Author's Note: Hey, hey, hey! Back again! Really on fire at the moment I guess. I just felt so bad for leaving you guys for so long when I said I wouldn't. Anyway...
Keep an eye out for my friend's fanfic, "Apple Spectrum", by Arby Works. It is an awesome fic, and 20% cooler than all other fics!
Thanks again to all the reviewers!
Onwards!
The rainbow-maned Pegasus looked away, hiding the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. Silence followed her narration, apart from the occasional sniffle, as the other friends contemplated everything Rainbow had gone through. Both Rarity and Fluttershy had tears in their eyes, and Pinkie's hair looked deflated. Twilight's face was one of sorrow. Applejack looked at her best friend, her own eyes damp. Everything she'd heard, everything she'd ever known about Rainbow… she knew there was no one in the world like her Rainbow Dash.
"I have to go back."
"WHAT?" Four voices joined together in shock. Only AJ remained silent.
"I HAVE TO. THEY HAVE MY PARENTS."
"Bu–" Twilight was cut off by the orange pony, who stood up. "We can' leave Rainbow's parents! We have ta go and save 'em."
At Applejack's words, the other ponies nodded, but Rainbow turned to her, frowning. "We?"
She looked back at Rainbow defiantly. "We. Rainbow, we can' let ya go alone! We have ta help, we can work together and make a plan. Ah ain't lettin' ya go alone!"
"Yes, Rainbow, dear, we simply cannot let you face those dreadful ponies alone!"
"I agree. Give us some time, I could come up with something."
"We don't have time too! They have my parents NOW. They could be hurting them NOW. WHAT IF… what if… m-my… parents… a-are…"
"Don' think like that! We'll save yer parents, ya hear? Rainbow! We'll rescue them!"
"I don't think they'd do anything to your parents, Rainbow." Twilight had her glasses on, already flicking through numerous books. "Based on everything you told us, these Pegasi seem to think you have information about Samael, and determined to get it. They also seem to know a lot about you. They probably know you're the Element of Loyalty, and that you would do anything to rescue your parents. They wouldn't do anything to them because they know that you'll come to save them."
Applejack watched the expression on Rainbow's face, as it changed from the despair and pain, to confusion, then to dawning hope. When she turned to look at her, AJ nodded, reassuring the cyan pony. "Ah think Twilight's righ'. Yer parents are safe."
"But still. It's far too dangerous! I can't let you guys help. It's my problem! I can deal with it."
"But Dashie, we want to help! It'll be fun! Twilight will do all her bookish stuff and make a super duper plan and then we'll all help and we can have a giant party and then go save your parents and then we can finally meet them, oooooh that'll be so exciting! I can't wait, can we start helping now? You HAVE to let us help, Dashie, it'll be so great, and it'll make us all happy, which will make me really, REALLY happy, being the Element of Laughter and everything, and then we can have a giant party at the very end!"
"No, Pinkie. Thanks for the offer, but I can't accept your help! You have no idea what it's like! It's way too dangerous out there, and it's really tiring and everything, just trying to get there! It'll be too hard, and it'll be scary and you're travelling non-stop! Rarity, you wouldn't be able to stand it! It's all dusty and horrible, you'd hate it!"
"That won't bother me, darling. I know that I can be prim, but in a case such as this, I am most certainly able to put aside such things! Saving your parents is much more important than clothes and hair, and I am the Element of Generosity! If I can't put aside such small things for something this important, I wouldn't deserve the title!"
"Rarity… thank you… that means so much… but NO! No. I can't let you do this! I can't put my friends in danger! What kind of pony would I be, if I let my best friends put themselves in danger to help me! Even association with me could put you all in danger! They already threatened to hurt you once! What if they actually hurt you! Twilight, you can't let this happen!"
"Rainbow, we'll be prepared. We'll be ready for whatever happens, and we'll have plans. We can figure out what'll happen and we can prevent it. All it takes is some research and good organisation! I know we could do it. We're the Elements of Harmony, Rainbow. I'm sure that our powers are necessary for this! We could help out, and you won't be so outnumbered! As Element of Magic, I'm sure I could find something that'll help us fight ponies. Something that can give us an advantage. I should have a book here somewhere… or two… or three… SPIKE!"
"NO! This is crazy! You guys can't help me. It's so dangerous! Fluttershy, it's really dangerous, and scary! You wouldn't like it! Travelling at night in the middle of the desert, and fighting evil ponies… You wouldn't want to face that Fluttershy! No one wants to face that! I can't take you into that kind of danger!"
