One in the Chamber

by Orian

Rating: mature
Tags: Big Macintosh, Princess Celestia, Human, Main 6, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Adventure, Sex
Length: 6360

He had it good, for what it was. No one left to tell him what to do, or how to do it. Left behind after his species changed direction, he finds solitude his greatest benefactor. That is, until something still running afraid passes over his home.

Run, faster. Eat, whatever. Hide, in the light. Sleep, when you can. Easy to live by, if you do it alone. Harder, when some mutated pony comes tearing from the treeline right over top of your door. Difficult, when she falls in along with several cousins of mine. Annoying, when she goes and makes a last stand under my bed. Conflicted, when I realize just how hard she landed.

Name's Donald, and I know the end is near, because not only does this one talk but I'm starting to hear a bunch more up top. Now that I've killed another I'll no longer be tolerated, and we'll be lucky to make it another night. There's another bunker a day away, but not with her weighing me down.

Published 2015-09-11 03:10:03 UTC
Last updated 2015-09-13 22:38:42 UTC

Just dropping in all neighbor like

Her day had started like any other, waking up before the crack of dawn to have breakfast before another honest days work. She never expected much new, but always depended on being just that, alongside her closest of family. Things had become hectic of late, however, having begun to feel the pull of the life of an heroine and official of royal court. But at the end of each day, she wouldn't have it any other way than to spend the waning hours alongside her friends that had slowly become something of a family, too.

Run girl! She struggles over throat tearing breaths in the chill of night. Don't you dare give up!

So how could things have gone so wrong, when they've always just ended up so right? Twilight had needed some help, from the whole bunch of them, to try and advance some research she had been doing. Always the busy beaver, the high achiever, and in the end, just as fallible to mistakes as anypony. Having tried to stabilize long range transportation for the common pony, dozens of reflective surfaces had been installed at Rainbow Friendship Castle in order to maintain what would of taken even a Princess a pause in her breath.

I just gott"ahhh!!" Clipping her foreleg on overly large fallen timber, she slams her muzzle into the wet foliage as she flips over under, landing hard on her backside. Quick to scamper back to her hooves, roars from whence she came send her off again.

But if was her own fault, at least that what she keeps trying to tell herself. She hadn't paid attention, and in a moment of absentminded play, the ball in her tail had touched one of the pedestals hold the mirrors. All she had to do was nothing at all, and she would of been fine, still back home. But she needn't be anything but the honest pony she always tried to be, to push the one about to take that ricochet of energy, and own up to she herself had done.

"Get off!" She shifts her body to kick to the side, landing against something that scrapes down her side to her painful groan. Landing with a bit of a skid, she bucks up as hard as she can when clearing under a low branch to an even louder growl of pain than her own.

Catching but a glimmer of hope in the distance, she pushes herself even harder right through the thorny barricade, gaining a bit of ground for the pain she would only feel later. Coming finally into the clearing, she finds just enough moon light to finally almost lose hope. Stomping her hooves into the rocky soil while looking up, tears beginning to form from the stinging.

"Buck!" She can only look upon what she should, yet cannot help but admit, doesn't know.

Kicking up a bit of soil while dredging back and forth for far too long, the narrow miss of something slamming behind shoots her into full gallop once more, full hair of tail or not. But like the moon above, she finds the weight of her journey taking its toll as her movements begin to become a bit more sluggish, narrowing coming out of a trip only to finally fall onto something hallow.

Slamming her foreleg down to bring her back up, she does so several more times with all her hooves. Scooting her front hooves all about to try and find something in particular, she chomps down and starts shaking and yanking with all her might. Beginning to panic, she finally turns and let loose with enough force of hind legs to knock something off, cutting her muzzle with eventual lift.

Finding what's below the clip of moonlight the utter pitch of darkness, she swallows hard to few options left. Wiggling her flank in preparation, the ear rattling impact from behind her head into the cellar pales to the bone crunching landing that soon follows. Instinctively crying out to intense pain, and finding herself unable to get back up without even more, she tries to use three of four to scurry away from what lands just behind her.

Kicking her hind legs out as something slams into her side, even more quickly pin her down with the hot stench of breath coming just within her own. Stilling herself, finding but a moment to mutter, she refuses to go down without a fight with her teeth sinking into whatever thought only to do the same onto her. Taking harsh retaliation for the panic she instills, she only lets go when her last act of defiance loses grip with howls and roars erupt amid her would be killers.

