//------------------------------//
// 94 - Rainbow Falls Re:Spite 
// Story: Re:Harmony 
// by starcross7 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 94 - Rainbow Falls Re:Spite
 
The army of clone soldiers and Roboponies were lucky to not be around when Rainbow Dash and her friends stormed down the Nemesis's halls towards the stern.  For a bunch of ponies who weren't ponies, they sure had a lot wimpiness to flee right as their pale imitation of an awesome airship was going down in a blaze of glory.
 
And what a blaze it was.  Sure there was a bit of adrenaline and anxiety in the cool Captain's companions.  Or maybe it was a lot of adrenaline and anxiety due to the insanity of Pinkie Pie blowing up the airship while they were in it.  Rainbow Dash knew from the start she could count on her for these awesome missions.  Gingerly flying away from the airship was not how the Chroma Pirates roll, and running away as the hallway blew up right behind them was everything she could ask for.  Miss Purplesmart pulled up the rear with a silly albeit cute wince on her face.  Little Apple Bloom held on to her older sister's country-bred blonde mane.  Pinkie Pie seemed to be happily skipping at the same speed as every other mare's sprint.  She didn't even have her cool-looking Pinkie Gear activated.
 
Then there was Coco Pommel; lovely, sexy Coco in her furtight black spymaster outfit galloping alongside the cool blue Captain.  Rainbow Dash never pegged her to be an action mare upon her first meeting.  She first met her as a timid and frightened cutie, but what made the truth more awesome was that Coco was a badass cutie.  That cutie pushed ahead at the final stretch towards the hangar at the stern and she immediately used her elbow to smash the glass case containing the emergency release switch for the hatch.  She was surprisingly strong as well.  These release switches often took one or two stallions time to pull down, but Coco here pulled it down in one clean swing in less than a second.
 
Upon entering the small stern hangar, the falling airship sloped further backwards.  The hangar doors had somehow been opened slightly, but it was still large enough for a mare to fall through by accident.  Coco's spymaster abilities did not imply she was accident prone, but even she was caught off guard and found herself sliding down towards the open sky below.  She managed to grab on the edge at the last minute, and muffled a half-cry for help as if she wasn't sure she needed it.  She needn't worry.  The Captain got her back.  The small opening to the world outside exposed Rainbow Dash to all the necessary atmos particles. Engorged by this power, the blue captain revitalized her blue, and she flapped down and grabbed Coco's hoof right before she fell.  She swung the off-white earth mare back into the hangar and right into the blue bosom of victory.  They were so close that their muzzles almost touched.
 
"Oh, gosh," blushed Coco.  "You saved me again."
 
"You saved us," said Rainbow Dash.  "That was a big gamble to get us to destroy this airship that’s been dogging us the entire time."
 
"That wasn't my intent.  I only did what I did out of fear. I feared my friends and family being threatened for not doing my duty for my country.  I feared that Suri might harm you and the crew if I did not kidnap Apple Bloom in her bid for a promotion."
 
"Don't worry, babe.  That Suri Whatsherface won't be getting a promotion.  With that scalding hot coffee on her face…" (Here, Rainbow Dash slips on her cool, cool shades.)  "...she's gonna need a lot of lotion."



 
 "YEEEEEAAAAAH!  Good morning Spitfire!  I'm Pinkie Pie and I'm here to brighten up your day after the biggest boss battle we had since we took out the cabal at the Crystal Empire.  I hope you drank your venti coffee, because I'm gonna wake you up with the awesome special sneak preview of Rainbow Dash the Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars."
 
Usually these things would be the perfect wake up call other than the awesome 7.1 channel home theater system she had set as her alarm clock.  On a normal day, this blue pegasus would have already shot off her puffy bed and immediately broke down into an aerial jive as part of her high energy morning calisthenics.  Instead, she slugged herself out of bed and onto the cold steel floor.
 
She pretty much embarrassed herself in the escape.  Rainbow really wanted that moment to play out like the awesome movie blockbuster she fantasized about in her mind.  Sure, she heroically rescued Coco, but with another pony's fur against her, she was almost ready to faint.  However, the Nemesis was blowing up behind them, and there weren't enough aeroscooters and enough time to fly out.  Dash lifted Coco and pressed her weight onto her blue back.  She vaguely remembered landing on the Spitfire afterwards and immediately fainting from prolonged contact with another pony's flesh.
 
Dash looked down at herself to see that her body had been wrapped with bandages when they did not need to be.  The idea of other pony hooves touching her while she was unconscious would normally make her sick, but for some reason she did not feel that way. 
 
