//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Speed of a Different Dash // by entiegon //------------------------------// (EGW) “ Um… what just happened?” Fluttershy asked innocently, turning to face Rarity. Looking around with Applejack sitting in a chair that was next to the one previously occupied by who they thought was their friend, Rarity and Fluttershy looking at each other with equal amounts of concern on their faces, and Sunset and Twilight whispering amongst themselves, Pinkie was pretty sure that this was not what was supposed to happen. Her mind raced with ways to get everyone to cheer up despite not having answers to the questions that were being asked. The next thing she knew, her little Gummy shaped lightbulb was glowing green. “ I got it!” She exclaimed happily, gaining everyone’s attention. “ We should have a sleepover!” Cue looks of uncertainty. Twilight was the first to break the silence that followed. “ Uh, Pinkie? I don’t think now is the best time for a sleepover.” “ Nonsense! It’s the perfect time for a sleepover! We just need to go find Dashie and then we’ll be all set!” Before anyone could stop her, Pinkie Pie was skipping down the hallway without a care in the world. “ Shouldn’t we go after her?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “ Nah. Ah reckon she’ll find us wherever we end up.” Applejack then stood from where she sat. “ But Pinkie does ‘ave a point.” “ She does?” Twilight asked, clearly confused. “ Eeyup. We gotta go fin’ Dash afore somethin’ ‘appens to her.” Confirmations echoed throughout the group at those words with Rarity and Sunset Shimmer leading the way down the hallway that Pinkie Pie had skipped down. Vice-Principal Luna excused herself from the search, however, stating that she had some important work to attend to within her office. Yet she made sure that Applejack, at the very least, knew the phone number of Rainbow Dash’s father. She feared that the Rainbow Dash in the wheelchair did not have the same contact numbers that their Rainbow Dash had and wanted to make sure that everyone who needed to knew about what had just transpired within the school’s grounds. Surprisingly, though, the search for Dash was a silent search. Neither did anyone split away from the group. Instead, they all seemed to be following an invisible trail that led to the front doors of the school… at least, that’s what Applejack thought. Even weirder was that Pinkie Pie was standing there, waiting for them to arrive and with everyone’s bags and instruments (minus the drum kit, microphone and Sunset’s guitar). How that girl was able to get everyone’s bags and instruments, then meet up with everyone at the front of the school in the time it took the others to get to the front themselves was beyond their knowledge. But Pinkie’s warm smile was somehow enough to turn any confusing questions on the matter away from the front of the mind. All that could remain was awe for how she did things… even if those things were extremely confusing. “ Wow, Pinkie. That was fast.” Sunset exclaimed, taking her bag from the pile that sat at the party planner’s feet. No explanation was given by the pink girl except a massive grin growing from what was already on her face. A few minutes later, however, the grin was wiped clean only to be replaced by a sad and worried expression that she rarely sported. Instantly everyone was on high alert. They all knew that from this stage the girl could turn into either the depressing Pinkamina or the hyperactive Pinkie Pie. With any luck, hyperactive Pinkie Pie would return quickly. But first came figuring out what was wrong. And Applejack planned to do just that. Going over to the girl and swinging an arm around her friend’s shoulders, she asked, “ What’s wrong, Pinkie Pie?” “ Just before you girls showed up, I saw Dashie. She looks really, really sad sitting next to the statue like that. But I didn’t want you guys to wonder where I was and why all the bags were down here instead of in the music room where we had left them, so I decided to wait for you before going out to see if Rainbow was okay.” Pinkie replied, pointing out beyond the glass doors of Canterlot High School. Six pairs of eyes turned to look out the glass doors of the school building, each one landing on the statue in the near distance. Sure enough, there was someone sitting on the ground and slamming their fist into the side of the statue. The only indication to who it was – other than Pinkie’s word – was the flash of rainbow-coloured hair that whipped around with every exertion of energy that was used. The wheelchair that Vice-Principal Luna had given her didn’t seem to be anywhere near her. Applejack led the way out of the school, not even bothering to pick up her bag or her bass guitar. In fact, she barely took notice of the rest of her friends following behind her or that Sunset had gathered her belongings. She just took a quick sweep of her surroundings – noticing that the wheelchair was lying on its back on the lawn a short distance away from Rainbow Dash – before turning to make sure that the others weren’t about to follow her to the statue. Without so much as a word, the country girl was making her way down the stairs before anyone could so much as agree to anything. Not even Pinkie Pie was bouncing along after Applejack, knowing full well the seriousness that seemed to surround the moment. Just watching the scene before them made each one of the girls still standing in front of the school doors realise that Applejack was a girl on a mission. One that would reward her with some form of answer to at least some of the questions that were buzzing away on the edges of everyone’s minds. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, had no idea that she was about to receive company. She was too focused on trying (and failing) to return home through the way she had supposedly entered this world from; the side of the Wondercolt statue that was facing towards the city. And her hand was starting to go numb with the pounding it was giving out thanks to her failing attempts. Finally, something stopped her. And no matter how hard she tried to move her hand, that same force got tighter and tighter until her hand was completely immobilised in mid-air. Slowly, and more annoyed than anything else, Rainbow Dash turned to see what it was that was stopping her from dishing out an even harder punishment on what she believed was the thing preventing her from returning home. Her eyes landed on a tanned hand, rough from hard labour but somehow still soft to the touch. A very familiar sensation ran through her body at the realisation at who it could have possibly been that had stopped her. An almost electric jolt that seemed to fry every inch of her body from the inside out. Breathtaking moments emerged unbidden from the back of her mind of nights alone together and passion-rich kisses between them. But she was quick to remember that the person behind her was not the girl she shared those moments with, no matter how much she wished that it was. It didn’t even matter that the feeling was the exact same when she first discovered that she was in love with one of her best friends. Rainbow knew that her heart – her love – was in another world entirely. Slowly, practically begging that this was some really bad dream that she was having, her eyes travelled along the tanned arm. