Chapter 4 - The Search Begins

Edited by Clavier

Spitfire and Applejack exchanged nervous glances.  They had told Twilight everything they knew about Rainbow Dash’s disappearance, but from the look on Twilight’s face, the information they had provided was not sufficient.  Applejack had omitted the kiss, of course, but excluding that, she told Twilight everything she knew.

Twilight, as always, needed more details.  "Is there anywhere she would go if she's upset?  Someplace you haven't checked, Spitfire?"

"I've checked all of Rainbow's usual haunts, and talked to all of her friends.  Nopony has seen her."

"Applejack, when did Rainbow Dash leave from your barn?  Be as precise as possible, please."

Applejack thought, but was still pretty shaken.  "Ah... ah don't remember, exactly..."

"This is important, AJ!" snapped Twilight.  "Think."

"Ah guess... around 3:15?"  The more she thought about it, the more confident she was.  "Yeah, ah left the market around 2:45... and it probably took us about twenty minutes to get home, and then..." She swallowed. "...the argument happened, so maybe... 3:10?"

"And which way was she heading?"

Applejack was aggravated at Twilight making her repeat herself.  "Towards the mountains!"

Twilight looked irritated.  "I know that, Applejack, which way exactly?"

"Let me think!"  She could hardly remember anything from that day but the kiss, and Twilight was putting too much pressure on her.  "It was... the barn door faces due east, and she flew sort of left out of the door..."

"How far left?"

Applejack thought, hard.  She pointed out with her right hoof.  "If this is due east," she said, now lifting her left hoof to make an angle with her two legs, "this is the way she flew."

Twilight studied her friend's hooves.  "About fifteen degrees.  And how fast was she flying?"

"About as fast as I've ever seen her, ah'd reckon.  Twilight, what does this—"

Twilight shushed her, looking deep in thought.  Using her magic, she lifted a map of equestria with markings on it and held it magically in the air between them.  It was covered in magical notation that Applejack did not understand, and had a circle around part of the mountain range.  

Twilight gestured at the circle.  "This is roughly where the magical event happened, and it happened at almost exactly four o’clock.  It’s difficult to triangulate perfectly, but I can confirm that if there is a black dragon, it is around here."  A few simple mathematical tools magically floated in the air to aid her thinking: a pen, a drawing compass, a protractor, and a ruler.  "Spitfire, what's Rainbow Dash's average wingpower over long distances?"

There was no hesitation from Spitfire: she could answer that question for any of the Wonderbolts.  "About eighteen."

The tools made their way to the map.  "Here is your barn, Applejack.”  She dotted it with the pen.  “Let's assume," explained Twilight, "from Applejack's observation that she started at a much higher wingpower, but probably could not hold it for fifty minutes.  I'll say she was traveling at an average of twenty wingpower.  Assuming that, I can very roughly calculate how far she could have gone in the amount of time before the event."  She did a few rough calculations in her head, measured out the distance Rainbow Dash could have flown, and made a circle with the drawing compass around Applejack's barn, showing the whole area she could have flown in that time.  Applejack felt her heart sink as the compass passed right through the circle marking the black dragon's domain.  Using the pen and the ruler, she drew a line due east from the barn.  "She was traveling approximately fifteen degrees north of due east."  She measured out this angle with the protractor and drew another line.  Applejack’s heart sank again as Twilight drew another line right through the circle on the map.

Spitfire and Applejack stared at Twilight. They could feel how bad the situation was, but their minds wouldn’t accept it.  They needed to hear it from her.  Twilight was in a pensive silence, worried by the evidence in front of her.  She didn't take her eyes off the map.  When she finally opened her mouth, she spoke very softly and carefully.  "By my rough calculations, if she maintained twenty wingpower and flew for fifty minutes fifteen degrees north of due east without turning... she would be right on the event when it happened."  She looked Applejack in her eyes.  "She would be right on top of the dragon when it awoke."

Applejack felt this hit her.  It was all the evidence she needed.  “We have to go.”

“Wait, Applejack,” said Twilight, “My calculations were very rough.  If she was flying ten degrees more north or south, she would be clear of the area!”

“But she wasn’t!”  Applejack felt her voice rising.

“And what if she didn’t fly straight?  Or if she flew at fifteen wingpower instead of twenty?  Applejack, this isn’t enough evidence to assume she’s in danger!”

