Dashing Your Friends Awayby YipChaptersWishes and RegretsTruths and LiesHope and SorrowWishes and RegretsDashing Your Friends Away I didn't want this. I didn't ask for this. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. So why am I the one being punished? Rainbow Dash’s eyes drooped down to the colourful dress strapped onto her and let out an unimpressed groan. It just wasn’t her style; no rainbows, no aerodynamically-tuned piece, nothing that tells someone ‘Rainbow Dash’. She’d have left hours ago, but a promise was a promise, and the element of loyalty doesn't just leave when her friends need her. Ugh, what’s with my wing? Maybe if I... *urgh* loosen... *mmph*... I’ll just ask Rarity to get this puffball off me later. Glancing at the huge, ornate staircase, Rainbow caught a sight of a dainty white hoof. Rarity at last! “Oh darling, you’re still there? Thanks for waiting so patiently, my room is such a ghastly mess that I couldn’t find the thread I wanted! I checked in the attic to make sure I didn’t misplace it, and sure enough, voila! A nice, new roll was there, just waiting for me! And what’s more, is...” Rarity rambled on. Blah, blah, blah. Does she ever shut up? Get on with it already! “...Rainbow? Rainbow? Hello?” Rarity questioned. “Y…yeah, sure! It’s great!” Rainbow replied. Rainbow’s eyes wandered to the back of the room, thinking about the awkward situation she was in. Did she answer correctly? “Splendid! So which dress do you want to try on next?” Rarity asked happily. Buck. “Ah, yes... well, I didn’t really mean it when I said that...” Rainbow began. Rarity’s eyes narrowed, clearly unimpressed. “You aren’t planning on leaving, are you?” Rarity interjected. “Wh... what? Leave? No, no, no, it’s just that Pinkie needed some... streamers! For the party!” Rainbow lied. “You understand, right?” “You know, you did say that you’d help me by putting on all of these lovely dresses... but I suppose I can’t stop you.” Rarity said, sighing deeply. “It’ll be difficult for me to find someone else, since it’s just the 6 of us around here, but I understand Pinkie would need your help more than I do.” Oh no. She’s playing the pity card. I have to act fast. “I promise I’ll come back later. And I mean it.” Rainbow assured her. “Could you get this dress off of me before I go? I can barely move in it let alone fly, and my hooves won’t *urgh* reach back far enough to untie these strings, see?” Rarity nodded and in a flash, she was rummaging through her drawers for something. With a look of satisfaction, a light blue glow was shimmering on her horn and a drawer full of dress scissors. “So why is this dress so tight on me, Rarity? Can’t it be any looser?” Rainbow asked. “The dress is for fillies, but no one else is here other than us 6! I really needed to get this fitted because a *gasp* royal princess’ daughter needs it in just one week! I asked you because you’re a pegasus, so the wing section can be modeled too. Unfortunately, since it’s designed for fillies, it is as loose as it can go. Sorry darling!” Rarity explained. “Why not ask Fluttershy then?” Rainbow inquired. Rarity's eyes rolled at the question. “Fluttershy is nowhere to be found. She is probably off hiding in some corner somewhere. It’ll be off in a jiffy though, no need to worry! Just hold still...” Rarity replied. After several minutes of snipping and grunts of dissatisfaction, Rarity sighed and sat down in defeat. "You'll have to get someone stronger to do it, darling. The strings were too thick for my magic. Maybe Applejack is available, but you'd better hurry or Pinkie will wonder where you've been." Rarity explained. Rainbow's eyes narrowed, just as unimpressed as Rarity was. What?! The string had to be under a centimetre thick! And those professional scissors couldn't put a dent in it? Rainbow thought. Ah, I can't question her. She knows I lied. With a subtle yet assertive stride, Rainbow left Rarity's house without a word. She would deal with her at the party, but for now, she had a puffball to cut loose. Just as Rainbow's hoof touched the stone path outside Rarity's home, a snapping noise startled her back. "Hello?" Rainbow called. A ruffling noise and a mysterious shadow shifted next to a tree in the distance. "Who's there? I could really use your help right now, this nightmare is crazy tight!" Just as quickly as the shadow had appeared, it gasped in shock and bolted into the forest, without word or notion of Rainbow's existence. Weird. Maybe someone else decided to stay here instead of celebrating in Fillydelphia. Passing a few more glances into the forest, Rainbow dismissed the figure as her