Rainbow Dash glided over Ponyville ne early afternoon, heading over the town market towards Sugarcube Corner. With her, she carried saddlebags, filled to the brim with apples. The extra weight was slowing down what was usually a quick pace, but Applejack had asked her to bring these by the bakery so the Cakes could use them in some deserts they were experimenting with. A few moments later, Dash landed in front of the door. Something was off about the usually happy atmosphere that surrounded the building. She quickly looked through one of the windows, noting that all of the lights inside were off. Rainbow knocked twice, and was surprised to find the door unlocked. Carefully, she silently pushed it open.
Standing inside, the main reception room appeared darker than looking through the window, devoid of, well, anything. There was a loud bang as the door slammed shut behind her, starling Rainbow Dash. She jumped a few feet into the air, dropping her saddlebags where they were, and faced the door to see what pony would have been standing there, but saw nothing, only more darkness. Rainbow turned around again just in time to be blinded by sudden light. Her ears rang over the oppressive noise.
"SURPRISE!" yelled a myriad of voices.
Startled, Rainbow Dash instinctively flew up, but was stopped by her head colliding with the ceiling. Rainbow floated back to the ground, landing on her haunches, rubbing her now bruised head. Once her eyes adjusted to the sudden light, she could see what was happening. It was a surprise birthday party. For her.
The bakery was packed to capacity with ponies from all over town. Ballons and streamers dominated the decor with their rainbow colors. Rainbow would have taken in more details, but her vision was filled by a certain overly excitable pink earth pony...
"Hi'ya, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie cheered happily, bouncing around the still stunned pegasus. "Are ya surprised? Are ya? Are ya? Are ya?"
"Uhh... hehe yeah, really surprised." Rainbow scratched the back of her head, trying to form coherant enough words for a reply. "You guys remembered?"
"Weeelllll duuuhhhh? I never forget anypony's birthday! Ever!"
"Geez, I don't know what to say." Rainbow finally stood up, looking around at all of the guest, the decorations, the games and activities that were set up, the food and drinks. All of her friends of were present, too.
"How 'bout thank you?" Applejack suggested.
"Oh come now," Rarity interjected before Rainbow Dash could reply. "She doesn't need to thank us, we'd do this for anypony, and she'd return the favor in a flash." Rainbow smiled and blushed with the compliment.
"Well c'mon ya'll, time to get these pony games rollin'." Applejack stepped behind Rainbow and started pushing her towards the far wall where the majority of the games were set up. She seemed to be directing her towards 'Pin the Tail on the Pony' more than anything. Rainbow didn't resist, it was one of her favorite party games.
Twilight used her magic to blindfold the cyan pegasus, and Fluttershy apologetically tried spinning her around in circles.
"Sorry," was a common word, amongst others, with every slow rotation she completed. Rainbow stood wearing an unamused look upon her muzzle. "Oops, sorry, if you get dizzy, tell me and I'll stop, if that's okay with you, that is. Eep!"
"Stand aside there, sugar cube." Though Rainbow couldn't see, she knew that whenever Applejack got involved with something it instantly became more intense. Before she knew what was happening, Rainbow felt herself spinning around and around and around and around again and a very rapid pace. Suddenly everything game to a stop. Twilight used her magic to place the pin in Rainbow's mouth, and Pinkie Pie pushed her forward.
Rainbow nearly fell over several times on the way to the picture hanging up on the wall, which unknown to Rainbow at the time, was a picture of her crush, Soarin'. Her friends had done that on purpose.
At the last second, moments before placing the pin where she wanted, Rainbow tripped over her own hooves and fell forward. Instead of pinning the tail where it should have gone, she instead pinned it on Soarin's muzzle. Her friends broke out into a hysterical laughter. Rainbow removed the blindfold herself to see where the pin had landed, and on whom, then started to blush slightly, joining in on their laughter.
"Twilight," Rainbow glowered. "You didn't have to move the poster, ya know?"
"Hey," the alicorn replied, "I didn't to anything to that poster. You tripped, and now you're just angry."
Rainbow was about to say something else put was stopped when Pinkie Pie grabbed hold of her head with her hooves. "Dashie!" she yelled, nearly shattering Rainbow's eardrums yet again. "You gotta come check this out! It is totally amazing!"
"Pinkie—" Rainbow was cut off by Pinkie Pie grabbing hold of one of her hooves and dragging her into the next room where all of the presents were.
"Stay here!" Pinkie commanded, before seemingly disappearing to a back room. A few curious minutes later, she reemerged, dragging with her a giant box that once she finally got through the door after struggling, seemed to nearly fill up the entire room. All ponies, save for Pinkie Pie, wen't slack-jaw. The box was fairly plane, with no wrapping paper of any kind. Nopony blamed her, the amount of wrapping paper it would have required would have been extreme, even for Pinkie Pie. "Well... arn't ya gona open it?"
"Uhh..." Rainbow finally began to regain her composure. "Yeah... I'll open it. Once I figure out how."
