Though Hell Should Bar the Way

Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash stepped out onto the streets of Ponyville. Applejack slipped an arm around Twilight’s waist to lead her. She knew the three naked, properly collared mares probably wouldn’t alert much attention, even with one of them bound and gagged. The bondage and fetish shops that now took up several prominent storefronts were a clue as to just how normal this sort of thing was.

They moved on past businesses, old and new. A pet shop had opened, and the window displayed a purple collar mare, tortured or raped until she lost her mind, sucking on her own nipple while she fingered herself with vigor. A group of colts stood on the sidewalk outside leering at her, but she’d never know it. Applejack just shook her head. Anyone experienced with purple collars ought to know to keep them from touching themselves all day-- they’d rub themselves raw and end up with all kinds of infections.

Twilight struggled to alert the colts, but they seemed uninterested in the three slaves who weren’t currently in the middle of any arousing acts. As they walked, several stallions turned to look and a few even raised their eyebrows at the girls, but none of them stopped to talk.

The front window of Sugarcube Corner was full of brightly-colored, cock-shaped lollipops (“delicious and educational for fillies and mares!”) while the Carousel Boutique mannequin was dressed in what might have been a tasteful purple silk dress, if it hadn’t been designed to make a mare’s breasts and sex viable and accessible for all stallions, in accordance with the law.

Applejack never thought she’d be happy to leave Ponyville, but right now her hooves couldn’t carry her fast enough.

Dash was looking around as well. At first Applejack thought she might be shocked at what the town had turned into in the year since the fall, but instead Dash leaned in close and whispered, “Where are all the guards?”

“The farm. I’ll explain later.” Applejack whispered. Another change in the town, and all over Equestria, was the presence of guards nearly everywhere. Given the number of black collared mares, and stallions who resisted brainwashing, the caribou who invaded seemed to need tight reins on everyplace, even with their corrupted magic.

“Uh… AJ? We’re headed towards the farm,” Dash pointed out nervously.

“We’re headed ‘round the farm. There were gonna be guards between us and where we’re goin’, either way. This way we deal with ‘em on my home turf,” Applejack explained. “It’s part of the plan.”

“You’re my hero.” Dash grinned and gave Applejack a quick hug as they walked.

Applejack smiled. “I’m just glad ya’ never went red on me.”

Dash nudged her, and Applejack turned to look. Dash just looked her in the eye, dead serious. “I would’ve died first.”

“That’s my girl,” Applejack said with a sad smile, before biting her lip and looking away.

They came to the edge of Ponyville, and Applejack glanced around. She didn’t see anyone, so she lead Twilight off the path, along the edges of other ponies’ property. A lot of it was run down, fields of the smaller farms were overgrown and houses hadn’t received the care that loving families once gave them. A house that used to be shared by Lily, Daisy, and Roseluck was now covered in graffiti that didn’t sugarcoat what the writer thought of the sisters’ bodies or sexual prowess.

As they walked, Applejack glanced at Dash. Dash didn’t seem to have noticed Applejack’s slip up earlier, calling Dash ‘her girl.’ That was good, this wasn’t the time to think about it. A lot had happened in the past year, and neither of them had been sure just how they felt before this nightmare. A few dates and a night in the barn might have been long forgotten, if it wasn’t for the dream of the arms of a strong, loving mare… There would be time for figuring that out later, if she could just focus right now.

By cutting through the properties on the edge of town, they came to a forested area north of Ponyville. These woods ran along the north side of the farm as well, and they were usually safer than the Everfree to the south. Like everything else in Equestria, they’d gone downhill since the caribou came-- the twisted plants and animals they brought with them invaded wild areas all over Equestria.

But at least this close to the farm Applejack was aware of the dangers. The hivers were the worst, but they hunted towards town where they were more likely to find find stray mares to turn into zombie incubators for their eggs. As they entered the woods near the north east corner of the farm Applejack knew of a half dozen patches of rape vines to avoid and led Dash and Twilight carefully towards a dried creek bed that avoided most of the dangers while heading in the right direction.

