Death

11 months later

"Hello, Miss Lightning Dust." A voice echoed off the dark walls of the cave.

"Huh?! Who are you?!" Lightning Dust scrambled out of her sleeping bag and lit a lamp.

Hoovesteps echoed off the walls and they only seem to be getting louder and louder.  In the dim light, Lightning could see a pony emerge. It was her old Wonderbolts Academy Buddy; Rainbow Dash.

Lightning let out a sigh of relief. "What do you want, Rainbow?"

"I want answers, and I want them now." Rainbow said as she stopped walking and faced Lightning.

"Answers to what, exactly?" Lightning asked.

"You were captured and you were with my friend. WHAT HAPPENED?" Rainbow asked.

"How do you know this?" Lightning asked, but didn't wait for an answer.

She soared at Dash. Rainbow Dash jumped into the air, pulled out a knife, and landed on top of Lightning ponning her down. The blade was held against her throat.

"Easy there, tiger." Dash commented.

"Ugh! How do you know this?!" Lightning cried.

"If you're that eager, then I'll let you know. Derpy told me." Rainbow said.

"Ugh! Fine! I'll tell you the entire thing if you leave me alone!" Lightning cried.

"Good. Now talk." Rainbow growled.

Lightning explained the entire thing. She didn't dare miss a single detail. She even told Rainbow how Fluttershy went mega-mad and killed a pony.

"What if," Rainbow started,

"I don't believe you?"

"I swear it's the truth, Rainbow! If you don't believe me, then don't, but either way it's the truth!" Lightning cried.

"So about that part," Rainbow started again,

"Why didn't you save Fluttershy?"

"She didn't want me to! She even kicked me in the chest when I tried! See?" Lightning pointed at her chest with hoof marks in them.

"And my wing!  See how it's a bit torn? That's from the rope she pulled off." She pointed to her left wing.

Rainbow sighed. "Fine. But don't think I won't find you again." She let the knife of Dust's throat and backed away, then put the knife away.

"You won't find me again." Lightning growled.

"Oh, I will," Rainbow Dash growled back,

"And I will come back for a good reason." and the rainbow pegasus took off into the night sky.

***

Rainbow Dash went back to her cloud home and looked at the clock. It was about 3 am. She has been gone since 7 am. Her stomach rumbled and she went to open her fridge to get a snack. She pulled out some left over Hay-Sandwhich.

Rainbow trotted towards her couch and ate there, knowing after she'd eat she would eat she would fall asleep.

Rainbow was chewing on her Sandwhich when she saw her mail on the floor. After eating, she picked it up and set it on her table and went up to bed.

She might as well read tomorrow.

***

Rainbow Dash walked downstairs and made herself breakfast, and opened the mail.

Bills, bills, bills.

When she noticed something odd.

One envelope had a sticker of her favorite Wonderbolt's cutie mark, Soarin.

She opened up the letter.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

ever since you have finished the Wonderbolts Academy, we have been putting in ponies we decided to add on to our team. Congratulations, you're one of them. Write us back if you accept.

Sincerely,

Spitfire - Captain of the Wonderbolts

Rainbow Dash dropped the letter.

She shook her head.

What if it was a scam?

Rainbow Dash took her chances and flew over to Twilight's tree house.

***

"Don't be so gullible, Rainbow." Twilight said, "It could be a scam."

"That's exactly what I thought. But I'm taking my chances." Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight.

Twilight changed the subject,

"Did you find Lightning Dust?"

"Yep. I'll only tell the story and the information if you have Spike write a letter back."

Twilight groaned, "Fine..."

"Spike, come here please."

The purple dragon ran over to Twilight, "Yes, Twilight?"

"Supposedly, Rainbow here got an invitation to join the Wonderbolts. She wants you to write a letter back for her." Twilight told Spike.

"Wow! Congrats, Rainbow! Anyways, I'll get started." Spike grabbed a paper and quill.

Rainbow began talk, "Dear Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts,

OMGOMGOMG! YOU REALLY WANTED ME TO JOIN THE WONDERBOLTS?! THANK YOU! OF COURSE I WILL! YOU'RE SOO AWESOME!!!!

Your newest member,

Rainbow Dash"

"You got that, Spike?"

"Yep." he sealed the letter in an envelope.

Rainbow snatched the letter and flew away to put the letter in her mail box.

"Wait, Rainbow! You have to tell me what Lightning Dust said." Twilight growled just as Rainbow was about to fly out the door.

"Oh, that." Rainbow said.

Rainbow Dash began talking, "When I finally tracked her down..."

***

"And that's everything she said." Rainbow finished.

"Interesting..." Twilight said, but she said no more.

"...Soo, can I go now?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight said one word, "Yes."

***

Rainbow Dash slammed the envelope in her mail box and put up the red stick, to show there was a letter needing to be sent.

It was still pretty early in the day, about 11 am. Rainbow Dash thought about all of the possibilities that could happen when she became a Wonderbolt - if it wasn't a scam.

Rainbow Dash had always been skeptical of these things, and the last thing she needed was some asshole ponies pranking her into thinking she was in the Wonderbolts.

Whether a scam or not, Rainbow Dash still wondered what it would be like being a Wonderbolt. Sure, professional flying, defending Equestria (when needed) and putting on shows, and competing with other teams across Equestria, like Lightningbolts; which were her favorite next to the Wonderbolts. But the reason why Rainbow Dash loved the Wonderbolts the most was because they were the best. And they also originated in Cloudsdale, where she grew up. Rainbow Dash wondered if Ponyville would ever get their own "bolt" team. Since Ponyville was way too small and rural for a flying team, there was none. But in the recent years, since some of the greatest villains like Nightmare Moon and Discord did their evil acts in Ponyville, it was becoming more and more popular and populated. Not to mention her best friend, Twilight, was a princess, and she lived in Ponyville. Heck, even if this whole Wonderbolt thing is a scam, Rainbow can start her own Ponyville flying team. That'd be awesome.