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash could feel her dread rising within her, alerting her to the fact that this was clearly not a dream. She really was trapped within another world and surrounded by people who looked and acted like those she cared about. At last, magenta eyes met green. Around them, the world seemed to fade into non-existence. Yet those fleeting seconds with the two girls looking at each other seemed to witness an entire conversation silently pass between them. One that made Rainbow Dash’s heart ache with the realisation of just how different this world was to her own. Alas, the words spoken by one’s eyes are never what one’s mouth speaks. And this was no exception. “ Ya know. Magic don’t work like that.” Applejack said, letting go of Rainbow’s hand and breaking the connection to her electrified and fear filled thoughts and feelings. “ Magic?” came the farmers reply. “ Can Ah sit?” After receiving a nodded confirmation, Applejack placed herself next to the disabled girl. “ Ah have a feelin’ that wha’ever it was tha’ brought ya ‘ere was magic. Ah dunno ‘ow or why, but that’s what mah gut is tellin’ me. An’ mah gut’s usually righ’. But ‘cause magic’s such a fickle thang, ya never can guess wha’ it’s gonna do. That’s why ya aint gonna get very far bloodyin’ yer han’ up like yer doin’.” “ What else am I supposed to do then?” “ Let it come ta you.” “ Yeah, right. Magic isn’t even real. It’s just a bunch of hidden tricks that people pull to make other people love them.” “ It can be. But it can be somethin’ diff’rent as well.” A curious look crossed Rainbow’s face. Even in her own world, the Applejack she knew – the one that she loved and will love until the end of time – was not known to lie. Yes, she had the ability, but she always felt bad about it and would usually try to fix the issue whenever possible. Now, as Rainbow Dash looked over to this world’s Applejack, she realised that the trait of honesty could not change between worlds. Therefore, that could only mean one thing. Applejack was telling the truth. But it seemed AJ wasn’t finished with her little speech. “ Now Ah think it’s a time fer us ta get goin’. Pinkie’s plannin’ a sleepover fer ya, ya lucky devil.” “ No.” The command was that strong that it managed to reach the ears of those watching just in front of the doors. And that was despite the fact that Rainbow Dash had not raised her voice any higher than when she was usually talking. “ Beggin’ pardon?” the quick speed at which Applejack turned her head forced a loud crack to sound from it. “ I’m staying right here so that this magic or whatever it is can find me and take me home.” “ But we dunno when that’ll ‘appen. Now Ah’m not tryin’ to be pessimistic or nothin’ but gettin’ ya back ta where ya belong could take us weeks, even months. And Ah aint gonna sit around an’ watch ya waste away like a farm without no water! Nor am Ah gonna watch ya freeze ta death out ‘ere by this ‘ere statue!” “ I’m not budging, Applejack!” “ Yer jus’ as stubborn as a mule!” Silence fell between the two with Rainbow Dash turning her glare towards those by the door. It wasn’t an intentional glare towards them. It was just that the only direction she could turn and not see the girl with the Stetson was by looking to her right; the same direction as the doors to Canterlot High. Applejack, however, had her eyes still planted upon Rainbow Dash. Just by looking at the girl, it was clear that – disabilities aside – nothing could change the feisty, sports loving, thrill seeking daredevil that happened to be Rainbow Dash. And there was no doubt that a fierce sense of loyalty was strong in each form of her if what Princess Twilight said about her was true. It actually brought a smile to Applejack’s face knowing that this Rainbow Dash was willing to sacrifice herself so that she could do whatever it took to get back to her own world; back to her own friends. And in her mind, she was comforted with the idea of her own Rainbow Dash doing the exact same thing in the other world. But then her smile slipped off her face as she remembered something that this Rainbow Dash had said before racing off away from them. Something about friends being in danger. “ Ya know, Rainbow Dash, you stakin’ out ‘ere in front o’ the school aint gonna do much.” she finally said after some thought. “ Your point?” the question was gruff, but it was enough to prompt Applejack to continue. “ What Ah’m trying to say, Ah guess, is that if’n it were me bein’ turned around like tumbleweed in the wind, then Ah’ll be doin’ everythin’ Ah possibly could ever do… includin’ askin’ fer help.” Rainbow Dash finally turned back to look at Applejack, a scowl still visible on her face though showing confusion more than anything else. “ Now Ah may not be the same gal ‘ere that Ah’m guessing Ah am where you come from, but Ah know somethin’ that’s purdy important. Ah feel we both care fer ya… even if Ah don’t know ya like Ah know my Rainbow Dash.” “ You don’t know the half of it.” “ Then maybe ya need to help us understand wha’ is goin’ on. If’n we help each other, we’ll learn more about what’s goin’ on an’ be able ta help ya more efficient like. Now, whaddaya say? Ya really wanna disappoint Pinkie Pie an’ not come ta one of her sleepovers? It’ll do ya some good ta take a step back an’ unwind ya mind a bit… er… so ta speak.” Silence reigned supreme once more as Rainbow Dash lowered her head in thought. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths, awaiting her response. Even the other girls who still waited by the school doors. Pinkie was even bouncing on the balls of her feet in barely contained anticipation on the verdict. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of forevers, Rainbow Dash looked up, a sly smile on her face. Her mind having been made up, four words managed to escape her lips. “ Get me that wheelchair.”