mind playing tricks on her. After being stuck with Rarity, anyone can go crazy and hallucinate. Rainbow began the arduous journey to Sweet Apple Acres, forgetting about the curious happening. She had much more to think about every step she took, hating the dress on her more and more every second. As Applejack's house on Sweet Apple Acres drew close, a sliver of red began to seep through the dress on her wingspan. “Holy jumpin’ apple tarts! That is one tight dress! Don’t just stand there, let me get it off of you!” A familiar voice told her. Sure enough, it was Applejack, who saw the blood on the dress through her window, and was bolting to Rainbow, who was eager to get the straight jacket off. “Thanks... *urgh* Applejack, this dress was killing me!” Rainbow replied. “By the looks of it, it might jus’ kill you eventually. Just tryin’ to keep my friends alive!” Applejack joked. Rainbow chuckled a little, tightening in pain as the dress restricted her ribcage more and more after every chuckle. “I might as well have been dead. How would I be able to live if I couldn’t fly? It’d really suck if I had to be stuck on the ground all the time!” Rainbow said. Applejack's eyes caught Rainbow's in a deathly stare. "Right. It must be impossible to live life without wings. Imagine how much worse Equestria would be without them." Applejack scowled. What? What is she talking about? Despite her clear annoyance, Applejack's hooves were already untying the dress with ease. "Now wait just a minute, didn't you say Rarity couldn't get these strings cut?" Applejack questioned. Her attitude seemed to have drifted from her irritated self. "That queen of fru fru made this dress, so she must be able to deal with these strings no problem with her hooves, let alone with scissors." Well, that proves it. She knows I lied. But now that she let me suffer through this, we're even. Rainbow flexed her whole body and flew around a little after the prison of a dress was off of her, before she fell down, gripping her wing. It oozed a small amount of shiny red liquid as Applejack rushed over. “Seriously, jus’ because the dress is off doesn’t mean yer wing magically heals. Here, let me bandage it up.” Applejack insisted. Trotting over to the first aid kit, Applejack bent over and caught the kit in her mouth. Looking inside, you could find everything a pony would need for help. Rainbow bandages, magic gauze, even a piece of candy, probably to cheer you up after getting injured. Applejack hurried over to a bleeding Rainbow Dash, complaining about her inability to fly. Every wrap around the wing made Rainbow wince, as it was hurting enough with the bleeding. Looks like flying will be put on hold for awhile. Wait a minute, I was dissing on ponies that couldn't fly, wasn't I? Crap, now she thinks I'm insensitive. I can't have two ponies hate me today, but what can I possibly do to make it up to her Rainbow thought. “There, good as new... sorta. Say, Rainbow, I could use a hand cleaning out my barn, and since I just helped you an' all, would you mind stacking the hay inside? It shouldn't be a problem, even without the use of your wings to pick them up." Applejack asked. Rainbow cringed at the last sentence. Applejack must feel resentful, and the stern tone of her voice made that evident enough. But cleaning her barn could be her ticket to make it better! Rainbow had told Rarity that she’d be going to see Pinkie Pie to help with the party, but she wouldn’t know if she didn’t show up. Besides, she felt it was necessary to help her out after she had helped her free herself of that dress. “I’ll go return this to Rarity if you can get this barn done in the meantime. Mighty thanks for th' help, Rainbow!” Applejack finished, dress in hand. Applejack's voice hinted at a friendlier demeanour, putting a sense of good feeling on Rainbow as Applejack trotted away. At least one of my friends won't hate me by the end of the day. Rainbow thought. Stepping into the barn, Rainbow's grin twisted into a state of disbelief. Barn doors as far as the eye can see - okay, not really that far, but they were a good distance away. The hay was scattered everywhere, completely disorganized. Rainbow's complaints were heard on deaf ears, but she felt it was necessary after seeing this disaster. Rainbow sighed and slipped on the pitchfork attachment nearby, clipping in the grooves to the wooden handle. It was a little large and awkward, but it'd do for now. It wasn't easy to start with. She hadn't ever done this before, and sticking a few spikes into little threads on the ground was difficult given her size and strength. Despite the hard