Chapters Chapter 1. Meet and Greet
Chapter 1. Meet and Greet
Rainbow Dash was floating. She was floating above the clouds looking down on Ponyville. However, Rainbow Dash wasn't using her wings. She didn't feel the flapping sensation she felt when she was soaring through the sky at brake-neck pace. Turning to her sides, she wondered how in Equestria she had managed to get so high. She thought that her wings could provide an answer, so she looked at them for advice. To her horror, Rainbow Dash saw nothing but her her stream line sides. Her wings had disappeared and Rainbow was suspended in the air.
"What?! Where are my wings? Where in Equestrian are they?!" Rainbow Dash began to panic. She studied her sides hoping that her wings would appear out of nowhere like nothing ever happened. However, they didn't. Rainbow Dash looked down at Ponyville hoping to see a pony or a femiliar face that she could get help from. Sadly, it seemed nopony was outside and even if there was nopony could hear Rainbow Dash's cries for help. Rainbow Dash looked back to her sides to check if her wings were there. Yet again, they weren't.
"Great! Now what do I do? How do I get down?" Rainbow Dash rummaged through her mind and tried desperately to think up away to get down to Ponyville. That's when a her mind pulled out a piece of memory, which made Rainbow Dash shiver. Ponyville was abandoned and desolate. Sweat began to trickle down Rainbow's face, as her breathing became quicker.
"Ponyville is... How?" Her mind only offered questions, not answers and Rainbow Dash began to shake. Her mind then gave her information, which instantly stopped her thoughts. The war. The war of the ponies. The Earth ponies, Pegasus' and Unicorns turning on one another. Families torn apart, relationships shattered, friendships broken. Friendships. Rainbow Dash's friendships. What about her friends? Did they now hate each other? Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack, now enemies? Rainbow Dash tried to tell herself otherwise, but it was no use. Her heart dropped and her emotions rose. A tear slowly formed in Rainbow's eyes and a lump formed in her throat. Hastily, Rainbow Dash swallowed her tears, but failed to keep a disheartened sob from escaping her throat.
"What's going on?" Rainbow Dash finally said with a croaky voice. Another fact refreshed it's self in Rainbow's mind and answered her question. The whole war had began due to political views on the three Alicorns. The Earth Ponies had sided with Celestia and agreed that Equestria should only have one Princess that everypony could trust. The Unicorns believed that Cadence had the better ideals and opinions and sided with her. They wanted Cadence to be the ruler of Equestria and have a month dedicated to valentines day and love. Cadence also wanted to be with her husband Shining Armour and stepsister Twilight Sparkle. Luna the remaining princess wanted to keep things how they were. She wanted equal rights to the throne and complete harmony across the land. Sadly, the opposite happened. The Pegasus ponies and Luna both paired together and fought for justice and peace. So far the battle wasn't over and many ponies had lost their lives. Each side were even and equally numbered. Anything could happen. Rainbow Dash couldn't move. Her heart raced and a lone tear ran down her face. She saw images of blood and pony corpses flash in front of her eyes. That's when a picture of Rainbow Dash and her friends standing together appeared in her minds. Despite the war, Rainbow Dash was certain they were all friends no matter what. She could see their smiling faces and hear their joyful laughter. She desperately wanted to see them, to hug them. She felt like she would do anything to be with them. That's when Rainbow heard a voice. At first Rainbow Dash was clueless to who it was, but the more she heard it she began to understand who it was.
"Rainbow... Hear... Can you... Please... Rainbow Dash..." The voice was that of of a mare's and one that Rainbow Dash knew. It was Twilight Sparkle's voice. Immediately, Rainbow Dash turned to see we're the voice was coming from.
"Twilight? Where are you? It's me, Rainbow Dash!" She said, her voice full of hope and joy. That's when Rainbow saw her. She was standing to the side of Rainbow Dash facing her. She was only a shoulder length away from her and had a smile on her face. Her sleek mane looked smooth and well brushed. Her purple coat shimmered in the light and her dark purple eyes shone. Rainbow Dash was overwhelmed at the sight of her friend. All she wanted to do was hug her and ask her what was going on.
"Twilight! What's going on? How did I get up here? What's this war? Where are my-"
Twilight put her hoof to Rainbow's mouth. "So many questions," she said with a smile. "First of all, you're dreaming. You're dream was made up by your subconscious, which you can't control. Your wings are there, but you can't see them. When you awake they'll be thee safe and sound."
Rainbow Dash sighed with relief. She then coughed and to act calm and intellectual. "Yeah, I totally knew that. Of course I know I'm dreaming and that there's no war and such." Rainbow Dash smiled awkwardly and laughed jokingly.
Twilight stared at her. "I wish you were right." She said looking down.
Rainbow Dash blinked, and rubbed the back of her man in confusion. She opened her mouth to question Twilight, but she spoke first.
"I wish you were just sleeping and this was a figment of your imagination. Sadly, it isn't." Twilight looked up at the shocked Rainbow Dash with tears in her eyes. "It's true this isn't reality, but it doesn't mean this is all fake. Right now your body is in an underground bunker with other Pegasus ponies. The war is real Rainbow Dash. We are now taught to kill."
Rainbow Dash couldn't breath. She'd gone into total shock at what Twilight had told her. Thoughts were flying through her mind. Where the overs ok? Underground bunker? Apples? She thought her head would explode with all the overwhelming thoughts and questions. She stared at Twilight who was now sobbing in front of her.
"Twilight, I... Are the others... Ok?" Rainbow Dash forced the words out and hoped her friends were alive and well.
Twilight whipped her eyes and forced a smile on thee face. "Yeah. They're all ok. Applejack is with Pinkie Pie. They both want to leave their camp and get to the Everfree forest. That's what me and Rarity want to do. If we can all meet at the Everfree forest then we can work out what to do. I spoke to Applejack and Pinkie Pie and they agree that we should meet. Rarity also thinks that it's a splendid idea."
