Appledashery

by Just Essay

Wind In Doubt, Blow

Wh-Whap!

"Ooof." Rainbow Dash shook her face, rubbed her muzzle, then glared angrily into a dangling stalactite.

"That's the fifth time, Sparky," Lancie mused.

"Mrmmff... the fifth time what?"

He clung to her saddlebag. "Fifth time you've bumped into something since we came out of that passageway."

"Guh... not my fault this cave is cluttered with... with... cave crud," Rainbow grumbled, flying lower to avoid the errant ceiling structures.

"It's more than that and you know it, my little pony."

"Okay, first off, I'm doing A-Okay. Second of all..." She frowned. "You're littler than me. So who are you to talk?"

"You'll be even smaller if you get dashed into tiny Dash pieces."

"Eh?"

"I'm saying you should sleep, Sparky," Lancie hummed. "One needs a clear head to clear the way through this cavern."

"Nonsense," Rainbow slurred, flying forward through the darkness. "I can make it out of this place in ten seconds fl—" She braked in midair, her ruby light illuminating a horizontal set of spikes just inches from her muzzle. "...fudge."

"That's what you get for resurrecting an old meme."

"Huh?"

"There has to be a niche or an alcove somewhere that can avoid the wind."

"Dude, I dunno," Rainbow said, blinking blearily. "Ancient griffons built this place, remember?"

"Do you even hear yourself?"

"Hmmm. Good point." Rainbow Dash looked up. She looked behind her. She looked down.

The light couldn't touch the ground from where she was hovering.

Slowly, the mare descended. She coasted downward slowly until her ruby stone illuminated what appeared to be a steep and narrow trench at the bottom of the floor.

"Hello there. And who are we when we're at home?" she wheezed before descending into the depths of the stone burrow. She touched down on numb hooves and strolled forward, all the while aiming her magical stone straight up. As she proceeded along, she found that the top portion of the trench closed more and more narrowly, almost forming a ceiling of sorts to the thin niche.

"Curiouser and curiouser," Lancie said. "As much as I hate to say so, it would almost appear as if some purpose was carved into this part of the cavern."

"Maybe the griffons who hollowed this out ages ago didn't bet on an inexplicable cavern appearing," Rainbow muttered. "So they built this place as a stopping point for their labors."

"How very egghead of you," Lancie said. "But how do we know it could be of any use to us?"

"Guess there's only one way to find out." Rainbow Dash squatted low. Lancie hopped off and stood beside her as she kept her eyes locked beyond the narrow chasm above. Slowly, with a slight shudder, she placed the tiny red stone to the floor... and let go.

Immediately an eerie whistle pierced its way through the cavern. Droplets of moisture flew vertically past the pegasus. The moment she felt her mane hair being blown, she gasped and clasped the stone again. The wind immediately stopped.

Lancie gave her a sharp gaze.

With a deep gulp, Rainbow Dash took her tired hoof off the ruby again. She was more deliberate about it this time. To her relief, the wind did not blow her away. As a matter of fact, the enclosed walls above the niche did a fantastic job of shielding her from the magical barrier. If nothing else, she felt almost as if she was peering out onto a rainstorm from the safety of a concrete alcove.

"Well, there you have it!" Lancie exclaimed.

"Pretty nifty," Rainbow said with a dumb smile and an even dumber yawn. "Wish I could do something about the howling whistle, though."

"Beggars can't be choosers, hoser."

"Whatever..." Thwump! Rainbow's exhausted body slumped to the floor. "Maybe I'll... only fall half—asleep. Mrmmmfff..." She curled up like a fuzzy blue cat, hugging her tail hairs as her eyes rolled back. "...can't... skip out on Apple Bloom."

"Don't worry about the kid, Sparky," Lancie said, pacing about. "I'll make sure you don't snooze for too long."

"Hmmmm..." Rainbow's eyes were shut as she murmured beneath the winds. "Will you really...?"

"Wouldn't be so exciting if you died in your sleep, now would it?"

"Mrmmmff... melon... ... ... fudddge..." And Rainbow's breathing drew apart as she fell into unconsciousness.

Lancie stared at her, then at the loosely placed red stone resting in front of her. He leaned back against a wall, tapping his chin in thought. Slowly, a smile spread across his granite features.

Comments

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Lancie stared at her, then at the loosely placed red stone resting in front of her. He leaned back against a wall, tapping his chin in thought. Slowly, a smile spread across his granite features.

Lancie, Don't. You. Dare.

[Hestia]

I was about to be like, "aw Lancie, that's so sweet." And then I read the ending and suddenly, I was scared.

[zaponator]

He's gonna do something nice, I bet. For being made of stone, Lancie's really just a big... er, little softie.

[Bulbajer]

6268399
Just like the time he set RD's alarm clock forward instead of backward so that she made AJ's party early.

[JodiePonyPuddinAndPie]

Hm. She didn't even get a chance to say her six words before she passed out. She must be really tired.

[MidnightReflection]

Lancie stared at her, then at the loosely placed red stone resting in front of her. He leaned back against a wall, tapping his chin in thought. Slowly, a smile spread across his granite features.

Lancie

Lancie wat r u doing

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

6268974 she'll probably start lettin them slip out when she wakes up

[viofriedsevey]

6269044 Lancie STAHP

[Fishberry]

Lancie...

Lancie, stahp...

[viofriedsevey]

But for real like what the fuck is he gonna do, it's heavily in his interest to make it out of that cave and have Rainbow retrive the rest of his body. That's when you're supposed to betray people, after you've gotten what you need from them, fucking amateur. Then again he sure does love chaos...

[Rawrienstein]

*hoping for best prank*

[JodiePonyPuddinAndPie]

6269552

Probably.

I bet she wakes up with something drawn on her face.

[BabySkittleMonster]

Aaaaand, I'm back! Did you miss me?

I'm really sincerely hoping that smile was a benevolent I'm-glad-this-idiot-is-finally-listening-to-reason-and-taking-a-break smile and NOT an I-have-a-viciously-deliciously-evil-plan-that-plummets-the-world/machine-into-chaos-and-I'm-just-waiting-to-betray-this-melon-fudge smile. I have a sinking feeling it may be the latter, but hope must go on.

Soooo.... Blatantly ignoring any chaotic subplots in favour of snuggles. Yep. Nothing sinister is going on. Not at all. Mmhmm. Deffo.

[Scohinyha Sanka]

And then Dash wakes up with the gem in her stomach.

[RoboRed]

She braked in midair, her ruby light illuminating a horizontal set of spikes just inches from her muzzle.

Yikes.

Slowly, with a slight shudder, she placed the tiny red stone to the floor... and let go.

Immediately an eerie whistle pierced its way through the cavern. Droplets of moisture flew vertically past the pegasus. The moment she felt her mane hair being blown, she gasped and clasped the stone again. The wind immediately stopped.

Oooooooooookay. Noputtingthestonedown,then. Nosirree.

[arancaytar]

"Guh... not my fault this cave is cluttered with... with... cave crud," Rainbow grumbled, flying lower to avoid the errant ceiling structures.

Rainbow isn't quite sure whether they're called stalactites or stalagmites, and doesn't want to admit it.