Loyalty from Above and Beyond the grave
It started with what appeared to be a common cold, something that Rainbow wouldn't let stop her from being with her friends. It got worse unfortunately. First, she started becoming increasingly aggressive...
Dash was furious, that, that salamander, had made Fluttershy cry... "Buck this..." Rarity gasped at her language. "I'm going in!" Before bolting in and delivering a flying hoof to the snout while screaming, "GET... OUT!!!" At the top of her lungs.
The dragon turned to her, snarling. "YOU DARE?!"
"Yeah, I dare alright, you made Fluttershy cry! NOW COME AT ME, YA NEWT!" The dragon roared in her face. And was surprised to see the pony still floating there, glaring. Tuo everypony's surprise, instead of attacking, the dragon began laughing.
"heh, hehehe, HA HA HA *snort* ha ha! A pony, a pony of all things, and a mare no less, has the gall to trek up this mountain, kick me in the face, insult me, and demand that I leave? This is worth my weight in gold for the sheer audacity of it! Very well, rainbow pony, I will humor you request..." and gathering his hoard, flew off into the wild blue yonder.
"ARE YOU BUCKING INSAINE! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Twilight was incredibly concerned for Rainbows mental health.
Pinkie held up her whooves. "Aliens."
"Pinkie? Y'all be making less sense than usual, can you explain?"
She merely held her hooves up again. "Shark week."
Dash didn't care. "See you guys, I'm heading back to my nice, comfy, cloud bed."
Later, she developed a ravenous appetite...
"Faust, mother of Celestia, she's eaten more than Pinkie..." Aplejack watched with awe.
"And she's still not stopping!" Rarity was sickened by how Dash attacked her food, not even coming up for air.
"She might just outdo Celestia's legendary cake binges..." Twilight couldn't comprehend where all that food was going.
When she started puking blood, however, she knew she was in trouble, but kept on going anyway...
Discord was impressed, and even a tad fearfull at the ponies defience. She had doubled over at one point and vomitedva large amount of blood, yet not only did she fight through the pqin and blood loss, but also his attempts at mental manipulation, on rage alone, before something flew overhead and was cauhht by the polychromatic pegasus. It was the Element of Loyalty. Discord barely had time to mutter 'oh, poo...' before getting the buck Harmonyed out of him, petrifying him.
Dr. Whooves was bored, it was his turn to pony the reception desk, and nothing had happened today...
*ding*
Rainbow had just walked in the door, looking incredibly pale, before collapsing on the floor, flecks of blood spewing out her mouth...
"Oh buck! We got us a code 42-D ponies! Move it!" Several nurses came running in.
"Faust, what happened to her!"
"She ain't breathing, no heartbeat either! get the shock paddles!"
Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful...
Which brings us to today...
"We stand here today, to witness the death of a hero, a mare who would, - and did - stick with her friends, even in the face of Discord himself... yet a few week later, she was struck down by what could only be rationalized as curse from the same foul beast she and her friends defeated. I, Princess Celestia, and every citizen of Equestria, bid you Faust speed, Rainbow Dash, you rekless mare..." With the utmost silence, the coffin was lowered into the Canterlot gardens, beneath a prismatic tombstone, inscribed with the words 'Rainbow Dash, one of the Six, and taken from us all to soon...'
However, the 'curse' as they put it, was not yet finished... as time went on, her body began slowly changing, her colors dulling, everything in her body slowly undergoing reconstruction, her appearance becoming more... predatory.... as her thoughts devolved into a feral slurry of emotion...
Loyalty from Above and Beyond the grave
*Canterlot, one month later...*
Fluttershy was terrified like never before. These monsters, changelings they called themselves, had invaded canterlot during Shining Armors wedding, And were now rounding up anypony they could find, to milk for love...
'They even got the Princess!' Was the thought that raced through her mind...
Entering the gardens, she discovered that all routes of escape had been cut off, with some green gel-like substance. Turning around to see her pursuers closing in, she backed up into something. That something was Rainbow Dash's tombstone.
'At least I can die with my friend...'