With all of the Wonderbolts thoughts, Rainbow hasn't realized how much time has passed.

She finally snapped out of it within 3 hours of thoughts.

"You're getting too hopeful, Dash." Rainbow Dash told herself.

She rarely talked to herself, but right now, it was necessary.

Rainbow Dash's stomach grumbled. She hasn't eaten since about ten a.m, and right now it was three p.m. She walked over to her fridge and ate whatever she found.

To pass the time, Rainbow flew around Cloudsdale to see what was going on. The usual.

Busy city. Shopping, ponies talking, flying. She remembered how she flew around with Fluttershy all the time here. Then it felt as a knife of sadness stabbed at her heart.

Maybe I should visit them.

Rainbow Dash landed on the fluffy clouds to think.

A flight to Canterlot would take about ten minutes at my speed.

Rainbow Dash spread her wings and took off towards Canterlot.

***

"Hi, guys." Rainbow Dash said as she approached her two deceased friends' graves.

Obviously, neither of the ponies said hello back.

Rainbow Dash sat down between the two graves.

"Hey guys, I-I might be joining the Wonderbolts! Isn't that great?!"

No reply.

"I'm talking to dead bodies. What have I become?!" Rainbow Dash cried to herself.

But deep down in her heart, she knew they were more than dead bodies. They were ponies she once knew, once loved (in a sisterly way, of course.) and once made good memories with.

In those dead bodies, there was once a pony with her own personality, her own uniqueness, her own talents and she had things that made her special.

And those spirits will never leave Rainbow Dash's mind. Death may take away her friends, but it will never take away one of her most powerful tools. Her memories with them.

Rainbow looked at the two gravestones.

"I will never forget either of you, ever. But I have to go." Rainbow Dash said, tears rolling down her face.

She wasn't talking to dead bodies. She was talking to the bodies that once held the spirits of these ponies, and hopefully, she was talking to the spirits, too.

***

The next day, Rainbow Dash got only one envelope from her mail. It held the same Wonderbolts sticker.

Excitment went throughout Rainbow Dash's body. She opened the envelope.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

Good! Meet us on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at the HQ.

Sincerely,

Spitfire-Captain of the Wonderbolts

Rainbow Dash dropped the Wonderbolts letter for the second time, and gasped in delight.

She knew this wasn't a scam. This was sent straight from the Wonderbolts HQ.

She flew around her cloud home, grabbed Tank, and flew into Ponyville, Tank tightly wrapped around her hooves, under her chest.

Dash slammed open Twilight's door.

"Yah!" Twilight exclaimed, dropping a test tube, with odd green luquid now bubbling on her floor.

"RAINBOW!!!"

Rainbow flew in and plopped tank on the ground. She took a deep breath,

"HEYTWILIGHTCANYOUBELIVEITIGOTACCEPTEDINTHEWONDERBOLTSOMGOMGOMGOMGSOIMIGHTBEBUSYSOTAKECAREOFTANKFORTHEWEEKKAYTHANKSBYE!" And she flew out as quickly as possible.

Twilight stepped outside and looked and watched the rainbow pony fly away.

She then looked at Tank.

"She wants me to take care of you, huh? I'm sure Fluttershy would be her first choice if she were here..." Twilight told Tank, though she knew the tortoise did not understand.

Twilight remembered on how Discord came to Fluttershy's one day, and the ponies had to break the news that Fluttershy was dead.

Twilight was pained by the normal mischievous expression on Discord's  face turned into a wobbly frown, and though Discord did try to hide it, Twilight could see tears forming in his eyes. His ears folded back.

He did one thing Twilight never has seen Discord do.

He flew away.

Twilight never discovered how, but that wasn't one of her problems now.

Later on, the ponies needed to find other ponies wiling to take on Fluttershy's animals.

A majority of farm animals were sent to Applejack's farm.

Twilight thought of how cows in the human world were farm animals used to eat, and they really had no relation at all with pony-humans.

Cows were cows. Ponies were humans.

What a strange world.

Twilight shook her head. She was going to give herself a major headache.

She switched her mind to the thought of giving the animals away.

Many of the garden ponies took in kittens and puppies, one even took in a rabbit, despite them being 'pests' to the gardeners.

Cheerlie took in a bird, and it's now a pet at the schoolhouse.

What seemed like forever to give all of the animals away, they were finally taken in by other ponies.

They even had to stop ponies in their tracks and ask them if they wanted a pet while they were shopping for who knows what at the Ponyville market-stands.

Twilight snapped back into reality.

She scanned the room for Tank, but could not find him.

"Wait a minute..." Twilight turned around, and there was Tank licking the odd-green liquid inside the test tube.

"Oh, no!" Twilight exclaimed. She levitated the tortoise into the air and placed him on the floor on the opposite side of the room.

"That's poisonus! No!"

Twilight galloped over to Tank and began inspecting him.

"Oh please, please be okay! Rainbow would kill me if you weren't!"

***

"And this," Spitfire said, left hoof wrapped around Dash's back as they walked into Spitfire's office, "Is my office."

Rainbow covered her nose.

"AUGH! WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!"

"Probably drugs, y'know." Spitfire replied.

"Yeah..I could tell." Rainbow Dash's eyes watered and she looked at her obviously stoned captain.

"Doing drugs isn't a good idea, especially being the captain of the Wonderbolts and all."

"Chillax, Rainbow. Today's Saturday afternoon. I only let mahself do drugs from Friday night. And then I do drugs again da next mornin'."

"Well aren't you scheduled?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "Why the BUCK would you do drugs in the first place?!"