“What?”  She couldn’t figure out what Twilight didn’t understand.  “Oh, so y’all think that nobody has seen her for a whole day, she missed practice for the Wonderbolts, which she never has before, she flies off over the mountains where you’re reasonably sure she puts herself right over a huge ‘magical event’ and you think she’s... what, napping on a cloud somewhere?”  

“I just think we should make sure she’s actually in danger before we walk into the jaws of a black dragon!”  Twilight’s voice was raised too.

“Well you know what ah think?”  spat Applejack venomously.  “Ah think if Rainbow Dash were in our shoes, and she was even a tiny bit sure one of us was in danger, she’d already be halfway there by now!”

Twilight sighed, irritated.  Her voice dropped and she spoke seriously.  “Even if she is there, we couldn’t start searching for her until morning anyway.  We only have a few hours left of daylight, and more importantly, we aren’t ready to face a black dragon.  All we’d do if we went out tonight is get ourselves killed!”

“Fine,” said the country pony, walking over to the map, “You can start looking tomorrow, ah’m heading out tonight.”  She grabbed the map with her teeth, but immediately felt it magically pulled out.

“Absolutely not!” barked Twilight, her horn glowing.  “You’ll get yourself killed.  Besides, what do you think you can do against a dragon, buck it to death?”

Applejack was hurt, her recent thoughts of insignificance drawn to the surface by Twilight’s dispassionate scorn.  Twilight probably didn’t mean for it to sting as much as it had, but suddenly Applejack had had enough of her magician friend.

“Fine,” said Applejack under her breath.  She headed for the door.

“Don’t go out tonight, Applejack,” ordered Twilight. Her angry eyes locked on Applejack.  “Don’t go looking for her until we’re ready!”

Applejack, standing in the door frame, looked her friend in the eyes and lied through her teeth.  “Ah won’t, Twilight.  Ah promise.”

She slammed the door behind her with a strong buck.

***

Rainbow Dash awoke with a groan.  For a few moments she wondered where she was and why she had been sleeping on the cold ground and not a cloud.  Her memories suddenly flooded back to her.

She sat up, her eyes darting around the dark cave.  She could hardly see a few feet in front of her.  Where was he?

"Ahh, good," the deep voice echoed in the cave.  "You're awake."

A purple eye suddenly appeared, and she realized that his massive form was barely ten feet in front of her.  His black scales were the perfect camouflage for the dark cave.

Though she felt fearful, she met his eye strongly, sitting tall and proud.  This caused him to laugh coldly again.  "Good, good!  You have a lot of spunk, little pony.  I like that."  He spoke with a slow, detached precision.  She just stared into the two floating purple eyes in the dark.  "Well, go on," he said.  "Ask me.  Ask me the question on your mind."

She worried her voice would waver, but it had its usual strength. "How come you haven't eaten me yet?  I assume that's why you dragged me in here."  She cocked a smile, wanting to seem confident and unconcerned.  "I thought you would have at least plucked my feathers."

He chuckled darkly.  "You don't know much about black dragons, do you?"

"Well, in the old pony tales you’re always the bad guys, so I'm willing to bet you’re all jerks."

There was a flicker in his eyes.  "Black dragons aren't like many other animals: we don't eat meat or vegetables, nor do we eat gems like other dragons.  We are similar to changelings, who feed off affection, but instead, we feed off magic."

"Magic?" asked Rainbow Dash curiously.

"Yes.  I feed on the magic energies found in Equestria.  Magic exists anywhere there is life.  Some places more than others: for example, that tree outside only has a little magic stored up, but you, my lovely little pegasus, are quite a feast."  The two eyes suddenly came in very close to her, and she could make out the form of his massive head.  "I do not need to put you in my mouth and chew, like a barbarian.  I can feed off the energy of everything in my vicinity.  Sure, the process is slower... but I assure you, the result is about the same.”  

His white teeth flashed in the dark.  “For the food, anyway."

"What are you saying?" she asked, her heart pounding.  

"Well, you asked why I hadn't eaten you yet, didn't you?"  There was laughter in his voice.  "I'm giving you the answer: I've already started."

Rainbow Dash suddenly became very aware of how weak she felt.  How she could barely lift her legs, how her wings seemed to be made of paper.  Even sitting upright like this was a challenge.

She could hear her heart beat even faster.  She thought that because she was still alive, there was hope that he wouldn't eat her, but the truth was, she could feel herself being digested just looking in his eyes.