The bathroom doorway had been taped off since it still under repair from the unintended surprise explosion from Pinkie Pie.  Dash did not need to go it right now.  She could hold it in for days.  Her morning focus then turned towards the other occupant of her bedroom, Rainbow Dash hovered over towards a generously-sized dirt sandbox heated by a quartet of high-wattage incandescent lamps.  Even with a few growing cacti and a fresh bowl of vegetables, Dash's pet tortoise moved slowly as he began digging a sizable burrow underneath a rock enclosure.  She really did not want to believe Dr. Octavia's words that Tank was prepping for hibernation, but it was happening before her eyes.  Tank was the only animal Dash could touch without going into shock.  She could embrace Scootaloo, but recently she had been hanging out with her new friends more often.  Rainbow Dash was running out of living bodies she could hold.
 
Then a melodic and angelic tune slipped through the cracks of her bedroom door.  She must be out there again, and as pretty as she was, Rainbow Dash was hesitant to see her.  Yet she needed to.  The pangs of loneliness forced her to push open the door to her own personal den.
 
All the overhead mood lighting was turned up to hold back the hazy daylight pouring through the porthole windows.  A Border Collie, a toothless baby alligator and an owl were at one side of the room dusting off a bookshelf of action figurines, CDs, DVDs, comic books, and magazines meant for "mature" ponies.  At the corner next to the guitar and guitar amp, a white rabbit busied himself in tossing a scrumptious salad.  The only animal that wasn't working was a white cat who rested on a red couch that looked like a pair of engorged lips.
 
Cleaning the big flat panel television (which was showing Pinkie Pie and Vinyl Scratch's morning show) was Fluttershy.  It was no surprise that both stallions and mares admired her.  Her angelic singing voice soothed Dash's anxieties, and naturally beautiful hair coupled with her supple body were a visual treat.  The three butterflies on each side of her flank were a perfect complement to her gentle nature.
 
Dash's discreet entrance eventually surprised Fluttershy.  She uttered a cute yelp in midair, and then hid behind the love couch after dropping the cleaning cloth and sprayer.  A few seconds has passed until the shy pegasus poked her head much to the purring insistence of Opalescence.
 
"I didn't mean to intrude in your den," said Fluttershy.  "I was concerned that you wouldn’t be able to recover soon, so I convinced the Spa Twins to let me in.  Well, Twilight helped me convince them, but you know what I mean."
 
"Nah, that's okay," said Dash.  "I appreciate you and your pets cleaning up the lovenasium.  I hardly let anypony inside, especially after the toilet incident.  So, is everypony okay?"
 
"They're doing fine.  We did some minor repairs on the airship just to get us over to the Rainbow Falls Base."
 
"What about Coco?"
 
"The Twins wanted to put her in the brig, but Twilight, my friends, and I objected.  After some discussion, they compromised by putting her in house arrest at the sewing workshop.  Rarity is watching her right now."
 
"It's a good thing I turned this ship around to pick you gals up.  I knew that you were the right ponies to take command if I take short break as the awesome captain of the Spitfire.  Here's what's gonna happen next.  Once we dock, we're gonna finish up the movie Pinkie Pie has captured and we'll throw a huge party celebrating our victory over Gaea's Nemesis airship."
 
"Um, about that.  We might not be able attend the party or help you finish the movie."
 
"What are you talking about?  I'm watching the clips on the TV right now, and it's awesome."
 
"It's just that my friends and I are planning to leave once arrive at your base."
 
"But you can't!  You're in the movie!  No, that's not acceptable!  I'm the captain, and you're not allowed to leave my crew!"
 
"We understand why you didn't want us to go to Pegasopolis.  Scootaloo and the Twins told us everything."
 
Dash's jaw froze open.  Those doleful eyes on the cute pegasus told Dash everything.  This was no act.  Even the faces on the animals confirmed that they too knew the terrible secret Dash had been harboring within her.  It was second nature for her to embellish her stories, like the one she told at the pre-race party.  Admittedly, it was abridged, but she did not want to relive the nights Firefly visited her in bed or goaded her into her torturous bedroom.  It gave her petrifying chills thinking about it, and she felt her fur bristling up like icicles.
 
"So you know the truth about me and Firefly?" asked Dash.
 
"I'm sorry!" cried Fluttershy.  "I can't believe the things she did to you, but Applejack's Element of Truth confirmed that it happened."
 
"Then it's all the more reason that none of you should go to Pegasopolis.  You might have the Elements, but this is Pegasopolis we're talkin' about.  One seasoned pegasi warrior has the might of one thousand earth pony soldiers.  Not only that, the current Empress Commander is the most ruthless pegasus ever.  If you think Wind Whistler is scary, the one who replaced her is scarier!  She singlehoofedly annihilated my first crew when I attempted to the free the slaves from the Factory in Cloud 2.  A pegasus like you won't be able to survive a minute in Pegasopolis."
 
"I am aware of the dangers.  To tell you the truth, I am really scared of going, but since I am the Bearer of the Element of Empathy, I have to be there to support my friends.  And from what everypony say about that country, it's all the more reason to go, not just for the Fifth Element.  We also have to free the slaves and the children who have to grow up in such an awful society."
 
