head out to check out Applejack's claim. It didn't take the naturalist long to notice the faint glow of the flames in the distance. "Oh my, oh no!" Fluttershy nervously stammered, her face turning pale. "What's the matter there sugar cube, I know yer worried 'bout them critters in…" Suddenly, Applejack was interrupted by a loud jubilant cry from a small but very brave little pony. "Applejack, Applejack! Yer okay!" Dashing past Fluttershy, Applebloom threw herself at her sister and hugged her tightly. Applejack was caught completely off guard as her sister's love tried to suffocate her. "All right there Applebloom, you can let go now…" "Oh, sorry sis." Released, Applejack took a deep breath before addressing Applebloom with a stern voice. "Applebloom, what in tarnation are you doin' at Fluttershy's! You should be mindin' the farm with Big Mac!" The young filly's smile immediately vanished and was replaced with a troubled expression. "But Applejack, the farm was attacked by Princess Luna's guards. Ah dunno, the princess explained it to me but it still don't seem to make much sense at all…" As her little sister spoke with chilled words, a wave of dread ran through the sturdy laborer. In Ponyville, she was thrilled to hear of the raid's failure and had expected that Twilight and Luna, two of the most powerful beings in Equestria, fought off the intruders with little effort and little damage to her property. But if Applebloom was here that meant that not all went well at Sweet Apple Acres… "I don't wanna hear that lyin' Luna's story! I wanna hear it from mah brother, where's Big Mac?" At his mentioning, Applebloom's eyes welled up and turned away from her big sister. Deeply disturbed, Applejack turned to a catatonic Fluttershy and shook her. "Where's mah brother Fluttershy? Where's Twilight an' Luna!" she yelled angrily, "Darn it, somepony give me some answers!" "Calm yourself Applejack!" Rarity said, pulling the cowgirl away from the stunned pegasus "This is no way to treat a friend. Will you please keep a cool head dear, we have many problems on our hooves and shouting is hardly going to solve any of them." Fluttershy blinked several times at her friends before responding the best she could. "Umm, I'm sorry Applejack, but your brother has sustained severe trauma, broken several ribs, and received a nasty injury from a crossbow but Twilight and Luna…" "A crossbow!" Applejack replied with a mixture of shock and indignation, "Lemme see him! Lemme see what they did to mah brother!" Pushing her way past Fluttershy, Applejack quickly ran up the stairs and entered Fluttershy's room. The sight of her recovering brother, though encouraging, did little to pacify the brew of emotions swirling around Applejack's heart. She felt hatred, confusion, sorrow, and fear but she could hardly channel them into words. All she could do was give a few frustrated stamps, toss her hat on the ground, curl up and cry. As she became absorbed in her emotional struggle, she hardly heard the hoof steps of Rarity come up the stairs. "Applejack, dear. It's all right. Fluttershy says he's on the mend and should be fine in a month or two." Rarity said trying to comfort her friend the best she could . In all honesty, she too was appalled by the state Big Mac was in and found it disgusting that Celestia's guard would so mercilessly brutalize somepony over a crass assumption. However, she had to be strong for Applejack, especially since they were needed elsewhere. "Applejack, I know this will be difficult for you, but we need to help Twilight and Luna. They're stuck in the Everfree Forest, and Fluttershy believes that the fire is in some way connected to them. Based off the adventure we've had to day, I'd say she's probably right. Now come on, we haven't much time." Applejack turned from her grief and angrily glared at Rarity. "No! No! No! Ah ain't helpin' Twilight or Luna again today! Y'all can go, Ah gotta take care of mah family first." "Applejack, reconsider what you're saying." Rarity pleaded, "Twilight needs the Elements of Harmony to help find Celestia, she needs you…" "That ain't what they're for! If ya jus' listened to me in town ya woulda known! It's jus' for Luna, that's why we need 'em, to help her be immortal again. Ain't got nothin' to do with findin' Celestia." Applejack railed standing to her feet, "an' right now I don't give one darn apple 'bout Luna or her stupid god drama! She was ready to sacrifice mah brother jus' to escape arrest. Nah, I ain't doin' one more thing for her. I'm stayin' here with Big Mac." "Applejack, perhaps you're being unfair…" the unicorn replied, trying