With attention off her, she somehow finds the strength to crawl towards the sliver of light from farther down. Her mind screaming of pain and rationalization, she ignored the former to put all she has in the latter in the hopes of safety. Hearing another ghastly scream from behind her to it's sudden crunching end, she finally crawls into better light.

"Come into my home chasing dinner?" The man takes another swing with his mallet, crushing the closest against the side of the tight hall before his underground abode. Jumping back from a swing of another jumping in front of the wounded, he slowly but surely etches back towards the light of safety once more. "Better get on out of here before I get the lights!"

Having a bit of a stare down, with the farthest back picking up the most wounded while shielded by the bravest, all begin to allow a bit more space between them before it comes down to only two. With the man's hand behind him to open the door a bit more, the creak of rusted metal pales to the screech against the inside metal wall by what roars once more before climbing back out. With tensions slowly eroding away, the man looks now upon the floor where the light smear of some blood raises his eyebrow.

"Here's hoping whatever you are, you aren't too sickly." Taking one last look out, he slams the door shit with several locks slide into place with mallet still held firmly in his hand. Reaching over to turn the lever of the closest lamp, the heavy clutter and fresh trail become illuminated enough for him to make his way in and about. "Of course, dinner would hide under the bed."

Walking over closer, but cautiously, he holds his arm straight out before letting his grip lessen, the metal to concrete causing the bed to shake. Leaning forward, he takes hold of the torn padding and begins to slide, seeing first the short muzzle sticking up in the far corner under the metal springs and rail. Sliding a bit more, the matted blonde hair and large ear causes him to hesitate.

"What the hell are you?" Sliding a bit more away, to the front hooves without a split. Eventually coming almost all the way off the metal springs, he catches glimpse of the branding upon the thigh. "Seriously, what the fuck are you."

"Not dinner!" With an reply given that sends the man staggering back and over crumbling clutter, the creature under the frames moves about with groans and moans of pain and discomfort. "I don't wanna fight ya, but if you try and nibble I'll have to!"

The man climbs to his feet before grabbing something else nearby, not realizing oh just how useless an act. Pointing the screwdriver towards it, he tries and stand firmer than he really is. "I want you out of my home, now!"

"I... can't..." She finds excruciating pain through even trying to roll to make eye contact. "My leg's busted good."

Holding his screwdriver with an ever wavering quiver, he swallows hard. "What are you."

"Scared I went and made another dang mistake."

"I think we all are, then." Not realizing his eyes focus in more on her many wounds.

"Please don't send me back out there." Her plea causing his heart to nearly beat out of his chest as instincts begin to fight without easy victory. "I don't taste good, neither." Adding but a bit of humor to only complicate further. "Honest."

"You're hurt."

"Not enough!" In pride and a bit of warning, she slides a bit more out from under the bed frame with short etches forward, almost to the point of looking like in constant wobble. "Ain't none out there tough enough to put me down for the count!"

"Real bad." Watching the strange creature slowly come onto three of four, the last held in the air with a forward droop and obvious strain upon it's familiar expression. Placing the screwdriver back down on junk, he never takes his eyes off it. "Open your mouth."

Hesitating for a few seconds, she opens up wide before quickly closing again.

"Gonna meet me halfway, least?" She looks upon him with expecting eyes.

In similar fashion, he opens his mouth wide, making sure to dip his chin before closing.

"My friend said you're the kind that gets to go and choose." Giving herself a jolt with her rump touching against the cold metal frame, having not realized just how on edge the answer held her hostage. "So go and choose!"

"Not going to eat you." His reply dry and flat, seems to only deflate the creatures resolve as the wobbles begin once more before shifting into less than subtle tremors. Watching her stagger down towards the lifted limb, he finds himself much closer than intended with his hand now held to help keep sturdy. "How long were you running?"

"All night." She begins to shiver, for no apparent reason. "They chased me all dang night."

"I need to know, what you are." He pushes aside any assumptions, and the voice in the back of his head.

"I'm Applejack." She hobbles when trying to do something often second nature to her, going forward onto the shoulder of who adjusts to compensate. Wrestling herself back off his support, she sets down upon her haunches. "An Earth Pony."