Rainbow Dash relaxed at Twilight's words. She felt at ease knowing that her friends were ok. That's when Rainbow Dash's ears pricked up. "Wait, you said you spoke to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. How? If this war does exist then how can you meet them and talk with 'em?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Twilight smiled and laughed. "The same way me and you are talking. I dream hopped!" Twilight perked.
Rainbow Dash blinked. "What?"
Twilight shook her head, still smiling. "Right now they're both sleeping like you. I entered their dreams and spoke to them. I let them know of our plan then used my magic to enter your dream. That reminds me, time is running short. I can't stay in someponies dream for to long. It uses a lot of my energy, and if they wake up I can get trapped in their sub conscious. I still have to visit Fluttershy and let her know about our secret plan." Twilight explained.
Rainbow Dash quickly absorbed the information and nodded. "Ok." She said."When should I leave?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Twilight smiled again. "As soon as possible. Try and escape when you get an opportunity. We'll meet at the entrance of The Everfree forest. Wait until we all show up, then we will each decide what we can do. See Fluttershy and go with her. It's safer in numbers." Twilight answered.
Rainbow Dash only just had time to hear what Twilight said when everything began to shake and rumble. It sounded like rocks falling of a mountain side, and smashing into a hard surface type ground. That's when the invisible wire pulling Rainbow Dash higher into the sky seemed to snap, and sent Rainbow and Twilight Sparkle plummeting to the ground. Rainbow Dash tried to keep herself straight and prevent herself from twisting and turning violently. However, the force of the wind was to strong, and Rainbow Dash began to summersault at an extreme speed. The world became blurred and Rainbow's stomach lurched. That's when Rainbow Dash felt a hoof grab hers and another hoof clutching her back.
"Try to steady yourself! Remember it's just a dream." Twilight's voice was barley audible as it got quickly taken away by the wind.
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and tried to focus. She tilted herself forward, so her belly faced the ground, which was fast approaching. Twilight's hooves let go of her and Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. She then spread her hooves and legs apart making a star shape. In all Rainbow's years at junior speedsters, she'd never thought her crash landing training would have helped her. Rainbow Dash turned her head slowly to see Twilight. She had a star shape similar to Rainbow's. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash with a focused expression.
"You're waking up Rainbow Dash! I have to leave!" She shouted. Her voice was sweep away by the force of the wind.
Rainbow Dash didn't want Twilight to leave. She wanted to go with her and see Fluttershy. She couldn't recall being with Fluttershy before hoof. However, Rainbow Dash couldn't remember much before she started dreaming. As much as she hated it, she knew Twilight was right and she had to leave. She needed to speak with Fluttershy and tell her about the meeting. Rainbow Dash nodded, accepting that she could be alone.
Sympathetically, Twilight smiled, tears trickling down her cheeks and then quickly taken away by the wind. "Please take care Rainbow Dash. You're one of my best friends, I don't want to loose any of you." She said in a soft voice.
Rainbow Dash heard her loud and she clear. She too wanted her friends to be a safe and unharmed. She longed to see them and tell them it would be okay soon. Sadly, the wouldn't be true. The war wasn't over yet, and Rainbow Dash had a feeling things wouldn't be easy. She took a deep breath and steady herself. "Okay Twilight. Go and keep safe. I'll warn Fluttershy and we'll wait for you and the Everfree Forest. Don't take to long!" She said, as brave as she could.
Twilight nodded. She closed her eyes, as her horn began to glow a light purple. It began to grow stronger and brighter. Rainbow Dash could barely see Twilight's body, as it vanished along with the bright light. It seemed to Rainbow Dash that Twilight had preformed a difficult spell, which took a lot of energy and focus. She must have been weakened by all the dream hoping and that left Twilight vulnerable. A shiver ran down Rainbow's back, as she thought of Twilight's dead corpse. The thought of her lifeless body sprawled out on the floor made Rainbow Dash feel sick. She shook her head, yelling quietly at herself for allowing her mind to think like that. She knew Twilight was of a strong heart and wouldn't give up or die easily. Rainbow Dash then focused on the task, or problem, at hoof. The ground. Instinctively, Rainbow Dash attempted to flap her wings, but quickly remembered they weren't there. "No!" She screamed, as she realised her fate. She had no way of slowing down, and there was nopony in sight. Rainbow's eyes widened as the ground crept closer and closer towards her, taunting her inevitable death. As the end grew closer the last thing Rainbow Dash thought of was her friends. She prayed she would last long enough to see them one last time. That's when the ground greeted Rainbow Dash with a crashing bro-hoof across her entire body. BAM!
Chapter 2. Just your average day
Chapter 2. Just your average day
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and darted up. She remembered falling from the sky and something about a meeting. At first she couldn't remember where she was or what she was doing. That's when her memories flooded back and Rainbow remembered that she was in an underground bunker during a cold blooded war, about to escape to find her friends. 'Seems legit.' She thought.
"Oh! I'm glad you're awake. Sorry if I disturbed you. It's just that it's almost time for our daily wash and battle talk." Said a timid voice next to her.
Rainbow Dash turned her head to see her friend Fluttershy cowering next to her. Her long pink mane covered half her face, and her yellow body was shaking slightly. She was still shy and timid, but since the war began she had became more socially awkward and barely talked. She didn't even say a lot to Rainbow Dash most of the time. Rainbow Dash ignored Fluttershy and stepped out of the bed sleepily. She turned her back to her and began making the bed, as Fluttershy stepped back.
"Um... When you're done with that we need to comb our manes, brush our teeth and wash our faces. Sorry if I'm being forceful. You, um, know what Sarge is like..." Her voice was quiet and apologetic.