Rainbow extended her wings, then circled the box a few times, studying it with attention that Twilight would normally give to something. The pegasus then flew to the top, there was just enough room between it and the ceiling for her to get through. She disappeared from the view of her friends. The box started shaking and wobbling in place, indicating that Rainbow Dash had gone inside through the top, looking for something. A few minutes later, the birthday mare reemerged.
"Pinkie," she said slowly, "that box is empty."
"Well duuuuhhhhh..." Pinkie rolled her eyes. "What do you think all of these party supplies came in? They didn't just appear from some random box the size of a house!"
"Wait... what? N-nevermind. You're just being Pinkie."
"Well yeah I'm being Pinkie? I'm Pinkie! Who else would I be, Rainbow Dash? I can't be Rainbow Dash, you're already her!"
Rainbow sighed, and Twilight rested her face against the bottom of her hoof. On the other side of the room, Fluttershy motioned for Rainbow Dash to follow her back into the main room. There, Fluttershy picked up a card from the main table and handed it to her cyan friend.
"I-I hope it's okay, I know it's not much."
Rainbow made sure to open the card carefully, taking note to save it for later and put it up as a decoration in her home. Inside, was a single picture. A picture of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy right after they got their cutie marks at summer flight camp all those years ago. Dash shot over to where Fluttershy was standing and reeled her in for a tight hug, causing Fluttershy to quietly squeal.
Finally releasing the fragil pegasus from her grip, Rainbow thanked her. "It's great, Fluttershy. Thank you."
"Ahem," Applejack called for Rainbow's attention. Rainbow turned to see she was holding a small box in hoof, neatly wrapped up green wrapping paper decorated with groups of red, juicy apples. "Ah believe this'll be ta yer likin'."
Rainbow had no trouble with hesitation opening take it off of her hooves and opening it up. She stared inside the now open box with greedy eyes. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!"
"Ah'll take that as a yes?"
"Yes!" The pegasus stuck her muzzle into the box and pulled out one of several bottles of cider, no doubt her favorite drink. There was no trouble getting the cork off, and eagerly quaffed it down. "Ahh..." She sighed, finally finishing it. "Yes, I liked that a lot. Thanks AJ."
"No problem, sugar cube."
"Oh Rainbow Dash," Rarity sang out. "Don't you forget about me, now." Rarity was standing in the orner, a rectangular box that was neatly decorated to perfection clasped in her bluish magic aura. Dash took it from her, and much to the dismay of Rarity, wasn't as gentle opening it as she was Fluttershy's gift. Rarity looked upon the scene, jaw slacked open, horrified at what she was seeing. The box itself looked like one that Rarity would package her dresses in. Rainbow hesitated opening it, half expecting it to actually be a dress. Inside though, was enough sets of rainbow colored curtains to fill her entire house. Not really Dash's thing, but still a nice geasture.
"Uh, thanks, Rarity."
"Oh, it wasn't any trouble at all. I do hope the look nice against your cloud walls. They were actually really easy to make, quick, too. I just threw together some left over fabrics I had from your Gala dress."
Twilight was up next, stepped next to the pegasus of focus with a small box, haphazardly wrapped together with blue wrapping paper dotted with white, puffy clouds. Opening it, Rainbow Dash discovered it was the newest edition of Daring Do, turning to the cover page revealed it was signed by the author, specifically to Rainbow Dash.
"You have no idea what lengths I had to go through to get the author to sign that, hehe." Twilight explained. "She is one pony who is really, really hard to find. They only reason she even bid me anytime is because I'm an alicorn now."
"Thanks, Twilight. This is so awesome. I'm going to lse so much sleep over this."
"You're very welcome."
"Look!" yelled Pinkie Pie. "Look look look look look lookie what I found!" In her fetlock, the pink mare was holding a white, letter envelope. In cursive writing on the front, it read 'Rainbow Dash.' "It doesn't say who it's from but I found it laying behind the rest and I was all like 'Oh Rainbow Dash has another present!' So I brought it over here wondering what it was and now we're waiting for you to open it so the mystery can be solved!"
"Uhh, thanks?" Rainbow cautiously took the letter in her own fetlock, ripping the top open with her mouth she began to unfold it. "It's probably from Ditzy, she always forgets to sign things like this." Dash started reading the letter with a slight smile of amusement on her muzzle.
"Yay! Dashie has another present! Dashie has another present! Dashie has another present! Dashie—"
"Pinkie!" Applejack called. "Ya think ya kin let 'er read the letter in peace?"
"Hehe... sorry."
"Now, who's it from sugar cube?" Applejack directed her question at Rainbow Dash, who has she got further into the letter, he smile diminished. "RD? Ya okay?" Rainbow's friends watched as her once happy smile turned to a saddened frown, and her eyes widen in shock. "Dash?"
"Umm... uh s-sorry." The pegasus finally managed to stutter. "I... I-I have to go..."