"Fluttershy, I..."
 
"AHEM!" blared the overhead speakers.  "IS THIS THING ON?  OKAY.  HEY YOU CREW MEMBERS!  UH, I'M FIRST MATE SCOOTALOO, AND THE SPITFIRE IS GONNA ARRIVE AT THE RAINBOW FALLS BASE IN LIKE AN HOUR OR SO.  YOU MIGHT WANNA BUCKLE DOWN OR SOMETHING."
 
"Rainbow Dash," spoke the yellow pegasus, "I know I wasn't a part of Twilight and Applejack's plan of taking over your airship just to get over to Pegasopolis, but I wanted to apologize on behalf of them.  I know how important the crew is to you, so we won't involve them anymore than necessary.  I am really sorry that I didn't spend as much time as I wanted with you and your tortoise, but I promise to come back once we retrieve the Elements of Creation.  Angel, Gummy, Winona, Owlowiscious, and Opalescence will take care of you.  Without touching you of course.  Goodbye, Captain."
 
Goodbye?  That was one of the many words Rainbow Dash hated hearing.  At least a "see ya later" would be more appropriate, but a "goodbye" sounded like they were not coming back.  The blue captain would have none of that.  She liked those pretty mares she picked up, and she liked them more after they coordinated a daring rescue that she did not deserve.  Dash knew it was dishonorable to deceive them away from Pegasopolis, but she had to honor Spitfire's last order.  She thought about outright imprisoning them just to keep them safe, but that too would go against Spitfire's wishes of letting ponies choose their paths.  Oh, why does her own words have to be so against each other? 
 
Fluttershy barely left the den when Rainbow Dash chased after her.  She flew ahead to cut her off down the hallway, and before she could even land, the airship lurched.  Fluttershy lost balance, and her tripping on her own hooves caused her to start rolling down the hall.  The ball of soft yellow swept up the blue captain, and the two tumbled further until the airship regained stability.  The dust settled, and Rainbow Dash found herself pounced upon Fluttershy.  They were so close that their muzzles almost touched and that they could only see each other's eyes reflected back upon themselves.  Good heaven was she beautiful.  And kissable.
 
"Oh my," blushed Fluttershy.  "Captain, are you okay?"
 
This was too close.  Dash knew that this beautiful pegasus exerted comforting warmth, but all she could feel inside was a stabbing chill.  She somersaulted backwards and nearly tripped on her landing.  The blue captain retreated partway into the hallway's shadows shivering from the discomfort of close body contact.
 
"I'm fine," replied Dash.
 
"Do you need something from me?"
 
"Nothing."
 
Dash could see the sympathy within Fluttershy's eyes.  The yellow pegasus lingered for a moment, and it was clear from the subtle shifts of her body that she wanted to apply a comforting embrace upon Rainbow Dash like she did with her animal friends.  The Bearer of the Element of Empathy knew that there was nothing else she could do lest she exacerbate the blue captain's panic attack.  This was a close call, but once more Rainbow Dash felt isolated from the ponies she liked.
 
Fluttershy had left before Rainbow Dash could fully recover.  That damn phobia Twilight blabbered about struck again.  The groaning murmurs and jolts exerted by the airship meant that the Spitfire was going to dock soon, and the chance to persuade her new friends to stay with her gradually extended past her reach.  She could try one more time in the Rainbow Falls Rebel mountain base, but Twilight and the others were now well aware of Dash's intentions and were stubbornly determined to enter Pegasopolis.  If anything she would have to chase the girls deep into enemy cloudlands.
 
Funny how she was becoming more like her idol as the days pass by. 


 
Apple Bloom woke to the rough yet comforting touch of her sister's Stetson fibers on the fur on her chest.  About a day or so had passed since they escaped the Nemesis, and while Apple Bloom had only suffered scrapes, bruises, and a chipped tooth, she had been babied by her older sister ever since they returned to the Spitfire.  One of the crew cabins had been turned into her own personal bedchambers.  It might have been formerly her sister's given the lasso and her duster coat hanging off the door hooks.  It might also have been Twilight's given the potion kit sitting open at the corner of the table.  Then there was her older sister dozing off and on a stool by the door as if she were some guard dog.
 
Apple Bloom was glad that her sister came and rescue her, but she was really smothering her.  She wanted to move around.  She wanted to see her friends.  The yellow filly shifted and reached for the lamp.
 
Vertical wooden bars stopped her.  Adjusting her eyes in the dim light, it appeared that her bed had turned into some makeshift crib.  The scent of sawdust meant that this had been constructed recently.  Good lord.  It wasn't like she was her baby daughter, but the vile rumors of the Apple Family being inbreds started to come to mind.  Fortunately, Apple Bloom's previous descent into the Element of Truth confirmed that it was not the case.
 