Rainbow Dash neatened up her pillow and turned to Fluttershy, who shrank back. "I don't care much about Sarge. I have something more important I need to talk to you about." Rainbow Dash said, grumpily. She looked around the room. There were four ponies in each room and they all had one bed. Rainbow Dash shared a room with Fluttershy, a mare called Scarlet Melody and another mare called Sunny Days. Scarlet Melody's bed was a scarlet red, which matched her mane. There was a guitar propped up against the wall behind it and a sketch book underneath her bed with a lone pencil. Sunny Days bed was yellow, which matched her coat. Underneath her bed was a box of gun ammunition and a black pistol. Fluttershy's bed covers were pink and matched her mane. On her bed sat a white toy bunny rabbit, which resembled her dead pet Angel. Rainbow Dash's bed was cyan blue and had a signed Wonderbolts poster above it, which she owned when she was a filly. Under her pillow was her favourite book called 'Daring Do and the golden staff'. It wasn't great, but it had a homely feel to it. The walls were mined from cobblestone and had wood covering the cracks. The ceiling was sturdy, but needed wooden planks to support it. A single light dangled from the ceiling in the middle of the room, which flickered on and off throughout the day. The rooms weren't to big, but it was enough for the four ponies. They each occupied a corner of the square room and only shared a cracked mirror at the far end of the room. The ponies weren't to close, but they would chat and laugh with each other mostly about their families and life before the war. Sunny Days was still asleep in bed and Scarlet Melody was combing her mane in the mirror. Scarlet Melody was a white Pegasus with yellow eyes and freckles on her cheeks. Her mane was long and slightly scruffy, and was a pretty scarlet red and had small black highlights. Around her neck she wore a silver music note necklace and wore a silver metal bangle around her back left hoof. Her cutie mark was a music note and red pencil with a star behind it. She wasn't to popular, but most ponies liked her singing a guitar playing. Sunny Days was a yellow Pegasus pony with a blue fluffy-ish mane. She was a bright nice pony, but was pretty lazy.
Fluttershy tilted her head ever so slightly. "Um... What do you want to tell me? Have I done something to upset you? I'm sorry!" She squealed, stepping back towards her bed.
Rainbow Dash put on a fake smile to try calm Fluttershy down. "No, you haven't done anything wrong." Rainbow Dash looked at Scarlet Melody, who was furiously combing her scruffy mane, and then looked at Sunny Days who was still asleep and beginning to snore. She inched closer to Fluttershy and hushed her voice. "It's private. Just you and me."
Fluttershy stopped shaking and nodded. "Oh... Ok. Should we get ready first?" She asked, coming out of her shell.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and laughed. "Sure! Lets go do our teeth."
After Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had headed to the washroom and cleaned their teeth and splashed cold water on their faces, they went to their daily battle talk before breakfast. The went to the main room in the centre of the underground bunker and got into their lines close to the front. All the ponies were there including the Wonderbolts and Princess Luna. The lead fighting pony was called Sarge and he showed no emotion. Well, no happy or joyful emotions. No pony had ever seen him smile even before the war. The only time he was happy was when he was holding a machine gun and killing ponies and animals. That's how Angel died. Sarge caught Fluttershy trying to smuggle Angel into her room and shot him on the spot. It was a tragic and tough time for Fluttershy. Her confidence was shattered, and what's worse is the Sarge forced her to clean up his corpse and blood as punishment. She was never the same after that. Sarge was a grey Pegasus with red eyes and a swept back, grey mane. He wore ammunition around his neck and had a scar on his chin. He was grumpy and very harsh. He picked on the weak and favoured the tough ponies. Sarge especially hated Fluttershy for being timid and crying over a 'pathetic common bunny'. Rainbow Dash however was one of Sarge's favourites. He liked how she had a cocky attitude and stood up for herself. He also liked how she managed to kill in battle. Even though she didn't like killing she had to, and sadly she was pretty good at it. Princess Luna stood behind Sarge and overlooked his 'words of wisdom', whilst the Wonderbolts talked quietly among themselves.
Sarge walked forward and cleared his throat. "Alright you puny ponies! Tomorrow we'll head to Ponyville, and claim the land as part of the Luna Republic! You have today to get ready! We'll leave tomorrow at dawn. Don't you DARE try to run away or flea! If you see a spy or unicorn or earth pony, make sure you kill them!" He beckoned. He stepped forward and leaned close to Flutttershy's face. "YOU HEAR ME YOU PATHETIC WASTE OF SPACE?!" He roared, glaring at Fluttershy.
Tears began pouring down Fluttershy's face, as she cowered and curled up. The ponies behind her began to laugh and whisper to each other.
Sarge sniffed arrogantly and stood back. He turned to Princess Luna and nodded. "You're all dismissed!" He roared, turning around to talk with Luna. Rainbow Dash put her hoof on Fluttershy's back who was still crying. As the ponies began to disperse she heard a few ponies chanting and laughing as they pasted Fluttershy.
"Fluttercry, Fluttercry, Fluttercry! Fluttercry why won't you die?!"
This made Fluttershy cry even more and Rainbow Dash wasn't sure how to cheer her up. "Calm down Fluttershy! It's going to be fine." She said gently.
Fluttershy opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow Dash. Her face was soaking wet, because of her tears and her nose began to run.
Rainbow Dash smiled. "Imagine if AJ, Pinkie, Rarity and Twilight were here. They'd want you to cheer up and smile wouldn't they?"
Fluttershy stopped shaking and wiped her nose with her hoof. "But they're not here. They might not be alive!" She said shakily.
Rainbow Dash grinned. "That's were you're wrong!" She said with a wink.