"What?" Twilight asked, but before she had completed her question, Rainbow disappeared in a cyan flash, a rainbow trail left in her wake, indicating that she had flown out of the door. Every other pony in the room rushed to the windows to see where she had gone. The rainbow trail she left behind lead to the center of town, then shot up in the air before angling towards the Everfree Forest. Just outside of town, there was a brilliant flash of rainbow followed by a thunderous explosion as Dash accomplished a Sonic Rainboom.
"What pony leaves her own birthday party!?" Pinkie grumbled, sitting on her haunches and crossing her hooves.
Pinkies comment sparked a rambling of suggestions from the ponies present, all throwing out theories as to why she could have left and to where.
"Uh, girls?" spoke a nervous Fluttershy. "Girls?" Nopony paid any attention to the yellow mare.
"Look, she took her bags." Twilight indicated to the clump of apples that now laid where her saddlebag once was.
"GIRLS!" Fluttershy finally screamed, bringing other speech other than her own to a complete halt. "You may want to read this, if that's okay with you..." She sheepishly held up the letter than Rainbow Dash had dropped on her way out.
Twilight was the one who took it in her magical grip, hovering it in front of her to read. "Ahem," she cleared her throat.
Dear Rainbow Dash,
I hope you are having a great birthday because it is one that neither you, nor you parents, will forget anytime soon...
"Wait, parents?" Twilight looked around to see if anypony knew anything about them, all but Fluttershy shook their heads 'no.'
"Keeping reading, dear." Rarity urged her Twilight on.
If you wish to see your parents again, intact, it would be wise to meet me in the Everfree Forest. All you'll need to do is find a nice spot along the river, and make camp, at night, one of my agents will contact you. Oh, and bring your Element of Harmony, I'm sure you know where to find them. Leave you friends behind, too. Should the medel in this affair, the results will be unpleasant. Time is of the essence, Rainbow Dash. Hurry. Your parents don't have longer.
Best regards and wishes,
-QC
"QC? Who in the hay is that?"
"Hey, girls," Rarity suggested, "you might want to see this." In her blue magic, she help up a small photo that had apparently separated itself from the rest of the letter. It depicted two adult ponies, a stallion and a mare, locked in a cage in some cave. The stallion had a lavender-gray coat, olive eyes, and a rainbow colored mane that looked oddly familiar... along with a trio of red, orange, and yellow stripes shooting out from a cloud for a cutie mark. As for the mare, her coat was a bright pink, similar to Pinkie Pie's, and a royal blue mane, and a blue lightning bolt cuite mark. Fluttershy was the only pony to react, by gasping and letting out a quiet squeak. "Dear, what's the matter? Are these the ponies... I think they are?"
"Th-they're Rainbow's p-parents..." she confirmed. Rarity covered her gaping mouth with her hoof, while the others stared at the picture in shock.
"Rainbow must'uve gone ta save 'em," Applejack suggested.
"Then we're going to help!" Encouraged Twilight, hoof raised in the air to rally her friends. "Rainbow Dash's parents are in trouble, and for some reason she left us behind to go help them, so we're going to go help her. Hopefully, before she gets in too much trouble. Sound like a plan?" Her friends nodded in agreement. "Good, everypony meet me infront of the library with your saddlebags and overnight supplies." With a final nod to her friends, Twilight led the way out of Sugarcube Corner, heading straight for her library in the center of town.
A few minutes later, Twilight burst threw her door. The library was an absolute wreck. Books and over turned shelves littered every square inch of the floor. Glass was shattered from one of the windows, stuck on the broken frame was a cyan feather. There was no room for her to walk, so Twilight seemed to swim to the stairs. "Spike!" she yelled, finally reaching and climbing up them.
Her room was just as much of a mess as the main library. On top of that mess, laid a small, gold trimmed, wooden chest, wide open. Twilight rushed to it in a heart beat, fearing the worst. The chest was supposed to contain all six Elements of Harmony, but she only counted five: Magic, Generosity, Kindess, Honesty, Laughter... no Loyalty... It was missing, Dash must have taken it. Determined even more, Twilight threw a bunch of supplies she thought she may need into her saddlebag, strapped it on, and teleported back down stairs. There, the other's were waiting for her, trying to pick up some of the mess as they did so.
"Okay, girls, Rainbow Dash's parents are being held captive by an unknown enemy in one if the most dangerous places in Equestria," Twilight explained to them, "and she's taken it upon herself to rescue them on her own. On top of that, she's taken her Element of Harmony."
Everypony looked at Twilight in disbelief, they knew that the letter had instructed Rainbow Dash to do this, but they didn't actually expect her to go through with it. Twilight used her magic to pull a map of Equestria out, and unfurled it in front of her frieds.
"So we know she went to the Everfree Forest, but that's it. Anypony have any suggestions?"
"Ah think that letter said somethin' 'bout a river. Ah'd think we should follow it and see if we come 'cross Dash."
"I remember that too," Rarity chimed in. "Following the river would be our best course of action."
"Then that's what we'll do—" A sound from outside interrupted Twilight, a sound Pinkie Pie was the first to recognize.
"Trumpets?" the pink mare questioned. "Dashie's party didn't have trumpets!"
