Dash from Death

Stong Bonds

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Dash from Death

by Mavaku

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Twilight tried to ignore all the animals scurrying away from the undead Rainbow Dash, almost hoping that Dash wouldn’t notice the commotion going on if Twilight simply didn’t acknowledge it.

“I guess a cloak doesn’t fool the animals…” Rainbow Dash halfheartedly said. “Even the bears can smell me and keep their distance. Good, they know what’s best for them.”

“Yeah…well, were almost here. I’m sure Fluttershy will be able to calmly look at this and help us out.” Twilight encouragingly said.

Dash sighed once Twilight finished her sentence. “You realize this is Fluttershy that we’re talking about…not Applejack right? Fluttershy isn’t exactly known for her bravery, especially when it comes to something like me.”

“What about that time she stood up to that dragon and saved all our flanks from it? Fluttershy also freed me from a cockatrice’s petrifying spell, by staring it down! Even if she is a little scared, I’m sure she won’t be nearly as terrified of you, her friend, than she was of Luna on Nightmare Night. Yet I still managed to get her to listen, so I’m sure she will listen to your story and help you bring an end to Pinkie’s Insanity.”

“Yeah, let’s hope. But I could care less about ending Pinkie’s insanity, I just want to end her.”

Twilight flinched a little at the cold sharpness of Rainbow Dash’s words, but it also reminded Twilight of her goal to help Rainbow escape this odd state. She walked up to Fluttershy’s door and lightly knocked on it thrice.

A soft and songlike voice replied from inside, “I’ll be right there! I just need to finish something up…if that’s okay with you. Come here little squirrels, it’s all safe don’t worry. Oh…ok, I guess you can eat later then.”

A soft flapping sound started up, and then quickly stopped as Fluttershy finished the short trip to her door. It slowly opened up, and Fluttershy stepped out. “Oh, hi Twilight. Who is that pony next to you? Is she okay?” Fluttershy looked at the cloaked Rainbow Dash, concern plain on her face.

Twilight quickly responded. “Actually, that’s exactly what we are here to talk to you about. This is actually Rainbow Dash, and why she is covered up… I guess it would be easier to show you. Now what you about to see is pretty…well…surprising, but you have to promise to remain calm and not scream ok?”

Fluttershy slowly nodded her head. “Ok Twilight I promise.”

“Then here goes…” Twilight swiftly yanked the hooded cape off of a seemingly non-caring Rainbow Dash, revealing all the horrid details to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy’s eyes quickly widened to double their normal size in shock, all memory of being told to stay calm vanished from her memory when she saw the uncovered Rainbow Dash. “Ohmygosh-ohmygosh-ohmygosh-ohmygosh!” She bolted inside her home and dashed upstairs in such a hurry that Twilight didn’t even have time to cast a holding spell.” Rainbow Dash looked irritably at Twilight.

“I knew she was going to do this, let’s just go try somewh-” A gentle touch lifted Rainbow Dash’s wing, interrupting her sentence and her entire train of thought. Dash turned her head in an attempt to see what was going on, and gasped in surprise. Fluttershy was back. This time with a large medical kit strapped to her sides. Gently she applied bandages to the connective tissue of Rainbow Dash’s wing, then swiftly flew to the other side and repeated the process.

Fluttershy started to talk as she continued her work on the stunned Rainbow Dash. “I’m so sorry I didn’t ask to help first, I just…got so worried! I hope it’s okay. Are those bandages too tight?” Already Fluttershy had bandaged all of Rainbow Dash’s wounds, and was starting to apply a medicinal salve to her joints.

“No, they’re fine.” Rainbow’s face turned up into a warm smile of genuine appreciation. Thank y-” A faint caw sounded in the distance, causing Rainbow Dash to double over in pain.

“Oh no! Did I do something wrong? I’m sooo sorry!” Fluttershy frantically flew around Rainbow Dash apologizing repeatedly while trying to find out what was wrong, until a purple aura surrounded Fluttershy, and it slowly brought her down.

“Calm down Fluttershy, I don’t think that was you. Let me see if I can cast a spell to help.”

Rainbow Dash got up before Twilight got a chance to start her spell. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m fine, but let’s ignore that for now, that’s not what were here for.”

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief now that Rainbow Dash was up, but seemed distressed by the sudden return of coldness in Dash’s tone. “What are you here for? I’m sorry I forgot to ask, what caused those wounds? I mean…um…if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Pinkie Pie” Rainbow’s face grew hot with anger as she mentioned the name of her murderer and tormentor, while the concern in Fluttershy’s face became more apparent.