“We gotta be careful, from here on out.” Applejack said softly to Dash as she carefully helped Twilight down the four foot dip. “There’s guards around the farm, and if they see us we could be in a mess.”

Twilight seemed to have realized that being bound and gagged in the company of two stronger mares meant that escape on her own wasn’t likely to succeed. Since they’d left behind the populated areas, her face had fallen to a constant disapproving glare.

“Are they looking for us?”

“Probably not. They’re lookin’ for some purple collars that got loose. They ain’t had time to find Spike yet, so they likely don’t know we’re gone.”

Dash nodded, and the three walked on in relative silence for a while. The only sound was the crunching of the leaves beneath their hooves and the normal birdcalls of a woodland scene. Brush scraped Applejack’s bare legs, but she was used to it. Twilight seemed to be stepping more gingerly than usual, but Dash was alert and focused on everything around her and didn’t seem to notice anything as mundane as some cuts on her legs.

Over the top of the creek bed, Applejack kept track of their progress. They were tracing the north edge of the farm, about fifty feet into the forest. She could see apple trees through the thinner parts, and she tried to push aside the mix of emotions. She was leaving Sweet Apple Acres, maybe for good. Oh, she’d be back for Apple Bloom, but she knew there was a good chance that she’d never live here again. She hadn’t wanted to live anyplace else, from the time she got her cutie mark until the caribou marched in. But at the same time, she knew this wasn’t really Sweet Apple Acres, it was the Dirt Pony Farm. It was a mockery of everything her family had worked for, for generations, and some part of her angrily insisted that it was good riddance now. The only things worth anything over there were her brother and sister, and they’d be joining her someday. They could build a new farm when they were safe. It would never be the same as Sweet Apple Acres for them, but someday it would be for a future generation, one that they couldn’t even consider while they were struggling for their lives and dignity.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a noise. From the edge of the forest, she heard a stallion’s voice call, “Here, cunts! Come’ere girls, there’s some nice cock for you!”

Applejack froze, along with Rainbow Dash. Motioning for Dash to do the same, Applejack slowly ducked down, pulling Twilight with her.

Twilight’s ears perked up, and her eyes went wide. Suddenly she started kicking her legs in the dry leaves and screaming through her gag, a loud high pitched hum from the back of her throat.

“Hey, what was that?” another stallion’s voice called.

“Probably some animal.”

“Mmmph!” Twilight cried out and continued trying to attract their attention.

Applejack and Dash locked horrified gazes for a minute, before Dash dove next to Twilight and wrapped her hands around her throat.

“Eh, better check it out.”

Applejack just held her breath, staring at Dash and Twilight. Dash wore a mask of furious determination, and her arms shook as her thumbs rested on Twilight’s windpipe. Twilight was wisely frozen and silent, because Applejack was pretty sure Dash was just looking for an excuse to kill her at this point, and Applejack didn’t have time to stop her.

The rustling steps of the guard got closer, and Applejack gave an apologetic look to Dash. She silently mouthed “If I don’t make it, keep going,” hoping Dash would understand. Then she stood up and climbed up the side of the creek bed.

The guards looked at her strangely. They were both stallions stationed in town-- a skinny royal guard named Paperwhite, who got stationed in Ponyville after failing to impress pretty much anyone in Canterlot, and Thunderlane, who joined up because nothing beat the variety of rape offered by a guard uniform.

“What’re you doing here?” Paperwhite asked her suspiciously.

“I live over there, sir.” Applejack nodded towards the farm, her arms by her sides to keep from covering herself and her legs spread. Her heart was pounding, if the guards suspected anything at all not only would the plan fail, but she could easily be taken from Mac. She could be sold to another master, or reeducated into a red or even purple collar.

“Where have you been?” he pressed.

“I had a playdate with Twilight Sparkle,” Applejack answered honestly.