Everypony galloped outside to see what the ruckus was about. A golden chariot was landing in front of them, pulled by two white coated ponies in gold armor with blue manes. The passenger of said chariot was none other than Princess Celestia herself. Everypony present bowed as she dismounted from the chariot with royal grace.
"Twilight Sparkle," she began calmly, "my faithful student. What is this situation Spike has told me about?"
"Spike?" asked Twilight. She looked around for him. He appeared from inside the library, books in hand, trying to hide his mischievous smile behind them.
"Yes, he informed me that Rainbow Dash flew through your window, ransacked the library, and left with her Element of Harmony. Is this true?" The look Celestia bore hinted at anger and betrayal.
Twilight sighed, then bowed her head in shame. "Yes, it is."
"What you posses her to do something like this?"
Rarity stepped forward with both letter and picture in her magical grip. Princess Celestia took her time examining them, her expression never changed. She looked back at the chariot, and made a nodding motion. From the chariot, Twilight noticed two more ponies for the first time, who stepped down. The two, a stallion and a mare, matched the ones in the picture to a tee. Twilight and her friends stared at them in complete bewilderment.
"These are Rainbow Dash's parents," explained Princess Celestia, "they came to me, asking if I could take them to her and that it was her birthday, that they haven't seen each other in many moons. But, I'm guessing she's not here, is she?"
"No, I'm sorry, we couldn't stop her in time."
The pink pegasus stepped up first, "Please," she begged, "do you know where my little Dashie is?"
"We came here to surprise her for her birthday," her father continued, "can we see her?"
"Well I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs..."
"Firefly," the mother introduced herself. "and this is Spectrum Dash."
"Well, I'm afraid that..." Twilight was having trouble telling them that they actually had no idea where their daughter is, or what she was doing. "We don't know. At her party today she got a letter and a picture explaining that you were being held captive, and that she was to go to the Everfree forest. But other than that we don't know where she is. I'm sorry."
"It's a good thing I do then," Princess Celestial told them with a smile, "I have scouts roaming the Everfree forest constantly, making sure nothing bad escapes to terrorize the rest of Equestria. One of them reported seeing a rainbow extending from Ponyville, to a river near Zacora's home."
"Then that's where we're a headin'!" Applejack cheered.
The rest of the Elements agreed in a loud 'Yeah!'
"Well then, my little ponies," Princess Celestia secured their saddlebags on their backs for them, "go find your friend, and bring her back, safely."
"Please be careful!" Firefly yelled at the five friends as the galloped off towards the Everfree Forest.
"Come on, Fluttershy," Rarity urged on as Applejack tried to push the hesitant mare over the edge of the Everfree Forest. She was everything but happy to go in. "You've got to do this for Rainbow Dash, she needs your help."
"But-but there's m-monsters in there..."
"Yes, and right now, Rainbow Dash is facing them alone. Which is why we need to help her. Now, lets go."
"Well... It is for Rainbow..."
"That's the spirit." Fluttershy stopped resisting Applejack's pushes, and trotted forward. Applejack, who was caught off guard by the sudden change of direction, fell muzzle first into the dirt.
Hours after the five friends has first stepped hoof into the Everfree Forest, they were miles from home, following a cold river, and it was starting to get dark. They had yet to find Rainbow Dash, and were running out of time. The prevailing thought on everypony's mind was where to make camp. Just as Twilight thought she found a good spot, Pinkie Pie started to smell the air curiously.
"What is it?" asked Applejack.
"I smell... smoke?" she sniffed the air to confirm it. "Ohh! I wonder if they have s'mores!" In a pink blur, Pinkie Pie sprinted off deeper into the Everfree Forest.
"Pinkie wait!" But the excitable mare didn't heed her friends calls. They'd have no choice but to chase after her.
Pinkie Pie darted out of sight into the bushes, the other Elements in tow. Branches smacked them in the faces as they ran by. Moments later, the group broke through the brush into a clearing and stopped in their tracks. Rainbow Dash was laying down next to the river, asleep by a fire, her saddlebags were being used as a pillow, with the Element of Loyalty just barely poking out of an open flap, it's red lightning bolt illuminated in the fire's glow.
"She's sleeping?" Rarity asked curiously. "At a time like this? I knew Rainbow Dash enjoyed her naps but even this seems a little extreme.
"Well, a sonic rainboom takes a lot of energy," explained Fluttershy.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled in a successful attempt to wake the mare, slowing approaching as she did so.
Dash violently awoke, looking around for the source of the disturbance. Her eyes locked on to Twilight and the others. She grabbed her saddlebag, and quickly threw it on her back, making sure the Element was secured inside. As her friends approached her, she backed up against the river like a scared, cornered animal.
"What are you guys doing here!?" Rainbow demanded of them.
"We came to find ya. Princess Celestia brought your parents to Ponyville. They're fine!" Applejack tried to convince her, to no avail.
"No, no. She still has them. You guys can't be here! If she finds out, I'll never see them again!"
"Dash, who has your parents?" questioned Twilight, trying to figure out who sent the letter.
