Rainbow Dash had only ever moved faster when she pulled off the sonic rainboom, excluding that one time, the blue Pegasus had never moved so fast in her life. The wind tore at her mane blowing like a mad monster behind her. She could still feel Scootaloo clinging to her back for dear life, a good thing since at this speed she would have torn off a while ago otherwise.
Her mind was focused forward but not so much that she missed the sound of her own name in a familiar voice. The cyan mare glanced down as she bolted over the ground and saw the familiar shapes of a white and lavender unicorn. With a quick bank to the right and spiraling down she hit the ground, a little hard, but landed near her friends. "Rarity! Twilight!" She yelled before the two mentioned tackled her in a hug crying. "uhh?"
"Rainbow dash!" Twilight sobbed. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"We were so worried darling." Rarity said trying to regain her composure.
"I'm ok girls." The tomcolt said wrapping her friends in hug. A muffled squeal made Rainbow suddenly remember who was behind her and now underneath her. "Oops, sorry scoots." Rainbow said pushing her friends back to the small filly could get out from under them. The orange filly shook her head in annoyance but didn't seem hurt.
"Where's Fluttershy? What happened? Did you see Darkside?" Twilight started shooting off questions one after another without giving Rainbow Dash a chance to answer. Rainbow however silenced her friend with a hoof over her mouth.
"Look Twilight I don't have time to explain. Shy's in trouble, I gotta go help her." The rainbow mare said urgently. "Can you take Scootaloo back and get her somewhere safe?"
"No. Rainbow Dash I want to come with you." Scootaloo interrupted stepping up to her hero.
Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her shoulder. "I know scoot, but you gotta be safe ok? Go back with your friends. Keep an eye on em for me, k?" She smiled to the filly trying to reassure her and hide the real reason for sending the filly away.
Scoot nodded bouncing her mane. "Ok. Be careful." She said before grabbing Rainbow Dash in a tight hug.
"Rainbow Dash, you can't possibly think we're going to let you go alone." Rarity objected breaking up the heartfelt moment.
"It's too dangerous to go alone. We're coming with you." Twilight interjected.
Rainbow Dash released the filly and stared her friends down, both were shocked by the look, it was hard to describe but they saw something fierce in her eyes, more intense than any look they had ever seen. This look could hold a candle to Fluttershy's stare.
"No." she said firmly. "Fluttershy might be in trouble. I-I failed her earlier, I have to make it up to her."
"But . . ." Twilight paused remembering the filly's presence. "We don't know what happened. Lloyd said it might be bad, he said we have to help our friends and that means helping you and Fluttershy."
"Girls, I don't know how to tell you everything that happened. Not right now, but I have to help Fluttershy. I'll be faster on my own and if anyone can help her, it's me." Rainbow's intense gaze never shook.
Rarity bit her lip hesitating before saying what she felt it needed to be said. "Rainbow Dash, we know about Big Mac." Rarity mumbled to ensure she didn't lose control.
The words finally shook the blue mare's steely look. "Oh." She whispered. She clenched her teeth and reset her face with her firm eyes. "Then you know why I have to help Fluttershy. I promise I'll come back. With Fluttershy."
Rarity opened her mouth to respond but was cut off. "Ok Rainbow." Twilight said overriding whatever Rarity was about to say. "You help Fluttershy and get back to the library. We'll go help Pinkie and Applejack." She stepped up to her friend and without any warning pulled her into a tight hug. "Be careful." She whispered in her ear before pulling back.
Rainbow Dash nodded sternly before kicking off the ground into the air. A moment later she was gone leaving a blur in her wake.
Rarity walked next to Twilight speaking low so the filly watching the vanishing trail wouldn't hear. "Twilight, is this a good idea? She shouldn't go alone, what if. . . what if something happened to Fluttershy?"
"Nothing happened, and if it did Rainbow Dash will fix It." Twilight said firmly. It sounded mad but Twilight seemed perfectly confident in what she and said.
"How can you be so sure Twilight? You didn't see what that . . . monster did at the castle. We've never seen anything like this." The pale unicorn was truly afraid but still kept her voice low.
Twilight looked to Rarity who was shocked to see the same fierce look in her eyes that Rainbow had possessed. "Because if there is anything I've learned, it's to believe in my friends. And I know we can get through this, no matter how bad it seems. Come on, we need to move. Come on Scootaloo!" She called to the filly drawing her with the older mares and running back towards town.
In the deeper parts of her mind Twilight said a quick wish for Rainbow and for Fluttershy, for both their sake.
. . .