Fluttershy stared at her confused, tears still in her eyes. "What do you mean?" She questioned.
Rainbow Dash's grin grew wider. "Let's go to the mess hall first. I'll explain everything there!" She said.
Chapter 3. Nom nom nom
The mess hall was full of ponies sitting on benches eating a small variety of foods. The wooden benches were old, but were sturdy enough to support two ponies on each side plus their food trays. The room was big, more than quadruple the size of the ponies shared rooms. Roughly, twenty benches were in the room plus the food feeders. There were two ponies known as the food feeders who gave each pony food and drink. You could fit eighty two ponies in the mess hall and probably a lot more. Rainbow Dash walked towards the end of breakfast line with Fluttershy. Fluttershy walked close to Rainbow Dash, and had finally wiped her eyes and stopped crying. She wasn't 100%, but no pony could see she'd been sobbing. The line lead from the food feeders to the door, and was close to the wall. The walls were carved from stone and cracks had been filled in with a substance representing cement. In front of Rainbow Dash was her roommate Scarlet Melody.
"Hey Scarlet Melody!" Rainbow Dash said cheerfully to her. Scarlet Melody's ears twitched, and she turned around smiling.
"Oh, hi! What's up?" She responded to Rainbow Dash. She looked at Fluttershy and giggled. "Hey there Fluttershy. Why so sad?" She asked.
Fluttershy looked up at her. "You could tell I was crying? Oh dear! I'm sorry." She began, tears reforming in her eyes.
Scarlet Melody laughed happily. "Don't apologise! You haven't done anything wrong. It was hard to notice, but I'm used to reading ponies emotions. When I'm on stage performing I try to make sure everypony is smiling and laughing. I know if a pony is sad, no matter how well they hide it." She put her hoof on Fluttershy's back and smiled. "I'll make you smile!" She cheered. She then stuck out her tongue and crossed her yellow eyes. "Bleeeeeh!" She giggled.
Fluttershy wiped her eyes and smiled. She then began to giggle, then laugh. "You're funny Scarlet Melody! Thank you for cheering me up!" Fluttershy said, smiling and laughing.
Scarlet Melody's eyes returned to a normal state, and she put her tongue back in her mouth. She smiled. "It's fine!" She chirped. "I love making other ponies smile and laugh."
Rainbow Dash smiled gratefully. Scarlet Melody was a funny bubbly pony, who liked writing songs and making music. She also enjoyed drawing in her red sketch book, which she kept under her bed. Despite being funny and friendly, she was quite self conscious about her looks and attitude. Rainbow Dash had noticed this when Scarlet was in the mess hall once. Some ponies wanted her to sing for them and play her guitar, and she kept refusing. Later that day in their rooms Rainbow Dash saw Scarlet Melody furiously combing her mane and crying. When she asked Scarlet what was wrong she said that she felt like she let the ponies down when she didn't perform. Scarlet told Rainbow Dash she was afraid of being judged and making a mistake. Since then Scarlet Melody had put in extra effort in her appearance and vocal skills. At times Scarlet could be over the top and annoying, but she meant well.
"Sorry to be a party pooper, but I'm going to go back to our room. Hope you have a nice breakfast!" She said. She got out of the line and began to leave, when a thought struck Rainbow Dash.
"Hey Scarlet."
"Yeah?" She asked turning her head to them.
"If you're going back to your room, then why did you line up in the breakfast line?" Rainbow Dash said, slightly confused.
Scarlet Melody smiled. "I don't really know. Guess I just wanted a small snack. It's ok though, I'm not that hungry!" She said. She laughed as she turned back to the door, and left to go back to her room.
Rainbow Dash was slightly puzzled, but ignored it and shrugged. 'Scarlet Melody being Scarlet Melody.' She thought. Rainbow's attention went back to Fluttershy, who was still laughing quietly.
Fluttershy looked at her. "What were you going to tell me about our friends?" She asked, switching the subject.
Winking, Rainbow Dash grabbed two trays for the stack, and gave one to Fluttershy. "It's private and secret. When we sit down I'll tell you everything." Rainbow Dash explained.
Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "Okay." She said.
The line moved. Rainbow Dash walked forward and finally reached the food feeders. Rainbow Dash was first. She put her tray on the rusty metal bars, and revived a bowl from the first food feeder. The only thing between Rainbow Dash and the food feeder was a cracked sheet of steamed up glass, withe barely enough room to push a bowl through.
The first food feeder was a buff pegasus colt. He had a fine navy mane and his coat was black. "Hello. Today we have a choice of carrot soup or apples. Make your order and collect it from my colleague next to me." He said in a plain, gruff voice. He looked bored and tired from standing and giving ponies bowls.
"Where are the apples from?" She asked, thinking of her honest friend Applejack.
The food feeder rolled his eyes. "They're from the trees we planted over our base as camouflage. Hurry up and make your choice." He said, a hint of anger in his voice.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I only like the ones from Apple Acres, which were grown with love and purity. Not blood and violence." She said. She missed the taste of apples. The ones the Pegasus ponies grew tasted bland and dull, like eating soft stone.
The food feeder sighed. "Carrot soup it is." He said dully. He turned to his colleague who was wearing a stained chef hat. He repeated the order to him and the chef pony nodded. The blue maned colt turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Next!" He barked. Rainbow Dash glared at him and slide her tray towards the chef pony. She walked over to him, a smile forced on her face. The chef pony was white and had a short scruffy brown mane. He had bags under his eyes and he sniffed upon Rainbow Dash's approach. He raised his hoof and picked up a large sieving spoon. He scooped up a spoon full of carrot soup and poured it into her bowl. It made a sickening plop noise, as it made contact with the bottom of her chipped bowl.
