War of the Ponies

Chapter 3. Nom nom nom

The mess hall was full of ponies sitting on benches eating a small variety of foods. The wooden benches were old, but were sturdy enough to support two ponies on each side plus their food trays. The room was big, more than quadruple the size of the ponies shared rooms. Roughly, twenty benches were in the room plus the food feeders. There were two ponies known as the food feeders who gave each pony food and drink. You could fit eighty two ponies in the mess hall and probably a lot more. Rainbow Dash walked towards the end of breakfast line with Fluttershy. Fluttershy walked close to Rainbow Dash, and had finally wiped her eyes and stopped crying. She wasn't 100%, but no pony could see she'd been sobbing. The line lead from the food feeders to the door, and was close to the wall. The walls were carved from stone and cracks had been filled in with a substance representing cement.  In front of Rainbow Dash was her roommate Scarlet Melody.

"Hey Scarlet Melody!" Rainbow Dash said cheerfully to her. Scarlet Melody's ears twitched, and she turned around smiling.

"Oh, hi! What's up?" She responded to Rainbow Dash. She looked at Fluttershy and giggled. "Hey there Fluttershy. Why so sad?" She asked.

Fluttershy looked up at her. "You could tell I was crying? Oh dear! I'm sorry." She began, tears reforming in her eyes.

Scarlet Melody laughed happily. "Don't apologise! You haven't done anything wrong. It was hard to notice, but I'm used to reading ponies emotions. When I'm on stage performing I try to make sure everypony is smiling and laughing. I know if a pony is sad, no matter how well they hide it." She put her hoof on Fluttershy's back and smiled. "I'll make you smile!" She cheered. She then stuck out her tongue and crossed her yellow eyes. "Bleeeeeh!" She giggled.

Fluttershy wiped her eyes and smiled. She then began to giggle, then laugh. "You're funny Scarlet Melody! Thank you for cheering me up!" Fluttershy said, smiling and laughing.

Scarlet Melody's eyes returned to a normal state, and she put her tongue back in her mouth. She smiled. "It's fine!" She chirped. "I love making other ponies smile and laugh."

Rainbow Dash smiled gratefully. Scarlet Melody was a funny bubbly pony, who liked writing songs and making music. She also enjoyed drawing in her red sketch book, which she kept under her bed. Despite being funny and friendly, she was quite self conscious about her looks and attitude. Rainbow Dash had noticed this when Scarlet was in the mess hall once. Some ponies wanted her to sing for them and play her guitar, and she kept refusing. Later that day in their rooms Rainbow Dash saw Scarlet Melody furiously combing her mane and crying. When she asked Scarlet what was wrong she said that she felt like she let the ponies down when she didn't perform. Scarlet told Rainbow Dash she was afraid of being judged and making a mistake. Since then Scarlet Melody had put in extra effort in her appearance and vocal skills. At times Scarlet could be over the top and annoying, but she meant well.

"Sorry to be a party pooper, but I'm going to go back to our room. Hope you have a nice breakfast!" She said. She got out of the line and began to leave, when a thought struck Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Scarlet."

"Yeah?" She asked turning her head to them.

"If you're going back to your room, then why did you line up in the breakfast line?" Rainbow Dash said, slightly confused.

Scarlet Melody smiled. "I don't really know. Guess I just wanted a small snack. It's ok though, I'm not that hungry!" She said. She laughed as she turned back to the door, and left to go back to her room.

Rainbow Dash was slightly puzzled, but ignored it and shrugged. 'Scarlet Melody being Scarlet Melody.' She thought. Rainbow's attention went back to Fluttershy, who was still laughing quietly.

Fluttershy looked at her. "What were you going to tell me about our friends?" She asked, switching the subject.

Winking, Rainbow Dash grabbed two trays for the stack, and gave one to Fluttershy. "It's private and secret. When we sit down I'll tell you everything." Rainbow Dash explained.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "Okay." She said.

The line moved. Rainbow Dash walked forward and finally reached the food feeders. Rainbow Dash was first. She put her tray on the rusty metal bars, and revived a bowl from the first food feeder. The only thing between Rainbow Dash and the food feeder was a cracked sheet of steamed up glass, withe barely enough room to push a bowl through.

The first food feeder was a buff pegasus colt. He had a fine navy mane and his coat was black. "Hello. Today we have a choice of carrot soup or apples. Make your order and collect it from my colleague next to me." He said in a plain, gruff voice. He looked bored and tired from standing and giving ponies bowls.

"Where are the apples from?" She asked, thinking of her honest friend Applejack.

The food feeder rolled his eyes. "They're from the trees we planted over our base as camouflage. Hurry up and make your choice." He said, a hint of anger in his voice.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I only like the ones from Apple Acres, which were grown with love and purity. Not blood and violence." She said. She missed the taste of apples. The ones the Pegasus ponies grew tasted bland and dull, like eating soft stone.

