Rocket To Insanity : Fall Of The Apple Family

Chapters

Grieving
A friend in need
The final struggle
One must bleed
Oblivious
Control
Rescue
Despair
Forgiveness
Showdown
The end and a beginning

Grieving

The land of Equestria was utterly devastated by the sudden loss of it's number one party pony, Pinkie Pie.
Her laughter, her smile and her loveable personality were just...... Gone. Just like that. An empty void that could never be filled. The very notion that anypony could take the life of such a loving and happy pony was sickening for everybody.
Her funeral wasn't a traditional send off. Everypony was dressed in bright clothes, the rooms were a forest of brightly coloured balloons bouncing off the ceiling and the band played mostly lively jazz music to match. It wasn't subtle, it didn't look anything like a funeral. But it's what Pinkie would have wanted.

When it was time to bury Pinkie Pie, her friends were stood by the large, yet colourful, coffin. Twilight was stood next to Spike, both were crying into each others shoulders. Applejack was staring into the coffin, barely able to believe the tragedy that had befallen her pink friend. Fluttershy stood, her mind in a devastating mix of sadness and anger, freely letting her tears flow down her face. Rarity was resting her head on the coffin, openly mourning, tears soaking up her mascara and dripping onto her coat. And there stood, at the far end of the coffin looking at Pinkie Pie's face, was the Pegasus who did it.
Nopony had found out who killed Pinkie Pie, with no evidence at the scene leading to anypony it was almost impossible to pinpoint a culprit. The word "murder" hadn't been mentioned in Equestria for hundreds of years. Nobody was prepared for such a coldblooded attack, due to Equestria's peacefull nature, and the pain shook the hearts of everypony in the country.

Applejack walked towards the coffin and placed her hooves down on it. The image of her usually happy friend so lifeless completely broke the earth pony, causing tears to stream down her face. Applejack put her head in her hoofs and sobbed out loud, the truth of what had happened had finally sunk in. Twilight slowly walked away from Spike and up towards AppleJack.

"S-s-she's gone." Applejack croaked, lifting her head from her hooves and looking at Twilight, tears still flowing from her eyes. "I-I can't b-believe s-she's gone. I can't believe she's gone!"

Twilight rested a hoof on Applejack's shoulder and brought her head onto her chest, trying her best to comfort the distraught pony. Rainbow Dash could feel the walls closing in on her. A drop of sweat fell off her brow and landed on her hoof, making her jump. All she could feel was the panic she experienced on that fateful day, the day she killed her best friend. Then, the voices started;

"They're watching you!"

Rainbow Dash jolted back. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. She could feel her whole body shiver as the pain crept slowly back into her already fragile mind.

"You can do it you know! You can kill them all."

"S-s-shut up." Rainbow Dash tried to keep her voice down, not knowing how the other ponies would react if they heard the blue Pegasus talking to herself. Rainbow Dash began to twitch her legs, looking for somewhere to run.

"Kill them! Or they'll kill you!!"

"Shut. .... Shut up!" Rainbow Dash said in both anger and fear. A few ponies glanced over their shoulder to look but soon carried on with their conversations. The voices just kept screaming, laughing and mocking. They didn't stop, and neither did the guilt that consumed her grief. Rainbow Dash was starting to feel light-headed, she could feel anger and unadulterated hate fill the blood that was coursing through her veins.

"Kill them! .... Kill them!! KILL THEM A-"

Rainbow Dash couldn't take it, not now. She started to beat her head with her hoof. The voices didn't stop, they just kept shouting, screaming and laughing. The bruises from her previous endeavours were pounded, as she tried desperately to force the sick monster out of her mind. She continued to hit herself over the head, breathing heavily, until she finally collapsed onto the floor, exhausted.
There was dead silence. As she started to regain consciousness a dull ringing started to pinch her ears. The voices continued to swirl around in her mind. She started to cry tears of despair as she once again found herself slipping away into the darkness. Just then she sees an orange blur walking towards her.

"Rainbow?" Said the distorted voice. Rainbow could only just tell that it was Applejack.

Her vision cleared as she looked at the blooming green eyes staring at her, highlighted with fresh tears. Rainbow Dash shook her head, trying to regain her composure, before slowly standing up.

"Y-you okay honey?"

Rainbow Dash looked around. Nopony else was watching. She sighed in relief. The last thing she needed now was to make a scene.

"You're hurt, are you okay?" Applejack said, her voice brimming with concern. It wasn't always odd to see Rainbow Dash with a few cuts and bruises, being the daredevil she was, but this time was different. Applejack had never seen Rainbow Dash this roughed up outside of a hospital.

"I-I'm fine." Rainbow muttered. "J-just. Leave me alone." She could only stare at the floor, unable to look her friend in the eyes after the atrocity she had committed. Suddenly, she felt the voices start to sweep back into her mind, trying to manipulate her into paining the one's she loved further.

"Oh no. Oh no!" Rainbow Dash began to panic, she could feel her muscles burning under her skin. Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation, and looked up to see AppleJack grabbing her in a tight embrace. Rainbow gasped as she felt another ponies warmth for the first time in weeks, but she was scared, not knowing what the voices in her head were going to make her do. Just then;

"SHE KNOWS!!" The voice barked at her like a wild dog. Rainbow Dash threw the earth pony off and began to look around the room for somewhere to run.

The loud thump that echoed through the room caught everyone's attention. Rainbow Dash was now frantically trying to find a way out of the mess she could created, feeling the gaze of everypony in the room cut into her like daggers. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before her inner demons forced her to do something she'd regret again. She let out an ear shattering shriek, before running out of the reception, leaving Applejack on the floor by herself.

"W-what did ah do?." She sniffed. "Was it something ah said?"

Before she could run after Rainbow Dash, the room fell silent. AppleJack looked up to see the princess of Equestria had entered the reception area. Despite what had happened, Princess Celestia still stood proud, as she looked out across the room.

"Ponies of Equestria. We are gathered here today to pay our respects to our beloved Pinkie Pie. Our element of laughter. She was always a mare who could brighten the darkest of our days. She would bring happiness into our hearts and she would always put everypony else first."

The Princess was begining to crack. Nopony had ever seen her this upset. A tear rolled down her cheek, landing on the floor with an audible splash, sending a chill down everypony's spine. The princess frowned and then spoke with a stern tone;

"Hear me when I say that I will never tire till this heartless killer is brought to justice! Till Pinkie Pie can rest in peace! Till the land of Equestria can live in harmony once again!"

Princess Celestia gently wiped the itching tear from her cheek, before turning back to her audience, speaking once again with a delicate and soft voice;

"I thank you everypony for attending this ceremony, but I'm afraid I must go. Thank you."