“That’s where Macintosh said she was,” Paperwhite said to Thunderlane.

Thunderlane grinned, running his eyes over Applejack’s displayed body. “You and Twilight, huh? Was it hot?”

Applejack shrugged. “Mostly just got fucked by her master. Then I headed home.”

“I’ve seen Spike fucking Twilight. He’s hung… you like ‘em like that, Appleslut?” Thunderlane smirked and moved towards her, looking her in the eye as he reached out and casually weighed her breasts in his palms.

Applejack didn’t move a muscle except to say clearly, “Yes, sir.” He was baiting her, and as much as she might want to talk back or pull away, if there was any chance that they’d leave her alone she had to convince them she was being a model slave.

Paperwhite frowned at her, then walked around behind. With no warning, she felt his hand under her tail, running towards her core. He roughly thrust two fingers inside and wiggled them before pulling his hand away. Applejack heard him sniff it as he came back to stand next to Thunderlane.

“She’s been fucked, her story checks out.” He held his fingers to her lips. “Lick, bitch.”

Applejack licked the guard’s wet fingers without complaint, tasting her own wetness, Spike’s cum, and the lube he had used as she thoroughly cleaned them.

“Why’d you head for home?” Thunderlane asked, toying with one of her nipples.

Applejack blushed, not from the casual groping, but because she knew she was going to have to lie. “I- I got word that some purples got loose. I figured my master was gonna need me to help round ‘em up.”

Paperwhite looked closely at her face. “So why didn’t you come by the road?”

“I figured y’all woulda checked by the roads already, so I thought I’d head back here,” she said too quickly. She futilely tried to will herself to sound normal. “There’s a patch of wild rape vines yonder, and I know the purples would be all over ‘em like flies on honey.”

She was almost grateful for the jolt of pain as Thunderlane pinched her nipple hard and twisted. Her cringe overrode her nerves, she knew at least this looked honest.

He smirked. “You been figuring a lot of things, Appleslut. You think you’re smart?”

“No, sir. I’m a dumb cunt,” she gasped as he released her.

Thunderlane laughed. “Wow, I don’t think you’ve ever been this reasonable. Twilight must be rubbing off on you. Thinking of taking up a red collar?”

She felt a pang of worry that he knew something was up, so she shook her head. “When every caribou cuts his own cock off, sir.”

“Fair enough. I like a cunt with some fight in her.” He gave her a pat on her cheek and reached down to undo his fly. “Bend over.”

Applejack did as she was told, silently cursing him. The longer it took them to have their fun, the better the chance they’d end up escorting her back to the farmhouse, and her plan would be ruined.

“Thunderlane, leave it,” Paperwhite said with an annoyed sigh. “We can fuck her at the farmhouse later, we’ve got purple collars to find first.”

“Okay, okay.” Thunderlane responded, and Applejack heard his fly zip back up. “Fine. But I get first go at her ass.” He gave her a hard smack on her presented ass then walked back over to his partner.

“Noted.” Paperwhite nodded. He glared at Applejack. “Up, bitch. You said there were some wild rape vines over there? You gonna check it out?”

Applejack nodded as she straightened up. “That’s where I was headed.”

“Great. I hate getting near rape vines, anyway. They remind me of snakes,” he said, and with that he turned around and started walked out of the woods.

“We can head back and check the north orchard on our way,” Thunderlane suggested, then he smiled at Applejack. “If you don’t get home in time for my date with your ass, I’ll come out and make sure you don’t get raped to death.”

“Thanks, sir,” Applejack said, not really trying to hide her sarcasm.

“Anytime, Appleslut.” Thunderlane laughed as he walked back towards the farm after Paperwhite.

Applejack stood there, staring until they were totally out of sight, and a few minutes after that.

Finally, she casually turned around a looked over the ledge of the creek. Rainbow Dash and Twilight were still frozen in place, Dash ready to crush Twilight’s windpipe at the least provocation. Applejack just shook her head at the scene as she made her way down the bank.