labour, she kept trudging on, determined to make her friend happy. After a few hours of hoof-blistering work, Rainbow took a step back and admired the work she had done so far. The task seemed so much more manageable with the amount of hay left. All that sweating doesn't smell bad… it smells like success! Rainbow thought proudly. Out of the corner of Rainbow's eye, one of the neatly arranged stacks of hat tumbled over deliberately. "Hey! Who goes there? I don't take kindly to ponies ruining hard work!" Rainbow yelled. Another hay stack was knocked over, this time behind her. "Seriously! Whatever you are doing here, please show yourself! I worked really hard on these!" At those words, a dark red colt stepped aside from another of the hay stacks, which he was probably pretty close to knocking over. His eyes had the same glint as the shadow had back at Rarity's house. With a little more observation, she noticed that he was the same height as she was, and had wings. The look in his eye was rock solid, his stance completely rigid. This colt meant business. Big Macintosh? Nah, he's an earth pony, and this guy is a pegasus. "Hello, Rainbow Dash. You might have seen me following you down the path, and I assure you, it was for good reason. I wasn't sure if you were busy or not, and I wanted -" The mysterious pony started. "Oh no, you aren't going to ask me anything until you explain to me why you knocked over those stacks of hay!" Rainbow demanded. “Please, Rainbow. Let me say a few things first and I’ll answer your questions later.” The colt said. Rainbow thought about that for a second, but then dismissed the notion as his idea of taking control. “You’re not really in any position to be making suggestions.” Rainbow reminded him, putting her hoof down assertively.“Just answer the question!" The mysterious colt managed a chuckle despite his serious demeanour. “Alright, I suppose there’s no convincing you otherwise. My name is Dawson H. Arib, and I merely knocked down your hay stacks to get your attention. I will clean them up later, given you accept my invitation.” Dawson said calmly. “Invitation? What invitation?" Rainbow interjected. "If you actually let me finish, I'll explain." Dawson continued. "I am having a party tonight at Sugarcube Corner-" "Me and my friends are having a party tonight at Sugarcube Corner! How can you be there at the same time?" Rainbow interrupted. Dawson's calm demeanour snapped for a second at the sudden interruption. "Honestly, the nerve- I mean, yes. But I will be upstairs, doing my own thing, and I'd love if you could at least visit." Dawson said, clearly irritated. Rainbow thought about this for a bit. All she had to do was visit this "Dawson" for a little bit, and he wouldn't ruin any more hay stacks. She could just as easily kick him out, but he could just as easily ruin the rest of the stacks on his way. "Fine. I'll go if you clean up the stacks you messed up." Rainbow gritted through her teeth Dawson nodded his head in agreement and fixed up the piles of hay, arranged to Rainbow's liking. He turned his hoof and began to leave, resuming his serious attitude. "Hey, wait a second!" Rainbow called out. Dawson stopped, ears focused on Rainbow. "Why is it that everypony else is in big cities like Fillydelphia celebrating the defeat of Queen Chrysalis while you 'do your own thing'? What could drive you to stay here rather than celebrate with the other ponies?" Rainbow questioned. "I am here for the same reasons you are. See you tonight, Rainbow Dash." Dawson finished. Rainbow's mind flooded with questions, and she bolted to the barn door, looking to see where he went. To her surprise, Dawson wasn't anywhere, as if he vanished out of thin air. He's a pegasus, so he must've flown out. Rainbow thought. But how have I not heard of him if he's that fast? The next few hours consisted of more hay than Rainbow had ever seen in her life, let alone at one time. The shade of yellow would be in her eyes forever, but it was worth it. She took a step back, dismantling the attachment from her hoof and admired her handiwork. It was something else to see such a noticeable difference from the state it was at before. As if on cue, Applejack arrived with a worried look on her face. At the sight of the barn, however, she lit up like a lightbulb. "Wow, thanks again fer yer help, Rainbow!" Applejack commended Rainbow. “You sure did a great job!” “It was no sweat.” Rainbow said, as puddles of sweat ran down her back. “Right... anyway, I was downtown and I noticed a pony was really upset at you.” Applejack mentioned. Damn. She must be referring to Rarity. "What's the