Refracted Heartby RaynbowChaptersPrologue1 ~ Unwind2 ~ Arising Problems3 ~ History LessonPrologueRainbow Dash looked around her. Before her was the magnificent city of Cloudsdale, her primary home for many years. It seemed like just another ordinary day, the pegasi were flying around the city as per usual and the weather was being controlled as the schedule directed. However, something just didn’t sit right with Rainbow Dash. She couldn’t quite put her hoof on what the cause of this was, but she never got the chance to find out. A loud shriek almost directly below her and what had seemed to be a gunshot had rung through her ears, breaking her train of thought. Rainbow Dash looked around to see if anypony else had heard the shriek and the gunshot. But to her surprise, no one had paid any attention at all to either. Unsure if it was a fragment of her imagination or not, Rainbow Dash flew down towards the ground at breakneck speed just to make sure that nothing was wrong, and that she was hopefully just hearing things. Halting to a stop just below the ground, Rainbow Dash immediately saw what was the worst possible occurrence – there was indeed a pony that had been shot. Just milliseconds after realizing there was a wounded pony in front of her, she took a good look at who the pony was. Her discovery shocked her. It was her worst nightmare come true. No, worse than her worst nightmare. For the wounded pony that was on the ground in front of Rainbow Dash was none other than Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie was badly wounded, the impact of the shot caused her to slump down to the rough patch of grass below her. The first horrifying thing that caught Rainbow’s eye was the bullet-sized hole in Pinkie’s chest. Her coat was covered in her own warm blood, more and more oozing out by the second. Rainbow Dash realized that at this rate, she would die of blood loss in a very short amount of time. “Oh my Celestia, PINKIE!” Rainbow Dash screamed in fear. “Rainbow Dash…” Pinkie responded weakly. “Pinkie… Pinkie… WHO DID THIS TO YOU?” “I don’t... I don’t know Dashie… I was just going to pay a visit to Cranky… when out of nowhere… a unicorn-stallion wearing a balaclava walked up in front of me… At first I smiled… at his costume… but then he suddenly pulled out a pistol and fired it straight at me…” Pinkie Pie’s voice was growing weaker by the second. "I WILL find whoever did this to you, and I SWEAR to Celestia that they will NEVER experience happiness again!!" Rainbow Dash was now screaming in a blind fit of rage. What was probably her very best friend was lying on the floor in front of her, wounded and dying. This very sight of this could have sent anypony insane. Quickly realizing that now was most certainly not the best time to lose herself, Rainbow Dash cooled herself down and lowered her tone. “I will find who did this to you Pink, I promise, I don’t care if I have to search the whole of Equestria for him, I will find that fucking son of a...” Rainbow Dash got a hold of herself once again and paused for a moment, summing up her options. She could lift Pinkie onto her back and fly down to Ponyville Hospital, but not only was that much too far away, but flying whilst suffering from a severe case of blood loss would cause a death nine out of ten times. Deciding that wasn’t possible, Rainbow Dash thought a bit harder. She could always get a unicorn to teleport her to PVH, but that was incredibly dangerous if the unicorn wasn’t incredibly skilled. Twilight was always an option, but she had been sent up to Canterlot for the evening for an audience with the Princess. “What great timing…” Rainbow Dash thought to herself. Ruling that option out, Rainbow Dash went for the last, obvious option left. Call in an ambulance. “Pinkie, I’m going to get help. A nurse pony. An ambulance. Whatever it takes. Don’t move, I’ll be back as soon as possible” Pinkie smiled faintly. “It’s not like I can really go anywhere… Dashie… besides… any hospital is way too far from here, you wouldn't even be able... to make it to Zecora’s in time… I’m sorry Dashie, but Celestia has chosen that I must go to the afterlife...” “No. No Pinkie. It’s going to be okay. You’ll be okay. I swear Pinkie, you’re going… to be okay…” “I’m super sorry Dashie, but… there’s no surviving this one… I just can’t make it past…” “No Pinkie, You can. No matter what you think, you can make it… you can make it… you can…” “It’s okay… The last thing I’ve ever wanted to do for the super duper longest time is smile… with my best friends… Dashie… …Dashie” Those words rung through Rainbow Dash’s ears like a bell. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Dashie continued to reassure Pinkie, but in her mind it was hopeless. Even the fastest of fliers wouldn’t be able to reach her and get her to a hospital on time, the amount of blood loss Pinkie had suffered was almost impossible to survive. “No, Pinkie it’s okay, help is on its way, and you will live. It’s going to be fine. Please. Please live… there’s so much we haven’t done together… so many moments we haven’t yet shared… so much I have to tell you…” By this time, Rainbow Dash was bawling her eyes out. Normally she would consider this as ‘uncool’, but her reputation was the last thing she was worrying about at the moment. Pinkie laid in front of her, almost dead still, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “D… Dashie… It’s okay... I’ll always be in your heart… No matter what… I’ll be there for you…” “Pinkie… but… I… I… I love y-“ 1 ~ UnwindRainbow Dash sat bolt upright. Unsure of what just happened or where she was, she looked around her. The first thing she realized was that she was in her own bedroom, which came as an instant relief. Her best friend Pinkie Pie was not dying, it had just been a terrible dream. Unknown to Rainbow Dash, all dreams pack a powerful message. Rainbow Dash sat in her bed, small beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She began to think about the dream, however she had already forgotten a good part of it. There were small snippets of scenes still burned into her brain, but the rest had escaped her memory. What she did remember though, were the worst parts. Having to see herself and Pinkie in tears. The hole in Pinkie’s chest. All the blood on Pinkie’s coat. What had her most intrigued though, was what she was about to tell Pinkie at the end of the dream. Somehow, she had forgotten what was probably the most important moment. It was in her mind somewhere; but she just couldn’t get it out. She was sure that it would come to her one day at the most random of times; that’s just how it tended to be with forgotten dreams. And anything that’s related to Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash decided to leave it be for now and to go one with her daily activities. Flying; controlling the weather; giving Scootaloo a few flying lessons; and most importantly - being awesome. She considered stopping by Pinkie Pie’s a bit later on, that could help settle her nerves. But for now, she had to prepare herself for the day ahead; a cool pony doesn’t like to mess things up. After her general morning activities of eating breakfast and brushing her teeth, Rainbow Dash decided to treat herself to a steaming hot bath – something she rarely did. Rainbow Dash trotted into her bathroom and pulled her hot water rain cloud out of its respective spot. Rainbow Dash lowered the rain cloud to the level of her bath and flew on top of it. She began to bounce of the cloud, causing it to empty the water inside of itself. “Hmm, running on empty. Better go get a new cloud made at The Factory…” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself. Once the bathtub had filled up to her liking, Rainbow Dash hopped in. She didn’t test to see how hot the water was using her hoof, and she soon regretted it. “Phwaaaaah! Hot! Hot!” Rainbow Dash yelled. However, she decided not to hop out of the bath and get her cold-water rain cloud out to reduce the temperature of the water. Instead she relaxed; relaxing helps to get used to any given temperature. “Damn this water is hot…” Rainbow Dash paused. “Just like me.” She laughed to herself. A bit of early morning reassurance about her looks was always welcome, even if it came from herself. She knew that it didn’t matter who said it, even if it were herself, because it was true anyway. She spent a good amount of time in the tub, lying down and doing absolutely nothing. Very soon after, she decided that the bath was getting just a little too boring for her standards. To fix this, she stood up and shook the water out of her fur. Clouds made the walls and floors of her house, so it didn’t matter where the water splattered. Once dry, Rainbow Dash stepped out of her tub and opened a cupboard under her sink, looking for her trusty bath partner. After a bit of rummaging around the cupboard, she found what she was looking for – a rubber bath pony. But not just any rubber bath pony, it was a Wonderbolts replica of Spitfire. Giving a little fan-girl squeak, Rainbow Dash hugged the little bath toy and jumped straight back in the tub, sending water spraying all around the place. This little replica pony had been gifted to her when she was a very young filly. It may have been what got her so into flying and training for the Wonderbolts. And after all these years, she still had it. After about an hour of splashing around with toy Spitfire, an almost dry Rainbow Dash decided to finally get out of the now almost waterless tub for good. Her hooves were wrinkly from too much water exposure, but she didn’t mind. She was feeling much more invigorated and rejuvenated. “Huh, I wonder what sort of cool stuff I could do today; maybe save a few ponies, do a sonic rainboom…” Rainbow Dash wondered whilst shaking out any excess water in her coat. “Nah… I think I’ll just lay back today…” As she was thinking, the dream crossed her mind for a mere nanosecond. But it was enough to reset her mindset. “…Maybe I’ll visit Pinkie Pie…” And visit Pinkie Pie she did. Several hours after Rainbow Dash’s morning of lounging around, she decided that it was finally