A friend in need

Rainbow Dash staggered through the muddy depths of the Everfree Forest. Her wings were numb, her eyes were sore with tears and her mane was matted to her head with sweat. She stopped at the next lake she found, slowly diving and landing on the muddy ground. She rocked from side to side, desperately trying to ignore the merciless screaming infesting her . She started breaking down into tears, unable to fight against the evil barrage attacking her mind. Hiccups started to engulf her already sore throat, causing an explosion of pain with each one. She had reached her limit. She couldn't take it anymore.

"They know!! THEY ALL KNOW!!"

"P-pl *hic* ease. ..... J-j-just *hic* g-go away."

"Kill!"

*No."

"Kill!!"

"No!"

"KILL THEM!!"

" *hic* NO!!.

"KILL THEM NOW!!"

She knew nopony could hear her, so she screamed as loud and as hard as her lungs would allow her, trying to relieve all the pain that had built up inside her over the past few hours. Her screams echoed through the hollow trees around her, complimenting the sheer volume of the strangled cry. She screamed and screamed for as long as she could, before she could no longer stand the excruciating pain that engulfed her throat.
She took a deep breath and collapsed onto the floor, her legs unable to cope with the pain circulating throughout her body . Laying on her side, barely conscious, she looked into her reflection in the water, a fragile blue pegasus staring back at her. It was still her, that was least one glimmer of hope the poor pegasus had, but for how long? She stared at herself with barely enough energy to breath. Just then, for a split second, she saw Applejack in the reflection of the water. Rainbow Dash shrieked as she saw the gruesome image of Applejack stood over her , equipped with a large, bloody knife, with an insane grin spread out across her face. Rainbow Dash recognized the grin, it was the grin she wore when she broke down and murdered Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow Dash quickly darted her eyes across the forest, but saw nopony else there, and so she looked back into the water. At first there was nothing there, but, as she stared into the dirty water, somepony began to form in front of her. No, not somepony. She knew who it was. It was herself, staring at back at her with a mad smile, an otherworldly blackness booming from within her eyes. Rainbow Dash recoiled at the sight, fear grasping her heart.

"Hello! .... BOO!! Hahahahaha!!"

Rainbow Dash summoned what energy she had left to pull herself away from the river, before crawling towards the nearest tree and cowering in a muddy puddle, covering her eyes with her hoofs.
"N-no. *hic* NO!! *hic* .... Please. Go away. I-I-I did what you *hic* said last time! Just go away!!"

"Come again?"

The familiar voice sent a shiver down her spine. Rainbow looked up, her eyes glazed with tears, to see Applejack looking at her, her face contorted in a mixture of confusion and sadness. Rainbow could barely speak without the stinging pain in her throat cutting her off.

"Nothing! *hic* Nothing." Rainbow Dash wheezed. She tried to compose herself, but was unable to stop looking back at the lake behind her.

Applejack walked over to her. Rainbow was paralysed with fear, not knowing what her sick mind was going to make her do. She closed her eyes as tight as she could, desperately trying to flush out the relentless voices screaming at her from within her already fragile mind.

"No! *hic* D-don't! St-"

Applejack pulled Rainbow close to her and wrapped her arms around the blue Pegasus. Applejack then placed her right hoof on her head, gently stroking her colourful, yet ruined, mane.

"It's okay sugar." Applejack sighed, tears still flowing from her eyes. "It's okay to cry."

Rainbow felt .... calm. The voices ceased for the first time in months. She couldn't believe it! She could finally think with a clear mind, without the fear of the voices that usually plagued her thoughts. Overcome with joy she wrapped her arms around Applejack and squeezed her tight.

"Unf! .... Hey. It's alright."

"I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash sobbed. "I'm so *hic* so sorry."

Applejack cradled Rainbow's head in her arms, holding it firmly, as she looked into her pained magenta eyes.

"Now you listen Rainbow." Applejack said with a stern voice. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. It was ..... some sick pony who took her life. Not you. You remember that."

Rainbow couldn't bare to look into the earth pony's eyes. The horrific combination of fear, anger and unbearable guilt almost made Rainbow scream right in her face. If only she knew. What would it do to her if she realised that her best friend was a heartless killer, that she is trying to comfort the pony who took Pinkie's life.
But she didn't know. Rainbow just started grinding her teeth, trying to savour every last second of the temporary peace she was experiencing.

"There, there Rainbow." Applejack patted her head gently. "It's okay. I'll always be here for you, you hear me? I know how much Pinkie meant to you. Consarnit she was my best friend too! And I'll be darned if I'm going to loose another one."

"I. .... I'm *hic* sorry."

Rainbow Dash smiled. It had been so long since she last did that she had almost forgotten how to. Applejack smiled back.

"Say sorry one more time and I'm gonna smack yah."

They both quietly laughed, before slowly leaning into each other. They remained in a long embrace, as the night slowly passed on.

The final struggle

After the funeral all the ponies went their separate ways, still mourning the loss of their irreplaceable friend, as the night slowly passed on. Rainbow Dash slowly walked back into her house in Cloudsdale, closing the door behind her with an audible bang. She stared blankly into her room, looking at all the pictures around her walls, joyful memories that she would never be able to experience again. She looked at all the souvenirs from her adventures, thinking back to all the happy times she had had with her friends. On the table in front of her she saw the small party hat from Gummy's first birthday party. She picked it up and looked at it. The very item itself seemed to be mocking her, forcing out the happines she had felt when she was with AppleJack and replacing it with unbearable guilt. That was it.
Overwhelmed by pure anger she ripped the frilly hat in two, before turning to face her dining room. She began destroying her house, throwing pictures one by one off the wall, smashing up anything in sight. Her trophies, her record player and even her cherished, signed Wonderbolts poster, nothing was spared from her uncontrollable rage. Her rage carried her towards her bedroom, where she started bucking any breakable object she could find;

"Kill. Kill! Kill!! KILL!!"

"Just leave me alone!! Go away!! GO AWAY!!"

After flipping her large wooden bed across the room, she continued towards the large mirror that was adjacent to her window. She felt numb. She saw herself covered from head to hoof in splinters, bruises, cuts and rashes. Her mane was tangled with shards of glass. Just then, something caught her eye, a slight tingle in her right hoof confirming her thoughts. She lifted her hoof to see blood flowing freely from an open wound. There wasn't much, but it was enough to catch her attention, as a drop slowly trickled out and dropped onto the cloud floor, staining it bright red. She couldn't stop staring at it, mesmerized by the dark red contrast with the normally pure white floor. Then, a harsh epiphany finally dawned on her.

"Y-you!" She pointed at herself in the mirror as if she was talking to a different pony. "No!! NO!! I won't let you do this to me anymore!!"

Rainbow jumped back and quickly grabbed a large piece of glass that had fallen from one of the broken picture frames. Tears started streaming from her eyes and sweat started to form on her brow, as she slowly edged the knife towards her stomach. She quietly whimpered, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Y-y-you can't *hic* hurt anyone if you're dead. ..., I-If I'm *hic* dead."

