//------------------------------// // Bad Blood // Story: Spiders and Magic III: Days of Friendship Past // by Maximus_Reborn //------------------------------// Chapter Three “Bad Blood” Applejack fell to the ground, staggering as she pressed a hoof over the corner of her mouth. Rainbow Dash snatched the IV hooks out of her forelegs before descending from the hospital bed. Bandages were wrapped around the mare’s midsection and where her right wing used to be. Rainbow had inadvertently reopened some of her wounds, blood seeping through the bandages, but the pegasus ignored the pain that throbbed through her body, only the breath hissing through her gritted teeth indicating she felt anything. Pinkie hopped between the pair before they could come to blows again. Tears escaped from the corners of Rainbow Dash’s eyes as she lashed out against Applejack, blaming the earth pony. They all felt the loss of Twilight’s sacrifice, yet the pegasus considered it an act of betrayal on Applejack’s part. A friend would never have let another throw her life away like that, not when there might have been a way to save her. However, Applejack stood her ground, knowing the situation was beyond anypony’s control. The unstoppable force met the immovable object, two wills clashing without either giving. Pinkie watched with a somber gaze as Applejack parted, turning her back to Rainbow Dash’s scowl. They would never so much give the other a passing glance for the next twenty-two years. Deep within the broken remains of Manehattan, a lone figure sat in the shadows of an alleyway, emerald irises perched over snow-white freckles. A light breeze brushed through the mare’s short golden locks and rustled the bandages over her scarred forelegs. Once she was certain the path was clear, she sped out of the alleyway at a sprint and slid in through a small opening in the wall of an abandoned warehouse. The building was abandoned, as its foundation struggled to hold together, wood rotting from years of neglect. The earth pony moved to the center of the room, taking a moment to rub the dirt out of her mane upon stopping. A figure fell from the ceiling and landed a few hoof-lengths behind the mare, wearing a dark, open vest with matching shorts that revealed a long scar carved into her side. It was an impressive war wound, matched only by the scar on her jaw. The mare flicked her head, clearing the long, wild strands of her rainbow-patterned mane from her face. She stared at the blonde with a furrowed brow, and her rose-tinted gaze narrowed into a glare once she confirmed the earth pony’s identity. Wings arched away from the back of her vest, the right one shining metallically. Gears softly whirred as the wing snapped to its full reach alongside its biological twin. “What the buck are you doing here, Applejack?!” the pegasus snarled. “Rainbow Dash?” the blonde whispered before cursing under her breath. She stood upright on her hind legs, giving the mare a distant scowl. “Confound that Sweetie Belle. She didn’t say anything about you showing up.” Rainbow Dash closed the gap between herself and the former farmpony until they were inches apart, jabbing a hoof against the mare’s chest. “You got a problem with me being here? What’s the matter? Do I remind you of how you made us abandon Twilight when she needed us most?!” Applejack slapped the mare’s hoof away, glaring intently. “Get off it, Rainbow! How many times do I gotta tell ya, it’s what Twilight wanted! If we’d stayed, none of us would’ve made it out of there alive!” “You could’ve stopped her!” Rainbow bellowed, gritting her teeth. “You let this happen!” Applejack’s venomous glare could have bored through steel. “Screw you, Rainbow! Don’t you dare try to put the blame on me! Twilight was already a goner when she told us all to leave! Fluttershy and Rarity didn’t survive the explosion. Twi was hurt really badly. You didn’t see what I saw, Rainbow. We had to save what little we could. Why can’t you see that?!”  Rainbow Dash scoffed. “You were looking out for yourself. I have a nasty feeling that’s how Apple Bloom--” “Don’t.” Applejack’s voice froze at the mention of her sister. She shook her head, raising a hoof. “You’re treading on some mighty thin ice right now, Rainbow.” The scars on her forelegs burned, stinging inwardly. The blonde growled, gritting her teeth. “Leave Apple Bloom out of this.” -u- “Apple Bloom! Come on!” Applejack cried out, galloping through the rough terrain of the Everfree Forest. The filly rushed to her sister’s side, panting as she glanced back at Sweet Apple Acres while changelings swarmed the land. They tore the barn apart, slaughtering those that stood in their way. Big Macintosh was a victim of the onslaught. Applejack prodded Apple Bloom, pushing the filly ahead as a group of changelings spotted them and split off to give chase. “We ain’t got time to dilly-dally! Now get!” Apple Bloom sniffled, unable to hold back her tears. “Big Macintosh… Granny Smith… Aunt May…” Applejack cringed involuntarily, knowing of the grisly images her younger sister was forced to endure. “Ah know, sugarcube. Ah know... but Ah won’t let a thing happen to you now. Ah promise!” The Apple sisters cut through the forest, forcing their way through the treacherous paths of swamps, trees, and rugged terrain in a desperate attempt to lose their pursuers. They reached the end of a