Dashpoint: New Equestria

Applejack carried Pinkie over he shoulder, by her legs. The unconscious pony looked dead even before she was knocked out by Twilight's bad frying pan gag. Rainbow Dash wondered why she used a frying pan when she clearly had methods of knocking somepony unconscious, or worse. Rainbow Dash got a taste of Twilight's tortures. Though her wounds had healed, her wing was still sore from it being broken in three different places.

Applejack stopped dead in her tracks. She held her hoof out to stop Twilight and Applejack from passing. She did not say anything, just stared forward. After minutes of dead silence, Applejack finally spoke up.

"Does it seem... quiet to ya'll?" she asked. Twilight's eyes followed the row of lights that were blaring only moments ago- or, was it hours? How long had they even been in the facility? None of them could recall. It couldn't have been too long, judging by the fact that Pinkie was as limp as before.

"We broke a prisoner from a high security test facility," Twilight said, turning to Rainbow Dash. "Don't you think somepony would have noticed that?" Rainbow Dash too felt like something was wrong. Twilight turned to Applejack. "Any word from your friends upstairs?" Applejack looked at her and sighed.

"They aren't my friends. Ah never told ya before; after our first meeting, the Empire discharged me, which is why Ah agreed to help ya in the first place. As of now, Ah'm not on either side, Ah just want this war to end, and don't go telling me about the 'everypony lost' speech. There are someponies who haven't lost hope," Twilight chuckled, turning away. "Now if we can just focus on getting this poor mare to safety," Applejack turned away and began walking again.

Rainbow Dash hesitated before walking. She wasn't sure about the recent events. Not only was Blitz in this Universe, but now there were two other ponies hunting her. They were sort of... dreamwalkers, of a sort. It was either that, or Rainbow Dash was finally breaking down under the pressure of all the fighting, only to spring one pink pony from the jail. After that, what would they do? Would they turn Pinkie into a nuke? Something that could wipe out the Republic, and stop the war? Rainbow Dash didn't want to win the war. She just wanted to find Blitz, and get back to her universe, before she forgot all about it.

Rainbow Dash heard a groan. The pink mare who was dangling over Applejack's shoulder began to wake up. Her eyes slowly opened. She rubbed her head, and looked around. Her eyes widened, and she got up. Applejack turned and saw Pinkie Pie had awoken.

"Uh oh," Twilight said. "I left the frying pan in the cell," Pinkie Pie tried to spring from Applejack's grip, but in vain. Applejack was a Cybernetic Android. In other words, she had a pretty firm grip. She struggled to break free from Applejack. Pinkie tried biting Applejack's arm, only to hurt her teeth. They walked on, ignoring the shouting noises of the insane mare trying to break from the grip of somepony 300 times stronger than her. Applejack looked forward, but Twilight and Rainbow Dash were slightly amused.

"Let me go!" Pinkie shouted. Twilight chuckled.

"Why would we let you go?" Twilight asked. "Do you really think we're gonna take you back just because you told us to? If you really wanted to escape, you would have at least tried something besides biting an android. I find it amusing how you struggle to break free, when you are obviously outmatched."

"Twilight," Applejack said without turning to look at her.

"Quiet, Rusty," Pinkie Pie ignored her. She stared at Twilight with hatred. "Why are you so special anyway? Why did we have to risk our lives walking across the Devastation? You see, my 'pal' Rainbow Dash told us you would help turn the tides in war. Well, I'm having trouble figuring out how exactly one unstable mare can possibly do anything for this world!" Pinkie Pie looked down for a few moments.

"Are you sure you're still talking about me?" Pinkie chuckled, turning her head back up. Twilight's ears stuck straight up. "I've spent years hacking into the data banks, and I found all sorts of information about you, Twilight Sparkle. Daughter to Nightlight and Twilight Velvet,"

Smack! Twilight rubbed her hoof off on her coat. Half of Pinkie's face was taken by a large red mark, which began to seep blood in certain areas.

