The sun was starting to set on the land, it had been nearly six hours since Aaron had left for the prison and she was already starting to have panic attacks. She would pace around the room, sweating profusely as she walked in circles. Sitting back were Draco and his gang of rogues, sitting back and patiently waiting for a word from their man on the inside.

“What if he was killed?” Draco rolled his eyes, preparing for another round of Twilight’s paranoid delusional guessing game. “What if they ate him?!”

“Who, the griffons?” Draco asked.

“Yes!... or… what if the ponies down below have turned into cannibals!?” Twilight let out a sharp gasp, before Draco got up to comfort her.

“Your highness,” Twilight looked to the Pegasus, her eyes wide as dinner plates. “I’m sure your coltfriend is fine. AJ prepared him as best as she could and if he runs into a scuffle, he should be able to take care of himself.”

“But what if-“

“No buts. I’m sure he’s doing fine. Besides, he’ll let you know how he’s doing down below in an hour or two.” Twilight wasn’t convinced. Her paranoia was getting the better of her and the more colorful scenarios would start come forward in her mind. Yet, she knew better than that. Twilight took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down as best as she could. Though she still worried about him, she had faith that he would pull through.

“You’re right. I trust he will pull through. Applejack?” She turns to the orange mare resting against a wall in a nonchalant manner.

“Yeah, Twilight?”

“Can you come with me please. I… don’t wanna sleep alone tonight.” Applejack smiled softly, standing up and walking over to her. “Sure thing. Come on, we can wait for Aaron to contact us.” The two walked off to their rooms, leaving Draco and his companions to themselves.

“Boss, you really think that weird ape thing will pull through?” Bulk asked skeptically.

“Course I do. If he’s with Twilight, then I have no doubt that they will pull through for us.”

“But what if he dies down there? You sent several ponies down below and they never came back. What makes you think this guy’s any different?” Gilda asked. Draco merely chuckled to himself.

