Through Loyalty and Love

by Damocles23

Chapter 4: No matter where…

Trough Loyalty and Love

By Damocles23

Chapter 4: No matter where…

There was mostly silence.

The only thing that reigned supreme in the Everfree Forest that night, a powerful and eerie silence, only broken by the sound of two ponies trotting along the dark, brown road.

No more their great night, as Pinkie thought. That ship has sailed a long time ago. At the beginning she started to think adjectives far more appropriate: there was “the dumbest night ever”, the always classic “worst night ever” surely works for any situation like a little black dress, or the newest one she came up , lovely described as “The night I bucked up”.

That will do. For once she tried to be as straightforward as possible.

She had enough time to think, to keep her mind occupied in the dull, unbearable moments in the forest, knowing well that it was just the start, to think of what went wrong ,what to do now…Her companion surely wasn’t helping.

Even if she hated the pettiness of such thoughts, the cyan Pegasus wasn’t friendly at all, it would’ve been better to just go alone, but sadly she knew she couldn’t expect more from her.

Rainbow Dash was silent as those dark and twisted tree branches that surrounded them unless you didn’t count the brief, monosyllabic answers she gave to Pinkie.

“Where are we going, Rainbow Dash?”

“Away”

“We can’t go back, right?”

“No.”

“Any ideas?”

“Nope”

Longest conversation they had since having left Ponyville.

Her usual routine of silly, old Pinkie Pie surely didn’t help to…well, it didn’t help at all. She had to show her that everything was alright, that she wasn’t distressed as it looked, to make her feel at home with a pantomime of normalcy, at least she had to lift this one burden from her heart. At least Pinkie Pie was the same… She saw trough it, obviously.

Maybe she wanted to show some kindness to her “partner in crime” or maybe because she sounded so pathetic that that gesture of affection was everything she could aspire for at the moment. Nevertheless her heart melted like chocolate when she did that, even though it was just compassion.

A step in the right direction, maybe? Yeah, right…Look pathetic in front of your crush, that is so gonna work, she’ll love you back in a tick.

Why whenever somepony made some gesture to made her feel closer to somepony always looked like that, deeply, they wanted to baby her? Old, random Pinkie Pie doesn’t know what to do except being a fool even when she has to fight with teeths and hooves to show ponies she was responsible (even if in that particular night, that statement kinda went out the window), so you have to tolerate her, to guide her, to hold the bridge of your nose and going “Oooooww” whenever she does something silly, too simple to even understand the basics of love…. And to think it all started for her…During that train of thought she noticed several locks of her mane just didn’t curl properly, so she stopped with the negativity. Turning back into Pinkamena right there would be a giant pain in the plot, quite frankly.

And for making it even more cheesy, not even using an original song…The lack of inspiration was the last of her concerns, though.

Completely lacking any hope or motivation except the desire to run away, wandering aimlessly in one the most dangerous places of Equestria, with little food and resources, now, that was at least in the top five. On top of that they didn’t know long they had to stay there and where they should’ve gone from there.

The two big choices where obviously Manehattan or Fillydelphia, especially the former since they knew something about the city from Applejack. Sure, her time in it was brief but better than nothing. Cities full of life, relatively close with emphasis on relatively since Rainbow Dash could fly even to Las Pegasus in a few days…without having to carry a rather abundant pink earth pony which could seriously hinder her fliying speed, not to mention her stamina, big enough to disappear among the crowd with nopony to recognize them so they could try to rebuild something akin to a life.

Canterlot could’ve been a possibility but with their luck even though nopony ever seemed to remember that the Princess herself held them in high regard, in that particular occasion the universe would finally find somepony that remembered them, just to screw with them and their little..involment with the Princess that fated night, made that choice even worse.

Cloudsdale could’ve been an option if Rainbow Dash hadn’t to take care of ,once again, a certain pink earth pony who couldn’t live on the clouds and shall not be named to protect the innocents (in the loosest sense of the word), to lessen the guilt of the aforementioned pink pony and avoid confusions with a certain type of sweet. Everywhere but Ponyville was fine…

Somehow, Pinkie thought that neither of them had planned this as they should have.

The fact that it was the third time they saw that creepy, almost pony looking bush was the icing of the cake.

