//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: On Knife's Edge // by Mr. SexSymbol //------------------------------// Morning light sneaked into the tincan of a shed that Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie took shelter in for the night. The rays of sunlight warmed Dash's closed eyelids, the pegasus pony stirred, whipping her seven colored tail about. With a yawn she got up and stretched herself, leaning down while rearing her flank up. Her spine popped several times, the feeling releasing some discomfort after sleeping on the hard floor, and she let out pleasured sigh. Rainbow Dash blinked several times, trying to get her awake. A soft little snore reached her ears and Dash peeked over the top of a barrel where Pinkie Pie slept. She laid on her stomach, resting her head on her forehooves. The tiny pony looked so contempt in her dreams that Dash decided to let her sleep a bit longer. They had an entire day ahead of them. I should be considering what we should do first... this farm might be abandoned since no one has found us yet. If I remember anything about farmers from what Applejack taught me it's that they wake up much earlier than most ponies. It's safe to bet on the house being empty and if that's the case, Pinkie and I won't have to sleep in this cramped shed anymore. Dash paused for a moment, realizing that she never actually took figured out where they were ever since they had been stuck in this strange world. I know that we aren't in Equestria... She put a hoof to her chin, pondering when suddenly she head a soft little moan. Pinkie Pie sat up and rubbed her little eyes, sleepily stumbling around atop the barrel. "Morning." Dash simply said. Pinkie didn't respond and leaned against the edge of the old barrel, her forehooves dangling over it and her eyes drooped with the night's spell still in effect. "What... what time is it?" Pinkie whispered, her voice was so minuscule that Rainbow Dash could barely even hear her. Once again she felt sorry for the trouble she had put Pinkie Pie in. "I'm... I'm sorry? I didn't hear you." "I said what time is it!?" Pinkie shouted, this time to Dash her voice sounded like it had been when she was normal. "Oh... I, uh, I don't know. There's no clock in here." She explained. Feeling restless, she trotted over and lowered her head, biting Pinkie's mane and lifting her up. "Come on, we can't stay here." Dash added through her teeth. Moving up to the thin metal door, she pushed her head against it and opened it. With the same cringing squeal, it swung fast and banged against the wall. Dash peeked out, checking to see if anypony had heard her. Hopefully there would be no pony around. It was still early in the morning, if she was lucky she could go out and find something to eat in town. She remembered with a sense of bitterness that she had no money on her nor did she even know the currency in this world... Would I be forced to steal? Dash thought to herself, heading towards the hopefully abandoned farmhouse. There hasn't been much crime in Ponyville lately and I've never stolen anything before. The only trouble I've ever gotten into was when I crashed into Twilight's library and had to pay for the broken window. If it came down to it... Will I do it? "You okay, Dashie?" Dash blinked. Although she hadn't noticed, she had been standing there staring into space while lost in her thoughts. "Yeah..." She trotted up to the home and put a hoof against the wooden board. Dash visibly twitched when her cut brushed against the rough texture of the door. The wound throbbed and numbed over, much to Dash's discomfort. Pinkie mumbled something that was too quiet to hear her and looked guilty. Rainbow Dash sighed, wanting to say something to keep Pinkie happy but knew that earth pony would still feel terrible over the accident. They entered the home and closed the door behind them. It was a... simple home. Dash had entered the kitchen area, from what she guessed from the counter in the middle of the room and the sink built into it. There was a refrigerator but was void of food. The cupboards had clean dishware and the silverware hanging neatly on the wall beside the stove, as if the home owner wanted to show off his collection of eating utensils. Pinkie climbed down Dash's left hoof and crawled around on the floor, looking around for anything useful. "I guess I was wrong. We can't stay here Pinkie." Dash called out, putting down an empty jar that must have been used to hold jam. "Why not?" She asked, digging around in the cupboards. Her blade-like tail kept scraping against the pots and pans. Dash hoped she wouldn't make any scratches on them for the sake of the ponies who lived here. "Look... we don't belong here and I just don't want to cause any trouble for us. We should get out of here and find a way to get back to