"Rainbow… please… this is important… and I remember your parents. I want to help… e-even if we do have to face s-scary ponies and d-danger. And we could get the animals to help too… Don't do this alone, Rainbow. You've always been so very kind to me. I want to help, and as Element of Kindness, I think it's even more important for me to help. I always remembered your parents were so very nice to me… Please, Rainbow, let us help."
By this stage, Rainbow had tears of anguish in her eyes, as she turned to the Stetson-clad pony beside her. Applejack looked into the deep magenta-coloured eyes of her best friend, and one-time lover, looked into the brave face of her plucky Pegasus. She saw the panic, the fear that lay deep down within the flier, the side that only AJ had ever seen. She saw the determination, the anger, the pain, the strength. Rainbow only whispered one word. "Applejack?"
The cowpony closed her eyes at the sound of her name. Rainbow rarely ever called her by her full name, only doing it when she was being very serious about something… or when she was begging. When she opened them again, she stared into Rainbow's eyes again, determined as the emerald green met the dark rose.
"Rainbow… Ah'm the Element of Honesty, so y'all know that Ah tell the truth. And this here is the truth. Y'all must be one of that strongest, bravest ponies Ah've ever known. Ya've always been there fer us when we needed ya, an' ya never leave us hangin'. Of all of us, the Element of Loyalty went ta ya, an' there was a reason fer that. The loyalest of ponies, everypony could always count on ya. Ya always said, 'Ah never leave mah friends hangin'" and ya never did. So in this moment when ya need us most, we're gonna be there fer ya. Jus' because y'all be the one representin' the Element of Loyalty don' mean that we ain't gonna be loyal to ya. We want ta help, Rainbow. Let us."
Rainbow had tears in her eyes again, as she looked past AJ. Without thinking, she moved closer to the hurt pony, and gently nuzzled her cheek. "Ya don' have ta do everythin' alone."
The sky blue pony shivered slightly, and Applejack suddenly remembered herself, pulling back and meeting the eyes of the spectral wonder again. She nodded, slightly. "Alright, AJ." Applejack smiled at that, looking at her friend. Rainbow looked tired, but the determination blazed, with a new fire as she accepted her friends' help in the rescue of her parents. In that second, she felt her heart ache again, the longing that had been hidden deep down where she had thought no one could reach. She wanted to kiss Rainbow Dash, right there, right then. The brash Pegasus that had been through more than most ponies could imagine. She wondered if she ever crossed Rainbow's mind like that, but she doubted it. She could have the whole world if she wanted it…
Clearing her throat, AJ tore her gaze away from her secret heartache, to see the others looking at the two. She thought she caught glimpses of disappointment on her friends' faces, but she disregarded it as she tried to distract herself from her feelings. "So, Twiligh'. What do we do?"
The purple unicorn turned back to her books, a giant pile already forming as she flicked through the pages with her magic. Spike was balancing on the ladder, searching for the books that Twilight was after. "Well… we'll have to start from the beginning. Find out where their base is, where Rainbow's parents are, how long it'd take us to get there, how we should get there, how we should organise ourselves…"
"WAIT! Guys, aren't we forgetting something?" Pinkie sprang up, looking at everypony seriously.
"What?"
"SAMAEL! We still don't know who he is!"
"Yeah… Twilight, you didn't find anything about this guy did you? You said the name sounded familiar. He wasn't a famous pony, was he? No one knew about him."
Twilight stopped rummaging through the tomes as she turned to the five faces before her. She looked seriously at them, before she turned to her assistant. "Spike, the book."
The little purple dragon immediately hopped off the ladder, and ran upstairs. The sound of thumping and something crashing was heard, making the six ponies wince. Twilight gave a small sigh, but reminded silent as Spike reappeared on the stairs, bearing a heavy book about the same size as himself. With difficulty, he descended each step, struggling to keep himself from tumbling down the steps. He was successful until the last three steps. Misjudging the distance, he tripped and tumbled down to the ground. Dusting himself off and trying to act as dignified as possible, particularly in the presence of Rarity, he gave the book to Twilight, who thanked him and began to turn the pages. Finally, she stopped at a page and looked up.
"I found out who this Samael was. I'm sure I'm right."
"Who?"
"Who is he?"
"How come nopony ever heard of this pony?"
Twilight took a deep breath. "Rainbow, you didn't find anything about Samael. No one heard of anypony called Samael. Because… he wasn't a pony."
Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Not a pony?"
"No."
"Then what is he?"
"A dragon."
Questions being answered? So you THINK. Guys, believe me, this is not over. We still need to reach halfway. Fun. For me at least.
Reviews are the best kind if gift I could ask for. And hopefully it isn't a hard thing to ask for. Thanks again to my faithful readers!
Yours truly,
Lonewolf
Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.
Mr. Masato/Arby Works.