Rainbow Dash was used to all of this. The rude food feeders, the disgusting food, all of it. It had been awhile since she was truly happy, but thanks to her dream she knew she'd be happy with her friends soon. She nodded at the food feeder and picked up her tray and walked away from the food line. She turned her head to see Fluttershy carrying her tray and a bowl with a single apple. "How can you eat such disgusting apples?" Rainbow Dash asked with a hint of disgust.
Fluttershy looked at her. "Because I saw the mouldy carrot that went in your soup." She said.
Rainbow Dash blinked and looked in her soup with a sick feeling. Fluttershy was right. Floating on the surface was a mouldy carrot and what appeared to be a drowning fly. "Gross!" She said aloud, sticking out her tongue. She ignored the revolting soup and headed towards an empty bench at the far corner of the room. Rainbow Dash sat down and put her tray on the wooden surface, as Fluttershy sat opposite her. Rainbow Dash looked at her soup and nearly puked. No way was she touching that. She looked up to see Fluttershy chewing slowly on her apple, with a slightly disgusted look on her face. Now was the best time to tell Fluttershy about her dream and what Twilight had told her. "Fluttershy, I need to tell you what I know." She began.
Fluttershy swallowed her mouthful. "Ok." She said quietly.
Rainbow Dash had to tell Fluttershy everything that happened in her dream. "It's a long story, but it's a good one." She said smiling.
Fluttershy nodded, and Rainbow Dash proceeded to tell Fluttershy about her dream.
"We are what?!" Fluttershy cried. Ponies on other tables looked at her with confused expressions.
Rainbow Dash hushed her. "Shh! We need to keep this between us!"
Fluttershy blushed and looked at Rainbow Dash. "Sorry." She said quietly. "But you can't possibly think that's true. It was just a dream. It's not reality."
Rainbow Dash sighed. "I know, but this is Twilight we're talking about. She's skilled in magic." She prayed that Fluttershy would believe her, and that tomorrow they could escape to the Everfree forest.
Fluttershy thought for a second. "You're right. Twilight is skilled in magic. I believe you Rainbow Dash." She said with a shy smile.
Rainbow Dash's ears pricked up and she grinned. "Yes!" She cheered quietly.
Fluttershy raised her hoof, and Rainbow Dash stopped celebrating. "But if Twilight can dream hop and this is true, then why didn't she enter my dream? Did she forget about me?" Fluttershy said, tears forming.
Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. Fluttershy was right; why didn't Twilight enter her dreams? That's when a thought hit Rainbow Dash. "I think I know why. How long had you been awake before I woke up?" She asked.
Fluttershy wiped her eyes and tilted her head a little. "About thirty minutes. Why?"
Rainbow Dash grinned even more. "She said to me when I was about to wake up that if she was in some ponies dream when they awake, she could be trapped in that ponies subconscious. That means she could enter your dreams if you weren't asleep. That's why she told me to inform you of our plan!" Rainbow Dash explained. For a second she felt smart, but then realised that was an egg-head thing to say.
Fluttershy absorbed the information and nodded. "It makes sense." She said, smiling. She put her apple core in her bowl and grabbed her tray. "Should we go and prepare?" She asked.
Rainbow Dash sniffed her soup and stuck out her tongue. No way was she touching that with her mouth. Getting up, she picked up her tray and headed to the bin with Fluttershy. "Yeah." She said, looking around to make sure nopony was watching. Quickly, she poured her untouched soup into the bin, and hastily walked away from the waste area. She knew it was a waste of resources, but she didn't want to make herself ill before she met her friends. She also didn't want Sarge to see, as he was pretty harsh when it came to food. Despite liking Rainbow Dash and her fighting ability, he'd still punish her severely for wasting food. He would most likely force her to clean ever room in the base and make her clean the kitchen. Rainbow Dash had only been in the kitchen once and that was to relieve a pony who was being punished, and had to clean the room. She remembered the putrid smell of rotting food, and the mould that clung to the uncleaned walls. The way the pots and pans were stacked on top of each other at the back of the room that looked like they hadn't been washed for months. She remembered the young Pegasus mare, who's eyes were bloodshot and stained with tears. How she was covered in dirt and the mould of the floor stuck to her sore hooves. Her mane was so filthy from the grim it appeared to be moulting and loosing colour. She heard the pony died later that week from breathing in the filthy air for a long period of time. She also heard how Sarge locked her in there alone for a week with no food or water, and how she had to eat the rotten decaying food that had stuck to the plates. Rainbow Dash felt sick. She didn't want to remember those memories, and she didn't want to set hoof in that kitchen ever again. She wished she could forget everything about that event and move on peacefully. However, wishes never came true in war. Fluttershy tapped her shoulder, bringing Rainbow Dash back to the present times.
"Are you okay?" She asked, her face concerned.
Rainbow Dash tried to push her memories behind her and took a deep breath. She couldn't tell Fluttershy about what she saw in the kitchen many months ago. It would lower her small amount of confidence and self esteem. Rainbow Dash put on a fake smile. "I'm fine." She lied. "Just thought about the mouldy soup that's all."
Fluttershy sighed with relief. "Oh, okay. You looked a little pale that's all. I thought you might be sick." She said, raising a hoof to Rainbow's head checking her temperature.
Rainbow Dash laughed slightly, and gently lowered her hoof. "I'm fine, really. Thanks for your concern though." Rainbow Dash was glad she had Fluttershy. She was a good friend, despite her shyness. She always accompanied Rainbow Dash no matter where she went, and helped support her in anyway possible.
Fluttershy smiled. "Okay then. Should we put our trays and bowls away and go back to our rooms?" She asked, trying not to look weak.
