Far above the Everfree Forest, a blue pegasus strained her wings against the fatigue in her muscles. It wasn't that she was out of shape, even though she lazed about most days and couldn’t follow a diet to save her life; she was actually a finely-tuned machine, top of her class, best flyer in all Discordia, but she’d been flying non-stop for hours now with no rest or proper food, and it was starting to wear on her.
Rainbow Dash mentally kicked herself yet again for getting so far away from home. It wasn’t that she disliked Ponyville; in fact she’d loved it since they’d taken her in as a filly, after Cloudsdale’s citizens turned to rioting and feuding for the hundredth time. At least in Ponyville they were somewhat organized, there was food on a consistent basis, and the proximity of the Everfree’s magic made living with Chaos easier. Not to mention Applejack’s amazing apple cider.
Rainbow had tried to just let it go, really. But after what happened with Twilight Sparkle, even the skies above town felt too restrictive. She needed a change of scenery, and so one day she just up and left. She wasn’t even sure why it bothered her so much in the first place, but Rainbow had actively shunned introspection on the unpleasant topic for her entire self-indulgent sabbatical. Whatever it was, she didn’t really want to think about it; better just to get over it and forget.
Her little vacation had been fun for sure. Fresh canyons to weave down, unsuspecting new ponies to divebomb, barnstorming, zipping low over unfamiliar fields, looping and twirling, soaring so high she could hardly breathe, all in skies where she could no longer see even a tiny speck of familiar buildings or roads. It was incredibly freeing.
The darkness freaked her out, though.
It had happened sometime yesterday, as best she could tell. The sun had been drifting lazily about, then suddenly was pulled below the horizon. The moon and stars had soon followed suit, and she’d been left flying in pitch blackness, with no landmarks except the lights of unfamiliar towns.
It was really frightening, actually. She’d spent hours flying in circles, trying to find something familiar in the lights, while staying high enough to avoid any cliffs or mountains that might be in her path. More than once she’d gotten lost in the cloud cover and had to start from scratch. It made her regret never learning how to follow her inner compass; the magical and magnetic fields in the area were as variable as anything due to Chaos, but at least they generally aligned the same way on average. A trained pegasus could tap into that and develop a fairly accurate sense of direction over time, if they worked at it.
Then without warning, the sun had reappeared less than an hour ago, shooting up from the horizon directly into the center of the sky. With the light she was able to determine she was above the Everfree Forest, and that was enough to give her a general bearing toward Ponyville.
Being away on a carefree adventure had been fun, but now she was tired, hungry, and just wanted to get home, so when an old spire appeared on the distant horizon, Rainbow Dash smiled. Her eagle-like eyesight was probably the best in Ponyville, Zecora’s excepted, and she could recognize the old castle at any distance. She was on the right track; maybe if she flew a little higher she’d be able to see…
Something caught her eye at the old castle again, and she glanced back down.
A tiny white dot was flitting around the castle, dipping low and then circling high again, still below the tops of the spires. She was too high to tell exactly what, but it seemed too big to be a pony… Maybe a stray cloud misbehaving? No, clouds didn’t have wings…
She suddenly gasped as the object came into better focus. It was a pony. A huge, gleaming white pegasus, with wings that had to be bigger than Rainbow Dash herself. Even at a distance, the light gleaming off the brilliant coat and feathers was almost like a miniature sun.
Rainbow slowed and hovered high above the castle, squinting to try and resolve more details. At this altitude, it was almost like watching a sparrow flit around a tree from across town, but as best she could tell, the massive pegasus seemed to be searching for something near one side of the castle, in a jumble of small ravines and dense trees.
The other pony’s search circle was shrinking, re-centering. It seemed to be focusing on a particular spot where a few canyons intersected. Finally it flared, backtracked, and swooped into one of the narrow ravines. Wings folded, it was now barely distinguishable, even to Rainbow’s exceptional eyes.
Curiosity finally won out over better judgement, and she decided she had to know what exactly was happening down at the old castle. She tucked her wings, rolled into a lazy inverted dive, and relished the feeling of wind whipping past her face. Within seconds the drug-like rush of adrenaline flooded her body; no matter how many times she repeated that move, it never got old.
Rainbow grinned as euphoria overrode any desire for subtlety or caution. Who knew? Maybe she’d even challenge the huge pegasus to a competition; after all, those incredible wings had to be good for something.
Applejack had stopped shouting for help a few minutes ago. The initial panic was fading, but her body was still trembling. She sat across the canyon from Twilight’s body, which still hadn’t moved an inch.
At very least she’d confirmed the unconscious mare was still breathing, but Applejack knew how powerful her hooves were, and she shuddered to think what damage might have been done in her blind rage. Twilight might have a broken neck, cracked ribs, perhaps even brain damage.
As more minutes passed, the situation would only get worse. Nopony except Zecora knew they were out here. Nopony would be coming to get them or check on them until they were gone for a day or two. Would Twilight live that long? Would she ever wake up even if they got help?
