Chapter 8: The Devil In I
Applejack gazed sorrowfully over Twilight as the mare sobbed into the crook of her neck, her forelegs locked about Twilight’s powerless body with a viselike embrace, her glistening emerald eyes forever locked upon the corpse of Fluttershy, still unsure on how to properly grieve given how suddenly it had all transpired.
She barely knew how to fully register the harrowing wails and desperate cries for help of other passengers in the adjacent cars that was polluting the air, let alone fully deal with the concept that one of her friends had just been cruelly taken from this world.
“I-it’s okay, sugarcube… Ah’ve got you.” Applejack attempted to soothe Twilight Sparkle, not knowing the full extent of her injuries. “It’ll be okay, ya hear? It’ll be all okay, Ah’ve got you…”
Who was she trying to fool? She was not sure, but it seemed no matter what she said or did to calm Twilight, it certainly was not working to make her feel any better.
Still, the adrenaline still rushing through her veins, Applejack felt sick to her stomach, trembling from head to toe and ready to fight against anything that would present a danger to Twilight Sparkle.
With a sorrowful whimper, Applejack took note of Twilight’s injuries, noting only a small patch of red within her mane and some minor cuts and bruises that nearly mirrored her own.
The mare more than likely struck her head during their car’s tumble from off of the tracks, but it would seem it was nothing to be afraid of. Twilight appeared alert and very much awake, so a concussion fortunately was ruled out of this tragic equation.
Applejack herself felt fine, however, given the fight or flight response still firmly gripping her she would more than likely not feel the true extent of her injuries until the adrenaline fully wore off.
“Twi’, come on, let’s go.”
Turning her head to glance over her shoulder, Applejack noted the immobile cyan mare amongst the wreckage; and with her forelegs firmly fixed to the mare who had abruptly fallen eerily quiet, Applejack guided her over towards Rainbow Dash, hoping they could at least attempt to bring Rainbow Dash into some kind of form of consciousness, so they could all finally escape this metal deathtrap safely together.
Slowly, she settled the grieving mare down onto the ground and stared deep into that single amethyst eye that silently cried a flow of tears, concerned that once again Twilight Sparkle had once again mentally shut herself off from the world.
Or more selfishly, from Applejack herself.
“Twi’?” Applejack whispered softly.
When there was no response, Applejack simply pulled away from the mare, noting the familiar vacancy that was becoming a common expression for the princess.
Batting away her own need to break down at the sight of a broken Twilight and accidentally hazard a glance at the skewered corpse of Fluttershy, Applejack turned her back on them both and approached Rainbow Dash, dipping down onto her haunches as she used her superior earth pony strength to turn the mare over onto her back, restraining a sob.
Applejack shook Rainbow Dash, even going as far as to lightly tap her muzzle; as if she was waking the mare from one of her afternoon naps. “Dash! Dash, come on, wake up! We gotta get outta here. Dash!”
“Mmm?” Rainbow groaned, cracking her eyelids open, wincing as she did so. “Urgh… I feel like I just went and crashed real bad…”
Applejack cracked a smile, relieved the mare was in a better condition than Twilight or…
Fluttershy.
Pushing that thought painfully aside, Applejack curled her forelegs under Rainbow Dash’s own and yanked her up to sit her upon her rear. “Ah’m glad you’re okay, sugar, Ah know ya’ll hurtin’ right now but we have to get on out of here. It isn’t safe.”
Rainbow Dash glanced about the ruined car, her own body sporting an array of bruises and cuts that riddled her body. “W-what happened? Is everypony alright?”
Moving to stand Rainbow Dash quickly fell back onto her rump, a sudden and expected dizziness overcoming her senses. “I don’t feel too good… it feels like I downed like eight gallons of hard cider or something.”
“Ya’ll must have hurt your head somethin’ fierce… we all did. The train crashed. Twilight is fine but she’s…” Applejack swallowed hard, annoyed at herself that she had to yet again lie to another of her friends, “she’s a little shaken up is all. Hit her head hard. Ah think she might be a little concussed but we best find a doctor quick to be safe. For you, too.”
“Where’s Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash inquired, rubbing at her head, “is she okay?”
Applejack’s jaw clenched as she subtly moved herself into the full view of Rainbow Dash, despite knowing full well the mare had little chance of spotting the dead mare obscured by the debris strewn all across the cabin.
The question nearly caused Applejack to choke on her words, yet she somehow managed to keep the sob at bay that teetered upon the brink. There was no time to grieve at this precise moment for it was a higher priority for Applejack to get her remaining friends to safety.
Then she will come back for Fluttershy.
She would not leave the mare behind.
She deserved a proper burial.
“She’s outside, sugar,” Applejack whispered, afraid Twilight would hear her and react badly to the blatant lie, “Ah guided her out when ya’ll and Twilight were out. Don’ worry, she’s fine—now come on, let me help get ya flank up so we can get out of this place.”
Nodding, Rainbow Dash complied and allowed Applejack to help her to unsteady hooves, leaning heavily against the other mare for support considering she felt like a ten ton weight.
It was at that moment Rainbow Dash noted the silently staring Twilight Sparkle seated upon the floor just beyond Applejack.
“Is she going to be okay?” Rainbow commented with concern, her face forming into a worried expression as she regarded Applejack.