“Dunno. It just feels… different.” They would look among themselves skeptically, but Draco they would go with it. Draco had never steered them wrong before, but they would stick by him on his decision. In the meantime, they’ll do what they’ve always done; they’ll wait. However, that wasn’t to say that tensions were high at the time being.

~~~~~

The town was abuzz, the ponies that had turned their prison into a small community would constantly speak of their new arrival and his strange appearance. Word had gotten out that he had come with a princess, increasing his popularity among the crowd. Some had gathered around the alpha building, all wishing to get a look at the new creature. They couldn’t see much with the windows, too small and too high up to see or hear anything that would validate the rumors.

Inside, Shining Armor and Aaron were going over everything they knew about the inner prison. Aaron shared what knowledge he knew of the Griffon camp; the number of solder, how he was sent in, what Draco and his rogue’s have. He also made sure to tell Shining of the plan using the synthetic magic. With these elements in place, Shining would begin to place the puzzle pieces together in order to formulate a plan a successful breakout. The odds were against them, but with Twilight out there waiting for them, Shining Armor and Aaron were determined to make the best of what they had. “Alright, so Twilight has this… synthetic magic stuff, and she’s going to send it in with one of Draco’s soldiers.”

“Essentially. We’re just hoping that we can get the stuff down here to use.”

“Well, we won’t be going anywhere if the diamond dogs catch on.”

“Indeed. Though, I’ll have to find out more when I can.” He began to ponder. “Where do they reside?” Shining brought a rough map of the tunnels that had been dug out of the rock, pointing to three large caverns that surrounded the main prison.

“They’re located in the north, east and western chambers surrounding this one. They have a chokehold on the underground water reservoir and constantly overlook the mines. Half of us go into mine during the day, the other half come in to rest while the others work and vice versa. If nopony comes in, they’ll know something is up. I’m not sure if they outnumber us, but they control us through fear.”

“I see. Well, how many pegasi warriors do we have?”

“Plenty, but some are too weak to fight.”

“Okay then. How many warriors in general?”

“Counting myself and Rainbow, I’d say about 57 out of 80 ponies in the town at the moment.” Aaron was impressed, he began to think that this could work, but that still didn’t factor in to how they could get the non-Pegasus ponies out of the area.

“Could some of the pegasi carry out some of the others?”

“Yeah, but if this synthetic magic works how you say it does, they’d have to consume more, meaning less to go around.” Aaron let out a soft grumble, growing frustrated. It would seem that the more they think around this, the more walls and obstacles they would encounter.

“I guess I’ll just have to wait until I talk to Twilight tonight. Maybe when I bring her all of this information, she could give us some ideas.”

“Hopefully.” Shining clears his throat as he sits up. “Um… so, when you talked to Twilight. I wanted to ask if you could tell her that I’m here and okay.”

“I was already going to do that. If you’re here, she has the right to know.”

“I-I know, but just break it to her gently. Not like, ‘Hey Twily, guess what?! You’re BBBFF is stuck down in the hole with me.’ Nothing like that, okay.” Aaron would chuckle at Shining’s over the top performance.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just tell her you’re fine and that you’re helping me out. Who knows, she may like the fact that you’re helping me out… unlike some ponies.”

“Hey, I know Rainbow isn’t exactly all that enthusiastic about this, but give the mare some slack. She’s been through a lot already. If she doesn’t wish to help, then she doesn’t have to.”

“I know… I just wish that she would at the very least help us out in some way.” Shining sighed to himself, taking a seat.

“Give her time. She’ll come around. Hopefully.” Aaron would keep an open mind about that, but he wouldn’t hold his breath. From the way she acted, it seemed she didn’t want any part in this escape plan. Before Aaron could speak again, they would hear a bell ring through the cavern, echoing through every home and alerting the small crowd that had gathered outside. “What the hell was that?”

“The shift bell. Which means that the sun outside is starting to set.” That would be helpful to know as he would need to know when night would come and go.

Taking mental notes, Aaron could hear a large mass of shuffling outside as the ponies began the transition of taking the place of the miners coming in to do the same. Space was scarce and it was understandable that they would have to share their homes with two sets of families, if they were lucky. Curious, Aaron would walk out of the house and join the crowd of ponies as they walked on. Shining soon joined his side. “What are you doing?”

“Surveillance. Duh.” Shining stopped walking as he watched the human walk into the tunnels with the rest of the ponies. He would soon be bathed in a crimson light from the glowing crystals guided the ponies to the deep mines. The ponies around him would look him over, never having seen him or anything like him before. Some would talk amongst themselves, exchanging gossip of who or what he was. Aaron would ignore their words, keeping a sharp eye out for the area ahead of him.

Moving through the crowds, the large influx of ponies would soon come into a large chamber of gleaming crystals of various colors, some providing light for them to see. Aaron began to look around, taking note of any and all details of the chamber. Pick axes littered the ground, only to be picked up by those that would take the place of the new shift workers. The ponies would disperse, moving to walls to start mining the wealth from the rock. The place was here for over several years and yet there was still so much to mine. If Aaron was right, he would guess that it would take several years to remove every single jewel from the wall.

Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Aaron took one of the remaining pick axes and found a spot where he could mine and look around more. There wasn’t much down below, thus his attention turned upward. That’s where he saw the guards of the inner prison. They were coated in shaggy, unkempt fur, held in place by poorly crafted armor. Their helmets’ didn’t seem to fit them, thus covering their eyes. They would slump forward, keeping an ear out for anything strange. Aaron would wonder how a guard was supposed to watch prisoners if he couldn’t see them. Unfortunately, he soon got his answer.

A prisoner had come to a stop, wanting to catch her breath. The guard up top would growl in displeasure, throwing a softball sized stone at the mare, landing a hit against her wings and letting out a sharp cry. No one paid it any mind, accepting it as commonplace. Aaron, however, didn’t know and foolishly sat his pick axe down. He came to the mare’s side and helped her up. “Are you okay?” The yellow mare looked on at him dumbfounded, both due to his appearance and that he had stopped working to help her.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” She said fearfully. The two heard a loud crash a few feet behind them, a very large canine with diamond encrusted jowls looked on at them. Aaron slowly turned to see the ten-foot-tall behemoth standing before him, baring his multicolored jewel shards he had for teeth. The look in its bloodshot eyes showed no sign of remorse or empathy, only anger that they had stopped their working.

“Little pony stop working? Little pony wants to die?” Aaron would remember Mink and his high pitched gravelly voice. This monstrosity had a low, deep, booming voice. Even though it whispered, Aaron could feel the voice shake his foundation.

“I-It’s uh… It’s my first day.” The monster slowly leaned forward, its snot encrusted snout barely inches from Aaron’s face as it dug right into him. It would take two large whiffs of Aaron’s scent, trying to identify who and what he was.

“No smell like pony.” Aaron’s eyes widened as he felt a moist organ the size of a small carpet graze against his body, drenching him in saliva. “No taste like pony… not-pony taste bad.” Aaron thought of something.

“Y-Yeah, I know. I get that a lot. I’m also stringy as well.” The hellhound stood up and growled lowly.

“Keep working, not-pony. Or not-pony die.” The room had long since gone silent, watching what would happen. Once the behemoth of a canine left, work resumed as normal. Aaron could only sigh in relief, his heart beating a thousand times a second as he just stared death in the face. As he turned around, he would find the mare handing him a pick axe.

“Thanks.” She said softly. Once he took her pick axe, the two began to work side by side.

“No problem.”

“I take it you’re new here?”

“What gave it away?”

“Well, you came to my side when I was ‘encouraged’ to get back to work, I’ve never seen you here before, and you said it was your first day.”

“Okay, touché madam.” Aaron let out a chuckle, chipping away at the rock. “My name’s Aaron.”

“Spitfire. Nice to meet you.” Aaron froze for a second, only to keep working and to avoid getting hit by a rock.

“You… by chance wouldn’t happen to be married, would you? To a Draco O’Malley?” The yellow mare would sigh to herself.

“You’re one of Draco’s gang aren’t you?”

“Indeed I am. I’ve been sent in here to…” He paused for a moment to look back at the diamond dogs up in the scaffolding. If they were listening for workers not doing their job, then surely they would keep an ear out for those conspiring to escape. “Do the thing.”

Spitfire knew full well what he was alluding to. He wasn’t the first among them “do the thing”. There were plenty of soldiers sent in to investigate and break out the prisoners, only to join their ranks among the lost. “You don’t say. You know that ‘thing’ isn’t exactly something all that easily pulled off.”

“I’ve been told that already, but I can do something that no one else can do.” Spitfire would look to Aaron in skepticism.

“Let’s just say… I have my ways. I don’t want to go into it too much.”

“Wouldn’t really matter. All the newbies come in saying they have plans to escape. If anything, you’re probably getting the guards excited. Whatever it is you’re planning, please don’t get anypony hurt.”

“Of course. That’s far from what I want to do. For now, I need to check the rest of this place out.”

“I would strongly advise against that. The safest place you can be is with the crowd. Some ponies who wander off by themselves don’t come back out.”

“Then come with me.” Spitfire looked to Aaron with a look that said ‘are you serious?’, unsure if she had heard what he had said. “Okay then. Regardless, I have to check out this place as best I can. So, I’ll see you later, Spitfire.” With that said, Aaron stopped his work, gaining the attention of the guards. One would get a rock ready, aiming for the head, but would stop once they heard him walking through the area and into a less populated area of the mines. Some would smile with glee as they finally saw the opportunity for some fun.