time to follow up her idea to visit Pinkie. She wasn’t sure if she would mention the dream or not, but she soon decided that was something that she didn’t really want to put Pinkie through, even though she knew that Pinkie would probably just laugh it off and call her brain silly. Shrugging off the thoughts, Rainbow Dash trotted out of her cloudy home and hopped onto the ground below. Many years ago, when Dash was just a filly, getting from her home to the ground without falling would take much longer than it currently does. However, after meeting her Ponyvillian friends, Rainbow Dash decided that she should move her home much closer to the ground without building a new one from scratch. Moving such a large mass of clouds was difficult, even for a pegasus with her skill and ability. But she had got the job done without making a mess of her home. Ever since then, she simply had to hop off her porch to reach the firm ground below. Rainbow Dash trotted towards Ponyville calmly. She was in no rush; there was plenty of time left in this glorious day. Normally at this time, Rainbow Dash would be napping in the confines of her home, or sleeping on a branch of an apple tree in Sweet Apple Acres. Today however, she was out and about, enjoying the weather and feeling rather grateful about, well, being alive. It was most unlike Rainbow Dash to have this sort of mindset, but she quite liked it. It was a great way to loosen up. Soon after, Rainbow Dash reached the outskirts of Ponyville. From here, it wouldn’t take too long to reach her desired destination – Sugarcube Corner. She suspected that if Pinkie would be anywhere, it would most likely be there. However, Rainbow Dash did not even need to venture any further, for standing in front of her… …Was none other than Pinkie Pie. 2 ~ Arising ProblemsA wave of emotions coursed through Rainbow Dash at the sight of Pinkie. The one that stood out both internally and externally was a feeling that had remained hidden throughout the day. It was pure happiness, giddiness even. She was having trouble controlling this particular emotion, and it was beginning to show in her cheeks. A blush was forming. “Okay Dash, okay. You got this. Keep it cool, it’s just like any other time you’ve talked to Pinkie. Come on,” she thought. “Hi Dashie!” Pinkie squealed out in her direction. “Oh, uhh… umm… hi Pinkie, uhh… what’s… what’s up?” Rainbow Dash responded, her tongue fumbling over its own words. “So much for that.” She muttered under her breath. If Pinkie had noticed how incoherent Rainbow Dash’s greeting was, she ignored it completely and replied back in her typical chirpy tone. “Oh nothing, just looking around for my favouritest friends. Like you! You are one of my bestest friends and we should go pranking sometime soon, but maybe not because you seem a bit lost, but you know another thing that gets lost is my words because I don’t know what I’m saying most of the time, but it doesn’t matter because it makes me laugh anyway! What about you Dashie? Do anything interesting today?” Rainbow Dash blinked. She had no idea what just dribbled out of Pinkie’s mouth, but she guessed it was just some of her typical, random hyper-antics. She did however catch the two questions, which she answered with a feeble “Nothing...” a deeper blush and a drop of the head. What in Equestria was making her feel so unusual? It’s not like she hadn’t talked to Pinkie Pie before. Her first thought was that it was her dream that’s doing this to her. She didn’t really know so she dismissed this thought, but she suspected it to be stored deep down, where her memory couldn’t access it. Either way, now wasn’t the time. She pulled herself away from her muddled thoughts and raised her head, answering again in a much stronger tone. “Nothing. It’s been a pretty boring day. How did you find me anyway?” Pinkie grinned cheekily, deciding to not tell the truth as to how and why she found Rainbow Dash. “I dunno Dashie, just luck.” She lied. “Oh, okay then.” A few seconds of silence involving Rainbow Dash pawing at the ground and Pinkie Pie stifling a loose giggle passed. “This is too awkward,” Rainbow Dash thought, “better leave before it gets any worse.” “Well Pinkie, I better get going to the uhh… thing at the place… yeah… Seeya then.” Rainbow Dash said, turning around and trotting away quickly. “Okie dokie lokie, byebye Dashie!” Pinkie responded, leaving the embarrassed mare to run back in the direction in which she came. Pinkie Pie walked away slowly, giggling. She was awaiting a sequence of involuntary bodily movements to confirm her suspicions. Twelve seconds later, her tail started twitching, followed by her ears flopping and her nose itching. Pinkie smiled to herself. “Aha! I knew it! A certain rainbow-haired pegasus has unknown feelings about one very special somepony~” she cried out, trying to supress her joyous laughter. “I didn’t really need my Pinkie Sense for that one, but thanks anyway tail, ears and nose! Wait, isn’t my Pinkie Sense what brought me to Dashie? Huh… I can’t remember. Meh.” Pinkie Pie began to bounce back to Ponyville, a huge smile plastered across her face. However, she soon halted abruptly, remembering a deed that had not been done. “Silly me, I almost forgot. Pinkie Pie, would you Pinkie Swear to Pinkie Pie that you won’t tell anypony about Dashie’s feelings?” She said to no one other than herself. “Why Pinkie Pie, I would be delighted to! I Pinkie Pie swear that I, Pinkie Pie, will keep Dashie’s feelings secret. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” “Ooh, goodie! It’s just between us now, Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash laid back on a cloud just a few meters away from her place of residence, breathing heavily. She wasn’t at all happy with her previous experience with Pinkie Pie, it had left an air of awkwardness that would now be near impossible to clear for a fair while. She sighed in exasperation. The worst part of it all was that she had no idea of why she acted up in such an embarrassing way. Well, what was past was past. There was absolutely no use in contemplating over different ways she could have handled herself, no use in even thinking about it. With newfound energy, Rainbow Dash hopped off the cloud and continued down the route to her cloud home. It took only three seconds for her to reach it, but when she did, she instantly noticed the flat object that was taped to the front door. Upon closer inspection, the object in question turned out to be a well-sealed envelope. Dash approached the envelope cautiously; unsure of what “surprises” it may hold. It’s not everyday that a pony doesn’t use your letterbox, after all. When nothing fishy seemed to have happened, she removed the tape holding it to her front door and picked the envelope up using her mouth, trotting inside. She walked into the kitchen, set the envelope on the counter and ran her hoof down the fine paper the envelope was made of. This looked like something that was of great importance and high quality. Only one thing came to mind that obtained this quality – Canterlot. It seemed unusual to get a note from Canterlot. She didn’t have any friends there that she would even think of. Was it from the Wonderbolts? Excited, Rainbow Dash turned the envelope over in her hooves, only to find that there was no signature Wonderbolts seal, but a seal that appeared to be a crescent moon. Was it from the princess? What could she possibly want that concerned her? Life around Equestria had been relatively calm since the royal wedding fiasco, as far as she knew. There was only one way to find out. Rainbow Dash retrieved a knife from a draw right next to her and carefully cut the envelope open. It was an easy cut. She flung the knife away and pulled a note out of its thin, papery bed. Without further ado, she unfolded the note and read it. “Dearest Rainbow Dash, Please meet us me in the Ponyville Town Square at nineteen hundred hours sharp. It is of grave importance that I speak to you. Do not distribute this letter out to any of your friends. For now, it must remain just between you and I. Sincerely, The Princess Of The Night Luna” Rainbow Dash re-folded the note and placed it back on the counter, puzzled. For what reason in Equestria would Princess Luna want to see her, of all ponies? And to add to the confusion, why was it private? She couldn’t think of any reasons why, and she wasn’t sure that she wanted to find out. Nonetheless, she decided that she would oblige to Luna’s request. Pushing the note aside, along with her thoughts, Rainbow Dash continued with her daily activities with consisted of sleeping and sleeping. Rainbow Dash awoke with a yawn and a long stretch. When her body had loosened up to her liking, she hopped out of bed and got ready to do her morning chores, only to remember that it wasn’t morning at all. She glanced at the clock and almost had a heart attack – it was six fifty-eight. Her eyes widening, she so very quickly brushed her mane and bolted out of her home as quick as possible, not bothering to lock up. She careened down the dusty streets and roads, hoping to Celestia that she wasn’t going to be late. But luck seemed to be on her side, because when she reached Ponyville town square it was exactly seven. Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief as she slowed down at the sight of her princess before her. “Good evening, Rainbow Dash.” Luna said in a placid tone as Rainbow Dash touched down on the ground. Rainbow Dash smiled at the princess respectfully and was about to bow down when she remembered that Luna preferred to be treated as a normal citizen with “benefits”. “Hello Princess,” she said simply, looking up at the sky, “it’s a nice night you’ve brought up.” “Thank you Rainbow. It’s not often that I get complimented on the beautiful night I bring upon.” Luna replied cordially. “No problems. So, what’s on your mind that’s so important?” Luna’s face hardened as she prepared for the incoming shock and questions that would come of what she was about to inform Rainbow Dash of. “Well, you see Rainbow Dash, it’s about your dream-“ Luna started off. “Hey, how do you even know about that? I haven’t told anyone!” Rainbow Dash yelped accusingly. “Hush Rainbow, we don’t want anypony to hear us, now do we? And being a princess has its benefits. But that’s not important right now, and I can tell you that you will agree once I tell you what’s wrong with the dream in question. I’ll get to how I know about it later.” “Alright, but you better have a good reason for it, Princess.” Rainbow Dash replied bluntly. “I can assure you that I do. You see… your dream may become reality.” It was a moment that seemed like an eternity for Rainbow Dash, but in reality, was just a mere second. Her pharynx dried up and her iris’ widened significantly as she contemplated the meaning behind what Luna had just announced. "W...wait...are you saying that it's... it's actually going to happen?" Rainbow Dash choked out, dearly hoping for a more positive response. For at that moment, it felt as if a knife was parked right above her chest, ready to pierce her vulnerable heart. Luna brought her hooves up to her head and rubbed away at it in a slight frustration. "Well, yes and no. This is an extremely complex subject; it's very complicated to get a reasonably good grasp on. But I shall try and make it simple enough for you. You see, what you remember dreaming of is something similar to what's going to happen in future, unless you can prevent it. Your dream contained a message that you need to understand to get an idea of when and where it may occur. It will also reveal a way to prevent it from actually happening. For future reference, we shall call these dreams "Driae", as I can guarantee you shall be experiencing these often from now on in. Driae are where you will find most hidden information. I know this may sound outlandish and could be quite a lot for you to absorb, but it is vital that you succeed. Without the secrets of the Driae, your friend’s life; the Element Of Laughter's; is at stake.” Luna paused so that Rainbow Dash could begin to absorb what she had just heard. Leaving a moment inbetween, she took a deep breath in and continued. “Driae work in a most unusual way. You will never notice the first time they occur, meaning that it will stand as a simple dream to you at first. Upon your second encounter, which I shall help you with, you will be able to see the details you may have missed beforehoof. Also, from what I noticed, there are some "other" emotions you will unveil along the journey. However, it is better that I leave you to find these out for yourself. This is the extent of my current knowledge. Any questions?" Rainbow Dash stared at Luna for a fair amount of time, trying to take it all in. It was a mother load of information to absorb all at once, especially when it concerned the life of one of your best pony friends. Finally, she managed to process the most important piece of information. "So Pinkie isn't going to die?" she asked. Her response was almost instantaneous. "As long as you prevent it, then no, she will not." Rainbow Dash's brain began to kick into an overdrive; every section being used at it’s full capacity. "Okay, so... to protect her, I have to get into my own dreams?" "Yes, that is basically the case." "Uhmm... how?" Luna smiled mischievously, leaning in close to Rainbow Dash. “Don’t tell anypony what you’re about to hear,” Luna said quietly. “Uhh… okay?” Rainbow Dash answered uncertainly. “I have stored away your dream with my collection of other more ‘interesting’ dreams.” “Wait… you can save dreams?” Rainbow Dash asked quizzically. “Well yes, you may not guess, but working the night shift is usually unimaginably eventless and tedious, considering that everypony is asleep in their beds… or other ponies beds.” Luna winked and continued before Rainbow Dash could say anything on the subject. “So most of the time we just conjure up a most advanced spell when any one pony is dreaming so that we can retain it for later use. We don’t look through most of the dreams; although when a night is extra boring we do; but your dream had a rather strong impulse and we couldn’t resist taking a peek.” “We?” “Oh, sorry. I meant to say I. Still trying to adapt to the modern times.” “Oh, okay. So you’re saying that dreams like those,” Rainbow Dash raised her hoof up to her skull and tapped it twice, continuing, “you can sense?” “Mostly, yes. If it has an aura of power, danger and or truthfulness about it, my senses usually pick it up. As said, because yours was important, I stored it straight away.” “But why?” Rainbow Dash asked with a puzzled look on her face. The obvious didn’t seem so obvious to her, after all. “What, did you not think that you might have to look back into the dream? If I had not stored it immediately, the most important feelings and events that your memory erased would be lost forever! Rainbow Dash, it is of upmost importance that you look back into it.” “Okay… so…” Rainbow Dash’s mind was flooding over with a massive amount of questions she wanted to ask, but she tried to ignore them all, instead devoting her brainpower to get a grasp on what she was hearing. But there was just one more question nagging at the back of her mind. She couldn't even think of going without asking it, even though it was a question that probably had no answer. That's why Luna's expression shifted from hard and concentrated to one of a concerning pain as the question passed through Rainbow Dash's lips. "Why would anyone want to hurt Pinkie Pie?" 3 ~ History LessonLuna dropped her gaze and frowned slightly. This was a question she was not prepared for. "One can only guess, Rainbow Dash. But I quite honestly do not know why. There may not even be motive, there's always the off chance that it's just a deranged, psychopathic pony that gains his or her pleasure by watching others suffer." Rainbow Dash couldn’t will herself to do anything but stare at a very grim Luna. While she did expect some form of explanation, this was completely uncalled for and caught her off guard, rendering her vulnerable to all sorts of emotional attacks and heartache. Tears beginning to well in her eyes, she ducked her head low and rubbed her hoof against the ground, lost and frustrated. Seeing the state Rainbow Dash was in, Luna took it upon herself to try and comfort her new ally and friend. Putting her hoof around Rainbow Dash, she said in an unusually soft tone, “I know this must be excruciating for you, I can almost feel the pain you’re going through radiating off you. Now I do not normally do this for anypony, but would you like to fly to Canterlot with me? Or would you prefer a night to let your mind recuperate and just rest?” Rainbow Dash lifted her head to face Luna, her eyes glittering in the sparkling night. “Let’s do it. Go to Canterlot, I mean. The sooner we get started, the better, right? I mean, if I go sleep, how’s that going to help Pinkie? Nonono, I can’t do that, I have to protect her. I have to. I have to…” She said, her voice cracking. This was all too much for the pegasus. She could feel the negative emotions coursing through her nerves, all around her body. Much like depression, it was pulling her down, dragging her mind into the shadows. Her body was becoming numb and senseless, and her mind was floating, just about ready to give up. She felt ready to grasp the opportunity to just collapse onto the floor and bawl her eyes out, but Luna made sure this wouldn’t be so. Luna gently placed her hoof back over Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and helped the sky-blue coloured mare keep her balance. Rainbow Dash turned to face Luna, her cheeks soaked with her own salty tears. She couldn’t speak; there was a lump in her throat that refused to depart, so instead shakily nodded in thanks. Luna gave a soft smile in return. The pair stayed like this for fair amount of time, Luna comforting Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash occasionally breaking down into tears. Soon, the sobs began to lessen, until she finally gained control of herself. Wiping her hoof across the damp fur on her face, she tilted her head towards Luna and spoke, stuttering over her words a fair few times. “Lu… Princess, c-can we still go to Ca… Canterlot?” “Of course we can, Rainbow.” Luna smiled, spreading her wings. Taking the hint, Rainbow Dash too let loose her wings, taking off into the vast, glittering skies, Luna following shortly after. The cool breeze whipped across Rainbow Dash’s face, drying up the remainder of the tears that had been absorbed into her fur. She looked around, her pupils widening as she took in the landscape; the beautiful, shining, starry sky; Canterlot looming over the tall mountain it was perched on, the vast fields and forests Equestria was filled with. She normally wasn’t observant of all these things, but as she was beginning to come to terms with how these luxuries in life could now be very limited, she was admiring it while she could. “What have I been missing all these times? This is just… just amazingly awesome,” she thought. She made a mental note to travel down this route more frequently. The pair soared through the skies; only the natural elements of the world could be heard. However, this didn’t last, as Luna had information she contained in her mind that she had to inform Rainbow Dash of, and now was the perfect time for it. Not hesitating, Luna spoke. “Rainbow Dash,” “Yeah?” she answered, turning to face Luna. “I think it’s time we go over the specifics of what’s going to happen.” “…Alright, that sounds like… uhh… needed.” “It is. Okay, the first thing is, do you know why we’re actually travelling to Canterlot?” “I… uhmm… no.” “I’m going to show you my well-hidden, secret underground room of retained subconscious memories. That being where I store everypony’s dreams that are of interest to me, or, in this case, the welfare of another pony’s life. No one in the universe, apart from me, knows where this room is, so you must promise to not tell anypony, no, anything, of it’s whereabouts, no matter the circumstances. If you should, the consequences will be diiiire,” Luna said, adding a touch of light-hearted humour to lighten the solemn mood of the whole situation. “I promise I won’t ever say anything about the room of… of whatever it was.” “Retained subconscious memories.” “That one.” “Okay, good. