Appledashery

by Just Essay

Loyalty Unbridled

Rainbow Dash flew north.

It was an easy thing to do... perhaps the easiest thing she had ever done.

With the camp full of miscreants to her backside, all she had to look forward to was wasteland, monsters, and the occasional blood-thirsty dragon.

The mare sighed with relief.

"Can't believe I actually miss this," she muttered, her lips curved slightly. "Even the silence too."

"Mmmff..." Lancie climbed up to her neckline, grabbing onto her mane. "Hey there, Sparky."

Rainbow sighed out her nostrils. "Never mind."

"Things got pretty schoolyardy back there," he remarked, smirking. "Quite frankly, with your hooves so close to resembling noodles, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Well, this last bottle is all I've got left," Rainbow muttered. "Or make that half-a-bottle, if you're counting."

"That's... not exactly what I meant."

"Well, it's exactly what you've got."

"Honestly, Rainbow." Lancie leaned against the back of her fuzzy skull. "What's gotten into you? I mean, aside from the spider venom, the pressure to save your beloved marefriend's sister, and the endless amount of threats those thugs are making at your friends."

"Oh Lancie...?" Rainbow droned. "I wonder if you even listen to yourself at times."

"As a matter of fact, I do." The statue propped his fanged jaws against his granite talons. "And... I happen to be quite observant, too." He "talked" a tiny pair of stone fingers across her forehead. "And I can't help but notice that a certain Rainbow Dash is starting to look and sound more and more like a Rainbow Dastardly."

"Your point?"

Lancie blinked. "My point is that I'm having to make a point!" He flung himself forward until he stared at her upside down. "It simply isn't you to juggle with the lives of other souls—no matter how disagreeable."

"It isn't like me to protect the best interests of my friends?" Rainbow growled. "To honor and preserve their integrity? Their liberty? Their guarantee of waking up the next day to sniff—maybe munch on the morning flowers?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhh..." Lancie blinked into the wind.

"Face it, Lancie." Rainbow snorted. "This is loyalty unbridled. I love Applejack. I love the rest of my friends. I love Ponyville. All of those things are being threatened right now, and I gotta draw a line in the sand."

"Yes, it just..." Lancie cleared his throat. "Doesn't sound very harmonic."

"And since when has that concerned you?"

Lancie raised a finger to speak. He lingered, and his stone ears drooped. "That's..." He gulped. "...a very good question, actually."

"Good. Maybe you can spend the next few hours thinking up an answer to it. Meanwhile, I'm going to be stupidly busy finding the rest of your goddess-forsaken stones." Rainbow Dash huffed. "They certainly won't find themselves."

"Ohhhhh Sparky..." Lancie sighed. He fidgeted. "Rainbow... I think... I-I think that you should—"

"Shhhhh." Rainbow pointed at the line of desolate gravel that formed the northern horizon. "See that? Were the rising steam is coming from?"

"Hmmm?" Lancie shaded his gray eyes, staring. "Yes..." He blinked. "Appears to be... a giant crater?"

"Looks the same to me."

"Odds are it's very craggy, dangerous, and hard to fly around in there," Lancie said.

"Cool." Rainbow nodded, then dove. "I'm going in."

"Gah!" Lancie clung on for dear life as the two plunged into the hazy depths of the Ashen North.

Comments

[RoboRed]

Rainbow Dash flew north.

Northhorse gotta north.

"Shhhhh." Rainbow pointed at the line of desolate gravel that formed the northern horizon. "See that? Were the rising steam is coming from?"

"Hmmm?" Lancie shaded his gray eyes, staring. "Yes..." He blinked. "Appears to be... a giant crater?"

"Looks the same to me."

"Odds are it's very craggy, dangerous, and hard to fly around in there," Lancie said.

"Cool." Rainbow nodded, then dove. "I'm going in."

OF COURSE.

[MidnightReflection]

Rainbow Dash flew north.

It was an easy thing to do... perhaps the easiest thing she had ever done.

Rainbow Dash flew east.

It was a hard thing to do... perhaps the hardest thing she had ever done.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

Rainbow Dash flew north.

NORTH FOR THE NORTH HORSE! PAINT FOR THE PAINT BUCKET!

And now she's exploring a crater? Do Craters count as caves?

[Mister Saxon]

Rainbow Dash flew north.

static1.fjcdn.com/comments/That+s+like+double+heresy+_31122e73581202a7b86d89791bc1f4cc.jpg

[Phoenix Kitten]

6483144 Durandana hard mode. More exp and better drops.
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Wow... Lancie is calling Dash by name, he's really bonded with her.
Careful Dash, he makes a good point. Will all this have been worth it if you have to sacrifice what makes you you?

[Leftover of Saikano]

Rainbow Dash, Element of Zeal.

[Hestia]

Never thought I'd say it, but I agree with Lancie. Dash is starting to sacrifice her own morals for what she wants.

[viofriedsevey]

Whoever said in the last couple chapters that Rainbow is losing herself in trying to save her friends, hit the nail on the fucking head.

[JodiePonyPuddinAndPie]

Lancie leaned against the back of her fuzzy school.

I think that was supposed to be skull, yes?

I get the feeling that the only thing that'll wake Rainbow up to what's happening to her, is when she gets back and AJ doesn't like who she's turning into.

[zaponator]

Rainbow's losing it, and of all people Lancie is the voice of reason. I like this.

[Autumn Rush]

Rainbow Dash flew north.

It was an easy thing to do... perhaps the easiest thing she had ever done.

Easier than flying east.

And Dashie, sweetie, you're losing your intergrity, and you know it's bad when even Dis- I mean, Lancie has to point it out!

[BabySkittleMonster]

I'm probably wrong, but looking at how rapidly she changed from happy-go-lucky paintbucket to, well, this.... I'm guessing it was from that harmonic disbalance thingy-majig that happened back in the castle after the failed theft of the fire staff. Again, it's just a guess, but I can't shake the feeling that the red-on-yellow eyes mean something - and that something is more than just another casual reference to Austraeoh.

[Revan]

Rainbow is losing herself. Loyalty, thy name is now Delusion.

[arancaytar]

Rainbow Dash flew north.

It was an easy thing to do... perhaps the easiest thing she had ever done.

Just doing what comes naturally, except rotated ninety degrees.

[arancaytar]

"Hmmm?" Lancie shaded his gray eyes, staring. "Yes..." He blinked. "Appears to be... a giant crater?"

But is it full of horny bird horses?