"DO IT!!"

Rainbow Dash jumped at the sudden command.

"DO IT!!"

She grasped the blade tightly, slowly pressing it harder and harder against her stomach. She openly sobbed as she tried everything to force the shard into her, but she just couldn't will herself to do it.

"Do it! And everypony will know!"

It was true. The blade just pierced her hide, before she dropped it and stared at the floor, watching the blood drip from the tiny wound. She started to gently giggle at the sight in front of her.

"Think of all you friends. Think of Scootaloo."

"S-shut *hic* up."

"Think of what it would do to her tiny filly mind!"

"Shut up!"

"No pony will be there to bury you! You'll be alone!! ALL ALONE!!"

Rainbow Dash let out a blood curdling scream, shaking the house in it's foundations. She began throwing herself against the walls, only to come crashing down again against the floor. She felt so helpless, so alone. She fell to the floor, bawing into her rug. The tears slowed further and further as her sanity continually deteriorated.

"P-please. *hic* Leave me alone." She whimpered. All her energy was sapped from her body. She could barely move. "Just leave *hic* me alone. .... I. .... I don't wanna *hic* die."

Rainbow Dash used what energy she had left to look up and into her mirror. Quivering in fear she could just about force herself to look in the mirror. She looked just like she had at the lake, her body covered in cuts and bruises and her eyes so bloodshot that they looked like red orbs. She couldn't fight anymore. She slowly crawled to the nearest corner of the room and curled into a cyan ball. She then started to sing to herself, as she once again started to laugh hysterically. The combination of guilt, anger, hate, helplessness and sorrow was too much for her mind to cope.
She soon found herself grinning, as her mind surrendered to the madness that consumed her. Slowly, minute by minute, she began to slip away, until, eventually, she was gone.

One must bleed

It was still night-time at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack was unable to sleep, still grieving over her lost friend. She probably wouldn't be able to sleep for weeks. After brushing her mane, and the tears off her face, she walked out of her cottage, slowly making her way across the fields towards the barn. She took her time, slowly walking through the long grass, letting the long strands gently stroke her fur. At least she could feel something.
By the time Applejack had made it to the barn, the sun had rose to light the colourful fields around her. However, the beautiful sunrise did nothing to lighten up AppleJack's world, which was still covered in a dark and grey hue. Right now, all she wanted was to see Pinkie Pie bouncing towards her, greeting her with a cheerful smile, like she always did.
Applejack shed a tear, before walking into the wooden barn. She slowly walked up to the apple wagon, pulling the heavy contraption to the left. Just then there was a click. It was barely audible, but the sound echoed throughout the empty barn. Applejack's head darted towards the source of the noise to see that the barn door had been closed. She turned to face the large door and started to walk slowly towards it. "Who was it?" she thought. "Could it be? No." She shook her head, thinking she was over reacting.

"Hello? .... Helloooooo. W-who's th-"

She was cut off by a sudden flutter of Pegasus wings coming from the roof.

"Geez! Okay, joke's over. .... Come on! This isn't funny."

Just then she heard a giggle. The sinister sounding laugh sent a shiver down Applejack's spine, but she stayed composed, despite the overwhelming fear that had started to take over her body. Her mind kept trying to promote the possibility that it could be the cold blooded killer coming back to finish the job.

"I-Is that you Applebloom?! .... Scootaloo?!" Her voice started to tremble. She couldn't put a brave face on anymore.

Applejack then heard a loud metallic bang coming from within the shadows. The sudden boom startled the earthpony. She lost her footing and tripped, landing on the ground, knocking the wind out of her. As she gasped for air she looked up and then she saw a dark, shadowed figure, one rose eye glowing through the darkness, staring at her. Applejack froze, holding her breath.

"W-w-who are y-you?" Applejack whimpered.

It didn't respond. It kept laughing, giggling at her. Applejack was terrified, but she frowned and jumped onto her feet, stomping her hoof.

"Who the hay are yah?!! .... Tell me!!"

The laughing ceased. The dark figure started to walk towards her. Applejack backed up against the wall, fear showing strong in her eyes. The shadowed figure then walked past a window, the light shining through and revealing her true identity. Applejack could only gasp as she realized who the mysterious figure was. It was Rainbow Dash. Her mane was ruined, her body was covered head to hoof in cuts and bruises and and her eyes were completely bloodshot.

"R-rainbow? Oh my Celestia. W-what happened to you? .... Rainbow?"

Rainbow snarled, the menacing growl making Applejack's heart skip a beat. Applejack began to back up against the wall again, her legs trembling with fear.

"A-are you okay?"

Rainbow Dash didn't answer, she just giggled as she made her way towards the terrified earth pony. She pulled out a long blade which was hidden beneath her wing. It was bloody and twisted, but it still gleamed with a menacing sharp edge. Applejack instantly panicked and sprinted for the door.
As she reached for the handle Rainbow Dash threw the knife, jamming the lock of the barn door and barely missing Applejack's muzzle. Applejack froze, as she couldn't help but stare at the long, gory knife in front of her.
Applejack turned only to see that the Pegasus pony had disappeared. Tense moments passed, adrenaline was surging through her veins. Applejack heard a whisper coming from the roof and looked up to see the blue pegasus flying towards her. Applejack had no time to react as she was tackled to the ground by the cyan blur.
The Pegasus knelt on both of Applejack's shoulders, holding her down. Applejack tried to buck the grinning Pegasus off of her chest, but Rainbow Dash grabbed the petrified pony by the neck. Applejack choked, gurgled and flailed her arms and legs wildly, as the Pegasus began to sing with a gentle yet content voice, grasping her neck tighter and tighter.

"H-hush now, q-quiet *hic* now, it's t-time to lay your sleepy head. *hic* Hush now, quiet now, it's time to *hic* go to bed."

Applejack was growing faint. She stared into the crazed ponies bloodshot eyes, beating desperately on her arms to try to loosen the deadly grip. But, no matter what she did, the grip just got stronger. Just then, Applejack noticed a large wooden splinter from the corner of her eye, just in reach of her right hoof.
Her face turning purple, Applejack grabbed the piece of timber and winced at the thought of what she was about to do to her friend. Applejack had no choice, she closed her eyes before forcing the splinter into Rainbow Dash's left leg. Rainbow Dash screamed in pain, before Applejack bucked her off of her shoulders.
Applejack gasped for air, desperately trying to get back on her hooves. She turned to see Rainbow wincing in pain, a large pool of blood forming around her, as she slowly pulled the large splinter out of her leg. Rainbow Dash laughed, despite the immense pain now forming in her leg, and gave Applejack a look that made her sick to her stomach.

"What on earth has happened to you Rainbow?! What's wrong with you?!!" Applejack yelled, rubbing the sore rash on her neck.

"Heheheh. *hic* Giggle at the ghostlies." Rainbow Dash then stood up staring at Applejack crouching down, ready to pounce.