"Q— No, I can't tell you... if she finds out, it's over!"
Rainbow Dash rose to hover a few feet in the air above the river, looking around desperately for a place to fly away to.
"But Rainbow, we can help you figure this out," calmed Fluttershy.
"You can't. I'm running out of time, I... I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash took off in a blur of cyan fur into the trees, her friends trying their best to run after her. Twilight would have used a spell to grab hold of the mare, but she moved before she could conjure one up.
Rainbow Dash disappeared into the forest, but the ground foliage was to thick for her friends to follow. Seconds later though, a bright green light flashed from the direction she flew towards. The group of friends looked on in anticipation. Needless to say, they were shocked to see Rainbow Dash hop over the bushes and land infront if them.
"Hi ya guys!" she said very cheerfully.
"Uhh," Applejack examined the emotionally changed mare with great detail, as did the rest of the Elements. "You okay, sugar cube?"
"Yeah... hehe why wouldn't I be?"
"Well you're happy," Rarity explained, "not that that's a bad thing or anything, it's just... you were frightened to death a minute ago."
"Ponies change all the time."
"And where did your saddlebag go?" noticed Fluttershy.
"What bag?" Rainbow suddenly looked nervous, her eyes shifting around the group of friends that were now slowly encircling her.
"Your bag silly!" Pinkie Pie intruded. "The one you put your Element of Harmony in so you could rescue your parents from some eeeeevvvviiilllll pony, whose idenentity you won't tell us!"
"Uh... I... lost it?"
"Huuuhu..." Twilight was the most suspicous of them all, she had seen that green flash somewhere else, but couldn't remember where. So she decided to question Dash to find out the truth, they both knew she was lying about something. "So where are your parents?"
"My p-parents? They... they went back home... to Ponyville. Hehehe," Rainbow started scratching the back of her neck. "See, this whole thing is just some big misunderstanding. They wanted to go on a... on a camping trip! Yeah! But they got lost, and I found them, and showed them the way back. Everything's fine. No need to stay here anymore."
Twilight and Applejack shared a sarcastic look with one another.
"Rainbow," Applejack began, "what's special about today?"
"It-it's... Tuesday."
"No, well, yes," Twilight cut in. "But what's special about [this] particular Tuesday?"
Rainbow thought for a moment, her eyes darted around, looking for an answer. "Is it your birthday? I didn't forget to get you a present, did I?" Rarity sighed, Applejack facehoofed, and Twilight became angry, approaching the cyan mare, her horn glowing in a purple magical aura.
That was it, this pony was clearly not Rainbow Dash, but an imposter. Who ever she was, she suspected that she had been discovered, and started to back away slowly.
Fluttershy and Rarity pounced first, pinning the imposter on the ground my holding onto her legs. Pinkie Pie got in her face, demanding answers to questions like; "where is the real Rainbow Dash!?" and, "who are you!?"
"Your friend is doomed," said the imposter in new, demonic voice, a slow smile quietly forming on her muzzle. Hearing this voice with somepony that looked jut like Rainbow Dash sent shivers down the spines of the five friends. "Nothing you can do will save her."
"Then you underestimate my little ponies," spoke a defiant Princess Celestia, descending from her golden chariot along with an army of guards. She approached the imposter to begin her own line of questioning. "Now, answer Miss Pinkie Pie; Who are you, and where is Rainbow Dash?" The imposter remained silent. "I see. Under what circumstances did you encounter this pony, Twilight Sparkle?"
"We were following the river to see if we could find Rainbow Dash and see if we coud help her with we stumbled across her camp. We tried talking to her about what was going on but she got scared and ran away for some reason. Then I saw this green flash come from where I last saw Rainbow and then this impostor jump out of the bushes."
"Interesting. I am familiar with only one group of ponies that are capable of posing as other ponies in this great of detail."
"Who?" asked Applejack.
An hours hike up river, the real Rainbow Dash landed in front of the mouth of a large cave. She could smell smoke coming from deep within its caverns. Maybe I should have brought my friends... she thought to herself. Dash entered the cave, but was scared enough to stay as low to the ground as she could. The deeper she went, the darker it got as the light faded. But up ahead, she could see more light, coming from a side tunnel. When she tried to look down it, the contrast between the light and the darkness was so intense that she couldn't see anything. Still, she pressed on, the smell of smoke becoming more intense with each step. If the visibility had been better, she would have been able to see the smoke rolling along the low ceiling.
Dash crept along the tunnel until she reached the end. There, she emerged out into a large, open cavern, the walls lit by lanterns. One predominate feature stood out in the center of it all. An iron bar cage, with two ponies inside; a stallion with a grayish-purple coat, a rainbow mane and tail, and a cutie mark depicting a rainbow shooting out of a cloud; and a mare with a pink coat, a bright blue mane and tale, and a cutie mark showing a blue lightning bolt. In other words, her parents.
"Mom!" Dash called out, unaware that she was being watched. "Dad!" Rainbow took to the air, flying towards the cage.