~~~~~

Aaron soon noticed a tremendous difference between the main chamber the ponies were digging in and the new environment he was exploring. The crystals were literally decorating the wall with brilliant color and light. Glorious gems of every conceivable design, shape and color. He was baffled as to why the ponies wouldn’t come to reap the rewards of the mines. Though, as he explored, he would find the halls growing more and more compact and difficult to walk through. With the thought of how many ponies were in the other chamber, he could see that it would be difficult to mine out. Even walking through was a difficult task, with a few larger gaps that provided some abilities to walk through much easier. He was unsure if the walkway was just older or a natural occurance.

Curious, Aaron took his pick axe and struck the wall as best as he could. The sharp tooth dug into the stone and pealed a crystal off the wall with ease, only to expose a large cluster of gems behind it. “Holy shit. This place is a fucking goldmine.” He pocketed the gem and a few others, wanting to keep his promise to Mink and in hopes of gaining more information from him. Pocketing the gems, Aaron would jump at the sound of stone falling to the ground.

He turned to where he heard the crash of stone, but saw nothing. Holding the pickaxe close, Aaron began to make his way back to the main chamber. He could hear the sound of ponies mining away in the distance, thinking that it would be easy to follow. Only to find that he would be lead through a series of tunnels he failed to notice in his admiration of the gemstone bounty.

“Little pony lost?” A voice said in a familiar raspy voice. He turned around to find a lone diamond dog sitting on the ground behind him. It would stand still, eyeing Aaron with a curious look.

“Uhhh… yeah. I wanted to see what was down here.” Aaron would keep his guard up, not taking his eyes off of the diamond dog. He would start to regret his decision to come down this path

“Ponies no come down here. Not safe.”

“I can see that. Still, it’s a shame. With all these gems waiting in the walls for someone to pick them.”

“Yes, such a shame. So many shiny, glistening, calling out to doggies. Want to be touched and polished. But… ponies no want to. Too scared.”

“Scared of what?” The canine would bare its teeth in a wicked smile.

“Scared of doggies.” Aaron could feel his muscles tense up, slowly backing away, only for the diamond dog to slowly make its way towards him with slightly greater speed. Drool would slowly sop from its mouth as it eyed Aaron with great interest, maybe a little too much interest for his taste. Gaining the distance required, it lunged for Aaron. It wasn’t hard for him to duck under and start running in the other direction.