"Don't even think about it!" Applejack growled, but the insane pony remained unphased.

Rainbow Dash snarled again, before sprinting towards her prey. Applejack was trapped, with only one option left. With nowhere else to go Applejack charged towards the crazed pony, sweat dripping off her forehead. As Rainbow jumped, Applejack dropped to slide on her stomach, using her back legs to buck the crazed mare into the cellar behind her. Silence finally struck the barn, giving Applejack the opportunity to catch her breath.
Applejack was petrified. She couldn't leave the barn. Her main exit was blocked by the broken lock on the door, caused by the sharp throw of the knife jamming it shut. Her second exit was through the dark, cold cellar, but there was no doubt that the crazed pegasus was still down there, waiting for her to make a move.
Her house was half a mile away, but that didn't stop her from screaming. She screamed as much as she possibly could, screamed for the death of her friend, screamed for the corruption of another, screamed that Big Macintosh, somepony would hear her. "How could she do that? Did she kill Pinkie Pie? Why would she want to kill her? Why would she want to kill me?!" All sorts of thoughts whirled around her mind, shrouded in a cloud of confusion, but she knew there was only one way to save herself.
Big Macintosh could be awake but he never goes near the barn once applebucking season starts, he'd be too busy working. There's a chance he'd check the barn if he thought Applejack was missing but she didn't know if Big Macintosh would find her dead or alive by then. It was useless, she couldn't keep hoping for the best, now was the time to act if she was to survive.
She grabbed a pitchfork, which was propped against the wall, unsure if she could will herself to use it against her friend. She took a deep breath before she poked her head into the dark cellar. She couldn't see anything, the dark walls seemed to dance in the shadows, closing in on her. This made her even more worried that she was being led into a trap. But just in the distance she saw a light coming from the cellar door. She turned the light on to see a long trail of blood on the floor.
The trail seemed to head towards the door, before it dissapeared into the darkness. She tiptoed down the stairs, not knowing if she was alone or not. Still disorientated from the savage attack earlier on, she found it hard to focus on her path. She headed towards the exit, her eyes constantly switching between the blood trail and the door in front of her. She couldn't take it anymore. Applejack closed her eyes and bolted for the exit.
Her mind tried everything to memorise her path, she didn't want to open her eyes to see the evil Pegasus staring back at her. Those eyes, that laugh and that..... that horrendous smile. In no time she was halfway up the stairs. She felt relieved to feel the fresh air brushing against her fur, drying her sweat soaked mane. But then;
TWANG!!
She choked as she felt a rope wrap around her neck, the shock and impact of the force causing her to drop her pitchfork. Applejack was stuck, hanging in the air, desperately trying to wriggle herself free, but the rope was fastened too tightly. Just then, in the blink of an eye, she saw Rainbow Dash swing from the doors of the cellar. The pegasus kicked her in the chest, causing the rope to snap. The force threw Applejack back into the cold cellar, where she hit the ground with a loud thud. Her heart sank as she saw her only escape close before her. She began to cry hysterically before she heard a soul shattering scream coming from behnd her. She turned round to see Rainbow Dash in mid flight, wielding a pitchfork in her hooves.

Applejack rolled to her left, barely missing the sharp instrument, as the pegasus flew over her. As Applejack jumped onto her feet Rainbow Dash threw the heavy tool towards her. But, once again, Applejack was quick enough to dodge the weapon, causing it to stick into the wall behind her. Using what breath she had left she screamed to pegasus.

"Rainbow!! Stop!!"

She didn't stop, instead she slowly circled Applejack, watching her every step. Just as Applejack was able to finally get her breath back, the crazed mare lunged for her. Applejack locked hooves with Rainbow Dash, trying desperately to push her away.
Despite Applejack being a prized rodeo pony, she couldn't possibly match the crazed Peagsus's strength. Applejack used all her might, her muscles burning under the strain, and yet it wasn't enough. Rainbow Dash was snapping her jaws, drool pouring from her mouth like a rabid dog. The horrific sight would be something that the poor earth pony would never forget.
Applejack used the last of her strength to lean back and, once again, throw Rainbow Dash over her. She wasted no time in running for the exit, her legs were on the verge of collapse as she threw herself towards freedom. But fate had decided to be cruel to her on that day, as, just seconds from freedom, she was bucked by the pegasus. The force threw the earth pony to the left, across the cellar, passed her tools and into the dull handle of the pitchfork sticking out of the wall.
A painful crunch resounded across the room as the blunt instrument tore through her flesh, muscles and her bones. Applejack couldnt breath, and there was a warm flooding feeling spreading throughout her chest. She looked down to see the blunt handle of the pitchfork sticking out of her chest, completely covered in blood.
She was pinned against the wall, she couldn't move and she could feel her blood pouring out of her wound, onto her hooves and, finally, onto the floor. She began to cry in pain as she looked in front of her to see Rainbow Dash walking towards her, grinning and laughing, holding the large splinter from before.

"W-huh. .... W-why?" Applejack choked, coughing up blood with each syllable. The pegasus didn't answer, she just started to sing as she advanced with the splinter in her hoof. She used her wings to match her friend's height, using her free hoof to hold Applejack by the neck. The Pegasus just stared at Applejack, watching her fear build, as she brought the wooden blade back for the fatal blow.

"Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed."

"Drifting off to sleep
Exciting day behind you
Drifting off to sleep
Let the joy of dreamland find you"

"Hush now, quiet now
Lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed."

Oblivious

Another beautiful dawn shone over of Ponyville, the horizon alight with a mixture of radiant colours. Birds chirped in the trees, the sky was clear and, once again, the cutie mark crusaders were on their ongoing quest to discover their special talent. The horror of Pinkie's death still loomed over them, and so they thought it would be best to try and distract themselves.

"What are we going to do today?" Applebloom said, with a sad tone clear in her voice.

"We haven't tried fencing yet!" Scootaloo said enthusiastically, trying to lift her friends out of their bad mood.

"What's fencing?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I'm glad you a-"

Before Scootaloo could finish she was interrupted by Rainbow Dash landing in front of them with a loud thud, rocking the ground beneath their hoofs. The three fillies recoiled at the clearly unstable pony who stood in front of them.

"Hey guys." Rainbow Dash said through her clenched teeth.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were not used to seeing Rainbow Dash like this. Her mane was matted to her head with sweat, her hoofs were clogged with mud and her wings were bent out of shape and covered in bruises.

"A-are you alright?" Scootaloo asked, her voice full of concern.

"Oh I'm fine!" Rainbow Dash squeaked. "JUST. Fine. In fact I'm great. So great I wanna show you guys a new trick!"

"Really?!" Scootaloo said excited. Rainbow Dash began to circle the three fillies, not once breaking eye contact as she stared into their pupils.

"Whadda yah say? Wanna see my sweet moves?"