Still, she maintained her unconcerned look.  "Well, I hope I'm not too spicy for ya.  What's your name?" she asked, flippantly.

"Oh please," he sighed. The eyes floated back up into the darkness.  "Is that your plan?  Try to get me to warm up to you?"

"I'm not really the planning type.  I was just curious."

"My name is of no concern to you," he replied simply.

Her body felt like it was going to collapse, but her mind refused to allow it.  "So if you can just suck on a few trees for magic, why do you capture ponies?"  This time she chuckled.  "Guess you guys really are jerks, huh."

Suddenly his eyes were furious, and one of his enormous claws came out of the darkness, wrapped around her body.  In her weak state, she could do nothing but allow it to happen.  "Careful, little pony."  His anger caused fire to flare up in the back of his mouth as he talked.  It lit up the cave, and she realized to her horror that the cave wall at her back was actually his tail.  His body completely surrounded her.  "For thousands of years, when I was a young dragon, I tried to live in harmony with my environment.  I carefully drained the magic out of creatures without killing them."  He squeezed.  "But after decades of armored ponies coming to my cave, trying to kill me... after all those years of them telling me that I was the villain, and they, who came into my home to murder me, the heroes... well, I guess I finally decided to fill the role cast."

His grip relaxed, and she could not help looking weak, falling to the ground, wheezing.  "And there's another reason.  A more functional one."  The laughter was back in his eyes.  "Once you capture one pony, I've found more show up."  

This idea hadn't occurred to Rainbow Dash, and it filled her with dread.  She felt her stomach drop.  They would send a rescue team, wouldn't they?  He chuckled.  "Finally we drop the cocky façade."

“Who would come looking for me?” she bluffed.  “I have no friends, no family.  Nopony will even know I’m missing for weeks.”

He shook his head.  “Then why did you look so crestfallen when I mentioned other ponies?  No, I’m willing to bet you have lots of little pony friends.”  

"They have no idea where I am," she said, realizing that this had to be true.  She was filled with joy, knowing that her friends would not have to face this dragon, and dread, knowing that she would have to face him alone.  "They won't find me."

"If there's any magician in Equestria worth a damn, they'll know where I am," he said.  "But magicians don't run into battles they cannot win.  No, usually, the first visitor will be someone who's very close to you.  Someone who's very near to your heart.  Somepony who would come as soon as they realized you were in danger.  And then, I’ll have two little ponies to feed on."

Rainbow Dash’s anger flared as her thoughts turned to Applejack, who she knew would not hesitate to try to save her.  Despite the kiss, she would come.  Of that Rainbow Dash had no doubt.  "You... monster..." she weakly spat.

He laughed.  "You have no idea how many times I've heard that line."

She tried to stand up, but found herself collapsed on the cave floor again.  She felt dizzy, and she knew she was going to slip out of consciousness again.

“Sleep, little pony,” he said with a sneer she could barely see.  “I’ll make sure you’re awake when our first visitor gets here.”  

She wanted to say something snarky, to have the last word, but she felt so weak.  She knew she had to do something, she had to get out so she could stop Applejack.  If Applejack got hurt trying to save her, Rainbow Dash would never forgive herself.  

She almost laughed at how confident she was that Applejack would come to save her.  She felt her heart ache.  Even if they got out of this, would things ever be the same between them?  Or had the kiss changed everything?

Right before she went under, her mind filled itself with Applejack.  Her eyes, her face, her hair, and her crooked smile.  Her kindness, her dependability, and her loyalty.  The last thing she thought of before the darkness overwhelmed her was the taste of apples.  

The dragon thought it was odd that the little pony passed out with a smile on her face.

***

The night air was getting colder.

Applejack, saddlebag packed with only the essentials, made her way further into the mountain range.  She remembered exactly the spot marked on Twilight’s map.  She was making her fastest pace, but moving up the mountain range was certainly harder than flying over it.  She hoped that Rainbow Dash was all right.  She didn’t know what she would do without Rainbow Dash.  Applejack’s mind froze for a second as she thought of the worst, wondering if she was already too late.

She shook off that thought.  “Can’t think like that, Applejack,” she whispered, comforting herself.  “She'll be fine.  Rainbow is a fighter.  Need something more than a little old black dragon to take her down.”

With mountains looming over her, she fearlessly headed towards the black dragon’s domain, unaware of the trap set for her.

***

Hope you liked this chapter!  Thanks for reading.

All the prior chapters have been edited!  Check them out!

-Gold