Finding themselves of comparable height with her on her haunches and him resting back on one shin and ankle, he stares down upon the uninjured foreleg extended towards him with the eventual wiggle, to which he takes hold. "Earth pony?"

"Born and raised!" She shakes her gripped hoof a few good times before putting it back down to her strained relief. "I thought we had an understanding about meeting halfway?" Scrunching her muzzle a bit. "Well?"

"Well I don't think you're a pony." Noticing the intense change in expression. "At least not one that I'd be familiar with?" To it's slight relaxation. "But that's good, actually. Because if you were, I'd think you'd of died long before you even got to me."

"Any pony is a good pony, you hear?" Lifting her foreleg to lightly bat his hand to say otherwise. "Just gonna ignore manners?"

"Huh?" Becoming slightly confused, even more so, to the put off look given his way. "Uh, It's Donald. I think it's just a fracture, thankfully." Looking up to her looking down. "It's very good that you're whatever you are, because they normally shatter."

"I said I was a Earth Pony." Lowering her voice into a mumble.

"What?"

"I said, at least one of us saw fit to go and say." Snorting to the puzzled look. "What are you, dangit!"

"Stubborn, like you." Such coarse response earning him not too kindly the same. "We'll need to put your leg in a splint, and whether you like it or not, you're going to need stitches along your rib cage and maybe elsewhere. It's going to suck, trust me."

"W-why?"

"Cause even if I had the drugs, which I haven't for almost a decade, I couldn't use anything on you." Taking in one long breath before just as long to let it out. "I've done it plenty of times on myself. But I'll need to shave you a bit, too."

"Shave? Like sheep?!" Already beginning to shake her head. "But this is all I got!" Growing an undignified look like one of her best friends. "Now listen here, Donald... Stop laughing!" Shifting back into plea. "Can't you just get around it if your careful?"

"Going half assed is a good way to end up dead." Standing up in order to walk across the underground metal hovel, tripping or pushing with clatter piles of junk in his way. "You come running through the night, bringing them right to my doorstep. You're borderline for a lot of bad stuff happening to you if we let this go, and you're afraid of showing a little bare skin? Come on."

"Yeah, well, I've been losing a lot lately and maybe I just don't wanna lose more?" Grumbling in her eroding position of self authority, she tries to shift blame. "What the hay were those things? Things were as vicious as a riled Timberwolf."

"You have timber wolves still?" He almost needs to yell from behind a wall of, more crap.

"You got them too?!" Yelling right on back. "Why are you all out here alone around all these nasty critters, then?" Taking in all of the junk, and settled dust that continues to be sent in the lamp lit air. "Just how long you been living in this cellar?"

"Oh, since I was a kid." Pausing to something replied. "I didn't say goat, I said a kid! Like still growing up?"

"But where's the rest of you, then?" Tilting her head towards all of the strange stuff in Donald's arms, of several in reflective shiny bags, one large can catches her attention. "What's that?"

"Honey, for you and, for you." Coming back over, he sets them all on the closest bench before putting the mattress back on the mostly flattened metal springs. "One of the few things that hasn't gone bad before I used it all. Good for some energy, and infections."

Watching as he cleans off another bench before opening one of the packages and spreading thin cloth over top, she picks up once more the subtle demeanor change of another question left unanswered. "You been here a long time?"

"A long time."

"Alone?"

"Yeah."

"Don't like being around your kin none?"

"They chase me through the woods, too." Turning and ignoring the widened eyes, "I need to do this where you won't get dirty."

Bending down to pick her up, much to the spread of whites over iris, he carefully lifts under her neck and under her rump with each forearm near the wrist. Glad she isn't so long as a normal pony, he lets her apply pressure off the bench before lowering her more.

"Lucky all that muscle is somewhat compacted, eh?" Earning only a snort in response.

Ushered with a guiding and additionally helping hand, she lays down longways across the table with extra care given to her injured foreleg under improvised padding. Feeling the wetness of something carefully covering her sides, much to the raising of hairs along the back of her neck and all the way to her tail, she tries desperately to find things to keep her focus elsewhere.

"What's that there?" Gently nodding her muzzle towards his hip, to which he seems to linger in answer.

"One in the chamber."

"Starting to figure getting a straight answer out of you's gonna be harder than wrangling a hog outta the mud."