The descent, however, reminded her of the other visions that she either could not tell others about or wrap her head around.  The first being Fluttershy's genesis.  The second was the wraith of light buried deep into the core of the Element of Truth.  Never had Apple Bloom felt so much fear and pure hatred.  The wraith was violent and yet it was in perpetual agony.  The Elements of Creation were said to be cursed, but Apple Bloom knew that her sister had not been shackled by its supposed negative effects.  The golden necklace with the orange apple jewel was too beautiful to be cursed.
 
This bed-crib was not going to keep the restless Apple Bloom in.  She quickly located the release hook and unlatched it.  Unfortunately, she was not fast enough to catch the bars from slamming onto the metal floor and sounding out a loud clang.  A startled Applejack leapt off her stool and transformed her necklace into its beautiful katana form.  She hunched forward with her eyes and head swinging left and right for signs of any possible interlopers.
 
"Sis, it's just me!" cried Apple Bloom.  "Calm down!"
 
"Ah, sorry," said Applejack after reverting her Element into its necklace state.  "Didn't mean to scare you."
 
"I woke myself up."
 
"Oh, good.  Do you need me to fluff your pillows?  Are you thirsty?  How 'bout I read you a bedtime story?"
 
"I don't need any of that right now.  I jus' wanna see my friends."
 
"Apple Bloom, I'm only lookin' out of for you."
 
"I know, but you don't have to beat yourself over it.  I was the one who wanted see Appleloosa, remember?"
 
"I still put you in danger by makin' you follow me.  You were much safer in the Palace of the Earth."
 
"But you hate Posey."
 
"And I still do, but at least I can trust her to protect you.  Lay back down.  There's somethin' I gotta give you for your tooth."
 
So much for her escape.  Apple Bloom couldn't exactly get off of the airship, especially if it was in the air, and all the secret hiding spots or "love nests" would have been upturned and revealed by Rebel Applejack.
 
However, she could not help but be transfixed at what her older sister was doing right now.  She knew Applejack was a fighter, but a potion maker?  Potions and potion making were contraband and forbidden respectively, often punishable by lifetime imprisonment.  Apple Bloom had heard stories that the nation of Zebrica had mass-executed their own zebra alchemists via firing line, hanging, or beheading via machete.  Of all the ponies in the world, this lost art had survived through her older sister.  She watched in awe as Applejack carefully poured, measured, and stirred all manner of boiling and bubbling concoctions before it cooled down in a wooden cup.  Almost a minute later, the potion’s color mimicked the appearance of grape juice, and Applejack took over to Apple Bloom's side on a tray.
 
"Drink this," she said to her little sister.
 
Apple Bloom had read and heard about potions through her books and through her former friends Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.  She was taught that all potions were bad: a heresy; an affront to nature.  They were meant to poison and curse ponies with all sorts of ailments such as a swollen tongue, damaged vocal chords, vertigo, or overgrown fur.  Some potions were brewed to shrink ponies so that the alchemists would easily imprison them for their own twisted pleasures.  Yet her own sister made one for her.  She should trust her, right?  Even if she did not know it was a potion, it looked harmless.
 
Well, down the hatch.  Apple Bloom drank the draught to the last drop.  It did not taste bad.  Then seconds later, her front teeth started throbbing, and she felt it stretching back and forth.  All this time, her older sister stood calm yet attentive, as if she had planned for this effect.   Eventually it all stopped, and Apple Bloom felt a sense of freshness and oneness in her mouth.  She turned her head towards a mirror on the wall, and then licked her teeth to find that the chip she had suffered was no more.
 
"Hey, my tooth!" cried Apple Bloom.  "It's all fixed!  Sis, where did you learn how to make that potion?"
 
"A zebra ambassador taught me back when I was rebellin' against the government all by myself.  Didn't I tell you that back at the Crystal Empire?"
 
"I guess I forgot.  So you know a lot about potions, huh?"
 
"Not a whole lot.  Just the ones that allow you to heal some wounds or increase strength."
 
"Are there potions that'll get you a Cutie Mark?"
 
"What's a Cutie Mark?"
 
"It's the new name of the pictures on our flanks when we get them.  We settled on that instead of 'Booty Marks', which kinda sounds like we're pirates goin' after jewels 'n gold."
 
"Erm, it's a good thing you changed the name.  But I don't get why you and your friends are all gung ho in getting your Cutie Marks so soon."
 
"Doesn't that mean it'll tell you that you’ve grown up?  Or what you're gonna do in the future?"
 
"A Cutie Mark says a lot, but it ain't the end all and be all of what you're gonna be.  I mean, I have three apples on my flank, and so far I haven't done a thing related to apple farmin'.  Still, I am gonna restore the family farm someday.  I gotta do it for mom, dad, Granny Smith, Big Mac, and all the other Apples who died because of Posey and her cronies.  You know I envy you Apple Bloom.  You got a whole lotta years ahead of you to discover who you are.  I want you to be a filly and have fun with your friends."
 