“Oh no! Was there some sort of accident? Is Pinkie hurt? Does she need help?”

Twilight interjected before Rainbow Dash could reply, as the words Dash would have used probably aren’t the kindest statements Fluttershy’s ever heard. “Come sit down on the couch Fluttershy, I’ll try to spare you the unnecessary details, but there’s something you need to know.”

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Fluttershy took the news surprisingly well, listening the entire time as Twilight retold all she knew of the story, with only a couple extra points brought in by Rainbow Dash. “Oh…oh dear, all those poor ponies. I wish I was there to help. Maybe somehow I could have convinced Pinkie to stop… doing those horrible things.”

“Heh, doubtful.” Dash said with a snort. “She makes me seem cute and cuddly. Now, are you willing to help or not?”

A new sense of resolve entered Fluttershy’s voice. “Of course! I wish there was another way, but from what I’ve heard we don’t have a choice. But I will stand by my friends to make sure that they’re safe!”

Once again a joyful look entered Rainbow Dash’s eyes, and once again a crow’s caw could be heard in the distance just a few moments afterwards. But this time the look stayed, albeit slightly less noticeable, as if fighting a losing battle against the outside influence. A caw sounded a second, and then a third time, until finally Dash’s face returned to its stone cold state. “Ok good. Then we leave in five minutes, we still have to get Applejack and Rarity and I don’t want that to take the rest of the day.”

An idea popped into Twilight’s head. “Actually… Fluttershy, if I was to write a note, would you be able to tell one of your bird friends to deliver the message to them?”

“I…I think so.”

“Ok, then I’ll make a letter telling them to meet us at the library so we can save time. I will tell them to come prepared for some drastic news, but won’t say any more. It seems to be easier to explain face to face, with proof right in front of them.” Twilight got a note and quill from the nearby desk and quickly wrote two letters, then hoofed them over to Fluttershy. “There, can you get the birds now?”

“Yes, I just need to go out back. They don’t want to come in right now.” Fluttershy didn’t mention why the birds avoided the interior of her house, but both Twilight and Rainbow Dash knew exactly why. She went out back, leaving Twilight and Dash standing there silently. Quickly the pegasus was back, minus two scrolls of parchment.

Twilight looked from Dash to Fluttershy, hope for helping Rainbow Dash recover and bringing an end to Pinkie’s terror quickly building up inside her. “Shall we head to the library now?”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy nodded, and then turned to follow Twilight to her home.

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Applejack and Rarity paced back and forth in front of the library’s doorstep, curiosity plain on their faces.

Applejack stopped and looked at Rarity. “Now what in Equestria is going on? If Twilight said this was so important, then why the hay aint she here?”

“I don’t know Applejack, but I hope it’s nothing too serious. I think we may be getting answers very soon. Look there’s Twilight! Fluttershy is with too, as well as a pony in some horrid cloak. If I had to guess, I would say that pony is what all the commotion is about…maybe she needs that ragged old thing she’s wearing remodeled!”

Sighing, Applejack responded. “Then why would ah’ be here. Making nice and “spiffy” stuff isn’t exactly somthin’ I’m good at.”

Rarity’s face drooped in disappointment. “I suppose you are right... Well let’s head over and see what they need. Twilight! Over here darling!”

Twilight looked up and spotted the two ponies. Quickly the two groups met halfway up the road to Twilight’s home. Immediately the purple unicorn started talking. “Hello girls. Sorry to call on you both on such short notice, but I have some very dire news. I’ll explain in a bit, but first let’s head inside. ”

Rarity’s eyes brightened at the mention of going inside. “Oh that would be fantastic, it’s getting so dreary today. I could use a nice change of scenery. Especially with that crow just over there. I don’t mean to be rude, but it is really disturbing to have nearby. The thing looks like it’s gazing into my soul. ”

Twilight looked around, searching for the crow that Rarity had just mentioned. After a few seconds she spotted the crow, suspicion crawled across her face as it locked eyes with Twilight. “Yeah…let’s definitely go inside.”

The ponies went to Twilights door, which once they were all in she promptly shut and put a warding spell around the library.

Applejack spoke up when Twilight finished her task. “Ok sugarcube, now what do you need to tell us?”

