The Search for Rainbow Dash
Colorful Insanity Part. 2
By: Cdude (AKA Colton), Co-Written By: Spencer Palko (AKA White Bolt)
Day 1 (Picking Up Where We Left Off)
A simple nod with absolutely no hesitation comes from White's head as he mentions these quiet words in my ear,
"I'm up for the task, you will need help. But what of Cat? Are we bringing her?"
"I don't know, I told her the story and we are the 3 lone souls who even know about what the damn place even was. I don't want anything to happen to her, then again we could always use her magic to help, I don't know let me sleep on it, we will discuss it tomorrow these cuts are killing me." I answer.
"Deal." He waves bye to me and leaves the room. I think to myself all sorts of thoughts on where she may have gone, the words linger in my head... "I'm sorry Colton." It bears no clues, nothing for me to work with. I miss her she was a good friend and almost like a sister after my family passed away. I owe it to her for laying this on her, I don't care for her crimes she was truly sorry for what she did, especially after knowing I survived.
"I may forgive her, but I may never forgive myself for the blood on my hooves." I think to myself. I lay my head back and then stare at the ceiling until I ultimately just pass out from the painkiller pills I was required to take after all the cuts and stab wounds.
Day 2 (Nightmares)
It happens again nightmares of the factory. But this time of the little filly I remember hearing skewered, then watching helplessly as the color is drained from her. After she's completely gone she transforms into my friend that dropped right on top of me after I woke up, Jamie Grey then watched the corpse drop into a never ending pit of other unfamiliar pony corpses. Then when they finally reach the bottom right before they all land time stops, and I see myself walking in my eyes, that of a crazy scientist screaming,
"Yes! Yes! The beautiful sight! Hahahaha!" Then after this the three guards I killed "Buffout", "Psycho", and the third whose name I never learned, come up behind me and restrain me as I struggle to get free as all the ponies float down to the floor and walk over to me gathering around me then... I wake screaming again. and Cat is awoken from it and says to me,
"What's wrong Colton? Is it nightmares again?" I nod and get up slowly and walking over to her saying,
"Every time I fall asleep another nightmare appears in my head and I can't get a decent sleep because of it. I don't get it I thought that I'd have closure after laying waste to that terrible place."
"Maybe it's because you never truly got closure, maybe because Dash is gone you can't think straight because of it." She replied back to my intended question.
"That may be right... me and White were thinking..." I say then am interrupted by Cat,
"Say no more I'm in."
"Wait you are? I mean it could be dangerous and... you could well y'know." I reply. Can she handle this... or maybe what I should be asking is, can I? Then she breaks the short silence,
"I know but if it can help you then I want to provide any assistance that I can."
"Okay then let me have the doctors call in White Bolt, then we can discuss a plan. As soon as the wounds heal, I can't be reckless like I was before." I say back to Cat. I wait motionless, and silently because I don't want to fall asleep again, I can't handle these nightmares.
Day 3
So I stayed up the whole night terrified of having another nightmare, and then have the doctors tell White Bolt we want to talk. So after about 30 minutes White enters the room and, had a nervous look on his face. He came right up to me staring at me then said,
"They found me. They came to my door, somehow they knew that you told me... if we're gonna do this. We need to do it soon."
"Cat's in." I quickly respond motioning to Caterina.
"White are you okay? Did they do anything?" Cat seemed to take in what White said first.
"Oh... oh right sorry, you okay White?" I take knowledge of what he said. We proceed to talk of a plan. I add in.
"Hey, my wounds don't seem like they'll really be getting better anytime soon, I say we leave now before they find us. I guess I'll just need to bring some bandages in case the wounds re-open but they don't really hurt all too much."
"I don't know about this." Cat, and White say at the same time.
"I swear this is not going to end well for me... it never does." I grunt. Cat and White grab my shoulders, then lift me off the bed. "I guess we're off. Time to find Dash."
"Agree'd. Are you guys ready?" Cat says to me and White. We nod as I clench my front left leg.
"Are you sure you're okay Colt?" Cat questions.
"Yeah... it just hurts a little let's check out." I answer. We walk into the main office then the nurse asks us to pay my bill and say, "Didn't the money I gave you for Cat cover that?"
"I suppose we could take that money from it, okay go on ahead I'll pay the bill with it. Get well soon." She replies. We walk out of the hospital and see Twilight Sparkle approaching me.
"Colton, Rainbow Dash is gone, I know you two were good friends. Have you seen her?" She says.
