//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Fallen Stars // Story: Laughter is Faith // by Redric Carrun //------------------------------// “What's that?” Applejack stared sidelong at Rainbow Dash, who was putting on a cloak as they walked. It was dull in color, with a hood on it, and it hung closely about her athletic frame. “What's what?” Dash frowned. “That getup you're puttin' on now,” Applejack pointed. “Where 'd you pull that from?” “It's armor.” Dash huffed. “It helps me stay hidden from things that are trying to eat me, and the padding provides just a tiny bit of cushion for when they inevitably spot my ridiculous rainbow mane and decide to find out what it tastes like.” She smirked. “Hint: it tastes like pain.” She tugged down the hood until only a shaded muzzle poked out of it. “It's also the only set of gear I own that can fit in a regular saddlebag. So it's what I've got now.” “Ah see,” Applejack nodded. “And what's that?” “Fold-up combat knife.” Rainbow Dash scowled at the device in her hooves as she unfolded it and the blade snapped into place. “A cheap novelty thing that's probably gonna break on me the first time I use it. But it fits in the bag, so I got it.” “You have a saddlebag all set up just in case you need to go huntin' down a demon Princess?” Rainbow slid the knife around to a sheath sewn into the back of her cloak, and tucked the cloth bag into a pocket. “No. This is my regular saddlebag.” Applejack blinked. “You carry this sort of stuff with you all the time? … You brought it to the Celebration?” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Why would you bring stuff like that to a shindig?” Dash snorted. “Because if I carry around my real stuff, ponies start asking dumb questions like that one.” Applejack leaned back, eyes wide with surprise. Before she could respond, Twilight spoke up. “I don't think that answered Applejack's question, Rainbow Dash.” “Why do I have to explain this?” Rainbow glared. “Of course I would want armor and weapons when I'm going to fight my way through the Everfree forest. Why is this such a big deal, anyway?” “It's not,” Twilight agreed, “and you don't. But –” “I mean, at least I'm prepared!” Dash interrupted. “I brought the stuff I need to get through this! Weapons, armor, medicine, food, water. The whole shebang! What about you, Applejack? What did you grab in your five minutes of preparation?” “... Just some rope,” Applejack muttered. “Grabbed it off of my cart. Didn't have time for anythin' else.” “Ha!” Rainbow sneered. “Well then, I guess I'll just have to pick up the slack.” “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight snapped. “None of us had time to pack anything. It's not Applejack's fault that she didn't think she'd be chasing after a figure from ancient pony myth when she woke up this morning. We're all a bit under-prepared.” Dash crossed her forelegs as she floated silently down the brambly forest path. “Oh yeah?" she said. "I'll bet Fluttershy has plenty of useful stuff in her bags. Don't you, Flutters?” The others turned to look at the yellow pegasus, who squeaked with discomfort. “Oh, I don't know if I packed all that much...” Dash sighed. “Come on, Fluttershy. What 'd you bring?” “I – I don't really want to get involved in –” “Fluttershy...” Fluttershy coughed. “... five meters of bandages, some soothing herbs and ointments, some scissors, tweezers, a sewing kit and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.” “Ha! See?” Rainbow smirked. “Told you she'd have stuff.” Applejack frowned. “And how in the hay is a sewing kit useful in the middle of a forest?” “I beg your pardon,” Rarity scoffed, “but being able to maintain the integrity of one's clothing is of the utmost importance! … Although I believe Fluttershy was intending it for it's utility as a surgical aid rather than its more civic use.” “Uh huh,” Rainbow nodded. “'Course it's useful. Fluttershy's a whiz with all that medic-y stuff. And of course she'd have it with her. She and I practically live out here. If you don't have your gear all set up, then you don't keep that up for very long.” Pinkie popped up next to the medic with an amused look of curiosity. “I dunno... Why'd you bring all that to the party, Fluttershy? I mean, the town hall's not in the Everfree forest, even if Ponyville's really really close to it and some of the houses around the edge are actually in the shade of the trees and stuff, but my parties are one hundred percent safe! Well, except when Night Princesses show up and kidnap your mentor and beat up her guards, but that only happens once every thousand years.” “... I just grabbed my bags by accident,” Fluttershy murmured. “I'm not used