Rainbow Dash shot through the air following a dark but familiar trail to her friend's home. She didn't know for sure if Fluttershy was even there, but it was the best place to start, if not here then she would have to try sweet apple acres, after that she would search all of Equestria till she found her. The image of sweet little Fluttershy crying in pain while that monster cut her snapped back in her mind making her choke. Never again. She could only hope that the beast hadn't followed up on his threat or that Fluttershy had managed to hide from him well enough.
Please be okay shy. She hoped as the cottage came into view. She whipped down to the ground again landing too hard and making her legs buckle. With a groan she stumbled to her feet and to the door of the cottage. The door wouldn't budge. "Fluttershy!" She yelled banging on the door. The Pegasus waited for a moment but there was no response, no talking at least. She could hear something but she couldn't place it. "Fluttershy open up! It's me!" She called banging on the door harder.
The rainbow maned mare gave up on the door. Her heart was beating out of her chest and a cold sweat was sinking into her fur. Something wasn't right. She leaped into the air and found her way into the upper bedroom through the ever open window. The house was dark with no light but the moon in the windows. "Fluttershy!" She yelled again, panic was setting in, fear creeping in her spine. The room was empty and so was the next, she finally made her way to the stars jumping the whole set to the first floor.
And froze.
The entry room was only half lit but the windows were at the right angle to let the moon's light shine in. The dull pale light illuminated the room revealing the dirty floor, smears and pools of liquid that lead around to the door back and against the far wall next to a broken end table. The light caught on the shining edge of a knife, at least it caught on the parts not smeared red.
Dash felt her whole body freeze and her stomach turn. She felt sick, like she was about to throw up but worse, worse than she ever felt. "Fluu-" She started but her voice died off when she looked up from the knife and all the air left her body.
Leaning against the wall, unmoving was a yellow and red lump with strands of pink hanging over it. Her hooves were limp at her sides, her mane shrouding her face like it sometimes did, her wings unnaturally drooped and limp behind her. Laying in one hoof was the knife, in the other was a frame with dirty smeared glass.
"Shy?" She whispered stepping closer ignoring the pool of blood she stepped in. Tears were in her eyes blurring the room and her voice was shaking. She let them fall as she approached the mare she loved. Fluttershy didn't move, didn't stir even when Rainbow said her name again. "Please shy, please no." She cried walking next to her friend. Blood tainted her butter colored fur, all along her forelegs cuts and lashes etched long her skin. "Please Shy, no!" She sobbed. "Fluttershy!" She screamed falling into her lover's chest and crying. The blood was still warm on her fur but she didn't care as she sobbed and held her friend.
"Not like this! Noooo!" She wailed clinging tightly to the yellow Pegasus. Nothing mattered outside of that moment, not to her, not ever.
Thump.
Her eyes shot open and her sobbing fell silent. Rainbow fell silent and still, not daring to even breath.
Thump.
She pulled her head from Fluttershy's chest and looked to her. She had heard it, it was there, a heartbeat. "Fluttershy?" She said hopefully cupping the mare's face in her hooves. "Cmon Shy, Open your eyes." She cooed brushing the mane from her face. Her coat was matted with blood and tears but she could feel it now, she was still breathing, the warm breath hitting Dash's face.
"Cmon shy, wake up, wake up." She said gently shaking the small mare. "Cmon."
Rainbow's heart raced when she saw the mare's eyes slowly creep open. Words couldn't describe the joy in that moment as she embraced the yellow Pegasus. "Oh Celestia! Fluttershy! You're okay!" She cried into the pink mane.
"Dashie?" The other mare said weakly. "Dashie, is . . . is it you?"
"Of course it is silly filly." Dash said pulling back to look her in the eye. Her own eyes were flooding with tears of joy at being able to look into Fluttershy's light blue orbs. The yellow mare returned the happy look and even the happy tears.
"Then. . . then I did it." She hung her head her smile persisting. "I'm dead."
"What? No you're not." Rainbow said, more than a little shocked. "You're not dead Fluttershy, your fine. You're safe."
Fluttershy locked eyes with her friend, her smile relenting. She glanced down to her hooves, stained and covered in blood. "I'm . . . I'm alive?" She asked not looking at Dash's nodding head. "No no no no." She whispered franticly suddenly pulling away from Dash as if she were trying to push her way through the wall.
"Fluttershy what's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked trying to pull her injured friend back to her but Fluttershy flailed her hooves at her friend forcing Dash back.
"Go away! You're not real! Rainbow Dash is dead!" She screamed trying to fight off the taunting phantom crying again.