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I must address a highly dangerous issue that is undoubtedly the center of this whole mission. This will come as a shock to you, no question, but it must be said, ‘These dreams, as I’ve said, are messages. But I did not go too in depth into that at the time, just to spare you of added stress and agony. But now is the time. These Driae that you will have are not naturally linked to the world as such, but are actually being transmitted into your brain artificially.” Rainbow Dash’s wings nearly failed her as she processed the meaning of what she’d just taken in. Somepony was intruding into the depths of her mind and submitting what was literally a message, only to played in the form of a dream. It was so outlandish, immoral and intrusive; she couldn’t believe it in the slightest. “But that is not even the worst of it,” Luna continued, creasing her brow. An almost electrifying shock of silence, her only response, spurred the princess on. “These transmissions are being controlled by an extremely powerful unicorn named Dissonance, who was once a student of Starswirl the Bearded. I know this because during your nap this evening, I intercepted the transmission waves and decoded them to reveal the DNA of the sender, in which is kept on a tightly guarded record.” Rainbow Dash blinked, bemused. “Anyhow, the fact that he has been alive since the time of Starswirl’s presence, if not before, means that not only does he carry the longevity abilities of an alicorn like myself, Princess Cadence and Princess Celestia, but is also highly skilled and lethal in the arts of sorcery. Like anypony else, he was once a normal, happy citizen. He would greet everyone with one of the most natural smiles; provide the homeless with needed supplies and shelter. Anything that a polite, respectful, loving Good Samaritan could do, he would do it. But alas, some minds cannot handle the strain of things, and whilst we do not know what caused him to snap in such a sudden manner, we do know one thing, ‘Starswirl’s death was not natural or coincidence. We know for a fact that it was Dissonance that killed Starswirl, who could have lived to be much more than three thousand years old. You see; the twenty fourth of June AD 1011 was the discovery and beginning of a new era – the finding of the magical ability that all unicorns possess. Starswirl, who only perfected and invented hundreds of new spells did not discover magic itself. However, without him, only the most basic levitation spells may have ever been known. For this reason, and this reason only, Starswirl was idolized and loved. ‘Most unicorns were overjoyed at the news of their hidden ability. Of course, it was overly difficult for them to even get their horns to spark, at first. But that aside, it so happened that there were a few ponies that disagreed or were indifferent with the finding of magic. Dissonance appeared to be one of the indifferent equines. But, when he was offered to be Starswirl’s assistant and pupil, he did not reject his chance but instead decided to attempt it. He must not have liked what he saw, however, ‘For on the first of May AD 1017, Dissonance ended the life of his teacher over an argument on the use of magic. Starswirl was, of course, for the unavoidable use of it, whereas Dissonance against. What had started as a petty debate escalated into a full-scale battle when his teacher had stood him up. The battle was said to have lasted hours on end, up until Dissonance had enough and ended it all with a forbidden spell that sapped all remaining life out of his mentor and transformed it into dark energy – energy that strengthens unicorns upon being absorbed. Dark energy is only found in your soul, your spirit. This dark energy can only be gained in one way, and that is by killing ponies. But that isn’t the reason why he murders, ‘Celestia and I have never known exactly why he kills innocent ponies, although we do know that it isn’t for the gain of dark energy. He loves to play games with us, so to this day; we’re still trying to figure out the means. But we know this much. Due to the amount of lives Dissonance has taken, he is extremely powerful. He has surpassed our level of power, which is one reason why we can’t stop him; only halt his progressions. After the death of Starswirl, Dissonance pleaded guilty to the charges of highly illegal use of magic, ponyslaughter and murder. But using his newfound unnaturally unobtainable magic ability, he managed to get away. But, he was caught by somepony you wouldn’t expect, ‘Cadence. At the time, she had been one of the most powerful alicorns in Equestria. She still is, but she had reduced the practising of magic after the incident until her ability locked itself away deep inside, only to be brought out in dire situations such as at her royal wedding. But to the point, Cadence was able the conjure an electrifying spell that works by sending electric impulses through the victim’s body until they slump into unconsciousness. It wasn’t the spell that was amazing, but the fact that she overcame her feelings, tracked him down and stopped him right in his tracks. This may not sound amazing to you yet, but what I’m about to tell you will change your mind.” Luna paused, letting Rainbow Dash have a short break. “You see, Cadence used to be in love with Dissonance.” Rainbow Dash gasped unwillingly, it just escaped past her lips without her consent. She didn’t really know why she found this surprising; after all, she would expect a pony to have had a few “love of their lives” after a good thousand years. But nonetheless, the whole point of Cadence falling for anypony other than Shining Armour sounded outlandish and impossible, even. Without letting Rainbow Dash inquire, Luna continued. “They both had been at the time. And it wasn’t the sort of shallow “fake” love as such, but truly deep and meaningful. They had been together for two years, and they had seemed inseparable. But fate had other plans, because the moment the news of Starswirl’s death and the offender’s name reached poor Cadence’s ears, her heart practically shattered like glass. It was heartbreaking to watch her suffer as she had been. Before his trial, she spent nights on end sobbing in her bedroom, refusing to interact or socialize with anypony whatsoever. Her heart was fractured beyond repair, ‘And when Cadence discovered that Dissonance had escaped, you could almost see the fire in her eyes. They had flared up in rage and hatred for her former stallionfriend, unforgiving, unforgotten. She immediately set out in the route she suspected he would have taken – the direction of the desert. She hunted him for days, knowing that a pony like him would’ve chosen the most unlikely of hiding places, and she knew perfectly well that he was capable of surviving out in the dry heat for decades on end. It was her cunning that led to his capture and transportation, Celestia and I would have never figured out such a location, as only Cadence had known him well enough, ‘There was no escape when Cadence pounced on an unsuspecting and surprised Dissonance, who had thought he’d been secured from being located. Dissonance had begged for mercy, which Cadence showed none of, rightfully so. I remember her choking out six words that to this day, after several thousand years, is one of the most gut wrenching things I’d ever heard.” Luna paused, taking a deep, steadying breath in. “I thought I mattered to you. That is what she said. Without further ado, so performed the spell that electrocuted Dissonance with tens of thousands of volts – enough to send him into a coma for a month. Once the deed was done, Dissonance unconscious, we had to make a decision on what should be done with the stallion. To this day, I regret not killing him right there and then when I had the chance, as an opportunity is yet to present itself since that fateful day. Sadly, no one voted for such an option because they’d dubbed it cruel and barbaric. The final decision was to transport him to land ten thousand kilometres away – a terrain that was rough, unforgiving and lifeless. This land was an ice-desert known as Antarctica, ‘Luckily for every single pony in Equestria, the formulae for the teleportation spell had not yet been discovered, meaning that the best he could do was walk or levitate himself to his destination. Should he have possessed the ability to teleport, we would never have located him, and many more ponies would be left dead in his path, ‘From there on in, it had been seven hundred years until we saw a sign of Dissonance’s return. Never did we see Dissonance himself, but the signs were blatantly obvious. His style of murder was unique, and no other pony would have the courage to even think of copying it, ‘We haven’t seen Dissonance himself for one thousand years – since his transportation and abandonment. But there have been signs of his presence since, the odd pony here and there being murdered and nailed to the town centres – that being his trademark kill. He’s always managed to escape completely unseen and undetected. He is, in all senses of the word, a true assassin.” Luna finished. Rainbow Dash had completely forgotten she was flying as she had listened to the history of what is now her new nemesis. She was shocked, baffled and even scared of the blinding ability this despair-producing pony was said to possess. Her hopes of saving Pinkie were dropping from high to null with every word Luna had spoken, and now she was beginning to worry that her insecurity could get the best of her. But it was another feeling that got the best of Rainbow Dash – one that had been bugging her all day. A flare a blind longing shot up inside of her, wishing that she could be with Pinkie, laugh with Pinkie, take in the Pink pony’s natural beauty. This leaving her feeling even more confused than before. But out of her flustered state, she knew one thing she was going to do. No matter what happened, whether it meant torture or death, she would risk her life to protect Pinkie.
