{ CHAPTER 1 }
Rainbow Dash trotted through the streets of the once-joyful Canterlot. Although she was wearing the mysterious Mare Do Well's costume, no one gave her a second glance. They didn't seem to care.
The cyan pony stopped at a fork in the paved road and gritted her teeth, He HAS to be around here someplace! The 'he' Rainbow Dash was referring to was an old advisor of Princess Celestia's. There were rumors...rumors that he was still loyal to the old Equestria.
With a nervous gulp Rainbow Dash looked both ways, then decided to go right. She had no idea if this was the right way or not.
Rainbow Dash came to some dark alley on the outskirts of the town, where this mysterious stallion was said to live.
"Hello?" She said aloud, "Is...is anyone here?"
A dark shadow ran behind her. She spun around quickly.
"Who's there?" The mare hissed, crouching defensively. A brown shape formed behind her and raised a hoof…and tapped Rainbow Dash tentatively, shying away when she turned to face him. Her dark cape swished around with her movement, and ended up covering her face. She her head to get it off, then resumed her defensive stance.
"Who are YOU?" The stallion snorted, jabbing an accusing foreleg at her.
"Are still with Celestia?" Rainbow Dash growled back at him, ignoring the question. The stallion seemed to relax a bit, but his reply was tense.
"Are you?" Rainbow Dash stood up straight and flared out her wings.
"Yes. I am." Her reply was tinged with sadness and an element of fear.
"Then I am as well. I could never betray my princess. Not for anypony." The stallion's ears drooped sadly. "Come with me." The brown pony turned and started to walk away.
Rainbow Dash considered her options. She could go with this guy and risk a trap, or she could leave. I have nothing left to lose. Rainbow Dash realized, and so she surged forward to catch up with the mysterious pony.
The two ponies came to a small stone house just outside of Canterlot. The brown stallion pushed open the door and walked inside, motioning for Rainbow Dash to do the same. The house was small, with only one room. A bed stood in the corner and a fireplace with smoldering coals in it was the only light. In front of the fireplace was a table with two chairs.
"Sit down." The stallion neighed, pulling out a chair and sitting in it himself.
"I'd rather not." Rainbow Dash replied. She never let her guard down. Not anymore.
"Now I'd like to know who I'm talking to." The pony raised an eyebrow, expecting an answer.
"After you." Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves and peered at him through her black mask. The pony scowled, but then seemed to realise it was hopeless.
"Fair enough. My name is Quillton." The light from the coals illuminated his Cutie Mark, which was a red quill. With an unsure gaze over her magenta eyes, Rainbow Dash slowly took off her purple hat, and the her darker purple mask. She had no idea if this was a mistake or not, but she didn't have much more to lose.
She had though Quillton would be surprised, flabbergasted even, that Rainbow Dash, one of th only living members of the Mane Six, was in his house. But the stallion didn't look surprised in the least.
"Rainbow Dash. Loyalty. I should have known it was you." He sniffed. Rainbow Dash looked at her cloaked hooves when he said 'loyalty'.
"Yes. I was...I am supposed to be, aren't I? But I'm not. When we were cornered by Discord and Sombra, when we were about to die...I ran. I was supposed to be loyal...I abandoned friends to die. I should have stayed with them! I should have-"
"Died with them? Abandoned Equestria? You are the last hope for us. You and Pinkie Pie." Quillton interrupted her, "Your loyalty to your friends is admirable, but your loyalty to the world you live in is something else. Think about it. They would want you to be here." Rainbow Dash simply shrugged, not daring to look Quillton in the eye. The resulting lapse in the conversation was awkward, and it ended up with both ponies strain into the dying fire. After what seemed like an eternity, Rainbow Dash spoke,
"What I need to know is...how do I revive the elements?" Quillton stared at her with seriousness, sky-blue eyes locking with magenta. He stood and turned away from the cyan pegasus with a small sigh.
"I'm not sure it's possible. The elements are only activated by a very strong magic that is friendship. It takes at least six ponies...united by that bond...to control them. What you and your friends shared...well that was a rare thing, a one-in-a-million shot. Of course, princesses can activate the elements as well, but so far only Princess Celestia has managed that." Quillton turned his head to look at the red-orange embers still burning in the fireplace. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, that I couldn't do more for you. But I'm afraid the elements died with your friends."
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth at his last remark. "No...there HAS to be a way! I can't just let my country fall without even attempting to save it! Surely me and Pinkie still being alive has to count for something! Please...if there is any other way..." She stomped her cyan hoof in frustration, a scowl deepening in her features.
"But there-" Quillton was interrupted by a crash as the door to the small cottage was broken down. Two guards, a brown pegasus and a white unicorn, dressed in armor entered the cottage.
In between them was the shadow-infested Nightmare Moon, whom the Mane Six had supposedly vanquished long ago.
"Halt!" Nightmare Moon hissed, stalking towards Rainbow Dash, who looked surprised but not scared in the least, "Well, well...I see we have finally captured you, Rainbow Dash."