"Um. .... Sorry Dash." Applebloom said quietly. "We're kinda busy today."
This didn't seem to bother the blue pegasus stood in front of them. She turned around and slowly started to strut away.

"Okay. Your loss. I'm sure there are plenty of fillies who'd love to see it. It really is that amazing!"

Rainbow Dash continued to walk away, but Scootaloo jumped in front of her, blocking the path.

"Wait!" The orange filly shrieked. "I wanna see it! Show me! Show me!"

Rainbow Dash stretched a large, yet heartwarming, smile across her face. "Just as planned." She thought to herself. She leaned fowards and placed a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder.

"Cool, follow me kiddo. Prepare to be amazed."

"Okay!" She turned to face her friends. "Sorry guys, I guess I'll go crusading with you later. Bye!"

The orange filly bounced behind Rainbow Dash, following in her hoofsteps. The remaining two crusaders were left behind, concern written across their faces.

"Did Rainbow look a little..... odd to you?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah." Applebloom replied. "Come on. Let's go see if there's somepony who can help us find our cutie marks."

The two fillys walked off into town, leaving Scootaloo with Rainbow Dash. Scootalooo was still prancing around in excitement at the thought of seeing her idol perform her latest daredevil stunt.

"So what's this new trick?! Come on tell me!"

Rainbow turned with a menacing grin on her face.

"I-it's..... uh. The next best thing since my Sonic Rainboom."

"Cool! .... So. Why are we going to the barn again?"

"Just follow my lead kid. You'll see why."

Later that morning they made it to the barn, Scootaloo noticed the broken lock on the barn door. As she entered the building a pungent smell slivered up her nostrils, causing her to feel dizzy and light-headed

"Blegh! What's that?" Scootaloo gagged.

"Smell like rotten apples. Come on." Rainbow Dash said with a giggle, nudging the little filly towards the barn. As Scootaloo walked into the dark building, Rainbow Dash used her back legs to jam the door shut. Scootaloo was now beginning to shake with nerves, as Rainbow Dash made her way to a large box.

"S-so." Scootaloo muttered. "W-whe-"

"Be patient!" Rainbow yelled, taking the filly by surprise. "S-sorry kid. .... I need to focus."

Rainbow Dash gave a quick glance around, making sure that Scootaloo could not see fully what she was doing, and proceeded to pull the large wooden splinter out of the chest. The instrument was still covered in blood from the crime earlier that day. She felt the tip before running the sharpness along her tongue, grinning as it pierced the muscle. It wasn't as sharp as before but it was more than capable of finishing the job.

*Twitch*

Rainbow Dash blinked, staring into the wall in front of her, with a blank look on her face.

*Twitch*

The blue pegasus began to shake. Scootaloo noticed this, but she wasn't sure if it was something to do with her new trick or not. Not wanting to upset her she stayed quite and sat down, waiting.

*Twitch*

Rainbow Dash let out a menacing snarl before slowly turning to face Scootaloo. The little filly was stricken with horror as she saw the evil pegasus in front of her, slowly caressing the blade. Scootaloo jumped on her feet instantly backing away from the horrible sight in front of her, her mind in an array of confusion. Why was her idol acting so strangely? Why had her expression changed to one of utter insanity? Why was she coming at her with a lethal weapon?

*TWITCH*

"R-rainbow." Scootaloo whimpered in fear. "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer, but instead just kept smiling, slowly closing the gap. Scootaloo was cornered and had nowhere to run, her only hope was to fly away. She squinted her eyes before using all the strength she had to flap her wings as fast as she could. She managed to gain a little height collapsing onto the ground, exhausted, her undeveloped wings were just not strong enough to support the weight of her body for very long. She looked up and, to her horror, saw that Rainbow Dash was right in front of her, splinter in hand. Before Scootaloo could react she was forced onto her back, and held down by the unnaturally strong grip. The poor filly tried to squirm out of the intense grip but Rainbow Dash straddled her chest, holding her down.
The Pegasus' smile kept getting bigger and bigger, feeling the adrenaline rush she had experienced when she took Applejack's life. Scootaloo didn't dare to shout and scream, she was too frightened and emotionally hurt. Instead she look directly at the pegasus, with tears streaming out of hers.

"I-I th- I thought you was going to show me a trick!"

*TWITCH!!*

Rainbow Dash paused, before leaning foward, her inches away from the filly. Scootaloo could feel the pegasus' stare burning through her skin, and into her very soul itself.

"I am." She giggled. "It's a magic trick."

Scootaloo winced, praying that this was just a sick joke and not for real. She kept trying to worm her way out, but the strength of the athletic pegasus was just too much for the poor filly to overcome.

*Twitch*
*Twitch!*
*Twitch!!*
*TWITCH!!*

"I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU DISAPPEAR!!"

Rainbow grasped the blade and threw her arm into the air. Scootaloo closed her eyes and screamed as loud as she could, praying that somepony would save her and, if not, that it would at least be a quick death.

Control

Scootaloo opened her eyes to see the horrifying sight in front of her. The insane mare was still towering above her, grasping the bloody splinter, breathing heavily, her evil eyes fixated on the little filly. But something was wrong. She wasn't smiling. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened as she shed a tear. The arm holding the splinter was shaking from shoulder to hoof, almost like an invisible force was holding it back. Rainbow Dash let out a small whimper before looking at her hand. Just then, the hoof holding the splinter thrust itself into Rainbow Dashes right eye.
Words cannot begin to describe the volume of the excruciating shriek that bellowed out of the pegasus' mouth. The scream filled the barn and carried itself away to the farmhouse, where it was heard by Big Macintosh, taking him by surprise. The stallion could tell instantly where it was coming from, and started to gallop towards the barn.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was still screaming louder than a wounded Ursa Major, before she jumped off of Scootaloo. The little filly was scarred for life as she saw the Pegasus lean against the wall, mustering all the will she had to rip the splinter out of her eye. The second scream was even louder then the first one. Scootaloo winced as the ungodly sound almost made her eardrums explode. By the time he heard the second scream Big Macintosh was halfway to the born, his concerns confirmed by the unearthly howl.

"Rainbow!!" Scootaloo screamed before stepping towards her.

"NO!!" Rainbow Dash screamed, making the young filly freeze. "STAY AWAY!! JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"

Rainbow Dash looked at the terrified filly and began beating herself over her head with her hoofs in a vain attempt to prevent the demons from posessing her mind once again.

"GET OUT!! .... GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!"

"R-rainbow Dash." Scootaloo whimpered, barely able to believe what she was seeing.

"I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash cried. "I'm so so sorry! ARGH!! Run! Run get out o-ARRRGGH!! .... RUN!!"