another stab at it before being interrupted again. "I don't care Rarity! If y'all say you don't have the time to diddle daddle, get yer hides goin'!" "Please dear, try to be reasonable…" "LEAVE!" With that, Applejack shoved Rarity outside the bedroom door and slammed it. Immediately, she heard the bed stir behind her, followed shortly by the gentle voice of her brother. "Uhh…AJ…" Hearing Big Mac, Applejack's anger at her friends gave way to the concern she had for his well-being. Rushing to his bedside, she quickly responded. "Yeah Big Mac? What is it?" "Whenever folk say Ah'm too quiet, Ah always remind 'em that yer plenty loud fer the both of us." Both siblings chuckled, but tears now slowly streamed down Applejack's face. "Ah Big Mac," she sniffled, "why ya gotta tease me now when Ah can't even fight ya back?" Looking over her brother carefully, Applejack could see more clearly the injury her older brother had endured. Though Fluttershy had done her best to redress the wounds regularly, the earth pony's blood still imprinted a crimson stain on the white cotton wrappings. As she gazed into his peaceful eyes, she noticed the many stitches and bruises covering his face. It was becoming painfully difficult to keep a stiff upper lip as she turned her attention to where the bolt had pierced his flesh and bone. Tears welling, she lovingly hugged her brother. "Big Mac, look at what that witch's done to you!" she cried aloud, "We shoulda never have trusted Luna, she jus' ain't right in the head!" "AJ," Big Mac replied in a firm voice, "You can't go on blamin' the princess for what happened to me. Ain't fair at all, ya hear?" "But Big Mac, if she never scuffled with Celestia and came to our farm, the guard would never have bothered us!" Big Mac sighed heavily. His sister was so headstrong at times. "Sis, that bit o' logic just don't add up at all. It makes no sense to blame folk down the chain, pretendin' that they know jus' how things are goin' to happen. Nah, in the grand scheme of things only Ah can be responsible for what happened to me. Ah chose to protect the princess. Ah suppose Ah could've let the guard take her, but I thought that wrong and downright cowardly. So Ah fought 'em and they fought back, jus' as they should." "Big brother," Applejack replied with another sniffle, "ya don't need to be noble, ya don't need to protect her, why can't ya see that?" Thinking her own question over for a bit, Applejack's eyes lit up. "She charmed ya with her pretty little face, didn't she?" she accused "That's it, it's gotta, she enchanted you stupid!" Big Mac shook his head in disappointment but kept his silence. However, a conflicted look appeared in his eyes which Applejack immediately picked up on. "Ah ha! Ah'm right, Ah knew it! Her black magic done ensnare mah brother hook , line, and sinker!" "That ain't it all, AJ" Big Mac responded, "There ya are jumpin' to conclusions without even lettin' me get a word in. How'd you like it if a friend did that to you?" Applejack blushed at her brother's question and held her tongue as she waited for Big Mac to tell her what just then was on his mind. After a few minutes of silent contemplation passed, the red stallion at last spoke. "Ah guess there ain't no point tryin' to keep this from ya. Yer a grown mare, an' you should know the truth." Applejack was worried to hear her brother's words. He had a secret she didn't know? They shared darn well near everything with one another. "About what?" "About pa." A brief silence descended upon the room before Big Mac continued. "What Ah told ya 'bout him dyin' in a farm accident is true, but Ah never told ya the whole story 'bout that day." The memory of the incident clearly pained the stout pony, but his voice remained strong and firm "You were a real young filly at the time. I was out with pa just gettin' in the swing of harvestin' the crop. Back then, the farm made enough bits to afford several farm hooves to help us with the orchard and some of 'em would bring their colts along to do odd jobs 'round the place for an extra few bits. Anyway, one of them, Muddy Banks, was jus' 'bout my age an' we'd usually pal about the farm. But that day I was workin' with pa an' Muddy was a might hurt that I was too busy to play with him. But young colts are a spiteful lil' bunch, an' instead of workin' himself he spent the whole day followin' me 'round and tauntin' me whenever pa wasn't lookin'. Now Ah bore the brunt of his insults pretty well, but 'bout midday he started pokin' fun at me by sayin' that I was weak an' would never make my pa proud. Now, I wanted nothin' more in the world