"Rainbow!" Her mother greeted when she landed in front of the prison.
Dash froze for a brief moment. Her mother had never called her 'Rainbow' before unless she was angry. Something was off... "Mom... what's special about today?" she questioned the mare.
Said mare seemed confused for a moment before coming up with an answer. "It's Tuesday?"
A cold shiver ran down the cyan pegasus' spine. Sensing the growing danger, Rainbow began to carefully back away from the cage, much to the confusion of the two ponies who presently occupied it. Rainbow's retreat was halted when she ran into something. The pegasus flinched. jumping several feet into the air and using her wings to turn to face what ever she had run into. There, she saw a giant, solid, buzzing wall of Changelings from floor to cavern ceiling. Rainbow Dash shuddered at the sight, sinking as low to the floor as she good to get as small as possible, her hears folded back, and her wings hugged her body, tightly. From behind her, came a familiar, maniacal laugh.
Unexpectedly, Rainbow found herself being levitated into the air by a green magic in her current position. The force spun her around 180 degrees, pointed her at the cage, whose occupants have radically changed. Instead of her comforting looking parents, they were now Changelings. Their green eyes staring into her soul.
On top of the same cage, was the source of the magical grip that now surrounded Rainbow Dash, and was drawing her closer. Also a Changeling, this one was staller, skinnier, more royal-like, and a complete which that Dash unfortunately had met on a previous occasion. Queen Chrysalis.
"Yes, Rainbow..." she spoke with an evil laugh. "How good to see you."
"You..." Rainbow Dash growled. "Where are my parents before I buck the snot out of ya!?"
"Where are your manners? You are speaking to a Royal, after all..."
"Yeah, a royal pain in the flank..." Queen Chrysalis released the mare from her grip, causing her to fall almost an entire story to the ground below. From her saddlebag, the Element of Loyalty bounced out and slid against the cold rock. Chrysalis levitated it towards her before Rainbow could react.
Standing back up, ready to fight, Dash saw that she was in the middle of a bubble of Changelings, all beginning to take the forms of the ponies she knew. "It'd be best that you be quiet, you wouldn't want this to be worse than it's already going to be."
"Just tell me. Where. Are. My. Parents?"
"Oh, I have absolutely no idea, hahaha." The Queen seemed lost in a trance staring at the Elemental necklace.
"Why me, Chrysalis?" Rainbow asked as the Changeling swarm enclosed her, mostly all of which had taken the forms of her friends or other ponies she had known.
"Simple. If I tried to take over Equestria again, those Elements of Harmony would be my biggest problem. Particularly you, since you're so ambitious, and stupid enough to fall for this. So I came up with a simple plan to remove you and your Element from the equation." Queen Chrysalis mockingly levitated the Element of Loyalty between the two, marveling at the necklace. "I just can't believe you actually were stupid enough to fall for it. Changelings, drain her! We have work to do..." Chrysalis jumped off of the cage, and disappeared behind the dome of Changelings that now surrounded Rainbow. One by one, they impersonated those she knew and shouted out insults.
"I only gave you those Daring Do books to keep you away." Yelled one Twilight. Rainbow tried to buck her, but missed, and was rewarded with a sharp hit to the side from the same creature she had just attempted to hit. Dash staggered back from the impact, but something was wrong, she felt considerably weaker. She looked at her side to see what damage the blow had done, but the only change was the color of her coat, it had gotten slightly grayer.
"I never needed any help with those bullies," shouted a Fluttershy. "If anything, they were insulting you, Rainbow Crash"
Rainbow's coat became grayer still. Hearing those words from the voice and apparence of one of her best foalhood friends hurt, even though she new that it was all lies, and that it was coming from a Changeling, not Fluttershy or another one of her friends.
"Your mane is terrible..." commented the Rarity closest to her, "no pony in their right mind would mix those colors. They don't even match your pathetic eyes!" Even Rainbow Dash would have admitted that that one hurt.
One after another, they kept coming. The insults were becoming too much, Dash laid on the ground, and tried to cover up her ears with her forelegs in a vain attempt to block everypony out.
"You always ruin my parties! Nopony likes you! I do what I can to keep them a secret from you but that's just not enough, is it!?" screamed a Pinkie Pie.
An Applejack stepped up, and whispered into Dash's ear, "we were never friends... I used you. You were my tool to become better. The Iron Pony Challenge, Winter Wrap Up, the Running of the Leaves, all of it. You are nothing to me..."
That was the insult that pushed Dash over the edge. Never in any of her nightmares had she imagined her best friend saying something like that. A tear escaped Dash's eye, "Stop!" She yelled, as the last of her color and strength left her. "STOP!"
"That... doesn't... sound... good..." the real Twilight Sparkle murmured, lowering her head, hearing the echoing cries from her friend inside of the cave.
"Well," Applejack said, confidently stepping up to the lavender unicorn, "that pony needs our help, and she'll darn well get it!" AJ led the charge into the cave, her short words of encouragement rallied Twilight's emotions, allowing her to follow the farm girl in.