The filly looked desperately for an exit. She saw that there was no way she could open the door, and her wings were just not strong enough to carry out out of the window, so she ran to the cellar, knowing that it was the only other way out. As Rainbow Dash beat herself against the sturdy walls of the barn, Scootaloo wrenched the doors open and wasted no time in running into the dark cellar, darting for the last exit.
She climbed the stairs and jumped for freedom, the sun burning her eyes as s-.

TWANG!!

The little filly was thrown back by the force of the rigged rope which was tied either side of the cellar doors. As she sat up and shook her head she noticed that the pungent smell was stronger then ever. Scootaloo gagged as she looked to her right, only to see the most horrific sight she had seen since two minutes ago.
She saw Applejack, pinned to the wall, with the handle of a pitchfork sticking out of her chest. The pony's, now grey, fur was caked in dry blood, her eyes were glazed over and the floor was solid with blood coating the hay below the squewered mare. The sight was too much for the poor filly, who almost cracked completely from the trauma. She made her way to the exit again, this time ducking under the rope. She felt empty as she it slowly sunk in that her idol, her mentor, was a cold blooded killer. Scootaloo kept running until she saw the red stallion in the distance sprinting towards her.

"Scootaloo!" Big Macintosh yelled. Scootaloo finally felt safe as she held on to Big Macintosh with what little strength she had left.

"What's wrong?! Are you hurt?!"

"No! It's Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo yelled. "She's gone insane! S-she k-ki- Applejack!"

Another ear shattering scream was heard from within the barn. Big Macintosh's heart skipped a beat as he realised who was screaming.

"You get yourself back to libary. Tell Twilight what has happened and don't leave till we get back."

"I-I can't! Y-you can't go i-"

"GO!!"

Scootaloo couldn't argue anymore. She closed her teared up eyes and ran towards the library, as Big Macintosh galloped up towards the barn doors.

Rescue

The screaming continued as Big Macintosh slammed on the wooden doors with his hooves, trying to bash them open.

"Rainbow!! RAINBOW!!"

He backed away before turning around and, using all his might, bucked the sturdy doors, smashing them open. What he saw next almost made him empty his stomach. The cyan mare was lying on the floor, half covered in her own blood, screaming hysterically in agony. Big Macintosh ran to her aid, the trauma of the sight making him forget what Scootaloo had said.

"Oh my Celestia. What happened to you?"

Rainbow Dash threw herself onto Big Macintosh, clutching his neck, tears brimming in her left eye.

"I'm sorry!! I'm so sorry!!"

Big Macintosh was confused by her sudden plea for forgiveness. He shook it off, assuming she wasn't thinking straight.

"You need help. You need a doctor now!" Macintosh said, almost crying himself. The sight of the mare being so weak and helpless was too tragic for even the massive work pony. He placed a hoof on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but then he heard a menacing growl. Just as he realised it was coming from the mare hugging him he felt the grip on his neck tighten, increasing up to a point where he couldn't breath. The lethal grip increased even further as Big Macintosh started to buck, trying desperately to loosen the crushing force around his neck. He began to feel faint as the grip prevented his blood from reaching his brain, making his whole body weak.

Eventually, with one firm thrash, he threw the crazed mare off his neck and into the wall behind him. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air before quickly scrambling onto his feet. All of a sudden he heard the sound of glass breaking, followed by a period of silence and darkness. Big Macintosh was sweating and breathing heavily, trying to focus on his surroundings. As his eyes adjusted to the dark room he heard the disturbing giggle.

"Rainbow!" He shouted. "I know you're out there! I don't want to hurt you! You need help!"

"H-help? .... R-rainbow?! Hahahaha! .... Who's Rainbow?!"

Big Macintosh had nerves of steel, but even this was sending chills down his spine. Just then he heard a bone-freezing whisper from behind, but when he turned around he saw nothing there.

"Didn't Scootaloo tell you?!"

Big Macintosh was looking in all directions, trying desperately to find the disturbed pegasus, knowing that she would be watching his every move. The insane pony was not dumb, she knew that one blow from Big Macintosh could be enough to kill her. But, by the looks of it, Big Mac was in no way prepared to use deadly force against her. Just then the red stallion heard a voice from above.

"SHE'S DEAD!!"

The blue pegasus leaped into the air and used the bloody splinter to stab Big Macintosh in the back. The jagged splinter tore through his flesh, piercing muscle and shattering nerves, causing the stallion yelled in agony. Big Mac fell to the ground and was soon straddled by the pegasus, who was ready to deliver the final blow. But, once again, before she could act, the smug grin was wiped from her face as she began to shake. Big Macintosh saw his chance and used his back legs to buck the cyan mare off his back. Had it not been for the stallion's toned muscles and thick skin the splinter would have no doubt gone straight through his bone, paralyzing or even killing him. Big Mac cringed at the pain in his back as he quickly ran to the stunned pony and used his hooves to hold her down. The pegasus was flailing with terror, clearly petrified of being pinned down, helpless and at his mercy.

"LET ME GO!! LET ME GO!!" Rainbow Dash shrieked under his immense weight.

Big Mac was struggling to hold the wild pegasus down. She was gnashing her teeth and bucking her legs, trying everything she could to try and free herself. Despite the loss of blood Rainbow Dash was still fighting strong, and fighting dirty. Rainbow Dash leaned foward and tried to bite Big Macintosh on the muzzle, only just missing him with millimeters to spare. The stallion recoiled briefly, giving Rainbow Dash the perfect opportunity to pry herself free. She snarled before bucking him into the air. The heavy stallion flew through the air before crashing through the wooden door leading him into the cellar. Fortunately Big Mac landed on his stomach, the splinter was still churning in his back causing him immense pain. However, the physical pain from the splinter was nothing compared to the physcological pain he was about to feel. Big Macintosh slowly looked up to see the mutilated remains of his little sister, Applejack. At first he couldn't believe his eyes. He shook his head, trying to clear the image from his mind, but every time he opened his eyes he saw Applejack in front of him, hung to the wall like a trophy. Big Mac fell onto his knees, utterly devastated by the horrific sight in front of him.

"S-s-sis? .... P-pippy?"

The massive stallion slowly crawled towards Applejack's body and began to cry. The pain in his back was overpowered by the pain of his loss.

"No! .... No!! NO!! You y-you ca-"

Big Macintosh slammed his hoofs on the ground, before cradling his head with them. His heart felt like it had been ripped into a million pieces. He continued bawing into his arms until his true emotions struck him like lightning. He could feel his blood boil and his muscles burn as he felt his sorrow slowly become overpowered by pure, unadulterated hate. If he wasn't mad before, he sure as hell was now. Big Macintosh stood on his back legs before ramming his front hooves into the ground, causing the whole barn to shake, before he roared into the ceiling. His rage extinguished what little remorse he had left for Rainbow Dash and replaced it with pure anger.

Big Mac was hungry, hungry for Rainbow Dash's blood.