"You'll be there with me, right?  It's not gonna be the same without my big sis."
 
"When all this is over, I promise I'm gonna be there when it happens.  Families gotta stick together.  Especially if we're the only ones left."
 
Apple Bloom could plainly see her older sister holding back her tears with all her might.  For the moments when she needed to let one out, she would turn around and pretend to wash her front hooves in a bowl of water.  The yellow filly felt a guilty for being unable to sympathize with Applejack's self-imposed burden of carrying on the family name all by herself.  In Apple Bloom's talks with her, Applejack would try to refrain from badmouthing Chancellor Posey out of respect for her little sister, but clearly she hated her passionately.  After all, she was the one who took Applejack's fillyhood away.  Yet in all irony, Posey gave it all to Apple Bloom.
 
Apple Bloom would definitely have been safer back at her home in the Palace of the Earth where she was almost always clothed and fed with the best.  Except that she would not be happy there.  She had no regrets in leaving.  If she did not, she would not have seen the world and met all sorts of new friends, like Dr. Octavia, Deep Blue, the Unicorn Hunters, Applejack's traveling companions, as well as...
 
… Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who Applejack let in the room after a brief knock on the door.  Happily, the two ran up to her bed and hugged her.  She would had never felt this kind of warm comfort from Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon since they feared her for being Posey's adopted daughter.  She would never have dreamed of having a filly unicorn and a filly pegasus--the enemies of earth ponies--being her best friends.              
 
"ATTENTION ALL CREWMEMBERS," cried the one of the Spa Twins over the speaker.  "THE SPITFIRE IS SCHEDULED TO DOCK WITHIN THIRTY MINUTES.  PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL YOUR BELONGINGS ARE SECURED."
 
"Hmph," snorted Scootaloo.  "I could've made a better announcement, but fortunately I let the Twins do that so I can see you gals.  Say, do you wanna go to the deck and see the Rainbows Falls Mountain as we get closer?"
 
"Yeah, I'd like to," said Apple Bloom.  "If my big sis let's me."
 
"It's all right with me," smiled Applejack.  "The Spa Twins gave me a new wrist computer so I can track your movements on the ship's security cameras.  Which reminds me, I gotta put a few on you and your friends."
 
How embarrassing.  Apple Bloom thought she escaped the constant surveillance of Gaea's secret service agents.  The Palace of the Earth and Gaeaopolis had cameras almost everywhere, and now her own big sister had literally become the "Big Sister" bogeypony the majority of the Gaean citizenry both loathed and feared.  Except this big sister acted more like a foolish worrywart, and she strapped on their necks and foreheads the action cameras Pinkie Pie previously used on their assault on the Nemesis.
 
Applejack finally sent the fillies off, but not before giving her little sister a few smothering hugs and kisses on the cheeks.  Apple Bloom thought she would escape the embarrassment.  She even hoped that her friends would keep quiet, but both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo snickered on their way down the steel halls.
 
"Very funny, gals," said Apple Bloom.  Unsurprisingly, her words caused both her friends to burst into tearful laughter.
 
"I'm sorry," said Sweetie Belle as she wiped her eyes.  "My sister was overprotective of me, but she never acted like that."
 
"Good thing I had Rainbow Dash as my 'sister'," boasted Scootaloo.  "When I was growing up, all she did was give me knives and some dynamite and told me to go have fun."
 
"Isn't that kind of dangerous?"
 
"We're pegasi, Sweetie Belle.  Living on the edge is how we roll.  Which reminds me, I told you gals about an earth pony at the Rainbow Falls Base who rivals Rainbow Dash in total awesomeness.  We're likely gonna meet her when we dock."
 
"Oh yeah, you told me about her.  What was her name again?"
 
"Her name is--"
 
Scootaloo and her friends stopped before they collided into a pair of adult mares at the crossways.  As fillies, they would respectively allow them pass, but they did not.  They knew these two mares.  One of them they knew too well, and as such both parties stood facing one another as if frozen by awkwardness.  Apple Bloom could see Sweetie Belle step back slightly nervously, whereas Scootaloo jumped in front of her friends.  She drew out her kunai dagger from its holster and with erect wings she crouched forward as if ready to pounce at the enemy.
 
"Wait!" cried Apple Bloom.  "Don't be mad at Coco!"
 
"How can we?" asked Scootaloo.  "She kidnapped you and nearly had the Spitfire destroyed!"
 
"I know she did, but she came through in the end.  She cut the rope enough for me to break free and take down the Rear Admiral.  Nopony got killed, and we escaped, right?"
 
"Like barely!  A lot of our crew got hurt, and the Spitfire can't fly for who knows how long.  I mean, she sent Gaea's Changelings after you, Sweetie Belle."
 
"She did," said Sweetie Belle, "but I kinda agree with Apple Bloom.  I think she did it because she was threatened by her Government."
 