One option included carrying Twilight out, but Applejack at least knew that she shouldn’t move a pony that might have broken bones. A neck injury could prove fatal without stabilizing magic; a snapped rib might puncture a lung. Her other option was to leave and try to get help, but she might not be able to find her way back to this canyon again, and without protection, Twilight’s body could fall victim to scavenging vultures or other predators.
She was re-evaluating her options again when a shadow passed overhead. Applejack started and glanced up to the sky; although the sun was blinding, she caught a glimpse of something white, and what looked like wings.
“Hello?!” she shouted. “Somepony, help me!”
Hope and apprehension spread in her chest. Another pony meant the possibility of help, however it also meant questions about Twilight’s beaten state, which Applejack knew she would have to answer. The thought twisted her gut, but it was too late to recall the shout now.
It didn’t take long. There was a rush of air, and the white wings re-appeared over the edge of the canyon. The sun bounced off the bright feathers, and Applejack’s eyes reflexively squeezed shut against the glow. A blast of wind and dirt hit her in the face, and she felt more than heard the thump of heavy hooves hitting dirt. Very heavy hooves.
Suddenly dreading what she was about to see, Applejack opened her eyes… and gasped in awe.
The pony standing in the canyon was almost twice Applejack’s height. She was an alicorn, long polished horn luminescent with internal magic, massive wings arched high and filling the narrow canyon from wall-to-wall. Her coat and feathers were brilliant white, and a cutie mark representing a stylized golden sun adorned her hip. She was clad in elaborate golden war-armor to match the mark, and her unearthly mane flowed with gorgeous pinks, greens, and blues. Peering out beneath the brow of the war helm, the mare’s eyes seemed kindly and wise, but burned with an inner fire that her mild purple irises could not hide.
There was a brief silence before the Day-Mare spoke, her voice like pealing bells and rolling thunder.
“Laétel equés, haíeran we thyn céallian. Hélpan thu hu cúnnan we?”
Applejack knew a little of what to expect, having heard the Night-Mare speak already, but she still cowered before the voice and flattened her ears against the volume. It wasn’t a shout; in fact the voice was gentle and smooth. It was just so incredibly powerful.
“Uh, listen,” she stammered, avoiding eye contact. “I can’t understand what you’re sayin’ but my… friend… is hurt.” Applejack gestured to Twilight’s motionless body. “Can you help us?”
The Day-Mare turned and furrowed her brow. “Hábban beon thes?” The words themselves were foreign, but the meaning seemed clear.
“I know, it looks bad,” Applejack said, biting her lip and sidestepping nervously. “I… I didn’t mean to…”
“Aélwund heo béon, carú aelswifán neodián heo.” the Day-Mare said, striding over to Twilight and kneeling down. She examined the visible injuries. “Cúnnan we hélpan, búta heo bríngan we mosté áweg her.”
“Say what now?”
The Day-Mare stood back to her full height again and turned to Applejack. “Stryngháldan bríngan heo wýlla we,” she said, horn began glowing with unicorn magic. “Álswa cúman thyn.” She seemed willing to help at least, but whatever the decision, her tone indicated that it was final and not to be argued with.
A subtle shift in the air revealed the beginnings of a spell. Applejack’s hooves and leg muscles started getting pins and needles as if they’d fallen asleep, and an ambient golden-yellow glow began to envelop the three ponies.
Suddenly, she felt another rush of air and something else struck the ground nearby. Applejack nearly jumped with surprise when she saw who it was. “Rainbow Dash? What’n tarnation you doin’ here!?”
Rainbow didn’t answer. Her jaw gaped open as she stared at the huge alicorn. For once she seemed to be stricken speechless.
The Day-Mare glanced briefly at the interloper, then refocused back on her spell. A moment later, a flash of bright yellow-white appeared, shrank to a small sphere, then sparked out of existence with a soft pop, taking the three ponies with it.
Left suddenly alone in the quiet canyon, Rainbow Dash’s brain raced. Her talents for rapid observation ensured no detail had gone unnoticed; she was able to recall everything down to the number of armor pieces the alicorn was wearing, but memory wasn’t the problem.
The particulars of the scene were throwing her off. Twilight Sparkle had been lying asleep or unconscious by the rock wall. Why was she unconscious? What was she doing back in town? Why was Applejack there? And what about the alicorn? As far as she knew, no alicorns existed except in legends.
And more importantly, where had they gone? Was it some kind of freaky teleportation spell or something? She knew unicorns could do those with some practice. Maybe they were still close?
“Applejack?” she called out tentatively. “Twilight? Where’d you go?”
Nopony answered. Rainbow’s wings fluttered as a chill of apprehension went down her spine, but she ignored it and glanced around the canyon for some kind of hint as to what might have happened.
Immediately, a dark spot where Twilight had been lying caught her eye. It was a pool of liquid slowly seeping into the dirt. Moving closer, she could see several smaller spots of the same, peppering the dirt and rocks. There was a small smear on the canyon wall, and a few clumps of purple hair stuck into it. She touched the pool with one hoof; the liquid was partially dry and sticky, and stained her hoof a dark brownish red.