“I think we’re good,” she said quietly. “Twilight…” Applejack closed her eyes. She was angry, but she knew that Twilight wasn’t much better than a purple collar. She didn’t know what she was doing. Applejack motioned Dash away from her and leaned over to brush Twilight’s mane back. “Twilight, sugarcube, this is real important. You used to trust me. Look hard in your heart, try and find that again, and I swear to you if you can trust me, I’ll keep you safe. But, if ya’ can’t trust me, I can’t promise that. Understand?”

Twilight nodded, and Applejack lifted her to her hooves.

“So, you wanna explain to me why we didn’t just give the guards the hostage we have who tried to get us found out?”

“Well, first because she woulda told ‘em straight off that we ran away. We need more head start than that.” Applejack said as they started walking again. “And second, she’s our friend.”

“AJ, we have really different definitions of ‘friend,’” Dash said, glaring at Twilight. “As far as I know, you’re the only friend I have in the world right now. And I don’t like ponies who try to get my friends hurt.”

“I’ll explain later, Dash. Not in front of Twilight.”

“It’s a shame Thunderlane’s gonna miss that date with your ass. Maybe the rape vines will give him some love when he comes looking for your body.”

Applejack chuckled and relaxed. “Come on, we gotta double time it. They’re gonna notice me missin’ a bit faster than I planned, and they’ll come lookin’.”

***

It didn’t take long before the creek bed was crossed by a rickety wooden bridge. The bridge sat along a path, the farmhouse was just a few minutes walk south, and to the north… well, that’s where they were going.

But first, Applejack stuck her head under the bridge and grinned. “Dash, come here.”

“What’s up?” Dash said, leaning over her shoulder.

“Take this.” Applejack pulled out a backpack and handed it to Dash, backing out of the shade holding another backpack and a burlap bag. “From here, we’re headed north, through the forest. It ain’t gonna be easy, and to be honest… I dunno if what we’re headed for is even there. But it’s worth a shot, right?”

“Of course it is!” Dash grinned, setting down the bag she was holding and peeking inside. “What are we headed for?”

“Can’t say in front of Twilight. If she runs off, I don’t want her tellin’ the guards.” Applejack laid her own bags on the ground and opened the sack. She glanced up at Twilight. “Sorry, Twi.”

Twilight just rolled her eyes.

“Don’t tell her you’re sorry,” Dash grumbled. “I don’t remember her running the plan by us when she decided to help turn Equestria into rape-world.”

“Anyway, these packs don’t have everything I’d like to have for the trip, but they got enough for us to get by. Startin’ with clothes.” Applejack pulled several items of crumpled clothing out of the burlap sack. She tossed a shirt and pants to Dash.

“Mmph mmph!” Twilight shook her head.

“You’re gonna need ‘em, whether you want ‘em or not. We’re goin’ through some rough forest, and I ain’t havin’ you get beat up on my account.” She set aside a set of clothes for Twilight and started pulling on a pair of pants.

Dash pulled a white shirt over her head. It fell below her cutie mark, far too large, but she just ran her hands over it in awe. “Where did these come from?”

“Later, Dash.” Applejack pulled on a similarly sized shirt. She dug into her backpack and came out with a long length of rope and a sharp knife. “Anyway, they’re all gonna be way too big, but they’re somethin’ at least.”

“Like I care. I don’t have to be naked!” Dash quickly pulled on a pair of pants. They were far too long, and the waist had no chance of staying up. “Um, I mean, as long as I can keep them on.”

Applejack finished looping the rope around the waistband of her pants and tied it off as a belt. Then she used the knife to cut the hems of the pants to where she needed them, before offering the rope and knife to Dash.

Dash worked on her own clothes, and Applejack set about dressing a clearly disgruntled Twilight. Before long they’d tied and cut the clothes for all three mares into something they could move in.