Equestria." She explained quickly. Pinkie popped her head out from the cupboard, wearing a measuring cup on her head. "I think we should find something to hold me. Something I can ride on so you don't have to get hurt carrying me again." Dash looked down at her numb hoof and back at Pinkie with a forgiving expression on her face. "Pinkie... you know that you're my friend. I know that you didn't mean to hurt me back there and you should't feel bad about it. It was an accident. That's all." Pinkie Pie lowered her head. "... Still. Can we go find a knife holder?" "You mean a sheath?" Dash corrected. Pinkie nodded. "Hmm..." Dash put a hoof to her chin, thinking where she would even find one. "This is a farm... or what looks like one. I don't see any crops or anything out there." "Maybe they just planted the seeds?" "Maybe. Let's search the house. We're only taking what we need though." "Wait... We're stealing?" Pinkie gasped and glared at the pegasus angrily. "Dashie, stealing is wrong!" Rainbow Dash lowered her head this time, her eyes closed. "I know, I know! I hate stealing too but what else can we do?" Pinkie slid out of the cupboard and took off the measuring cup on her head. "Dashie..." "Look we're just going to get the sheath and go. That's it." She opened her wings, groaning slightly. The pain from flying an entire day had not gone away despite Pinkie's soothing massage from last night. Flapping them a few times, she tried to get used to the feeling but abandoned the idea of flying around the house altogether. Dash left the kitchen and entered the living room of the house. What she saw brought a cold empty feeling in her heart. "Aw hay.... Fluttershy would probably go nuts if she saw this..." Dash whispered. Pinkie whimpered in disgust. The living room was made completely out of animal parts. The rug was made of bearskin, the head and paws still intact. Heads of woodland creatures were mounted on all four walls. Stuffed birds were in any place one would put anything on, be it lamps on table tops, the small things used to hold books up or whatever Twilight called them and there was even a coat hanger made out of deer antlers. As sickening as it was to them, Dash wondered how there were bodies of the animals if they were in a desert... Was there a forest nearby? How else could anypony get this kind of display in a desert? Another thought came into her mind and she smiled. "We're lucky." "What do you mean?" Pinkie asked, looking up at her. "They must be hunters, which means they got to have a knife around here somewhere for... cutting up animals." She made a face, feeling queasy at the thought of a pony gutting a rabbit. "A knife with a job like that would need a safe place to keep it from getting dirty and sharp! There should be a sheath somewhere in this house!" A quick search in the lovely room of death proved to be fruitless and the two went upstairs, searching every drawer and shelf until finally... "Dashie! Look! I found something!" Pinkie Pie cried out from under a desk, her little pink wavy blade wiggling in delight. "Quickly, pull it out and show what you got then." Dash replied, running over and hunching down to see. Pinkie struggled out from under the desk, tugging on what looked like a tattered old piece of paper wrapped around a long object. The paper got stuck for a moment and Pinkie pulled back hard. The sound of tearing paper filled the room and she fell back with a shriek. Dash giggled for a moment and helped the little knife back up. "Be more careful Pinkie." She said between bursts of small laughter. Pinkie's face flushed. "Yeah... thanks." Dash put her hoof on the paper and slid it out, uncovering the object in the process. Pinkie made a fan-girlish squeal the moment she saw the sheath and hobbled over to cuddle the leather object. Dash bit her lip to keep herself from laughing again. "Pinkie. What... what're doing?" She said, smirking. Pinkie giggled and pushed her tail inside the sheath, sighing in relief. "I don't know. But I feel so happy!" She squealed again, pushing her hooves against her cheeks. Dash rolled her eyes. "Must be a knife thing." The pegasus returned her attention to the to paper that was wrapped around the empty sheath and she began to question why somepony would even hide the knife holder and this... Her eyes narrowed as she noticed some writing on the other side of the scrap. Hang on a second... Dash turned over the scrap of paper and with a jolt she instantly recognized the coat of arms of Canterlot. This was the symbol of Equestria... Two alicorns standing on their backlegs facing the other, one bright as the daylight and other as dark as the night. Swirly patterns wrapped around them both to symbolize magic and six symbols were between the alicorns. One of those symbols was in the shape of a lightning bolt. The Element of