to going anywhere other than the woods, and I always bring them with me, in case something needs help. I'm sorry...” “Fluttershy, it's great that you've got skills and equipment that can help us,” Twilight said. “That's not something you need to apologize for.” “Yeah,” Rainbow frowned, turning her hooded eyes on Pinkie Pie. “Don't bug her about it! What did you bring, oh fearless leader? Where are your saddlebags?” Pinkie smiled. “I've got my saddle bags right here, Dash-bow!” She reached up into the curls of her mane, and tugged out a set of bulging baby-blue containers. “I don't think those will help much, though – they're sorta full of streamers and stuff, and one of them used to have paint in it, but I think it sprung a leak, because that's all gone now. Buuuut I have all sorts of other useful stuff!” The other ponies slowed to a halt as they watched their pink companion pull increasingly more improbable things from out of nowhere. “I've got a hammer,” Pinkie started. “Screws. A beach ball. Baseball, soccer ball, football, baseball glove and a toy fish. Three cakes (vanilla, chocolate and spice), along with six cupcakes with custom icing (one for each of us!). A compass, a different compass, a thing that they told me was a compass but that makes circles instead of showing you how not to, three reams of paper folded into a single origami flamingo, a towel, and my favorite rubber ducky. And... that's it! So, what do you think?” Pinkie smiled as she came to a stop, leaning on top of the pile of junk she had made. Her smile faded a little when she noticed nopony else was saying anything. “Did I not pack enough cake? I would have brought more, but I only had five minutes.” “What was that?” Applejack blurted. “Was that a spell?” Twilight wondered. “Did Princess Celestia give that to you? You're an earth pony, so that can't have been your own magic.” “How in the hay did you fit all that in your mane?” Rainbow asked. Pinkie's ears drooped. “Was... was I not supposed to do that? I just – everyone else was showing all the stuff they brought, so I thought...” No one spoke. Pinkie shook her head. “Never mind! I'll just pack this up, and we can keep going.” With a few swift movements, everything was stowed away again, and Pinkie turned abruptly back towards their direction of travel. “Come on guys! We've gotta get to that castle!” Pinkie trotted on ahead. The others stood there for a moment in silence. Then they hurried to catch up. Dash flew up to Pinkie's side. “Sooo,” she asked, “where exactly is this castle we're looking for? I mean, you'd think I would know about something like that, having lived here for so long and all. I've been all over this forest, but I don't remember seeing anything like that lying around.” Pinkie put a hoof to her chin and screwed up her face. “It's sort of Easterly, I think, but not as upward as it is right-ish. Sort of? I don't know.” She shrugged. “I haven't ever been there before.” “The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters is a fairly important historical ruin,” Twilight said. “It's located in the South-Eastern quadrant, about three miles in from the forest's edge. It should be only a short distance off of the Moth Meadows trail, around the point where it runs into Cyprus clearing.” “Well, that explains it,” Rainbow sighed. “Lame! That's the absolute tamest part of the Everfree. I never come here; there's nothing from here to there bigger to hunt than a quarrel-snipe, and you're better off just ignoring those, they pay so little. You probably don't even need my help, if that's where we're going.” Rarity frowned. “My sister and those other foals still need our help, Rainbow Dash. And Nightmare Moon isn't going to make things easy on us.” “Oh, don't think I'm dropping out," Rainbow smirked. "I'm coming with, and nothing's going to stop me.” The pegasus leaned back in the air. “Just wake me when we get there, is all.” Without turning, Rainbow added: “Applejack, don't touch those. They suck.” The farmer froze, hoof poised over a patch of unassuming green flowers that she had been about to step in. The petals had a jagged line of yellow running along their center. Twilight glanced over. “Oh. Nice catch, Rainbow Dash. Everypony keep an eye out for plants you don't recognize.” She turned to Applejack. “These are Shock Saffron. They're carnivorous magic-users.” “Giggidy,” Applejack mumbled, stepping away quickly. “What – what would have happened if Ah had...” “Oh, nothing much,” Twilight smiled. “They would have stunned you with their magic, but you've got us around. We would have been able to get you out before anything bad happened.” “Huh,” Applejack nodded. “Alright.” “Of course, had