"Please Scootaloo," said Apple Bloom.  "I can assure you that Coco is not our enemy."
 
"Yeah, well, I got my eye on Coco," said Scootaloo.  "She's on probation until she can prove to me that she's still not spying for Gaea."
 
"C'mon.  Let's just go to the deck..."
 
Apple Bloom would apologize to both Rarity and Coco as they passed by, but words might incense Scootaloo's anger, which, no matter how anypony would look at it, was justified.  She could see the admitted guilt in Coco's face, because even if she came through in the end, she still caused damage to the Spitfire and her crew.  It would take some time to forgive her.  At least with Rarity, she was in good hooves.
 
Scootaloo did not sheath her kunai dagger until they climbed up to the deck's hatch.  Snow and ice did not hinder their exit this time, and when they emerged, the late morning mist greeted them.  They could barely see the damages done on the deck.  Some repairs had been done, but at least there was some semblance of a floor to walk on.
 
This turned out to be a disappointment.  Apple Bloom could not see past the thick fog, even though she knew it was the only protection they had against the aerial forces of Gaea and Pegasopolis.  Almost a half-hour had passed with the girls meandering around the deck.  Sweetie Belle barely moved from her spot where the launch deck would have risen from, and Scootaloo resorted to kicking the spent shell ejected off from a grenade launcher.
 
Thirty minutes did not seem much, but it felt like a long time.  Eventually, the girls caught a brief flash of light past the fog.  Apple Bloom thought her eyes were playing tricks, but then the bridge high above them beamed out a similar light into the fog.  Soon, the light in the fog started flashing an assortment colors, and the bridge did the same.  The Spitfire, which was already flying slowly to begin with, slowed down even further, and a faint outline of a mountain emerged.  A circle of lights appeared on its side, and Apple Bloom heard the mechanical rumblings of a massive door.  The mountain opened itself up for the Spitfire.  In turn the Spitfire accepted the invitation and slotted in.
 
An array of large halogen lamps lit up the interior of the mountain base, and it exposed a matrix of rusty steel beams above the Spitfire.  Ponies left and right ran alongside catwalks and began stationing themselves besides levers that controlled various cranes and other equipment.  A pony nearly fell because the rusty railing snapped off from its support pole.  There were dozens of orange cones and yellow construction tape at various areas of the metal catwalks.
 
The Spitfire finally came to full stop, and Apple Bloom could feel the mechanical arms clamping securely on the airship's underside.  A retractable metal bridge extended to the port side of the deck, and a line of earth ponies and pegasi filed in to climb deep into the airship's hull.  The fillies watched them passed by and waited for a lull for them to cross the bridge.  When the rush ended, they took one step, but had to stop again due to two mares casually trotting towards them.  It was hard to tell by the way they were dressed, but they did have a rainbow-patterned insignia pinned on their shoulder sleeves hinting their rank.  One of them had a white mane swept back as if she was some kind of pegasus, and the other had gray coat and a plain uniform.  She might have eyeshadows, but her expression was just so plain.
 
"Scootaloo," spoke the white-maned mare.  "Where is the Captain?"
 
"Uh, she sent me in to greet you in her stead," Scootaloo answered.  "First Mate Scootaloo reporting in!"
 
"Aren't you designated as the Cabin Girl?  Anyway, it looks you've seen a lot of action at this ship.  This is gonna take days to repair to tip-top shape. Now this is interesting.  I didn't expect you to pick up some new friends."
 
"Oh, right.  Fleetfoot, Maud, this is Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.  Apple Bloom turns out to be the adopted daughter of Chancellor Posey, and Sweetie Belle is a Princess of the Crystal Empire."
 
"I knew Rainbow Dash likes to live on the edge, but good heavens!  I don't know which I should be shocked about.  You picking up the Chancellor's daughter, or having a Princess of a lost Empire onboard."
 
"My older sister is on board as well," said Sweetie Belle.
 
"Two Princesses?  Is Dash really assembling a royal harem?"
 
"Seems that way," said Maud.
 
"Oh, jeez.  Look, you girls go with Maud Pie.  I'll go find the Captain and get a full briefing out of her."
 
"Pie?" said Pinkie.  "As in Pie-Pie?"
 
Fleetfoot and the fillies jumped when, as if appearing in a blink, Pinkie Pie appeared right between them.  As for Maud, it was hard to tell if she reacted or not.  She merely blinked slowly and turned her eyes towards the pink madness.
 
"Who are you?" Maud asked.
 
"I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie, Queen of the Pirates."
 
Internally, Maud's expression changed.  It was extremely subtle, and only Apple Bloom was able to divine them through her trained Geosense abilities.  When Maud Pie made her entrance, she had an unshakable monolithic presence.  Now the monolith shook, and the only visual cue she made was when Maud averted herself from the entourage before sulking back towards the other side of the retractable metal bridge.
 
