The pegasus slept restlessly, muttering quietly and finally screaming herself awake. Her eyes were open but she could see nothing but darkness. She tried to stretch her limbs but could not- an alarming sensation but she knew this happened sometimes after waking suddenly. She tried again, and found that her legs could move... but they were restrained. Something firm held them in place, although there was some give, but the effort had strained her muscles... she felt very weak. The mare had been on her back, and she could feel her wings pressed against the hard surface she laid on. She tried to stretch them out as well, but could barely feel them moving. It was as if her mind was no longer connected to that part of her body, and she started to panic- she was a caged bird now, trapped, helpless. She couldn't run and for the life of her couldn't recall where she was or what she was doing. Why was it so dark? Even with rainclouds pressed up against her window, she would see at least some light from one of the celestial bodies.
Rainbow Dash was becoming frantic, breathing quickly and straining with all her body to break free, to get away, to get out of the musty air and find her way to the sky! She heard a noise from above her, the sound of hooves on a wood floor. Creaking above her, the hoofbeats echoing in the room she was in. Small motes of dust fell onto her face, and she screwed up her face to relieve herself of the irritation. There were ponies up there- ponies she could ask for help! Or were these ponies her captors? Did they already know of her plight, because they were the cause? This was certainly uncool. She tried to quiet herself and calmed down in the process, her breath slowing to a normal rate. Think, Rainbow, think! Maybe if she could pull one of her hooves free, she could get to the others before somepony came to check on her- and then there was another sound, much closer. She heard shuffling of fabric and the creaking of old wood, alarmingly near to where she lay, ensnared. She held her breath and tried to remain still, when her muscles and body screamed that she needed to get free, to fly! To escape! Clip clop, clip clop, a pony approached with a nonchalant gait. Not plodding or heavy like a stallion, more likely a mare. It stopped at intervals, moving around the room. Rainbow Dash could hear the sound of opening crates, someone blowing at dust, moving heavy objects around. She almost thought she heard... humming? She pressed her lips together hard, to hold in the foul air aching to escape her lungs. Can't let her hear can't let her find me... who knew what she would do if she knew her captive was awake?
More creaking of floorboards above, and the pony (mare?) in the room stopped, and all was quiet save for the heaving of the aged wood overhead. Another stream of dust and dry rot dropped from the ceiling and landed in Dash's face, shocking her into a gasp- with another shock, adrenaline racing through her veins she forced all her muscles tense and still, quivering with fear and horror- did she hear? Was she coming this way!?
Hooves casually struck the floor, closer and closer. Dash's mind raced, her eyes darting back and forth, straining to see a way out, a glimmer of hope in the total darkness- what could she do? Her captor was so close now, surely she would bring out her knife and bring it down and all would end-
A quiet voice, a nervous voice, "Hello? Is there someone there?" Rainbow Dash was surprised again- the mare didn't know she was here! She must have been as blind as her in this darkness! But she kept quiet, still not knowing if the other was friend or foe. Once again, she heard the hooves approaching, less than a wingspan away, when suddenly the other pony bumped into the table she was tied to, letting out a surprised squeak, and then a quiet giggle. Rainbow recognized that laugh, but she couldn't place it...
Suddenly, a hoof on her mane! Oh Celestia make it quick, don't draw it out, just make the fear stop! Rainbow couldn't take it anymore, her body was a sweaty wreck, her muscles taut and burning with exhaustion from the tension, her breath now uncontrollable, coming out in quick snorts from her flaring nostrils. A short silence, and then, "Dashie? Rainbow Dash? Is that you?" The voice was clearly excited, and Rainbow now knew who it was. With a voice raspy and croaky, as if she hadn't spoken in years, she asked, "P- Pinkie Pie?"
Suddenly it was as if the room became brighter and more open, as the pink earth pony gasped joyfully and embraced the blue pegasus in a warm embrace- "Oh Dash it's really you! We thought you had run away or become one of them! Oh we have to get you out of here, Applejack and everypony are waiting for me to get back and they're going to be so happy but first we-" Rainbow cut her off with another croaked question, "Wh- where am I? Can you help me up?"
Pinkie reluctantly withdrew (and Dash realized how grateful she was for that simple physical contact, the physical and emotional warmth fading all-too-quickly), and chided herself, "Oh, of course! Let's get these straps off your arms, Dashie!" Pinkie used her teeth to pull at the strap and buckle on Dash's foreleg, allowing it to slip free- the pegasus attempted to lift herself up but could barely raise her appendage- it felt like she had run a marathon! Pinkie worked quickly (moving around the table with amazing speed) and loosened all the straps while Dash tried to pull herself off the table. With a helpful nudge, she was able to slump to the cold stone floor, and shakily get to her feet- it felt like such an effort to even stand up. She still couldn't see, and tried to walk forward before tipping toward the ground face-first. Pinkie held out a helping hoof and helped Rainbow steady herself.