you been alone, you would have spent a horrific three days of being slowly enveloped by vines and eaten alive. The digestive process would last much longer – about two months for a creature your size – but you would have succumbed to thirst long before then, so that really wouldn't have been an issue for you.” Applejack blanched. “Oh.” Twilight coughed. “That, um. I was trying to be reassuring... Sorry.” “No problem, sugarcube,” Applejack said. She stepped gingerly around the plants. “Just you make sure and tell me about the next killer plant before Ah step on it, alright?” “Sure thing,” Twilight smiled. “You're welcome,” Rainbow snarked, not bothering to turn around. Nightmare Moon had been gone for a while, but the captive fillies hadn't made any move to escape. The sounds coming from outside the creepy, cold, run-down, dark, kinda moldy room they had been left in could sort of be taken for the sounds a dangerous monster might make, if you were scared already. Of course, they were probably totally ordinary noises an abandoned castle might make. Like the wind, moving through a hole in the walls. Just the wind. Totally normal. There was another sound, a crash, and Scootaloo clung tighter to the others. To keep them from being scared, of course. She was big and tough, but she could see that the others were getting a little freaked out. It was going to be okay. Rainbow Dash would save them. Everything would be – “So,” Nightmare began. The fillies jumped in surprise as she stepped out of a shadowed corner. “Now that my sister is out of the way for the moment, why don't we get to know each other better?” The great mare strode forward to the center of the spacious room, metal-shod hooves clicking on the stone floor. She sat there, facing the three fillies. There was a smile on her dark face. Scootaloo's breath hitched for a moment as she got a good look at Nightmare Moon's cold eyes. They were slitted, like a snake, and not at all like a pony's eyes should be. “Y- You've made a big mistake,” said the yellow filly with the bow. “Mah sister's gonna be really mad at you fer takin' me away like this. She's gonna come and beat you up!” Nightmare's smile grew as she raised an eyebrow. “Really? You have a sister too? What is the name of this mare whom a Princess should fear?” “Applejack!” the filly replied. “Her name is Applejack.” “Applejack? What a fearsome name. Is she a famous warrior, that you are so confident in her? I must confess, I haven't been keeping up with the names of ponies to know, as of late.” “N- no... She's a farmer...” “But Rainbow Dash is!” Scootaloo jumped. “She's the best hunter in all of the Everfree. She'll save us in no time flat!” The unicorn filly with the pink and purple mane looked back at Scootaloo with hope in her eyes. “Rainbow Dash is coming here?” she squeaked. “Sure she is!” Scootaloo nodded. “She's gonna save all of us, and beat you to a pulp, Nightmare Moon, just you wait!” “And what have I done to provoke the wrath of the terrifying Rainbow Dash?” Nightmare purred. “Is she your sister, then, that she would come after you?” Scootaloo glared. “She's my hero! There's no way Rainbow Dash would leave me hanging. I'm the founding member of her fanclub.” “Ah.” Nightmare Moon's eyes rested on each of the fillies in turn. “What have I done to myself this time? Perhaps I should know exactly who it is I have so foolishly foalnapped, so that I may appreciate just how final my doom truly is.” She gestured at the unicorn. “You have been silent so far, little one. What is your name, and whom should I expect to teach me a lesson on your behalf?” “... My name's Sweetie Belle,” the unicorn muttered. Seeing the others all looking at her, the little filly gathered herself as best she could. “My sister's an armorer. A really good armorer! She'll probably give all the other ponies the best armor, and then you'll be sorry, because all your attacks will just bounce off!” “I'm petrified,” Nightmare said. She turned to look at the others. “And what of your names? What are the names of Applejack the Farmer's sister, and Rainbow Dash's number one fan?” “Why should we tell you?” Scootaloo snorted. “You're evil, and you're weird, and you've foalnapped us! If you want to know our names, then we don't want to give them to you!” “But how is that fair?” Nightmare pouted. “You already know my name. How are we to work together if I don't know what to call you by?” Scootaloo sputtered. “Work together?” “We ain't helpin' you!” “You're evil!” Nightmare's smile faded into a small frown. She stood abruptly. The fillies shrank back, but Nightmare Moon took no notice of them. Instead, she stared off into the distance, through one of