The food feeder sighed. "Carrot soup it is." He said dully. He turned to his colleague who was wearing a stained chef hat. He repeated the order to him and the chef pony nodded. The blue maned colt turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Next!" He barked. Rainbow Dash glared at him and slide her tray towards the chef pony. She walked over to him, a smile forced on her face. The chef pony was white and had a short scruffy brown mane. He had bags under his eyes and he sniffed upon Rainbow Dash's approach. He raised his hoof and picked up a large sieving spoon. He scooped up a spoon full of carrot soup and poured it into her bowl. It made a sickening plop noise, as it made contact with the bottom of her chipped bowl.

Rainbow Dash was used to all of this. The rude food feeders, the disgusting food, all of it. It had been awhile since she was truly happy, but thanks to her dream she knew she'd be happy with her friends soon. She nodded at the food feeder and picked up her tray and walked away from the food line. She turned her head to see Fluttershy carrying her tray and a bowl with a single apple. "How can you eat such disgusting apples?" Rainbow Dash asked with a hint of disgust.

Fluttershy looked at her. "Because I saw the mouldy carrot that went in your soup." She said.

Rainbow Dash blinked and looked in her soup with a sick feeling. Fluttershy was right. Floating on the surface was a mouldy carrot and what appeared to be a drowning fly. "Gross!" She said aloud, sticking out her tongue. She ignored the revolting soup and headed towards an empty bench at the far corner of the room. Rainbow Dash sat down and put her tray on the wooden surface, as Fluttershy sat opposite her. Rainbow Dash looked at her soup and nearly puked. No way was she touching that. She looked up to see Fluttershy chewing slowly on her apple, with a slightly disgusted look on her face. Now was the best time to tell Fluttershy about her dream and what Twilight had told her. "Fluttershy, I need to tell you what I know." She began.

Fluttershy swallowed her mouthful. "Ok." She said quietly.

Rainbow Dash had to tell Fluttershy everything that happened in her dream. "It's a long story, but it's a good one." She said smiling.

Fluttershy nodded, and Rainbow Dash proceeded to tell Fluttershy about her dream.

"We are what?!" Fluttershy cried. Ponies on other tables looked at her with confused expressions.

Rainbow Dash hushed her. "Shh! We need to keep this between us!"

Fluttershy blushed and looked at Rainbow Dash. "Sorry." She said quietly. "But you can't possibly think that's true. It was just a dream. It's not reality."

Rainbow Dash sighed. "I know, but this is Twilight we're talking about. She's skilled in magic." She prayed that Fluttershy would believe her, and that tomorrow they could escape to the Everfree forest.

Fluttershy thought for a second. "You're right. Twilight is skilled in magic. I believe you Rainbow Dash." She said with a shy smile.

Rainbow Dash's ears pricked up and she grinned. "Yes!" She cheered quietly.

Fluttershy raised her hoof, and Rainbow Dash stopped celebrating. "But if Twilight can dream hop and this is true, then why didn't she enter my dream? Did she forget about me?" Fluttershy said, tears forming.

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. Fluttershy was right; why didn't Twilight enter her dreams? That's when a thought hit Rainbow Dash. "I think I know why. How long had you been awake before I woke up?" She asked.

Fluttershy wiped her eyes and tilted her head a little. "About thirty minutes. Why?"

Rainbow Dash grinned even more. "She said to me when I was about to wake up that if she was in some ponies dream when they awake, she could be trapped in that ponies subconscious. That means she could enter your dreams if you weren't asleep. That's why she told me to inform you of our plan!" Rainbow Dash explained. For a second she felt smart, but then realised that was an egg-head thing to say.

Fluttershy absorbed the information and nodded. "It makes sense."  She said, smiling. She put her apple core in her bowl and grabbed her tray. "Should we go and prepare?" She asked.

Rainbow Dash sniffed her soup and stuck out her tongue. No way was she touching that with her mouth. Getting up, she picked up her tray and headed to the bin with Fluttershy. "Yeah." She said, looking around to make sure nopony was watching. Quickly, she poured her untouched soup into the bin, and hastily walked away from the waste area. She knew it was a waste of resources, but she didn't want to make herself ill before she met her friends. She also didn't want Sarge to see, as he was pretty harsh when it came to food. Despite liking Rainbow Dash and her fighting ability, he'd still punish her severely for wasting food. He would most likely force her to clean ever room in the base and make her clean the kitchen. Rainbow Dash had only been in the kitchen once and that was to relieve a pony who was being punished, and had to clean the room. She remembered the putrid smell of rotting food, and the mould that clung to the uncleaned walls. The way the pots and pans were stacked on top of each other at the back of the room that looked like they hadn't been washed for months. She remembered the young Pegasus mare, who's eyes were bloodshot and stained with tears. How she was covered in dirt and the mould of the floor stuck to her sore hooves. Her mane was so filthy from the grim it appeared to be moulting and loosing colour. She heard the pony died later that week from breathing in the filthy air for a long period of time. She also heard how Sarge locked her in there alone for a week with no food or water, and how she had to eat the rotten decaying food that had stuck to the plates. Rainbow Dash felt sick. She didn't want to remember those memories, and she didn't want to set hoof in that kitchen ever again. She wished she could forget everything about that event and move on peacefully. However, wishes never came true in war. Fluttershy tapped her shoulder, bringing Rainbow Dash back to the present times.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her face concerned.