The five of them followed the echoing insults, and the smell of smoke towards their friend. When they reached the entrance to the side tunnel, they heard Queen Chrysalis command, "Enough! She has nothing left..."
"Ohh, we're too late..." Rarity dramatically moaned.
"But we can still save her." Fluttershy pointed out. "Right?"
"Yes, we can," Twilight encouraged them, "but keep an eye out, those Changelings may try to stop us..."
The group of friends proceeded into the blinding light of the side tunnel, no longer did they hear the insults that were attacking their friend.
"I hope she's alright," Fluttershy expressed a concern that they all shared.
"She'll be fine!" Pinkie Pie replied cheerfully.
"Ah still can't believe that somepony would do something like this, and to Rainbow Dash of all ponies!" protested an irate Applejack.
"Well, dear," Rarity spoe softly as they neared the cavern entrance, "this is Queen Chrysalis we're talking about. She is a complete monster that has already attempted to take over Equestria once before, and nearly succeeded."
"And if she has Rainbow's Element," Twilight put her two cents in, "then she very well may succeed again."
The mares emerged into the cavern, their eyes adjusting to the light. In front of them was the dome of ponies that looked like them, and other's they knew, but the formation was too tightly packed for anypony to see inside. Though, the mass was slowly dispersing, and the ponies changing back into their true Changeling form. In the center of where their dome had been, the five mares saw Rainbow Dash, devoid of color, lying limp on the rock floor.
"Dash!" Applejack cried, sprinting over to her weak friend's side. Twilight and the others wisely stayed back; the Changelings had heard Applejack and were now closing in on them.
"So," declared Queen Chrysalis, who was once again standing atop the iron cage, "she did bring you fillies... What a shame... Oh well, you're too late anyway. You're friend has been drained of her tastefull love, and her Element of Harmony is mine. Soon, Equestria will be under my control!"
"S-S-Sorry, g-girls..." Rainbow Dash tried to apologize, in a very, very weak voice.
"Ain't notin' to be sorry for," Applejack tried to comfort her ailing friend, "ya couldn't 'ave known."
Twilight rallied her friends, "come on girls! Let's show her what we can do!"
Twilight was the first to strike against the imposters, using magic spells to force them to change into their true form, and paralize them. Rarity and Pinkie Pie stayed together, fighting through wave after wave of Changelings, trying to get to Queen Chrysalis and the Element. Fluttershy did what she could, giving each Changeling the 'stare', paralyzing them in terror. Apple Jack stood by Rainbow Dash, refusing to leave her side, kicking Changelings away with her hind legs. But there was too many of them, soon, they'd be over run, and Queen Chrysalis knew it.
"Ha ha ha!" Laughed the Queen. "You are no match for my army!"
"Mine is!" Princess Celestia retaliated. She, and her army of guards, were standing at the cavern entrance to the side tunnel. They charged forward, but Queen Chrysalis put up a force field around the entire cavern to halt their attack.
"Even Princess Celestia is no match for me without her precious Elements of Harmony. Taking over all of Equestria will be much earlier than I thought.
Rainbow watched helplessly through blurry eyes at the scene unfolding before her. The fight wasn't going in their favor, without her, her friends were slowly being overwhelmed by the Changelings.
"Rainbow!" Twilight called out, "we can't do this without you... You're still loyal to us, dispite what's happened, I know you are. There was no way you could have known it was a trap, we all would have fallen for it. Remember when we looked for the Elements for the first time? You got us across that bridge after proving how loyal you are. Discord tried to take that way from you, but just showed how loyal you truly are! I know you have the strength to rise past it again."
The compliments helped. Rainbow's head perked up again, and she was no longer completely black and white, some color had returned. Seeing what effect Twilight's encouragement had on her, the others quickly followed her example.
Rarity was next. "Rainbow Dash, you are easily the most beautiful pony I've ever met. No other pony can pull off that coat, mane, and eye color combination like you. Your personality tops it all off! Why, even your name is elegant and fierce at the same time."
Now, Dash was sitting up, the color in her eyes had fully returned, and there was a tinge of blue in her coat.
"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie yelled, her voice sounded disappointed. "Never, in all of my life, have I seen you so gloomy! And on your birthday of all days! Remember the fun we used to have? Pranking everyone in Ponyville, throwing countless parties, and all of those pranks you pulled on Gilda, and she thought it was me? You stood up for me, against one of your filly-hood friends! If that's not loyalty, I don't know what is."
"Umm, Rainbow," Fluttershy spoke, "I know this is a bad time, but I need you. We all need you. In flight school, you stood up for me, always, from Gilda and all of those other bullies, and without you, I would never have gotten my cutie mark and discovered my love for animals. You've helped me through every hard moment in my life, and we're here to help you with yours."
The inspiring comments brought Rainbow Dash to her hooves, but her legs were still weak and wobbly. Only her mane and tail were still black and white. Suddenly, her legs gave way. Applejack caught her before she could completely fall, then helped her back up with a smile.
