Non-Compete Clause: Cruel Aftermathby NebbieChaptersProlog: First Screwup, First War, First ExecutionTwo Many Ponies in a Tiny CellBest Friends ForeverA Little Love and Some Little SistersProlog: First Screwup, First War, First ExecutionAuthor's Note This is the "freakish monster" (from Pinkie Apple Pie's scary cave): Prolog: First Screwup, First War, First Execution Applejack and Rainbow Dash were silent as Neighsay argued his case. "Absolutely reckless. These mares admit they were seeking to be the best teachers by...by nearly drowning their students! It was only those brave students which saved the teachers themselves from being devoured by fish. This is no way to run a school!" Celestia sat in between Luna and Shining Armor as she looked at a document Neighsay had prepared. "Hmm, I believe we have all the information we need. If there are no further statements, we will confer to determine a ruling. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, would you two like to make a final statement?" Rainbow grinned, and looked to a worried-looking Applejack. "Uh...I'll be making a statement by myself." Celestia nodded. "Very well." Rainbow sweated a bit and gulped as she tried to come up with a rousing speech. "Uh, so...I wanted the students to be awesome! You know, like me. And you can't be awesome if you don't take risks! Yeah, you've gotta leap over snapping cragadiles and...fly next to volcanoes! How else will you get any better as a pony?" Applejack facehooved so hard it left a mark as the rest of the courtroom was silent. Rainbow sighed, realizing defeat. "I'll...sit back down." Celestia spoke. "I understand your point, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow and Applejack both went wide-eyed. "You mean to say that we must not shelter ourselves from the world, as it may hold us back. We will take that idea into consideration." Celestia replied, before standing up with the two co-judges to confer. "Maybe they'll only throw us in the dungeon for a week." remarked Applejack. "A week? For this? I'm not missing out on the next big race just because some Yak couldn't swim." replied Rainbow Dash. Applejack rolled her eyes. Neighsay simply gave the same look as always, making the wait even less bearable for the two. The three judges returned, then Celestia delivered her verdict. "We find the defendants guilty of reckless endangerment. The sentence is one month of community service, as we have determined that while the defendants introduced unnecessary risk, much of the risk was necessary. Additionally, the School of Friendship must be shut down pending an approved reorganization to prevent future incidents. Any questions?" Rainbow Dash practically collapsed, head slamming down on the desk. Neighsay chuckled. "This reorganization...will they be following EEA guidelines?" "No, they simply need to show that they will prevent teachers from endangering students in this way. How they do that is up to them. I trust Twilight Sparkle to come up with a perfect plan." replied Celestia. Applejack smiled and got Rainbow to lift her head up. "Could be worse, sugarcube." "Uh-huh, sure. What could they do, execute us?" She joked. "If there are no further questions, court is adjourned. Please head to your cells while we make the community service arrangements, Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Celestia said. Applejack was slumped over the jail bars hours later, bored out of her mind. "Did ya really have to go in the toilet while I'm here, sugarcube? I don't like watchin' ponies pee." Rainbow groaned from on the toilet as a familiar splashing could be heard. "Oh come on, everypony does it." "But don't you get embarrassed by it?" Applejack asked. "Not one bit! I just wish I could write my name in the snow like a stallion." Rainbow replied with a light chuckle as the splashing stopped. "I get it, I just don't like watchin' or bein' watched doin' it. Not really a fan of hearin' it either..." Applejack said, still bored. Suddenly, an explosion tore open the jail cell wall, right next to Rainbow Dash, causing her bowels to loosen, and a loud plop to follow. "Aaah!" Applejack turned around and readied herself for a fight, but relaxed as she saw the 6 students trotting in. Sandbar chuckled as he looked to Rainbow Dash. "Sorry for uh, busting in on you on the toilet, Rainbow. Guess we really scared the poop outta ya!" Rainbow huffed, rolled her eyes, and flushed the toilet. "Yeah yeah, just don't rub it in or I'll tell everypony about holding your hoof when you had to go out in the woods." Applejack ran over and hugged him. "Well I'll be, ya'll decided to bail us outta here...but you do know we're about to be released and given community service, right?" Sandbar nodded. "We know, but they're gonna close the school for a long time! We figure we can take you and the other teachers to Yakyakistan to keep teaching us, then you can serve your community service later along with whatever punishments Celestia adds. It's not like she'd kill anypony just for delaying their punishment a little, right?" "I s'pose. Let's get goin'." Applejack replied. On the way out of Canterlot, a small hitch was discovered: The students' parents/leaders were in with the Royal Guard to stop them. Rainbow Dash stepped forward. "You can't stop us! We've got ambition! You guards, I've seen that mirror pool Celestia has that you come out of to get with her nonsense and the rest of you are some old, worn-out...nobodies!" "Uh, you don't really mean that, right?" asked Gallus. Rainbow replied softly to him. "'course not, it's all just trash talk." As she turned back around, she noticed the guards had already started charging. A fight ensued that quickly turned into a brawl, everypony tumbling about and hitting what they hoped was the enemy. Rainbow tackled a guard, but he turned out to be quite her match, wrestling her for several minutes. She only caught vague glimpses of the fight around, showing Ocellus turning into some freakish monster after being dogpiled by guards. Applejack and the others were nowhere to be seen. As Rainbow finally got free, she saw Ocellus stick out a long frog tongue, wrap it around a guard, and effortlessly gobble him up. "Woohoo! You show 'em!" The guards looked a bit distressed at the bulge in the creature's stomach, almost stopping a moment as they heard a loud scream from inside. Most worrying of all, the scream stopped. Ocellus strained, and out her rear came a flurry of armor and pony bones. Rainbow was in awe, but paused her cheering as she realized a pony just died. The guards took a moment to shakily resume their assaults, seemingly all but forgetting Rainbow Dash as they tried to blast Ocellus with magic and stab her with spears, abandoning their normal light approach, but it was to no avail as she could easily dodge in her nimble form. Rainbow yelled to Ocellus. "Hey! Stop! You can't just digest 'em like that! They're ponies for Celestia's sake!" Ocellus shook her head. "But they're just clones! And if I don't stop them, they'll put us in jail!" When the next guard was grabbed, he begged for mercy. Rainbow almost threw up as she watched him slide down, but was thankfully interrupted by a tap on her rear. She turned to face a guard captain with a resolute expression despite the scream of his subordinate. "Miss Rainbow Dash, I request that you help us defeat your friend! This has gotten out of control, I beg of you to remember your duty as a Wonderbolt, despite your desire to escape!" Rainbow was wide-eyed. She could hear the clattering of another guard reduced to bones and trinkets. "I...I accept, but what do we do? She won't listen, and there's no way we can stop what she's changed into!" The guard tapped at his horn. "I know a spell that can revert her to normal. I'll need you to keep her distracted. It's kind of risky, bu-." "No time! Guards are dying! Hit her when I say so!" Rainbow shouted. "But I don't know what'll happen if somepony's still in her." he said, seeing another guard being grabbed up by the long frog tongue. "I'm sure she'll just be so bloated she can't move, and we've gotta stop her even if it hurts her!" Rainbow replied as she zipped to just above Ocellus, then grabbed around her head and began pulling upward, leaving the mostly-flightless guards to the ground assault so that the changeling was torn between threats from both up and down. Despite her immobility, Ocellus managed to swallow down the third guard, who cried for mommy from inside. "Fire!" Rainbow shouted at their opportunity, and the guard captain fired a magic bolt that blindsided Ocellus. Her whole body convulsed a little as energy flowed through it, and she reverted to her normal form...with a hugely bloated belly showing the outline of a scared guard. Rainbow, amazed at the success, hugged Ocellus close. The changeling grunted in pain as her rear sputtered a bit in desperation. Rainbow giggled like a schoolfilly at the noises, which slowly got louder and, strangely, included a cracking sound. A squelchy explosion and shriek, which seemed to be the guard exiting Ocellus, took Rainbow by surprise and threw the two back a bit. Rainbow opened her eyes to see Ocellus looking back lovingly with watery eyes. "I love you...and I forgive you." the changeling said in an unusually raspy voice. Rainbow smiled. "Me too. I'll kick those guards' flanks for ya!" She gave Ocellus a celebratory kiss on the lips, and the two began swapping spit eagerly. Rainbow thought it odd how light Ocellus was to hold, but was distracted by a changeling tongue going fishing, to which she gave an equal response. Once the two found a new kissing rhythm, Rainbow curiously