Rainbow Dash tried to push her memories behind her and took a deep breath. She couldn't tell Fluttershy about what she saw in the kitchen many months ago. It would lower her small amount of confidence and self esteem. Rainbow Dash put on a fake smile. "I'm fine." She lied. "Just thought about the mouldy soup that's all."

Fluttershy sighed with relief. "Oh, okay. You looked a little pale that's all. I thought you might be sick." She said, raising a hoof to Rainbow's head checking her temperature.

Rainbow Dash laughed slightly, and gently lowered her hoof. "I'm fine, really. Thanks for your concern though." Rainbow Dash was glad she had Fluttershy. She was a good friend, despite her shyness. She always accompanied Rainbow Dash no matter where she went, and helped support her in anyway possible.

Fluttershy smiled. "Okay then. Should we put our trays and bowls away and go back to our rooms?" She asked, trying not to look weak.

Rainbow nodded and walked with Fluttershy to the pile of trays. As they walked there they passed a table of ponies who believed themselves to be big shots. They loved picking on Fluttershy and teasing her for being weak. As Fluttershy walked pass them one of the ponies shot out their hoof in front of her. She had no time to react and tripped clumsily over the outstretched hoof. The table roared with laughter and the ponies on nearby table stared at Fluttershy. They began to talk among themselves, and going in on laughing at her. Shaking, Fluttershy picked up her tray and apple core. She turned to the table of bullies, who were roaring with laughter. Tears began to form in Fluttershy's eyes, and Rainbow Dash knew what was coming. That's when one of them made a terrible mistake.

"Ha! She's so weak! Just like that stupid dead bunny of hers!"

Immediately, Fluttershy stopped shaking and tears stopped trickling  down her face. She stood up at her full height and glared at the colt who had spoke.

All the ponies stopped laughing and went silent. They stared at her, as her eyes went red like blood.

Quietly, Rainbow Dash stepped back, wondering what was going on.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, her eyes growing wider and redder. For a second everything went still and silent... Then all hell broke loose. Fluttershy threw a punch at the colt who mocked Angel, and threw him of his seat to the floor. Before he a chance to get up she jumped on top of him and pined him to the ground. Blood dripped from his muzzle and tears began flowing from his face. She knelt close to his face and whispered in his ear. "Say you're sorry." She hissed.

The pony sniffed and made a weak 'hik' noise.

Fluttershy slammed her hoof into his back. "Say you're sorry!" She roared,  loosing patience.

The pony screamed in pain and sobbed loudly. Through his tears he quickly spoke. "I'm sorry!" He cried.

Fluttershy smiled and her eyes returned to normal. She gently got of his back and picked up her tray. "I forgive you." She said calmly. She trotted next to Rainbow Dash and smiled nicely at her. "Want to go now?" She said happily.

Rainbow Dash stared blankly at her and the mess hall hade no sound. Even the food eaters who never showed any emotion other than boredom and anger looked terrified. Fluttershy walked up to the counter and smiled at the frozen food feeders. "Here's my apple core. Use the seeds to plant more trees to grow more apples. Please treat the plants with care. Wildlife might use them as homes or food sources." She said giving the brown maned colt her apple core. Slowly, he took it from her hoof and ran through the doors behind him to getaway. Fluttershy then took Rainbow Dash's tray from her and stacked it on the pile along with hers. She then put the bowl on the counter for the blue maned colt to take. Fluttershy walked next to Rainbow Dash, a spring in her step. "Want to go now?" She asked, ignoring all the ponies in the room that were staring at her.

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly and followed her out of the mess hall. As they left Rainbow Dash turned around to see the colt Fluttershy punched get up and start to sob loudly. The ponies on the table got up and started to circle around him and ask if he was okay. Obviously he wasn't, but they were running low on things to say. The rest of the ponies in the mess hall turned back to their food, and began talking about the events that just unfolded before them. Rainbow turned her head back to Fluttershy who was facing her with a calm smile on her face.

"Do you think I was being assertive?" She asked, pleased with her self.

Finally, Rainbow Dash got over the shock of her shy friend punching the living daylights out of a former bully. She somehow managed to smile at her friend and push away her slight fear and shock. "You sure were something." She said. "You're not going to do that to me, are you?" She asked, slightly scared.

Fluttershy shook her head profusely. "Oh no no no! Of course not! You're my friend." She said, walking next to Rainbow Dash. "Do you think I overdid it?" She asked, looking back at the mess hall.

Rainbow Dash walked towards their room. "Nope! I think you did just enough." She said, smiling at Fluttershy.

  Fluttershy smiled back at her, as she trotted next to her. As they both entered their rooms they heard a colt sobbing loudly from the mess hall, which made them both laugh loudly.