As if reading her mind however, one of the changelings, this one appearing to lead the quartet, spoke, malice in his voice. "Oh... we're not going to kill you... What we're going to do is much... Much... Worse..."
Inhaling as much air as she could, Fluttershy screamed what she thought would be her final words. "HEEEEEEEEEELP!"
The changelings laughed. "There is nopony left to hear your pleas..." With a sickening laugh, they began closing in...
Unfortunately for them, they were wrong... six feet below, a mind thought lost to this world woke. With a gasp, her lungs began working, and her heart began beating, sending a primal fire through her veins, yet she felt different, more, feral, nothing more than a rabid beast.
Upon hearing Fluttershys cries, however, a memory burst into her mind, leaving six words and a shard of her old self stuck in her head...
'Protect my friends, at ANY cost..'
And with a fervor never before seen, she struck at the roof of her prison, dirt falling through the cracks...
*thump*
Above ground, Fluttershy felt the ground beneath her jump violently. At this development, the changelings paused, confused.
*Thump!*
The ground shifted, and Fluttershy vaulted over the tombstone, before cowering, deathly afraid.
*THUMP*
The ground rose up, and something began forcing its way to the surface...
One of the changelings began to to aproch Fluttershy, when he felt something grab his leg. Looking down he saw a pale blue hoof, dirty and full of splinters, reaching out of the ground and gripping his leg. He barely had time to mutter "the deuce?" Before the ground collapsed burying him amd whatever the hoof was attached to, and a scream of pain was heard, before being interrupted by the sound of crushed chitin, and a fading gurgling noise. Upon hearing this, Fluttershy fainted.
The ground began shifting again, before erupting, and a mangled changeling corpse flew out, missing an entire leg, his throat torn out, and several places appeared to have been bitten off. From the cloud of dust, something growled, a low but deep growl, one of warning, and a pale blue hoof rose from the hole, gripping the edge, before pulling the rest of the monstrosity up...
What emerged was NOT the Rainbow Dash Fluttershy knew... With a voice gravelly from over a month of disuse, and full of agony at every motion, she spoke, dirt raining down around her...
"No... hurt... FRIEND!" Her draconian eyes glowed with a pale yellow light. Her coat and mane having faded and been stained with dirt and blood, and her snarl, lips coated with changeling blood showed a row of teeth not meant for chewing, but for tearing flesh, dripping what appeared to be saliva, but upon falling to the ground, began eating through it. The skin on the leading edge of her wings had split open, revealing incredibly sharp bone. With a grow that no equin should be capable of, she started the leader in the eyes, her glare promising his retroactive removal from existence...
"Hurt..." She looked at a passed out Fluttershy, who had fainted. "Friend..." Her breathing was labored, rage flowing through her. "Now..." She crouched in a catlike motion,as if preparing to spring into action. "Mad..." She enjoyed in the scent of their fear. "You..." Another inequine growl rose from her throat, before devolving into a warcry. "DIE!" And with speeds she should not be capable of, she lunged at the leader, and before he could react, she was upon him, and bellowing her rage, pulled her head back like a snake ready to strike, before with a single fluid motion, bit straight through his chitin, her saliva melting it, before ripping it, and his throat, out, killing him.
One of the others tried to take her out by firing a beam of magic at her, but with speeds not Even the Pinkie Sense could match, her ear twitched, before she leapt, dodging the beam, and landing on his back. Gripping his head, she twisted it with strength not even Big Mac could match, snapping his neck.
Turning to the final changeling, her primitive mind was driven to even greater heights of rage upon seeing him approach Fluttershy.
With adrenalin now in her veins, she charged him, clearing the distance in a tenth of a second, before broadsiding him with her wing, the sharpened bone meeting no resistance, and decapitating him.
With her friend no longer in danger, Rainbow's mind fell back into the storm of emotion, returning to running on savage instincts, before walking over to one of the changelings. Taking a large bite out if, she swallowed it, savoring her first taste of flesh.
Fluttershy awoke to the sounds of what she thought was a wolf, devouring its kill. Turning her head she was greeted to a sight that nearly made her faint.
Some hideous parody of Rainbow, tearing into the carcass of a changeling, having literally ripped its caperace open to get inside.