PrologueRainbow Dash looked around her. Before her was the magnificent city of Cloudsdale, her primary home for many years. It seemed like just another ordinary day, the pegasi were flying around the city as per usual and the weather was being controlled as the schedule directed. However, something just didn’t sit right with Rainbow Dash. She couldn’t quite put her hoof on what the cause of this was, but she never got the chance to find out. A loud shriek almost directly below her and what had seemed to be a gunshot had rung through her ears, breaking her train of thought. Rainbow Dash looked around to see if anypony else had heard the shriek and the gunshot. But to her surprise, no one had paid any attention at all to either. Unsure if it was a fragment of her imagination or not, Rainbow Dash flew down towards the ground at breakneck speed just to make sure that nothing was wrong, and that she was hopefully just hearing things. Halting to a stop just below the ground, Rainbow Dash immediately saw what was the worst possible occurrence – there was indeed a pony that had been shot. Just milliseconds after realizing there was a wounded pony in front of her, she took a good look at who the pony was. Her discovery shocked her. It was her worst nightmare come true. No, worse than her worst nightmare. For the wounded pony that was on the ground in front of Rainbow Dash was none other than Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie was badly wounded, the impact of the shot caused her to slump down to the rough patch of grass below her. The first horrifying thing that caught Rainbow’s eye was the bullet-sized hole in Pinkie’s chest. Her coat was covered in her own warm blood, more and more oozing out by the second. Rainbow Dash realized that at this rate, she would die of blood loss in a very short amount of time. “Oh my Celestia, PINKIE!” Rainbow Dash screamed in fear. “Rainbow Dash…” Pinkie responded weakly. “Pinkie… Pinkie… WHO DID THIS TO YOU?” “I don’t... I don’t know Dashie… I was just going to pay a visit to Cranky… when out of nowhere… a unicorn-stallion wearing a balaclava walked up in front of me… At first I smiled… at his costume… but then he suddenly pulled out a pistol and fired it straight at me…” Pinkie Pie’s voice was growing weaker by the second. "I WILL find whoever did this to you, and I SWEAR to Celestia that they will NEVER experience happiness again!!" Rainbow Dash was now screaming in a blind fit of rage. What was probably her very best friend was lying on the floor in front of her, wounded and dying. This very sight of this could have sent anypony insane. Quickly realizing that now was most certainly not the best time to lose herself, Rainbow Dash cooled herself down and lowered her tone. “I will find who did this to you Pink, I promise, I don’t care if I have to search the whole of Equestria for him, I will find that fucking son of a...” Rainbow Dash got a hold of herself once again and paused for a moment, summing up her options. She could lift Pinkie onto her back and fly down to Ponyville Hospital, but not only was that much too far away, but flying whilst suffering from a severe case of blood loss would cause a death nine out of ten times. Deciding that wasn’t possible, Rainbow Dash thought a bit harder. She could always get a unicorn to teleport her to PVH, but that was incredibly dangerous if the unicorn wasn’t incredibly skilled. Twilight was always an option, but she had been sent up to Canterlot for the evening for an audience with the Princess. “What great timing…” Rainbow Dash thought to herself. Ruling that option out, Rainbow Dash went for the last, obvious option left. Call in an ambulance. “Pinkie, I’m going to get help. A nurse pony. An ambulance. Whatever it takes. Don’t move, I’ll be back as soon as possible” Pinkie smiled faintly. “It’s not like I can really go anywhere… Dashie… besides… any hospital is way too far from here, you wouldn't even be able... to make it to Zecora’s in time… I’m sorry Dashie, but Celestia has chosen that I must go to the afterlife...” “No. No Pinkie. It’s going to be okay. You’ll be okay. I swear Pinkie, you’re going… to be okay…” “I’m super sorry Dashie, but… there’s no surviving this one… I just can’t make it past…” “No Pinkie, You can. No matter what you think, you can make it… you can make it… you can…” “It’s okay… The last thing I’ve ever wanted to do for the super duper longest time is smile… with my best friends… Dashie… …Dashie” Those words rung through Rainbow Dash’s ears like a bell. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Dashie continued to reassure Pinkie, but in her mind it was hopeless. Even the fastest of fliers wouldn’t be able to reach her and get her to a hospital on time, the amount of blood loss Pinkie had suffered was almost impossible to survive. “No, Pinkie it’s okay, help is on its way, and you will live. It’s going to be fine. Please. Please live… there’s so much we haven’t done together… so many moments we haven’t yet shared… so much I have to tell you…” By this time, Rainbow Dash was bawling her eyes out. Normally she would consider this as ‘uncool’, but her reputation was the last thing she was worrying about at the moment. Pinkie laid in front of her, almost dead still, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “D… Dashie… It’s okay... I’ll always be in your heart… No matter what… I’ll be there for you…” “Pinkie… but… I… I… I love y-“
1 ~ UnwindRainbow Dash sat bolt upright. Unsure of what just happened or where she was, she looked around her. The first thing she realized was that she was in her own bedroom, which came as an instant relief. Her best friend Pinkie Pie was not dying, it had just been a terrible dream. Unknown to Rainbow Dash, all dreams pack a powerful message. Rainbow Dash sat in her bed, small beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She began to think about the dream, however she had already forgotten a good part of it. There were small snippets of scenes still burned into her brain, but the rest had escaped her memory. What she did remember though, were the worst parts. Having to see herself and Pinkie in tears. The hole in Pinkie’s chest. All the blood on Pinkie’s coat. What had her most intrigued though, was what she was about to tell Pinkie at the end of the dream. Somehow, she had forgotten what was probably the most important moment. It was in her mind somewhere; but she just couldn’t get it out. She was sure that it would come to her one day at the most random of times; that’s just how it tended to be with forgotten dreams. And anything that’s related to Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash decided to leave it be for now and to go one with her daily activities. Flying; controlling the weather; giving Scootaloo a few flying lessons; and most importantly - being awesome. She considered stopping by Pinkie Pie’s a bit later on, that could help settle her nerves. But for now, she had to prepare herself for the day ahead; a cool pony doesn’t like to mess things up. After her general morning activities of eating breakfast and brushing her teeth, Rainbow Dash decided to treat herself to a steaming hot bath – something she rarely did. Rainbow Dash trotted into her bathroom and pulled her hot water rain cloud out of its respective spot. Rainbow Dash lowered the rain cloud to the level of her bath and flew on top of it. She began to bounce of the cloud, causing it to empty the water inside of itself. “Hmm, running on empty. Better go get a new cloud made at The Factory…” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself. Once the bathtub had filled up to her liking, Rainbow Dash hopped in. She didn’t test to see how hot the water was using her hoof, and she soon regretted it. “Phwaaaaah! Hot! Hot!” Rainbow Dash yelled. However, she decided not to hop out of the bath and get her cold-water rain cloud out to reduce the temperature of the water. Instead she relaxed; relaxing helps to get used to any given temperature. “Damn this water is hot…” Rainbow Dash paused. “Just like me.” She laughed to herself. A bit of early morning reassurance about her looks was always welcome, even if it came from herself. She knew that it didn’t matter who said it, even if it were herself, because it was true anyway. She spent a good amount of time in the tub, lying down and doing absolutely nothing. Very soon after, she decided that the bath was getting just a little too boring for her standards. To fix this, she stood up and shook the water out of her fur. Clouds made the walls and floors of her house, so it didn’t matter where the water splattered. Once dry, Rainbow Dash stepped out of her tub and opened a cupboard under her sink, looking for her trusty bath partner. After a bit of rummaging around the cupboard, she found what she was looking for – a rubber bath pony. But not just any rubber bath pony, it was a Wonderbolts replica of Spitfire. Giving a little fan-girl squeak, Rainbow Dash hugged the little bath toy and jumped straight back in the tub, sending water spraying all around the place. This little replica pony had been gifted to her when she was a very young filly. It may have been what got her so into flying and training for the Wonderbolts. And after all these years, she still had it. After about an hour of splashing around with toy Spitfire, an almost dry Rainbow Dash decided to finally get out of the now almost waterless tub for good. Her hooves were wrinkly from too much water exposure, but she didn’t mind. She was feeling much more invigorated and rejuvenated. “Huh, I wonder what sort of cool stuff I could do today; maybe save a few ponies, do a sonic rainboom…” Rainbow Dash wondered whilst shaking out any excess water in her coat. “Nah… I think I’ll just lay back today…” As she was thinking, the dream crossed her mind for a mere nanosecond. But it was enough to reset her mindset. “…Maybe I’ll visit Pinkie Pie…” And visit Pinkie Pie she did. Several hours after Rainbow Dash’s morning of lounging around, she decided that it was finally time to follow up her idea to visit Pinkie. She