"Bitch," Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. "Are you sure this is the pony we need?" Rainbow Dash nodded.

"Positive," she said.

"Twilight," Applejack said in the same tone. Twilight sighed.

"Not now. Can't you see I'm being angry?" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. What else is new?

"No, look," the whole time they were walking, they hadn't noticed the sunlight. "Get her suit on, the area will be flooding with radiation," Pinkie Pie didn't actually fight to have the suit put on. She sat there, without looking at them. Afterwards, Applejack held her in the same way again.

They approached the sunlight, and Rainbow Dash actually smiled again. The smile did not last long, as they stepped out in the open. They realized why the facility was so quiet. Hundreds of ponies holding guns surrounded the exit. There was no way around them.

"Uh, Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked. "Now would be a really good time for that friend of yours to show us why she was worth the journey," Rainbow Dash hadn't actually thought of that. Rainbow Dash never performed the Sonic Rainboom, and Pinkie never learned the meaning of Laughter. If she could see a Sonic Rainboom, she may know what it means to be happy. Or it could be a useless way for the guards to get some target practice. Either way, she had to perform another Sonic Rainboom.

"Applejack, you have exceeded your orders to stand down," one of the guards said. "Put your hands on your head and come quietly," Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash.

"If ya have any bright ideas, I suspect you better use 'em," Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack and sighed. She decided to do what she did best. Rainbow Dash, well, dashed. The guards did not have any time to react. Before they knew it, Rainbow Dash was in the sky, and was already on her way down by the time they noticed.

Rainbow Dash wasn't sure if the Sonic Rainboom would help Pinkie. After spending years in a government facility, Rainbow Dash wasn't sure if she would ever smile again. Still, she didn't slow down for anything. She felt herself increasing speed as the ground got closer to her. Then, she heard the loud boom, but was unable to tell what happened.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, Rainbow Dash cut it close to the ground, sending ponies flying across the the field. It was pretty confusing for Rainbow Dash when she landed on the ground. There hundreds of ponies lying on the ground around her. Hundreds of ponies, including Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie were sent flying across the barren fields. Rainbow Dash turned back to the ground, and landed. She saw Applejack holding onto Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who was still not smiling. Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Ugh, it didn't work," Rainbow Dash said, kicking the ground. Applejack looked at her with confusion.

"Heh, at least ya stopped the guards," she said, letting go of Twilight. Twilight brushed herself off without saying anything. Rainbow Dash chuckled, following behind Twilight and Applejack as they walked away from M.A.R.E. Labs.

The journey back was less eventful and took twice as long. Pinkie finally stopped talking, which was even more annoying than when she was talking. As M.A.R.E faded into the distance, Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief. There were still many things left unanswered. Who were the two ponies who came to her in her dreams? How was Blitz able to travel across this world with ease? Where were they going now?

Rainbow Dash yearned for the Devastation to end. Luckily, M.A.R.E. wasn't too far our into the Devastation. Hopefully when they left, they would never have to return to the Devastation. Twilight was especially quiet. She even walked differently. There was hesitation in each step, which caused her to fall behind. Whenever she noticed, she'd rush ahead, and it would start all over again. Rainbow Dash seemed to be the only one who noticed.

Rainbow Dash looked to the distance. The fog wasn't as bad as the way there, making it easier to see at least 6 feet in front of them. She hadn't seen any monsters though. She thought that getting out would be the hardest part of the journey. It was quiet, but the other two hadn't noticed.

"Doesn't it seem a little too quiet?" Rainbow Dash asked, breaking the silence. Twilight turned back to her.

"It's Pinkie," Twilight said. "She's been inside M.A.R.E., and she's still alive. The monsters would no better than to mess with her," Twilight turned away. Rainbow Dash sighed again, continuing to walk. Rainbow Dash only just noticed her legs were aching. Her back hurt, and her muscled were sore. She wanted to rest, and leave everything behind her. But, whenever she would try to think about her friends, the less she remembered, and the more she knew about this world.