Her stomach turned and she swallowed hard.
None of this seemed good, but at the same time it didn’t make sense either; it could be there just wasn’t enough information, although a tiny tickle in the back of her mind told her she was ignoring something, leaving out a detail that would help make sense of things. Unfortunately, she couldn’t put a hoof on it.
Instead, she spread her wings and took to the sky. Maybe if the other ponies were still in the area, she’d be able to see them. At very least, having her hooves off the ground might help her think.
She made a few passes over the small canyons and old, dry riverbeds. Her presence startled a few woodland creatures, but nothing else appeared. Of course, she could fly over these all day and still not see every angle; the trees were thick, and the canyons were long and winding.
With a growl of frustration, she banked away from the canyon areas and began circling the castle. As near as she could guess, it had to have been a teleportation spell, so she scoured the landscape for a possible destination, even though she had almost no idea what one might look like. Maybe somewhere open, with fewer trees…
After several more minutes with not even a glimpse of anything orange, purple, or white, Rainbow began to wonder if her search was in vain. She didn’t have any clue about how far a teleportation spell could go, or what kind of places it could reach. For all she knew, Applejack and the others might be far underground in a hidden cave.
The last place to check was the castle itself. She curved into a slow, tight circle, scanning the ruins for any sign of life. One pass confirmed the outer courtyards were empty; a second pass for the windows turned up nothing, although there were too many to check completely and some were obscured with old stained and clouded glass.
She began a third pass higher over the top of the castle, between spires. Much as she hated to admit it, this might have to be the last one; with no other clues to go on and no more places to check, she was out of ideas and the hunger in her stomach was beginning to transition from annoying to debilitating.
As she passed over the top of the castle, she caught sight of the inner courtyard. Her mind wandered briefly to the memory of showing her friends the statues of the Sky-Mares. She’d nearly burst into laughter at how terrified Fluttershy seemed in the “spooky old castle”. Or the way Rarity-
Rainbow’s heart fluttered as she passed directly over the courtyard. It was exactly the way she remembered it, except for one major detail.
The statues were gone.
She looped back to check again, and felt her chest tighten. It wasn’t a trick of the light or a bad angle. The pedestals were still there, but they were empty.
The apprehension made her briefly question if staying was a good idea, but a sense of duty overrode it. Something weird was going on, Applejack was smack-dab in the middle of it, and probably needed help.
After a final pass to make sure the rest of the courtyard was deserted, she flared her wings and gently descended into the opening.
The grass of the courtyard was long, dry and scratchy on her legs. Besides the missing statues, everything seemed more or less how she remembered. She walked over to one of the pedestals and began circling around, looking for a hint as to what happened. The pedestal itself was old, and appeared untouched, undamaged.
Around one side of the pedestal, Rainbow noticed a depression in the grass where the blades were crushed and bent. She looked back and noted she’d left a similar trail, but this one wasn’t hers; she hadn’t walked this way yet.
Whatever had made this was bigger than her, by a lot. She could see the path led to the pedestal from one of the castle hallways. In the dirt there were prints, and stepping closer she could see the impressions were rounded, no claws. Not what she would expect from a timberwolf, cragidile, manticore, baby hydra, or anything else.
They were hoofprints. Huge hoofprints, leading away from the pedestal, not toward it.
Rainbow gasped. She glanced around rapidly, checking every corner and entrance until she was sure she was the only one in the courtyard.
She knew the legends of Discord turning the Sky-Mares to stone. That’s all they’d been to her, just legends, cool stories to regale fillies with. It was crazy to believe that the statues had suddenly come to life, but now there was a legit alicorn roaming around, and a missing alicorn statue to match. Two, for that matter.
Breathing deep against the tightness in her chest, she stood quietly for several minutes. the only sounds were a gentle breeze and rustling grass, but she strained her ears for any hint she’d been found out.
After what seemed like an eternity a sound finally caught her ears; a distant echo of raised voices, somewhere inside the castle. They weren’t close, and didn’t seem to be approaching.
Trying to calm her racing heart and fluttering wings, Rainbow carefully stepped through the grass. The voices seemed to be coming from the direction the large hoofprints pointed, through a high archway at one end of the elongated courtyard.
She carefully followed the unfamiliar maze of hallways, stopping at each intersection to listen again; the echos off the stone walls allowed sounds to carry while also making it difficult to pinpoint locations, but through trial and error she was able to gradually get closer to the source of the voices.
Her pounding heartbeat and shallow, shaky breathing were almost embarrassing. In front of other ponies, she could usually put off a solid show of bravado. But here alone with her thoughts, and a possible god-pony or two of ancient legend on the loose, Rainbow’s normally hidden fears were creeping through her brash daredevil shell.
“C’mon Dash,” she whispered, trying to psych herself up. “You got this.”
The voices were very close now, probably only a single hall away. They seemed to be arguing, not shouting, but she still couldn’t make out any words; more than anything, it sounded like gibberish.