He could hear the diamond dog growling in agitation, soon regaining its focus and running after Aaron. He immediately dropped the pick axe to give himself a better chance at running for his life. Yet, it didn’t seem to help as the diamond dog chasing him would soon rush him with much more speed and control than Aaron had in the confined space of the mine.

The chase would take them both in deeper and deeper, passing through corridors, tunnels, and pitfalls; all leading to somewhere else, but it wouldn’t matter much. The diamond dog could smell Aaron’s fear, locking on to it with anticipation as he reveled in the chase. No pony had bothered to come down these halls in so long, it had forgotten what it was like to just chase its prey. Now, it had the chance to enjoy the excitement of the hunt, before he had to bring it to an end. The barking would terrify Aaron more and more, encouraging him to run faster and farther than he wanted to. He would have to get passed his hatred for running in order to survive this ordeal. Just as he felt he would be able to escape the predator, the walls soon burst open as a second diamond dogs cornered him. The chase had come to an abrupt stop.

The new diamond dog had a darker coat of fur but other than that, it looked at Aaron the same way the first diamond dog did. Hoping to turn the other way and running from this new threat, he soon found himself cornered by his original attacker. “Oh come on!” The two would slowly approach him, forcing him into a chokehold. Their teeth bare and eager to dig into their prey. Aaron was scared, that much was apparent, but he was also ready for this. Backed into a corner, his need to survive surfaced itself. He would only hope it would be enough.

The first diamond dog lunged for Aaron, only to be met by a fist digging into its face. The canine let out a sharp cry of pain as Aaron’s fist dug into its snout. It could feel the bone break from the impact, sending into a nearby wall. While Aaron was distracted, the second diamond dog leapt for Aaron’s back, hoping to break his neck. It would have succeeded as well, if not for something catching its tail. Falling to the ground, the canine would look back to see a cyan fist rush to its face before everything went dark. As the first diamond dog ran off, Aaron would turn to see somepony he didn’t expect to see. “Rainbow?” She turned to Aaron with an annoyed look.

“What the hell are you doing down here?! How did you find me?!” She looked at Aaron angrily, slowly approaching him.

“I-I was just looking around.”

“Well, I suggest you stop looking and head back. Get out of here and back to town. Now!”

“I can’t… I’m lost.” Rainbow would sigh, her frustration building with each word he said.

“Fine. Come on, I’ll take you back.” She pushed Aaron aside, walking through the narrow tunnels. Aaron had run far, and it would be some time before they got back to the main chamber, let alone the town.

“Thanks.” Aaron said out of the blue.

“For what?”

“For saving my life back there. Thank you.”

“No problem.” Her tone was still agitated. “You… did good yourself.” Aaron wasn’t sure if that was a sarcastic insult or sincere.

“Thanks. Applejack taught me what she could.”

“I told you before. Applejack is dead.”

“No, I’m telling you, she’s alive.”

“Whatever. I saved your life, the least you could do to pay it back is not getting my hopes up.” Aaron opened his mouth but froze before he could get a word out. If that was what she wanted, then he would respect her wishes. However, something was bugging him.

“What were you doing down here?” The question made her flinch, her wings softly expanding and retracting.

“None of your business. Look, let’s just get out of here quickly.” She couldn’t have dodged the question any less gracefully, Aaron would grow suspicious of what was going on with her.

“Sorry, I’m just curious-”

“Look, can we please continue on in silence before-“ Rainbow froze, a look of fear on her face. “Oh no.” Before Aaron could respond, Rainbow Dash took hold of him and shoved him into a hole. “Stay here and shut up.” She whispered, only to turn her back to him.

“Hey, what the-“

“Shut up.” Rainbow forced Aaron into the back of the hole, much to his displeasure. He would argue further, if it weren’t for the sound of something casually walking through the caverns. A soft chuckle echoed through the tunnels, sending a chill up Rainbow’s spine as she guarded the hole.

“Mmmmm, hello slut pony.” Aaron could tell it was another diamond dog, but he could feel that this one was different. Rainbow would sneer at the name, only to find a soft hand caress her face. “I thought you would meet me at our little hole like we bargained.”

“Sorry, was attacked by a duo of diamond dogs. Wanted to wash up before we-“

“Shhh shh. No need to explain.” Rainbow would gag, smelling the rancid breath as the canine drew closer.