Despair

At first Twilight didn't know what to expect. Scootaloo had been so scared that she could barely talk, but Twilight soon managed to calm the little fillly down before getting her to tell the whole story. As soon as Scootaloo could breath normally again she told her entire story, from the meeting with with the Cutie Mark Crusaders to the encounter with Big Mac. Twilight refused to believe it, that was until she saw it with her own eyes. The once bright and colourful building was now reduced to a pile of smouldering ash. Twilight tried to walk closer but the smell of cooking flesh almost made her vomit. Before she knew it the fire department arrived to put out the blaze, Rarity and Fluttershy only seconds behind.

They watched in horror as the fire crew battled against the fire, still burning strong, but they were soon interupted by a white flash. The three ponies blinked and looked behind to see the princess walking up to them, her eyes filled with dread and guilt. Twilight didn't say anything, but Rarity and Fluttershy could clearly see that the purple mare was mad. The princess passed the three ponies and observed the horrific sight in front of her, not uttering a word. Twilight tooked at the ground, her mind full of rage, as the princess turned to face the three ponys. Fluttershy and Rarity looked confused, they still didn't know what was going on.

"Whuh?" Twilight mumbled. "Where were you?" The princess didn't looked suprised as Twilight questioned her.

"W-where were you?"

"Twilight. .... I-"

Twilight didn't let her answer, she turned to face Celestia with tears in her eyes.

"WHERE WERE YOU!! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING?! YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED IT!!" Rarity and Fluttershy were shocked by Twilight's attitude. They both looked at the princess, who looked more ashamed than angry by the sudden outburst from her student.

"Excuse me?" Fluttershy said quietly, coming between the two. "What's going on?" Rarity looked at the smouldering barn behind her before terror suddenly struck her heart.

"Where's Applejack?!" Rarity shouted, praying the answer wasn't what she thought it was going to be.

"APPLEJACK!! BIG MACINTOSH!!" A filly shrieked. Rarity turned to see Applebloom running towards the blazing inferno. A firepony was quick to stop the devestated filly before it was too late.

"Applejack!! No!! NO!!" Rarity also ran towards the barn before she was also tackled by a firepony. Fluttershy still couldn't believe what she was hearing, her innocent mind unable to comprehend the tragedy that had taken place. She fell onto her stomach, bawing into her arms, as the tall princess shed a tear. She looked back at Twilight to see her still crying but, at the same time, still furious.

"I'm." Celestia started. "I'm so sorry Twilight. I. I didn't know. I couldn't have known that Rainbow Dash was capable of doing such a thing. I never would have guessed. I'm so sorry, but even I couldn't have predicted that this would happen." Princess Celestia couldnt hold onto her tears anymore, she lifted her head and let them run down her cheeks as she looked at Twilight.

"You must understand Twilight."

The purple unicorn continued to stare at her mentor, then she broke eye contact and looked at the ground again. Her anger slowly turned into sorrow as she heard her friends crying.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. It wasn't your fault. I just wish I knew what went wrong. How she could do something like this. Why she would do something like this. I.... it's just not fair."

Twilight looked at Applebloom, grieving for her loss. Twilight fell onto the floor, her whole body felt like it had turned to ice. She had already lost a dear friend not two days ago, now Applejack and Big Macintosh were gone too. The pain was all too much for her to take, as she cried into her hooves.

Forgiveness

Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity had no choice but to move to Princess Celestia's castle, the only place in Equestria which was truly safe. Rarity had to close down her boutique and cancel all her appointments, and Fluttershy had to leave her cottage and say goodbye to all her animal friends, but she couldn't leave without Angel.
It was midnight but nopony felt like sleeping. Rarity and Fluttershy were sat in silence in the libary, staring into space, before they both heard the large wooden doors open. Tilting their heads towards the door they saw Twilight, looking pensive, as she walked over and sat on the chair beside them, closely followed by Spike.
"I know might not be the best time to ask but, do you guys remember anything odd about Rainbow Dash? Before the killings started?" Twilight didn't get the response she was looking for. Her friends just kept staring into space.

"I need to know guys."

"Why do you care?!" Rarity yelled. "Who cares how it started?!"

"I. .... I just thought if we can find out how it started maybe..... maybe we could help her." Rarity shot out of her chair and gave Twilight the obvious reaction.

"HELP HER!! You want to help that...thing!?! I don't know if you've forgotten but that... monster...KILLED OUR FRIENDS!!!

"Yes, but that monster was our friend, and the Rainbow Dash I knew would never do what she did to anypony. Sure she's stubborn and sometimes a bit mean but she would never...... k-kill anypony."

"How do you know that?" Rarity growled. "And how can you justify what she's done?!"

"I cant justify what she has done. But if there is a way we can help then it is up to us as friends to help her."
Rarity turned and started walking back to her chair. "She's no friend of mine." she said bluntly. Twilight and Spike looked at each other and sighed before they started to walk out of the room.

"S-shes my friend." Fluttershy said under her breath. The whole room turned deadly silent.Twilight looked back to see Rarity, shock written all over her face, walking up to Fluttershy.

"YOU?!" Rarity shrieked. "You are willing to forgive Rainbow Dash after what she did to Pinkie, Applejack, Big Mac and, let's not forget, the fact she tried to kill Scootaloo! I mean what did she do to deserve it?!"

Fluttershy paused, trying to hold back the tears that were stinging her eyes, as she tried to think her next sentence through. "B-because I believe she wouldn't do such a thing! Because I believe she's inncocent!" Fluttershy jumped off the chair and walked passed Rarity up to Twilight and Spike. "Twilight, I want to help you. I've already lost two friends and I'll be darned if I'm going to loose another one!" Twilight smiled and looked over at Rarity, who was gritting her teeth in anger and fustration.

"Come on Rarity. We need you. We need as much help as we can get."

"You? Both of you are willing to forgive her after what she did to our friends?!"

"We can't abandon her." Fluttershy said. "She needs our help."

Rarity stomped her hoof and grunted. Twilight walked over to Rarity and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"This. .... This is insane."

"Please Rarity. You're the element of generosity. We can save her."

"But. ..... Nrgh! ..... Okay. I'll help."

"Thank you."

Showdown

With his mind blinded with rage, Big Macintosh sprinted up the stairs of the dark cellar and ran into the dark barn. The large workpony was so overcome by his rage that he lost all sense of pain, despite the fact the large splinter was still sticking out of his back. At the top of the stairs he saw the blue pegasus waiting, smiling and laughing. The stallion growled at the giggling pegasus, who was clearly enjoying every second of it.

"Y-you're gonna pay for what you did to her!" Big Macintosh shouted.

"I'm right here." Said the cocky pony.