took a look at the freed guard. He was being cleaned off by others who were covered in what looked awfully like changeling ichor. Behind them was...the rear half of Ocellus' body. Realization dawned on Rainbow, who was now kissing in goodbye rather than celebration. During all this, Ocellus seemed to be getting weaker, her mouth moving slower until there was...nothing. Her eyes glazed over in an expression of love and sadness. Rainbow pulled free from the kiss with a corpse and froze. Rainbow was weak. So very weak. She fell over, crumpled into the fetal position, then shuddered and started to weep. Even as the guards began shackling her hooves, she held her partial student. The cell door slammed behind Rainbow Dash, and she finally looked up to meet her cellmates. Applejack was sitting on the bed looking rather down. Sandbar was peeing into the toilet. Silverstream was sitting right behind him, against the wall, looking bored as her right hoof was holding her head. Applejack turned to her. "Where's Ocellus?" she asked in a voice showing a pang of sadness. Rainbow looked her in the eyes, her cold stare making Applejack instantly distraught. "She...didn't make it." Applejack sighed. "Neither did Yona...sorry, sugarcube." Before anypony could really dwell on things, Sandbar let out a last trickle and farted very loudly, making Silverstream's mane blow a bit. He blushed hard as he turned around and flushed, then noticed that she'd been right behind him. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry, Silverstream. I forgot you you were there!" "Huh? Sorry for what?" the confused hippogriff asked. Everypony else was a bit wide-eyed, and Applejack spoke up. "Uh, well, he farted in your face, sugarcube..." "So? Felt like a pleasant breeze from a friend, and certainly a new experience! I don't see the big deal; in seaquestria, you can't exactly hide your bubbles, and we only do anything special for number two, so we just pee and fart wherever we are, even right next to each other." she stated. Sandbar went from embarrassed to weirded out as he sat down next to Applejack. "So that's why you've never said 'excuse me' for it and keep letting rip in class..." Applejack had a grossed-out expression, which was rare for the farm horse, as she contemplated life in seaquestria. Rainbow meanwhile was stoic. "Huh. I guess I'd like it there, but didn't it sting to get it in your eye?" Silverstream's smile became a frown as she turned her head, showing a bloodied bandage where her right eye used to be, held up there by her hoof. "Oh." was all Rainbow Dash could muster. Applejack put a hoof around a sad-looking Sandbar before explaining. "Garble tore her eye completely out. I kicked him pretty hard...and, well, broke his neck. Ember was a might upset, and tore Yona's side open. Figured you should know." Rainbow Dash sat down next to Silverstream, and put a hoof around her as well. "Could be worse. You didn't kill Yona...I killed Ocellus." The other three gasped. "How could you?" asked Sandbar. Silverstream put a hoof on Rainbow's back. "Was it an accident?" Rainbow shook her head. "I wish I could say it was...but when I went to stop her, I knew there were risks, and just was so focused on getting her to stop killing royal guards. We got her to revert to her normal form after she ate one, and she...exploded. At...at least I kissed her goodbye." she sniffled a bit. Everypony was silent for a while, but Applejack spoke up. "I don't blame ya, Rainbow...how about you two come over here for a hug?" Rainbow and Silverstream were more than happy to oblige, as they all hugged together on the edge of the bed. A few yawns were soon heard. Rainbow spoke up. "We should get some rest. Guard said we'll be in here all night...you three mind if we sleep close? I...I think I'm gonna have nightmares about Ocellus." she said with a look of sadness and a little blush. "It's okay, Rainbow, we won't judge." replied Sandbar as he brought her up on the bed and gave her a cuddle. "Yep, sugarcube." Applejack added. Silverstream got up in between the farmpony and the other two, then flopped over. Soon, everypony was sound asleep on the bed that could barely fit them. Rainbow Dash was staring at the floor as Celestia read off the charges. "2 counts of negligent homicide, assault on a royal guard, 1 count of murder for Applejack only, 2 counts of accessory to murder, prison escape, reckless endangerment, rebellion, and inciting war. How do you plead?" Rainbow suddenly looked up. "Wait, what? War? Equestria's never had a war!" Shining Armor spoke up. "The Yaks declared war on us over Yona's death. Prince Rutherford led an assault on Canterlot with the Yak army. There were..." he shed a single tear. "...few survivors, the prince not among them." For a while, the two were stunned. Applejack finally cleared her throat. "We plead...guilty, your uh, highness. We're sorry, about everything." Rainbow nodded along, looking down. "Very well. Since you do not contest the charges, I will proceed to the sentencing. We will be far less lenient, and arrive at a decision within the hour." Celestia said, then headed out with the co-judges. Neighsay cackled. "Well well well, it seems you failed at being role models so badly that you got some of your best students killed along with most of one's entire nation! I've asked them to put you two away forever for this. It's about time we had some punishment in our justice system." Rainbow shook a little and hugged Applejack. "I'm scared..." The judges came out only 10 minutes later. Celestia spoke with the royal Canterlot voice, silencing the murmurs of the courtroom. "In times of old, it is said the pegasi would cut off a pony's wings and drop them from the clouds. Whether they survived or not, their fate would be on the ground, forever unable to return to society. The earth ponies, unable to keep criminals out of their domain, had a variety of effective devices for ending a pony's life. When Equestria was founded, these cruel forms of punishment were done away with. Today, we will be reinstating capital punishment in light of these heinous crimes, to set an example for others. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, I hereby sentence you to death by beheading in one month's time. You will be put in a maximum security cell until then." The two ponies went wide-eyed while a slightly-shocked Neighsay gave a light cheer. "This is beyond my wildest expectations!" Celestia and Luna glared at him a moment before Luna spoke up. "I will help you in your dreams to cope with your sentence. You will be given a burial befitting heroes, but make no mistake that I do not sympathize about your actions. This decision wasn't an easy one, but it was unanimous." Celestia banged her gavel. "Court is adjourned." As Applejack and Rainbow Dash were led off by a guard, reality began to set in and the two felt sick to their stomachs, trotting silently. Two Many Ponies in a Tiny CellApplejack and Rainbow Dash were tossed in a cell much like the ones they'd been in before, but this one had no window, being deep in the bowels of the palace, and a guard always on-duty. Escape would take a lot more than breaking a wall. Rainbow simply laid on her belly, but Applejack dragged her up. "You alright, sugarcube?" "No." Was all the normally-confident pegasus could say. She trotted on her own to the toilet and promptly threw up her lunch. Applejack held her a bit. "I ain't feelin' much better, but at least we're together." Rainbow scoffed and put on her best sarcastic voice, still slumped against the toilet. "Yeah, can't wait to spend all this time just sitting around and finding out what even your hoofpits smell like, until me and one of my best friends die. How else would I ever spend my time?" Applejack sighed and didn't bother saying anything as the guard brought them their dinner: Mashed potatos and beans with a side of milk. As Rainbow dug in very, very slowly, she figured that the improvement in food likely had to do with them being on death row, which made her even sadder. "Guess we got a consolation prize for execution. Just what I wanted." Applejack shrugged. "Well, I'll take what I can get, personally." Rainbow continued to eat noisily as Applejack finished and quickly relieved her bladder on the toilet. Rainbow eventually finished up with a very unenthusiastic burp and flopped into bed. Applejack followed her, putting her hooves around her in a manner like a mom comforting a young child, then giving her a kiss on the forehead and a continuous series of gentle pats on the butt. Rainbow groaned a bit, but didn't bother protesting further being treated like a baby as they slowly drifted to sleep. As morning came, Rainbow didn't particularly feel like getting out of bed. She laid there a while, not moving except to let out her morning gas. Applejack, meanwhile, was discussing reading material with the guard as he brought them some waffles. Rainbow eventually had to get up because of the growing need to urinate, proceeding to flop out of the bed much as how she got in. She ignored the waffles and Daring Do book Applejack was presenting to her as she tinkled. "Come now, sugarcube. You're only makin' yourself more miserable." the farmpony said. Rainbow, not in the mood at all, huffed before replying. "Leave me alone or I pee on you." Applejack simply nodded, turned around, then quietly started eating her waffles. After a bit, she she decided to ask the guard a question. "Hey, do we get any visitors?" The guard answered without taking his eyes off his magazine. "Not right now. There's been...unrest in the city due to the Yak war and your sentencing. It will