than pa's approval an' love so I really wanted to show Muddy that he was chalk full of apples." Big Mac paused and gave a deep sigh before he continued his story. "As I kept on buckin' I finally found an opportunity to shut Muddy up. Now Ah was about to harvest the apples from a younger tree when I heard Muddy shout that he'd bet his day wages that I couldn't buck all the apples in one kick. Ah was happy to accept his challenge, but Ah wanted to make sure pa would see me do it so I called out to him. As Ah saw him approachin', Ah kicked that tree with all the might I could muster." Once again, Big Mac closed his eyes and collected himself. It was obvious to Applejack that her brother was accustomed to swallowing the pain he felt. "Sure as hay, all them apples came falling outta the tree. What Ah didn't know at the time was that the roots did not run very deep, and not seconds after Ah kicked it, Ah heard the tree crack. Before Ah could do anythin', it crashed to the ground. Ah rushed to see the mess Ah made only to find Muddy half scared to death. Ah looked 'round but, Ah didn't see Pa anywhere. Fear grabbed hold of me. Ah turned to the felled tree and couldn't believe mah eyes." Another pained sigh escaped his lips. "Pa had been crushed under the tree after jus' managin' to push Muddy outta the way" he said, his deep voice now reflecting a trace of anguish, "Ah killed him." Applejack shook her head in disbelief. "No, no, Big Mac. It was an accident, you didn't want it to happen, it jus' did." "Let me finish, AJ." Big Mac replied, "There's far more to it. Pa's death devastated Ma, an' you know she fell into depression an' refused to eat anythin' or care for Applebloom. It got so bad Granny Smith had to come an' take care of her and our baby sister. But ma just got worse. Every day she sat in her room wallowin' in her grief an' slowly wastin' away. Eventually ma had her wish and reunited with pa, but she left behind a family and a farm that was tearin' at its seams. No more could Sweet Apple Acres afford laborers to keep the orchard goin' an' we had to sell a good chunk of it to just meet ends meet. Not too long after, you left home to live with Uncle and Aunt Orange in Manehatten 'cause you 'grew tired of farm life'. But Ah know deep down ya jus' wanted to escape, 'cause Ah felt the same way." A tear rolled down Applejack's face, her brother understood her better than anypony. At the time she wanted nothing to do with the orchard, she just wanted to forget her past and be reborn into the society and culture of the big city. But fate wouldn't allow her to, it pressed her to face it dead on and return home to revive the farm. Her cutie mark had made that infinitely clear to her. "All this time, hardly a day past when Ah didn't torment mahself with questions and vain attempts to put the blame on somepony. But everythin' bad that happened to us had hinged on mah decision to kick the tree." Big Mac paused again, trying to keep a grip on his emotions. "Ah tried to blame Muddy. Not only did he holler and push me to do it, he didn't move away. He made pa have to rescue him…but still, Ah was the one who kicked the tree. Then Ah blamed pa. Why'd he have to save Muddy? Why didn't he jus' let it happen? I knew pa was brave and a hero, but did he think of us when he sacrificed himself? But in the end Ah was the one who kicked the tree." Big Mac took in a breath of air and exhaled peacefully. "Ah spent days an' days listin' everypony who was at fault for pa's death , but I got nowhere closer to forgivin' mahself for mah own role. However, the day you came home from Manehatten filled mah heart with such joy for the future that it made me rethink the past. Soon after Ah came to realize two things, sis. First, when Ah blamed others, Ah took comfort in the idea that somepony was in control, that mah pa didn't die 'cause of a random act of fate. But that wasn't fair to anypony, I had to accept that there were a whole bunch of factors that led up to his death that no one pony was in control of. The second thing Ah learned was that all we can do as individuals is to respond to a bad situation the best we can and do what we think good an' right. Jus' like what pa did for lil' Muddy, not like what ma did to us." The truth of her father's fate had Applejack sputtering with tears. She had never inquired deeply into the past as it was a very painful subject for her, but Big Mac's part in pa's death did not drive her to hate her brother. No, it drove her to love him more. Despite all the confusion and hate he suffered daily, Big Mac had stayed strong for the family and