"'Cause I can!" Spitfire exclaimed. She let go of Rainbow Dash and collapsed on the floor.

Rainbow Dash walked over to the desk and saw different kinds of drugs.

"Some of this stuff isn't even legal, ma'am!"

"I know Dash, chillax, ...BUT HELP ME UP PLEASE."

Rainbow Dash helped her stoned captain up.

***

"That was Everfree thorn poison!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Why would you be working with THAT?!"  Spike exclaimed, trying to get Tank to throw up.

"I was trying to find a cure! You know how many more ponies like to be stupid in the Everfree forest these days!" Twilight galloped around her science table and started mixing random heal medications together.

A beaker filled with liquid medicines she was working with exploded.

"It's no use!" Twilight cried, looking at the now very ill tortoise.

"Try a spell!" Spike exclaimed.

"There is no spells, Spike! I've checked all seventy-two healing-spell books before I even started the experiment!"

"What about Zecora?"

Twilight facehoofed.

"Of course! I'll watch Tank. Go get Zecora, quick!"

Spike dropped tank and ran out the door.

Twilight ran back over to Tank, who was now looking half-dead.

His normal green color was grey. His eyes were bloodshot and had a red tint in his pupils. His tongue was dry and hanging out of the side of his mouth.

"What made you even want to drink that, Tank?"

Obviously, no response.

Twilight just wished Fluttershy were here. Tank wouldn't be surrounded by dangerous chemicals. He'd be safe in Fluttershy's cottage. Pinkie Pie would make him happy, and better than he ever was originally.

But nothing can be perfect, can it?

***

Rainbow Dash galloped to a nearby Wonderbolt. "Why does Spitfire do drugs?"

The pony looked at her with confusion.

"She only tells her most trusted members. Why'd she tell you? Did someone else tell you?"

"No...she told me. She showed me. Now tell me, please."

"She's struggling a lot in life. She's planning on retiring soon and doing another job until she gets to old to work at all."

"Oh..." Rainbow Dash said, keeping her emotions in.

***

"This is your cabin." Said one of the Wonderbolts' staff as she led Rainbow to her room.

"Do I have a roommate?" Rainbow asked.

"Yup. StormChaser. She's a new member, like you."

Rainbow Dash gave a nod and walked in, holding a bag of supplies she brought with in her mouth.

"See you, and good luck with your career." The staff-pony went trotting down the hallway.

Rainbow Dash saw a bed on the other side of the room with random things all over it.

"Guess that one is taken." Rainbow Dash said to herself as she headed towards the opposite bed.

Rainbow Dash walked into her temporary cabin.

"Man...I'm a Wonderbolt..." She said to herself as she plopped on her bed.

She looked up at the ceiling. Paintings of pegasus ponies in Wonderbolt uniform.

It's crazy how far she'd come. And at such a young age. She was not even twenty years of age. Only about a month after she got out of high school she met her most recent friend, Twilight. Wow, time flies.

She never bothered going to college. It was too expensive, and only rich Canterlot ponies could afford it. In fact, most Canterlot ponies didn't even GO to college, it was that expensive.

But being a Wonderbolt didn't require a degree, so Rainbow couldn't be happier for where she was.

Okay, maybe she could be happier.

If Pinkie and Fluttershy were alive, if her parents weren't so motherbucking far away, and she didn't have a drug-addicted leader.

But nothing can be perfect, can it?

Suddenly she heard an announcement through a speaker: "All new recruits please report to Spitfire's office! Immediately!"

Rainbow Dash took off instantly. She wasn't going to miss a second of this.

Of course, Dash was the first to arrive in Spitfire's office, which was fairly easy to get to, since the door had a giant decal of her cutie mark on the outside of it.

"Hey there, newbie. Wheres all your friends?" Spitfire asked

"Frien-" Rainbow Dash began, but was cut off by the opening of a door and a panting male pegasus came walking in.

Soon enough three other ponies came in with eachother, two mares, one stallion.

Spitfire gave those three a look that seemed to say: "Go faster next time, you lazy bums."

Spitfire began speaking, "I'm here with you today to begin on how long you will be staying here. About a week.  Today through Friday. You will return for events like competitions and shows. In case you didn't know already, you will be sharing a cabin with somepony else. Storm Chaser and Rainbow Dash will be sharing one, Brick Breaker and Vice Vortex will be sharing one, and you, Blizzard, you'll be sharing a room with one of our more older Wonderbolts. I'm sure you all know where your cabins are. Do you?"

Everypony nodded.

"Good! Now do what you want for the day, but tomorrow, we're getting to work! You are excused!"

Everypony quickly filed out of Spitfire's office.

***

"I once had a creature that was a victim of Thorn Poison too, but unfortunately, there was nothing I could do." Zecora said as she studied Tank, "Twilight Sparkle, you must tell your friend, that soon this tortoise's life will come to an end."

"No!" Twilight cried, "Please Zecora, there has to be something you can do!"

Zecora looked at Twilight, sorrow. "I have worked with Thorn Poison myself, but I could not find any cure that was on my shelf."

Twilight sighed.

She watched as Tank began to look worse and worse.

Twilight scooped him up and cradled him in his arms.

"Shh, it's okay..."

She could feel Tank's heart beat begin to slow down. His breathing slowed down. Twilight looked as his eyes began to close, and the tortoise seemed to tense.

Slower and slower the breaths and beat were...the more tense the tortoise got. Soon enough they got so slow, there was no more.

Tank began to slowly feel cold.

Twilight didn't feel a heart beat.

She didn't hear any breathing.

She gently placed Tank on the floor.

Spike and Zecora looked at Twilight with concerned eyes.

Twilight only nodded.

"Rainbow Dash is going to be gone until Friday, and it's Sunday. What do I do?"

"Why don't you go tell her?" Spike asked.