* * *

Three ponies slowly walked down the halls of a secret military base. The leader in front rubbed his eyes, and sighed. The one behind him and to the left made no eye-contact with the mare next to her. They eventually came to an opening that led into a large hangar. In the middle was a ship of some sort. The pony in the front turned to the mare behind him.

"Now listen," he said, pointing at her. "You were my last choice as a pilot, but everypony else is either dead or captured. My name is General Thundercloud, and this mission is up to you. Do you accept it?" the mare stared blankly at him for a few moments.

"Okie Dokie!" she said with a giggle. "Wait. What was the mission again?" the general rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"This ship is one of the last remaining vessels during the battle on Tau-11. Your job is to press the large button when you hear the loud beeping. The ship will take you where you need to go, all you need to do is press the large button only when you hear the loud beeping noise. Do you understand?" the mare nodded ,and entered the ship. Through the radio, the general talked to her.

"Just so you know what to listen for, we're going to play the noise. DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!" the radio turned off before the mare could respond.

"Wait, what?" suddenly, there was a loud beeping noise that echoed through the ship. The mare gasped. "The noise!" she ran to the controls and pressed the large red button that lay on the dashboard. There was a whistling noise, before the hangar blew up. Nopony was killed, though many sustained injuries. The mare stuck her head out of the debris and smiled again. Thundercloud would have had an aneurysm before he was hurt in any other way. He repeatedly pounded his head against what was left of the control room and sighed.

"Derpy..... what did I tell you?" he asked quietly. Derpy hopped out of the debris and hopped towards him.

"You told me to press the button when I heard the noise!" the general looked up at her.

"I told you that we were going to show you what the noise sounded like, and that you don't press the button!" Derpy put her hoof to her forehead.

"Ohhh, that's what you said!" the general looked back down, and hit his head a few more times.

"What are we gonna do with you?"

* * *

After almost a day, the four ponies finally made it out of the Devastation. What was waiting for them was not a pleasant sight. The base where they had received the suits was destroyed. Smoke rose high into the sky. The place was burned to the ground. That wasn't the worst though. There was a pile of burnt bodies to the side of the building. There heads were placed on spears, surrounding the building. Across the ground, For The New Lunar Republic, written in blood. Rainbow Dash retched, turning away. Twilight approached the building.

"It seems the Republic is already starting to attack the bases," Twilight said, sifting through the sandy surface. She held her hoof to her nose and sniffed. "Gunpowder. I noticed it on the way through. The Republic mixed the sand with gunpowder," Applejack sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"We need to get Pinkie somewhere safe," Applejack said. Twilight's ears stuck up. "We need to get to the Resistance," Twilight turned towards her.

"You mean travel all the way to Germaneigh? Just to help this one pony who may not even be of use to us? Should I remind you that involves going through the Plains of Night?" Twilight kicked the ground. "This war is going to end soon. Before we know it, they'll issue a Cleansing Order. We're all going to die," Applejack sat on the dusty ground, holding Pinkie next to her.

"Not if we contact 'em. There's a computer at your house that can communicate with the Resistance. We need to head back to your house, and while we're at it ya'll can examine this mare to know exactly what she is," Twilight thought for a moment.

"Fine. If it's the only way, then we can contact the Resistance," Twilight began walking past the smoking building, and away from the Devastation. Applejack followed her, who was followed by Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash knew nothing about this world. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know more about it. She needed to find Blitz before she forgot about her friends. She already couldn't recall how Fluttershy got her cutiemark. She remembers standing up for her, but then it goes blank.

The journey to the train felt a lot quicker after they spent the whole day walking through the Devastation. Before they knew it, they were at the train station, and they boarded the train. It soon departed, and they were en route back to Ponyville. Nothing really happened on the train ride. Pinkie was still quiet, and Twilight and Applejack were discussing what the plan was once they got back to her house. Rainbow Dash tried to rest for a little while. Her legs were still sore, and sleep felt so inviting.