sacrificed so much so that his sisters could enjoy an education and a happy home life that he himself only briefly had. "So you see Applejack," Big Mac continued, "Ah did what Ah did fer Princess Luna 'cause it was mah choice, it's what pa would've done." Sobbing heavily now, Applejack embraced her older brother. "Ah'm sorry Big Mac, Ah am, but I still can't trust the princess, not after this. She's a liar, ah know it in mah gut. She's coverin' up somethin', but I jus' don't know what." "Applejack, listen to me." Big Mac said, wiping the tears from her face, "Perhaps yer right, she might be lyin' 'bout somethin'. But AJ, ya gotta understand that not all lies are born from evil. Likewise, honesty is good and all, but it can cause some pretty bad things too. Let's just think back, Ah wasn't too honest about pa with you. I knew that if Ah told you when you were a filly that you'd only hate me for it, for ruinin' our home." Applejack sniveled, she knew her brother was probably right. She had wanted to blame somepony for their ills too, but she just couldn't grasp what was all going around her at the time. She was just a filly then after all. "That lie was born from mah love fer you, Applejack. Ah didn't want to burden you with the past, Ah only wanted you to be mah hope for the future." Applejack smiled through her tears and held her brother's hoof tighter. "But as I said AJ, honesty can hurt just as much as an evil lie. Think of the informant that told the guard where Luna was, don't ya think that it would have been better for everypony if she had simply lied?" A look of horror passed over Applejack's face. Big Mac was right, she had unwittingly triggered the chain of events that led to the brutalizing of her brother. "Ah'm sorry Big Mac!" Applejack cried, "Ah did it! Ah got tricked into tellin' the guard who arrested me, I didn't mean it to happen! But I couldn't straight up lie to a soldier…it was jus' too hard!" "Shhhh, Applejack, it's okay." Big Mac said, nuzzling her lovingly, "It was a risky move to send ya into town. But please, lil' sis, don't blame yourself. By that logic, it was Miss. Sparkle that should take the blame, but as Ah said, that'd be just unfair." Ceasing his affections for the moment, Big Mac stared deeply into his sister's eyes. "AJ, there's no way fer us to understand exactly Princess Luna's motives or goals. She's a goddess after all, so much depends on her. She's powerful beyond our knowin', so she has to be careful with what she says, one word could mean the difference between life and death. All we can do is have faith in her, jus' as we have faith in our friends. When it all comes down to it, that's all we've got." Straightening up in his bed, he continued. "Now, you know what ya need to do AJ. Go, go an' help your friends like ya should've when Miss. Rarity asked ya. They need you." "But Big Mac," Applejack replied with concern and doubt in her words "Ah can't leave you an' Applebloom alone. Ah have a responsibility to y'all too!" Big Mac gave his sister his usual gentle smile and stirred in his bed. Using all the strength he could gather, the giant red pony arose from his bed and slowly limped to the cowboy hat Applejack had tossed on the floor. Taking it into his mouth, he turned to his surprised sister and crowned her with it. "Ah'm fine Applejack, I can watch over Applebloom. Now go to yer friends an' wear pa's hat proudly. Think of his sacrifice an' remember that even though you might find yerself trapped in a mess of events outside your control, you have the final say in how you react to it all." Applejack smiled warmly at her brother and gave him a big hug. "…one more thing AJ." "Yeah, big brother?" "Looks like you'll be finishin' up harvest by yerself again this year!" Both siblings erupted into joyful laughter. "Ahh you lazy rascal!" Applejack responded jokingly, "Now how'd ya get hurt again? Did ya piss off the Royal Guard last year too?" "Eh-yup! But it darn well took fifty of 'em to take me down then, AJ. Ah think Ah'm gettin' too old for brawlin'!" "Ah, hush! Yer filled with rotten apples Big Mac!" "Ha! Anypony ever tell ya how honest ya are AJ?" As the two continued teasing one another, they were unaware that they were being watched from the doorway by Rainbow Dash. Yes, as soon as she had whipped up a host of storm clouds to fight the wildfires of Everfree, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie had found the weather officer. They had told her that Applejack was being her usual stubborn self and was refusing to help Twilight and Luna. Rainbow was always ready to accept a mission, especially if