Applejack picked up the burlap sack to stick it in her pack along with the extra fabric they’d just cut off, and the good bit of rope that was left, but she found it wasn’t empty. She fished around to the bottom and pulled out one last thing.

A battered cowpony hat.

“Oh… my…” She bit her lip to keep from crying, but the smile covered her whole face. Usually, the hat was kept away as a ‘reward,’ one that Mac was careful with because other ponies could see it and question him. In all the planning for her escape, it hadn’t even crossed her mind. But her big brother remembered.

“AJ! Oh gosh, that’s awesome!” Dash grabbed the hat and plopped it on Applejack’s head, grinning at her. “Now we’re really ready. And whatever we’re going to is gonna be there, I know it!”

“We’ll have to see, but I sure am ready to find out! Grab your backpack.” Applejack slung hers over her shoulder and started to carefully lead Twilight up the embankment, Dash right behind.

***

They walked until after dark, digging flashlights out of Dash’s pack to keep going. Applejack and Dash agreed that right now the biggest danger was being too close to civilization. As soon as Applejack smelled sulfur they left the path and walked another hour before finally settling on a camping site, and only then because steering Twilight through the underbrush was getting too difficult.

In addition to the flashlights, Dash’s pack held matches, another sharp knife, a large green blanket for them to sleep on, a dozen apples, a loaf of crusty bread, a bag of rice, and a jar of peanut butter. Applejack’s bag contained special supplies for tomorrow, a compass, two canteens of water, and a first aid kit.

After spreading out the blanket, Applejack sat Twilight down.

“Twilight, I want you to listen to me. I’m gonna take out your gag in a second, but I’m gonna leave your hands tied. It would be a real bad idea for you to try to find your way through woods ya’ don’t know with your hands behind your back, full of rape vines and hivers and who knows what else. I know ya’ wanna go back, but I wouldn’t try it tonight if I was you. We clear?”

Twilight nodded, and Applejack reached over and unfastened the ball gag, and offered Twilight a canteen.

After several long swallows of water, Twilight turned her head away, a mask of anger washing over her face.

“The two of you are insane! They’re going to hunt you down, you know. They’ll hunt you down, and they’ll send you both to reeducation centers, and if you’re lucky they’ll turn you into purple collars! Is that what you want? You want to spend the rest of your lives as brainless, sex obsessed animals?”

“You seem to like it okay,” Dash said dryly.

“I’m thinking logically, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight shot back, “Sex feels good. Serving stallions feels good. It’s not like there’s a better option…” Her eyes narrowed cruelly. “I mean, you were having such a good time the last time I visited, when you were being punished.”

“Shut up!” Dash ordered.

Twilight ignored her and continued. “You were strapped into that ass stretching machine with the spiked dildo making you bleed and clamps digging into your--”

“Yeah, and you know what you did?” Dash cut her off and leaned over, pointing a finger right in her face. “You lectured me about how it was all my fault! I was bleeding and screaming into my gag, and my friend told me I should remember that it was for my own good!”

“I tried to teach you…” Twilight just shook her head. “I tried to teach you both. I still love you girls, I want you to be happy, I just don’t know how to make you see.” She closed her eyes in frustration. “And now when they find you I’ll lose you both, and this is your fault!”

“Then help us get free, so ya’ don’t lose us.” Applejack said, calmly. “That’s all we want, Twilight.”

Twilight glared at Applejack. “I think I already did my part. Unwillingly, I might add. I invited you both to play, because I knew how much you’d love to see each other. Even though you’re both black collars, I never thought you’d take advantage of me, of our friendship like this! Why should I help you? You hurt my master and you betrayed me. Not to mention kidnapping me.”

“Say I’m the one who betrayed you again. I dare you,” Dash growled.

Applejack just sighed. “Twilight, I’m sorry I hurt Spike--”

“No you’re not!” Dash spoke up. “He raped you for, like, half an hour! After he raped me! You should have cut off his cock and used that as a gag.”