If she had the courage to say another word to her she’d say that they were lost. Fortunately, Rainbow Dash noticed. Unless looking around you looking lost and irritated then immediately facehoof with a long, drawn out lament was a new way to express happiness. If it was, it’d never be popular.

“Are you alright, Dashie?” asked Pinkie gently, trying her best to not sound like an idiot. The question didn’t help.
Immediately Dash calmed herself down, breathing slowly and regaining her composure. Still with her back turned to Pinkie spoke the usual few words, with a cold, distant tone:

“Tired. Let’s rest a few minutes. Need to think”

“Okie-Dokie-Loki…”said Pinkie, without a hint of happiness in it, almost like a reflex.

The two strolled a bit away from the path to the side, to lay on the ground for a few minutes as they did a couple of times already, sharing quietly a daffodil sandwich, one of the few they could bring with them. Not that they hoped to sustain themselves on them for much time, and for how much time? As always, Dash didn’t want to speak and Pinkie was too scared to ask her anything. The, frankly unnatural, silence of the forest really helped to create a mood of awkwardness and distress still unrivaled by anything else in Equestria.

This almost supernatural quiet was strange, sure, but neither of the two still couldn’t find anything weird about that, what, being so paralyzed by your own self doubts will do that to you; after all, the darkness and fear in the heart of a pony is far more dangerous and cruel than anything the forest could conjure…Except maybe a cockatrice, those are vicious bastards.

After some minutes, even though Dash was doing her best to avoid the other mare gaze instead staring blankly at the contorted mess that surrounded them ,finally, Pinkie decided to broke that silence, looking at her with the same puppy dog eyes she used a few hours ago, only this time there wasn’t any ulterior motive in them. Pinkie probably didn’t notice to having had them. They weren’t helping, though.

“Dashie?”

“What?” the question stroke her like a whip, so sudden and cold.

“I think we’re lost…”

“Duh.”

“Why don’t you…you know…fly around a tiny bit? Maybe you can see the way out?”

“And leaving you alone? Who knows what kind of monsters are around here?”

“Oh, don’t worry, Dashie! Maybe if you do that for just a minute…”

“I said no. “ said Dash immediately interrupting her.

“But…”

“What part of no do you not understand? I’m not risking it…” Longer sentences now, that’s a record.

She shrugged silently, visibly unease at the word of her friend, for once not knowing what to say. She had to measure every word carefully, unless she wanted in front of her to explode because of her very visible tension, dripping from her mannerism. That pantomime couldn’t continue, though. Angry or not, at least if she hadn’t to be so…nebulous about everything it would've been better for both of them.

The fact she was also leading the way and probably going into circles, endangering them both was something to be taken care of. She trusted her, sure but she began regretting that decision after noticing how distressed and distant she was. And whose pony could be the fault? Don’t answer that…

As a matter of fact everything had to be clear between them, they were friends, right?

“Why are you doing this?” she asked with a concerned tone.

Dash eyed her intensely, as if she Pinkie was some kind of bizarre natural phenomenon.

“I know we are friends and all, but you’re risking everything for me. If you say we have to go, we have to go, no questions, I know it’s super duper dangerous and everything and now you’re acting all kind of cranky and you’re not talking to me but…” her rant interrupted by itself “…you were so nice to me before but not now…And now you look so angry and sad…”

“Your point being?”

“I don’t get you, that’s the point!”

“Oh, YOU don’t get ME! That’s bucking new!”She immediately lashed out, finally regaining her full grammar.

“AHA! You did notice that we’re lost, aren’t you?”

“What gave you that impression? The whining? Or maybe the fact that it’s the third time I saw that bush?”

“YOU noticed it?” Pinkie looked appalled.

“I can’t believe it…” she muttered aside “You noticed it, too? Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Pinkie shrugged and looked tinier but still managing to look indignant and pouty: “You didn’t seem in the mood…”

Dash just froze for a second, looking stung by some kind of exotic parasite, with a look of pure disbelief on her face:

“Mood? What kind of answer is that? “You didn’t seem in the mood?” she said that even mocking Pinkie’s tone of voice, a nearly flawless imitation, we might add.

“Do you think this is a date? Is that it?”