be taken care of shortly." Neither imprisoned pony asked anything else as they didn't really want to know. By evening, Rainbow finally grabbed the book and began reading silently while Applejack trotted to the toilet. The calm and quiet was soon disturbed by sounds of commotion outside. Guards were shouting, and the door burst open. Rainbow and Applejack froze, looking upon Twilight Sparkle, bound and with her horn clearly sawed off. She was breathing heavily as they dragged her to the cell's door. "New arrival, fresh from trial." One guard bluntly stated to the guard on duty. He nodded in response and unlocked the door. Twilight was tossed in beside Rainbow, who now could get a good look at her. She looked little like the pristine princess she normally was, as one of her wings was bandaged and she was covered in dirt and bruises. Her face bore an expression that showed a mix of anger, sadness, and defeat. Applejack spoke up as the guards trotted away. "Twi? You weren't sentenced to death to, were ya, sugarcube?" Twilight stood up weakly and nodded. "For treason, and I don't want to talk about it, especially while you're on the toilet." "Fine by me, sugarcube." replied Applejack as she peed. "Whatever." Rainbow said simply. Twilight peeked at the pegasus who wasn't so much engrossed in a Daring Do book as hiding in it. "I guess you don't either...how about we try and focus on the positives?" Rainbow rolled her eyes, then hopped up into bed. "What, like that the food is kinda good? We're gonna die, in case you hadn't noticed." Twilight stood up confidently and put her left hoof on Rainbow while her right hoof served to reinforce her words. "That may be, but we're still friends. It's my job to keep our spirits up as the princess of friendship, through thick and thin!" Rainbow wasn't impressed. "You know what I think of that?" She promptly turned her body so her butt was against Twilight's side, and let rip. Twilight winced a bit and removed her hoof. "Yuck! Okay, I get the message, you need some space." Applejack grunted, leading to plopping noises, then relaxed. "Aaaah...'fraid there ain't no such thing as space in here, sugarcube. She'll snap out of it, just gotta put up with her until she does." Twilight had a very grossed-out expression. "I see...ugh, this is so undignified, probably on purpose as part of our punishment." Rainbow farted on Twilight again. "Buck your dignity." Applejack flushed. "Hate to say it, but she's kinda right. We ain't got no dignity and to society, we're already gone. Best to just embrace it and try to be happy. Can't be tryin' to drink lemonade when all ya've got is mud. The pigs sure are happy with it." Twilight seemed to ponder for a moment, hoof tapping her chin, then sighed. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and strained out a squeaky fart, then hugged Rainbow Dash. "Yes, buck my dignity. Buck it to death. I'll adapt to the unusual circumstances. This'll certainly make for an interesting last friendship report." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Good, but no big speeches, okay? Now let me read and don't touch me until it's bedtime." She didn't really read, too busy watching the other two. Twilight nodded and let go, then sat over near Applejack. "You think she'll be okay?" "Shucks, even hiding in that book's an improvement. This morning, she could barely eat. She reminds me of myself when my parents died. I was buckin' everypony away like an escaped rodeo bull with a vendetta against cowboy hats and cutie marks." Applejack stated with a slight giggle. Twilight smirked. "If you say so. Now I need to, um, relieve mys-" she caught herself. "I mean, I need to piss! I bet mine's yellower than yours!" Applejack shook her head. "Blegh, you're overdoin' it. Rainbow might like that foalish stuff, but I think ya should just be casual, sugarcube." "Right." said Twilight as she sat on the toilet. Rainbow, for the first time that day, chuckled, but tried to hide it. Applejack obviously noticed, but didn't say anything, and slid into bed. She gave Rainbow a comforting spooning along with some pats. Rainbow quickly relaxed in the embrace, slipping into sleep in seconds. Best Friends ForeverA week had passed in the miserable cell, and the three had adapted to their new life. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were playing a high-stakes game of poker, winner would give the other a dare. Applejack, meanwhile, was under the covers on the bed, making occasional moaning noises. Rainbow could very easily figure out why, but knew Twilight would scold her for talking about what happens under the covers. Twilight, who was down a bit on chips, went all-in, looking like she had a pair of aces. "Ready to become a book-studying egghead for a day?" Before Rainbow could respond, the guard came to the bars. "You have a visitor tonight. Shining Armor will be coming." he trotted back to his post quickly. Twilight's face turned to a mixture of surprise, elation, and sadness like Rainbow had never seen. In the purple pony's distraction, her cards could just barely be glimpsed...a 7 and a 2, neither making a pair. Rainbow grinned as she matched Twilight's bet on her pair of 8s. Twilight sighed. "My brother...I hope he can forgive me." She then looked down to see her imminent loss and huffed. "Well, it was worth a shot." "You almost got me. Almost." replied the pegasus. "Now, you have to..." she pointed towards Applejack, then to Twilight's hoof, then to her crotch. Twilight was aghast. "What?! Rainbow, that's disgusting!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Would you rather give up books for a day?" Twilight pondered for a moment. "No, I'll...I'll do it. Just don't make me do it in front of my brother, okay?" Rainbow laughed loudly. "Givin' me good ideas for next time! Sure thing, we'll do it as soon as Applejack's done." Twilight nodded. "I guess this is what prison life is really like..." About an hour later, Rainbow was getting into cuddling position with Applejack, feeling absolutely amazing and a little exhausted, ready for a scheduled therapy session with Luna. Before she could get too comfy, she heard a door open, and then heavy hoofsteps. Twilight, meanwhile, was furiously washing her hoof in the sink. "I feel so dirty..." she kept on washing and washing for quite a while. A voice made Twilight jump a little. "Twily..." She shut off the faucet and turned around, giving Shining Armor a sad look. "Big brother..." Shining eyed her hoof curiously. "Are you okay? I think that hoof was clean 2 minutes ago." Twilight shook her head. "Rainbow made me...pleasure her with it. Prison's a lot more degrading than I expected. I miss having privacy...can't even poop without somepony watching." Shining cringed, but then held the bars with his forehooves and put his snout through the gap. "I still don't understand why you did it." Rainbow turned around to watch, but kept silent, so as not to interrupt. Twilight trotted over slowly and put her snout to his. "I never meant to kill her." Shining sighed as he teared up. "You're still my little sister, best friend forever, you know." "And you're still my big brother, best friend forever. I'm so sorry about Cadance. If I could undo it, I would, but time travel is...unpredictable." Twilight said in the saddest voice Rainbow had ever heard from her. It all clicked for Rainbow: Twilight must've fought Cadance to break us out of jail, and committed treason by...killing one of her best friends and orphaning her niece. So that's why she wouldn't tell us what happened... Shining and Twilight closed their eyes and briefly kissed on the lips. He then he pulled away as his tears hit the floor, and spoke with a shaky voice. "I've...got to go. I can't bear to see you like this, and I need to be there for Flurry Heart. Oh, I didn't want to sentence you to death, Twily!" Twilight couldn't bear to open her eyes as her own tears trickled out. "You did the right thing. Go. I'll be okay." Shining bolted, leaving a trail of "liquid pride" that was sure to be the talk of the guards for weeks to come. Rainbow, seeing Twilight sit dejectedly, slowly got out of bed and wrapped her hooves around her. "Twilight, I'm sorry I treated you like that. It was just...for a moment, I could forget I'm here, forget that I'm gonna die." Twilight shook her head and sighed. "Rainbow, there's no need to apologize. I deserve every bit of what I've gotten, and if I can make my friends feel better, that's all that matters to me, no matter how unclean I feel." "Goin' all Fluttershy on me, huh? Well...thanks, it means a lot." Rainbow said, before taking Twilight into bed. Twilight giggled slightly before cuddling close. Rainbow was having a great dream about flying ever higher in the night sky, with Luna watching from the moon. She was about to race Twilight when her sleep was interrupted by quite a commotion. Shouting could be heard, and soon, the door busted open. Rainbow groggily looked out of the cell to see Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity being dragged in by guards. Applejack and Twilight woke up a moment later as the cell doors opened. Pinkie was tossed in first, followed by Rarity, then Fluttershy. They formed a sort of three-long pony train, head to butt. Rarity, of course, spat a little and spoke up as she lifted her head. "Barbaric! Pinkie, no offense, but you could use a bath. And Fluttershy, you know better than to keep laying there!" "I'm sorry, I just have trouble getting up after our..." the yellow pony hyperventilated a little just thinking about their sentence. Applejack chuckled. "It ain't gonna be much better from here on out