path, skidding to a halt near the edge of a cliff. A large patch of thornbushes covered the ground beneath them. Applejack turned around, only for a changeling to burst out of the forest and collide into her. Its momentum carried the two of them into Apple Bloom and over the edge, sending all three equines careening into the valley below. Applejack landed on a small ledge, partway down the cliff. She rolled onto her stomach, just in time to see Apple Bloom dropping into the heart of the thornbush valley, along with the changeling. Her heart stopped as two screaming voices abruptly fell silent. Applejack pulled herself to a standing position before leaning over the edge of the platform to slowly climb down the rocky side of the cliff. She eventually reached the bottom, finding a safe spot to land in the valley of thorns. She climbed over vines and crawled under branches, wincing at every thorn that caught her fur. Her sister was somewhere in the thornbush valley, and Applejack could only hope she had a safe landing. The blonde stopped in her tracks at a strange sight, a flow of green dripping from above. Applejack stopped to turn her gaze upward and spotted the changeling dangling in the air. Several vines had stopped its descent, with one wrapping around its neck. Thorns had sliced across the skin and through the throat, killing it instantly. Applejack’s ears perked at a soft sound. The farmpony’s mouth fell agape as she located the source, ensnared within the vines. Apple Bloom could only cry, the thorns slicing through every inch of her body as she dangled in the air. Several more thorns stood before the filly, blocking Applejack’s way. Applejack cried out, driving her forelegs through the vines in a desperate attempt to reach her sister. Each thorn gashed through her fur, cutting deep into her skin. The pain was agonizing, as if her forelegs were on fire, but it paled to the anguish swelling in her heart, a delicate love being crushed under hoof haphazardly. Howling at the top of her lungs, Applejack took hold of Apple Bloom’s hooves and pulled with all of her might. She managed to free the filly from her torturous prison. The blonde cringed, pausing to hold out her hooves as blood poured from the deep lacerations decorating  her forelegs before turning away. Applejack cradled Apple Bloom into her hooves, attempting to put pressures over the worst of the filly’s wounds, but there were too many, each too wide to close with hooves alone. Before the mare could try anything else, her sister’s bright orange irises glazed over, and all of her movements ceased.. Applejack felt a crushing grip on her heart. She wrapped both hooves around Apple Bloom’s body and buried her tear-streaked face into the filly’s cold neck, sobbing uncontrollably. -u- Rainbow Dash smirked. “I’m actually glad Apple Bloom’s gone. It saves her the pain of seeing what kind of pony her sister turned out to be--!” The pegasus didn’t have time to react as Applejack reared back, howling as she slammed a hoof into her jaw. The force of the blow sent Rainbow flying back until she burst through the rotten remains of a wooden wall. Dust flew from the debris, filling the air. Dash rolled to a standing position, chuckling as she rubbed a hoof over the corner of her stinging lip. “Oh. Did I hit a sensitive spot? And here I thought you didn’t care about anypony.” Applejack snarled, lowering into an attack stance as she closed the distance between herself and the pegasus. “That’s it, Rainbow! Ah’m sick of you! It’s about time Ah shut you up for good!” Rainbow stood upright, matching the blonde’s stance. “Bring it!” A figure swooped from the shadows and struck both ponies across the chest before either could react, knocking them to the ground. Applejack was the first to recover, shooting a glance in the direction of the intruder. Rainbow Dash shook the cobwebs from her head and growled, ready to attack the intruder, but the pegasus froze in place, inhaling sharply. Peter Parker stood between both mares on his hind legs with a stern expression in his hazel irises. “AJ. Dashie. I like a good catfight as much as the next guy, but...” He trailed off, alternating his gaze between the two before extending a hoof to each of them. “We need to talk.” The mares hesitantly accepted the stallion’s gesture, allowing him to help both back to a standing position. Applejack stared at Peter with a bewildered gaze, tilting her head to the side. Rainbow Dash, however, scoffed before folding her forelegs across her chest. “How do we know this isn’t a changeling?” the pegasus whispered through a growl. Peter grinned. “Would a changeling call you girls ‘Skittles’ and ‘Applebutt’?