the castle walls. “... Evil is rather subjective,” she said at last. “Would you not consider imprisoning somepony for ten lifetimes an evil act? When their only crime is that of loneliness? And yet, that is what was done to me. I do not consider myself evil.” She turned back to the fillies. “Somepony has entered the woods. Searching for you? Your sisters, perhaps?” “Ha!” the yellow filly cried. “See? Ah told you she'd come!” “Is Rainbow Dash with them?” Scootaloo asked. “Oh, you're gonna be sorry now!” “... Indeed,” Nightmare agreed. “I will be very sorry.” Nightmare Moon flared her ebony wings. The ground shook, and her eyes lit up with eldritch light, as bolts of purple lightning danced around her frame. Her long horn shone blue for but a moment. Then all was done, the air was normal, and light returned to the hollow room. “I hate to see the lives of such noble ponies as these wasted on such a trivial matter as failing to mind their own business.” She turned back to the fillies. “Now,” she said. “How about I just guess your names? You look like a Scootaloo to me. And,” she turned to the yellow filly, “that would make you Apple Bloom, wouldn't it?” In the distance, there was a resounding roar. “What was that?” Rarity started. As the roar died down to a deep, echoing moan, Rainbow Dash relaxed from her coiled aerial crouch. “I don't know,” she said in a hushed tone, “but it's not supposed to be here. Nightmare Moon?” “That sounds like an Ursa.” Twilight frowned. “There's only one family in the Everfree, and they live in a cave near the center of the forest. What is this one doing out here?” “... It sounds like it's hurt,” Fluttershy said. “Oh, the poor thing...” “What's an Ursa?” Pinkie asked. “Is it like a bear? 'Cause ursa means bear, and I invited all the bears in Ponyville to the Summer Sun Celebration, but none of them showed up.” She gasped. “Is it upset because I didn't give it an invitation to my party?” Rainbow Dash stretched her forelegs wide in a pantomiming gesture. “An Ursa is a massive creature, with even the smallest being taller than a house, and the biggest being as tall as Canterlot castle itself! Its coat is like a patch the night sky, and it feeds by holding very still, letting itself blend in, and ambushing hydras that are unlucky enough to walk under it! And they're mean, too. If they get mad, they'll chase you for miles, and you won't see one coming until it's too late.” “Uh... Should we go around?” Applejack asked. “Ah mean, that don't sound like anything we should be tanglin' with if we don't have to.” Twilight nodded. “From the pitch of the cries, it sounds like an Ursa Minor. A baby. Those are never very far from their mothers, and Ursa Majors are highly protective of their young. We should probably try to find another way.” The beast up ahead let out another cry of pain. Fluttershy squeaked. “A baby?! Oh no...” And, without warning, she took off down the path towards the noise. “Fluttershy, wait!” Rainbow called. The other ponies followed closely behind. “It's hurt! It could be dangerous!” The ponies burst into a clearing, and slid to a stop beside where Fluttershy stood, looking across the newly-deforested copse to where a massive midnight-blue bear was limping around, knocking over decades-old trees and emitting a pitiful wail. “It's hurt itself, see?” Fluttershy said, pointing at where the giant cub was clutching its paw to its chest. The limb was dark, and starting to swell. “I think it's leg is broken.” “That's great, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said. The Ursa roared and lashed out at a swath of trees, which splintered under the heavy blow. “That just means it can't follow us while we sneak past it. Come on, this thing is dangerous.” Fluttershy watched the Ursa Minor as it stumbled away from the path. Then she turned to where her friend was flying beside her. “I need you to hold it down so I can bind its leg.” “What?!” The cry from the other four ponies drew the attention of the star beast for a moment. It stumbled around, searching for the source of the noise, before it bumped into another tree and was distracted at the unexpected sensation. Rainbow Dash just sighed. “Why did I know you were going to say that?” Twilight slowly scratched at her mane. “I don't know about this, Fluttershy. Not only is an injured, wild creature incredibly dangerous, but every moment we spend is another moment the Princess and the fillies are at the dubious mercy of Nightmare Moon. We can't afford to make unnecessary stops.” “No,” Pinkie said. “No, she's right! As noble heroes of justice, we must take every opportunity to help out the unfortunates we meet upon our epic quest, as they will