"Dashie?" Fluttershy hoped there was some semblance of equinity left in her, that she could reach out and pull to the surface.
It did, allowing Dash's real self, to try and regain control, and when that failed, give this feral creature a target.
Upon hearing her nickname, Rainbow fell to the ground, clutching her head in pain as more memories returned to her, memories of her friends.
"Rainbow! Are you okay?" Fluttershy rushed to her side, her inability to leave her friend in pain overpowering her horror at Rainbows brutal display.
"Oth... er... Frie... nds..." Fluttershy was shocked by how feral Dash sounded.
"I think Chrysalis has them in the throne room, but they blocked off all the entrances...."
Rainbow approached the wall of slime blocking the entrance to the castle, before taking a look at her wings, and slashed at it, cutting through it like it was air. "Make... Then..." taking in a breath through her nose, she snarled. "Smell... Spar... Kle... Dan... Ger... Chrys... Alis..." She turned around and hoisted Fluttershy onto her back, straining to form the right words, "Hold... On... Very... Tight..." Fluttershy held Dash in a death grip, but it didn't faze her in the slightest. Taking to the air, unaffected by the additional weight, she zoomed towards the castle, ready to slaughter anything that tried to stop her.
*castle throne room*
Twilight was panicking. She was the only thing keeping her friends, and an unconscious Shining, Cadence, and Celestia, safe.
"I can wait here all day you know..." Chrysalis was bored, she and half a dozen drones had these ponies cornered for the last hour. Although the ceiling at started leaking five minutes ago. That was new. "You will tire out eventually, and then you're done for."
Rarity was hoping that Fluttershy found help, where as Applejack and Pinkie, or Pinkamena as she tended to called when like this, were ready to fight the changelings to the death the moment the shield dropped. Applejack was snorting, hoofing at the ground like a bull, while Pinkamena was sitting there, calmly sharpening two knives, that she got from Faust knows where, against each other, while staring at the leak in the ceiling muttering 'She's coming.' Over and over again.
Suddenly, a cry of primal rage and bloodlust echoed from the ceiling. Pinkamena spoke, a touch of joy and respect in her otherwise flat voice. "She is here from the great beyond... And she cries for your blood, Chrysalis..."
Suddenly the portion of the ceiling that had been leaking fell landing in front of Chrysalis. If one looked closely, they would see that it appeared to have been dipped in acid. "CHRYSALIS!!!" A shout rang out, even louder the the Royal Canterlot Voice.
Twilight nearly fainted from shock. "It can't be her... can it?"
"Wa-hahaaa!!" Rarity DID faint, in an almost Fluttershy like fashion.
Applejack held her hat to her chest. "No..."
Pinkamena smiled a bloodthirsty smile. "Not even Death can keep her from her friends, for she is Loyalty Incarnate..."
Chrysalis snapped, fear in her voice. "Can't be who?!?"
Suddenly, a faded blue blur shot out of the hole in the ceiling screaming. "DASH... BREAK!" Before landing on a changeling, crushing it and kicking up dust everywhere.
Applejack went wide eyed. "W-w-what in tarnation! Rainbow was dead! How can she be here, its no-" Her objection devolved into a squeak upon seeing Dash clearly. Her eyes, once merely displaying rage, now where narrowed in a state of bloodlust. Her mouth pouring slavia everywhere, melting the floor wherever it met. She reared back, and screamed, a scream so loud and full of hate that every window in the throne room shattered, as well as literally scaring Shining, Cadence and Celestia awake. The three of them looked at Twilight for an explanation, but she just pointed a Dash. Turning to see what had her speechless, they were shocked by Dashes near demonic appearance.
The three of them were at a loss for words.
"What is this, I - I - I don't even..." Was Celestia and Cadence's simultaneous replies, as they held onto each other for dear life.
"B.U.B.A.R. doesn't even begin to cover this..." Shining just stared, both amazed and horrified by the sight before him.
"What are you waiting for, GET HER!" Chrysalis would not tolerate a single pony taking down a drone in a single blow.