"Uhhh... I- uhhhh..." I say back in a speechless reply. She looked at me puzzled and Cat interrupted my wordless ramblings saying,
" You see Twilight we were just about to look for her to. We were just about to ask you if you have seen her as well."
"Nice save, thanks." I whisper in Cat's ear.
"Oh well okay then, no I haven't seen her. Good luck finding her, and if you do find her can you tell her I'd like to speak to her?" Twilight replies. We nod and say goodbye then start to walk towards Fluttershy's house to see if she knew anything. We knock on the door and we hear a timid voice say,
"Who is it?" She opens the door, "Oh Colton, it's you. How are you today?"
"I'm fine, thank you. I was wondering. Have you seen Rainbow Dash recently, like in the past 3 days possibly?" Fluttershy shakes her head but then a thought comes to herself.
"Actually I saw a fast flying Pegasus heading towards the Everfree Forests, and how fast it was going, it was probably Rainbow Dash if it is I hope she's okay."
"Thanks Fluttershy that's really a big help." I reply. Fluttershy nods, then we all wave goodbye as she closes her door.
"I guess that's where we should start." I say to the others. We all nod and start to walk towards the forest. As we're walking I peer into the sky and see an all too familiar sight up in the clouds... There is a silence for awhile and then White interrupts it and says,
"If it really was Rainbow Dash, what do you think she was doing heading through the Everfree Forest?"
"I'm not sure maybe she's trying to hide." I say. We go on to talk about differen't possibilities, "Maybe she went completely through the forests, and there is something out there that we don't know about. I mean something's gotta be back there right?" Then we finally reach the Everfree Forest and we stop in our tracks.
"Ready?" Cat says. I nod and shiver as I remember a nightmare I had about the Everfree Forests. We continue forward into the woods, until we see a strange looking tree that has this mark in it. It's Rainbow's cutie mark.
"Guys, do you think that she knew we'd come looking for her? I mean she knows how persistent I am." I ask the others.
"I guess it's possible, but unlikely." White answers. I shake my head and insist it's at least some kind of clue, or something. Then I examine it closer seeing a set of numbers on it, "1337" are the numbers.
"Look here there are numbers, very small ones going down the bolt. 1337 it looks like." I point out. "Okay let's keep going." I make a mental note of the numbers and keep in mind they were on her cutie mark. We keep on walking until we see light on the other side of the forest,
"Hey, what's that? I thought the Everfree Forest went on... well forever." I say. "Maybe Dash knew there was something back here."
"It's possible but not very likely, maybe she just kept going after she left hoping to escape from it all." White ponders the thought.
"Guys go on ahead I need to catch my breath." I say "I also want to analyze what that code might mean."
White and Cat not, and walk away hesitantly.
"Very strange... 1337, let's see... well 1 was always her favorite number, considering she was the number 1 flyer. I remember seeing a quota for 33 ponies briefly while I was in the test lab. And 7... what could 7 mean?" I explain to myself.
Day 3.5
I hear footsteps behind me and turn around quickly. A strange looking unicorn is behind me, she looks familiar but I can't quite remember where from.
"You lost?" She asked in a calm voice.
"I uhh, no my friends just went ahead I told them I'd catch up." I reply grasping my stomach with my hoof and she notices.
"Are you okay? you look hurt." She said. Wait I recognize her! She's one of those ponies from my nightmare. She was falling down while my friend was falling in the center.
"Umm, odd question but do you happen to know anything about how rainbows are made?" I ask suspiciously.
"No... should I?" She answers.
"Uhh... no sorry. It was a stupid question anyways, what are you doing here in the Everfree Forests?" I ask.
"I live right through those trees over there in a nearby village. Would you like me to take you there mr...?" she asks, and I answer,
"Oh! Sorry I'm Colton. What's your name?"
"I'm Technia, my friends call my Techy. It's a pleasure to meet you." She replies.
"The pleasures mine, mind helping me up? I'm not exactly feeling 100 percent right now." I say with a small smirk.
She nods and walks me towards the edge of the forest. We stare at each other constantly analyzing one another. I feel like she may know me to.
"So you are from the other side of the forests huh?" She asks me.
"Yeah I didn't even know there was anything past these forests I always thought it was just more forests. Well I'm glad to see I'm wrong it's nice to know there are others out there to." I say to her, "Hey have any Pegasus ponies flown into here lately?"
"Just one her name is Grey-Mare she's all grey except a black ragged mane. Why?" She says.