“Are you coming onto me, Dashie? I’m flattered!” Pinkie managed to sound both sarcastic AND hopeful with that sentence.

Dash blinked, incredulous, “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that, for the sake of my sanity…”

“You know, I didn’t think the Everfree Forest could be a good place for a date, but I guess you’ve proven me wrong!” said
Pinkie with a sly smile, as a little payback for Dash indifference before.

“Stop stalling! What’s the point of all this?!” Rainbow Dash practically jumped in the air and started flapping furiously her
wings to keep herself in the air, to glare at the pink mare from high.

Pinkie giggled “I’m not a pencil, Dash! I don’t have a point!” the giggling turned into a bitter and mocking laugh.
Dash was furious, the glaring was far more fierce and intimidating than ever, directed right at the pink pony who was mocking her. Her nostrils flared.

“You’re…You can’t be real! If you knew we were lost, why you didn’t tell me anything? No, scratch that, why you didn’t tell me anything about that dumb prank, those dumb raincloud and whatever was in your motherbucking head when you thought all of this!”

Just you, you big stupid jock she thought, but kept it for herself.

Pinkie stood there silently for a few seconds, looking remarkably calm and collected, more collected she ever looked in her entire life, still eyeing the angry Pegasus in front of her, with her eyelids half closed and a hint of a sneer.

“You’re such a flip-flop.” She said slowly, her face not even breaking a sweat.

“Say that again.” Rainbow practically smashed her face closer to the other mare face making a squishy sound, glaring at her closer than ever, looking directly in her . Again, Pinkie wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.

“Oh, now you want me to speak! Total flip-flop!” the Pegasus’ glare was starting to get intense and piercing. Nevertheless Pinkie continued to lash at her.

“We’re in this together, Dashie. Whether you like it or not.” She stood to the other pony and started pushing as well, this time looking much less dignified: “Just what do you want from me? Ok, it’s my fault! Are you happy now? It’s that what you wanted to hear, you stupid, stupid pegasusus?

“The hay are you talking about?”

“I know you’re angry with me, Rainbow Dash! I’m not THAT stupid!”

Dash rolled her eyes and muttered sotto voce, “That’s the least of our problems…”

“Quit bucking around!”, she started shouting at this point. “If I am soooo much of a pain to you, why are still with me?”

“Please Celestia, not again”, Rainbow facehoofed.

“Answer me, you dumb…Dumb-meany-head!”

“BECAUSE I HAVE TO! THAT’S WHY!” Rainbow screamed so hard that Pinkie’s mane was even more messed up than it was before, her curls exploded in a even more chaotic patter in all direction. Even down that undignified mess, the pink pony looked deeply hurt by that statement. But mostly enraged…

“What do you mean by that?” she asked. Maybe it wasn’t as she imagined…

“Because I’m the element of loyalty, the one everypony goes when they’re in a mess! The only one who has the guts and the speed and the nerve to do what they have to do, I may not like it but that’s how it is! Do you think you have any chance out there without me? ”

“It’s just because…YOU HAVE TO? Not because we are, you know, friends?”

“Oh, don’t give me this…Don’t you dare! It’s totally not cool to play the friend card, here!”

“And by the way, great job with leading the way. Maybe that bush is the other bush twin brother so we’re making progress, who knows!”

“Oh, like you’re any better. Let me spell this out: we’re in this mess because of you! You even admitted it!” Dash stopped to flap and lowered herself on the ground, so that she could speak with her at the same level this time. She silently prepared to say her next sentence, looking like she was gathering the energy to actually say it.

“I wish I never met you”

…

“Stop that, please!” Pinkie was looking at the ground, her voice eerily monotone, tender tears were hitting the ground.

“What are you going to do now?” Her voice cracked a little, obviously distressed and surprised, even a bit shamed of her words but still feigning indifference” Cry and convince me to stay? It worked so well last time!”

And that was the proverbial breaking point. Since that moment, Pinkie wasn’t a paragon of rationality and self-control since…never, but sometimes a pony is pushed to the point that they forget everything only to be replaced by the most primordial emotions, in this case, anger. Anger she thought to never feel since before, anger she couldn’t believe she could feel toward Rainbow Dash, but the Pegasus surely did a good job provoking. Sure, she truly was responsible for all of this and those cruel attempts of humor were mean, plain and simple, a product of their difficult circumstances but mean, nevertheless; but being faced with such awful truths and ,let’s face it, her feelings for Dash were so much of a mess that a messy response was the only possible response and her grief translated in a form far more primordial.