Before anyone could blink, Dash was upon another changeling, snarling like a rabid dog, before biting the back of his neck, the acidic saliva and pure strength allowing her to completely ignore the chitin, and killing him instantly.
The remaining four drones fired blasts of magic at her, panicking, but she weaved between them, the ones that did hit her were simply plowed through head on, without flinching.
Spreading her wings, she zipped between two of them, the bone slicing through them like water, before they dropped dead. Turning to the final two, Dash lunged, knocking one into a wall, stunning him, before jumping at the other one, and to both Chrysalis and everypony else's shock, began ripping chunks out him, and SWALLOWING them.
"AIEEEEEEE -urk!" His cries of pain were quickly silenced when Rainbow tore out his throat.
The final one had recovered from the impact with the wall, and despite his shell being spiderwebbed with cracks, took the opportunity to pounce and bite Dash, but upon drawing blood, his eyes widened in horror, before he fell to the ground convulsing. Eventually with a final wheeze of pain, he too, expired.
"Must I do everything myself?" Chrysalis fired a large burst of magic at Rainbow, who dodged, but realized too late that it was aimed at Twight's shield, and upon striking it, the shield shattered, Twilight developing a nosebleed from the backlash.
"Twily!" Shining ran to his sisters side, supporting her.
"Don,t you see? With this much power, I am above even the princesses, I AM A GOD!" Chrysalis began cackling madly.
Rainbow smiled ferally. "Then... Me... Demon..." Dash ran up to Chrysalis, dodging the dozens of energy beams, only letting the ones that would otherwise hit her friends connect with her, each one singeing her fur a bit.
Upon reaching her, Dash grabbed her leg, and growled "Even... Gods... Die..." before swinging Chrysalis overhead, and plowing her into the ground.
*WHAM!* "Never..." *WHAM!* "Hurt..." *WHAM!* "My..." With a roar of exertion, Dash swung her overhead one last time, with all her might.
*WHA- CRUNCH!* "FRIENDS!" With that statement, Chrysalis impacted the floor with enough force to shatter the stone it was made from.
Chrysalis was now wide eyed and cowering in fear of Rainbow, her shell cracked everywhere, leaking blood. As Dash turned her glare upon the changeling queen, she lowered herself, preparing to finish it. Chrysalis closed her eyes, expecting to be embraced by the Void. but before Dash could pounce, a voice rang out.
"WAAAAAIIIT!" The voice was Fluttershy's, who had flew through the entrance Dash had created. Upon hearing it, Dash turned her burning pits of rage upon the source, only to be met with two pools of absolute authority. "Rainbow Dash! Stop this madness! Can't you see she has already been beaten? Why would you want to go further than necessary!?" Fluttershy's words resonated with something in Rainbow, and allowed her to reign in her instincts, snapping out of her frenzy. When she did, her eyes seemed to show the slightest bit of mercy. Her still primitive mind realized she had Chrysalis at her mercy, and as much as her instincts begged for her blood, she decided otherwise.
"Leave... Now... Never... Return..." With a flash of green light, Chrysalis was gone, having teleported as far away as possible, in absolute terror.
Dash took in the carnage she had wrought, and with a wail of, "I... MONSTER!" Her brain finally overloaded, and she passed out.
Loyalty from Above and Beyond the grave
*rainbow's dream*
"... where... friends...?" She 'awoke' in a dark and empty void, the steady dripping of SOMETHING being the only sound echoing across the abyss.
"C...ume...
Rainbow was immediately on high alert. "Who... There...?" She felt something, squeezing at the edges of her mind.
"Dev... oure..." the noise hurt Dash immensely, she could FEEL something trying to worm its way into her mind. The only thing keeping it at bay, was her dedication to protecting her friends, but with nopony there, she could feel it slowly overpowering her.
"No... nonono.... wont... le-"
"FEED!"
*canterlot hospital, quarantine*
"Subject's brain waves just spiked! I repeat, subject is waking up!" Nurse Vira was worried, as she had heard about the carnage this creature had wrought during its short time awake. No pegasus, no, no PONY, should be capable of something so violent... the creatures eyes opened, and its pale yellow slits zoned in on something. Still behind the safety of the one way quarantine barrier, she began scribbling down notes. "Subject's eyes have become reptilian, and appear to be bioluminescent."