"I don't want to possibly ruin her career. I'm not sure if you know, but she really, really loved Tank. Knowing about his death can possibly ruin her entire job." Twilight answered.

Spike shrugged, "She'd find out eventually."

Twilight sighed again. "I just..."

***

"So, you're the pony who did that sonic rainboom?" StormChaser asked just as Dash was getting into bed.

"Uh, how'd you know?" Rainbow asked.

"I was there." StormChaser replied, annoyed.

"Oh." Dash said.

"So when do you think you'll retire?" Storm asked curiously.

"I just became a Wonderbolt. You too." Dash replied, and yawned.

Storm Chaser sighed, "Spitfire's retiring."

"I know." Dash sighed, too.

StormChaser walked over to the window and looked out. "Sad, isn't it? I wonder who will take her place."

"I'm guessing Soarin'." Rainbow Dash said, knowing the colt's amazing history.

"Soarin? Oh, that guy. Yeah. Cute, isn't he? He became a Wonderbolt at fourteen. It was under the age limit." StormChaser said, staring at the moon.

"Yeah. The age minimum is eighteen, I know. But actually, he started as a staff the first year then since he was so good at flying himself they decided to make him one at fifteen. Lucky colt." Rainbow said, slightly jealous.

"I think he just turned twenty a few weeks ago." StormChaser remarked.

"Yeah he did. I'm turning twenty later this month. How old are you?" Rainbow asked.

"Nearly twenty one. In August I will be." Storm Chaser said, starting to crawl into her bed.

"So only a few months...huh." Rainbow Dash said.

"Yep." StormChaser said blandly, "Well I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

***

Applejack piled dirt upon the coffin

"Whew," she said, "Well now Tank gets to be with his little...critter friends."

Twilight lifted up a fancy gravestone with her magic and placed it in front of the spot where Tank was buried.

"We won't get in trouble for this, will we, Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"No. The Ponyville Bank may own Fluttershy's property now, but Fluttershy always wanted animals to be buried next to eachother, so they can live in peace."

Hopefully Fluttershy's living in peace...and Pinkie...I know she's in peace, wherever she goes. Twilight thought.

"We should get going. It's getting dark." Rarity remarked.

In silence the three ponies walked with each other. Soon enough they split and went on their own paths.

***

"WAKE UP!" A loud, agressive voice blasted through the speakers.

Rainbow and StormChaser groaned.

"What time is it?" StormChaser asked.

Rainbow looked outside. "Probably around 5 a.m. Celestia's sun hasn't risen yet.

StormChaser groaned again.

The pony speaking into the speaker spoke again: "NEWBIES, MEET IN THE FIELD. NOW!!!"

Instantly, StormChaser and Rainbow Dash shot out of bed into the field.

"First ones here." Spitfire said, turning off her wireless microphone, "Good job."

Soon enough the other 3 arrived.

"At the end of the month we have a competition. Which means you have about two weeks off before we come back to this building. And you're probably wondering why I got you up so early. We need to train! Hard! We're going against the Manehatten Lightning Bolts then! I know this is a sudden news report to you, but you need to get used to it, because events in Equestria will happen. Disaster events. Saving lives. We may seem like a sports team, but we're also like a military. You need to train hard. You can win the money and save somepony's life. Now training! I want you all to do a hundred wing pushups! I expect NO SLACKING! I didn't make you a Wonderbolt so you could become a slacker! I expect effort! NOW GO!" Spitfire blew her whistle.

***

Golden Feather slammed his claw on the table. "No! Us griffons will not settle with the lack of meat Equestria has been giving us! We are starving, and we need food!"

Celestia looked with a concerned face, "Please use common sense, King Golden Feather. Us Equestrians have also had problems, for our meat sources has been running low due to the lack of rain, causing not enough food for the meat you buy off of us."

Golden Feather was still in fury. "My kingdom is falling apart, Miss Celestia! For I do not want to keep peace if you do not let us buy our worthy meal. Please make your pegasuses...pegasi, do something!"

Luna looked at Golden Feather in anger and started to say in the royal Canterlot voice. "It is not the pegasis' fault! For this power is beyond any mortal pony's limits! It is a power that is a negative influence. Some door from another world has opened to Equestria, and with two beholders of the Elements of Harmony no longer with us, Celestia and I are the only ones that are going to be able to stop it! That's what we have to figure out. How to stop it!"

Golden Feather looked in confusion, "What?"

Celestia sighed.

"Luna means that there is something magical, beyond power of any mortal, influencing with our lives. The weather's changed. Did you not notice the sky turn a bit grey? Something strange is going on, and Luna and I can sense it. We have to find this. The ponies of Equestria can possibly die. Please understand, King Golden Feather."

King Golden Feather snarled, letting his ignorance get the best of him. "Excuses, excuses, princesses! I'm sick of it!" He got out of his chair and started walking towards the exit.

"King Golden Feather, please-" Luna started, but the only response was a slam of the large door.

***

"Day two over." Rainbow Dash sighed as she finished her exercises. It was about three o' clock in the afternoon, and the ponies were getting a late lunch in the Cafeteria.

Rainbow Dash and the other new Wonderbolts sat together in a table, especially reserved for them.

"So? You guys tired yet?" Vice Vortex asked.

"Don't even act like you aren't! We're all tired..." said Blizzard.

Brick Breaker nodded in agreement.

"We have to do this until Friday. And even then this is our entire career, guys. This is Spitfire's last month, so we need to show her that we're the best group of new Wonderbolts she's ever gotten!" StormChaser encouraged.

"Don't forget that we're playing the Lightning Bolts at the end of the month. We'll give it all we got!" Rainbow Dash cheered on her team.

"'We'll do it. I know we can." Brick Breaker said.