"No specific reason for now." I lie under my teeth. "So it can't be Dash... damn all this time for nothing."
"It's getting late, do you and your friends want to stay at our house for the night?" She asks.
"Yes, we'd like that but in the morning we may have to get going. Thanks for the help." I say, in front of me I see a large city bristling with life, and large castle-like buildings everywhere. "I've never seen a town this large before, not even Canterlot..."
"Canterlot?" She asks.
"Oh sorry, it's like the capital of where me and my friends are from, Equestria." I answer. It's odd not having someone know about the largest city I know of. She points to the left at a smaller building of stone.
"That's my house." She says.
"It's a nice place, better then sharing a tech filled shack with my friend, and Girlfriend." I say with a comedic smile on my face. I notice her cutie mark is a computer, very similar to White's. I see Cat and White walking in a square, that looks like a market. We walk over to them and wave em over to us. Cat see's me being carried, and rushes over to see if I'm okay.
"Colt, you okay? Oh who is this?" Cat asks in a worried voice.
"I'm fine, thanks and this is..." I start.
"I'm Technia. I found your friend here mumbling to himself in the woods and thought I'd help him into town." She finishes my sentence.
"Yes... she offered to let us stay at her place tonight. We were coming to get you, you know it may be nice to stay at a place crowded with computers, White..." I say.
"Well actually, I do have my own collection of technology." She interrupts.
"...Damn thought I would go one night without excessive beeping. First the Shack, then the factory, and now a stranger's." I grumble to myself. They heard me and laughed, kinda in a sympathetic laugh.
"Erm factory?" Techy asks.
"It's a, uhhh... very long story. It's uncomfortable to talk about, maybe if we get to know each other more." I say uncomfortably.
"Fair enough." She says, "Okay let's get back to my place, it's getting late don't you think?"
"Yeah I'm tired, that's for sure." I say, half yawning. Out of the corner of my eye while walking over to the house I see smoke getting slowly, but gradually closer. We arrive at her house, with Cat, and White holding my by each shoulder. She shows me to my room and I lay down. Cat walks in about an hour later telling me she can't sleep, seeming unsurprised that I'm not. So she lays down next to me and the comfort of one another helps us fall asleep.
Night 3 (A dream, for once)
During my sleep something, pleasant happened... a dream. I see me and White sitting on his couch staring at his high tech television, controllers in our hand, and I'm wearing my visor that he made for me as a hospital release gift. We're laughing at a joke he just made then Cat walked in, sat next to us and kissed me on the cheek. I blush then I repeat the joke to her then we laugh, and that's where I wake up to my own laughter. I see Cat looking at me with a humorous face and she whispers in my ear,
"Well I can see you were having a good dream, you laughed yourself awake for once." I smile at her and hug her, then she finally asks what I'm surprised she hasn't asked since we met.
"What was Dash like when you were growing up with her? I'm from Canterlot so I never got to meet her until I met you." She asked me.
"She always showed me different flying techniques. One time we raced, we were on the home stretch and I was slightly in front of her. She was letting me win and I got cocky and slipped up." I explain.
"Did she let you win?" She asked
"Oh no, as soon as she saw my slip up she took the opportunity and flew right past me." I reply. "She did tell me however that if I really try I can become almost as fast as her." We both laugh a bit and lay awake staring at the ceiling, making little comments every once in awhile. Nothing significant but this is the first time we've had any alone time since I became incapacitated 75% of the time. Then after a while of silence Cat let's this comment out that opened my wide, golden eyes.
"We can find her... if anyone can it's you Colt. Your devotion is one of the reasons... I love you." I can't give up, I think to myself. Now I feel like the world is depending on me alone to find one Pony in all of Equestria, well the world now.
"I'll do it, for you, For Dash, and for White." I say with a devoted face, and warm grin. Then we fall asleep again, but this time I wasn't so lucky. Another nightmare happened although I didn't scream myself awake this time, I had to suffer through the whole thing.
Day 4
I'm awoken by a small storm I hear from outside. I push myself out of bed grabbing my visor and putting it into my saddle pack. Then after dragging my groggy self out into the main room in her house I see that she cleaned up a bit, and put some of the huge gadgets she had away.
"Hey Colt!" Cat says at me energetically.
"Hi..." I say in a sleepy voice.
"Tired?" She asked, knowing I was.
"Yeah, a little." I answer.
"Ha! I told you it would wake him up!" White and Techy came out of the next room with a remote in White's hand.
"What's that?" I ask.