sugarcube. But uh, why are you three here?" Pinkie jumped up onto the toilet. "Well, first I was eating a pie when I thought-" Rarity put a hoof to the pink pony's mouth. "We had Fluttershy ask Discord for help breaking you out and maybe got a little too ahead of ourselves burning half the palace down. Turns out, Celestia had a way to stop him, so now we're going to be beheaded with you. If you ask me, Celestia has become a lot less regal and understanding lately." Pinkie tried to say more, but was muffled by the hoof. Twilight sighed. "I can't really blame her, given the circumstances. You didn't hurt anypony, right?" Rarity had trouble making eye contact. "Uh, well...we certainly didn't mean to..." Rainbow groaned. "Shut up and get in bed, we can talk about whose fault everything is tomorrow. That is, unless the cutie mark crusaders decide now is a good time to unleash some ancient evil monster of doom." Applejack took a look around. "Uh, this bed can only hold 4 ponies." Twilight hopped off the bed. "I can go without the rest of my sleep. Pinkie, you wanna do a super special um, stay awake party with me while the rest of the girls snooze?" Pinkie hopped to Twilight and hugged her. "You betcha!" Rainbow took it upon herself to take Fluttershy in, while Rarity slowly got comfy, trying to avoid everypony's hooves. A Little Love and Some Little SistersRainbow Dash was just about to wake up when her dream turned into the blank white of the therapy room. Luna came in shortly after with bags under her eyes. "Luna? Are you okay? It seems a little...late for this." the cyan pegasus asked. "I have been consoling Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Worry not for me, it is them that face the real trouble." she replied regally. "Okay, well, I'm fine. I mean, I think I'm fine. I really don't know if I'm like how I used to be, but I don't feel all that bad. Just the usual sense of impending doom!" Rainbow said awkwardly, and a little too cheerfully. "...very well, I must move on to Twilight Sparkle, then." Luna said, and flew off. Rainbow relaxed, and prepared to march on out the wakeup exit...only to realize there was none, the princess had forgotten it. The therapy room faded, shattered, and dropped away piece by piece around her, leaving Rainbow in darkness. The pegasus hovered in place, scared. A moment later, lightning flashed, revealing her surroundings to be some kind of tower in Canterlot. The rain was loud and pouring as thunder boomed. In the dim light of a candle, she caught a glimpse of Cadance approaching Twilight. From another corner, watching the same scene, Luna spoke. "You must tell me what really happened eventually, Twilight Sparkle." Everything suddenly felt all...wrong. Rainbow couldn't put her hoof on it, but it was like she was in another world. Her vision began to wobble and distort, as if squashed corner to corner. Cadance spoke. "She's turned evil, Twilight!" The words echoed eerily and everything went blurry. Rainbow could hardly make out the shape of Luna watching Twilight, who was stiff as a board. Strangely, without moving her lips, Twilight spoke. "No, it can't be..." "Whatever the case, we must help the remaining Yaks escape." Cadance's reply brought immediate, relieving clarity. It only lasted a moment, however, before everything dissolved away except the three. Around them, Canterlot formed, but as if it was made of a fog. Suddenly, Twilight could be heard shouting a horrifyingly angry but sad "NO!" accompanied by the sound of a magical blast. Yet, Twilight still hadn't moved at all, and her eyes were closed. A sudden flash of magic the color of Twilight's enveloped Rainbow. "Waah!" she screamed as she nearly flopped out of bed. She panted a bit as the others stopped to look at her. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity were apparently playing Go Fish, and Rarity had stopped for a potty break. "Are you okay, darling?" the fashionista asked with a blush. "F-fine...I'm fine. Just a dream that went bad." Rainbow looked to Twilight, who groaned a bit, but otherwise was sleeping peacefully in Pinkie's hooves. "Oh, how awful. Luna must be so overworked." said Fluttershy. "Yeah, tell me about it..." replied Rainbow. Rarity was blushing a bit on the toilet as she took a moment to concentrate. She suddenly farted, the splashing of urine following rapidly as she went absolutely beet red. "Oh, excuse me!" "You're on the gosh-danged toilet, sugarcube! And we agreed no politeness about it even when we aren't!" replied an annoyed Applejack while Rainbow just snickered. "Right, right...this will take quite some getting used to." Rarity replied as she flushed, still looking very red. Rainbow rolled her eyes and went over to help Fluttershy play. A week later, Rainbow had really hit it off with the yellow pegasus. "You know, Fluttershy, you're pretty good at Go Fish." she complimented the mare. Fluttershy made a girly giggle. "Oh, thanks, Rainbow. I never thought I'd play it with you. You never seemed much into card games." Rainbow shrugged and kissed up Fluttershy's neck, earning some ticklish giggles. "Anything to spend time with you in here." Rarity turned away to not look at the couple's display of affection, but clearly regretted her choice of looking to Twilight as the purple pony moaned loudly, having finished with her hoof on the bed, covers not even pulled over. The fashionista turned back rapidly, only to cringe at Pinkie straining on the toilet. Rainbow had a huge grin from the amusing sight. "Enjoying the show, Rarity?" she asked. Rarity scoffed. "I swear, it gets more uncouth by the day! By the time we're executed, we might as well be barbarians." Pinkie spoke up. "Hey! I'm just testing out my new party cannon. All natural, baby! ...it's a little jammed, probably too much fiber." Pinkie rubbed her chin with her hoof as she started to analyze her diet. Applejack put a hoof around a sickened Rarity and giggled. "Don't worry 'bout them, sugarcube. Guard said our little sisters are visitin'. Focus on the positives." Rarity sighed. "Would you mind terribly if I buried my face in your fur and didn't remove it for, oh, the time until they show up, Applejack...darling?" Rainbow stifled a giggle, while Twilight began washing her hoof in the sink. "Not at all, darlin'." Applejack said with a wink, making Rarity's cheeks go from white to red in a hurry. Rarity buried her face quickly, but Rainbow had already spotted the blush. A few hours later, everything was quiet. Rarity was all but sleeping in the warm embrace with Applejack. Rainbow was napping, leaning on Fluttershy. Pinkie and Twilight were sharing some books by the toilet. The door opened and three fillies bounced in, then shouted in unison. "Girls, we're here!" Rarity rushed from Applejack to the bars, and immediately planted three kisses in a triangle from Sweetie's forehead to her cheek, and to the other cheek. "Sweetie Belle! How much I've missed you!" Sweetie giggled. "Same here. You alright?" Rarity nodded, while Applejack trotted over. "Heya Apple Bloom. How's the farm?" "Alright, I suppose. Some of my cousins are helpin' out." she replied. Scootaloo shouted for Rainbow, and the pegasus stretched and yawned. "Mmm...hey squirt." Rarity was going over some business details that went over Sweetie's head, while Applejack preferred to just give a nuzzle to her little sister. Scootaloo was giddy. "Hey Rainbow Dash! You know, you're still awesome, even if you'll never fly again!" Rainbow teared up a little. "Thanks. I uh, don't know what to say." "You don't need to say anything. We'll keep you in our hearts forever!" The other four went quiet. Apple Bloom put on a sad smile. "Yeah. I'll never forget you, big sis." "Same here, Rarity." said Sweetie as she teared up a little. Applejack nodded, while Rarity gave Sweetie a nuzzle. "Make sure they make dresses of me." "I will." the filly replied. Rainbow was, surprisingly, the only one to bawl. Scootaloo cried silently with her while Fluttershy held her. "So uh, see to it that you do me right at the funeral, Apple Bloom. Oh and, tell Big Mac I understand that he couldn't come. I wouldn't let the farm suffer for it." said Applejack. Pinkie spoke up suddenly. "I have plans for all our funerals. Just ask Gummy, he'll show you where!" Twilight facehooved. Apple Bloom was a bit confused, but nodded. "Uh, okay. I love you, sis. Goodbye." Applejack smiled and leaned in, then puckered her lips. Apple Bloom did the same, and a quick peck sealed the goodbye before the filly began leaving. Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy gave an "aaaw" in unison. Scootaloo, having finished her crying, stuck her tongue out. "Blegh, farmponies." Everypony else glared, and Rainbow took action, grabbing Scootaloo's head through the bars and forcing a kiss onto her lips. Scootaloo flailed for a moment before giving in to the passionate, but platonic, smooch. Rainbow pulled away with a "mwah" sound. "I love you, Scootaloo, and you best scram or I'll put even more spit in the next one!" Applejack and Twilight chuckled lightly. Scootaloo looked a bit horrified. "Yep, definitely scramming... but, it was okay because it was you. I love you, Rainbow Dash. You've always been a big sister to me." Rainbow nearly cried again as she waved the leaving filly goodbye while Fluttershy stroked her side comfortingly. Rarity gave Sweetie a pat on the head. "Goodbye, Sweetie Belle. I love you. Have fun with your friends." Sweetie nodded and turned to leave. "I will, Rarity. I will." Unlike the other two, she trotted slowly, seemingly not wanting to leave. Her face was a sad mess when she turned to look back a final time. Immediately, Rarity could be heard gasping sadly, but she didn't have a break down for once.