problem?" Rainbow asked nervously. "Well... th’ pony is Rarity, and she was coming to check up on you and Pinkie, what with setting up the party an’ all. When she saw you weren’t there, she told me that you were just ‘making excuses to leave’. Now, I ain’t one to get involved, but I’d go and apologize as soon as possible if I were you." Applejack advised. How am I going to face Rarity now that I know for sure she knows... "I'm guessing you know a little about what's going on, so do you have any ideas on how I should make it up to her?" Rainbow asked. Applejack thought for a second and shook her head. "Nah, I can't help you there. This is yer own problem, you need to fix this yerself." Applejack responded. “Come on, let’s head down to the party, it’s starting soon. Rainbow felt the fear of facing Rarity course through her hooves, shuddering and wobbling the entire way there. Rainbow’s mantra the duration of the trip consisted of I flat out lied to her face, some loyal pony I am..., making her feel worse and worse about being the element of loyalty. As soon as Sugarcube Corner was in sight, Pinkie Pie was in their face, blocking all sights but herself. Pinkie’s eyes were completely focused on Rainbow, seemingly taking no notion of Applejack’s existence. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Rainbow! Thanks so much for coming! I thought that you wouldn't come since you got in a fight with Rarity or something, and I was afraid the party would be incomplete, and I had made cake for you, and you have no idea what-" Pinkie rambled on. Well, at least someone has no reason to hate me today. "Pinkie, it's fine! I came, no need to make a big deal about it." Rainbow interrupted. "Where's Rarity? I need to talk to her." "She's somewhere inside, but the party has just started! Come and have fun with your best friends!" Pinkie said cheerily. "…Um…we are best friends, right?" "Of course Pinkie! Why wouldn't we be?" Rainbow responded, a little taken aback at the sudden question. Applejack shot a confused look at Rainbow, clearly confused at how to approach this. "I don't seem to be too involved in this little gathering, so... I think I'll head inside and chat with Fluttershy or Twilight." Applejack said with a big, fake grin on her face. Rainbow shot Applejack an accusing look, who was oblivious to the stare, focusing on getting out of the situation. Dammit, she left me on my own. Pinkie appeared to take no notice of Applejack's departure, but kept her attention to Rainbow. "Well… do you like being around me? I know I can be annoying at times, but I just love to be around you… and the rest of my friends!" Pinkie added quickly. Her tone was lower and quieter, unnerving Rainbow with the sudden change from happiness. "Of course I like being around you! All of you guys are a lot of fun to hang out with, and I wouldn't celebrate this occasion with any other set of ponies!" Rainbow replied, still a little baffled by Pinkie's change of tone. This isn’t like Pinkie. Is she hiding something? Pinkie lowered her head and ears, frowning for the first time in Rainbow’s recent memory. She had to cock her head forward to hear the whispering Pinkie had gotten down to. "Oh, okay." Pinkie said, a little defeated. Now I made yet another pony upset. How am I going to fix this one when I don’t even know what I did? “Pinkie, I can tell something’s wrong. What’s the matter?” Rainbow said assuringly. “You can tell me anything.” As if those words were ‘happy birthday’, Pinkie’s face lit up and she resumed her natural happiness, albeit with a hint of disappointment. “What are you talking about, you silly pony? I’m hosting a party, I would never be upset at a party!” Pinkie said, sounding bubblier and bubblier by the second. Rainbow neglected to tell her about being upset at the after party for Gummy. That would just make thing worse. Rainbow thought. "Sorry to cut this short, Pinkie, but I really need to apologize to Rarity, so I should go and look for her inside." Rainbow told Pinkie. "See you later!" As she trotted inside the bakery, she swore she heard a small "That's what you always say…" sound come from Pinkie's mouth, but it couldn't have been her. The voice was far too sad for Pinkie, even when she was upset before! Rainbow darted her head around the party to try and catch a glimpse of Rarity's white coat, but could not catch horn nor hoof of her. Just as she was about to give up, Twilight came over and put her hoof around Rainbow. "This is a pretty cool party, just the 5 of us." Twilight reminded Rainbow. "You should try and enjoy yourself. You can apologize to Rarity once you get the