Prologue

Part 1

Things happened so quickly in the final moments of Trixie and Luna's coup. Twilight Sparkles, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie watched as their friend Fluttershy lifted Trixie into the air. Trixie's struggle sent off sparks of magic as Fluttershy flew higher and higher.

"What is she doing?," Twilight said. Her voice shook with obvious concern. Fluttershy was not normally an impulsive pony but as Trixie's glowing horn had turned towards a fallen Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy acted with the speed of light. She bit Trixie on the back of the neck and started flying.

"She doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Just straight up.," Applejack said.

"There's... only one... reason to go... up...," Rainbow Dash groaned in pain. Only moments ago, as Rainbow Dash flew to confront Luna on the battlefield, Trixie used her magic to fling a massive boulder in her direction. The boulder smashed into Rainbow Dash and while Twilight's magic pillowed the blow it wasn't enough to prevent the obvious... Rainbow Dash's wings were broken. "The... Rainboom."

"Can she even do that? I mean I know Rainbow can but then again she's Rainbow Dash. Can every pegasus do the Sonic Rainboom? Wouldn't Fluttershy do the Flutterboom?," Pinkie Pie began rambling.

"Quiet down, Pinkie!," Rarity yelled.

"She can't help it, Rarity. She's nervous.," Twilight Sparkles said. And why wouldn't she be? From here on the ground the ponies were helpless to aid Fluttershy. Although now that she thought about it was Pinkie nervous? Sometimes with Pinkie it was hard to tell.

"Somethings happening.," Rarity said.

"No... she... can't do... it...," Rainbow Dash moaned.

"See! I told ya."

"PINKIE!," the ponies all yelled.

"It's... too much... for her. If she... doesn't... time it... right... she won't be... able to... pull... up..." Exhausted Rainbow Dash laid her head on the ground yet her eyes remained fixed on the horizon. Fixed on Fluttershy.

Fluttershy's path began to slow. Trixie's magic flowed faster and faster as she tried to hit her attacker with a spell... any spell.

"What are you doing?," she yelled as loud as she could in order to overcome the sound of the wind rushing by.

"I'm ending this.," Fluttershy grunted through clinched teeth.

"What are you going to do? Drop Trixie? You really think that will stop the great and powerful Trixie?"

"No. I'm going to make sure of your death." With that Fluttershy began her decent.

Trixie began to panic. "Death! Now Fluttershy is this really necessary? Trixie will talk to Luna. We'll cease our attack!" But Trixie knew that nothing would stop Fluttershy. Normally meek, Fluttershy was prone to give in to rage at times. In desperation Trixie began to use every spell in she could think of.

Fluttershy's mind, clouded in rage, was as chaotic as a Pinkie Pie party. While her heart sunk at the thought of destroying Trixie she could not overcome the rage she had felt when Trixie struck out at one of her friends... especially Rainbow Dash. A blood lust was upon her. No longer would Trixie taunt and annoy her friends. Already she had progressed to more than a simple nuisance. Now she was a threat. Fluttershy was determined to end that threat. She felt the wind on her face. It traced her body as she flew towards her destiny.

Trixie began to realize there was little she would be able to do to stop her fate. Thoughts of regret surfaced in her mind but they were eclipsed at the unfairness of her situation. Trixie was supposed to be the star. The great and powerful Trixie was supposed to be the name on the lips of everypony in Equstria. Where did she go wrong?

"Fine, Fluttershy. Trixie may be past tense in a few moments but your going with me." With those words Trixie performed her last act of magic. It was a binding spell. "Prepare to say Flutterbye!"

Panic ripped through Fluttershy's mind. She couldn't move her wings. She struggled against Trixie's spell but there was little she could do against magic.

"I'm sorry, my friends."

Rainbow Dash continued to look towards the sky. Something was wrong. Fluttershy would never make it. Rainbow Dash struggled to stand. She groaned in pain. Rarity turned to her.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?"

Rainbow Dash was on her front hooves struggling to summon enough energy to stand. The pain was unbearable but she overcame it with the though of Flutterhshy. She snorted as she finally stood on shaky legs.

"Something's wrong...," she said. She could now see that Fluttershy wasn't even attempting to pull out of the dive. What was she doing?

"Girls," Rarity turned towards to growing streak in the sky. "She's right. What's going on up there?"

Twilight Sparkle's horn began to glow. "I might have a spell that can increase my eye sight maybe... OH NO!" She gasped in a mix of panic and fear as she understood what was going on in the skies above them. "Trixie used a binding spell on her wings. They're both falling to their death."

"NO!" All the ponies yelled in shock.
"Not if... I... can help... it.," Rainbow Dash said flapping her broken wings. She began to rise off the ground but just as quickly fell. She started to trot towards Fluttershy's decent, pain etched across her face. Her heart raced in panic. She began to beat her wings again. As she rose higher she could see that Fluttershy had seconds before it was too late. She rose higher and higher, drifting towards her friend. "I'm coming, Fluttershy. Hang on... NO!"

Rainbow Dash's wings snapped. She yelled in pain as the her friends came to her. Applejack and Pinkie Pie stood on each side of her, bracing her as she watched toward the horizon. Fluttershy and Trixie fell below the tree line. The impact could be heard from where the ponies were currently standing over a half a mile away. A few seconds later a large plume of dust could be seen rising to the sky.

Almost instantly they could all feel it. Their friend was dead.