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes shot open, her lips curling into a quivering smile. The pegasus dropped her guard before wrapping her hooves around the stallion’s waist in an embrace. Peter’s eyes widened as the mare’s shoulders trembled, her hold tightening by the second. All the fury that had filled Rainbow moments ago seemed to evaporate with joy taking its place. Applejack watched with a tearful gaze, extending a hoof. “No way… it really is you,” Rainbow whimpered, choking back a sob. Applejack closed the distance finally, wrapping a hoof around the stallions neck before resting her forehead against his. The blonde sniffled, managing a smile as her gaze met his. “You’re back. Ah don’t believe it. How?” Pinkamena fell from the shadows above, landing a few hoof-lengths from the group. “It’s a long story, but trust me when I say he’s the real deal.” Peter arched a brow, alternating his gaze between Pinkamena and the ceiling. “Do you have something against doors or something?” Sweetie Belle entered the vicinity, pausing once she reached Pinkamena’s side. “I’m sorry for not being upfront to you two about this. If I had told you the truth, I don’t think you would’ve believed me or even come.” The unicorn raised a hoof. “Regardless, it’s really important that we talk.” “I’ll say. It’s not too often somepony comes back from the dead, although this is Parker we’re talking about,” Rainbow commented, glancing between the other ponies in the room. “Something tells me this isn’t some simple ‘Welcome Back’ party.” Pinkamenia scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You know I don’t do parties anymore.” The pegasus nodded, turning to Sweetie Belle. “Right. So what’s up? Why’d you bring us all here together like this?” Sweetie chuckled nervously. “Well... to put it bluntly,  Peter wants to fight Empress Chrysalis and liberate Equestria.” Applejack blinked, turning to give the stallion a stern glare. “Whoa. Hang on, Pete. Everypony’s already tried. Did Sweetie Belle not tell you how we lost Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and the Crystal Empire?” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah. After what happened to Canterlot, Shining led the charge against Chrysalis. It didn’t end well, and after that fight, she absorbed Princess Cadance’s magic before killing her off. Since Changelings feed off of love, that made the Queen practically invincible. Now the ‘Love Queen’s’ made the castle her own fortress. She’s got hundreds of changelings patrolling the grounds. A group of five can tear a centaur apart. You can take a guess at what a bunch more can do to one of us.” Sweetie Belle let out a sigh, pursing her lips. “Then, there are Brutes, changelings that have metamorphosized into grotesque monsters. They’re huge, almost the size of a house, and more than a dozen are sitting on the Crystal Empire’s grounds.” Rainbow Dash leaned closer to Peter. “What’s worse is that she’s got several ponies completely brainwashed. Their minds are so far gone that they’ve become a part of the hive. They’re so infected that there’s no way to free them.” Applejack frowned. “To top it all off, we can’t even get inside the castle to fight Chrysalis.” Rainbow Dash let out a dry laugh. “Even if we did somehow luck out and get inside the throne room, we’d still have to deal with Chrysalis and Trixie. Even if Chrysalis wasn’t unstoppable, Trixie’s as strong as an alicorn.” Applejack closed her eyes, letting out a slow sigh. “Face it, Pete. It just can’t be done.” Peter exhaled. “I don’t believe this! What is wrong with all of you?! Are you sure you’re not the changelings?” he questioned, turning his glare on each mare in turn. “My friends never gave up so easily! Nothing was ever hopeless for them!” The stallion walked up to the pegasus, brushing a hoof lightly against her jaw. “‘Quit’ wasn’t in Rainbow Dash’s vocabulary! You’re determined to become a Wonderbolt, and I know in my timeline, you will eventually! Why? Because you’ll never give up! And if I ever quit being Spider-Mane, you’ll kick the living snot out of me!” Peter turned to the blonde, placing a hoof over her shoulder. “The Applejack I knew was too stubborn to ever throw in the towel! When you found out about Gwen, you were there to remind me that everypony falls, but only some ponies can stand back up. I got back up because that’s what you would do.” Continuing, he moved to the other unicorn in the room. “The Sweetie Belle I knew wanted her cutie mark no matter what, and she did everything possible to earn it! Not once did she give up!” Lastly, Peter reached Pinkamena, giving the mare a determined smile. “Pinkie Pie was the ultimate optimist. She always believed in the best of everypony, no matter how rotten they were.” The stallion held his hooves together. “I know it’s going to be tough, but we can do this! Everypony’s counting on us, and they wouldn’t want you to give up. Let’s do this for Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight. Let’s stop Chrysalis together!” Rainbow Dash tugged away, scowling as her gaze alternated between Peter and Applejack. “Are you kidding me? She turned her back on Twilight!” Peter made his way between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, placing a hoof over their shoulders. He managed a smile. “Skittles. You know Applejack would never abandon anypony. Twilight was… at her limit. There was nothing that could’ve been done for her even if she did escape. With a wound like that she would’ve… she would’ve bled out soon after.” Applejack’s ears lowered into her mane shamefully, the blonde’s gaze falling to the ground. “Pete… Aren’t you a even a little upset? I was the one who left Twilight behind.” Peter shook his head. “I was told everything. You’re the most level-headed pony I know, AJ. You were the one willing to make the hard decision. I can’t thank you enough for that.” Applejack shivered, biting down on her quivering lip. She brushed a hoof over her wet eyes. “Oh, sugarcube...” Peter placed a hoof over the blonde’s shoulder. “Besides