Loyalty. "No way..." Dash breathed out in disbelief. She started to shake, almost on the verge in tears of joy. This little piece of paper provided a clue. Somepony out here knows of Equestria... Why else would they have the symbol of it here? Dash snapped, remembering what had gotten her attention in the first place and began to the note. My brother, they said they were going to meet again today. The rebels have seized a safehouse this Thursday at midnight in the Drunken Dragon tavern. Go inside and speak to the bartender, you must ask of him for the Punch Special. It is not a real drink so don't get too excited, I know how you like to drink... In any case, that is the secret code that will tip him off that you are part of the resistance. He will lead you down the basement where he stores the liquor there just as he did for me many nights before. Please brother, do not make a foal of yourself. This is serious. We must be rid of this tyrant Empress and save our mother. I shall be waiting by the hunters near the fireplace. Do not worry about the long hours of the meeting and being hungry. Food and drink will be provided. Just make sure no one follows you. - With warm regards all the way from Doaria, Wilhelm Rainbow Dash lowered the note, an idea spurring in her mind. These ponies must have something to do with Equestria. If I can just get to them and talk to them, Pinkie and I will be homeward bound! She then hopped up and down excitedly, whooping in joy. "I've never seen you get so jittery before," Pinkie commented, watching Dash. The pegasus grabbed the sheath and looked around for a belt that she had seen a little while ago. Searching in one of the drawers, Dash bit onto a thin light brown belt and jerked her head back, swinging it out. The other end flew up and over her and smacked against her flank. Rainbow Dash jumped up and screamed. Her face burned in embarrassment as Pinkie giggled. "Sh-shut it!" She seethed through her teeth. Pinkie obeyed by chuckled as softly as she could so Dash would not hear. Rainbow Dash set down Pinkie and turned her over, looking for a loop of some sort to slide the belt in. To her delight there was and she combined the belt with the sheath. "There!" She cried out proudly, tossing the belt up in the air and jumping. Flapping her wings to keep afloat, Dash extended on foreleg up in the air and let the belt fall on her. It landed on her head, going past and resting on her neck. She lowered her hoof and bit down on the end that stuck out from the buckle, making it tighter. Satisfied, she landed and looked down at Pinkie who looked back up at from where she was. "For a cheaply made strap, it fits well." Dash commented. "I can pull you out whenever I need you and I don' have to hold you anymore." Pinkie nodded approvingly. She was resting against Dashie's chest, right over her heart. The knife wiggled in her sheath, feeling warm. "So what was on that note you found?" She asked. "I don't think we're the only ones from Equestria, Pinkie. Check this out." Dash explained, running over to the small scrap of paper and lifted it up for Pinkie to see. After studying the stamped image for a moment she gasped. "Hey! That's the symbol for my element!" "Yeah! Mines too." "Twilight's, Applejack's, Fluttershy's and Rarity's symbols are on it two!" "And the alicorns?" "Ummm...." Dash put a hoof to her face. "The princesses, Pinkie." "Ohhh! Right, I knew that!" The knife countered with a sheepish grin. "Anyway I think we should head over to this 'Drunken Dragon' bar." "Haha! That reminds me the time Spike fell in the punch that one night!" Pinkie giggled again. Dash sighed, annoyed. "Pinkie, this really isn't a laughing matter..." "You're right... sorry." Rainbow Dash turned to leave the room and opened her mouth to speak again. "I guess this is it then. Let's give it a shot. Because this is our only lead home, these ponies." "Dashie... one problem." "What's that?" "Just... what day is it today?" Dash paused for a moment to think. "It's... Wednesday, right?" Pinkie pointed up at the confused pegasus. "That's right but what about here? The note said the meeting is going to be on Thursday... if we're in a different country we could be in a different time zone." "That only works on time, Pinkie. Not days." "Well..." "Whatever, let's just find the pub." Rainbow Dash ended the conversation and opened the window. The daylight was shadowed by the giant wall outside. It confused Dash why anypony would want to live under constant darkness. Feeling too lazy to clean up the mess she and Pinkie had made, the cyan pegasus flew out and turned in mid air towards the central part of the town. If she was lucky and right, this Drunken Dragon might be a well known bar near the center of the town. All she had to do was find it before the midnight. That is if she wasn't off by a day.