Both stood either side of the barn, waiting for somepony to make the first move. Rainbow Dash stretched her wings as Big Macintosh dug at the ground with his hoof. Seconds passed, the growing tension between the two bringing the battle to an abrupt start as Rainbow charged towards the colt. Big Macintosh stood his ground, biding his time. As soon as Rainbow Dash was just a few feet away Big Macintosh jumped on his hind legs, taking the pegasus by suprise. He then preceeded to kick the attacking pony on the forehead, knocking her out of the air and into the wall behind him.
As soon as Big Macintosh could see the blue pegasus again he leapt into the air. However, this time, Rainbow Dash was prepared and quickly jumped out of the way before grabbing Big Macintosh by the shoulders and sinking her teeth into his muzzle. The stallions muffled screams of pain were soon screams of rage before he ripped his head from the clamped jaws, hitting Rainbow Dash on her mangled eye. Screams of agony echoed through the barn. Big Macintosh, realizing he had the upper hand, continued the struggle by tackling Rainbow Dash to the ground. However, no matter how fast his attacks were, the blue pegasus always seemed to be one step ahead of the heart-broken colt.
Using her wings, she poked Big Macintosh in his eyes, making him stumble to the ground, wincing in pain. The stallion tried to focus on his surroundings but was having difficulties due to his blurred vision. As soon as he managed to regain his sight properly, Rainbow Dash jumped behind the blinded stalion and grabbed the splinter still lodged in his back. Big Macintosh tried to buck the pegasus off of his back as she began to stomp on the wooden shard, making it sink deeper into his back. With a powerful roar of pain and anguish, Big Macintosh threw his head back, knocking the crazed pegasus off his beaten back, however, he had not escaped unscathed as the pain from earlier came flooding back to him, much worse than it had been previously. The wounded colt looked over his shoulder, and was horrified by what he saw. There, right behind him, was the pegasus, who was licking the floor clean of the blood that had spilled from the stallion's wounds.
Big Macintosh was growing faint, but he refused to give in. He started to charge towards the pegasus who, at the last second, jumped out of the way, making him crash into the wall behind her. The force made the sturdy building rock from side to side, the sudden movement making the roof start to crumble above them. Big Macintosh shook off the pain from the impact before charging for Rainbow Dash again, this time successfully striking her. Rainbow Dash was thrown against the wall, as Big Macintosh prepared for his final charge.
But, before he could finally exact revenge for the death of his sister, the roof started the collapse around him. He tried to dodge the falling debris but was knocked down by several large planks of wood. Rainbow Dash just looked on, laughing at the poor stallion who was getting pummeled by the collapsing building. When the dust finally settled, Big Macintosh found himself trapped inside the rubble, unable to move. His eyes darted around quickly, scanning the barn for the mad mare. After a few seconds he finally located her, and what he saw made his hide tremble. She was standing in front of him, staring at him, wielding the most horrific and twisted grin Big Macintosh had ever seen in his life. He used all his strength in one last attempt to try to pry himself free from the rubble, but it was no use. He could only look on in fear as the pegasus walked towards him, before picking up a piece of wood and knocking over a large barrel of cider.
The red stallion flinched as he felt the cold liquid touch his hoofs and seep into his wounds. Rainbow Dash then leaned foward, until her face was inches from his, before saying.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die. As I will enjoy watching all of them die!"

The blue pegasus then zoomed off. Big Macintosh was unable to turn his head, only managing to tilt it up and down. He looked as far right as he could and saw a flickering orange light behind him. The blue pegasus then walked around and stood in front of Big Macintosh, carrying a lit torch in her right hoof. She laughed maniacally as she dropped the torch into the pool of cider, making the ground erupt in a huge fireball. The stallion let out a blood curdling scream as his body was set alight, every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. The pegasus stood back, almost in awe at the carnage she had created. She savoured the next few seconds before she flapped her wings and headed for the roof.
Suddenly, a tug on her tail stopped her mid flight. The horrified pony looked back and saw Big Mac, his face burnt to the bone and his flesh a smouldering black mess, holding onto her tail with his teeth. Rainbow Dash panicked, beating wildly at the relentless colt trying, desperately trying to loosen his grip, but her efforts were to no avail. A loud rip was heard and Rainbow Dash shrieked in pain, her tail slowly getting burned by the inferno. She used her legs and kicked at the stallions face, but it was no use. Rainbow Dash turned to the roof summoning all her strength she had left in her wings to try and fly away. Suddenly;
*RIP!!*
Her tail had been torn off completely, the pain was indescribable. She completely lost focus from her agony, and fell into a pool of fire. The stallion, barely alive, watched the blue pegasus in front of him curse, scream and squirm, as the flames engulfed her body. Grasping on his last few seconds of his life, he began replaying old memories of his life with his sister. When they used to play, when they worked together, and when they used to fight whilst making their signature apple pies. Only seconds from death he looked up, and, to his horror, the last thing he saw was the crazed pegasus staggering out of the barn door, her coat still ablaze.

The end and a beginning

It was midnight. The moon rose from the horizon and shined it's light across Equestria, giving a surreal glow to the country. Almost everypony was asleep, that is, except for a certain three ponies and a certain dragon, who quietly emerged from the large stone castle. All three were packed and ready to embark on their most dangerous quest yet. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity and Spike walked down the large stone path before the purple mare stopped to look back at the castle one last time.

"Twilight?" Spike called. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah.... it's just. .... I never thought it would come to this, but there is no other way." Twilight turned to face her friends. "I'm so sorry I got you into this."

"Twilight." Rarity started. "What you're doing is the right thing, and, for once, I can say, with all my heart, that what you're saying makes sense."

Fluttershy walked foward. "Rainbow Dash is the element of loyalty. She showed us to never give up on our friends. She was always there for everypony."

"And it's time we did the same for her." replied Rarity.

Twilight smiled before shedding a tear. She looked up to see the purple dragon in front of her, holding a napkin. Spike wiped her cheek before Twilight walked foward.

"Spike. Do you still have paper and a quill?"

"Never leave the library without them." Spike said as he pulled out the parchment.

"Dear Princess Celestia.
Today I realised that sometimes the choices we are given are not always fair. Sometimes they can test your loyalty and show the kind of pony you really are. I am sending you this letter because this will be the last time I'll be able make contact with you before I cast cloaking spell, preventing you from finding us. By the time this letter reaches you we will be far from home and one step closer to finding and helping our friend. I'm aware of the laws we are breaking and what our sentences will be, which is why I'm writing this letter as a final goodbye and as a thank you, a thank you for everything you've done to shape me into the mare I am today.
Your faithful student resigning.
Twilight Sparkle."

Spike finished the letter but, before he could send it, Twilight used her magic to snatch it from his hands.

"Okay everypony, I'm going to make this clear. Once we do this, we can never go back. If you choose not to go I will not hold it against you. I will completely understand."

It didn't take long for Rarity, Fluttershy and Spike to step towards the purple unicorn with pride strong in their hearts. Twilight nodded at Spike, before he blew his fiery breath to send the letter on it's way. They all set off into the horizon, not knowing what was coming or if they would ever come back.

To be continued.