"It's a sound effects device, White thought it would be funny to wake you up, by making it sound like there was a storm outside." Cat explained to me. I give an angry frown to White.
"Oh, you'd agree it was funny to. Y'know if it wasn't you." White said in a comedic voice. I notice Techy is rolling her eyes at White then she says,
"Anyways... how was your sleep, besides the "Storm"?" She asks.
"Fine at first." I smiled at Cat. "Then after I woke up, and went back to sleep... not so much." I shiver, remembering the nightmare.
"What happened Colt? You seemed fine." She said, then stopped a second remembering White and Techy were in the room.
"How'd you know?" White said in a smug voice, seeming to already know what happened.
"N-nothing." I stutter. Then look at my injured hoof.
"Hey Technia, do you have any bandages or anything the would looks like it may split." Cat said in my place.
"Of course, follow me Colton." Techy says. So I follow her into a small room, with just a desk and television. She opens the drawer and pulls some strips of gauze. She walks over to me and tells me to hold my hoof out, so I do and she wraps the gauze around my hoof. I shake it around to see if it's okay.
"Thanks Technia." I say.
"Please call me Techy, you're already a friend." She says with a warm smile. I smile back and say,
"Okay thanks, Techy. I think it may be time for us to get going then a quick thought comes to my mind. I've never seen a pure grey pony before, maybe that really is Dash! I smile at the possibility then rush Techy a little faster into the next room. When we were all in the room I asked Techy what the grey pony's name was again. She responded,
"She called herself Grey-Mare."
"Do you know where she lives?" I ask in excitement.
"Yes she asked me where the nearest inn was to stay at." She replies.
"Could you bring me there?" I re-aquire my calm tone.
"Yeah, but could one of you stay here? I need somepony to watch for somepony." She asks. White quickly volunteered, he obviously felt at home in this tech trap.
"Mind if I do some research on something as well, I think I'm close to a breakthrough." He asks.
"Not at all, but first may I ask what you're researching exactly?" Techy replies, and I raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
"I may be able to make a small laser pistol, that I can use for opening lockboxes, or to get myself out of a bind." He explains.
"Interesting." I say, "Does it have any compatibility with my visor, I could always use something like that."
"I can see what I can do, you'll get the first production." He replies.
"Thanks, okay let's go Techy, Cat." I say.
"Oh and White, the man I'm waiting for is expecting the package I have at the entrance, next to the door. Answer the door, take the payment, then give him the package." Techy explained the job.
"Okay, got it. I think I'm really coming onto a breakthrough! This extra tech you have may be the deciding factor of whether I can make it or not." White said in an excited voice. We wave by to White as he slides towards a computer getting straight to work.
"So, did this pony have a somewhat ragged mane, with possibly seven shades of grey?" I ask Cat while we walk to the inn.
"I never got to talk with her for an extended period of time. But yes I believe it was somewhat messy." She replies. We approach the large building. My hopes are very high now, I really hope this is her! I think to myself. We walk into the inn and ask for Grey-Mare's room number.
"Hey... I'd like to do this alone. Mind waiting down here guys?" I ask the others in a nervous voice.
"Of course Colt. Good luck." Cat says to me then comes up to me and kisses me on the cheek.
"Good luck, I hope you find who you're looking for." Techy says to me smiling. I walk up to the floor, sweating slightly. I approach the door after 20 flights of stairs. I knock on the door and after a second I hear a mare walking towards the door, then she slowly opens it. I look away for a second nervous as all hell. Then turn my head and see an extremely familiar face.
"Dash?" I yell, almost about to cry.
"Who?" She said. Damn... I think. Then see a spec of color in her mane, that isn't completely grey.
"Sorry, wrong person, I guess I made a mistake." I say, "One question though, why is one spec of your hair colored, but the rest grey?"
"Damnit..." I see her mouth moving.
"Ha, I knew it! I know... I shouldn't have come." I say, "But I had to ask, why'd you leave, and what was that code that you left behind in the woods? I have a lot of questions to ask you, and I hope you're ready to answer them." I say in a more stern voice. She looks at me with an angry glare, which quickly turns to a normal frown.
"Just... come in quickly before someone see's us." Dash says sternly. So I walk into the room slowly.
"Okay, now for my biggest question... Why?" I ask, "Why the factory, why the secrecy, why run away, and what was that code?" I ask all at once.