“N-No, I-“

“My dear Rainbow, I don’t think you have a choice in the matter. You want your little ponies to eat, don’t you? It would be a shame if they got less and less to eat.” Rainbow gulped loudly, looking at the Diamond dog. She would gasp softly as he took hold of her petite breast. Rainbow kept her mouth shut, knowing what he wanted her to do. “What lovely breasts.” The diamond dog would continue on, much to Rainbow’s displeasure.

“W-Whatever, let’s just get this over with.” Aaron came to a realization of what was happening and would shuffle in his spot, catching the attention of the diamond dog. Rainbow’s eyes would shrink, hearing it herself.

“What was that?!” Rainbow responded as she forced a leg into the hole, pushing Aaron back and to get him to stay still and out of her business. She hated that he was about to see this, she loathed the idea of anypony watching her.

“N-Nothing at all.”

“Oh, sweet Rainbow. Do not lie to your master. You know what happened the last time you tried that. You made me very angry, and you don’t want that to happen again. Now… what’s in the hole?”

“Nothing, I don’t have anything.”

“Rainbow.” The canine said more sternly. “What are you hiding?” She kept her mouth close, not budging an inch. The canine would only sigh as he grabbed her by the neck and forced her up against the wall. “I will not ask again. What. Are. You. Hiding?” She said nothing. She would eye the crevice and look away. “Fine… if that’s how you want to be… then you shall be punished.” Rainbow gasped as the diamond dog threw her into the hole, head first. Rainbow collided with Aaron with a sharp gasp. He could see the panic in her eyes as she tried to escape, only to be forced forward. “If you wish to hide things from me, you’re going to look at it as you are punished.”

Rainbow yelped as she felt claws tear her shorts off, revealing her toned plot. She would cry out once more as she felt the canine take hold of her tail and lift it up. “P-Please… don’t! W-We can go to the our usual spot. I-I’ll let you do anything you want to me!”

“You lost that right when you failed to tell me what you are hiding. If you tell me what you’re hiding, I promise to be much more gentle.” Rainbow looked up at Aaron. Aaron could see the absolute terror in her eyes, the want to confess and ease her inevitable fate.

“I… I don’t have anything. I-I promise I- AHHHHH!!!” Aaron’s ears would ring as Rainbow screamed in agony. A strained look appeared on her face as a wet squelch sound could be heard on the other side. She would restrain her tears as she didn’t want to cry. “N-Not there! Please!”

“Sorry my dear, but you should have confessed. Now, accept your punishment!” Rainbow began to lurch forward and back, grunting in pain as she was forced up against Aaron. He could only look on in abject horror, stunned from what he was seeing. Rainbow’s pained grunts were emphasized by the echoes of the hole they were in. Rainbow would avoid all eye contact with Aaron, trying her best not to burst into tears.

“P-Please… stoooop.” Rainbow pleaded.

“Silence!” Rainbow would scream once more, a rush of pain flowing through her as she arched her back. She and Aaron were face to face and he could see her pain plain as day. Tears began to stream down her face, her teeth melding together as she cringed from the pain. Aaron wanted to do something, he had to do something. Trying to move, he would find Rainbow’s hands come to his chest and hold him in place.

She began to sob softly, her pain fueled mind begging her to tell him. To give up Aaron so she could go free. Aaron could see it in her eyes, the want to give him up for her own safety. He was starting to grapple with that question himself. He would gladly give himself in to stop this, he wanted it to stop almost as much as Rainbow did. The diamond dog gave a loud grunt, forcing her deeper into the hole until her head was resting on Aaron’s shoulder. “P-Please...” She whispered. “Stay quiet.” He was stunned. Looking on passed her back to see the diamond dog thrusting wildly into Rainbow’s plot. “Just… let it happen.” Rainbow soon found herself being held, much to her surprise. Aaron would offer what little comfort he could offer her.

“Gruh… you should know better than to disobey your master. Have you learned your lesson?”

“Y-Yes master! I… I-I promise I’ll be good.”

“Then apologize!” She could feel herself being drawn back, her matted coat exposed to Aaron. He felt his heart break into pieces when he saw the decimated mare before him.

“Please… don’t make me say it.”

“Then prepare yourself for round two.”

“NO, WAIT!!!” The thrusting came to a stop as Rainbow looked away from Aaron, not daring to look at anypony as she spoke. “P-please master… c-cum in my ass.”

“Come now, you can do better than that. Who’s cock do you love?”

“Y-Yours.”

“Mmmph, that’s right you do. Who can satisfy your needs like the hungry whorse you are.”

“You do, master.” There was a long pause, only for Rainbow to yelp in pan as she felt his hand slap her left cheek. “Y-You’re the one who can sate this slutty pussy! Please, use me! Use me as your pathetic cum dumpst-AAAAAAAGH!!!” Rainbow couldn’t take it anymore. The humiliation, the pain, and with Aaron watching. Rainbow would weep as she felt him thrust deep into her. A hardened and proud leader degraded in the worst of ways.