"Whoa there, Dashie! You seem really tired! It's really dark down here, but my Pinkie Sense lets me tell what's going on! Just bite down on my tail- but watch out for Gummy, he's in there somewhere!" Dash couldn't tell how Pinkie Pie could be so chipper in this dungeon, but her cheery attitude made her feel more confident and less frantic- she found her mind was no longer screaming at her to escape, but she still wanted to get out of this place, and take to the open skies- and find out what was going on. The light blue mare took hold of the pink bushy tail and followed Pinkie around objects large and small, many of which she nonetheless bumped into or brushed up against. Finding her footing was difficult, and her hoof kept bumping into the edges of stones or she ended up with her legs awkwardly positioned, causing her to stumble. But Pinkie kept an even, slow pace, and led her to a corner where she could feel a cool breeze- the outside! There was a dim light obscured by what looked like a scrap of fabric.
Pinkie lifted the cloth and shifted a rotting plank of wood, revealing a half-finished staircase leading up to a cobblestone street. The entrance was covered with overgrown weeds and untrimmed grass. But more importantly than being able to see or being safe, Rainbow Dash could see the night sky in all its glory! Stars twinkling up high, clouds drifting lazily over what looked like the houses and shops of Ponyville- she pushed herself with new-found energy and cantered up the stairs, and took flight- only to find that her wings hung limply at her sides, and she landed in a heap on the hard cobblestones, her coat skewed in odd directions, her chin sore from the impact. "Dashie! Are you all right? We have to be quick and stay unnoticed while I get you to Sweet Apple Acres!" Dash picked herself up slowly and shook her head.
"What- why are we going to the farm? What's going on?" Pinkie shoved a hoof into the pegasus' mouth to quiet her, and shushed her quietly but forcefully. "You have to be quiet! There are bad ponies out there and I want to keep you safe! Okay?" Her hair seemed to flatten a bit, but it was hard to tell in the dark of night. She quickly flattened up against a nearby wall, and started making gestures to Rainbow Dash with her hoof.
Dash watched the increasingly complicated gesticulation with utter incomprehension, shrugged, and just trotted next to her, trying to stay flush with the wall. Pinkie facehoofed, shook her head, and looked around the corner. Her neck stretched itself as she scanned the entire area, and then motioned for Dash to follow her. Her body seemed to instantly move across the street to a shadowy corner on the other side, with Dash struggling to keep up, her legs once again feeling weak. The pink mare pulled her friend closer, and hunkered down, her eyes focused on something further down the road. Rainbow looked in that direction, her eyes still adjusting to the dark, when she saw it.
A single stallion, standing in the middle of the road. At his feet was a smaller pony, maybe a colt or filly, and he was nudging it with a hoof. The body moved but did not respond. The stallion kicked at it, causing Dash to jump up and gasp with horror- forcefully the brown earth pony kicked at the body, causing it to lurch and lift into the air, only to thud down again- she could hear a wet sound as his hoof came down again and again, Pinkie Pie holding her back with all her strength as Dash wept openly and bit down on her tongue. She turned away from the scene, her eyes pleading with her friend for any answer, and explanation- but Pinkie Pie's expression was cold, hard. There was no life or magic in those eyes- they stared back at Rainbow Dash, slight concern and barely-restrained sadness, perhaps pity. She shook her head slightly and turned to face the street they had just crossed. Pinkie muttered under her breath, "...gotta find another way..."
Dash realized her mouth was open, and she closed it, trying hard to ignore the sounds of the acts behind her. What was he doing!? How could this happen? What was wrong with that foal!? Before Dash could fall deeper into confusing questions that she really did not want to know the answer to, Pinkie pulled her close and started to canter, being careful to be as quiet as possible. Dash followed, throwing a look over her shoulder before immediately regretting what she saw- the stallion bucking the corpse against the wall of a shop, over and over. She closed her eyes and pushed on ahead, past Pinkie Pie and off into a side street, tears welling copiously. Pinkie reached out a hoof and called to her, "Dashie! Wait!" But Dash couldn't think about that, she had to forget what she had seen, she had to get away! Why couldn't she fly? What was going on?
Careening forward, eyes closed and tears streaming behind her, the pegasus slammed into something ahead of her, knocking her to the ground. Her face made contact with the cobble, shooting pain down her body. Shocked, she scrambled upright to see an overturned vegetable cart, its wares rotten and strewn about the street. Behind it, two ponies stood in shadow. Slowly, their heads turned toward her. She looked between them frantically, searching for a hint of a friendly face. The ponies, a stallion and mare, approached her, their paces quickening with each step. As they came out of shadow into the starlight, she saw their faces- blank, empty eyes staring forward, slack jaws, mucus caked on their nostrils.
***