Suddenly Blizzard's jaw dropped, and the sandwich she was holding fell out of her grip and smacked back onto her tray.

"You okay?" Vice Vortex asked.

Suddenly a new voice came by, "Hey there, newbies. Welcome to the Wonderbolts."

Rainbow Dash gased and stared in awe.

It was Soarin!

She could see Blizzard and StormChaser begin to blush like crazy, Vice Vortex and Brick Breaker gave an obvious look of tremendous amounts of jealousy.

"S-Soarin!" Rainbow Dash was the first to speak.

"Yes, that's me. Anything important, Rainbow Dash?" Soarin replied.

"W-Well, no. I just remember you...from saving your life, and your pie...and the wedding- and the academy."

"Yup, I remember you too." Soarin gave a playful laugh, and Rainbow blushed.

"You, with the muscles." Soarin said to BrickBreaker.

"Me?" BrickBreaker asked.

"Yes, you. Name?"

"BrickBreaker, sir."

"Sir isn't necessary. My name's Soarin. I don't want anypony calling me anything else." Soarin replied.

"So, uh, what brings your to this table?" Dash asked.

"Just visiting and wanting to get to know the new Wonderbolts." Soarin sat down.

"So, what's it like playing other teams?" Vice Vortex asked.

"Extremely competitive. But in the end, we're all friends." Soarin said.

After a few minutes of talk, a bell rang and lunch time was over.

Rainbow Dash walked back with StormChaser to her cabin.

"He likes you." StormChaser said as she closed the door.

"Who?" Rainbow asked.

Storm rolled her eyes, "Soarin! Duh!"

"How do you know?" Rainbow questioned.

"I have a lot of experience with stallions. Now is your time to make a move." StormChaser winked to Rainbow before she jumped onto her bed.

"It's only 3:30." Rainbow remarked.

"I know. Just getting a nap." Storm said, "Now go talk to Soarin."

"He might be busy." Rainbow replied.

"Well, go see if he is. If he is, see him when he isn't." Storm said, and she closed her eyes.

***

Rainbow Dash trotted around and looked for Soarin. Luckly, he was trotting around, too. Rainbow Dash had an idea. She would "accidentally" to bump into him.

And that's what she did.

"Ah!" Soarin jumped in surprise. He looked at the pony he bumped into- Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Rainbow Dash! I was just looking for you." he said.

"So was I! Heh. Why were you looking for me?" Rainbow asked.

"I barely got to know you from those small minutes we shared together. I wanted to get to know you better." Soarin said, trying to hide a blush.

"Oh. Same reason. So, what do you want to talk about?" Rainbow asked.

"How about you tell me about yourself? Everypony knows about me- What about you?" Soarin asked.

Rainbow smiled, "Well..."

***

Spitfire was sitting in her office, watching T.V. on the small television that was mounted on the wall. Television- the only source of electronics in Equestria. Although Spitfire hated to admit it, she was fascinated with politics. She was flipping through channels until something caught her eye on Neighbc.

"...The princess reports that King Goldenfeather would not reason with her, and stomped out of the castle doors." A mare news reporter said. "Wow, and to think that we are allies. Some Equestrian staff even demand war for this cause." another said. "Let us hope that there will be a compromise between Equestria and Griffon Kingdom." the mare replied.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door. Spitfire quickly turned off the TV and said,

"Come in."

***

"Wow, Soarin. I never knew we had so much in common." Rainbow Dash chuckled after Soarin finished telling the story about how his dad wanted him to golf.

She started to have a crush on him now. There was so much more to him than she thought. She was going to win him over as soon as she could.

***

The week passed, and boy was it hard. Everypony said bye and hugged eachother- Rainbow Dash and Soarin hugging abnormally long. Rainbow Dash was going to see her friends and Tank again, and everything would be good.

***

"Is she coming?" Applejack asked.

"I'm sure she's coming back soon." Twilight said.

"Oh, how ever are we going to tell her what happened to her poor Tank?" Rarity cried.

"We'll just try to explain as calmly as possible. Okay?"

The other two nodded.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"She's here..." Rarity said nervously, and Twilight opened the door.

"Hey guys!" Rainbow said happily.

"Rainbow Dash!" the other three said at the same time, giving a sad smile.

"What's wrong?" Rainbow asked, "Wait, where's Tank?"

Rarity and Applejack exchanged sad glances.

"Rainbow Dash, Tank is dead. Twilight was working with Everfree Thorn Poison, and he somehow got to the liquid and drank it. There was nothing nopony could do- we're sorry." Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash's happy face went to shock. "You guys are pranking me right?" she asked in hope.

Twilight shook her head. "Rainbow Dash, I'm so sorry. I'm really, really, sorry. It was my fault!" Twilight teared up.

Rarity sighed, "She is truly sorry, darling. Please forgive her."

Rainbow was already crying now, from the loss of her beloved pet. After she heard Rarity's words, her crying stopped and she looked up in anger.

"How can I forgive her?! She killed my pet! It'd be one thing if Tank died from something else, I would get over it! But TWILIGHT KILLED HIM! I HATE YOU, TWILIGHT!" Rainbow Dash flew out in angry tears.

Twilight was bawling now, still murmuring "I'm sorry."

Rarity stroked Twilight's mane.

"She's just mad for now, darling. She will get over it and forgive you."

"How can she forgive me?! What if she killed Owlicious? I'm a terrible pony!" Twilight cried again.

Applejack came up, "Twilight, you have wings and a horn for a reason. You aren't a terrible pony. And now let me and Rarity tell you why."

***

Rainbow flew home and ran into her bed, and cried for the rest of the night. She's lost three important friends in her life now in too short of time.

