The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

by Briarlight

3 - A Lesson Wrapped in Bandages

Wrapped in bandages, Rainbow Dash trotted forward while ignoring the pleas of the Doctor. “Please Captain Dash, you can’t heal if you don’t rest!”

“I need to see Queen Nightmare Moon.” She single-mindedly states, continuing onward as the bandages around her wing loosely drags behind.

“She is expecting you later!” An accompanying nurse pony stated. “Your wing needs to rest. Without proper care it can heal improperly.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it! Five minutes with her won’t kill me, back off.”

Dash furrows her brow deeply, shoving her snout right up to one of the doctor ponies. She recedes back in fear as the others nod along with her. The temperature of the room chills as Dash turns her head back.

“Now, now, Captain. They are professionals for a reason.” Nightmare Moon says, approaching the group with an oddly inquisitive look in her eyes.

Dash stands up straight before bowing on the ground before her. “Yes, Queen Nightmare Moon.”

“Come, both of you.”

Dash stands up and turns to the doctor ponies, both looking at each other in confusion and worry.

“Captain Rainbow Dash and Doctor Marigold. Do not delay.”

Nightmare Moon sauntered down the hallway as Dash followed quickly, with Marigold close behind. The queen reached the entryway to her room and opened its towering doors before stepping through. The two ponies entered before the doors shut behind them.

“Now Captain,” Nightmare Moon steps towards her bed and gestures Dash towards it with her wing. “What is it that is so important that you risk not healing?”

Dash nods before creeping towards the bed and hopping on, flinching in pain at her wings' instinct to flap when she jumps. Nightmare Moon flaps her massive wings as she hovers over to Dash, sitting right across from her on the bed. Rainbow gave a nervous gulp as Nightmare Moon's eyes stared deep into her.

“It’s just that-”

“Is this about the mission?”

“Yes! I-”

“I will hear about your excuse for this injury Rainbow; you are excused this time but you are not to cause further grief and you are to listen to the ponies who know more than you, hmm?”

Dash turned her head down in shame as her eyes dimmed before nodding.

“Now tell.” She gestures with her wing over to Dash for Doctor Marigold to continue on wrapping bandages around her.

“But what about her?”

“Silence bubble spell.”

“Of course, Nightmare Moon.”

“Now do tell~”

“Err- basically it was going well, tracked them down and kicked their butts and all. It was just me and the Apple left and y’know I was chasing her and she was being all slippery. We got to a clearing outside Ponyville and I knocked her out perfectly and whatnot, then the ground collapsed under me and I woke up with a broken wing.”

“Hmm.” She nodded softly with her eyes closed. “And pray tell, where were your wings at that moment?”

“She uh…” Dash scruffed her hair, rolling her head around her shoulders nervously. “Grabbed my wings.”

“A trap. Following them into their own territory is a mistake, that’s why I told you not to be overly ambitious in the letter.”

“What? You only said not to kill her!”

“Do you not remember the line ‘try to not make a fool of yourself’?” Her lids lowered, staring harshly back at Dash’s.

“Well it would be more efficient if I could y’know…” Dash holds up her hooves, making one fly around in the air before clapping quickly into the other.

“With the wave of my hoof I could take everypony who ever speaks ill of me out in an instant. Do you know why I do not?”

“Err-”

“Because I am not interested in running a slave society filled with yes-ponies. They should fear me with every breath, not stop breathing all together.”

Dash scratched her brain as she wasn't quite getting it.

“Forgive my doubt Nightmare Moon, but what does this have to do with not killing the rebels?”

“You may beg for forgiveness later Dash. As for the rebels I do not care, only the Apple. Do you know why?”

Dash grimaced at her reprimanding before shaking her head. “I don’t, my queen. Wouldn't we want to take her out as soon as possible?”

“In my over a millennia of life experience, I have seen many civilizations rise and fall and uprisings spawn from them. The most successful uprisings have one thing in common.”

“What’s that? A cool weapon? A powerful magic artifact? A good ol’ one-two?” Dash looked up with great interest at her words, giving punches to the air beside her.