She turned around a corner and bit her tongue to avoid a gasp of surprise; the next hallway was short, but flared out and opened into a large chamber lined with tall stained glass windows. Indirect sunlight filtered through, casting soft colors on the floor and walls. Directly opposite the hallway opening, there were two thrones, backed by tapestries of the sun and moon. A huge, chandelier hung slightly ahead of the thrones, old candles set among an elaborate arrangement of yellow and blue gemstones. Intricate paintings adorned the walls and ceiling, depicting great battles and worshiping subjects around two crowned alicorns.
Every inch was covered with dirt and decay; tapestries rotted, paint peeling, windows grimy with age, but the aging throne room was still incredibly impressive. She could only guess how awe-inspiring this room would have been in its prime.
What caught her attention next were the four ponies in the throne room. Applejack was in the middle of the floor, pacing nervously. Twilight was nearby, still lying in the same position she’d been in at the canyon. Closer to the thrones at the back of the room, the Day-Mare and Night-Mare stood in all their regal glory, seemingly arguing in some foreign language.
Abruptly, the Day-Mare stomped her hoof, sending a shock through the solid stone floor. Her eyes ignited, glowing nearly pure white. “Efnénu! Misawég wioután néoddeman, the wýlla Ic onthólian fórdeman hie! Eldróst éom Ic, hédan min raéd!”
The voice was incredible in volume and power, nearly making Rainbow cover her ears in pain. The Night-Mare shrank back and averted her gaze. “Gise, sweóstor,” she replied in a more restrained tone. “Ic wýlla gieldán thin demán fornu.”
“Welhad.” The Day-Mare’s eyes and speaking voice returned to normal. “Nu, the éorthewealcend unféaldan, hélpan hire fréond wýlla we.”
Apparently humbled, the Night-Mare squared her shoulders and stepped toward the center of the room. Applejack tensed and shifted nervously, while Rainbow kept watching from the dark hall, trying to keep her wings from twitching.
“Good tidings, little one,” the Night-Mare announced, her voice shaking the room like the Day-Mare’s had. “Notwithstanding thy crimes, our mercy shall be granted unto thee and thy injured friend.”
“Oh! Uh…” Applejack wavered for a moment, then bowed hesitantly. “Thank you kindly ma’am; I really appreciate it.”
“But first,” The Night-Mare said, tilting her head toward the entrance of the throne room, “thou shalt tell us the name of thy wing’d companion.”
Rainbow’s heart clenched painfully in her chest as all eyes turned to her. She’d been so entranced by the scene before her, she hadn’t taken care to make sure she was hidden. Now, it took all her willpower to keep her hooves and wings still and not flee back into the maze of hallways.
She squared her shoulders and fought back the panic. “Name’s Rainbow Dash,” she said with all the confidence as she could muster. “Who are you and what are you doing with my friends?”
Applejack brought a hoof to her forehead and groaned quietly under her breath.
The Day-Mare arched her eyebrows quizzically and glanced at the Night-Mare. “Béald lytel fóla, is héo noht?”
The Night-Mare nodded, eyes narrowing. “Thou art brave to speak with such boldness, Rainbow Dash,” she said. “Come forth, and perhaps we shall not utterly destroy thee for thy insolence.”
Rainbow briefly considered throwing off a smart-aleck retort, but something about the Night-Mare’s voice sent a shudder down her spine. Instead, she bit her tongue and hesitantly stepped out of the hallway.
The only sound was her hoof-falls on the dingy stone tiles, and it seemed to be an eternity before she finally stopped just abreast of Applejack and Twilight. Up close now, she could see fresh gashes across Twilight’s face, and an older dried one across her neck. The unconscious unicorn was breathing shallowly, barely audible whimpers escaping her lips with each exhale.
Looking up from Twilight, Rainbow met the eyes of the Sky-Mares, both staring down at her silently. For some reason her first instinct was to bow and prostrate herself, and it took all her willpower to keep from dropping to bended knee. She planted her hooves and puffed out her chest in defiance.
“Rainbow,” Applejack said quietly out of the corner of her mouth. “I know subtlety ain’t your strong point, but do me a favor an’ try not to do anythin’ reckless?”
“No problem, AJ.” Rainbow scowled up at the towering alicorn above her, hoping the tremor in her right wing wasn’t too obvious. “I was just about to ask this freak of nature what she wants with you and Twilight.”
Applejack groaned again. “See, that’s exactly what I’m-”
“And speaking of Twilight, what’s wrong with her?” Rainbow’s stress response was pumping adrenaline through her veins, the subtle euphoria fueling her bravado. She pointed an accusing hoof. “Looks like somepony gave her a pretty good beating, sun-butt. Or was it you, moony? How does it feel to pick on a mare half your size?”
“Thyn tunge háldan!” the Day-Mare snapped, stomping a forehoof hard enough to make the floor tremble. Her eyes flared white again and her powerful voice reverberated with barely-checked anger.