no doubt turn out to have great strategic and karmic importance later on as our trials begin to grow truly harrowing and our powers grow weak. Also, it'll give us the warm fuzzies. So let's do it!” “Pinkie, dear,” Rarity frowned, “I don't think that reasoning is – uh – strategically sound. Perhaps we should listen to –” Rainbow Dash leapt out at the Ursa, her flight a dim blur against the forest background. The beast's watering eyes were drawn to the movement, and it swung a paw at it with the urgency of pain and fear. With smooth, practiced roll, Rainbow Dash curved up and around, avoiding the attack almost before it was thrown, keeping her distance to avoid the billows of wind that would have caught a less experienced flier. As the Ursa's momentum carried it out in the direction of its blow, Rainbow looped around behind its back and crashed hoof-first into it's wounded foreleg. With an agonized cry, the beast collapsed, it's center of gravity too far out for its hindlegs alone to support. Rainbow Dash hovered back above, seeking another opening. A noose fell round the Ursa's neck. With an energetic cry, Applejack ran up to the fallen creature, lashing the rope around as many legs as she could manage. By itself, the rope was hopelessly thin, but the farmer managed to fasten so many layers that as the Ursa tried to gather itself again it missed a leg, and fell back onto its side. With a growl that reverberated through the clearing, the Ursa tied to stand for a third time. But then it stopped. Fluttershy was there, in front of it, whispering soft words to the young star bear. The others hung back, muscles tensed. The Ursa sat down again. “Good bear.” Fluttershy smiled. “You just sit there and let me do all the work. We'll have your leg better in no time, you'll see!” “Holy purple ribbons, that was awesome!” Pinkie shouted. “I mean, the Ursa was right there, all snarling and grouchy, and everypony wanted to go around, but Fluttershy said 'no' and Rainbow was all 'whatever' and then zoom, and pow, and then there was Applejack, and then Fluttershy again with the shh. Oh, the shh! The shh was the best part!” “Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said, “could you get me some wood I could use as a splint? A- Applejack, I'm going to need some of your rope, if that's okay. Um... you can take it off now. Little Minor won't hurt you.” “A splint for an Ursa Minor?” Rainbow smirked. “You're lucky I can totally kick down trees and stuff.” It only took a few minutes, two saplings, and almost all of Applejack's rope for Fluttershy to declare the Ursa's leg well and treated. The massive cub leapt up and down excitedly, in spite of Fluttershy's protests, and seemed delighted at the reduction of it's pain. It froze for a moment, ears twitching, and then vanished into the woods. “Amazing,” Rarity gasped. “How does it move through the trees without running into them at its size? It's like a ghost.” “Ursas are actually surprisingly good at navigating their forest environment, in spite of their volume,” Twilight remarked. “They can move in almost total silence, and their large feet are designed so that they don't leave footprints, even with their great weight. They only cause the sort of destruction that made this clearing when they're wounded, or otherwise upset.” “Yeah yeah, Ursas are cool.” Dash rolled her eyes. “Come on, we need to keep moving.” As they stepped back onto the faded path, Applejack adjusted the brim of her hat, keeping her eyes trained on the forest. “So,” she spoke up, “where do you think that critter went?” “I'll bet he went back to his mommy,” Pinkie grinned. “That sounds right,” Fluttershy agreed. “It's what I would do, if I were him.” “Ah'm just sayin' it 'cause it seemed to me the fellow was headed in this direction.” Applejack frowned. “Ah don't feel all that keen on meetin' up with him again.” “I wouldn't worry about it,” Twilight smiled. “Even if we do meet up with the Ursa or his mother, they shouldn't bother us now that we've calmed the Minor down.” “Yeah!” Pinkie cheered. Suddenly, the path widened dramatically. Where before the ponies could hardly walk two together, the path now spread out the width of a city square. A large city square, closer to the one in Canterlot than the town square in Ponyville. The sides were littered with the trunks of freshly-fallen trees, and the path of destruction lead in a straight line from where the dirt path curved away off towards the forest center in the distance. In the distance, they could just barely see the sky moving away. As the others came to a slack-jawed halt, Pinkie bounced along, humming a cheerful tune. “I'm sure everything's going to be just fine!”