"That thing better not hurt her, or I'll show him something straight alright!" Rainbow Dash stomps both her front hooves, staring alongside her friends and an ever growing assortment of guards and elderly unicorns into the shimmering portal. Snorting more than anything as the portal continues to shift in intensity. "Why can't we just go in and get her?!"

"You need to quit fidgeting! I have a razor in my hand!"

"We shall, as soon as Princess Cadance arrives and we have properly prepared." Princess Luna reenters the chamber, passing by the Elements to come up towards her sister, whom remains in closed eye strain to her constant stream of magic into the first mirror. "The portal shall never be stable, and anything going through risks causing it's immediate collapse. Our only hope is to destroy it ourselves, on purpose."

"What!?"

"She's right. Pushing enough magic into the portal will destroy it but allow safe passage for a brief few moments." One of the elderly unicorns tries to convey enough confidence in tone to encourage more. "You must trust the Princesses in this."

"Consarn it, Donald! Watch where them things are feeling back there!"

"Can we do nothing to help?" Rarity almost whispers, dried tears to what had been witnessed still staining her eyeliner. Looking back towards the Princesses, she noticed Twilight looking particularly strained. "She's simply being devastated in this."

"We mustn't- Laughter?" Princess Luna's voice trails like the pink party pony over towards the Princesses.

Gaining slow but gradual attention, Pinkie sets down a large basket just before both Celestia and Twilight, both of whom slit open their eyes to the presence. Digging inside, she pulls out some sort of chocolate treat which she teeters upon her nose up towards Twilight's muzzle, whom reluctantly takes a few nibbles. Setting it down, she then pulls out a piece of cake, forced to raise upon her hind legs in order to get it closer to Celestia's dipped muzzle, whom also takes a few gentle bites.

"I-I'll go get some blankets!" Fluttershy uncharacteristically zips out of the room just as a loud boom rings out.

"Donald! They're trying to get in!" Applejack tries to get up but is denied with the hand holding behind her neck, applying just enough pressure to hinder her. "Why are you being so calm?!"

"It was a message." He huffs some air before going back to his work on her side. "It's coming morning, so they can't be outside. Since they're going back to town they just wanted to let me know that they'll be back tonight."

"Mend me up nice and proper and I reckon they'll be in for a mighty surprise if they try!" Putting a big much into it with her rump giving a wiggle to the idea of some payback. "I've held out in a apple cellar to some nasty varmints before."

"We're going to survive it." He reaches over and brings a piece of wood to her muzzle, of which she hesitantly takes with less than eager anticipation of what shall come next. "Survive it, and then we're going to make a run for it."

Finding little pleasure in the pain he must instill, he feels unsure of what else he can do other than gently stroke down her the back of her neck in between pushing her into another jerk. Pushing misgivings on unknowns aside, he finds some comfort in the idea of once more having someone to talk to. Perhaps if the virus changed his kind, it did the same to some animals.

As one world moves forward, another makes an attempt with fierce opposition to any such idea, as commotion begins near the wall behind the portal where few can see or more importantly, be bothered.

"We will come for you when progress has been made." The guard states in a firm voice to the stilled stallion sitting upon his haunches, whom pays not a single lick of attention, stetson dangling from one of his yoke hames. "You needn't be here."

The large stallion lifts forward and drags a hoof against the floor, with eyes dead forward, before smacking the rear portion with enough force on the floor to echo. "Ain't leaving till they do. Go mind your own."

"There isn't enough room, now come-"

The stallion lays a hoof on the other, only to feel the force of being literally thrown through the one open of two large doors from the chamber. Quickly gaining the attention of those who almost forgot he was even there, he simply becomes docile once more.

"No one else is to try and remove this stallion, less I am forced to give him your position." Princess Luna gives one quick glance, and nod, towards Big Mac before going back to what she had been doing. Looking up once more, but only towards the wall, she seems to try and shake off what may have just been a poor choice of words.

To offer what was never yours

Morning, of distant rising sun, she could never tell. Or perhaps, even later in the day, now that she thought about it after having woken up on the rather uncomfortable bed from her painful exhaustion. Stiff and sore, she slowly moves her body with all the tell tale signs of just how bad she had gotten, and very well could of ended. With but a moment of silence, she jolts upwards.