“Hush.” Applejack laid a gentle hand on Dash’s shoulder. “I am sorry I hurt him. Dash, we both know Spike and Twilight underneath this. I ain’t sayin’ I appreciate what they done since, but I’d rather have ‘em back, the way I love ‘em, then see ‘em hurt or punished for all this.”

“They aren’t there, AJ.” Dash shook her head sadly. “It’s like a zombie. It looks like them, but there’s no Twilight left. Just a sadistic bitch who likes to watch ponies get tortured and raped.”

“I do not like that!” Twilight blushed. “I understand why they do it, but if you’d just submit, they wouldn’t do it as much! I’ve been trying to tell you that from the start.”

Dash got right in Twilight’s face and said slowly, “We. Don’t. Want. It.”

“It’s not about what we want--” Twilight started, but Dash cut her off, their faces still inches apart.

“If you tell me about the fucking stallions one more time, I’m gonna smack you. I hate stallions now! I wouldn’t let one near me if I was on fire and he had a bucket of water!”

“Not all stallions are bad, Dash,” Applejack said firmly. “Just like not all mares think like Twilight.”

“Name a good stallion,” Dash challenged.

“Some other time, sugarcube,” Applejack said, glancing at Twilight.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m not stupid, Applejack. I can see now that Mac is a sympathizer.”

“You’re kidding.” Dash blinked, then looked to Applejack. “He is?”

Applejack just stared at Twilight. “What makes ya’ think that?”

Twilight gave a huff. “To start with, the purple collars got loose when you were with us. At first I thought you must have opened the cages before you left, but you were sure the guards would still be busy there and they were. My guess is that the cages were opened a set time after you left, and one of the girls was probably hidden somewhere, to give you time. The apple cellar would be logical. Then there were the bags. You could have planted them, but you didn’t know your hat would be in there. And these are Mac’s clothes, that’s obvious. Put that together with how he hates to keep you in line, and how gentle he is with the purple collars, and it all adds up.” She nodded. “He’s a traitor.”

“A traitor to the bad guys,” Dash said. “AJ, your brother is the best stallion in the world.”

Applejack just stared at Twilight, not daring to confirm. This made everything much more complicated; she could not let Twilight go back to Ponyville until she got Mac out. The best that would happen, if he was found out, would be him being reeducated… she’d heard rumors that if that didn’t work, the caribou had ways of turning a stallion into a mare. And then treating her like one.

“Applejack, I’ll make you a deal, because I’m your friend,” Twilight said with a sympathetic smile that Applejack almost believed for a second, before she opened her mouth again. “Take us back now and agree to let Spike discipline you and Apple Bloom from now on, and I won’t tell. If they’ve found out we’re gone, I’ll explain that you had a kind of panic attack, and that when you came to your senses you hurried home.”

“How about fuck you and your deal!” Dash suggested.

“And if I don’t agree?” Applejack asked calmly.

“You’ll have to let me go someday,” Twilight pointed out, frowning. “When you do, I’ll go straight to the guards and tell them where you are and what your brother is.”

Applejack considered that for a second, then looked Twilight in the eye. “I could kill ya’.”

“You-- you wouldn’t do that.” Twilight said, but her eyes were darting around and she tried to scoot away from Applejack and Dash. “I’m your friend, and I’m trying to help!”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You talked about havin’ Spike discipline Apple Bloom. That gonna involve him rapin’ her?”

“Well, until she likes it,” Twilight said nervously, then she took a breath and went on, “She’s old enough, Applejack. Most of the fillies her age--”

Applejack nodded firmly, not needing to hear more. “Yup, I could kill ya’. But I ain’t gonna.”

“Why not?” Dash piped up, sounding less angry than confused. She sighed and shook her head. “Seriously, AJ, it’s like putting down a rabid dog. It just needs to be done before she can hurt more ponies. The Twilight we loved wouldn’t want to live like this.”