“Ah think so.” Applejack lied again, even if it sickened her to her very core. But it was necessary. She could not have two distraught ponies on her hoofs. “Come on, let’s—”
Movement from the nearby window drew Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s attention, as a figure outside dipped low to peer into the upturned train car. Both ponies stared dumbfounded as they noted the feathered female to be a gryphon, of all things.
Applejack was relieved to see somepony else alive, even if it was a gryphon. As she raised her voice, she lifted a hoof up to wave and greet what she assumed to be another survivor. “Hey there! Can ya’ll help us? We’ve got two injured ponies in here.”
Rainbow Dash huffed frowning at Applejack. “You know, I ain’t that hurt. I've been through worse crashes, you know.”
Applejack sighed, giving Rainbow Dash a fairly forced smile as she attempted to reply in jest. After all, Fluttershy was not dead, now was she? “Sure thing, Rainbow Da—”
Something peculiar caught Applejack’s eye, cutting her retort short.
By the time she had realized what the gryphon was holding and who she was aiming it at, Applejack snapped into action, moving quickly and swiftly to push a puzzled Rainbow Dash violently out of the way.
As Rainbow Dash struck the ground; yelping and groaning in pain as she did so, she painfully scrambled to her knees to confront Applejack at her sudden and rough treatment.
The quick movement also caught Twilight Sparkle’s attention and it drew her eye upwards.
Both the cyan and the lavender mares mirrored each others horror as both watched Applejack hit the ground hard as a splatter of blood speckled the ground and wall behind her, crying out in agony as a crossbow bolt had wedged deep itself deep her right shoulder.
Screaming Applejack’s name, Rainbow Dash; in spite of how stiff and sprained her wings felt, quickly flew herself to land somewhat haphazardly next to Applejack’s writhing figure, her hooves quickly moving out to do something, though pausing midway as she realized she had not a clue as to exactly what.
“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash cried as she snapped her head towards the gryphon still peering into the broken window, brandishing an empty crossbow still aimed towards the pair. “You could had killed her!”
“That was the point,” snarled the gryphon female as she scrambled to reach a talon into her arm strapped bandolier and withdrew yet another bolt to reload the weapon, “you know, there was a joke in what I just said, so allow me to make a second point," the gryphon female chuckled, "right between—"
Twilight Sparkle’s perfectly round iris mutated into a serpentine-like oval, the pupil becoming a narrow slit as she released a terrifying, rage saturated scream, her horn aglow with a fiercely sinister purple glow.
"I WILL EVISCERATE YOU!"
You just pissed off the most powerful magic user in the world.... you're doomed.
Don't piss of the sleeping giant, people.
Just don't.
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Time to give you all what you've all been asking/waiting for.
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Hahahaha THAT ENDING ! WOOOOOT!
Nightmare moon, yes I am she
I'll always have a little devil in me.....
Can i assume that the good general had a hand in your thoughts this chapter?
5172264 Good general?
5172271 General Mumble, Though i suppose if you ask that then I was mistaken. Still you may enjoy the song itself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_iV0IB4BXc
5172298 OH! Mumble! Actually, no, but I did certainly listen to it after I wrote this chapter.
5172303 Mind if ask you what time zone you happen to be in? Because you always seem to update at the oddest times in the morning, you know before most people are sane enough to manage to make coffee and zombie nom a bagel.
5172311 I am from the UK.
5172321 So that means you are up at a even more ungodly hour than me.... ish I guess i suppose I've managed to stay up later than you as of the moment? (live in Texas) ...... its hurting my brain to think about that... anyway do you have any music or stories you would recommend. Your own or others? Reading is pretty much one of 2 things I do when I'm not working so new music and stories are always needed. Seriously look at my page and note how many things I've read.... XD
That last line.
What's the weather forecast for today Brick?
The weather report for today is sunny skies in the morning at a nice 20c moving into turbulent storms, red skies and blood rivers at a summery 1000c after lunch.
Back to you Ron.
...
Thank you for that very.... interesting report Brick.
Plot twist, Cadence and Shining are taking over.
She basically just told that griffon she is going to disembowel her.
Ya...game over.
I suppose you're impliying that the one who is controlling the strings isn't a gryphon...
that...
...or you lied to me...
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5174238 i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/131/786/tumblr_ljkeuyjp1a1qafrh6.gif?1318992465
Repetition.
Other than that, really didn't see anything. At least Twilight is protective in Nightmare mode. It is vengeance but directed at reducing the threat to those she loves. What would make Twi become an equine torch in your head?
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5176867 Thanks once again Fourpony.
Heheh, let the rage consume all...
"I foresee fire. Fire and screams"
"Of course you would mate, your a rocket launcher and also because shit's going down"
5172342 4AM isn't ungodly early. It's an hour before I have to stop staring at my ceiling like an insomniac to get ready for school/ work.
5195417 Been/still there, done/does that, got the t-shirt and commemorative coffee mug. I know dem feels man. *Hugs*
i seriously hope that i find a rapid, mid air biology lesson featuring brutal dissection of the Griphon anatomy via magic in the next chapter
I feel like being satan so: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_1qXQRpF08E
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4HkRimKu2N4
Evertim someone dies play dis.
Oooh, nice vocab purple horse!