Prolog: First Screwup, First War, First ExecutionAuthor's Note This is the "freakish monster" (from Pinkie Apple Pie's scary cave): Prolog: First Screwup, First War, First Execution Applejack and Rainbow Dash were silent as Neighsay argued his case. "Absolutely reckless. These mares admit they were seeking to be the best teachers by...by nearly drowning their students! It was only those brave students which saved the teachers themselves from being devoured by fish. This is no way to run a school!" Celestia sat in between Luna and Shining Armor as she looked at a document Neighsay had prepared. "Hmm, I believe we have all the information we need. If there are no further statements, we will confer to determine a ruling. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, would you two like to make a final statement?" Rainbow grinned, and looked to a worried-looking Applejack. "Uh...I'll be making a statement by myself." Celestia nodded. "Very well." Rainbow sweated a bit and gulped as she tried to come up with a rousing speech. "Uh, so...I wanted the students to be awesome! You know, like me. And you can't be awesome if you don't take risks! Yeah, you've gotta leap over snapping cragadiles and...fly next to volcanoes! How else will you get any better as a pony?" Applejack facehooved so hard it left a mark as the rest of the courtroom was silent. Rainbow sighed, realizing defeat. "I'll...sit back down." Celestia spoke. "I understand your point, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow and Applejack both went wide-eyed. "You mean to say that we must not shelter ourselves from the world, as it may hold us back. We will take that idea into consideration." Celestia replied, before standing up with the two co-judges to confer. "Maybe they'll only throw us in the dungeon for a week." remarked Applejack. "A week? For this? I'm not missing out on the next big race just because some Yak couldn't swim." replied Rainbow Dash. Applejack rolled her eyes. Neighsay simply gave the same look as always, making the wait even less bearable for the two. The three judges returned, then Celestia delivered her verdict. "We find the defendants guilty of reckless endangerment. The sentence is one month of community service, as we have determined that while the defendants introduced unnecessary risk, much of the risk was necessary. Additionally, the School of Friendship must be shut down pending an approved reorganization to prevent future incidents. Any questions?" Rainbow Dash practically collapsed, head slamming down on the desk. Neighsay chuckled. "This reorganization...will they be following EEA guidelines?" "No, they simply need to show that they will prevent teachers from endangering students in this way. How they do that is up to them. I trust Twilight Sparkle to come up with a perfect plan." replied Celestia. Applejack smiled and got Rainbow to lift her head up. "Could be worse, sugarcube." "Uh-huh, sure. What could they do, execute us?" She joked. "If there are no further questions, court is adjourned. Please head to your cells while we make the community service arrangements, Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Celestia said. Applejack was slumped over the jail bars hours later, bored out of her mind. "Did ya really have to go in the toilet while I'm here, sugarcube? I don't like watchin' ponies pee." Rainbow groaned from on the toilet as a familiar splashing could be heard. "Oh come on, everypony does it." "But don't you get embarrassed by it?" Applejack asked. "Not one bit! I just wish I could write my name in the snow like a stallion." Rainbow replied with a light chuckle as the splashing stopped. "I get it, I just don't like watchin' or bein' watched doin' it. Not really a fan of hearin' it either..." Applejack said, still bored. Suddenly, an explosion tore open the jail cell wall, right next to Rainbow Dash, causing her bowels to loosen, and a loud plop to follow. "Aaah!" Applejack turned around and readied herself for a fight, but relaxed as she saw the 6 students trotting in. Sandbar chuckled as he looked to Rainbow Dash. "Sorry for uh, busting in on you on the toilet, Rainbow. Guess we really scared the poop outta ya!" Rainbow huffed, rolled her eyes, and flushed the toilet. "Yeah yeah, just don't rub it in or I'll tell everypony about holding your hoof when you had to go out in the woods." Applejack ran over and hugged him. "Well I'll be, ya'll decided to bail us outta here...but you do know we're about to be released and given community service, right?" Sandbar nodded. "We know, but they're gonna close the school for a long time! We figure we can take you and the other teachers to Yakyakistan to keep teaching us, then you can serve your community service later along with whatever punishments Celestia adds. It's not like she'd kill anypony just for delaying their punishment a little, right?" "I s'pose. Let's get goin'." Applejack replied. On the way out of Canterlot, a small hitch was discovered: The students' parents/leaders were in with the Royal Guard to stop them. Rainbow Dash stepped forward. "You can't stop us! We've got ambition! You guards, I've seen that mirror pool Celestia has that you come out of to get with her nonsense and the rest of you are some old, worn-out...nobodies!" "Uh, you don't really mean that, right?" asked Gallus. Rainbow replied softly to him. "'course not, it's all just trash talk." As she turned back around, she noticed the guards had already started charging. A fight ensued that quickly turned into a brawl, everypony tumbling about and hitting what they hoped was the enemy. Rainbow tackled a guard, but he turned out to be quite her match, wrestling her for several minutes. She only caught vague glimpses of the fight around, showing Ocellus turning into some freakish monster after being dogpiled by guards. Applejack and the others were nowhere to be seen. As Rainbow finally got free, she saw Ocellus stick out a long frog tongue, wrap it around a guard, and effortlessly gobble him up. "Woohoo! You show 'em!" The guards looked a bit distressed at the bulge in the creature's stomach, almost stopping a moment as they heard a loud scream from inside. Most worrying of all, the scream stopped. Ocellus strained, and out her rear came a flurry of armor and pony bones. Rainbow was in awe, but paused her cheering as she realized a pony just died. The guards took a moment to shakily resume their assaults, seemingly all but forgetting Rainbow Dash as they tried to blast Ocellus with magic and stab her with spears, abandoning their normal light approach, but it was to no avail as she could easily dodge in her nimble form. Rainbow yelled to Ocellus. "Hey! Stop! You can't just digest 'em like that! They're ponies for Celestia's sake!" Ocellus shook her head. "But they're just clones! And if I don't stop them, they'll put us in jail!" When the next guard was grabbed, he begged for mercy. Rainbow almost threw up as she watched him slide down, but was thankfully interrupted by a tap on her rear. She turned to face a guard captain with a resolute expression despite the scream of his subordinate. "Miss Rainbow Dash, I request that you help us defeat your friend! This has gotten out of control, I beg of you to remember your duty as a Wonderbolt, despite your desire to escape!" Rainbow was wide-eyed. She could hear the clattering of another guard reduced to bones and trinkets. "I...I accept, but what do we do? She won't listen, and there's no way we can stop what she's changed into!" The guard tapped at his horn. "I know a spell that can revert her to normal. I'll need you to keep her distracted. It's kind of risky, bu-." "No time! Guards are dying! Hit her when I say so!" Rainbow shouted. "But I don't know what'll happen if somepony's still in her." he said, seeing another guard being grabbed up by the long frog tongue. "I'm sure she'll just be so bloated she can't move, and we've gotta stop her even if it hurts her!" Rainbow replied as she zipped to just above Ocellus, then grabbed around her head and began pulling upward, leaving the mostly-flightless guards to the ground assault so that the changeling was torn between threats from both up and down. Despite her immobility, Ocellus managed to swallow down the third guard, who cried for mommy from inside. "Fire!" Rainbow shouted at their opportunity, and the guard captain fired a magic bolt that blindsided Ocellus. Her whole body convulsed a little as energy flowed through it, and she reverted to her normal form...with a hugely bloated belly showing the outline of a scared guard. Rainbow, amazed at the success, hugged Ocellus close. The changeling grunted in pain as her rear sputtered a bit in desperation. Rainbow giggled like a schoolfilly at the noises, which slowly got louder and, strangely, included a cracking sound. A squelchy explosion and shriek, which seemed to be the guard exiting Ocellus, took Rainbow by surprise and threw the two back a bit. Rainbow opened her eyes to see Ocellus looking back lovingly with watery eyes. "I love you...and I forgive you." the changeling said in an unusually raspy voice. Rainbow smiled. "Me too. I'll kick those guards' flanks for ya!" She gave Ocellus a celebratory kiss on the lips, and the two began swapping spit eagerly. Rainbow thought it odd how light Ocellus was to hold, but was distracted by a changeling tongue going fishing, to which she gave an equal response. Once the two found a new kissing rhythm, Rainbow curiously took a look at the freed guard. He was being cleaned off by others who were covered in what looked awfully like changeling ichor. Behind them was...the rear half of Ocellus' body. Realization dawned on Rainbow, who was now kissing in goodbye rather than celebration. During all this, Ocellus seemed to be getting weaker, her mouth moving slower until there was...nothing. Her eyes glazed over in an expression of love and sadness. Rainbow pulled free from the kiss with a corpse and froze. Rainbow was weak. So very weak. She fell over, crumpled into the fetal position, then shuddered and started to weep. Even as the guards began shackling her hooves, she held her partial student. The cell door slammed behind Rainbow Dash, and she finally looked up to meet her cellmates. Applejack was sitting on the bed looking rather down. Sandbar was peeing into the toilet. Silverstream was sitting right behind him, against the wall, looking bored as her right hoof was holding her head. Applejack turned to her. "Where's Ocellus?" she asked in a voice showing a pang of sadness. Rainbow looked her in the eyes, her cold stare making Applejack instantly distraught. "She...didn't make it." Applejack sighed. "Neither did Yona...sorry, sugarcube." Before anypony could really dwell on things, Sandbar let out a last trickle and farted very loudly, making Silverstream's mane blow a bit. He blushed hard as he turned around and flushed, then noticed that she'd been right behind him. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry, Silverstream. I forgot you you were there!" "Huh? Sorry for what?" the confused hippogriff asked. Everypony else was a bit wide-eyed, and Applejack spoke up. "Uh, well, he farted in your face, sugarcube..." "So? Felt like a pleasant breeze from a friend, and certainly a new experience! I don't see the big deal; in seaquestria, you can't exactly hide your bubbles, and we only do anything special for number two, so we just pee and fart wherever we are, even right next to each other." she stated. Sandbar went from embarrassed to weirded out as he sat down next to Applejack. "So that's why you've never said 'excuse me' for it and keep letting rip in class..." Applejack had a grossed-out expression, which was rare for the farm horse, as she contemplated life in seaquestria. Rainbow meanwhile was stoic. "Huh. I guess I'd like it there, but didn't it sting to get it in your eye?" Silverstream's smile became a frown as she turned her head, showing a bloodied bandage where her right eye used to be, held up there by her hoof. "Oh." was all Rainbow Dash could muster. Applejack put a hoof around a sad-looking Sandbar before explaining. "Garble tore her eye completely out. I kicked him pretty hard...and, well, broke his neck. Ember was a might upset, and tore Yona's side open. Figured you should know." Rainbow Dash sat down next to Silverstream, and put a hoof around her as well. "Could be worse. You didn't kill Yona...I killed Ocellus." The other three gasped. "How could you?" asked Sandbar. Silverstream put a hoof on Rainbow's back. "Was it an accident?" Rainbow shook her head. "I wish I could say it was...but when I went to stop her, I knew there were risks, and just was so focused on getting her to stop killing royal guards. We got her to revert to her normal form after she ate one, and she...exploded. At...at least I kissed her goodbye." she sniffled a bit. Everypony was silent for a while, but Applejack spoke up. "I don't blame ya, Rainbow...how about you two come over here for a hug?" Rainbow and Silverstream were more than happy to oblige, as they all hugged together on the edge of the bed. A few yawns were soon heard. Rainbow spoke up. "We should get some rest. Guard said we'll be in here all night...you three mind if we sleep close? I...I think I'm gonna have nightmares about Ocellus." she said with a look of sadness and a little blush. "It's okay, Rainbow, we won't judge." replied Sandbar as he brought her up on the bed and gave her a cuddle. "Yep, sugarcube." Applejack added. Silverstream got up in between the farmpony and the other two, then flopped over. Soon, everypony was sound asleep on the bed that could barely fit them. Rainbow Dash was staring at the floor as Celestia read off the charges. "2 counts of negligent homicide, assault on a royal guard, 1 count of murder for Applejack only, 2 counts of accessory to murder, prison escape, reckless endangerment, rebellion, and inciting war. How do you plead?" Rainbow suddenly looked up. "Wait, what? War? Equestria's never had a war!" Shining Armor spoke up. "The Yaks declared war on us over Yona's death. Prince Rutherford led an assault on Canterlot with the Yak army. There were..." he shed a single tear. "...few survivors, the prince not among them." For a while, the two were stunned. Applejack finally cleared her throat. "We plead...guilty, your uh, highness. We're sorry, about everything." Rainbow nodded along, looking down. "Very well. Since you do not contest the charges, I will proceed to the sentencing. We will be far less lenient, and arrive at a decision within the hour." Celestia said, then headed out with the co-judges. Neighsay cackled. "Well well well, it seems you failed at being role models so badly that you got some of your best students killed along with most of one's entire nation! I've asked them to put you two away forever for this. It's about time we had some punishment in our justice system." Rainbow shook a little and hugged Applejack. "I'm scared..." The judges came out only 10 minutes later. Celestia spoke with the royal Canterlot voice, silencing the murmurs of the courtroom. "In times of old, it is said the pegasi would cut off a pony's wings and drop them from the clouds. Whether they survived or not, their fate would be on the ground, forever unable to return to society. The earth ponies, unable to keep criminals out of their domain, had a variety of effective devices for ending a pony's life. When Equestria was founded, these cruel forms of punishment were done away with. Today, we will be reinstating capital punishment in light of these heinous crimes, to set an example for others. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, I hereby sentence you to death by beheading in one month's time. You will be put in a maximum security cell until then." The two ponies went wide-eyed while a slightly-shocked Neighsay gave a light cheer. "This is beyond my wildest expectations!" Celestia and Luna glared at him a moment before Luna spoke up. "I will help you in your dreams to cope with your sentence. You will be given a burial befitting heroes, but make no mistake that I do not sympathize about your actions. This decision wasn't an easy one, but it was unanimous." Celestia banged her gavel. "Court is adjourned." As Applejack and Rainbow Dash were led off by a guard, reality began to set in and the two felt sick to their stomachs, trotting silently.
Two Many Ponies in a Tiny CellApplejack and Rainbow Dash were tossed in a cell much like the ones they'd been in before, but this one had no window, being deep in the bowels of the palace, and a guard always on-duty. Escape would take a lot more than breaking a wall. Rainbow simply laid on her belly, but Applejack dragged her up. "You alright, sugarcube?" "No." Was all the normally-confident pegasus could say. She trotted on her own to the toilet and promptly threw up her lunch. Applejack held her a bit. "I ain't feelin' much better, but at least we're together." Rainbow scoffed and put on her best sarcastic voice, still slumped against the toilet. "Yeah, can't wait to spend all this time just sitting around and finding out what even your hoofpits smell like, until me and one of my best friends die. How else would I ever spend my time?" Applejack sighed and didn't bother saying anything as the guard brought them their dinner: Mashed potatos and beans with a side of milk. As Rainbow dug in very, very slowly, she figured that the improvement in food likely had to do with them being on death row, which made her even sadder. "Guess we got a consolation prize for execution. Just what I wanted." Applejack shrugged. "Well, I'll take what I can get, personally." Rainbow continued to eat noisily as Applejack finished and quickly relieved her bladder on the toilet. Rainbow eventually finished up with a very unenthusiastic burp and flopped into bed. Applejack followed her, putting her hooves around her in a manner like a mom comforting a young child, then giving her a kiss on the forehead and a continuous series of gentle pats on the butt. Rainbow groaned a bit, but didn't bother protesting further being treated like a baby as they slowly drifted to sleep. As morning came, Rainbow didn't particularly feel like getting out of bed. She laid there a while, not moving except to let out her morning gas. Applejack, meanwhile, was discussing reading material with the guard as he brought them some waffles. Rainbow eventually had to get up because of the growing need to urinate, proceeding to flop out of the bed much as how she got in. She ignored the waffles and Daring Do book Applejack was presenting to her as she tinkled. "Come now, sugarcube. You're only makin' yourself more miserable." the farmpony said. Rainbow, not in the mood at all, huffed before replying. "Leave me alone or I pee on you." Applejack simply nodded, turned around, then quietly started eating her waffles. After a bit, she she decided to ask the guard a question. "Hey, do we get any visitors?" The guard answered without taking his eyes off his magazine. "Not right now. There's been...unrest in the city due to the Yak war and your sentencing. It will be taken care of shortly." Neither imprisoned pony asked anything else as they didn't really