Rainbow nodded and walked with Fluttershy to the pile of trays. As they walked there they passed a table of ponies who believed themselves to be big shots. They loved picking on Fluttershy and teasing her for being weak. As Fluttershy walked pass them one of the ponies shot out their hoof in front of her. She had no time to react and tripped clumsily over the outstretched hoof. The table roared with laughter and the ponies on nearby table stared at Fluttershy. They began to talk among themselves, and going in on laughing at her. Shaking, Fluttershy picked up her tray and apple core. She turned to the table of bullies, who were roaring with laughter. Tears began to form in Fluttershy's eyes, and Rainbow Dash knew what was coming. That's when one of them made a terrible mistake.
"Ha! She's so weak! Just like that stupid dead bunny of hers!"
Immediately, Fluttershy stopped shaking and tears stopped trickling down her face. She stood up at her full height and glared at the colt who had spoke.
All the ponies stopped laughing and went silent. They stared at her, as her eyes went red like blood.
Quietly, Rainbow Dash stepped back, wondering what was going on.
Fluttershy took a deep breath, her eyes growing wider and redder. For a second everything went still and silent... Then all hell broke loose. Fluttershy threw a punch at the colt who mocked Angel, and threw him of his seat to the floor. Before he a chance to get up she jumped on top of him and pined him to the ground. Blood dripped from his muzzle and tears began flowing from his face. She knelt close to his face and whispered in his ear. "Say you're sorry." She hissed.
The pony sniffed and made a weak 'hik' noise.
Fluttershy slammed her hoof into his back. "Say you're sorry!" She roared, loosing patience.
The pony screamed in pain and sobbed loudly. Through his tears he quickly spoke. "I'm sorry!" He cried.
Fluttershy smiled and her eyes returned to normal. She gently got of his back and picked up her tray. "I forgive you." She said calmly. She trotted next to Rainbow Dash and smiled nicely at her. "Want to go now?" She said happily.
Rainbow Dash stared blankly at her and the mess hall hade no sound. Even the food eaters who never showed any emotion other than boredom and anger looked terrified. Fluttershy walked up to the counter and smiled at the frozen food feeders. "Here's my apple core. Use the seeds to plant more trees to grow more apples. Please treat the plants with care. Wildlife might use them as homes or food sources." She said giving the brown maned colt her apple core. Slowly, he took it from her hoof and ran through the doors behind him to getaway. Fluttershy then took Rainbow Dash's tray from her and stacked it on the pile along with hers. She then put the bowl on the counter for the blue maned colt to take. Fluttershy walked next to Rainbow Dash, a spring in her step. "Want to go now?" She asked, ignoring all the ponies in the room that were staring at her.
Rainbow Dash nodded slowly and followed her out of the mess hall. As they left Rainbow Dash turned around to see the colt Fluttershy punched get up and start to sob loudly. The ponies on the table got up and started to circle around him and ask if he was okay. Obviously he wasn't, but they were running low on things to say. The rest of the ponies in the mess hall turned back to their food, and began talking about the events that just unfolded before them. Rainbow turned her head back to Fluttershy who was facing her with a calm smile on her face.
"Do you think I was being assertive?" She asked, pleased with her self.
Finally, Rainbow Dash got over the shock of her shy friend punching the living daylights out of a former bully. She somehow managed to smile at her friend and push away her slight fear and shock. "You sure were something." She said. "You're not going to do that to me, are you?" She asked, slightly scared.
Fluttershy shook her head profusely. "Oh no no no! Of course not! You're my friend." She said, walking next to Rainbow Dash. "Do you think I overdid it?" She asked, looking back at the mess hall.
Rainbow Dash walked towards their room. "Nope! I think you did just enough." She said, smiling at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy smiled back at her, as she trotted next to her. As they both entered their rooms they heard a colt sobbing loudly from the mess hall, which made them both laugh loudly.
Chapter 4: Prepare for Trouble
After Rainbow Dash cleaned her corner of the room she realised how tired she was. She'd spent over five hours cleaning her bed, her poster and stopping to read a few chapters of her book. She had also helped Scarlet Melody tune her guitar, and pose in an awesome position for an hour for her to draw. After finishing that she decided to stretch her wings in the sports arena they had. It was the second biggest room in the base, losing to the mess hall by a few meters in length. The ceiling was higher than the mess hall, but it wasn't enough for Rainbow Dash to perform any of her amazing, super cool tricks like the sonic rainboom. However, it was good enough to race around in and practice agility. The floor was a green, grass like carpet and the walls and celing were painted blue with white clouds to resemble the sky. It was a nice replica, but it wasn't as good as the real thing. It didn't give off the true flying sensation of freedom and the air flowing through your mane and under your wings. But it was the middle of the war, and resources were low. It was to dangerous to go outside to fly, as Earth Ponies could shoot you down and Unicorns trained their magic so they can create artificial wings. It was also bitterly cold outside. Since the war began Equestria had gone under an ice age of sorts. The ground was always covered in snow and the temperature was very low. Pegasus ponies could barely grow food outside and harvest them before they died. It wouldn't be this way if the Unicorns hadn't chased the Pegasus ponies out of Cloudsdale. Cadence and Shinning Armour taught them how to use their magic to create artificial wings that last for five days. They attacked Cloudsdale and killed a large number of Pegasus ponies. Thankfully, a lot of Unicorns died in the process and the numbers between them was even. Despite using magic, the Unicorns couldn't control the weather and were forced to leave Cloudsdale after they trashed it. Only Pegasus ponies are able to control weather.They had burned the weather factory to the ground and destroyed every home they could find. Even before that though the weather had been uncontrollable. Despite the attempts of the factory works, the weather wouldn't change from freezing temperatures and harsh blizzards. That's probably why the Unicorns attacked, to try stop the blizzards and cold weather. A lot of blood was shed that day and many families were killed.