Rainbow Dash was shoved back surprised by the other filly's attack. "Fluttershy, what are you talking about? I'm not dead." She said confused and a little scared.
"No! No!" The yellow Pegasus wailed shoving the other away. "Rainbow Dash is dead! She died because of me." Fluttershy's voice fell into a weak whimper. "She died because of me, because I was too weak, I'm just a burden on every pony." She started sobbing and pulling her forelegs and wings around herself in a ball.
Dash slowly reached out with her hoof. "Shy, it's okay. You're not a burden, I promise, please." The cyan mare begged quietly as she reached for her friend but Fluttershy pulled deeper into herself.
"It's my fault." She sobbed. "Sh-she died cause of me. I-I-I just want to see her again."
"Fluttershy I'm right here! Look at me!" Rainbow Dash pulled at her friend's muzzle trying to force her to look at her but Fluttershy kept resisting.
"No! You're not real! You're just trying to trick me!" She wailed shoving the blue mare away. When Dash fell back Fluttershy eyed the knife on the ground. "I have to die. I'm weak, I'm worthless, I'm just a scared little filly." She sobbed as she crawled to the blade.
"No!" Dash yelled jumping between Fluttershy and the bloody knife, kicking it away before she could reach for it. Fluttershy tried to push past Dash but the cyan mare held strong not letting her friend pass.
"Fluttershy stop it!" Rainbow yelled. It killed her to hear such things from her friend, Fluttershy was always timid, scared, maybe even weak but she never hated herself. "You're not a burden, I told you before I'll be strong for you." She said trying to assure her friend.
The yellow filly relented and fell back to the wall in her own blood. "Just go away. Let little Fluttershy die, she doesn't want to hurt any pony else." She sobbed into her wing hiding behind her mane. Dash noticed then she was scratching at the wounds on her forelegs tearing at them.
"Stop it!" She yelled jumping into Fluttershy pushing her forelegs aside. She pressed Fluttershy against the wall pushing her forelegs apart so the yellow mare couldn't move or fight. "You are weak Fluttershy but you're more than that!" Dash said trying to reign in her anger. "You're the kindest creature in all of Equestria, you're always there to help your friends, you are cuter than a box of kittens, and . . ." She stumbled over her last words. "You're the mare I love."
Dash didn't give Fluttershy a chance to respond before crashing her lips against hers. The kiss was met with a surprised muffled cry from Fluttershy but she didn't resist and after a moment Dash felt her lips soften and the kiss returned. She smiled to herself and pulled away gentling brushing the pink mane back to reveal the sad face beneath it. Fluttershy tried to say something but only the tiniest squeak came out of her mouth.
Rainbow Dash quietly wrapped the smaller mare in a warm embrace encircling the butter colored mare with her wings and holding her close. She felt the shy mare shake in her grip and sob into her mane. "It's alright." She cooed petting her mane.
"W-w-what h-h-happened?" She tried to speak between sobs.
Rainbow didn't answer since she really didn't know. She kept patting her lover and holding her close. "It doesn't matter. You're safe." Rainbow said quietly. She took a moment to suck back her tears and straighten her face before pulling away and looking at Fluttershy. "Are you ok now?" She asked.
The pink mane bounced as she slowly nodded her head. "Y-yeah. I'm fine." She said with a pitifully weak smile. Dash saw through it and hugged her again.
"I'm so sorry Fluttershy." She whispered. "It's my fault you got hurt. I. . . I lost." She admitted with a hanging head. "Can you forgive me?"
Fluttershy was still light headed, her mind swimming in some delirious state of confusion but she was aware enough to know that Rainbow Dash had never sounded like this, so sad and sacred. It worried her to say the least. Something came to her though, her hooves moving without any thought to grab her friend and pull her close letting her butter wings lay over her back.
"Don't do that Dash." She whispered. "You saved me from . . . from whatever this was." She said still confused how she had ended up in such a state. She felt safe now, safer than ever before. Even with all of her cuts she couldn't have felt safer if surrounded by an army or royal guards than she did in Dash's embrace. "You didn't lose, you saved me." She breathed resting her head on the cyan mare's shoulders.
Rainbow Dash had to put a lot of effort into not crying at what she heard. But she suppressed her tears, knowing if there was ever a time to be strong for Fluttershy it was now. She pulled back and planted a quick peck on the pale mare's cheek. She looked at her briefly before her face fell. "Stay here for just a second. I promise I'll be right back." She added the promise when Fluttershy silently shook her head, but the promise seemed to ease her worries.