Rainbow began to grunt as she felt a thick bulge push past her rectum, locking the canine into her. “Here comes master!” Rainbow would cry out in agony for the final time. The invasive sensation of the canine filling her was a harrowing experience as it always was for her. Yet this time, it felt so much worse. Her eyes slowly drifted to the back of her skull, her mind wracked with pain on a level Aaron could not fathom. Once it was over, she fell onto his chest, letting out soft sobs.

The two were left panting, the canine enjoying the sensation of his climax, only to pull himself out with a loud splat. Rainbow was left trembling, all feeling her legs gone. “I do hope whatever it was you were hiding in there was worth it. Just know this, next week, you better make it up to me.” Rainbow could only respond in pained sobs. “Now, be a good slut and clean up. I have to go and investigate how the slaves are doing on today’s quota.” With that, Aaron and Rainbow were alone. They could hear his footsteps grow lighter, only to be overtaken by Rainbow’s soft cries. Aaron was left speechless, devastated on what he was forced to watch. The cyan Pegasus, after several minutes of crying, slowly pulled herself out of the hole, falling to the ground with a heavy thump.

Free, Aaron pulled himself out hurriedly, going to Rainbow’s side. The first thing he would see was Rainbow’s gaping anus, leaking semen onto the ground. The diamond dog was merciless with her and the evidence was clear, even in the faint lighting. Leaning in, Aaron looked her over. “Rainbow… why did-“

“SHUT UP!!! SHUT UUUUP!!!” She screamed, tears matting her face. Aaron would jump back, only to sit beside her. Rainbow felt devastated, humiliated, violated. She had always felt a piece of her die when she and the alpha diamond dog had their engagement, but this time. She felt a hefty chunk of herself die in that hole. As she wept, Aaron would sit by her, keeping her company. “W-Why are you still here? G-Go away.” She said through heavy sobs.

“I can’t do that.” He said softly. “Rainbow, you didn’t have to do that. You could have given me up and spared yourself. Why… why did you endure such pain for me?” She would look up, her eyes a soft red. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find any words.

“B-Because…” She froze for a moment. “Because you’re Twilight’s friend.” She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes but they just kept coming. “I may not… have faith in your escape plan, but any friend of Twilight… is a friend of mine and I would never sell out a friend for anything.” Aaron was left speechless, looking on in awe at the cyan mare. “So… please… go away. I want to be alone.” She laid her head, a desperate want to die.

“I told you, I can’t do that.” Rainbow would sigh softly.

“Do you… promise not to tell anypony?”

“What?! Rainbow, I have to tell Shini-“

“No!” She shot up, a small rush of pain going through her lower half. “P-Please… if you’re not going to leave then… at the very least keep this to yourself. If the others knew, they’d try to stop this and we won’t be able to eat. Please, if you are to do anything, please don’t tell anypony of what you say.” She looked at Aaron, pleading for his silence.

“I…” He would force the next words, his body refusing to speak them. “Won’t tell them.”

“… Pinkie promise?” He didn’t know what that was but he would agree.

