The Idea Bin

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings furiously, hoping to put as much distance between herself and her house as possible, but more specifically, the ponies inside who had just attacked her. They would be catching up to her soon, that run around Dash had given them would only leave them disorientated for so long. Looking back ahead, Dash sped through the night sky, instinct carrying her towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

Dash could feel Tank struggling within her grasp, she was no doubt suffocating him with how tightly she wrapped her forelegs around him, but she wasn’t about to loosen up. Tank’s rotor had been damaged in the struggle, and Rainbow didn’t trust her shaking hooves to keep proper hold of him at this speed. Rainbow Dash had never been one to run away from a fight before, but semi-drunken brawls and facing off against changelings alongside her friends were one thing, waking up to find five heavily armoured stallions inside your home was quite another.

Rainbow had been so confused at first, perhaps it had been due to her having only recently woken, but for a wild moment she was convinced that the stallions were members of the royal guard. An easy mistake to make in retrospect, the only major aesthetic difference being their deep crimson armour in place of the regal gold worn by the actual royal guard. It was only when the fight broke out that Rainbow truly appreciated the danger she was in, the stallions fought with such ferocity, such bloodlust, she had no doubt in her mind that they were fully prepared to end her life if necessary… and what was more, Dash didn’t doubt they could kill her.

Rainbow Dash was daring, but she wasn’t suicidal. Scooping up Tank, she brought the whole house down around the stallions before slipping out the window and speeding off. Another glance back put her mind at ease when she saw that she wasn’t being pursued. Slowing down, she began to descend when she saw the silhouette of Fluttershy’s cottage emerge out of the darkness. Touching down onto the garden path, Rainbow set Tank on the ground while her own legs gave out beneath her.

Her coat and mane were soaked with sweat, and her breathing came out in short, sharp bursts. She was exhausted and her heart felt like it was about to explode inside her chest, but at least she was alive. With the worst behind her, she was safe to get Fluttershy and explain the situation. They would then gather their other friends and together they would put a quick stop to whatever was going on. Feeling much more confident now that she had the skeleton of a plan, Dash stood up and started towards the cottage… before stopping dead in her tracks.

Even in the dark of the night, Rainbow could see Fluttershy’s door ripped from the frame, an eerie silence pervading the yard and house. Panic and terror overcoming her once again, Dash stared at the house, afraid that somehow the stallions who had attacked her had already got to Fluttershy. As terrified as she felt, Dash refused to cower while her oldest friend could be in danger. She ran up the garden path to the front door, trying to make as little noise as possible in case the assailants were still about.

Peering into the house, Rainbow immediately picked up on the distinct lack of small animals and critters about. The house felt completely deserted as Rainbow edged her way inside, Tank following just as slowly. A quick search of the house confirmed it to be completely devoid of life, neither Fluttershy or her animal friends were to be found. What Rainbow did find however was the evidence of a struggle taking place in Fluttershy’s bedroom, the covers torn apart, a broken mirror, the wardrobe door caved in, a splatter of half dried blood on the floor.

As Rainbow examined the floor at the top of the stairs, where the dust gave the impression of something heavy being dragged across the floor, her fear began to give way to fury. Those stallions that had attacked her had also attacked Fluttershy, they had taken her, she could be hurt or… or…

Rainbow couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought, hurrying downstairs she made for the door, stopping only to order Tank to stay put, he’d be safer staying out of this. Without waiting for him to acknowledge her command she ran outside and took off once more, still tired but her anger lending her strength to keep moving. The next closest destination was Sweet Apple Acres, if someone was targeting herself and Fluttershy, Applejack would probably be in danger too, but if not, Rainbow would still need her help to rescue Fluttershy and gather the others.

The orange glow was the first thing Rainbow noticed as she flew over the canopy of the apple orchard, her heart sank into her stomach as she saw it, knowing it could only be one thing. Her fears were confirmed when she left the orchard behind her and halted in mid-air, keeping herself aloft with her flapping wings while before her Applejack’s home was devoured by flames. Rainbow was transfixed by the sight of her friends homestead swallowed in fire, illuminating the entire farmyard around it.

This was how Rainbow spotted Applejack, her eyes tracing along the flickering shadows on the ground to the several ponies casting them. Applejack was locked in a deadly fight with another four stallions, all wearing the same crimson armour Rainbow had seen upon first waking. Rainbow recognised their fighting style; she could see how they wanted nothing more than to slaughter Applejack, but what really shocked Rainbow was that she was seeing the same display in Applejack herself.

Rainbow barely had time to ponder what could have driven her friend to such savage ferocity, to fight like she fully intended to end the lives of four other ponies, before the fight came to a very abrupt end. The only warning she got was one of the stallions darting up behind Applejack, drawing a dagger as he did.