it came with the challenge of butting heads with her favorite sparring partner. However, as she reached Fluttershy's hut and found the two siblings dealing with some hardcore issues, Rainbow Dash's zeal deflated rapidly. This was especially true when she caught a good glimpse of Big Mac when he got up from his bed. Far more than that wordy dragon, his mangled and broken body at last drove home the seriousness of Twilight and Luna's predicament. As the two laughed and cried, Rainbow Dash was deeply moved herself, and suddenly even the too cool for school pegasus was having a hard time keeping a check on her own tears. When at last it seemed appropriate, Rainbow Dash entered the room. "Uh, hey Applejack, Big Mac. How are you guys doin' now?" "Rainbow!" Applejack shouted in surprise, "How'd ya know I was here?" "A few birdies told me." "Did they also tell ya to collect mah sorry selfish hide?" "Uh, yeah. Pretty much, I mean if it's cool with you. Twilight and Luna could really use your help, I mean, the last I saw them Luna was fighting a dragon." "A dragon! Well what're ya waitin' for? C'mon, we just sent a bunch of our friends into a dragon's nest without a good bit of muscle to back 'em up! Let's go!" "Uh, sure AJ, but what about Big Mac?" Rainbow Dash asked, a bit thrown off by the sudden change of emotional pace in the room. "That big ol'lug? He'll be fine, won't cha' big bro?" "Eh-yup!" "You heard the stallion, now lead the way Rainbow!" Her friend's spirited call to action was not lost on Rainbow Dash. Immediately the rainbow mare was invigorated by her uplifting words. Smirking, Rainbow's excitement was clear. "You got it, chief! Hey, you wouldn't mind a race, would ya?" / Hastily the three mares ran through the darkness of Everfree. The fierce downpour that was pounding them had done much in extinguishing the blaze that had threatened to consume the forest, but it also made the path before them extremely muddy, much to Rarity's chagrin. Nonetheless, they pressed onward undeterred by rain, fire, or the dreaded muck. Rainbow Dash had assured them that Twilight and Luna were not too far deep into the forest and that the dragon the goddess was fighting was a "nerd" that would be no problem to defeat. "Hey!" Pinkie exclaimed, "I think I see Twilight…and no dragon!" "Really?" Rarity asked, "Thank Celestia, hopefully we can leave this dirty mud pit quickly then!" "Hmm, oh wait ! I see Luna's outline now too!" Pinkie chirped "She's with Twilight, and still no dragon!" As the three approached Twilight and Luna, they could tell not all was well. The princess was leaning against Twilight in a slump, and the dying embers revealed that she was also bleeding. "My heavens!" gasped Rarity, "How could the princess be in such a horrible state?" No sooner did she say those words, Luna hit the ground. Seeing this, Fluttershy sprang forth ahead of her friends to check to see what injuries Luna had received in her battle. "Fluttershy, thank goodness you're here!" Twilight greeted her friend, "Can you tell what's wrong with her? It can't be from her cuts, right?" Extremely worried, Fluttershy at first said nothing to Twilight but instead analyzed her patient, checking for any signs for serious injury. "Was the princess exposed to fire for long periods of time?" Fluttershy asked, still examining Luna closely. Thankfully for her efforts, the embers provided just enough light. "Yes, she was exposed to a lot of fire for a very long time." Twilight confirmed. Fluttershy quickly arose and faced Twilight with a grim look. "The princess is suffering a combination of heat exhaustion and shock. Her body's homeostasis is confused right now, she needs to get to shelter and be warmed up to a proper temperature." Rarity and Pinkie Pie now present, Twilight was forced to make a decision she had wanted to avoid. "Help Luna on to my back Rarity, we're going to have to go to Zecora's." / And then there was a dragon! Part seven! Wow, I liked writing this chapter. It was a bit tough weaving in everything I wanted, but I think I did an okay job. I'll let you guys decide though, please leave feedback as revisions will be done! Words of encouragement also go a long way to motivate an author as well. Also, I was sailing TV Tropes the other day and found that this story had one! Pretty cool, I was really happy to see that some people are really understanding and appreciating what I'm doing with this story. Thanks to anyone who contributed to it/continues to contribute! Another thing, to any Russians, I'm sorry if I butchered your language! As usual I don't own MLP or intend to make a profit.