She flinched back when it bared its teeth. "Subjects molars have been reconfigured into canines, suggesting a carnivorous diet. Observation of wings shows that the skin of the leading edge has peeled back, revealing bone sharpened to a fine edge." When it tore itself free of its restraints, she became slightly worried. "Subject shows signs of increased muscle density, capable of tearing through medical restraints within three minutes of waking up, despite still being affected by heavy sedatives."
Her eyes widened when it bit down on one of the guardrails, and a hissing sound emanated from it, before with a final protest, the guardrail was bitten clean through. "Subject exhibits acidic saliva, and extreme jaw strength, capable of biting through a solid steel guardrail within five seconds." She watched, intrigued, as it began taking chunks out of anything in the room, swallowing them without showing any ill effects. "Observation of subject has show that it is capable of consuming a wide range of inorganic substances, including: steel, stone, glass and rubber, with no negative effects."
She continued writing down her observations, when its ears swiveled, and it stood stock still. "Subject show signs of potentially enhanced senses..." It suddenly whirled to face her, and charged, slamming into the one way wall, startling her, and causing her to spew her coffee on the glass. When she noticed it looking directly at her, she slowly inched sideways, only for its eyes to follow her. "Subject may be able to see beyond the visab-" *Bang* it impacted the glass again, harder this time. Vira's eyes widened as cracks spiderwebbed from the point of impact. She bolted, trying to get as far from it as possible.
*CRASH!* "Patient Zero has broken quarantine, I repeat, Patient Zero is loose!" Alarms began blaring, and the containment shields began descending. "OhFaustohFaustohFaust, I'm not going to make it!" The shields reached the ground, the magically reinforced glass sealing her in with the monster. Turning around, she saw it approaching her, saliva dripping from its mouth, melting the floor. She closed her eyes, expecting a bloody end.
*Thump!* upon hearing something on the other side of the barrier, she opened her eyes, and saw Patient Zero staring at something behind her. Turning to see, she saw a butter yellow pegasus, with a pink mane, banging on the containment barrier, tears flowing from her eyes as she shouted something at the top of her lungs.
"Flutter... shy...?" She immediately whipped back to Patient Zero, surprised it was capable of recognizing faces, let alone rational thought. It looked to her, and then the barrier. "...move..." Vira got well out of it's way when she saw it's muscles tensing, and It charged the barrier with enough force to cause the magically reinforced glass to shudder. It let out a guttural growl, before shifting into an inequine roar of fury, as it pounced the barrier again, to little effect. At this point, Guards Ponies had begun filtering into the room behind the barrier, and where preparing themselves, when one of them tried to get the yellow mare away from the glass.
The room suddenly felt a LOT colder, and it appeared the guards outside the barrier felt it too, because Patient Zero let out a scream that nearly gave Vira a heart attack, and charged the barrier at nearly triple the speed of its last charge, the force actually cracking the glass, much to the guards horror. "DON'T... TOUCH... SHY!" The barrier shattered under the next blow, and Zero turned into a hurricane of carnage, taking down the majority of the guards in minutes, with not a single one of them getting killed, and instead received multiple fractures, dislocated limbs, and at least one unicorn got his horn stuck in a wall. When the remaining guards fell back, Zero position itself in between the mare and the guards.
"Rainbow! Stop it! You don't need to be so senselessly violent! You should be ash-" The yellow mare, Fluttershy, if Vira heard Rainbow correctly, suddenly had a powerful coughing fit. Tuo Vira's assessment, Instead of going on a killing spree, Rainbow backed down, and sat herself on the floor. Realizing she still had her notepad and pen on her, she quickly scribbled down the fact that Rainbow became docile around ponies she was familiar with.
Eventually the state of alarm was lifted, and everypony in the facility was told to under no circumstances, provoke Rainbow, or as they knew her, Patient Zero, by attempting to separate her from anypony she was familiar with, least she go on another rampage. That did cause a problem, when they had reason to believe Fluttershy had become infected with what eventually became known as the Necrovirus.