Nearly falling off the bed, she silently consoles herself for her reckless action before finally finding the courage to slide onto the first of three good hooves. Being careful and mindful, she wiggles rather than slide the rest of the way, finally coming into what shall be her normal for some time to come. Hopping on her good front hoof, she cringes before relenting to just sliding short distances.

Looking around, best she can in the dim flicker of a few lamps, she finds herself taking in the reality of her current abode. With no organization at all, she notices some familiar tools piled with many she does not. Rags, trash, and so much clutter along with dirt and grime that she looks back to see herself mopping as she goes. Not one to be afraid of getting a little dirty, it finally hits her nostrils with the rearing back and wave of her good foreleg to just how dirty she might be getting.

Blowing it off the best she can, she moves closer to the brightest lamp hanging just to the side of the only door in or out. Enticed by the infrequent whiff of pine, she slides until she gets right up to the crack. Looking back behind, with a snort to her adverse opinion to the longer than wide metal cellar, she pushes the door open only to be stopped in mid slide. With but the lightest gleam of sunlight, does the harsh reality of her previous night reflect off the ground.

Pushing past the rising hairs all down her backside, she finally comes metal to muzzle of her latest adversary.

"Gosh darn it." She raises her muzzle slowly until staring out what only teases her. Narrowing towards the third bar from the bottom, she raises her good foreleg up pulls herself up before trying one hind leg on the very bottom. Finding very little room against the wall, she tries to heave herself up regardless with the eventual give and hard fall onto her back. "Dang nabbit!"

Laying there for only a moment before clamoring to her hooves again, she growls and gives another attempt, much to the same but harder fall from having leaped up even higher than before. Snorting into a bit of a fit, she shows the whites of her teeth.

"Ain't no dang ladder gonna keep me, you hear!" Backing up, she does another almost vertical leap, latching three hooves and her teeth onto the bars. Grimacing to the taste, she begins her slow ascent with each step risking her serious injury now nearing the top.

Lifting but the first hoof over the swing door edge, she tries to hop with her rear hooves never meant for such. Ignorant of the support upon her backside with her pulling up from her front, she finally makes her way back upon the earth of her birthright.

"Hah! Told you!" She yells to what now lays behind and below, eyes closed while trying to adjust to the light pain of her triumph. "Hey Donald! You out here somewhere? Sorry but I had to get outta there something fierce."

"I'm here." His voice behind her giving her a jolt, with the slam of metal on metal sending her into a turning tumble.

"Darn it, Donald! Don't come up on a pony like that less you're wanting a good bucking!" She adjusts herself back upon three of four, with one drifting with rather than holding up. "Why didn't you go and wake me up if you were coming for some fresh air?"

"Wasn't aware that I ever said you were allowed out of bed." His stern eyes meeting just as determined, he rolls the heavy sledge with a metal pipe handle back and forth on his left shoulder. "The whole point of letting you sleep is that you keep sleeping."

"Mighty appreciate all that you've done for me, and don't ever think otherwise, but it smells worse than the hog pit after Rainbow let it rain for an entire dang weekend." Fluttering her eyelids to another hit of pine. "I need my good air!"

"You raise hogs?" Turning his head a little to the side with a raised eyebrow.

"Well sure! We all gotta eat don't we?" Her answer hitting him like a bad smell, "Oinkers good for gobbling up all the mushy apples and putting out for the next harvest." To his eventual relaxation. "Good for knocking you out on a good whiff, too."

Noticing not much else to be said, she instead takes in her surroundings that had been denied to the lack of good light the night before. Looking around with a gradual sliding twirl, she tilts and raises her brown brow with a few flicks of her ears.

"Donald?"

"Yeah?" Already walking away, stops without turning back.

"Why's all these here stumps all over? Don't you like a little bit of shade?"

"Like living a bit more. Took me a few years but I cleared all the way by around a few hundred feet from the cliff." Moving forward while talking louder as he leaves. "Don't go near the treeline, alright? The ground is too soft that far out."

Looking down and grinding her hoof, she notices just how rocky the soil is. Slow but gradual, she takes into the same direction as Donald while admiring the distant view. Ice capped mountains line all across the far horizon, pine trees prominent as far as the eye could make out, and a cut of deep blue nestled not that far away. Coming on up beside him to sit upon her haunches, she almost forgets where she is as being so far apart from where she should still be.

