//------------------------------// // Denial ain't just a river in Egypt // Story: Between a Rock and a Hard Place // by goo //------------------------------// "I'mma tan your ratty blue hide if I ever catch you stealing again, ya hear?" The coarse southern accent rang in the pegasus's ears. She peered down at the strange sight below her. The creature was not joking. Her face was red, her eyes were narrowed, her jaw clenched, her blonde pony-tail swished, her ears twisted back against her neck... it was every sign of wrath that could be readily displayed on a pony. This was, without a doubt, one of the most exciting games Dash had ever played. It was a dance. She'd only been in Ponyville for a week, and she had already almost gotten fired from her brand new job, smashed an innocent shop-keeper's stand into an unrecognizable mess of wood and oranges, and stolen something. Well, stolen three things. This was the third day in a row she had been caught munching away in the orchards. That angry farmpony didn't stand a chance against an aerial thief, as far as Dash knew. Dash chuckled boisterously while levitating in the air, saying, "Well, you can only tan my hide if you can catch me! There isn't any way some dumb old workhorse is gonna catch the fastest pegasus in Equestria!" She batted her wings twice, and then swooshed just inches above the earth pony at top speed, lightly rapping her with the tips of her rainbow tail and soaring upwards, her powerful wings bearing the lift force necessary to reverse her dive at precisely the right moment. There was a flaw with the plan. The ground, which should have been fading away, hurtled closer and closer to her face. Something rough had caught her back leg. She thudded to the ground, and quickly became unconscious. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash felt an unsettling but painfully familiar feeling in her stomach as she glanced at Applejack's flank. Those three apples never looked sweeter. This always seemed to happen around noon, which it was right now, especially after spending so much time with her golden-colored friend. The two were both pretty sweaty, after all of the physical exertion that was required in building a new shed. Dash's stomach lurched again. Oh, by the way, the feeling was hunger. Definitely just hunger. It had absolutely, positively nothing to do with the way Dash had been sneaking glances at her friend's figure increasingly frequently throughout the long day. "Thanks again for helping me with this Dash, I dunno what I'd do without ya!" She grinned easily at her friend, but her face crunched into a grimace as she lifted another beam to the lighter pegasus. A tennis-player-like grunt punched into the air as the golden mare popped her hips from a crouched position to a standing one, hefting the beam up. That one was Dash's idea. Apparently it was good for her back that way, but Applejack wasn't so sure. She trusted her friend though, so she went for it. It was just another game, and as always, Applejack was not clued in on the rules or reasons for playing... It worked much better that way, at least as far as Dash knew. The two were both competitive ponies, and the rainbow pegasus really did not want to lose this game. [you just lost it, by the way...] Right now, she was having a lot of trouble figuring out just what the rules were for the game. Was she trying to seduce her, or was she just trying to get a nice look at that fine cowpony? Did she want her purely physically, or was there some sort of emotional attachment there, too? Was the way she felt just because she lived alone and longed for companionship of any kind, or did this relationship really stand a chance? That was the worst and best thing about playing a game with a pony in the unawares, it meant that the rules and goals were subject to change at your every whim, no matter how fanciful or idiotic they were. "Any time, AJ, you know I always have your back!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The blue pegasus's eyes fluttered open, blinking in the rose-colored light. Where am I? ... Shit, did Gilda and I get caught up in another weird hazing activity? She evaluated her body, lifting each limb. Wings, check. Forelimbs, check. One leg, check. Other leg... stuck? She tugged a few more times on the constraint. Damn, that thing was sturdy. Dash pushed off the mattress to stand, and felt a rush of nausea and pain shoot through her head. Head, not check. Gingerly, Dash pressed her hoof to her forehead. Yep, that is one massive bruise. Concussion plausible. She slowly lifted her head from the soft bed she was laying on, and noticed that her back leg was tied to the bedpost by a rope. She could move it, but the rope wasn't long enough to escape the room. Speaking of the room, where the hell was she? The place was so quaint it was giving Dash the creeps. Everything was wooden and decorated with an apple insignia. Just when you thought it wasn't reasonable to carve an apple into a door... or a bedpost... or a lamp-stand... yep, it's there alright. It was like a weird convent where Celestia was replaced with apples. The pegasus took a deep breath, only to be startled by an overwhelming odor. Or perhaps an aroma? It was hard to decide between the potent manure-scent and the wonderful smell of an apple pie baking, in what could only be assumed to be the kitchen downstairs. Oh... apples. Her memory returned. That mare with the quaint hat and the crazy pony-tail must have captured her. She briefly wondered if vigilante justice was allowed in Ponyville. The town was so small that one pony missing would cause a stir, right? Cautiously, she turned her head, bearing the weird rush with a grimace. To her surprise, a glass of water was on the table. Considering she was a captive prisoner, the hospitality of putting her in a bed and giving her something to drink was a tad bit surprising. She picked up the glass in her hoof, and drank a bit. The mare blindly felt for the table to return the glass to, since she didn't want to try turning her head again. Something slipped. And she clenched her eyes shut, bracing for the loud shattering noise. That glass did shatter. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rarity seemed to be full of an uncharacteristic mix of nervous energy, her usual politeness, and embarrassment. Dash shuffled inside, attempting not to mess up the posh pony's beautiful flooring. "Please, do come in! It is so wonderful that you could come over on such a short notice. I've got some tea over here... though you probably wouldn't like it, I know how you are about tea... Perhaps some lemonade would do? Oh, but that is so simple, I ho..." Dash cut her off quickly with a falsely enthusiastic grin, while saying, "No really, lemonade is fine." What she was thinking was a tad bit different. For starters, why on earth did the unicorn want her over? She had promised that it was not another attempt to conscript... whatever that meant... her into modeling for a new line. Maybe she wanted to shave her mane and tail and sell them as dresses or something, and knew she would just get spurned. "So... uh, what is this all about?" Dash asked unemphatically. It was exhausting to watch Rarity titter around and arrange everything as if it really mattered. She was due for a nap in the next couple of minutes, and this wasn't helping at all. Rarity paused abruptly, nearly dropping her teacup in the suddenness of her halting. Her lip seemed to quiver, but Dash didn't notice. She wasn't much of an observant type, and she was already a little annoyed about the way this conversation was going. "Oh dear, I suppose I really do have to go through with this now that I've dragged you in to it..." Her sing-songy tone was disrupted by what seemed to be emotion. She cleared her throat with a dainty hem-hem. Dash looked up, looking her friend in the eyes. The unicorn's vivid blue eyes were fraught with tears. Even though she had no idea why her friend was so traumatized, she had a faint idea of what to do. She lifted out of her chair, and wrapped her forelimbs around the sobbing mare's torso. Warmth spread to both parties, but a decidedly moist deposit develped on Dash's shoulder. The pegasus was a bit of a stranger to encounters like these. The odds that the drama queen would have choosen her most outspoken and insensitive friend as a confidant were quite slim. Awkwardly, the pegasus attempted to comfort her, patting her back and shushing a bit like Fluttershy would have. She pushed out of the hug and looked Rarity in the eyes again. Steadily, she said, "C'mon now, it can't be that bad, right? You can tell me anything!" Dash grinned in a cheesy manner at the last line, knowing it wasn't entirely true but hoping that she could be the friend who would understand. Rarity dabbed at her eyes, worsening the state of her mascara. It seemed obvious that she was trying to muster the courage to say whatever she needed to say. Dash waited, and got what she thought she wanted to hear. "I'm in love with Applejack! I can't say I've ever been so smitten in my life. She's charming, gentle, and dedicated... everything I'd ever need. But I don't stand a chance at getting her attention. I know you're her best friend, so I thought maybe ..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly as she calculated the reaction on the attentive visage before her. Dash exploded on the inside. Rage, jealously, indignance, fear... but most of all, she felt torn. She wanted more than anything to be a good friend. It was her duty to help her friends out when they needed it most. At the same time, how could Rarity possibly use the word love when describing AJ? Applejack was her friend, not Rarity's. The two spent half their time mocking Rarity's bizarre antics. She couldn't imagine a poorer fit. Her face wrinkled in disgust at the thought of her fashionable friend's nasty perfume mixing with the beautiful, earthy scent of Applejack's farm. Dash realized her face had compromised her emotions a bit too late. Rarity began to sob again, this time even louder than before. "I thought that you of all ponies would understa-a-a-and!" A shrill whine erupted from the beast before her. Finally, the pegasus's brain finished computing a proper reaction to the situation. She ignored the subtle jab at her sexual orientation in Rarity's latest squeal, and recovered, "Oh, no, nothing's wrong with that! In fact, I'd love to help you out! AJ currently does't have a crush on anypony right now, so you're in luck!" Her response was really quite bitter, but only she knew it. Dash lightly touched the white unicorn's forelimb in an attempt to calm her. After a good deal of sniffling, Rarity grabbed an unsuspecting Rainbow Dash into a stranglehold-hug. She danced her around the room, thanking her over and over again. Dash followed along, wondering what on earth she had just gotten herself into.