"I guess now that we have time, I can explain the factory more..." She goes off into about an hour long explanation on how Pegasai scientists took notice in her Sonic Rainboom and wanted to know an affective way to make rainbows. She also explained that Celestia, has almost been driven to total insanity.
"Well that explains... a lot really." I say in understanding.
"Also... well this is hard to say but, we've been looking for a certain pony that can survive the process. That one... you has been marked for death. You, and you alone need to... kill the princess." She explains.
"Okay that answers the first two questions, you can't be seen helping me. So then what's the code?" I ask.
"Well I guess I knew that you of all ponies in the world would find me. I thought you'd know I'd be heading that way." She said.
"Well you know me and my persis... wait does this mean Cat, and White are both marked for death also?" This question shot into my mind. Dash nods her head, pulling me close showing me this... schematic, well more like a layout of the castle.
"So... you're serious? I get killed... kinda. Then get out, trek through the Everfree Forests, and now I have to kill the Princess... BY MYSELF?!" I exclaim.
"I'm sure it's a lot to take in but on the bright side you really don't have to do it on your own, you have Cat, and White to help you. You know what... I'm in." Dash says to me.
"We also have Techy." I say.
"Who?" Dash asks.
"A new friend. She's helped me since I got here." I say, "I should go, I need to get back to White." Dash tugs on my shoulder, telling me to wait.
"Let me clean this damn grey off of my body, I look like the walking dead... no offense." She says, "Too soon?"
"A little." I say, but can't help but letting out a small chuckle.
Day 4.5
After a few minutes Dash walks out looking normal I take her hoof pulling her down the stairs, nearly flying down them I rush so fast. We get to the lobby and I see 3 earth ponies holding down Cat, and Techy. My eyes fly open as I see them being restrained. I quickly fly towards them not even thinking hoof first and with all the momentum I knock one of them out, but my hoof is pulsing from the punch.
"AHHH! Damn that hurt!" I exclaim, "You bastards get off of them or... or I'll kill you!" They laugh at the comment. "Oh? Think I'm joking? I killed about five of you bastards on my own in your little factory! Think I can't handle two more of you?"
"That's right, I forgot he killed two of our toughest guards out... we'll need to be careful about him." I barely hear the guard say. I remember the knife I brought in my saddle pack. I drop the pack on the floor and take the knife out with my mouth. One guard looks completely scared out of his mind, so I decide to aim the knife at the stronger looking one. I line the shot up, drop the knife into my hood, then take the shot. It lands slightly lower then my target of his head, dropping into his neck. I watched him suffocate as the other guard took the knife out of his neck, charging at me. I side step, then fly up on top of the guard punching a pressure point that knocks the guard out cold. I grab the first guard by his mane, lift his head up, and smack him. He wakes up and tries to struggle free but I have him pinned.
"Now you're going to answer some questions." I scold.
"Fat chance." He says while hacking.
"Oh really?" I push his face into the ground, "Ready to talk?" I call Dash over, and tell her to pin him for me, a second. I walk over to the unconscious third guard and take my knife back. I walk back over and hold the knife to his throat.
"How bout now?" I ask sternly.
"F-fine! What do you want to know?" He cracks.
"Tell me who sent you!" I yell.
"Celestia... it was Celestia." he croaks. I slit his throat.
"Thanks for the info..." I say, "Great, now I have people threatening me, and my friends." I rush over to Cat, and ask if she's okay. She responds with a nod. I ask her to check on Techy, then I walk outside and sit on the step of the building.
"Another pony dead by my hands..." I sulk. Dash comes out and sits next to me.
"Hey kid... you did what you needed to do." She says.
"I killed... again!" I yell.
"They would've killed Cat and the other if you didn't!" She says.
"I... I need to get back to the shack." I say, "Tell the others I went back." She nods and I start to walk towards the shack. Two more deaths I keep repeating to myself. I approach the shack, open the door, and see White standing there.
"Something wrong Colt?" He said.
"Well I found Dash... but now, I have to kill the Princess." I explain. He laughs thinking I'm joking. Then comes to the realization that I'm not.
"Wait... what?" He said surprised, "No you're kidding right? I mean that's like impossible."
"I'm heading back to Equestria. You three will need to stay here. Tell Dash to meet me in Cloudsville." I start to walk away. White stops me and places my visor in my hand.
"Like I promised, the first copy. To use it, say "Voice Command: Laser Shot." He explains, "Good luck, may the Winds blow through your wings..."
"And may the moon be at my back." I finish, and nod at White. "If this is it... goodbye old friend."
To be continued...