***

Rainbow Dash returned to her job. She has gotten over Tank's death, but still hasn't forgiven Twilight. The one thing she looked forward to was seeing everypony (especially Soarin) and going against the Lightning Bolts. Today Rainbow Dash would let it all out- she would run her determination on her hatred for Twilight, and pretend the opponents were a bunch of Twilights. At the finish line she imagined Tank there, waiting for her. She had to win against the Twilights to see her Tank.

She was in the locker room, getting ready for her competition. She, Vice Vortex, and some other Wonderbolts would be racing the opponents. Others like Brick Breaker would test strength, and there was agility, but speed was Rainbow Dash's highest pro.

Rainbow Dash walked out into the Cloud Stadium, where what seemed like silence went into ear-killing cheers and blinding lights of the flashing cameras.

Barely anypony knew who the new Wonderbolts were until now- now, they would see who was added on the team.

An announcer came on, temporarily silencing the loud audience.

"First we will start off racing with Wind Surge, Vice Vortex, Blaze Blaster, and Rainbow Dash from the Wonderbolts against Stronghoof, Redeye, FloodingSky, and StormDaze on the Lightningbolts!"

The crowd went nuts.

"Take position!" The announcer announced.

Each pony took their place on the line, Rainbow Dash now imagining four Twilights trying to beat her.

"Ready..." the announcer said, and the ponies got ready.

"Set..."

"Go!" and everypony took off like a bunch of rockets.

Rainbow Dash flapped as hard as she could- if she didn't make it to the finish line first, Tank would be taken from her forever from the evil Twilights that were beside her.

She would not let them get to him first.

She took the lead, and the crowd exploded in cheers and amazement on how a new pony could get ahead.

Then an evil Twilight came up and passed her.

Tank is MINE! Rainbow thought, and passed the evil Twilight and flew as fast as she could to get ahead of her.

Then she slowed down and was in the lead for about a minute, but then everypony else, including her own team caught up to her. She would conserve her energy and do a final dash at near the end.

She could see exhaustion begin to come over everypony, but she kept her pace.

Soon enough, they were near the end of the race and the crowd was deafening. They flew as fast as they could but Rainbow Dash passed them, and went faster and faster as the crowd cheered and then she passed the finish line! She did it! She won the race! She made it to Tank first!

An evil Twilight flew from behind, then two of her team members, then another evil Twilight, then her last team member, then the last two Twilights.

Rainbow Dash could see the blinding flashes of cameras and cheers of the crowd. But one things was on her focus- a bright yellow speck in the sky. It wasn't the sun, because it was too small and seemed to be getting closer. It was going very fast, actually. Rainbow Dash suddenly panicked- what if it was a meteor? But it was so close, somepony else would of had to notice- so why was she the only one staring?

All of the sudden, the yellow thing smashed into the cloud in front of Dash, and flew to her.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash couldn't believe it- it was Fluttershy.

Was this all her dream? Was this her imagination?

As if reading her mind, Fluttershy said, "No, I'm real. You're not dreaming."

"H-How?" Rainbow asked.

"I am simply a spirit, now, Rainbow. I also have Tank with me." Fluttershy turned around and revealed Tank being on her back.

Rainbow ran up in happiness, "Tank!" she picked him up and hugged him- Tank gave her a lick on the cheek.

"Where's Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked.

"She's coming." Fluttershy gave a smile.

"DASHIE!"

Pinkie Pie came out of nowhere and hugged Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow was reminded on how much she missed those hugs.

"Why are you guys here?" Rainbow asked.

"We wouldn't of visited you unless we had this reason. You need to forgive Twilight. See? Tank is happy with me and Pinkie Pie now, just how you wanted it before." Fluttershy.

Rainbow sighed, "That's going to be real hard, besides, I'm busy all week."

Fluttershy began getting angry, which put a stab of fear in Rainbow Dash, "You have to forgive her!"

"Okay, I will!" Rainbow cried in panic, "But will I ever see you guys again?"

Pinkie lowered her head and cried, "You will be seeing us too soon..."

Fluttershy wrapped a wing around Pinkie Pie and Rainbow looked at tank.

"What do you mean?!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"You'll be seeing us too soon, Dashie. Too soon." Pinkie said again.

Rainbow hated to see Pinkie Pie cry. "Pinkie, no! Don't cry!"

She hugged the two.

Fluttershy just gave Rainbow Dash a look of sadness, and the two slowly vanished, along with Tank.

"WAIT!" Rainbow Dash cried, but they were gone.

"You okay Rainbow Dash? You've been talking to air." said Vice Vortex.

Rainbow Dash's eyes swerved around the end of the line, where everypony was looking at her.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." she said in embarrassment.

But what did they mean?

***

"C'mon, Dash!" Soarin said excitedly as he leaded a blindfolded Rainbow Dash to somewhere.

"I'm coming Soarin! I'm blindfolded! Give me a minute to not bump into something!" Rainbow replied.

Soarin chuckled, "Trust me, you won't."

After a few moments of silence, he smiled, "We're here. Take the blindfold off."

Rainbow Dash took off the blindfold and gasped in shock.

"I-Is this your cabin?" she asked.

"Yup!" Soarin replied happily, "Everytime I walk into it, it still amazes me."

It was a huge room- about six times the size of Rainbow's cabin. It had colorful lights hanging from beds and the ceiling. The ceiling was high and wooden, there was also a fireplace and a couch and a giant flatscreen. There were closet doors with his cutie mark on them. Some of the room had soft carpet, and some of the room had wood. There were giant windows on the top of the walls letting sunlight in.

"No wonder why the HQ is so big," Rainbow said, "If your room is this big, I wonder how big Spitfire's is."

"Actually about the same size." Soarin said.

"Why is there so many beds?" Rainbow asked.

"Sometimes I get a few buddies to stay here. Do you want to stay here for tonight?" Soarin asked.

"Sure!" Rainbow Dash said, excited to stay in such an awesome room.