Rainbow Dash disappeared around the corner and was back before Fluttershy could even think about her being gone, a familiar white case clenched in her teeth. Rainbow dash walked back to her friend and set the case down. "Uhh I think I uhh need to clean those cuts." She said awkwardly, a little unfamiliar with what she was doing.
Fluttershy smiled at her friend. "No its okay Rainbow. I-I can do it." She said meekly reaching for the first aid kit but Rainbow's blue wing pushed her hoof away.
"No, I'm going to help you. Now uh lay still ok?" She said firmly but her voice lost its resolve. Fluttershy smiled warmly and nodded obeying by lying still before the Pegasus. Rainbow dash opened the case and started shuffling about with a wing. She was quite familiar with everything in the case but more from experience of having it used on her after many painful crashes when Fluttershy had nursed her back. She really wasn't used to being the one delivering the care.
She pulled out the first thing she thought she would need, some anesthetic and a cloth inside the box. She gave a small glace at Fluttershy from the corner of her eye to ensure she was doing everything right. The yellow Pegasus wasn't giving any indication what she was doing was wrong, simply looking on with shy and hesitant glances. Rainbow Dash poured some of the foul spelling liquid into the cloth and leaned to her friend running the wet cloth over her legs.
"Sorry." She mumbled when Fluttershy winced despite her best efforts to try and be strong. Dash cleaned the blood away as best she could before getting the bandage and gauze from the kit and wrapping the legs. She went from one cut to another her confidence growing as she went. For some reason she giggled a little when she wrapped up one of the last cuts on her legs.
"Why are you laughing? If uh you d-don't mind s-saying." Fluttershy whispered.
Dash just smiled looking up from her friends injured legs. "It's just funny. Unusually you're the one patching me up after I crash." The blue mare's face tinted red as she bandaged the last cut. "It's just . . . funny." She giggled. "There. Feel any better?"
Fluttershy moved her legs and was impressed Rainbow had done such a good job so quickly. She nodded happily. "Thank you Dashie." She said leaning forward and hugging her again. Rainbow hugged back and stroked her friend's back. She could feel Fluttershy shake a little in her grip. "I'm so sorry Dashie." She started sobbing again.
"Hey don't worry about it k shy?" She encouraged. "Your safe, and that's all that matters." She smiled pulling back to lightly nuzzle Fluttershy's muzzle. The yellow filly gave a content sigh as she leaned against her love letting her head rest on her shoulder. Rainbow smiled as her wing draped over Fluttershy.
"Shy?" She said when the Pegasus's eyes started to drift close.
"Hmm?" She asked without opening her eyes.
"You can't fall asleep. Cmon we have to get going." She gently bobbed her shoulder jostling the half asleep mare. Any other time she might have just sat down and let Fluttershy sleep but now they had places to go and friends to help.
"Where are we going?" She asked blinking her eyes over and over to try and get the sleep from them.
"Twilight and Rarity went . . . they want us to go back to the library and wait for em." Rainbow said changing her mind mid-way. She didn't see any reason to worry Fluttershy over what might have happened since she didn't know for sure. "Think you can fly?"
Fluttershy stood on her hooves her eyes wincing close as she did but she managed to stand up right. "Y-yeah. I-I can make it." She winced as her face twisted in pain.
"Shy, I can fly you there, are you sure you can do it?" She asked.
Fluttershy nodded her head, keeping her eyes closed in pain. Her legs felt bad, the cuts still really sore and the loss of blood was making her weak. "I can m-make it." She stuttered hobbling to the door. Rainbow was next to her forcing herself under Shy's wings and helping to support her out of the door once it was unlocked.
Once outside she gave a flap of her wings and Fluttershy notably eased once she was in the air. Dash smiled seeing a forced but genuine smile cross her friends face. "We'll take it slow ok?" She said rubbing beside her for a moment. Fluttershy nodded and pressed back. The two slowly lifted into the air staying close to each other, Rainbow Dash often gliding over to brush against the pale yellow Pegasus, assuring her as well as herself.
Shy was safe. That was enough for now.
. . .
Applejack pushed back with her own hooves as much as she could her hoof digging into the pink chest before her. Her eyes were locked deep in Pinkie's blue eyes but they were different, narrowed in anger and a rage words couldn't describe. AJ's broken leg wasn't doing her much good and every time Pinkie pushed harder it jerked the bone making her scream.
The pink pony had already managed to get Applejack once across the face with the blade of glass she held and no matter what the farmer tried she seemed to not hear. The mad and constantly crying pony seemed intent on bloodshed at any cost, even her own hoof which was mutilated by the shard of glass she had used as her weapon. Applejack had broken once piece already but the glass on the ground made replacing it a simple feat for her.