Ears flattening, Rainbow gasped and shrank back in spite of herself. She couldn’t understand the words, but she could feel the raw, radiating power that made her wings tingle and flutter. She broke off eye contact, unable to stand the brilliant, glowing gaze of the Day-Mare, a gaze that might as well be a window to the surface of the sun itself.
“Speak with care, Rainbow Dash,” the Night-Mare said evenly, “For thou art treading on dangerous ground.”
“See what you’ve done?” Applejack hissed. “They were gonna help us until you opened your mouth!”
Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, then thought back a few moments; the Night-Mare had told Applejack they would help. She closed her mouth wordlessly and looked at the ground, suddenly realizing how much she might have cost them with her bluster.
The glow in the Day-Mare’s eyes faded, and she sighed, seemingly more from fatigue than exasperation. “Séo wúndig an laétan we cwiciht haélan, béfor diegan héo.”
“So thu wýscan, sweóstor.” The Night-Mare said as she nodded and spread her wings, horn beginning to glow with a soft silver blue light. The Day-Mare stepped forward and did the same, a golden yellow aura around her own horn.
Rainbow and Applejack both flinched, but no punishment fell on them. Instead, the two magical glows enveloped Twilight’s body, twirling and tracing arcane symbols and patterns around her wounds.
“Mid Súnne stréngd ónd Móna efenwégnes…” the Day-Mare intoned quietly, closing her eyes in concentration.
“By the power of the Sun and the balance of the Moon…” the Night-Mare seemingly repeated, matching the soft tone of the Day-Mare’s voice.
“…Thé wúndu becúman haélanol, béuncer gódeswýllan fór thu.”
“…Let thy wounds be made whole, as our grace rests upon thee.”
The intertwined spells faded as the two alicorns stepped back and folded their wings. Rainbow and Applejack cautiously leaned forward, glancing at each other in curious apprehension.
The cuts and gashes on Twilight’s face and neck were gone, even the old scabbed-over ones. The bruise on her side had faded away as well. Her breathing was no longer shallow and thin, but slow and deep.
“Well, I’ll be…” Applejack muttered, eyes wide. “I wasn’t expectin’ that.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Rainbow nodded appreciatively. “I gotta admit, that’s actually pretty neat.”
Without warning, Twilight suddenly jerked her head upright off the floor, eyes wide. “Where am I?” she gasped. “What happened?”
Applejack and Rainbow both jumped back in surprise. They looked briefly at each other, then back at Twilight.
“Well, we’re in the old castle,” Rainbow answered, “but I just got here, so you’ll have to ask A.J. exactly what happened.”
“In the old castle?” Twilight asked, a note of panic rising in her voice. “Oh, no, that’s not good. The Night-Mare is here, we have to get out before she finds us!"
“Whoa nelly, slow down,” Applejack said. She reached out and placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, preventing her from turning around. “Exactly how much do you remember?”
Rainbow had never been good at picking up social cues, but her ears perked slightly at a subtle tone in Applejack’s voice. Was it apprehension? Fear? Concern?
Twilight furrowed her brow and tilted her head. “I remember us talking outside the cave, but not after that…” She raised a hoof to her temple and squeezed her eyes shut. “Ow, my head! What happened?”
Again, something pricked at Rainbow’s brain as Applejack glanced sideways, face clouded and uncertain. The question hung briefly in the air, just long enough to start feeling awkward.
“Well…” Applejack began, but didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence.
“It mattereth not,” the Night-Mare announced impatiently. “We have many questions to ask of thee.”
Twilight’s eyes snapped wide at the voice, but instead of turning around she lunged at Rainbow and Applejack, wrapping her forelegs around them.
Caught off-guard, Rainbow tried to react, but before she could pull away or say something, she felt a brief tingling sensation. Her vision distorted and it seemed for a moment as if the Sky-Mares shrank into the distance, then she suddenly hit the ground and collapsed ungracefully into grass and weeds.
The surprise impact knocked the breath from Rainbow’s lungs, and a wave of nausea swept over her. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, trying to force it back down to her empty stomach.
“I tell you what,” Applejack said woozily from somewhere to Rainbow’s left, “ain’t no way in tarnation…”
“There’s no time!” Twilight’s voice was in a panic. “Come on, we have to go!”
Rainbow opened her eyes and realized she was outside the castle now, lying next to the dirt path that led into the main courtyard. Behind was the Everfree forest, dark and foreboding as ever, even in bright daylight.
“Come on, Rainbow!”
From somewhere in the castle, an unearthly cry of rage swept over the forest.
Rainbow dragged herself to her hooves. She shook her head, still disoriented and nauseous, but her brain and body connected enough to start trotting unevenly after Twilight and Applejack.
“This way!” Twilight shouted from up ahead. She and Applejack were rapidly disappearing into the dark woods at a full gallop.