Applejack leaned back and thought for a few minutes. “If I killed Twilight, I’d have to admit this is really how she is. That whatever happens next, the caribou stole one of my best friends and I’ll never have her back. That’s a thing I just can’t settle with.”

She looked over to Twilight. “I could kill ya’, but I’m too stubborn. That’s what your life is ridin’ on right now. If I was you, I wouldn’t push me too hard to stop bein’ stubborn.”

Twilight opened and closed her mouth several times. “This entire situation is insane.”

“That’s one thing we agree on,” Dash muttered.

Applejack didn’t respond, she just sat and looked up at the full moon through the trees.

After a long silence, Twilight lay down on the blanket and rolled away from AJ and Dash, not even bothering to say goodnight.

Applejack moved to the other end of the blanket and whispered, “Dash, come’ere.”

Dash crawled over, and Applejack pulled Dash closer and wrapped her in a hug.

Dash laid her head on AJ’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

“Lay down,” Applejack said softly. “Trust me, you’ll feel better layin’ down. On your belly.”

“Okay…” Dash started to lay on the blanket, then she hesitated. “AJ, don’t do anything to me. I’m not ready now.”

“You can trust me, sugarcube. I will never touch ya’ when you don’t want. But I think you’re past ready for this. I’m gonna take off your bindin’s.”

In the moonlight, Dash’s eyes were huge. “It’s been so long… oh gosh, please, AJ. Do it now. I can’t wait another minute.”

Applejack smiled and kneeled next to Dash and grabbed one of the sheaths firmly. “Now, hold still. Soon as I move this, you’re gonna wanna move your wing, but this thing has nails on the inside and if ya’ move it you’re gonna scrape yourself more…”

Applejack slowly inched the boxy cover off of Dash’s right wing. Dash’s body was tensed, and Applejack ignored the tiny whimpering sounds Dash was making. Finally one box was removed, revealing a thin, plucked wing. Applejack ran her hand over it.

“Aah…” Dash gasped at the overwhelming feeling, it was the one place on her body that hadn’t been touched in the past year.

“Shh…” Applejack moved across her body to the next one and repeated the process.

When both wings were free, Dash looked up uncertainly. “Can I move them yet?”

“Slow. They’re gonna be cramped. Lemme rub ‘em while ya’ do.” She laid her hands on the bare skin, working with Dash to spread the limbs.

It was clear there were atrophied muscles, and that the memory of how to use the ones Dash still had was instinctual and unrefined. On top of that was the pain that had her muttering, “Ooow ow ow ow…”

“Take it slow,” Applejack advised, once the wings were spread and Dash gave them a few tentative flaps. “Ya’ ain’t flyin’ anywhere ‘til the feathers grow back, anyhow. You got time to get the strength back.”

For a few moments, Dash lay there with her eyes closed, and the sticks that were her wings twitched and jerked in the night air as she seemed to be trying different movements. After a while she finally opened her eyes and looked behind her.

She smiled, but there were tears in her eyes and a tremor in her voice as she said, “They look so gross. AJ, why did they do this to me? My wings were-- everything. Why did they have to take them?”

Applejack sighed. “I figure it was to show that they can. So if ya’ ever start thinkin’ you’re a pony, with your own body and brain to use how ya’ want, you remember they can take whatever they want away from ya’. It’s like fuck-buckin’.”

“Fuck-bucking?” Dash asked as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Applejack lay down next to Dash and rested her chin on her folded arms, looking into the darkness. “Workin’ at the farm… with Mac, it wasn’t as bad as it coulda been. We took care of the purple collars and raised up them god awful rape vines, but mostly I was just a farmer, like I been all my life. But ya’ know that wasn’t gonna fly with them caribou. They told Mac to strip me naked, like everyone else, and make me sleep in the doghouse outside unless I earned my bed… and they come up with fuck buckin’ to get the apples from the trees. They blindfolded me and tied me to a tree, and any stallion that wanted could come rut me hard enough to shake the tree, until the apples fell out.”