The glass on the ground didn't make her struggles any easier either, no matter how she moved when Pinkie attacked glass wound grind into her back adding to the blood on the floor. The pain was unbearable but most of it had faded. That was actually the worst of it, she couldn't feel much anymore, her hind legs were completely numb, to the point they were simply dead weight in her struggle to keep distance between her and Pinkie.
The orange mare yelled and shoved the raving pony away with all her strength managing to knock her off her balance and with a jab of her head she sent Pinkie pie stumbling back across the little room falling into a sea of broken glass.
"Pinkie Pie. . . are you o. . .ok." She huffed trying to breath while she could.
The pink pony rolled in the glass splashing fresh blood on the ground. "Shut up! Why won't you just shut up!" She cried. Her eyes were more saddening than scary, swollen puffy red from her nonstop crying. AJ felt her stomach drop when Pinkie pulled away against the wall. "Why won't you just leave me alone?" She sobbed.
"Pinkie . . .we're . . .friends. Don't ya'll re. . .remember me?" The farmer asked while she wiped more blood from her right eye. The eye caused her too much pain to open but the blood was getting in her remaining eye robbing what vision she had. Her side was still bleeding, if she didn't get help soon she wasn't going to make it.
The pink mare shook her head and pressed her hooves to her ears. "No. No! I don't have any friends!" She shouted her weak and broken voice echoing off the walls. "Ponies just want to hurt me. To beat on little weird Pinkie pie, to . . . to touch me." She sniffled and her head drooped lower.
"Pinkie, what . . . what happened in . . . the past. It's gone." Her words stopped as she coughed violently sending sprays of blood on the ground and making her chest feel like it was caving in. "I love you Pinks." She muttered. "Yur . . . ah great friend. Yur better . .thn . . ." her words were dropping off, her good eye failing her and becoming dark like the other one.
Pinkie seemed to hesitate but her teeth grit in anger. "No! No pony would ever be my friend! Not after what happened! You're lying!" The crazed party pony scrambled over the glass and leapt at her target the glass raised over head again. AJ managed to reach up and catch the blade wielding hoof so it didn't drop on her chest but Pinkie loomed over her pressing down with all her might.
AJ could feel her leg shaking, what strength she had was leaving her through the hole in her side. She could never look away from Pinkie above her, the hurt broken look in her eyes was the saddest thing she had ever seen. The party pony was never not smiling, this dark snarl and face of fear was not something she should ever wear. The Farmer had one last hope, one last thing to try, for her friend. It was the least she could do, since it was her fault Pinkie had been left at that monsters hooves.
It was too late for her, it wasn't too late for Pinkie.
AJ let go of the hoof letting it drop down. She bit her teeth as the sharp edge fell right through her chest. She couldn't choke back the gasp of pain but didn't scream. Pinkie fell down her face touching Applejack's from the sudden lack of resistance. The orange mare wrapped a foreleg around her friend and held her close as the sharp piece of glass joined them together. Pinkie stared in shock, not anger or rage.
"I'm sorry." Applejack choked out, her voice was wet and thick, she could feel something drowning in her throat burning it. "Yur better. . . than . . .this." She coughed once trying to clear her throat so she could speak. "You deserve. . . friends. Better . . .than . . ." her words didn't come out but instead the mare opened her eyes wide and tried to suck in some more air but the air left her mouth brushing over the pink mares as the Farmer's eyes fell closed.
The pink pony didn't move, sitting in absolute silent and stillness in the dark room over her dead enemy. No. she wasn't an enemy. She was Apple jack. AJ. "AJ?" She asked letting go of her makeshift weapon and placing her hooves on the farmer's shoulders. "AJ. Wake up." She whispered. "AJ this isn't funny, wake up." She sobbed shaking her friend more but she didn't move or stir. "No. Applejack, no." She whispered brushing the dirty messy mane from her face. "I-I-I didn't mean it!" She cried. What had she done! She-she didn't know what happened! It didn't make sense! Why would she attack her friend! Applejack was hurt, hurt because of her.
"Applejack! Wake up!" She screamed shaking her friend but the orange head only bounced limply as she shook her. Pinkie felt her eyes well in tears and watched them fall on her friend's freckled face seeping into her coat. "Applejack!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she buried her face in the messy blond mane. Her tears wet the blond hair as she cried holding the body close to her, screaming for help in the empty room, where no one could hear her.