“I… pinkie promise.” With that, she would come closer and lay on his lap. There, she would continue her sobbing, only to be comforted by Aaron’s soft hands. He would stroke her soft coat in a comforting manner, keeping her company until she would fall asleep. However, the memories of what he witnessed would haunt him for nights to come.

~~~~~

“Greetings Aaron. Tis warming to see you again.” Aaron found himself floating before the dark queen herself. Her welcoming smile soon changed once she saw Aaron’s distraught face. “Art thou alright? You look… awful.”

“I-I’m fine, Nightmare. Can we get to Applejack’s dream please? I have some news I must deliver.” Nightmare would look upon him skeptically. She knew what the look of misery looked like and he was not hiding it all that well.

“Are you sure?” She lowered herself down, trying to make eye contact. “Aaron, if there is anything I can do for you, I can-“

“No!” Aaron snapped, much to Nightmare’s surprise. “I-I mean, no. Please, I have important information that I really want to get to Applejack as fast as possible.” The two would remain silent for a moment, before Nightmare sighed and brought forth the door to Applejack’s dreams. Like last time, he was met with a blinding light that soon gave way to a sprawling apple orchard.

Unlike last time however, he was met with the a familiar face; the small filly with the red bow. He looked to her, froze in place as she had the same milky white eyes. Normally, Aaron would be terrified to see her staring at him like that, but as of now, he was in no mood. “Please go away. I am in no mood for you right now.” He said coldly. The small filly did as she was told, gliding along the ground as she watched Aaron walk forward towards the barn. He would notice another change in the area, mostly the lack of ponies about. Last time, there was an entire sea of Applejack’s family. Now he would only see one resting on the porch.

Aaron would stroll up to the pony, recognizing him as Sour Apple. “Where’s Applejack?” He tried to sound polite, but mostly came off as crass. The stallion would lift his hat, eyeing Aaron up and down.

“Somethin’ get yur goat?”

“I’ve… dealt with some things recently. Things that… c-could you please just tell me where I can find Applejack?”

“She’s inside. Though, ya best cool down a bit. She’s been eager tah see you again. I reckon she might not like it if ya come bargin’ in with that tone.” Taking a deep breath, Aaron would try and calm himself down. He tried to make himself look calm, though the memory of what he had witnessed lingered in his mind.

“Okay. Okay, I’m ready.” He looked on to the stallion who opened the screen door for him. Calmed, Aaron would walk into the living room. “Applejack?”

“I’m up here.” Hearing Applejack’s voice was comforting to him. In his haste to see her again, he would take the first step up the stair case and freeze. The memory of what happened last time came to him, slowly walking away in hopes of not treading those waters again.

“Can you come down please? I have some information for you and Twilight.” Aaron took the couch, waiting for Applejack to come down and meet him. He could hear the sound of heavy hooves moving towards the stairs. Coming down, Aaron would see Applejack wearing a tank top and high riding short shorts. Her emerald green eyes would lock with his, smiling softly as she came in and sat beside Aaron on the couch. It didn’t take long for them to lock lips, enjoying their company once more. “It’s so good to see you again. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I went through today.”

“You ain’t the only one. Can’t believe I would miss ya this much. How have you been, sugar cube?”

“I’ve…” He paused for a moment, catching Applejack’s attention. “I-I’ve been better, Applejack. I’ve surely been better.”

“Oh, sorry t’ hear that.” Aaron felt her muscular arm wrap around him and bring her into her welcoming bosom. “Ah’m here for ya when you need me. You can tell me anything.” Aaron sighed to himself, holding onto his marefriend.

“I know, beautiful.” He took a deep breath and sat up. He wanted to tell her, he wanted to empty his soul before her and confess all that he was forced to witness, but he would remember what she asked. “Alright, so here’s what I got. There’s a small town deep below. I’m not sure where exactly but the place is big. Like, big enough to hold… uh, I wanna say about eighty ponies at a time. Though, if my math is right, I would say that there is at least a hundred and sixteen. They switch in and out with shifts to mine a huge supply of crystals.”

“I see. Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“I found two ponies down below.”

“And Rainbow?” Applejack asked eagerly, only for Aaron turn to turn a bit pale.

“Y-Yeah. She’s there too. She’s… alive.” Applejack sighed with relief.

“Okay, so what about these ponies?”

“One of them is Draco’s wife. I met her when I was mining for gems.”

“I’m sure Draco would like to know about that. So, who’s the other pony?”

“Shining Armor. He says he’s Twilight’s brother. Is that true?” Applejack chuckled as she held Aaron close.

“Is he a snow white unicorn, blue hair, kind of muscly, and friendly?”

“Yeah, that sounds like him.”

“Then yes, that’s Twilight’s brother?” Aaron would groan in frustration, feeling the weight of his situation piling onto his shoulders.

“What… would happen if I told him that I’m in a herd with his sister?” Applejack chuckled at the question.

“Don’t worry. Shining’s a nice colt. He can be protective of his baby sister like most big brothers, but just show him you aren’t a bad guy. I’m sure he’ll take the news in a healthy manner.” Aaron would remember that, already trying to formulate the words to break the news to him. “Now, what else can ya tell me about this place?”

“Uhhhh, let’s see here… Oh! Diamond dogs! What do you know about them?”

“I know about them. My friends and I had a run in with them in the past. They kidnapped our friend Rarity. They wanted her to find gems for them. She drove them insane with constant complaining.”

“So, they have sensitive hearing?”

“Yeah, kinda like real dogs. Get a high enough pitch, you can get them onto their knees.”

“If ya wanna put it that way, yeah. That could work.” Aaron took in the notes, finding Applejack’s hands caress him. “So, you miss me?” He couldn’t help but smile, leaning into her.

“Incredibly. I really wish you guys were down here to help me. I haven’t been here a day and I already feel like I’m not cut out for this.”

“Well, I’m here whenever ya need me sugar cube.” Aaron smiled at her and leaned in for another kiss. As he retracted, he looked to her and debated with himself. Applejack caught on and looked to her coltfriend in a concerned manner. “Somethin’ wrong?”

“Its… “He couldn’t bring himself to tell her what he saw, what he promised to keep to himself. “It’s Rainbow. She’s uh… not exactly what I thought she’d be.”

“Oh? Something wrong with her?”

“She’s lost hope is all. Shining says she’s just been through a lot and that she’s tired. She even thinks you’re dead.”

“Oh really now?” Applejack sat up and smiled. “Well then, I think we let her know that I’m alive n’ well. When you wake up, you go to Rainbow and tell her this; Family ain’t who yur related to. It’s the ponies you hold closest.” Aaron looked up to her with a raised brow. “Trust me. She’ll know what it means. Now…” Applejack smiles lewdly, training a finger along his chest. “How about we make this a wet dream?” Aaron shudders softly, feeling her finger trail along his body. He would smile at her, but he took her hand.

“Trust me, I would be more than happy to give you naughty dreams… but not now.” AJ would look at him in shock. “Sorry, I’m just… not in the mood. I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff right now. You understand, right?” Applejack would sigh to herself, bringing him in for a hug.

“Alright, sugar cube. I understand, but jus’ know if ya need anything. You let me know, okay. I’m here for you, Twilight too.” Aaron could feel a closeness with the mare, leaning into her for a hug.

“Thanks, AJ. I’ll be sure to-“ Without any warning what so ever, Aaron had vanished into thin air. Applejack would look around the room in utter confusion, wondering what had happened. Ultimately, she would shrug it off, knowing that he was alright.