Willing herself to find the energy that had inexplicably been sapped a moment ago, Rainbow spread her wings and began half-galloping, half-flying after the others. It was faster, but still tiring mentally and physically since she had to concentrate harder and move precisely to avoid catching her wings on the close, low-hanging trees,
After a few minutes of frantic half-flying, she caught up with the others. Twilight had slowed to a trot and was scouring the sides of the trail, muttering to herself.
“Come on, come on!” she said frantically. “I know it’s here, it has to be!”
Rainbow flared to a slow trot beside Applejack, breathing much heavier than usual for such a short sprint. “What are you… going on about?” she asked between gasps.
“The cave!” Twilight snapped back. “The Night-Mare probably knows about the main path from the castle, so she’ll be flying over here looking for us. We need to hide for a while.”
Saving her breath, Rainbow nodded instead of speaking. The last day or so had been really difficult, and much as she hated to admit it, she wasn’t anywhere near peak form at the moment.
“You okay sugarcube?” Applejack said quietly, casting a worried eye sideways at Rainbow.
“Pssh, I’m fine!” Rainbow replied weakly. “Just… been flying hard-OW!”
Her eyes began watering at the sudden pain in her right wing. She seethed through clenched teeth, but tried to force out a laugh “Ha, just a little… cramp. You know what… they say: Never… fly on an empty… stomach, right? Or… is that a… full stomach?”
Applejack’s eyebrow raised at the paper-thin performance. “Rainbow, how long’s it been since you ate somethin’?”
“I found it!” Twilight interjected before Rainbow could respond, waving excitedly from farther down the trail. “Here, hurry!”
Rainbow and Applejack trotted forward as Twilight stepped off the trail and disappeared into the underbrush.
“I dunno,” Rainbow said, still straining against the cramp in her wing, “shouldn’t we be getting back to town? You know, to warn everypony or something?”
Applejack frowned. “No,” she said quietly. “Not yet.”
“Hurry up you two,” Twilight called out, “before the Night-Mare catches us!”
As if to punctuate the words, something large passed almost overhead, low and fast enough to generate a slight gust of wind among the trees. Applejack and Rainbow Dash wasted no time following into the underbrush. A few paces down a slight incline, Twilight was already inside.
The cave wasn’t much to speak of, at least not in Rainbow’s mind. Not having much experience with caves in general, she’d imagined a grand cavern with spikes jutting from the floor and ceiling, perhaps accessed by gliding down through a yawning chasm, with strange crystals and bizarre creatures living in the deepest depths.
In actuality, the “cave” was more like a horizontal crack, about twenty pony-lengths deep and barely tall enough to stand in. Just a damp, grey and brown hole in the side of a steep hill.
“How’d you know this was here?” Applejack asked, shaking dripping water off her widebrimmed hat.
“Do you remember when Ponyville had the hot coffee rain several weeks ago? Pinkie and I were caught out here and I scalded my leg in a puddle while we were looking for somewhere to take shelter.” Twilight pointed to the rear of the cave. “A bit farther back there’s a cold spring; we used it to keep my leg from getting worse while we waited.”
Rainbow shuddered slightly at the significantly cooler air inside the cave. “It’s cold,” she whined, in spite of herself. “How long do we have to stay here?”
Applejack turned a concerned eye to Rainbow. “Probably not doin’ too many favors for that there cramp, I’ll bet.”
Rainbow nodded, sitting back on her haunches despite the cold, uncomfortable ground. The cramp would probably work out in time, but right now she wanted nothing more than a hot compress and a massage from Fluttershy’s skillful hooves.
“I don’t know how long,” Twilight admitted with a sigh. “I’m not sure how long the Night-Mare might keep looking for us.”
“She does seem awfully persistent,” Applejack said. “I can’t quite put a hoof on the Day-Mare, though.”
Twilight’s neck stiffened and her eyes widened. “The Day-Mare is awake too?!”
“Oh yeah…” Applejack shuffled awkwardly. “I reckon you were out for all of that…”
“Speaking of which,” Rainbow interjected. “What happened back there at the castle anyway? You guys get attacked by an Ursa or something?”
“I don’t remember… It’s all blurry, and my head is killing me.” Twilight placed a hoof on her temple. “Applejack, can you fill me in?”
Rainbow watched Applejack’s face, unable to read the subtle emotions with any certainty. Something was bothering her friend, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
Applejack swallowed audibly, although Rainbow was pretty sure Twilight didn’t notice. “Well, we got to arguin’ and ended up tusslin’ a bit. You… hit your head pretty bad. I called for help and the Day-Mare showed up to take us to the castle, then they healed you with their magic.”
“Oh yeah,” Twilight muttered, taking on a belligerent tone. “I seem to recall you were going to keep me from going back into town and warning Discord about the Sky-Mares.”
“Because personally, I don’t really mind much if the Sky-Mares overthrow Discord and take over.” Applejack said. She sounded exasperated, like this was something she’d already explained. “I’ve lived with Chaos my whole life, and if there’s something better, I want it.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Twilight said, voice rapidly rising. “Ponies chose Chaos a thousand years ago because it was better, you thick-skulled mule!”
Applejack gasped.