No ponies were in the arena when Rainbow Dash was there, so she had the chance to kill a few hours without other ponies bugging her or getting in the way. After flying a few thousand times round the arena, she then proceeded to use the old, nearly broken, agility course. It was made from old wooden planks and frayed rope. Some ponies crafted it to try resemble hurdles, dodging beams and hoops to fly through. They were slightly unsafe, but they suited their purpose and worked fairly well. They were also quite 'tacky' and 'unclean' as one of her good friends would say. However, Rainbow Dash preferred not to think about them, for fear she might burst into tears because she missed them and was worried about them. She decided to focus on flying through the created obstacle course. Many twists and turns later, Rainbow Dash finally completed the course five hundred times. A few beads of sweat began to form on Rainbow's brow, but she quickly wiped them away. Flexing her wings, Rainbow decided she'd done enough exercise for today, and it was time to return back to Fluttershy. As she slowly descended to the stadium floor, she noticed a Pegasus mare enter. She had a happy smile on her face, as she merrily trotted into the stadium. Her coat was a dark purple, which was well brushed and looked similar to silk. Her mane was short and looked slightly like Dash's. It was jet black with a dark blue streak through the middle. Her eye colour was a mixture of blue and green, and looked similar to the beautiful ocean. Her cutie mark was a yellow sparkle and she was slightly taller than Rainbow Dash. Rainbow wasn't sure if she had seen this pony before, and if she had then she obviously didn't know her. On most occasions she'd try and avoid eye contact or conversation, but this pony had already seen her and began to cheerfully wave at her.
"Hey there!" She cheered. Her voice definitely confirmed she was a mare, and a happy one at that.
Rainbow Dash gently landed on the floor and began to approach the mysterious mare.
"My name's Ebony! You're Rainbow Dash right?" The mare said, a grin painted on her face.
Rainbow Dash was puzzled. She had barely met this mare, yet she already knew who she was. "Err... Yeah. How do you know me?" Rainbow asked, finally reaching Ebony.
Ebony smiled. "Lucky guess! Sarge said you were his strongest fighter. Or at least I overheard him say that."
"Okay then." Rainbow Dash said slowly. Rainbow had yet to have an opinion on this pony. She wasn't sure if she liked her or found her annoying. Either way she wasn't planing on talking for to long. Nodding, Rainbow started to leave the stadium and Ebony, so she could go back to her dorm.
"Wait!" Ebony said, noticing Rainbow about to leave.
Rainbow turned her head to her, slightly confused. "What is it?" She asked perplexed.
"I also heard Sarge say something to Luna about Fluttershy. She's your friend right?"
Now Rainbow Dash was interested. Her ears pricked up and she turned her whole body to Ebony.
"She's my friend. What did that scum say about her?" Rainbow spat, knowing it was something horrible.
Ebony flinched slightly, but keep her stance. "He said something about killing her off tomorrow. Complaining how she was wasting resources and space. He was going to blame it on my friend Nevermore, so you'd kill him and save even more space."
Rainbow Dash's heart stopped. How could Sarge be so heartless towards another pony? He was the waste of space, not Fluttershy.
"I wanted you to know so you could save Fluttershy and my friend. He hates Nevermore for being quiet, similar to why he hates Fluttershy." Ebony added.
Rainbow Dash stood there, her mouth agape. She knew Sarge was a dirty piece of work, but this was low even for him. Her mind began to race and her heart quickened. Rage began to cloud her vision and she frowned. "He said that?" Rainbow spat, her eyes beginning to sharpen.
Ebony nodded, seeing the rage build in Rainbow. "What can we do?" She asked quietly.
Rainbow Dash turned her head to the exit. "What can we do? What can I do?!" She said, emphasising the 'I'.
Ebony just stood there, not sure what to think or do. She opened her mouth to speak, but Rainbow Dash bolted off. "Where are you going?!" She called to her.
Rainbow Dash turned her head slightly, as she ran. "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" She shouted back.
Rainbow Dash ran out of the stadium, and bolted round the corner. Where would that scum Sarge be right now? That's when she remembered that Sarge taught the young foals in the left of the under ground bunker. She remembered him saying a while ago that on every Friday he would teach the young foals at the school about survival, war and death. She didn't like the idea of kids learning about that sort of thing, but Sarge ignored her and said she was being 'silly and pathetic'. However, if Rainbow Dash thought of Sarge to much, she feared she might kill him on sight. If she killed him she would've undoubtedly be killing herself. Sarge was the boss of every pony, as well as Luna. Rainbow Dash shook her head, tried to force Sarge out of her mind, whilst she ran, trying to keep her blood from boiling. She took another sharp left and sprinted through the mess hall. She finally began to slow down, as she saw the foals small school, which was the size of two dorms. Sadly, not many foals were alive or survived during the war. There was also a rule on how many children you could have, due to food shortages and space.
As Rainbow Dash walked through the class doors, she was greeted with the smell of paint and gunpowder. Before her stood about ten foals painting pistols and ammo, as Sarge barked facts about how to kill enemies. The room was covered in sheets to protect them from the mess of paint, as foals threw paint at each other and raced around the room with pistols trying to reenact a typical war scene. Usually the room would be filled with desks and a whiteboard, which the usual teacher would use. There would be toys and pencils every where, but today paint took their place.
"Alright kids! Make those guns bright, so those stupid unicorns and lazy earth ponies remember the weapon that killed them!" Sarge barked from the corner of the room. He was watching as all the foals painted their guns and bullets, thinking it was a fun, simple activity. Rainbow Dash prayed that some foals wouldn't accidentally fire a gun in their face or any pony else's.
"Hey Blue Flame! Point that away from there!" Sarge suddenly yelled, charging at the filly.
Startled, a blue filly looked up and immediately dropped the gun she was holding. She initially had the gun pointed in her face, yet she was unaware of the danger she had accidentally put herself in.