Rainbow Dash gasped and looked around. She was no longer on the train. She was in a empty room, sitting in a chair. The only things in the room besides her and the chair were the two large doors. Rainbow Dash heard nothing. The silence was deafening. After a few moments, she tried to get up and look around, but found she could not move.

Suddenly, the large doors opened, and the two familiar ponies entered the room. The mare still would not reveal her face. The stallion had not changed, except for his clothes. What was once a scientist outfit was now white robes. He humm quietly as he approached Rainbow Dash, who was still sitting down.

"Hello again, Rainbow Dash," the stallion said, circling her chair. "Your mind may have locked us out, but it isn't exactly awake while you're asleep. You were in such a rush to wake up, that you didn't even let us introduce ourselves. My name is Dustwing, and the beautiful mare behind the mask is Moonshine," (Not to be confused with the whiskey) "We already know the famous Rainbow Dash, don't we Moonshine?" Moonshine nodded, turning away.

"What do you want with me?" Rainbow Dash asked. Dustwing smiled.

"There we go! Finally you're starting to talk! For a while I thought I was talking to a brick wall! So, now we can get back to where we left off last time," he pulled a small knife out of his pocket. "See, this is a special tool. This can injure you in your dreams, and in reality. Watch this!" he cut part of Rainbow Dash's leg.

"Ow!" she shouted, trying to hold her leg in pain, but still could not move. She felt her blood slowly drip down her leg, and onto the white floors. Meanwhile, on the train, a small cut became visible on the sleeping Rainbow Dash's leg. None of the ponies seemed to notice.

"Now, what are you up to now? First you break a pony out of a high security test lab that I had no idea existed, then you get on a train! Where are you going Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow Dash did not respond. Dustwing sighed, and turned away. "You know, Princess Nightmare Moon already knows you are here. There's no point in trying to hide. She could wipe all four of you out in a second. You're either with the Republic, or you will be destroyed," Rainbow Dash still did not talk. Dustwing was becoming irritated. "You know, you're really trying my patience here,"

"How are you able to enter my dreams?" Rainbow Dash finally asked. Dustwing chuckled.

"Princess Nightmare Moon has many powerful spells. She used to be able to enter the dreams of her subjects. We are simply using a spell she gave us," Dustwing sighed again. "Now, are you going to tell me where you are going yet?"

"No," Rainbow Dash said sternly. Dustwing sighed again.

"Boy, you sure like doing these things the hard way,"

* * *

"But your majesty, there is simply no way we can accomplish such a task!" a voice of reason echoes through the halls of an ancient city. "We aren't even sure if it works yet. If we fail... who knows what he will do to us!" the stallion followed behind a tall mare, shrouded in darkness.

"I care not if it fails!" her shrill voice shouted. "He has kept his nose out of our business! Besides, this will destroy him if it does fail," the two ponies entered a huge dome room. In the center was a small transparent pod. On the inside was a white stallion. He was shackled, with tubes running through his body. His eyes were shut, but he was still conscious. His horn was glowing faintly, a sign that he still had magic. "This stallion is our ticket to winning this war," the pony glared at her.

"And what if the devastating force does not stop? What if it destroys us as well?" the mare turned to him, smiling.

"Then we may die in peace, knowing the Empire fell. I would sacrifice my kingdom, and ponies to see the Empire fall," the mare turned away and walked out of the room. After the door shut behind her, the pony slammed on the glass.

"The fool!" the stallion's eyes slowly opened. "You will destroy us all!" the pony stared at the stallion who was drifting in and out of consciousness. The pony looked at him one more time before turning away. "I'm so sorry," he said, before the stallion closed his eyes. The pony left the room, and closed the door behind him.

"Everypony lost..." the stallion whispered silently. "Everypony.... lost,"