I know what it’s like when Twilight makes up her mind. You can’t change it, no matter how hard you try. You probably would’ve just given that girl a headache if you’d argued with her.” A genuine smile formed in his features. “I am sad about what’s happened, but I am also happy seeing that some of you are still alive because of her. That’s why I’m begging for you two to forgive each other.” Applejack folded her forelegs and shot the pegasus a glare. “Pete…” Rainbow scoffed, placing her hooves over her hips. “I don’t know…” Peter closed his eyes and grinned. “This has gone on for way too long. Rarity would scold you two if she saw you act like this. Fluttershy would probably cry. Twilight would make you two apologize. Heck, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo wouldn’t want to see this either. You two always butted heads, but you always came to an understanding because of how much you cared for each other. What happened wasn't your fault-- for either of you.” Peter eyed Rainbow meaningfully. “I know the two of you have a hard time of letting things go, but now isn't the time to go at each other's throat over ghosts of the pasts, especially ghosts you couldn't help. Neither of you deserves that.” Applejack and Rainbow shot each other a glare, but it wavered. The tension between both mares steadily dissipated as their gazes softened towards each other. Rainbow was the first to move, extending a hoof out to Applejack. “I’m sorry, Applejack. I guess… I shouldn’t have called you a traitor. You did the best you could, and I— I was out of line.” Her eyes fell to her hooves. “And I’m sorry for… bringing up Apple Bloom…” Applejack was slow to respond, but her hardened features softened. “...Rainbow, Ah’m sorry, too. Ah know you were only thinking about Twi. Ah hated that I couldn’t save her. You weren’t really wrong. Ah… think Ah just hated that Ah have to live with it.” Peter’s smile remained earnest. “There’s no reason for you two to beat yourselves up. You’ve suffered long enough. Let it go.” Applejack managed to chuckle at that, faintly echoed by Rainbow Dash. Both mares finally met each other’s gaze. Over two and a half decades of hatred had morphed into an understanding of what their best friends and little sisters would want. The tension in the air had thinned, allowing Applejack and Rainbow to breathe easily in close proximity for the first time in years. The former farmpony accepted the other’s hoof, shaking it firmly while sharing a smile. Sweetie Belle nodded, laughing triumphantly. Pinkamena’s lips curled into a faint smile as her eyes grew moist, wiping away a lone tear as it rolled down her cheek. She let out a dry laugh, rubbing her face clean before anypony could take notice. Sweetie Belle regarded the stallion with quietly. Peter was just how she remembered him from the days of old, back when she was a Cutie Mark Crusader. She smiled softly. Peter was a hero to everypony, but to her, he was something more. The filly knew too well the stallion’s capacity for kindness and heroism. Pinkamena smirked a faint ghost of a smile. “You’re blushing, Rebel Leader,” she whispered, her low voice only just audible to the unicorn standing beside her. Sweetie’s eyes widened. “Wha--?” She threw a hoof over her mouth, coughing forcefully to regain some form of composure before waving dismissively. “I-I’m just happy to see everypony back together. That’s all.” Pinkamena nodded, returning her gaze to the trio. “I know how you feel. Twilight would be happy to see this.” After releasing each other’s hoof, Applejack gave Peter a stern expression. “All right, Pete. We’ll do it one more time, but please tell me that we have a chance.” Peter nodded. “Trust me. I’ve been working on a plan. There’s two things we can use to our advantage. What’s Canterlot Castle looking like nowadays?” Pinkamena huffed. “It’s a massive hive where the changelings breed and keep their young. It’s a fortress almost as heavily guarded as the Crystal Empire. Brutes and all.” “The castle is still in one piece though?” Peter questioned, arching a brow. Sweetie Belle’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. The castle’s structure is still the same, more or less.” Peter let out a chuckle. “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. We’re going to Canterlot.” Applejack shook her head madly, her eyes widening. “Wha--?! Hang on, Pete! Were you listening to anypony? If we march into Canterlot, there’s no way we can take on all of those changelings! They’ll overrun us! There’ll be no way for us to escape the moment we’re spotted, too.” Dismayed, Rainbow Dash frowned. “Plus… I’m not nearly as fast as I used to be. This piece of scrap metal makes for decent temporary flight, but not much else. So I can’t sneak in if that’s what you were thinking.” Peter smirked. “Don’t worry. I have something just for that. We’ll need to grab it from the Treebrary.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “The Library?! That was wasted years ago. There’s nothing of that left.” Peter shook his head confidently. “The Treebrary’s gone, but the cellar is still intact.” The stallion moved forward, motioning his hooves. Each mare nodded their approval and followed Spider-Mane. Peter lifted his gaze. “Come on, girls. It’s time we take Equestria back, and I have the perfect equalizer at home.” To be continued...