"I need to be excused," Maud said.  "My apologies for the curt welcome."
 
"You're excused," said Pinkie.  "Bye Maud!"
 
"What... just... happened?" asked Fleetfoot.
 
"I just introduced myself to her.  You know I love to meet new ponies."
 
"I take that back.  I'm more than shocked that you claim yourself to be Maud's sister or something.  She told me she only had two!"
 
"And now there's three!  Wow, I can't believe that's the legendary Maud Pie.  Ooh, I'm so excited that I finally get to meet her!"
 
"No!  You can't talk to her.  I've known Maud Pie longer than you have, and she wants nothing to do with you."
 
"But she's my eldest sister."
 
"Which is all the more reason you need to stay away from her."
 
"But she's my… she's my…"
 
Anypony who was paying attention could see Pinkie's mane and tail deflate slightly, and if she continued to mumble on in front of a scowling Fleetfoot, it would soon become flat.  Sensing the growing despair in the party pony, Apple Bloom motioned to her two friends to shuffle the pink mare past the bridge.  She did not have time to be angry with Fleetfoot, but she could understand her.  While she had lighter bones than a normal earth pony, Apple Bloom could sense that she was protecting Maud Pie out of a fierce sense of friendship and loyalty.  Too bad her words had to affect the happiest pony Apple Bloom and her friends had ever known.
 
The three fillies could not walk far before Pinkie Pie would trip and fall out of sadness.  So they rested at a pile of crates of filled sarsaparilla bottles, and moved them around to create some kind of makeshift dining area for Pinkie to sit in.  Together they put away the action cameras Applejack put on them due to them chaffing their fur.
 
"I never seen Fleetfoot act like that before," said Scootaloo.  "I mean, she can be mean at times, but that was really mean."
 
"I only heard ponies mention Maud Pie here and there," said Sweetie Belle.  "I kinda assumed that she was another one of Pinkie's relatives."
 
"But I never expected her to be her older sister."
 
"Do you know anything about Maud, Scootaloo?"
 
"Not much, really.  All I know is that she used to be a soldier for Gaea, and that she went under the name of 'Death Wish Maud' or 'Maud the Death Wisher'."
 
"Why doesn't Maud want to see me?" asked Pinkie Pie.  "Did I do something wrong?"
 
"You didn't," said Apple Bloom.  "I think she is just shocked that she now has third sister."
 
"I know she is, and I can sense it.  What can't I sense is why she doesn't want to talk to me?  She closed herself up right when I told her my name."
 
"Please don't be sad, Pinkie.  I'm pretty sure there's a good reason.  Um, why don't you have a drink from these sarsaparilla crates?  I don't think the base is gonna miss a few bottles.  Also, I'm gonna find my Sis and her friends so they can help cheer Pinkie up.  You two girls watch her."
 
"Why do the bottles say '120 proof' on them?" asked Sweetie Belle.
 
"I dunno," said Scootaloo.  "Supposedly the adults prefer it that way, so it must be better.  Drink up, Pinkie Pie."
 
Scootaloo popped the cap off with her kunai dagger, and immediately a strong whiff of alcohol filled the air.  The stinging odor made Apple Bloom's nostrils twitch, and like Scootaloo had said, adults liked this kind of stuff.  Apparently Cheerilee liked to consume these kinds of drinks whenever Matron Harshwhinny scolded her for whatever infraction she had committed.  On her bad days, Cheerilee told Apple Bloom that ponies should not drink alone.  Good thing Pinkie Pie had Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo keeping her company.
 
Assured that her friends were going to take care of Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom returned to the deck of the Spitfire and expected a mad rush to and from the airship.  Instead, only a trickle of ponies moved back and forth, mainly those wheeling the injured crewmembers on their gurneys.  It worried her, though she was also worried about Pinkie Pie.  Good heaven, look at her drink those 120 proof sarsaparilla bottles.
 
The yellow earth filly descended down into the hull and found the same unusual quietness inside.  Something did not feel right, and as she wandered down the halls, she spotted a group of ponies rushing into the dining hall.  Curiosity snagged her, and Apple Bloom carried herself inside where a large crowd of ponies had gathered.  Almost everypony was there: Twilight Sparkle, Sunny, Fluttershy, Rarity, Coco, Spike and even her older sister.  They all had their eyes transfixed their eyes at a large projection screen.  This did not appear to be one of the closed-circuit TV shows Rainbow Dash would put out.  Apple Bloom did not watch a lot of television growing up, but the image of her former home's grassy lawn and the mahogany podium was unmistakably a Gaean broadcast.  Apple Bloom squeezed herself through the crowd and situated herself beside Applejack.
 
"Apple Bloom, what are ya doin' here?" her sister asked.  "Shouldn't you be with your friends?"
 