“The rulers tried to nip the problem in the bud by killing the rebellion's leader, but that created an even greater threat.”

Dash tapped her hooves in anticipation as the story unfolded. A thousand possibilities flashed through her mind, a death resurrection spell, familial revenge, an elaborate trap by the rebels. Behind her Marigold was smiling nervously, caring for Dash’s wing.

“A martyr.”

“How does a dead pony cause something that big?” Dash tilted her head back and chuckled a bit.

“It gives the common ponies hope.”

“Hope? Not sure I’m not following along here.”

“Managing the common ponies' hope during times of strife and rebellion have always been the key to a ruling party.”

“How?” Dash started to feel a little dumb for not getting it yet. “Isn’t this whole ‘ruling ponies with an iron hoof’ thing meant to crush their hopes?”

“No hope and ponies resort to anything because they see nothing worse than their current situation. Too much and they believe they can do anything together, no matter the cost.”

Dash’s eyes were widened in realization. “That’s starting to make sense.”

“That’s the key for why I am not lining her up for execution. Her little rebellion is currently controllable and can be kept down. We can always keep our eyes open for opportunities of course, but directly killing her would be casting a direct spotlight upon her and her cause by our very own hooves.”

Rainbow was in slight shock as she was processing it all. Nightmare moon bared a toothy, proud grin as she laid the tip of her wing under Dash’s chin.

"The tyrant dies, and his rule ends. The martyr dies, and her rule begins."

“Oh, I think I get it now. My eternal gratitude for teaching me Nightmare Moon!” Dash bowed her head down into the beds sheets.

“Gratitude accepted, and I am glad you are eager to learn. Also, that was a quote from the late Keyguard the Wise if you happen to know of him.”

“Oh! Oh yeah, him!” Dash nodded her head. She had no idea who he was.

“Regardless, I hope you understand why I do not want sloppy missions regarding the Apple.” Nightmare Moon lowers her neck and leans her head down in front of Dash. “And sloppy Captains.”

Dash’s smile vanished as a painful twinge of dread crawled down her neck, chilling her as she leaned back in fear.

“Y-yes. Without a doubt Queen Nightmare Moon!”

“Good. Now you are to heal, understood?”

“Of course!”

“Fully.”

“Huh?”

Nightmare Moon’s horn lit up, popping the silence bubble around Doctor Marigold. “How long will it take for Captain Dash to fully heal her wing?”

“Oh! Deary me I dunno. Maybe a week? According to our documentation she’s been quite a fast healer.”

“There is your answer Captain.” She gives a light grin before reactivating the bubble.

Dash looked stunned, looking between the two ponies. “A week? C’mon I can’t not be doing stuff around here, it’s my whole thing. I can’t look weak around my lackeys!”

“Lackeys?” Nightmare Moon looked down at her with a raised brow.

“My subordinates or whatever. I don’t like overly fancy words.”

“You do not need to appear in front of them, Captain Dash. There are places other than the castle to be.”

“C’mon, I can still do stuff. I can’t stand being inactive!”

“You may also be temporarily replaced with Lieutenant Lightning Dust if this becomes an issue.”

“Wh- No! Absolutely not!” Dash shot up from the bed. “Fine I’ll rest or whatever, just don’t do… that.” She groans, turning away.

“Seems this has sorted itself out, right Captain Dash?” Nightmare Moon gives a toothy grin, draping her wing over Dash.

---

Dash slammed the door to her room behind her, giving a frustrated groan. She flops onto her bed, making room for her hurt wing. Dash’s mind races as she stares at the ceiling, what could she even do now, what?

“Nagging Nightmares, urgh!”

At the very least she didn’t have to see Lightning Dust’s stupid punchable face. The only pony who dared to challenge Dash, in fact it was basically her job if Rainbow ever got too big of a head. She was the only pony who was unaffected by Dash’s threats and intimidation and it always got to her. Oh how she wished someday she could throw her into the dungeons never to be seen again.

“Stupid Lightning Dust, stupid room, stupid mess.”