Sarge ran over to the filly, a scowl on his face. He picked up the gun and unloaded it. "Clearly you can't be trusted with an armed weapon solider! You'll have to get smarter if you want to win the war!" He barked at the filly. Sarge then turned around sharply and returned to the corner he was originally standing at. He kept the Dolly's gun and continued to glare at her.
The filly he glared at was a weak blue and her mane was a darker blue compared to her body. She didn't have a cutie mark and she was sitting alone looking quite sad.
Rainbow Dash wanted to beat Sarge down about Fluttershy, but she felt compelled to talk to the filly he yelled at first. Calmly, Rainbow walked over to the glum filly with a fake smile.
"Err... Hey there." Rainbow said awkwardly.
The filly looked up to her and winced, as if expecting to be hit.
Rainbow titled her head. "What's up? I'm not going to hurt you." She said, confused.
The filly took a deep breath. "Phew. When I muck up I usually get hit. Mainly by Sarge." She said, a hint of fear in her voice.
Rainbow Dash's mouth hung open. The foals got beat if they mucked up? Rainbow instantly felt sick. Sarge was a true monster. "Oh my gosh." She breathed.
The filly smiled. "It's okay! I'm strong so I can take it," she said, "My name's Blue Flame! Who are you?"
Rainbow Dash swallowed her disgust and smiled. "My name's Rainbow Dash! The one and only!" She said, putting on an awesome pose.
Blue Flame giggled. "You're pretty cool!" She cooed, wings buzzing.
Smiling, Rainbow whipped her mane. "Pretty cool?! You mean the most awesome pony in Equestria!" She gleamed. Rainbow already liked this filly. She reminded her a lot of Scootaloo. Thankfully, she knew she wasn't dead and was in a different segment of the base. The base was split into two segments: L and R. Rainbow Dash was stationed in the R segment whilst Scootaloo was in L. She missed her buddy Scootaloo, but she sometimes got to see her every month.
Blue Flame laughed, then frowned.
Rainbow Dash looked puzzled at the filly's sad dimer. "What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.
Blue Flame looked up at her, sad. "Oh. Nothing. You just remind me of somepony..." Blue Flame replied, tears beginning to form.
Rainbow Dash looked down glumly, but quickly smiled. "Hey," she said sitting I front of her. "Cheer up! I know this is hard for you, but you have to stay strong."
Blue Flame smiled slightly and looked up at Rainbow Dash. She sniffed and tried to look determined. "Right!" She said firmly.
Rainbow Dash smiled and stood up. "If these ponies hurt you in anyway come straight to me, and I'll teach them a proper lesson!" She cheered, putting her hoof out.
Blue Flame nodded and bro-hoofed her. "You promise?" She asked, grinning.
Rainbow nodded firmly. "Pinkie promise!" She said.
Blue Flame raised an eyebrow. "A wha?"
Rainbow Dash laughed a bit. "Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye!" She chanted, doing to appropriate actions.
Blue Flame laughed and jumped. "You're awesome Rainbow Dash!" She cooed, giggling.
Rainbow felt a warm glow inside her. She rarely felt happy in the war, and she missed the good feelings. She ruffled Blue Flame's mane and laughed. "Thanks," she smiled. "You're a pretty awesome pony too Blue Flame."
Blue Flame smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you around Rainbow Dash!" She said.
Rainbow Dash smiled. "Sure thing Flame!" She turned around and waved goodbye to her new friend. She felt happier she met a new friend, but couldn't help but feel bad. She might never see her again, and she wasn't sure if she could cope. Rainbow Dash vowed to stay alive and resolve the war for her and every pony she ever knew. She needed to find away to make this all okay. And she needed her friends help! Smiling confidently, Rainbow strode to the back of the class where Sarge was stationed. Her smile vanished immediately upon meeting eye contact with the grumpy, heartless stallion. Rainbow stood directly I front of him and looked him in the eyes. She spread out her wings to look big and a posing, and sniffed.
"Sarge, I have been informed of a certain happening involving my good friend Fluttershy and a colt named Nevermore. I was told you were going to murder Fluttershy and blame it on the colt Nevermore, so I would seek revenge upon him. Is this true?" Rainbow tried to sound strong and imposing, but it began to sink towards the end.
Like an old pig, Sarge grunted and put down his shotgun. "Really now? You believe everything you hear? It's true anyway. I'm gonna kill that pathetic waste of space and blame it on another pathetic waste of space. Shame you found out. Oh well! I'll kill 'em both anyway!" He said, showing no remorse what so ever.
Rainbow Dash stood back slightly, and her wings folded. It was true. Anger began to rise in Rainbow slightly, and she took a deep, husky breath.
"If that is the case then I'll just have to take action." Rainbow sternly said.
Sarge shifted his eyes to her and stood at his full height.
"Are you saying you'll kill a fellow comrade for a puny wimp?"
Rainbow stepped forward, so Sarge and her were face to face.
"And what if I am?" She questioned, loyalty kicking in.
Sarge chuckled and turned away from Rainbow.
"Ha! Then we're going to war. Watch your back Rainbow, Sarge is coming for you and your pal Fluttershy." Sarge walked back to his original spot and turned to survey the classroom.
Rainbow Dash spat at the ground before Sarge, and left the room before he had a chance to react. Thoughts about tomorrow's battle began to appear in Rainbow's head. She had to protect Fluttershy no matter what, and she'd easily kill Sarge to do so. She didn't like killing ponies, but she wouldn't mind putting Sarge's head on a spike. As she turned a corner to reach her dorm she saw Scarlet Melody crying on the floor and she knew something was wrong. Without hesitation she galloped to Scarlet, praying nothing terrible had happened.