Soarin seemed to hesitate but said, "There's something I want to show you."

"Huh?" Rainbow asked.

Soarin walked towards his closet and opened the doors. He grabbed a remote in the closet, and clicked a button, and part of the ceiling on the closet opened, and he flew in, and Rainbow followed.

He landed somewhere and clapped his hooves, and lights came on. The room was full of carpet and was furnished.

"Wow, so this is like a secret second floor?" Rainbow said, exctied.

"Yeah. No windows, though. So it may be a bit darker than what you're comfortable with." Soarin sighed.

"No, it's fine." Rainbow Dash said, now realizing there was a second TV, although it was not as grand as the one downstairs.

Soarin pulled out beanbags from a corner, and pulled out a couple of sodas.

"You like soda?" he asked.

"Yup!" she said excited, and was handed one.

Soarin pressed another button on his remote and the door leading up to the second floor closed.

The two sat on the beanbags and Soarin turned on the TV.

"How many ponies know about this?" Rainbow asked out of curiosity.

"Only me and my old buddy. He moved, sadly. We made this place together. But now it's just you who knows about it." Soarin gave a smile and Dash blushed.

"Hey, you know that movie that is coming out, The Dead Nightmare?" Soarin asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Dash asked.

"I have a copy. Wanna watch a movie not even released yet?" Soarin asked, giving her a wink.

Rainbow Dash was shocked, "How'd you get a copy?"

"The company gave me one. I haven't seen it yet. But now we can watch it up here. The popcorn machine is downstairs. Want some?" Soarin asked.

"Uh, sure!" Rainbow said.

"Okay." Soarin said, he hit a button on the remote and flew downstairs and came back with popcorn, "Let's watch this movie."

***

Soarin yelped and hugged Rainbow Dash as the Nightmare took it's first victim without warning.

"You are such a scaredy pony!" Rainbow Dash laughed.

Soarin's face went red in embarrassment as he let go of Dash and turned back to the screen.

The Nightmare took it's next prey.

Soarin jumped and spilled popcorn all around them.

Rainbow Dash chuckled as she saw popcorn stuck in his mane.

"Soarin, it's okay. It's just a movie." Rainbow said as she took a piece of popcorn off her leg and ate it.

Soarin gave a nervous chuckle, "Believe it or not, I'm easily scared by these type of mov-  AAAH!" he wrapped his hooves around Dash.

"I think you get it." Soarin said as he let go.

Suddenly there was a loud noise, causing both of the ponies to jump, and then there was a force that seemed to shake them. Screams went all around them from the outside.

"Is there an earthquake?!" Dash panicked.

Soarin was shaking like a leaf.

The TV shut off and the lights flickered.

"We've gotta find out what's going on. Open the door, Soarin!" Rainbow demanded.

Soarin obeyed and opened the door, and the two pegasi soared out through the closet and out of Soarin's cabin, and into the hallway of panicking ponies.

"What's going on?!" Rainbow demanded.

"The griffons! They're attacking us!" a pegasus shouted.

As if on cue, another explosion went off and the HQ shook.

Spitfire came through the hallway.

"We are not going to sit here and shake like foals! We are Wonderbolts! We're going to fight back, whether we die or not. We need to protect the Equestrians from these rats!"

Rainbow admired Spitfire's bravery.

"Now go out and FIGHT!" Spitfire yelled.

The ponies determinedly left the building.

"You too, Soarin." Spitfire said, and flew out.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin exchanged concerned looks.

"Soarin, if we die out there-" Rainbow started, but was cut off by something she never expected-

a kiss.

Once Soarin stopped, Rainbow Dash looked at him, "I've had the same feelings for you, too."

Another explosion.

Soarin looked in concern, "We have to go out and fight."

Rainbow Dash nodded and the two dashed out together.

***

Rainbow Dash slammed into the belly of a griffon, and punched and kicked with all of her might. The griffon screeched and grabbed Rainbow Dash's sides and sunk her talons into them. Angry and in pain, Rainbow Dash grabbed her arms and broke them, although the griffon still had her much more powerful lion legs.

Rainbow Dash grabbed a wing, which was much more powerful and stronger than her's, and bit down, twisted around it in effort to break it. Rainbow Dash knew she would have to kill this griffon, although she's never killed before.

The griffon screeched and Rainbow Dash heard a snap. Rainbow let go of the wing and watched as the griffon fell towards the ground and hit it with a loud thump.

She dashed to the next griffon, who was killing a Wonderbolt.

In anger, Rainbow Dash grabbed the neck of the griffon from behind and began choking it, and the griffon used it's talons to scratch Rainbow Dash's hooves in the front. The pain was awful. The Wonderbolt got loose and flew away, then flew back, using a two-hoof blow on the left wing. Rainbow Dash let go and the griffon fell.

The two Wonderbolts didn't say a thing, but instead went back to fighting their own griffons.

This griffon was much stronger than the other two. It took hold of Dash's wings and began to twist them.

If this griffon breaks my wings, I'm dead. Rainbow thought. She kicked the griffon's chest with her powerful hooves, and the griffon let go but quickly took hold of Rainbow Dash from the behind, where she was defenseless.

Is this it? Is this how I die? Suddenly she heard a crack in the griffon's neck, and the griffon let go and fell, and behind her Rainbow saw Spitfire.

"Thank you." Rainbow whispered.

Spitfire nodded and flew away.

Suddenly there was an ear shattering explosion.

How many damn bombs do they have?! Rainbow thought.

She then saw dead bodies of Wonderbolts and griffons.

They've killed too many already, Rainbow thought, and pure anger took over her.

She flew as fast as she could and cracked a griffon's skull from behind, quickly killing it.

She repeated the process but soon tired, and was taken by surprise when a griffon grabbed her flanks and began biting down on her neck.