She did not know why she would say that.  One way or another, Apple Bloom and her friends would have caught sight of the broadcast on a smaller screen, but now she too has been captured by its attractive urgency.  On screen, a familiar blue stallion briefly exposed his orange mohawk when he adjusted his peaked cap while he stepped up the podium, and behind him stood the other two Present-Advisers and a blurred outline of the Chancellor herself.
 
"Greetings my fellow Earthborn," spoke Teddy.  "My name is Teddy, President-Adviser of the Department of Information Control.  With our deepest regret, I have called upon the nation for an important press conference to announce to all our citizens of an emergent crisis in our midst.
 
"Nearly fourteen years ago, an orphan foal found herself in the hooves of our loving Chancellor, but we realized too late that this was nothing but an attempt to subvert our national security.  Our beloved Winter Tulip turns out to be none other than Apple Bloom, the younger sister of Terrorist Applejack of the ill-famed Apple Family.  Applejack has brazenly implanted Apple Bloom as a sleeper agent controlled via witchcraft and alchemy.  Terrorist Apple Bloom has taken advantage of our Chancellor's love and has now sold herself and our nation's secrets to the Chroma Pirates to use against our citizens."
 
Teddy opened his mouth to continue his speech, but a tap on his shoulder compelled him to close it immediately.  Quietly he shuffled aside and to the rear, and somberly the Chancellor took his place at the podium.  The speech had been low key so far, and the audience gathered in the dining hall had been attentively quiet.  Posey had prolonged the silence with nervous tension.  With slow movements she adjusted her peaked cap, her sleeves, and her mane, all while avoiding direct eye contact with the camera for the longest time.  She took one long deep breath before her somber blue eyes faced the nation.
 
"My fellow Earthborn," spoke Posey.  "You are now well aware that I have become heartbroken over this recent development.  I have raised Winter Tulip with all the love a single mother could provide all these years.  Yet with the pegasi rapidly encroaching upon our borders, I can neither show nor harbor any weakness.  The Chroma Pirates have kidnapped and turned Winter Tulip against our nation.  For the longest time the Chroma Pirates had been aiding the enemies of our nation, and therefore I must consider Winter Tulip--no, Apple Bloom an enemy of our nation!"
 
"Apple Bloom," Applejack said.  "Don't listen to her.  For heaven's sake, don't listen."
 
"Apple Bloom has betrayed our race," Posey boomed.  "Apple Bloom has betrayed our country.  And worst of all, Apple Bloom has betrayed my heart!  I will offer no leniency for Terrorist Apple Bloom, and she will be issued the maximum punishment for traitors for the earth ponies of Gaea.  She better pray that she will be killed in the most expedient manner for the tortures she will endure upon her capture will be the most painful.
 
"The recent developments have forced my hoof.  With our nation's security compromised, we must preemptively attack Pegasopolis with the full might of the Gaean military.  Level 3 Draft has now been initiated.  All able-bodied earth ponies, zebras, bison, donkeys, mules, bovines, and Diamond Dogs must take up arms in the war to end all wars.  We shall eliminate the equine vultures and their mutant allies off the face of this planet once and for all!  Glory to the motherland!  Glory to the Democratic Republic of Gaea!"
 
A loud hurrah blasted from the broadcast and out through the dining hall's towering speakers.  These types of propaganda speeches were often artificially exaggerated with the prerecorded chants of Earth Party zealots, but Apple Bloom had doubts that this was anything but fake.  Even if nopony could see it, they could feel the invisible audience throwing their sharp salutes high up into the air.
 
The seemingly vulnerable Chancellor Posey Shine regained her composure with a devilish smile.  Her icy stare excruciatingly shot out past the screen, causing the crewmembers of the Spitfire and the Rainbow Falls Rebel base to recoil in horror.  Some heckled hateful words back at the cruel dictator, while a few broke down in tears.  Cider cans had been thrown at the screen in a futile attempt to diminish her influence.
 
How could this happen?  Who was this black-hearted mare who took the form of her adoptive mother?  Where was the Posey who read her bedtime stories and tucked her in at night?  Where was the Posey who played with her when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon weren't available?  Where was the Posey who taught her how to garden?  Apple Bloom did not want to believe it.  She refused to believe it, and she refused to look up towards the evil mare on the screen.  However, Posey's stare was powerful.  Just one look at her cold eyes had already ensnared Apple Bloom with her icy grip.  She could not fight the powerful lies and the awful truth that own mother had turned against her.
 
Posey might be an Earth Pony, but she wielded powerful magic--the magic of hate.  Her magic had struck Apple Bloom, who began sweating profusely despite the dining hall being air conditioned.  Her body swayed left and right and out of balance.  Her sister was shaking her shoulders and speaking frantically, but she could not feel or hear her.  Posey's words stabbed Apple Bloom in the heart, but the flames of her past--the very flames that consumed her birthplace in Sweet Apple Acres--engulfed her mind and soul.  Apple Bloom's breath soon cut itself short, and her legs gave way right as she fainted into darkness.