“AJ… I’m sorry…” Dash’s arm draped across Applejack’s back.

“They did it to all us, sugarcube. But, besides not bein’ too fond of bein’ raped, the real bitch of it is it’s a damned stupid way of gettin’ apples. It takes forever and never gets ‘em all. But it was never about gettin’ apples for them. It was about them makin’ damned sure I knew I was no farmer, I was nothin’ but a tool they could use, for fuckin’ or gettin’ food or whatever they wanted. Provin’ that was more important to them than runnin’ a farm right. That’s why they took your wings, sugarcube. To show what they could do to you, so you’d start to believe they could do it.”

Dash leaned her head on Applejack’s shoulder. “And you proved they couldn’t.”

Applejack smiled a little. “Not forever. Not to us. We’re too much for ‘em.”

“AJ, I’m so proud of you.” Dash ran her hand down Applejack’s blonde ponytail.

“It’s not all that much.” Applejack said with a modest smile. “Like I said, I got lucky out at the farm, compared to how it coulda been.”

“I’m totally jealous,” Dash said with a nod, looking at Applejack but not really focused. “But I’m really happy for you.”

“I know other ponies had it worse than me.” Applejack said, brushing Dash’s red, orange and yellow hair across her forehead. “If ya’ ever wanna talk about it...”

Dash thought for a moment, then didn’t bother to pretend the subject had changed naturally. “What are you gonna do with Twilight? You can’t hold her prisoner forever.”

“I’m hopin’ we can get her back.” Applejack sighed.

Dash glanced over at where Twilight seemed to be asleep, then whispered sharply to Applejack, “She’s the poster girl for the bastards, literally. Every time I went out into an arena I saw pictures of her fucking smirk, telling me to enjoy it! She’s evil, you heard what she suggested with Apple Bloom, a little filly. Of all the ponies we could try to save, why are you wasting your time with her?”

Applejack stared at Twilight’s back. “Because I remember when she was the smartest pony in Equestria. We can run, Dash, and we can hide someplace. And maybe, if we’re damned lucky, we can save a few other ponies we love. Me and you could do that.

“But, I want more. Someday, I wanna go home. And I want it to be like it was, I want the caribou gone. I want my farm, and my family and friends… I got no clue how to do that, Dash. It-- it seems hopeless. But I can’t help thinkin’, ‘Twilight would know what to do.’ If we can get her right, give her time to regrow her horn, maybe, somehow, she can fix this so we can really live again.”

“It’s not gonna work. Equestria is gone,” Dash said softly. “Twilight’s a traitor. Me and you, we’ll get by. We’ll save your family. AJ, this is more than I dreamed this past year. I thought maybe, if I was lucky, I’d get out somehow. I never let myself think I’d get to be with you again, it would’ve hurt too much.” She swallowed hard. “I can’t tell you how I felt when you kicked him and yelled to me… it was like I was flying again. And… I’m going to fly again. That’s all I want. Please, get rid of Twilight.”

“Dash…” Applejack said cautiously. “Are ya’ lettin’ yourself think you’ll get to be with me again?”

“I’m… thinking about it. I’m different, AJ. I just-- I don’t want anypony to touch me now. Not even you. I wanna be my own.” Despite her words, Dash made no move to shift away from where she and Applejack had their bodies pressed next to each other.

“You are your own, sugarcube.” Applejack rested her head on one arm and looked over at Dash. “You’re right, we’re real different ponies these days than how we were before, and we oughta take it slow.”

Dash nodded. “But… you waited for me, AJ. You could have run like this by yourself, couldn’t you?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“You didn’t. You saved me too.” Dash looked her in the eye. “You don’t know what this means to me.”

Applejack shrugged, blushing..

Rainbow Dash relaxed onto the blanket, laying with her face inches from Applejack’s. “It means maybe some ponies haven’t changed that much.”