//------------------------------// // Trapped-Chapter 4 // Story: The War Within Equestria // by Addictive Reads //------------------------------// "Gah, I hate this leafy environment...can't fly, can't do anything!" Rainbow Dash complained to herself as she trampled through the jungle, towards the northeast direction. The sun had reached it's peak, and she assumed that it was noon. She had slept a few more lonely nights since she fought the manticore. Rainbow had encountered many other dangers ever since, but she still managed to stay alive, and that was the motivation for her to keep on finding the book. She had survived long enough to see the next day's sunrise, and proved the legends wrong. Rainbow Dash approached a cave; the cave was cool, and provided just enough shade for her to rest for a little while. She trotted inside and slumped down on the wall. Rainbow took out her bottle of water and downed the rest of it's content into her body. "Ugh, no more water. Stupid, empty water bottle," Rainbow Dash muttered sourly, "buck it." She had gotten used to talking to herself; there was nopony for her to talk to. Rainbow Dash peeled off a slice of bread and ate it slowly. Her eyes scanned the cave, trying to see if anything was in there. Apparently not. She shrugged and looked outside the cave. There was a small stream running along the trees. The water looked clean. Rainbow slipped on her cloak that covered her body entirely, and her mask that covered her muzzle, leaving only her eyes visible. She hoisted the saddlebag onto her back and started trotting out of the cave, towards the small stream. As Rainbow stalked closer towards the stream, she could hear the sparkling water sloshing and its rhythmic splashes that were made every time the water hit the bank of the stream. Rainbow Dash uncapped the water bottle's cap and filled it up with the water. She took off her mask and splashed the water onto her face, blissfully refreshing her. "Ah..." Rainbow sighed contently. The bushes nearby rustled. The rustle was too big to be just a hare. It had to be a creature bigger or taller than her. Rainbow groaned. "Not again!" She stopped drinking water and pulled on her mask. She slotted her water bottle back in her saddlebag. Rainbow Dash took out her small dagger. She placed herself into a fighting stance. "Whoever you are, come out now, coward!" Rainbow Dash shouted fearlessly. Nothing came out of the bushes. Rainbow growled. Whoever that was, it was surely a coward. She advanced towards the bush, creeping stealthily. Rainbow Dash held her breath. Then she let out a battle cry and lunged for anything that was behind the bush. Instead of plunging her dagger into something and seeing the sickly satisfying blood on her blade, Rainbow Dash fell face first into a net. It scooped her up and hung her on a tree. It was the most basic trap. How careless she was. Rainbow Dash grunted as she tried to cut herself free. She took a glance at her surroundings. There was a group of six tough stallions, with scars on their faces and bodies, standing right below her, pointing spears at her. "Looks like a group of criminals, a tribe, or something," Rainbow muttered to herself, "I didn't expect ponies in The Plains." "Who are you? What are you doing in our territory?" One of them asked gruffly. Rainbow Dash assumed he was the leader. She sawed the rope. It was cut. She expertly landed on one of the spears below, and she balanced herself on it such in a way that she would not get harmed. Rainbow forcefully jumped from it, landing a few meters away in a crouched position. "Whoever you guys are, you all messed with the wrong pony," Rainbow Dash murmured. She grinned as she gave them a mock salute, sprinting off into the depths of the jungle. Rainbow was enjoying the priceless looks on their faces as they saw her escape their trap so easily. They quickly snapped back into focus, and gave chase after her. The years of training in the battlefields had definitely paid off for Rainbow. After Rainbow Dash was sure they lost track of her, her sprint slowed down to a trot. She panted hard. Rainbow stopped, leaning on a tree, trying to catch her breath. She pressed her head to the tree trunk. "That was fun," Rainbow giggled as she reached for her water bottle, "the looks on their faces were pricele-" Rainbow Dash stopped in mid-sentence. She felt a sharp pain on her throat. A cool, sharp metal blade was pressed to her throat. She breathed in sharply. It was cutting against her fur, and she could feel her blood trickling. She could not see anything, so her attacker must be attacking her from behind. Smart. "Are you a Lunian?" A mysterious yet familiar male voice whispered closely to her ear. She could feel his breath against her fur. "Son of a..." Rainbow spat, and she grabbed the knife, twisting her attacker's...hoof. So this creature was a...stallion? Oh no. Was it the group? Had they tracked her down? She turned around sharply, glaring at the stallion. He had a cloak and mask on, like her. He was not from the group. That left only his eyes revealed to her. The eyes were a rich emerald green, all too familiar, but her mind still could not piece it all together. "I did not remember a cloaked stallion in the group..." Rainbow