Not nearly enjoying what can no longer deceive him, he looks out with far less allure to what makes him grip his handle tighter. Letting his vision drift somewhat closer and to the right, not far from where Applejack would have come, he raises his hand with a lone finger. Overgrown, but not enough to cover all that once thrived, the lone water tower rusted brown seems to only respond in kind.

"Whatcha got going on there?" She looks up to his strange gesture. "Some sort of greeting, or something?"

"Yeah." Shaking his hand to the bulge of his arm muscles. "Telling all of it to go fuck itself."

Staring up to him, she finds no words to the feeling rolling off him that robs her of her brisk escape from reality. Looking now onto the familiar structure of a water tower, she folds her ears back with realization slapping her across the muzzle. Digging her hoof into the rocky soil to the tension in the air, the distant eruption of roars all too familiar flares her ears and rump into the air.

"It's going to get bad tonight." His tone lowers like his hand, almost into vibration. "The best hope was to make a run already, but the sun's going to be setting in a few more hours. Nothing we can do but turtle down until morning again."

"Well, how did you go about surviving all this time?"

"By being just enough of a threat to not be one, less they came calling. But last night I know I broke that one's neck, and whether you know it or not, I'm pretty sure you took a few out on your all night romp through the hills." Finally settling down a bit by sitting down on his rear, weapon set down alongside him. "They still break just as easy as I do, and you kick hard."

"I ain't never kicked you." Rearing back a little. "That I know of?" Eyeing him up and down. "And I ain't never tried to hurt none of them bad like that! But they wouldn't keep off me." Pulling into herself. "I didn't wanna hurt anymore."

"You were having a hard time last night. Sweating yourself into chills. Blankets on, blankets off." Reaching over to pat her backside a few hearty times. "Like I said, compacted muscles. Nothing to be ashamed and I think I deserved it, anyhow."

"Why?" More curious than anything to the refusal to look her way again. "Hey, fess up there!" Not about to be left in the dark, she gets up to move just behind the turning of his head, finally putting her good hoof on his knee to lean in close. "Talk to me, dang it."

"Can you swim?" Shifting into a low and serious tone, he gives little room not to answer. "A whole slew of stuff we can discuss but none of it is going to help me in keeping you alive. So don't give me any sass."

"I can, pretty good long as the current isn't too strong." Seeing fit to stay where she is, giving a few flickers of her eyelids to his sudden change in demeanor, to which she remains unsure about. "Gonna get rough without all my workings, working."

"That's what I'm for. All I need to know is what you can or cannot, or will not." Reaching down and gently taking her lifted foreleg into his hand, feeling the hot breath huffing into his tilted down face without paying much mind. "We got to be careful with you."

"Calling me froufrou ain't no quick way into my good blessings, sugarcube." Her last choice of words carrying more weight than understood by he whom is addressed, and still seems to not pay much attention. "But mighty good fighting words."

Looking up to meet her eyes, almost muzzle to nose. "If the fracture shatters, there won't be anything I can do."

Folding her ears back, she looks down while gently wiggling her hurt foreleg for him to leg go. When he does so, she moves back off his knee and back onto her haunches with a not too pleased look. "You don't think I can make it, do you."

"I don't think either of us will." His honest answer, perhaps too honest in tone alone, does little to instill in her anything but the need to wrap her frayed tail around to her front hoof. "But that's how it is here. You don't worry about tomorrow, just tonight. I know of another place not too far, about a day's run. It's an actual bunker, unlike what we're staying in right now."

"Never heard them called bunkers." Wedging what she can to keep the conversation going. "Call them cellars, back home."

"Cellars? Oh no." He chuckles. "Bunkers are basically holdouts, for a lot of different things. The one we're over top of right now isn't one at all, that's why it's so small. Some rich kids from back when had their parent's pay a company to cut into the bedrock. It's just a storage deck for all their crap. The zip line is still there, actually. A real bunker, well, you need to see to understand."

"What's holding you here, then?" Treading carefully with not still sure on how to read his body language. "Looks like you've been held up here for a long dang time, and if someplace is better and safer, kind of curious why haven't you moved on."

"Because I have a problem." Using his sledge to help steady himself back up on his feet. "I don't like giving up, and it's not like I'd be actually moving into something better." Shrugging down to her one propped up ear. "Just something longer."