want to know. By evening, Rainbow finally grabbed the book and began reading silently while Applejack trotted to the toilet. The calm and quiet was soon disturbed by sounds of commotion outside. Guards were shouting, and the door burst open. Rainbow and Applejack froze, looking upon Twilight Sparkle, bound and with her horn clearly sawed off. She was breathing heavily as they dragged her to the cell's door. "New arrival, fresh from trial." One guard bluntly stated to the guard on duty. He nodded in response and unlocked the door. Twilight was tossed in beside Rainbow, who now could get a good look at her. She looked little like the pristine princess she normally was, as one of her wings was bandaged and she was covered in dirt and bruises. Her face bore an expression that showed a mix of anger, sadness, and defeat. Applejack spoke up as the guards trotted away. "Twi? You weren't sentenced to death to, were ya, sugarcube?" Twilight stood up weakly and nodded. "For treason, and I don't want to talk about it, especially while you're on the toilet." "Fine by me, sugarcube." replied Applejack as she peed. "Whatever." Rainbow said simply. Twilight peeked at the pegasus who wasn't so much engrossed in a Daring Do book as hiding in it. "I guess you don't either...how about we try and focus on the positives?" Rainbow rolled her eyes, then hopped up into bed. "What, like that the food is kinda good? We're gonna die, in case you hadn't noticed." Twilight stood up confidently and put her left hoof on Rainbow while her right hoof served to reinforce her words. "That may be, but we're still friends. It's my job to keep our spirits up as the princess of friendship, through thick and thin!" Rainbow wasn't impressed. "You know what I think of that?" She promptly turned her body so her butt was against Twilight's side, and let rip. Twilight winced a bit and removed her hoof. "Yuck! Okay, I get the message, you need some space." Applejack grunted, leading to plopping noises, then relaxed. "Aaaah...'fraid there ain't no such thing as space in here, sugarcube. She'll snap out of it, just gotta put up with her until she does." Twilight had a very grossed-out expression. "I see...ugh, this is so undignified, probably on purpose as part of our punishment." Rainbow farted on Twilight again. "Buck your dignity." Applejack flushed. "Hate to say it, but she's kinda right. We ain't got no dignity and to society, we're already gone. Best to just embrace it and try to be happy. Can't be tryin' to drink lemonade when all ya've got is mud. The pigs sure are happy with it." Twilight seemed to ponder for a moment, hoof tapping her chin, then sighed. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and strained out a squeaky fart, then hugged Rainbow Dash. "Yes, buck my dignity. Buck it to death. I'll adapt to the unusual circumstances. This'll certainly make for an interesting last friendship report." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Good, but no big speeches, okay? Now let me read and don't touch me until it's bedtime." She didn't really read, too busy watching the other two. Twilight nodded and let go, then sat over near Applejack. "You think she'll be okay?" "Shucks, even hiding in that book's an improvement. This morning, she could barely eat. She reminds me of myself when my parents died. I was buckin' everypony away like an escaped rodeo bull with a vendetta against cowboy hats and cutie marks." Applejack stated with a slight giggle. Twilight smirked. "If you say so. Now I need to, um, relieve mys-" she caught herself. "I mean, I need to piss! I bet mine's yellower than yours!" Applejack shook her head. "Blegh, you're overdoin' it. Rainbow might like that foalish stuff, but I think ya should just be casual, sugarcube." "Right." said Twilight as she sat on the toilet. Rainbow, for the first time that day, chuckled, but tried to hide it. Applejack obviously noticed, but didn't say anything, and slid into bed. She gave Rainbow a comforting spooning along with some pats. Rainbow quickly relaxed in the embrace, slipping into sleep in seconds.
Best Friends ForeverA week had passed in the miserable cell, and the three had adapted to their new life. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were playing a high-stakes game of poker, winner would give the other a dare. Applejack, meanwhile, was under the covers on the bed, making occasional moaning noises. Rainbow could very easily figure out why, but knew Twilight would scold her for talking about what happens under the covers. Twilight, who was down a bit on chips, went all-in, looking like she had a pair of aces. "Ready to become a book-studying egghead for a day?" Before Rainbow could respond, the guard came to the bars. "You have a visitor tonight. Shining Armor will be coming." he trotted back to his post quickly. Twilight's face turned to a mixture of surprise, elation, and sadness like Rainbow had never seen. In the purple pony's distraction, her cards could just barely be glimpsed...a 7 and a 2, neither making a pair. Rainbow grinned as she matched Twilight's bet on her pair of 8s. Twilight sighed. "My brother...I hope he can forgive me." She then looked down to see her imminent loss and huffed. "Well, it was worth a shot." "You almost got me. Almost." replied the pegasus. "Now, you have to..." she pointed towards Applejack, then to Twilight's hoof, then to her crotch. Twilight was aghast. "What?! Rainbow, that's disgusting!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Would you rather give up books for a day?" Twilight pondered for a moment. "No, I'll...I'll do it. Just don't make me do it in front of my brother, okay?" Rainbow laughed loudly. "Givin' me good ideas for next time! Sure thing, we'll do it as soon as Applejack's done." Twilight nodded. "I guess this is what prison life is really like..." About an hour later, Rainbow was getting into cuddling position with Applejack, feeling absolutely amazing and a little exhausted, ready for a scheduled therapy session with Luna. Before she could get too comfy, she heard a door open, and then heavy hoofsteps. Twilight, meanwhile, was furiously washing her hoof in the sink. "I feel so dirty..." she kept on washing and washing for quite a while. A voice made Twilight jump a little. "Twily..." She shut off the faucet and turned around, giving Shining Armor a sad look. "Big brother..." Shining eyed her hoof curiously. "Are you okay? I think that hoof was clean 2 minutes ago." Twilight shook her head. "Rainbow made me...pleasure her with it. Prison's a lot more degrading than I expected. I miss having privacy...can't even poop without somepony watching." Shining cringed, but then held the bars with his forehooves and put his snout through the gap. "I still don't understand why you did it." Rainbow turned around to watch, but kept silent, so as not to interrupt. Twilight trotted over slowly and put her snout to his. "I never meant to kill her." Shining sighed as he teared up. "You're still my little sister, best friend forever, you know." "And you're still my big brother, best friend forever. I'm so sorry about Cadance. If I could undo it, I would, but time travel is...unpredictable." Twilight said in the saddest voice Rainbow had ever heard from her. It all clicked for Rainbow: Twilight must've fought Cadance to break us out of jail, and committed treason by...killing one of her best friends and orphaning her niece. So that's why she wouldn't tell us what happened... Shining and Twilight closed their eyes and briefly kissed on the lips. He then he pulled away as his tears hit the floor, and spoke with a shaky voice. "I've...got to go. I can't bear to see you like this, and I need to be there for Flurry Heart. Oh, I didn't want to sentence you to death, Twily!" Twilight couldn't bear to open her eyes as her own tears trickled out. "You did the right thing. Go. I'll be okay." Shining bolted, leaving a trail of "liquid pride" that was sure to be the talk of the guards for weeks to come. Rainbow, seeing Twilight sit dejectedly, slowly got out of bed and wrapped her hooves around her. "Twilight, I'm sorry I treated you like that. It was just...for a moment, I could forget I'm here, forget that I'm gonna die." Twilight shook her head and sighed. "Rainbow, there's no need to apologize. I deserve every bit of what I've gotten, and if I can make my friends feel better, that's all that matters to me, no matter how unclean I feel." "Goin' all Fluttershy on me, huh? Well...thanks, it means a lot." Rainbow said, before taking Twilight into bed. Twilight giggled slightly before cuddling close. Rainbow was having a great dream about flying ever higher in the night sky, with Luna watching from the moon. She was about to race Twilight when her sleep was interrupted by quite a commotion. Shouting could be heard, and soon, the door busted open. Rainbow groggily looked out of the cell to see Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity being dragged in by guards. Applejack and Twilight woke up a moment later as the cell doors opened. Pinkie was tossed in first, followed by Rarity, then Fluttershy. They formed a sort of three-long pony train, head to butt. Rarity, of course, spat a little and spoke up as she lifted her head. "Barbaric! Pinkie, no offense, but you could use a bath. And Fluttershy, you know better than to keep laying there!" "I'm sorry, I just have trouble getting up after our..." the yellow pony hyperventilated a little just thinking about their sentence. Applejack chuckled. "It ain't gonna be much better from here on out sugarcube. But uh, why are you three here?" Pinkie jumped up onto the toilet. "Well, first I was eating a pie when I thought-" Rarity put a hoof to the pink pony's mouth. "We had Fluttershy ask Discord for help breaking you out and maybe got a little too ahead of ourselves burning half the palace down. Turns out, Celestia had a way to stop him, so now we're going to be beheaded with you. If you ask me, Celestia has become a lot less regal and understanding lately." Pinkie tried to say more, but was muffled by the hoof. Twilight sighed. "I can't really blame her, given the circumstances. You didn't hurt anypony, right?" Rarity had trouble making eye contact. "Uh, well...we certainly didn't mean to..." Rainbow groaned. "Shut up and get in bed, we can talk about whose fault everything is tomorrow. That is, unless the cutie mark crusaders decide now is a good time to unleash some ancient evil monster of doom." Applejack took a look around. "Uh, this bed can only hold 4 ponies." Twilight hopped off the bed. "I can go without the rest of my sleep. Pinkie, you wanna do a super special um, stay awake party with me while the rest of the girls snooze?" Pinkie hopped to Twilight and hugged her. "You betcha!" Rainbow took it upon herself to take Fluttershy in, while Rarity slowly got comfy, trying to avoid everypony's hooves.