"You listen to be Rainbow," AJ ordered, "we've been best friends since the day we met. Now, even though we've had our moments, we've gotten' past 'em. We've been there for each other, always. Just look at the Iron Pony competition, and Winter Wrap Up! Now, get up! Get up, Rainbow Dash, and show us how loyal you really are!"
A determined look grew on Rainbow Dash's face. She planeted her hooves in the rock, steadying herself, ready to fight. The color in her coat had fully returned, along with half of the color in her mane and tail.
Queen Chrysalis merely laughed at what transpired before her. "She's too weak to help you now, ponies!" The Queen's horn lit up, she was getting ready for what would surely be knock out blow of a spell on everypony. "With you gone, Equestria will be mine!"
Twilight used her own magic to grab a hold of the lose Element, and flung it towards Rainbow Dash. It landed perfectly on the cyan mare's neck. Dash's mane and tail regained their rainbow color, and she could feel that she had gotten her strength back, and then some. She stood tall, proud, and defiant against the Queen. A mischievous smile grew on her muzzle.
"Never!" yelled Rainbow Dash, as she charged forward towards Queen Chrysalis at near Sonic Rainboom speeds.
Rainbow Dash hit her just as she fired the spell. But instead of the spell hitting her friends, it hit the ceiling directly above them. Cracks shot through the ceiling, and rocks began to crumble down. All fighting ceased, as everypony looked up to see what was happening. Out of sheer terror and self-preservation, the Changelings escaped through catacombs leading away from the cavern. The forcefield that cut Princess Celestia and her guards off from the others was shattered from Rainbow's impact with the Queen.
"Everypony out of the tunnels!" Princess Celestia ordered. "Now!"
Her guards went forward to attempt to capture Queen Chrysalis, but per Celestia's orders, immediately fled the cave, following Princess Celestia. Rarity, Apple Jack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie also ran towards the exit. Twilight tried to run, but was weak from her near constant use of magic. She stumbled towards the exit. Rainbow Dash saw a boulder plumiting towards her friend, and reacted swiftly.
Twilight was pushed out of the way before she could realize what was about to happen. Applejack, who had just made it to the side tunnel, heard a cry of pain from behind her. She turned to run towards it, only to find that Dash pushed Twilight out of the way in time, but the boulder landed on her own wing.
"Rainbow!" Twilight gasped. "Hang on!"
With their combined strength, Applejack and Twilight managed to roll the boulder off of Rainbow's wing, who nearly passed out from the pain. Once it was away, Twilight helped get Rainbow onto Applejack's back.
The trio fled the cave as fast as they could. Rock and debris avalanched behind them.
Outside, the other ponies waited impatiently. They could hear the rock falling. Dust burst from the cave entrance into the night air as the sounds ceased. Thinking of the worst, all of the guards bowed their heads in respect for the fallen. The Princess stepped forward in desblief, unable to fathom what may have just happened. But to their relief, Twilight emerged, leading out Rainbow Dash who was still on Applejacks back.
Two guards with red crosses on their armor rushed over with a small, puffy white cloud. They carefully put Rainbow Dash on said cloud, set her wing, and began to bandage it. She tried to relax, but she heard a long forgotten voice, one that did anything but let her relax.
"Dashie!" cried Firefly, rushing to the side of the cloud along with Spectrum. "Oh my little Dashie, are you okay!?"
Rainbow saw her mother and father appear at her side, looking at the bandages and wondering what had happened. Princess Celestia waited for her to finish telling the story oh what had happened that day before speaking. "So, Rainbow Dash," she began, "did you learn a lesson?"
Rainbow thought for a moment before replying. "Yeah, I did. I learned that no matter what happens in your life, your friends will always be there to help you, and that you should accept their help, because they can see from a different angle than you. And when it comes down to it, Loyalty, is a powerful thing."
"Indeed it is."
"Wait!" Pinkie Pie interrupted. "It's still Rainbow's birthday! We've got a party to finish!"
That party continued at Sugar Cube Corner, where they continued the pony games, and ate the leftover food. Rainbow Dash's friends hung out with her parents, getting to know them better. At one point, Rainbow danced slowly with her father, catching up on the times lost. At the end of it all, her parents would definitely be returning soon...
Author's Note
Well, finally completed that project. It actually went by faster than I thought it would. Now, back to working on Broken Feathers. Originally I had written this story completely on my phone so not only was it short, and non-descriptie, it had a load of grammar errors that have mostly now been fixed, while at the same time I nearly doubled it's length. I hope it still retains some of the values it had previously and that people like it just as much, if not more.
New: My deviantART page. You guys should check it out (I'll warn you now, I am NOT the best artist... They're primarily sketches, if anything, to help me get some of my idea's onto paper and help you guys visualize them) SPOILER ALERT They contain spoilers to the sequel of Broken Feathers so view them at your own risk. But then again, I have them put up on my profile page on here, too haha...
Moving on: 
Back to url=[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/118626/broken-feathers]Broken](https://www.fimfiction.net/story/118626/broken-feathers]Broken) Feathers