“Hey!” Anger surged through Rainbow, making her forget about her cramped wing for a moment. She leapt to her hooves and faced Twilight. “Don’t you talk to her like that!”
“Or what, Rainbow?” Twilight snapped, stepping closer so her nose was almost touching Rainbow’s. “Are you going to buck my skull in?” Because I’m sure it couldn’t hurt any worse than it does right now!”
“Maybe I will if you don’t close your mouth!”
“Rainbow, cool your wings!” Applejack stepped between the two ponies and gently pushed them apart. “I don’t want nopony gettin’ hurt again!”
Backed down but still seething, Rainbow kept her eyes fixed on Twilight. “But she called you a… a mule, A.J.!” she exclaimed, the slur bitter on her tongue.
“It’s just a word sugarcube,” Applejack said. “I don’t like it, but it ain’t worth getting so worked up over. ‘Sides, I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that.”
Twilight groaned and sat back on her haunches, the anger draining from her face. “You’re right, I didn’t,” she said, rubbing her head again. “I’m sorry; I’m in a lot of pain, and I really don’t have much patience right now.”
Rainbow felt her own emotions ebb as she suddenly realized how trivial the whole thing was. “I think I know what you mean,” she said, bringing a hoof to her stomach. “I’ve got a wing cramp from flying so hard, and I haven’t eaten or slept since it got dark yesterday.”
“Come to think of it, I ain’t had any breakfast neither.” Applejack chuckled softly. “Guess it’s no wonder we’re all so darned crabby.”
Silence fell over the cave, save for the sound of water dripping intermittently. With nothing of her own to say, Rainbow looked to the other two ponies; neither of them seemed in a hurry to speak either.
In fact, both her companions looked rather troubled. Applejack kept glancing between Rainbow and Twilight, then averting her eyes if either of them noticed. Twilight was lost in thought, but her face betrayed fear behind the pain she was apparently in. There was also the issue of Twilight’s injuries; Applejack had explained, but the now-healed wounds had looked much worse than a simple bump on the head.
Rainbow couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation, and her hunger was making it nearly impossible to concentrate.
“Well I don’t know about you two,” she said. “but I’m gonna go graze a little before I keel over.”
“I’ll come with you,” Applejack said quickly. “I’m feeling mighty peaked myself.”
“Just be careful,” Twilight said, concern edging her voice. “The Sky-Mares are probably still out there and looking for us. Stay away from the path and under the trees if you can.”
Applejack huffed as if to say “you ain’t the boss of me,” but nodded agreement anyway as she followed Rainbow to the entrance of the cave, leaving Twilight inside.
The sun instantly warmed Rainbow’s back and wings, making her hum appreciatively. The air itself was still chilly from the long darkness, but at least outside it was finally starting to warm up, unlike the interior of the cave.
“Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I actually grazed?” Rainbow mused as she pawed at a bit of wild grass, breaking up any clumped-together strands.
Applejack’s mouth was already occupied on a large bite of alfalfa. “I don’t reckon how you manage then,” she said while chewing. “I graze all the time out in the orchards an’ fields to keep my strength up. Saves time too, since I don’t hafta do big meals.”
“I usually eat more prepared stuff,” Rainbow explained, taking a bite of the semi-sweet grass. “Pegasai need more energy density since we’re flying all the time. Up in Cloudsale they used to import tons of grass and hay, then smash it into bars so you can get more in one bite than ten minutes of grazing.”
“Ugh, that’d turn my stomach five ways to next week.” Applejack stuck out her tongue. “I’m fine with the occasional hay fries or veggie burger, but that much food at once just ain’t good for a pony.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Eh, you get used to it pretty fast. They can sometimes make different flavors too, like chocolate, depending on what Chaos brings.”
“I guess I just prefer the natural stuff,” Applejack said, taking another bite.
They grazed in silence for a bit, milling around under one of the large trees by a tiny stream that grew long, juicy bunches of crabgrass on its banks. Rainbow even found a few savory mushrooms at the base of the tree, a welcome treat that rarely occurred in Ponyville.
Gradually, her hunger began to abate and her mind cleared somewhat. She probably still needed a hearty meal before her energy would fully return, but this light snack rested easily on her stomach without making her overfull.
“By the way,” Applejack said, breaking the silence, “where you been off to? I ain’t seen you around for more’n a week, I reckon.”
Swallowing her current bite, Rainbow looked at the ground for a moment before responding. “Just out of town,” she said quietly as an unpleasant feeling spread through her chest. “I… needed to get away for a while.”
“What for?”
“I dunno.” Rainbow turned and walked over to the small stream, sitting down on the bank. “I just couldn’t stay around any longer.”
Applejack followed Rainbow and sat next to her. “Ponyville gettin’ too small for you?” she asked. “I know with Cloudsdale fallin’ apart again we’re getting a ton of new Pegasi in town and the skies seem pretty crowded.”
Rainbow shook her head. “No, it’s not that.”
“Then what? Buncha ponies gettin’ worried, y’know.”