A Little Love and Some Little SistersRainbow Dash was just about to wake up when her dream turned into the blank white of the therapy room. Luna came in shortly after with bags under her eyes. "Luna? Are you okay? It seems a little...late for this." the cyan pegasus asked. "I have been consoling Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Worry not for me, it is them that face the real trouble." she replied regally. "Okay, well, I'm fine. I mean, I think I'm fine. I really don't know if I'm like how I used to be, but I don't feel all that bad. Just the usual sense of impending doom!" Rainbow said awkwardly, and a little too cheerfully. "...very well, I must move on to Twilight Sparkle, then." Luna said, and flew off. Rainbow relaxed, and prepared to march on out the wakeup exit...only to realize there was none, the princess had forgotten it. The therapy room faded, shattered, and dropped away piece by piece around her, leaving Rainbow in darkness. The pegasus hovered in place, scared. A moment later, lightning flashed, revealing her surroundings to be some kind of tower in Canterlot. The rain was loud and pouring as thunder boomed. In the dim light of a candle, she caught a glimpse of Cadance approaching Twilight. From another corner, watching the same scene, Luna spoke. "You must tell me what really happened eventually, Twilight Sparkle." Everything suddenly felt all...wrong. Rainbow couldn't put her hoof on it, but it was like she was in another world. Her vision began to wobble and distort, as if squashed corner to corner. Cadance spoke. "She's turned evil, Twilight!" The words echoed eerily and everything went blurry. Rainbow could hardly make out the shape of Luna watching Twilight, who was stiff as a board. Strangely, without moving her lips, Twilight spoke. "No, it can't be..." "Whatever the case, we must help the remaining Yaks escape." Cadance's reply brought immediate, relieving clarity. It only lasted a moment, however, before everything dissolved away except the three. Around them, Canterlot formed, but as if it was made of a fog. Suddenly, Twilight could be heard shouting a horrifyingly angry but sad "NO!" accompanied by the sound of a magical blast. Yet, Twilight still hadn't moved at all, and her eyes were closed. A sudden flash of magic the color of Twilight's enveloped Rainbow. "Waah!" she screamed as she nearly flopped out of bed. She panted a bit as the others stopped to look at her. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity were apparently playing Go Fish, and Rarity had stopped for a potty break. "Are you okay, darling?" the fashionista asked with a blush. "F-fine...I'm fine. Just a dream that went bad." Rainbow looked to Twilight, who groaned a bit, but otherwise was sleeping peacefully in Pinkie's hooves. "Oh, how awful. Luna must be so overworked." said Fluttershy. "Yeah, tell me about it..." replied Rainbow. Rarity was blushing a bit on the toilet as she took a moment to concentrate. She suddenly farted, the splashing of urine following rapidly as she went absolutely beet red. "Oh, excuse me!" "You're on the gosh-danged toilet, sugarcube! And we agreed no politeness about it even when we aren't!" replied an annoyed Applejack while Rainbow just snickered. "Right, right...this will take quite some getting used to." Rarity replied as she flushed, still looking very red. Rainbow rolled her eyes and went over to help Fluttershy play. A week later, Rainbow had really hit it off with the yellow pegasus. "You know, Fluttershy, you're pretty good at Go Fish." she complimented the mare. Fluttershy made a girly giggle. "Oh, thanks, Rainbow. I never thought I'd play it with you. You never seemed much into card games." Rainbow shrugged and kissed up Fluttershy's neck, earning some ticklish giggles. "Anything to spend time with you in here." Rarity turned away to not look at the couple's display of affection, but clearly regretted her choice of looking to Twilight as the purple pony moaned loudly, having finished with her hoof on the bed, covers not even pulled over. The fashionista turned back rapidly, only to cringe at Pinkie straining on the toilet. Rainbow had a huge grin from the amusing sight. "Enjoying the show, Rarity?" she asked. Rarity scoffed. "I swear, it gets more uncouth by the day! By the time we're executed, we might as well be barbarians." Pinkie spoke up. "Hey! I'm just testing out my new party cannon. All natural, baby! ...it's a little jammed, probably too much fiber." Pinkie rubbed her chin with her hoof as she started to analyze her diet. Applejack put a hoof around a sickened Rarity and giggled. "Don't worry 'bout them, sugarcube. Guard said our little sisters are visitin'. Focus on the positives." Rarity sighed. "Would you mind terribly if I buried my face in your fur and didn't remove it for, oh, the time until they show up, Applejack...darling?" Rainbow stifled a giggle, while Twilight began washing her hoof in the sink. "Not at all, darlin'." Applejack said with a wink, making Rarity's cheeks go from white to red in a hurry. Rarity buried her face quickly, but Rainbow had already spotted the blush. A few hours later, everything was quiet. Rarity was all but sleeping in the warm embrace with Applejack. Rainbow was napping, leaning on Fluttershy. Pinkie and Twilight were sharing some books by the toilet. The door opened and three fillies bounced in, then shouted in unison. "Girls, we're here!" Rarity rushed from Applejack to the bars, and immediately planted three kisses in a triangle from Sweetie's forehead to her cheek, and to the other cheek. "Sweetie Belle! How much I've missed you!" Sweetie giggled. "Same here. You alright?" Rarity nodded, while Applejack trotted over. "Heya Apple Bloom. How's the farm?" "Alright, I suppose. Some of my cousins are helpin' out." she replied. Scootaloo shouted for Rainbow, and the pegasus stretched and yawned. "Mmm...hey squirt." Rarity was going over some business details that went over Sweetie's head, while Applejack preferred to just give a nuzzle to her little sister. Scootaloo was giddy. "Hey Rainbow Dash! You know, you're still awesome, even if you'll never fly again!" Rainbow teared up a little. "Thanks. I uh, don't know what to say." "You don't need to say anything. We'll keep you in our hearts forever!" The other four went quiet. Apple Bloom put on a sad smile. "Yeah. I'll never forget you, big sis." "Same here, Rarity." said Sweetie as she teared up a little. Applejack nodded, while Rarity gave Sweetie a nuzzle. "Make sure they make dresses of me." "I will." the filly replied. Rainbow was, surprisingly, the only one to bawl. Scootaloo cried silently with her while Fluttershy held her. "So uh, see to it that you do me right at the funeral, Apple Bloom. Oh and, tell Big Mac I understand that he couldn't come. I wouldn't let the farm suffer for it." said Applejack. Pinkie spoke up suddenly. "I have plans for all our funerals. Just ask Gummy, he'll show you where!" Twilight facehooved. Apple Bloom was a bit confused, but nodded. "Uh, okay. I love you, sis. Goodbye." Applejack smiled and leaned in, then puckered her lips. Apple Bloom did the same, and a quick peck sealed the goodbye before the filly began leaving. Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy gave an "aaaw" in unison. Scootaloo, having finished her crying, stuck her tongue out. "Blegh, farmponies." Everypony else glared, and Rainbow took action, grabbing Scootaloo's head through the bars and forcing a kiss onto her lips. Scootaloo flailed for a moment before giving in to the passionate, but platonic, smooch. Rainbow pulled away with a "mwah" sound. "I love you, Scootaloo, and you best scram or I'll put even more spit in the next one!" Applejack and Twilight chuckled lightly. Scootaloo looked a bit horrified. "Yep, definitely scramming... but, it was okay because it was you. I love you, Rainbow Dash. You've always been a big sister to me." Rainbow nearly cried again as she waved the leaving filly goodbye while Fluttershy stroked her side comfortingly. Rarity gave Sweetie a pat on the head. "Goodbye, Sweetie Belle. I love you. Have fun with your friends." Sweetie nodded and turned to leave. "I will, Rarity. I will." Unlike the other two, she trotted slowly, seemingly not wanting to leave. Her face was a sad mess when she turned to look back a final time. Immediately, Rarity could be heard gasping sadly, but she didn't have a break down for once.