wasn’t sure if she would mention the dream or not, but she soon decided that was something that she didn’t really want to put Pinkie through, even though she knew that Pinkie would probably just laugh it off and call her brain silly. Shrugging off the thoughts, Rainbow Dash trotted out of her cloudy home and hopped onto the ground below. Many years ago, when Dash was just a filly, getting from her home to the ground without falling would take much longer than it currently does. However, after meeting her Ponyvillian friends, Rainbow Dash decided that she should move her home much closer to the ground without building a new one from scratch. Moving such a large mass of clouds was difficult, even for a pegasus with her skill and ability. But she had got the job done without making a mess of her home. Ever since then, she simply had to hop off her porch to reach the firm ground below. Rainbow Dash trotted towards Ponyville calmly. She was in no rush; there was plenty of time left in this glorious day. Normally at this time, Rainbow Dash would be napping in the confines of her home, or sleeping on a branch of an apple tree in Sweet Apple Acres. Today however, she was out and about, enjoying the weather and feeling rather grateful about, well, being alive. It was most unlike Rainbow Dash to have this sort of mindset, but she quite liked it. It was a great way to loosen up. Soon after, Rainbow Dash reached the outskirts of Ponyville. From here, it wouldn’t take too long to reach her desired destination – Sugarcube Corner. She suspected that if Pinkie would be anywhere, it would most likely be there. However, Rainbow Dash did not even need to venture any further, for standing in front of her… …Was none other than Pinkie Pie.
2 ~ Arising ProblemsA wave of emotions coursed through Rainbow Dash at the sight of Pinkie. The one that stood out both internally and externally was a feeling that had remained hidden throughout the day. It was pure happiness, giddiness even. She was having trouble controlling this particular emotion, and it was beginning to show in her cheeks. A blush was forming. “Okay Dash, okay. You got this. Keep it cool, it’s just like any other time you’ve talked to Pinkie. Come on,” she thought. “Hi Dashie!” Pinkie squealed out in her direction. “Oh, uhh… umm… hi Pinkie, uhh… what’s… what’s up?” Rainbow Dash responded, her tongue fumbling over its own words. “So much for that.” She muttered under her breath. If Pinkie had noticed how incoherent Rainbow Dash’s greeting was, she ignored it completely and replied back in her typical chirpy tone. “Oh nothing, just looking around for my favouritest friends. Like you! You are one of my bestest friends and we should go pranking sometime soon, but maybe not because you seem a bit lost, but you know another thing that gets lost is my words because I don’t know what I’m saying most of the time, but it doesn’t matter because it makes me laugh anyway! What about you Dashie? Do anything interesting today?” Rainbow Dash blinked. She had no idea what just dribbled out of Pinkie’s mouth, but she guessed it was just some of her typical, random hyper-antics. She did however catch the two questions, which she answered with a feeble “Nothing...” a deeper blush and a drop of the head. What in Equestria was making her feel so unusual? It’s not like she hadn’t talked to Pinkie Pie before. Her first thought was that it was her dream that’s doing this to her. She didn’t really know so she dismissed this thought, but she suspected it to be stored deep down, where her memory couldn’t access it. Either way, now wasn’t the time. She pulled herself away from her muddled thoughts and raised her head, answering again in a much stronger tone. “Nothing. It’s been a pretty boring day. How did you find me anyway?” Pinkie grinned cheekily, deciding to not tell the truth as to how and why she found Rainbow Dash. “I dunno Dashie, just luck.” She lied. “Oh, okay then.” A few seconds of silence involving Rainbow Dash pawing at the ground and Pinkie Pie stifling a loose giggle passed. “This is too awkward,” Rainbow Dash thought, “better leave before it gets any worse.” “Well Pinkie, I better get going to the uhh… thing at the place… yeah… Seeya then.” Rainbow Dash said, turning around and trotting away quickly. “Okie dokie lokie, byebye Dashie!” Pinkie responded, leaving the embarrassed mare to run back in the direction in which she came. Pinkie Pie walked away slowly, giggling. She was awaiting a sequence of involuntary bodily movements to confirm her suspicions. Twelve seconds later, her tail started twitching, followed by her ears flopping and her nose itching. Pinkie smiled to herself. “Aha! I knew it! A certain rainbow-haired pegasus has unknown feelings about one very special somepony~” she cried out, trying to supress her joyous laughter. “I didn’t really need my Pinkie Sense for that one, but thanks anyway tail, ears and nose! Wait, isn’t my Pinkie Sense what brought me to Dashie? Huh… I can’t remember. Meh.” Pinkie Pie began to bounce back to Ponyville, a huge smile plastered across her face. However, she soon halted abruptly, remembering a deed that had not been done. “Silly me, I almost forgot. Pinkie Pie, would you Pinkie Swear to Pinkie Pie that you won’t tell anypony about Dashie’s feelings?” She said to no one other than herself. “Why Pinkie Pie, I would be delighted to! I Pinkie Pie swear that I, Pinkie Pie, will keep Dashie’s feelings secret. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” “Ooh, goodie! It’s just between us now, Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash laid back on a cloud just a few meters away from her place of residence, breathing heavily. She wasn’t at all happy with her previous experience with Pinkie Pie, it had left an air of awkwardness that would now be near impossible to clear for a fair while. She sighed in exasperation. The worst part of it all was that she had no idea of why she acted up in such an embarrassing way. Well, what was past was past. There was absolutely no use in contemplating over different ways she could have handled herself, no use in even thinking about it. With newfound energy, Rainbow Dash hopped off the cloud and continued down the route to her cloud home. It took only three seconds for her to reach it, but when she did, she instantly noticed the flat object that was taped to the front door. Upon closer inspection, the object in question turned out to be a well-sealed envelope. Dash approached the envelope cautiously; unsure of what “surprises” it may hold. It’s not everyday that a pony doesn’t use your letterbox, after all. When nothing fishy seemed to have happened, she removed the tape holding it to her front door and picked the envelope up using her mouth, trotting inside. She walked into the kitchen, set the envelope on the counter and ran her hoof down the fine paper the envelope was made of. This looked like something that was of great importance and high quality. Only one thing came to mind that obtained this quality – Canterlot. It seemed unusual to get a note from Canterlot. She didn’t have any friends there that she would even think of. Was it from the Wonderbolts? Excited, Rainbow Dash turned the envelope over in her hooves, only to find that there was no signature Wonderbolts seal, but a seal that appeared to be a crescent moon. Was it from the princess? What could she possibly want that concerned her? Life around Equestria had been relatively calm since the royal wedding fiasco, as far as she knew. There was only one way to find out. Rainbow Dash retrieved a knife from a draw right next to her and carefully cut the envelope open. It was an easy cut. She flung the knife away and pulled a note out of its thin, papery bed. Without further ado, she unfolded the note and read it. “Dearest Rainbow Dash, Please meet us me in the Ponyville Town Square at nineteen hundred hours sharp. It is of grave importance that I speak to you. Do not distribute this letter out to any of your friends. For now, it must remain just between you and I. Sincerely, The Princess Of The Night Luna” Rainbow Dash re-folded the note and placed it back on the counter, puzzled. For what reason in Equestria would Princess Luna want to see her, of all ponies? And to add to the confusion, why was it private? She couldn’t think of any reasons why, and she wasn’t sure that she wanted to find out. Nonetheless, she decided that she would oblige to Luna’s request. Pushing the note aside, along with her thoughts, Rainbow Dash continued with her daily activities with consisted of sleeping and sleeping. Rainbow Dash awoke with a yawn and a long stretch. When her body had loosened up to her liking, she hopped out of bed and got ready to do her morning chores, only to remember that it wasn’t morning at all. She glanced at the clock and almost had a heart attack – it was six fifty-eight. Her eyes widening, she so very quickly brushed her mane and bolted out of her home as quick as possible, not bothering to lock up. She careened down the dusty streets and roads, hoping to Celestia that she wasn’t going to be late. But luck seemed to be on her side, because when she reached Ponyville town square it was exactly seven. Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief as she slowed down at the sight of her princess before her. “Good evening, Rainbow Dash.” Luna said in a placid tone as Rainbow Dash touched down on the ground. Rainbow Dash smiled at the princess respectfully and was about to bow down when she remembered that Luna preferred to be treated as a normal citizen with “benefits”. “Hello Princess,” she said simply, looking up at the sky, “it’s a nice night you’ve brought up.” “Thank you Rainbow. It’s not often that I get complimented on the beautiful night I bring upon.” Luna replied cordially. “No problems. So, what’s on your mind that’s so important?” Luna’s face hardened as she prepared for the incoming shock and questions that would come of what she was about to inform Rainbow Dash of. “Well, you see Rainbow Dash, it’s about your dream-“ Luna started off. “Hey, how do you even know about that? I haven’t told anyone!” Rainbow Dash yelped accusingly. “Hush Rainbow, we don’t want anypony to hear us, now do we? And being a princess has its benefits. But that’s not important right now, and I can tell you that you will agree once I tell you what’s wrong with the dream in question. I’ll get to how I know about it later.” “Alright, but you better have a good reason for it, Princess.” Rainbow Dash replied bluntly. “I can assure you that I do. You see… your dream may become reality.” It was a moment that seemed like an eternity for Rainbow Dash, but in reality, was just a mere second. Her pharynx dried up and her iris’ widened significantly as she contemplated the meaning behind what Luna had just announced. "W...wait...are you saying that it's... it's actually going to happen?" Rainbow Dash choked out, dearly hoping for a more positive response. For at that moment, it felt as if a knife was parked right above her chest, ready to pierce her vulnerable heart. Luna brought her hooves up to her head and rubbed away at it in a slight frustration. "Well, yes and no. This is an extremely complex subject; it's very complicated to get a reasonably good grasp on. But I shall try and make it simple enough for you. You see, what you remember dreaming of is something similar to what's going to happen in future, unless you can prevent it. Your dream contained a message that you need to understand to get an idea of when and where it may occur. It will also reveal a way to prevent it from actually happening. For future reference, we shall call these dreams "Driae", as I can guarantee you shall be experiencing these often from now on in. Driae are where you will find most hidden information. I know this may sound outlandish and could be quite a lot for you to absorb, but it is vital that you succeed. Without the secrets of the Driae, your friend’s life; the Element Of Laughter's; is at stake.” Luna paused so that Rainbow Dash could begin to absorb what she had just heard. Leaving a moment inbetween, she took a deep breath in and continued. “Driae work in a most unusual way. You will never notice the first time they occur, meaning that it will stand as a simple dream to you at first. Upon your second encounter, which I shall help you with, you will be able to see the details you may have missed beforehoof. Also, from what I noticed, there are some "other" emotions you will unveil along the journey. However, it is better that I leave you to find these out for yourself. This is the extent of my current knowledge. Any questions?" Rainbow Dash stared at Luna for a fair amount of time, trying to take it all in. It was a mother load of information to absorb all at once, especially when it concerned the life of one of your best pony friends. Finally, she managed to process the most important piece of information. "So Pinkie isn't going to die?" she asked. Her response was almost instantaneous. "As long as you prevent it, then no, she will not." Rainbow Dash's brain began to kick into an overdrive; every section being used at it’s full capacity. "Okay, so... to protect her, I have to get into my own dreams?" "Yes, that is basically the case." "Uhmm... how?" Luna smiled mischievously, leaning in close to Rainbow Dash. “Don’t tell anypony what you’re about to hear,” Luna said quietly. “Uhh… okay?” Rainbow Dash answered uncertainly. “I have stored away your dream with my collection of other more ‘interesting’ dreams.” “Wait… you can save dreams?” Rainbow Dash asked quizzically. “Well yes, you may not guess, but working the night shift is usually unimaginably eventless and tedious, considering that everypony is asleep in their beds… or other ponies beds.” Luna winked and continued before Rainbow Dash could say anything on the subject. “So most of the time we just conjure up a most advanced spell when any one pony is dreaming so that we can retain it for later use. We don’t look through most of the dreams; although when a night is extra boring we do; but your dream had a rather strong impulse and we couldn’t resist taking a peek.” “We?” “Oh, sorry. I meant to say I. Still trying to adapt to the modern times.” “Oh, okay. So you’re saying that dreams like those,” Rainbow Dash raised her hoof up to her skull and tapped it twice, continuing, “you can sense?” “Mostly, yes. If it has an aura of power, danger and or truthfulness about it, my senses usually pick it up. As said, because yours was important, I stored it straight away.” “But why?” Rainbow Dash asked with a puzzled look on her face. The obvious didn’t seem so obvious to her, after all. “What, did you not think that you might have to look back into the dream? If I had not stored it immediately, the most important feelings and events that your memory erased would be lost forever! Rainbow Dash, it is of upmost importance that you look back into it.” “Okay… so…” Rainbow Dash’s mind was flooding over with a massive amount of questions she wanted to ask, but she tried to ignore them all, instead devoting her brainpower to get a grasp on what she was hearing. But there was just one more question nagging at the back of her mind. She couldn't even think of going without asking it, even though it was a question that probably had no answer. That's why Luna's expression shifted from hard and concentrated to one of a concerning pain as the question passed through Rainbow Dash's lips. "Why would anyone want to hurt Pinkie Pie?"
3 ~ History LessonLuna dropped her gaze and frowned slightly. This was a question she was not prepared for. "One can only guess, Rainbow Dash. But I quite honestly do not know why. There may not even be motive, there's always the off chance that it's just a deranged, psychopathic pony that gains his or her pleasure by watching others suffer." Rainbow Dash couldn’t will herself to do anything but stare at a very grim Luna. While she did expect some form of explanation, this was completely uncalled for and caught her off guard, rendering her vulnerable to all sorts of emotional attacks and heartache. Tears beginning to well in her eyes, she ducked her head low and rubbed her hoof against the ground, lost and frustrated. Seeing the state Rainbow Dash was in, Luna took it upon herself to try and comfort her new ally and friend. Putting her hoof around Rainbow Dash, she said in an unusually soft tone, “I know this must be excruciating for you, I can almost feel the pain you’re going through radiating off you. Now I do not normally do this for anypony, but would you like to fly to Canterlot with me? Or would you prefer a night to let your mind recuperate and just rest?” Rainbow Dash lifted her head to face Luna, her eyes glittering in the sparkling night. “Let’s do it. Go to Canterlot, I mean. The sooner we get started, the better, right? I mean, if I go sleep, how’s that going to help Pinkie? Nonono, I can’t do that, I have to protect her. I have to. I have to…” She said, her voice cracking. This was all too much for the pegasus. She could feel the negative emotions coursing through her nerves, all around her body. Much like depression, it was pulling her down, dragging her mind into the shadows. Her body was becoming numb and senseless, and her mind was floating, just about ready to give up. She felt ready to grasp the opportunity to just collapse onto the floor and bawl her eyes out, but Luna made sure this wouldn’t be so. Luna gently placed her hoof back over Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and helped the sky-blue coloured mare keep her balance. Rainbow Dash turned to face Luna, her cheeks soaked with her own salty tears. She couldn’t speak; there was a lump in her throat that refused to depart, so instead shakily nodded in thanks. Luna gave a soft smile in return. The pair stayed like this for fair amount of time, Luna comforting Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash occasionally breaking down into tears. Soon, the sobs began to lessen, until she finally gained control of herself. Wiping her hoof across the damp fur on her face, she tilted her head towards Luna and spoke, stuttering over her words a fair few times. “Lu… Princess, c-can we still go to Ca… Canterlot?” “Of course we can, Rainbow.” Luna smiled, spreading her wings. Taking the hint, Rainbow Dash too let loose her wings, taking off into the vast, glittering skies, Luna following shortly after. The cool breeze whipped across Rainbow Dash’s face, drying up the remainder of the tears that had been absorbed into her fur. She looked around, her pupils widening as she took in the landscape; the beautiful, shining, starry sky; Canterlot looming over the tall mountain it was perched on, the vast fields and forests Equestria was filled with. She normally wasn’t observant of all these things, but as she was beginning to come to terms with how these luxuries in life could now be very limited, she was admiring it while she could. “What have I been missing all these times? This is just… just amazingly awesome,” she thought. She made a mental note to travel down this route more frequently. The pair soared through the skies; only the natural elements of the world could be heard. However, this didn’t last, as Luna had information she contained in her mind that she had to inform Rainbow Dash of, and now was the perfect time for it. Not hesitating, Luna spoke. “Rainbow Dash,” “Yeah?” she answered, turning to face Luna. “I think it’s time we go over the specifics of what’s going to happen.” “…Alright, that sounds like… uhh… needed.” “It is. Okay, the first thing is, do you know why we’re actually travelling to Canterlot?” “I… uhmm… no.” “I’m going to show you my well-hidden, secret underground room of retained subconscious memories. That being where I store everypony’s dreams that are of interest to me, or, in this case, the welfare of another pony’s life. No one in the universe, apart from me, knows where this room is, so you must promise to not tell anypony, no, anything, of it’s whereabouts, no matter the circumstances. If you should, the consequences will be diiiire,” Luna said, adding a touch of light-hearted humour to lighten the solemn mood of the whole situation. “I promise I won’t ever say anything about the room of… of whatever it was.” “Retained subconscious memories.” “That one.” “Okay, good. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I must address a highly dangerous issue that is undoubtedly the center of this whole mission. This will come as a shock to you, no question, but it must be said, ‘These dreams, as I’ve said, are messages. But I did not go too in depth into that at the time, just to spare you of added stress and agony. But now is the time. These Driae that you will have are not naturally linked to the world as such, but are actually being transmitted into your brain artificially.” Rainbow Dash’s wings nearly failed her as she processed the meaning of what she’d just taken in. Somepony was intruding into the depths of her mind and submitting what was literally a message, only to played in the form of a dream. It was so outlandish, immoral and intrusive; she couldn’t believe it in the slightest. “But that is not even the worst of it,” Luna continued, creasing her brow. An almost electrifying shock of silence, her only response, spurred the princess on. “These transmissions are being controlled by an extremely powerful unicorn named Dissonance, who was once a student of Starswirl the Bearded. I know this because during your nap this evening, I intercepted the transmission waves and decoded them to reveal the DNA of the sender, in which is kept on a tightly guarded record.” Rainbow Dash blinked, bemused. “Anyhow, the fact that he has been alive since the time of Starswirl’s presence, if not before, means that not only does he carry the longevity abilities of an alicorn like myself, Princess Cadence and Princess Celestia, but is also highly skilled and lethal in the arts of sorcery. Like anypony else, he was once a normal, happy citizen. He would greet everyone with one of the most natural smiles; provide the homeless with needed supplies and shelter. Anything that a polite, respectful, loving Good Samaritan could do, he would do it. But alas, some minds cannot handle the strain of things, and whilst we do not know what caused him to snap in such a sudden manner, we do know one thing, ‘Starswirl’s death was not natural or coincidence. We know for a fact that it was Dissonance that killed Starswirl, who could have lived to be much more than three thousand years old. You see; the twenty fourth of June AD 1011 was the discovery and beginning of a new era – the finding of the magical ability that all unicorns possess. Starswirl, who only perfected and invented hundreds of new spells did not discover magic itself. However, without him, only the most basic levitation spells may have ever been known. For this reason, and this reason only, Starswirl was idolized and loved. ‘Most unicorns were overjoyed at the news of their hidden ability. Of course, it was overly difficult for them to even get their horns to spark, at first. But that aside, it so happened that there were a few ponies that disagreed or were indifferent with the finding of magic. Dissonance appeared to be one of the indifferent equines. But, when he was offered to be Starswirl’s assistant and pupil, he did not reject his chance but instead decided to attempt it. He must not have liked what he saw, however, ‘For on the first of May AD 1017, Dissonance ended the life of his teacher over an argument on the use of magic. Starswirl was, of course, for the unavoidable use of it, whereas Dissonance against. What had started as a petty debate escalated into a full-scale battle when his teacher had stood him up. The battle was said to have lasted hours on end, up until Dissonance had enough and ended it all with a forbidden spell that sapped all remaining life out of his mentor and transformed it into dark energy – energy that strengthens unicorns upon being absorbed. Dark energy is only found in your soul, your spirit. This dark energy can only be gained in one way, and that is by killing ponies. But that isn’t the reason why he murders, ‘Celestia and I have never known exactly why he kills innocent ponies, although we do know that it isn’t for the gain of dark energy. He loves to play games with us, so to this day; we’re still trying to figure out the means. But we know this much. Due to the amount of lives Dissonance has taken, he is extremely powerful. He has surpassed our level of power, which is one reason why we can’t stop him; only halt his progressions. After the death of Starswirl, Dissonance pleaded guilty to the charges of highly illegal use of magic, ponyslaughter and murder. But using his newfound unnaturally unobtainable magic ability, he managed to get away. But, he was caught by somepony you wouldn’t expect, ‘Cadence. At the time, she had been one of the most powerful alicorns in Equestria. She still is, but she had reduced the practising of magic after the incident until her ability locked itself away deep inside, only to be brought out in dire situations such as at her royal wedding. But to the point, Cadence was able the conjure an electrifying spell that works by sending electric impulses through the victim’s body until they slump into unconsciousness. It wasn’t the spell that was amazing, but the fact that she overcame her feelings, tracked him down and stopped him right in his tracks. This may not sound amazing to you yet, but what I’m about to tell you will change your mind.” Luna paused, letting Rainbow Dash have a short break. “You see, Cadence used to be in love with Dissonance.” Rainbow Dash gasped unwillingly, it just escaped past her lips without her consent. She didn’t really know why she found this surprising; after all, she would expect a pony to have had a few “love of their lives” after a good thousand years. But nonetheless, the whole point of Cadence falling for anypony other than Shining Armour sounded outlandish and impossible, even. Without letting Rainbow Dash inquire, Luna continued. “They both had been at the time. And it wasn’t the sort of shallow “fake” love as such, but truly deep and meaningful. They had been together for two years, and they had seemed inseparable. But fate had other plans, because the moment the news of Starswirl’s death and the offender’s name reached poor Cadence’s ears, her heart practically shattered like glass. It was heartbreaking to watch her suffer as she had been. Before his trial, she spent nights on end sobbing in her bedroom, refusing to interact or socialize with anypony whatsoever. Her heart was fractured beyond repair, ‘And when Cadence discovered that Dissonance had escaped, you could almost see the fire in her eyes. They had flared up in rage and hatred for her former stallionfriend, unforgiving, unforgotten. She immediately set out in the route she suspected he would have taken – the direction of the desert. She hunted him for days, knowing that a pony like him would’ve chosen the most unlikely of hiding places, and she knew perfectly well that he was capable of surviving out in the dry heat for decades on end. It was her cunning that led to his capture and transportation, Celestia and I would have never figured out such a location, as only Cadence had known him well enough, ‘There was no escape when Cadence pounced on an unsuspecting and surprised Dissonance, who had thought he’d been secured from being located. Dissonance had begged for mercy, which Cadence showed none of, rightfully so. I remember her choking out six words that to this day, after several thousand years, is one of the most gut wrenching things I’d ever heard.” Luna paused, taking a deep, steadying breath in. “I thought I mattered to you. That is what she said. Without further ado, so performed the spell that electrocuted Dissonance with tens of thousands of volts – enough to send him into a coma for a month. Once the deed was done, Dissonance unconscious, we had to make a decision on what should be done with the stallion. To this day, I regret not killing him right there and then when I had the chance, as an opportunity is yet to present itself since that fateful day. Sadly, no one voted for such an option because they’d dubbed it cruel and barbaric. The final decision was to transport him to land ten thousand kilometres away – a terrain that was rough, unforgiving and lifeless. This land was an ice-desert known as Antarctica, ‘Luckily for every single pony in Equestria, the formulae for the teleportation spell had not yet been discovered, meaning that the best he could do was walk or levitate himself to his destination. Should he have possessed the ability to teleport, we would never have located him, and many more ponies would be left dead in his path, ‘From there on in, it had been seven hundred years until we saw a sign of Dissonance’s return. Never did we see Dissonance himself, but the signs were blatantly obvious. His style of murder was unique, and no other pony would have the courage to even think of copying it, ‘We haven’t seen Dissonance himself for one thousand years – since his transportation and abandonment. But there have been signs of his presence since, the odd pony here and there being murdered and nailed to the town centres – that being his trademark kill. He’s always managed to escape completely unseen and undetected. He is, in all senses of the word, a true assassin.” Luna finished. Rainbow Dash had completely forgotten she was flying as she had listened to the history of what is now her new nemesis. She was shocked, baffled and even scared of the blinding ability this despair-producing pony was said to possess. Her hopes of saving Pinkie were dropping from high to null with every word Luna had spoken, and now she was beginning to worry that her insecurity could get the best of her. But it was another feeling that got the best of Rainbow Dash – one that had been bugging her all day. A flare a blind longing shot up inside of her, wishing that she could be with Pinkie, laugh with Pinkie, take in the Pink pony’s natural beauty. This leaving her feeling even more confused than before. But out of her flustered state, she knew one thing she was going to do. No matter what happened, whether it meant torture or death, she would risk her life to protect Pinkie.