Dash sighed and spaced out looking at her ceiling. Her eyes drifted across her room, messes of clothing and empty food containers strewn about everywhere with many assorted papers across her desk. She forced it out of her mind as she tried to get comfy on her bed, but something in the back of her mind had been bothering her too much. That letter.

“Stupid letter.”

She had been meaning to clean her room… eventually. Dash gave an exaggerated sigh as she rolled off her unkempt bed and onto her sore hooves. With a lazy sway she headed over to the dusty desk, taking the opportunity to grab a few empty boxes and throw them in the trash on top of the letter. She inhaled and blew at her desk, most of the dust evacuating the premises. There it was. That old letter.

Dash rolled her head around her shoulders in uneasiness. How long had it even been since she stopped responding? She used to be consistent with her letters back, but they had gotten annoying so she never really got back to writing the letter. She just kind of started to ignore them all.

With a flick of her good wing she cuts the top of the letter and takes the note out. Dash opens it but covers the text with her hoof, looking for something specific. Her mom had gotten kind of date obsessive since doing the ‘best birthday mare ever’ every year so she always puts the date on everything. Dash gave a bittersweet smile as her eyes wandered the page, looking for the date of the dusty old thing. Her eyes light up as she spots it.

“No way- over a year?”

A wave of guilt washed over her as she avoided reading the rest of the text on the page. Dash puts it down on the desk as she groans, slamming her head into the desk.

“A year! What kind of daughter am I?” She mumbles to herself as she raises her right hoof, mimicking talking with it. “Well it’s not my fault they don’t get it! They always treat me like I was tricked into it. It was my choice, why won’t they just believe me argh!”

Dash whimpered softly as she looked down, her gaze drifting to the trash can with the new letter at the bottom. Did she dare actually read it? She owed them that much, didn’t she? She slowly stepped to the filled trash can, knocking it over and fishing for the letter at the bottom. Dash opens the letter and slowly peeks at what it says.

Dear Rainbow,
I hope this finds you well if you decide to read this. Your father and I have been doing well still. Not much has changed in our past letters but we hope the best for you and your job in the guard. We know you’ll be the best!
Mr. and Mrs. Shy have been over a lot recently, they are a lovely couple! I have no idea why you would have such an aversion to going over to their house when you were a foal!
Dashie, if you ever decide to come visit we would love to have you more than anything darling. If you can, bring Fluttershy with you! Just between you and me, Mr. Shy especially has been quite antsy with hearing about Fluttershy's recent dangerous creature stories in her letters hehe! ;)
Remember to always be your best you like I know you will be,
Love, Mom.

Dash put the letter down. A few tear drops laced the page as she put her hooves to her face, groaning with a whine. Dash threw the letter back into the trash can as she snagged a piece of paper that was lazily lying halfway off her desk. With a smooth stroke she placed the paper straight in front of her and clenched a quill between her teeth. The ink on the tip of the quill was pricking into the paper as she just held it there. What would she even respond with?

Dash dropped the quill back into the ink bottle and gave a long sigh as she leaned back. She needed to clear her mind, but where? Dash didn’t really think the dungeons were a place for clarity even if they were great for stress venting. She decided against going back to talk to Nightmare Moon about it as she didn’t want to be needy. Not a chance to visit her parents tonight. Her mind drifted back to her previous mission. It had been awhile since she went for a proper visit in Ponyville.

Dash trotted up to the opposite wall and up to her pin board. She brushed aside some unrelated pictures before grabbing a picture of her at Sweet Apple Acres with Pinkie Pie and Applejack. A thought popped into her mind. Applejack surely still had some connection to the farm, right? It was taken over by some town ponies after her family abandoned it, but maybe there were still things to learn. Dash grinned as she headed out her door. It was a win win regardless, she got to do her job and had the excuse she was just visiting the town for relaxation!

There certainly were some places she had been meaning to visit.

Author's Note:

And with that, this has become the longest fic ive written so far!

Comments

[Paradox_Az]

I do see Applejack going home from time to time, attached that she is to it. And in the traditionnal fashion of opposite attracting each over, a meeting might be happening soon enough

[swiftlydash]

so excited for the next part!