Hearing what she already suspected, Rainbow felt a twist of guilt in her chest. Many ponies in town depended on her, for everything from flying heavy building materials, to helping Ditzy deliver the mail on time.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just…”
“Somepony do somethin’?”
After a long pause to think, Rainbow nodded silently, then jerked her head toward the cave entrance.
Applejack glanced back at the cave, then looked forward again. “Rainbow, Twilight’s just another jerk,” she said quietly. “That mare don’t care ‘bout nopony but herself. You just gotta kick some clouds an’ get over it, y’know?”
“I know, and I tried that.” Rainbow tried to keep her voice steady. “I kicked more clouds in the last couple weeks than I have all year, but…”
“But what?”
“I’m not…” Rainbow took a deep, quivering breath. “I’m not like you, A.J. You just tell it like it is. If somepony breaks your trust like Twilight did, they lose it and have to earn it back, ‘no sense cryin’ over spilt milk’ and stuff.”
She paused, but Applejack provided no rebuttal or agreement, just a nod.
“It’s… different… for me. When I make friends with a pony, it’s like... I can’t really explain it, but I have to be there for them, no matter what.”
“You’re loyal,” Applejack offered, filling in the missing word.
“Yeah, that’s it. The thing is, I can’t just let it go like you can. I just…” Her voice cracked and she trailed off, unable to force anything else out. Her throat seemed abnormally tight, and her eyes were puffy and burning. After a long pause, she tried to speak again, but her mouth wouldn’t form any words.
“She hurt you bad, didn’t she?” Applejack asked softly.
Rainbow choked out a single sob but managed to clamp a hoof over her mouth before any more could escape. Her eyes were harder to stop, and she looked away in embarrassment as hot tears ran down her cheeks.
It did hurt, deeper than she wanted to admit. The connection she felt was more than just being friends; Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Zecora all had her loyalty. Rainbow would do anything for them, forsaking her own wants, needs, or even her life if it came to that.
It was a sacred trust, one which she would never break, and she’d inexplicably felt the same for Twilight despite their short few weeks of friendship. Now, Twilight had broken that trust, and as hard as she tried, Rainbow couldn’t reconcile her feelings; this kind of betrayal was so far outside her personal code, it might as well be an alien language.
Applejack shifted closer and leaned forward, trying to catch Rainbow’s eyes. “Is that why you left?
She had to think about the question, but after a moment Rainbow nodded. She’d been trying so hard to rid herself of Twilight, the only thing that made sense at the time had been leaving the place she knew Twilight. Now in hindsight, it seemed like a pretty dumb thing to try and do.
“You can’t just run from your feelin’s, sugarcube,” Applejack said gently, voicing what Rainbow was beginning to realize. “They’re a part of you, like it or not, and sometimes with the bad ones you hafta get ‘em out; talk about ‘em or something, or else they’ll eat you up inside.”
Finally trusting her voice enough to speak, Rainbow removed the hoof she’d been pressing against her mouth. “I don’t know if I can,” she said shakily, wiping her eyes. “Not right now, anyways.”
“That’s all right,” Applejack said. She rubbed a friendly hoof against Rainbow’s shoulder. “Anytime you need to ramble and get somethin’ off your chest, lemme know. That’s what the rest of us are here for.”
“Thanks, A.J.” Rainbow sniffed and blinked to clear the receding tears. “Speaking of,” she said, hoping to redirect the conversation away from herself, “you’re acting funny. Is something bothering you too?”
Applejack sighed and looked away. “Frankly, yes,” she replied. “I been tryin’ to forget about it, but I guess I ain’t been doing a very good job.”
“What is it?”
Looking back toward the cave, Applejack was momentarily silent. When she spoke, her voice was low and quiet. “Remember how I said Twilight hit her head?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, there’s more to it than that.” Applejack’s voice sounded strained as she peered into the darkness of the cave entrance.“We was arguin’, and I kinda… snapped.”
Applejack looked away from the cave and down at the small stream. “I honest-to-goodness can’t remember how many times I hit her, but it was bad. Really bad. I didn’t think she was ever gonna wake up.”
A shudder went down Rainbow’s spine as she involuntarily glanced at Applejack’s torso and legs. Unlike most ponies who had to shake a tree multiple times to jostle out all the apples, Applejack could do it in one kick. It made Rainbow’s stomach turn to imagine the kind of damage those steel-shod hooves could do to another pony.
Rainbow stole a glance of her own at the cave, just to make sure they were still alone. She couldn’t see inside because of the bright sunlight, but she imagined Twilight sitting in the cold and damp, watching them suspiciously.
“Well... for what it’s worth, it seems like she doesn’t remember,” she said, turning to Applejack again.
“And I’d prefer to keep it that way,” Applejack said. “By the way, we can’t let her get back to Ponyville, least not yet.”
“Why not?” Rainbow asked.
“Because she’s planning on warning Emperor Discord about the Sky Mares,” Applejack answered darkly, “and there ain’t no way in Tartarus I’m lettin’ that happen.”