Before Dash could even say a word she found herself enveloped in a big ball of pink-colored violence, finding herself repeatedly slapped, pulled, shaken and even bitten by a screaming thing that looked like Pinkie Pie.

To her surprise, she found surprisingly difficult to retaliate, after all she the attack was so sudden and Pinkie’s moves were so unpredictable and feral that doing anything, even in the heat of the moment, was fairly difficult. Her rabid and quick blows were even well-placed and hurt more than she intended, or perhaps exactly as she intended like an angry pony-sized wasp.

The two mares were rolling up and down in that same spot, without a clear winner for a while, evenly matched in that clumsy dance, finally, to Dash surprise evidenced by her comically enlarged pupils, Pinkie stood proudly on the Pegasus, pining her to the ground.

There wasn’t any trace of anger in her eyes or face this time, though. There was something different entirely but not easily recognizable.

She gazed so hard into the Pegasus lavender eyes that she almost looked lost in them, breathing slowly and blushing lightly. In that moment she didn’t know how to feel and what to think, her troubles forgot, Dash’s hateful statement forgot, like it never existed in the first place.

The only thing that mattered was her…It all started from her…

Even though it was completely illogical, dangerous, degrading, non sequitur and almost demeaning for everypony involved Pinkie started to lean closer to Dash, eyeing hungrily her lips. After all, she won their little skirmish and the Pegasus was unnecessarily cruel to her not a long ago. Now it was time for a little payback…

To her surprise Dash wasn’t struggling at all, but instead started to lean her head towards Pinkie’s as well and even started a little blush.
Maybe it was a date after all, Pinkie thought. In the worst possible moment and under the most embarrassing conditions Equestria ever saw but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

Perhaps everything could still be fixed and that was a brief ray of hope if she ever saw one.

Sadly, that perfect magical moment was broken by the sudden look of horror in Rainbow Dash eyes. Pinkie instantly broke the silence.

“What it is, Dashie? You look like you saw a ghost!”

"Remember that bush we made such a big deal about it?”

“Yes?”

“It’s gone…”

Pinkie, incredulous, immediately turned her head and noticed that that creepy pony looking bush was, in fact, gone and to her horror, she noticed that they weren't alone anymore.

The two mare were surrounded by something not of this world.

Big, black piles of oily smoke in the shape of ponies stood silently around them, glaring at them with eyes that looked like made of the fire of Tartarus itself, glaring and to their surprise, smiling maliciously with what looked like, black, sharp, pointy fangs.

They both uttered the same word,in fear and disbelief:

“Crap…”

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long hiatus i took without a warning guys, but i'm having a lot of health problems lately but i promise i'll update the fic regularly. After the next chapter, we'll be having a little interlude, to introduce some new players in this story, shift the focus a bit and make some new developments , so stay tuned.

Comments

[IAmScootaloo]

Awesome!

[MidnightCrew]

Dun-dun-DUUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UnlocalEntity]

I get SO DAMN EXCITED when this fic gets updated because it's SO DAMN GOOD! /)^3^(\

[Damocles23]

654130
Thank you, Dearie. And if you're liking it now, wait for the next chapter , it'll probably be the best one yet!

[R-B-D]

Alright! Nice. It's back!

I dislike all the swearing. I really cannot see any pony swear to anyone in Equestria the way you made them do. It's kind of a storybreaker for me. I loved where you were taking it but then they started swearing all over the place... I liked everything else, just not that.

[UnlocalEntity]

Wait... health problems? Damn, hope you're okay.
( I need to stop using damn)

[Damocles23]

654965
Yeah...I wanted to underline the tension and frustation but maybe i went a little overboard .
656413
Please don't worry, dearie. I'm better now, it was difficult, but...I'm alright

[FreezingShock]

Well, this definitely isn't bad at all. Your sentences are a bit oddly constructed sometimes, but nothing too serious. Color me intrigued. I really do wonder how Trixie is going to fit into this..