"So it's all bigger and stuff?"

"Not that kind of longer." Ushering with his hand for her to follow. "Got some cucumbers growing nearby, if you want some."

Ponyville - Rainbow Friendship Castle

"Do you know what you're asking of me?" The light pink Alicorn with an vibrant mane almost whispers while standing before the portal, having long since taken up audience in place of those moved from their exhaustive slumber. Seemingly already in the works for whatever role she is to play to the resolution, the hue of magic upon her horn pales to her glare.

"From you, yes. From them, I can only hope." Princess Luna stand alongside, having become her only companion with ordering the entire chamber emptied save for only the most crucial. "I know it is not the part you would ever wish to play, but you're the only one within the little time we have left to somehow communicate and lead them to rescue."

"Lead them to their deaths." Cadance's tone, robbed of its normal cheer, shows little remorse. Looking upon the two, somehow in their situation finding time to have a bout of fun, her heart begins to ache. One carrying only something used by an everyday farmer for protection, and the other injured into not being able to use all the ones she was born with.

"We are twenty hours into the incident, and Twilight Sparkle shall soon collapse, and so will the portal. My sister can accommodate and supplement where exhaustion falters, but Twilight alone anchors the portal to our realm." Glancing onto Cadance with no amount of joy or attempt at fantasy. "We cannot lose an Element, even if the cost must be paid by one not our own."

"We may very well, even if they both make the attempt. The settlement, her point of origin, would be like asking two ponies to go into the heart of a hive." Softening her voice as if to give a plea. "Is there no other way we can do this?"

"If we could, we would have. She must be closer to where she first appeared for this to work. She is merely tethered to what wanes the farther she leaves. Even if we could only send something to assist their survival into the hive, I would do so eagerly. But you mustn't underestimate these two." Lightly stomping her front hoof. "If they give it their all, they won't have to."

"One still shall, no matter how his ends." Groaning for her gradual acceptance. "And if he does not accept what we offer?"

"Then you must offer what we cannot deliver." Looking into the portal to the twitch of her wings, taking in the image of something standing before Applejack, poking her in the side of her turned head with some sort of vegetable. Having finally had enough, Applejack just bats the object away before the creature reaches down and grabs another to begin anew. "I must prepare."

Ignoring the noises of retreating hooves for a few moments, she cranes her neck to look back upon she whom now stands before the largest of containers. Watching in silence as Luna uses her magic to remove it's facade, the embossed herald of a world wished forgotten shines to the light like the day it was first donned. Showing no emotion, Luna finally turns back to make solemn stare.

"You get them close enough, and I will see them the rest of the way."

Earth

"Not my damn fault you have hooves." He tries once again to her request of placing the cucumber upon her hoof, to which its quick slide and fall brings humor and agitation. "How many times are we going to do this?"

"Bunch of no good stinking-" Raising and lowering her hoof on the cucumber upon the ground, she seems to grow ever confused and angry when it refuses to follow the hoof back off the ground. "I'm telling you, this ain't supposed to happen!"

Watching her ire, he takes a good chomp out of one himself to his passable expression. Not quite sure how their expectations do not agree, he raises his brow when she finally just slams her hoof down to it's gooey explosion. Kneeling down, and upon his realization of her confused and frightened look, he does the only thing he can.

"I ain't letting you go and feed me!" Her intense stare down seems blocked by the flat one given in return. Huffing and even snorting, she begins to lose steam when looking between him and what he offers. "Think it's all funny, don'tcha."

"I think it's silly if you're going to go hungry when something is being offered to you." Shrugging to her continued, but eroding, intensity directed more towards the partially bitten cucumber before her. "Besides, now you know it's safe. Now eat."

Looking up to him with laid back ears and the same flat stare, her eyes slowly narrow before snapping forward to almost take his index finger laid too far along, much to the whites of his eyes. Slowly crunching down, she looks neither happy or satisfied.

Can you hear me?

To which both freeze, with one looking upon the cucumber with an questioning quirk to his brow.

"Spit it out!" Quick to smack the back of Applejack's head to knock out what she had held in mid chew, the surprise quickly escalates into something else. "Those damn freaks must of done something." Laughing to the fire in her reflective eyes. "Sorry?"

"You, and me." She nods eagerly. "Gonna straighten you out all proper like once this here is said and done."