She kicked the griffon's chest and it let go, and she grabbed the neck and broke it.

Suddenly, she saw a struggling pony in the distance.

Soarin! he was being clawed by another griffon.

She flew as fast as she could, and she then realized another griffon was holding a bomb. The griffon was high in the air, and there was no way that bomb would make it to the ground. Rainbow Dash snapped the neck of Soarin's attacker, and then screamed,

"Soarin, we've got to fly away!"

Soarin didn't question. The two flew as fast as they could from the bomb, and then the griffon dropped it.

The bomb was too close.

With the force of the bomb, the two were blown away, and the force was so strong it broke several of their bones.

Rainbow Dash screamed as the ground came nearer and nearer towards her, knowing that this would seal her fate.

"I'm so sorry, Twilight. I forgive you." she whispered to herself as she neared her end. She heard a yell in the distance,

"I love you, Rainbow!"

"I love you too, Soarin!"

Rainbow Dash knew this was it. Her and Soarin were going to die any second now. Now she knew what Pinkie had meant. They knew this was going to happen. Why didn't they tell what was going to happen?! She wondered. Now she stared at the ground,

Just kill me already. Don't wait.

Smack.

Rainbow Dash hit the ground, and felt her skull crack- but then she felt nothing else.

Rainbow was dead.Gone from existence.

There her body lay with many others, and the battle raged on.

***

3 days later

All of the bodies were picked up and put in their own coffins. Spitfire had luckly lived, but she wondered if it was worth it to see most of her team dead.

They all died, all of the new Wonderbolts. A tear went down her cheek.

"They have fought bravely, Captain Spitfire." Spitfire looked up and saw her- Princess Celestia.

"Your Majesty." Spitfire bowed.

"For their bravery, they will all be buried in the Canterlot Cemetery for lost heroes, although Rainbow Dash will be next to her friends."

Spitfire sighed, "Okay. Thank you, your majesty. They deserve it."

The princess gave a sad smile. "I hate to have to tell Twilight her friend is dead. But it must be done. I will be sending carriages over to bring these ponies to Canterlot. Are you understood, Captain Spitfire?"

"Yes, your highness." Spitfire sighed and looked at the many coffins, sad that one of them included the Wonderbolt's next leader.

***

"Twilight?" Princess Celestia knocked on the tree house door.

Twilight opened the door.

"Yes, princess?" she asked.

Princess Celestia walked in sadly. Applejack and Rarity were there- they've been there since Rainbow Dash left in anger.

"Rainbow Dash is dead." Celestia said.

Shock took over the three mares.

"I was scared of that..." Applejack said, and she took off her hat and held it against her chest while crying.

"It was the attack on the Wonderbolt's HQ, wasn't it, princess?" Rarity said sad, but did not yet cry.

"Every Wonderbolt has fought bravely. They found her near a river. One living Wonderbolt said she sacrificed herself to attempt to save another Wonderbolt, Soarin. Sadly they both died." A tear went down the princess's cheek.

Twilight and Rarity were crying now, Twilight especially because Rainbow never forgiven her and the last time she ever saw her she was mad.

"Cry it out, my little ponies. We shall hold a funeral tomorrow for all the Wonderbolts tomorrow at the cemetery. Rainbow Dash will be buried next to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy." Princess Celestia said.

And the three did cry. They hugged eachother in hope of comfort, but half of their friends were gone now. What comfort could there be?

***

"Today we are here joined by Spitfire and Princess Luna to hold a funeral for all of the Wonderbolts who have died in the Battle Of The Head Quarters. We will start in alphabetical order." Princess Celestia said.

The cemetery was awfully crowded with friends, family, and fans.

Spitfire spoke, "We'll never forget these Wonderbolts who have fought for us. Now we will mourn them. The first one to be burried will be..."

***

"Our next will be Soarin. For him, I will give a speech first." Spitfire began, "When I was captain and saw how Soarin wanted to be a Wonderbolt, I thought it was cute. He was only eleven at the time, so I let him help me a bit. The older he got, the more helpful he got. So I decided to make him a staff member when he was only fourteen. When he showed me how great he was at flying, I made him a Wonderbolt, knowing he would be a great addition to the team. Now after all of these years, I decided I would make him captain when I retired. But he died in battle, and died bravely. At such a young age of only twenty- I-I'm sad he's gone..."

Many more speeches were made about the famous Wonderbolt.

***

"Now we will begin with Rainbow Dash. I have my own speech for her." Spitfire said, "When Rainbow Dash saved my life and did the sonic rainboom, I knew she would be destined to be a Wonderbolt. And now that she was for such a short time, it's just heart breaking."

Twilight came up.

"When Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt, she wanted me to watch her pet. Her pet got in some chemicals I was working with and died. She never forgave me. But if there is one thing I have to repeat to you Rainbow Dash, it's I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Please forgive me!" Twilight trotted off stage tears in her eyes.

Applejack came up. "When I first met Rainbow Dash, I thought she was just some egotistical pony. But she's really one of the bestest friends you can ask for. Undying loyalty..." Applejack said, now allowing Rarity on stage.

"Rainbow Dash is the opposite of me. She never liked dresses, never liked heels, never liked getting her mane done- but we somehow clicked. And losing a friend like her has to be one of the most devastating things I can get."

A few more speeches were made, and Rainbow Dash was lowered into the ground to unite with her friends and her pet. The three friends watched as their third friend was lowered into the ground.

Why, why did this have to happen? Rainbow Dash was dead- the loyal, confident friend. She's dead. Dead. Dead! Why?! Why?

The ponies knew, like the other two times, they were never going to see that beautiful, bright, rainbow mane again. They were never going to see the confidence and determination again.

They were never going to see Rainbow Dash ever again.