“Well…it would be easier to have Rainbow Dash just show you.” Twilight responded in an uneasy voice.

Rarity looked with scrutiny at the cloaked figure, half in disbelief. “That’s Rainbow Dash? Why is she wearing that awful outfit then?”

“If you will give us some time to show you… then you will know. Now are you ready?”

Rarity started to talk, but an orange hoof in her mouth prevented her from continuing her thought. Annoyed she looked at Applejack, but then returned her gaze to Twilight and nodded along with AJ.

“Ok then, prepare yourselves.” Twilight gripped the ragged cloak in her teeth, and with one swift motion yanked it off of Dash. Rarity and Applejack stared at the revealed Rainbow, mouths agape. It took several moments, but Applejack recovered and put on a scrutinizing face.

“This is just some sorta prank y’all are pullin right?”

Rainbow Dash finally spoke for the first time in the encounter, using a cold and bitter tone with Applejack. “If this was a joke I would be smiling right now, do I look very happy to you? Not everything in life is sunshine and rainbows you know.”

“Now wait just a minute, I can tell you went through some pretty tough stuff, but I didn’t cause it so why the hay are you getting so rude!”

“Maybe because you weren’t there to help me!”

“How could I help you! I didn’t even know!”

“Yeah, because you never know anything!”

The two ponies stared each other down, both daring the other to make a move. Until Rarity snapped out of her trance and placed herself between the two before anything could happen between them. “Stop this right now! There is no reason for you two to behave like such ruffians! Applejack, I understand that Dash was being a little rude, but arguing doesn’t help anypony. And Rainbow Dash, instead of bursting out like that, please explain it calmly so we can know what’s going on.” Applejack and Rainbow dash stepped back, embarrassment and sorrow clear on Applejack’s face, while Dash’s calmed but stayed stone cold.

Twilight now walked up to Rarity, and put her hoof on Rarity’s shoulder in appreciation. “Thanks Rarity, I’m glad you’re here to help out with stuff like this. Now, let’s get back to the reason we’re all here. I’ll try to make this as quick and painless as possible, but don’t expect a short and happy tale either.”

The story, at least all that Twilight knew about it was told to Rarity and Applejack. This time Rainbow was silent for the entire recount. Immediately after Twilight finished speaking, Applejack spoke up, concern and regret in her voice.

“I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that all of this happened, or the fact that…somehow none of this surprises me. I’ve noticed that Pinkies been acting a lil’ cuckoo lately, but thought it was just my imagination. Now that I hear this I feel right foolish for ignoring my gut. I coulda stopped all this from happening!”

Rarity was next to speak. “Now unlike Applejack, this entire situation has taken me by surprise, but I know not to doubt you Twilight. We have already done that several times, and every time you end up being right. So I trust your word, that and well…you have some pretty convincing evidence.” She tried to subtly point at the undead Dash, who either didn’t notice that Rarity was talking about her or didn’t care. But she did speak up a short while later.

“Ok all this sentiment is nice and all, but we aren’t here to talk and apologize, we are here to stop Pinkie once and for all. I’m leaving to find her at five o’ clock, if anypony is coming with me that’s fine, but you only have ten minutes to decide”

Rarity and Applejack spoke in unison. “Of course I will come! I would never leave a friend alone at a time like this!”

Twilight beamed at the response. Even though it was exactly what she expected, It gave her even more hope than before and her thoughts ran wild. “Maybe now we really can get this all solved! With everypony coming with Dash, I’m sure we can get her out of this odd condition. After all, she already seemed to recover for a bit when acts of friendship were performed, with all of us here we might begin to see more lasting results! And I will feel much safer having my friends to keep us all safe, because as much as I want to make her better, Dash is unstable at the moment and I feel much safer with others around. I’m sure we will need the backup when facing Pinkie as well. Now if only I knew at least a little bit of information on why Pinkie Pie did all of this! None of that makes sense!”

A white hoof waived in front of Twilight’s face “Umm…Twilight you there?”

“I think she’s in one of them thinkin moments. Somepony get a bell or something”

Twilight shook her head, snapping out of her trance. “Sorry everypony, I’m back. Is it time to leave now?” The four other ponies nodded their heads. “Ok then let’s go!” Twilight opened the front door to let them out, then closed it behind them once everypony was outside. The five ponies stood just in front of the library, confused on what to do next. Three minutes passed until a soft voice broke the silence.

“So…um…where do we go now?”