mumbled, voicing her thoughts audibly. As she twisted his hoof, Rainbow Dash swore she heard a grunt from the attacker, but he did not budge. Instead, he flipped her onto the ground, pinning her fore hooves down with his. Rainbow Dash squirmed and struggled under his hooves, but she could not get out from his grasp. Boy, this was embarrassing... "Let me ask you one more time, are you a Lunian? What is your name?" He snarled, and grabbed his knife back. "I don't know," "I don't have time for nonsense," "I. Don't. Know," Rainbow Dash flipped her head to her left, stubbornly keeping her identity a secret. The stallion was about to pull off her hood when a roar sounded right behind them. It sounded like another manticore. For once, she never felt more relived to hear that sound. Her identity was so close to being revealed. The stallion stiffened, and released his grip on her for a second, startled by the roar. That one second was all Rainbow Dash needed to push him off her. She pounced onto him, switching positions. He gasped, and quickly pulled out his knife, preparing to strike out at her. Rainbow used a hoof to snatch the knife, and was going to slice his neck. However, she was about to slice his neck, the manticore came to view. Rainbow Dash gave out an annoyed growl and turned around to face it. The manticore was about thrice the size of the one she met on her first day. She could not defeat it alone. Rainbow tried anyways. Still holding the knife in her hooves, she threw herself forcefully at it. The knife and her impact caused a wound in the manticore's side, but it healed quickly, as if the wound was not even there in the first place. Rainbow Dash gasped at two things. One, the manticore had healed instantly. Second, her attacker was getting the chance to escape. She responded to the stallion first, since she was sure that she could not defeat the manicore. Rainbow was boiling with anger. That coward! She approached him, and was about to knock him off his hooves, the group of six stallions suddenly appeared, cornering Rainbow Dash and her attacker into a circle. Now the group of six had arrows and bows in their hooves. The hooded stallion pounded a hoof on the ground. He charged forward so quick, he was a blur. He knocked out one of the group members in a flash. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in surprise. She had never seen somepony move so fast before (without wings). Then Rainbow snapped to attack mode herself. She targeted at the assumed leader of the group, and tackled him with a swift kick. She and her former attacker defeated the group after a few kicks and punches. The manticore noticed the fight, and began charging towards them. Rainbow Dash glanced around frantically, looking for a hiding place. She found a rocky cave. The entrance looked too small for the manticore to enter. She dashed as quickly as her hooves would take her, hoping to reach the cave before the manticore had a chance to smash her into pieces. Rainbow risked a glance back at the manticore, and saw that it was closer to her than she imagined. She opened her wings ever so slightly, and flapped them powerfully to give herself a boost. Rainbow Dash zoomed into the cave, leaning up to the walls of the cave. Just at the same time, the manticore smashed its head onto the rocky boulder above the cave, and the rocks crumbled down, coming in giant pieces. Rainbow stared on in horror as the rocky boulders stacked up against the cave's entrance. They completely blocked any chance of escape by that way, and also blocked any source of light. The cave plunged into darkness. She was trapped in the cave. Rainbow Dash's mouth hang opened as she collasped onto her flank. She stared absentmindedly at the (assumed) rocky boulders. Rainbow saw a glowing blue light coming from the tattoo Luna gave her. She felt around herself, wincing a bit when her hoof felt something wet and rough on her fur. It was a wound, and the tattoo was healing it slowly as Luna stated. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash froze. "Anypony there?" She tried her best to put on a hard edge to her voice, although a little quiver in her voice could be heard. She heard shuffles from the wall opposite of her (as she thought, since she could not see). Whatever that was shuffling froze too. "Who's there?" A voice echoed. A male voice that was unmistakable. "You're...you're my attacker, right? You were the one that asked me whether I was a Lunian?" Rainbow managed to croak out. A pause was heard, followed by a sharp intake of breath. "Yes. I am. I assume you're the...mare?" The voice asked. "Maybe. Where are you?" Rainbow Dash stiffened as she took out the knife. A flashlight flickered on in front of Rainbow a few feet away. She slowly stalked towards the light. "Don't bother to steal the flashlight. I can see you," "Oh yeah?" "Don't bother to kill me, either," The knife was snatched out of Rainbow's hooves. She gasped audibly. A light shined onto her face. Rainbow winced slightly at the light, being used to the dark. And sure enough, she could see the stallion's hooded and masked face, inches from hers. His emerald eyes were narrowed, darting from her glowing blue tattoo and back to her face, "Who are you?"