~~~~~

“Hey… hey wake up.” Aaron would groan softly, slowly returning to the realm of the waking. There, he would see the cyan Pegasus nudging him awake. “Come on, get going.” Aaron would yawn, slowly sitting up only to feel his back sting with pain. He had slept against a gem encrusted wall, it was bound to cause some issues.

“I’m up. I’m up.” He said groggily. He looked to Rainbow curiously. “Something wrong?” Rainbow shook her head, backing up to let Aaron sit up.

“No. Nothing’s wrong. I uh… just wanted to let you know that I’m feeling better. Physically I mean. I was wondering if… you wanted to get going.” Aaron stood up immediately, arching his back to hear a satisfying crack. As he did, Rainbow would slide passed him and lead them out, trailing a white substance as she walked. “Hey… thanks for… staying with me and all.”

“No problem.” He would watch her struggle to get up, still sore after what happened. She would groan for a few more seconds, only to feel Aaron lift her up off the ground and to her hooves. “You okay?”

“I… I’ve been better. Trust me, that wasn’t the worst thing he’s done to me. I can take it.” He looked to her in sorrow. “Look, I don’t want your sympathy. What I do is for everypony in the town and so they can survive. So… please, don’t tell anypony about that. They wouldn’t understand.” Aaron nodded to her.

“I won’t. I didn’t even tell Applejack.” Rainbow would sigh to herself, pushing passed him to start moving.

“Look, you can drop the act. I know AJ is dead. I saw the smoke and I heard the rumors. There’s no-“

“Family isn’t about who you’re related to. It’s who you hold closest.” Rainbow froze in place, her mind going blank as she held onto those words.

“W-What did you say?”

“I don’t really know what it means… well, I kinda do but I feel like I’m missing some context.” Rainbow slowly turned to Aaron, shock plastered all over her face. “Rainbow, are you-“

“How do you know that? H-How can you possibly know to say that to me?”

“Because Applejack told me. She said you would understand.” Rainbow couldn’t help but feel her legs tremble. She grasped the wall to help herself stay upright. “Rainbow, are you okay?”

“I… I’m fine.” She looked Aaron in the eyes. He could see a small flicker in them as they locked eyes. “So… Applejack’s alive then?”

“She is.”

“And she’s… up there?” She pointed to the ceiling with Aaron responding accordingly. “You’re really thinking about escaping then. Do you… still have room for one more in this break out?” Aaron couldn’t help but smile, offering her a friendly hand to welcome her into their little break out crew. Rainbow gladly took it, leading Aaron out of the mine. Rainbow felt something, something she hadn’t in quite a long time. It felt like hope, but Rainbow couldn’t tell anypony that was the case. All she could do was offer what little assistance she could for the time being. Hopefully it will be enough.

Author's Notes:

Oh man. That dislike thumb is gonna be sore after this one. If you guys stick with me after this, then I salute you guys for that. Plus, I hope to make get these chapters out on a weekly basis. I don't want make any promises, but I don't want to make any promises to you guys I am unsure I can't keep.