opportunity." Rainbow stepped back at ‘5 of us’. “What?! Rarity’s not even here? Why didn’t you tell me she wasn’t here!” Rainbow accused. “Now she could be anywhere...” Twilight put her hoof on her head, as though it would help her concentrate on remembering something. "Well… no, I saw her at the party earlier, she just left the main room. Maybe she's still here somewhere, you just have to look harder!" Twilight encouraged Rainbow. Rainbow nodded her head and trotted upstairs to check. Wait a minute… Dawson said he'd be up here! I should keep an eye out for him, he seems to nice and too mysterious to be up to any good. Rainbow thought. I'll check through this door… As Rainbow opened the ornate door to her left, she saw Rarity in the corner, crying next to the dress she had modeled on Rainbow. Uh oh. I've got to leave before she- "Oh, what are you doing?" Rarity turned around and looked behind Rainbow. No yelling, no more crying, just questioning behind her. Curious, Rainbow checked behind her. A dark red, feathery wing flapped into her face, accompanied by an amused grin clamping down on a silver knife. Sure enough, it was the mysterious colt, Dawson. Rarity merely stared at him, dumbstruck as though he was casting a spell on her, paralyzing her in place. Preparing prey for the kill. Preparing to kill prey… what am I standing around for?! I have to stop him! Rainbow leaped at Dawson, tackling him easily and tossing the knife away with the element of surprise. Dawson clearly had not expected resistance. As Rainbow was pinning her hooves down at Dawson, Rarity merely stared at Dawson as though he was a puzzle that needed to be solved. Celestia, how can she be so ignorant? I am saving her life and she looks confused! Dawson took advantage of Rainbow's distraction and shoved her off of his body, leaping dexterously to the knife and clamping it in his teeth once more. "NO!" Rainbow cried out. *Whump* Rainbow’s hooves lay on the ground, having missed their mark. Dawson had reacted quite quickly this time, and he was whispering something in Rarity’s ear while Rainbow struggled to get up. In the blink of an eye, Rarity showed a pang of sadness in her eyes, as though she was upset with whatever truth Dawson whispered to her. Her blank stare was soon replaced by the dilation of her pupils and the thud she made as her head hit the ground. Rainbow watched in disbelief as Rarity tried to speak, but thick red liquid seeped through her mouth instead. Every attempt at a sound irritated her now open throat, sliced by the now bloody knife resting on the ground. Rainbow couldn’t grasp what had happened in the last 2 seconds, hooves numb from hitting the ground. Despite this, she soared up and bolted to Dawson, malicious thoughts soaring through her mind. “Silly filly.” Dawson called out as he jumped out of the window, not bothering to use his wings. Rainbow had missed her mark again. It was over 10 metres away from the ground, so Rainbow assumed Dawson would’ve crashed and would be too injured to fly or walk. Instead, she tended to Rarity to try and analyze the problem. A large cut was slashed into her jugular, causing a fatal injury and her loss of speech. Her air supply was almost completely blocked off, and there was nothing Rainbow could do. "No... This can't be..." Rainbow stuttered, then froze into place. Signs of shock coursed through her veins, stopping any motor functions. After a moment of disbelief, the reality of the situation hit Rainbow. I have to try something. Anything... Rainbow dashed to the first aid kit in the room, wasting no time dumping the contents onto the floor and grabbing everything she thought could help. “gack...urk!” Rarity called out, beckoning for Rainbow to come over. Tears of sadness flew down both ponies’ eyes, inflicting sadness in Rainbow’s eyes and showing acceptance and forgiving in Rarity’s. No... she forgives me... but I still feel so terrible... Rarity’s eyelids drooped farther and farther down, confirming her fatal injury. By the time they closed halfway, she was covered in everything Rainbow could throw at her. None of it could fix the physical condition of Rarity or the mental state of Rainbow, not even the candy. Rainbow was about to call for help when she noticed the obscene noises stopped coming from Rarity's mouth. She had finished with another accepting smile for Rainbow, attempting closure before her untimely end. The element of generousity infused in Rarity flickered out. "No… I didn't even get to say goodbye... What does this mean for me...” Rainbow cried, eyes closed. It wasn't for several minutes that the feeling of vengeance for her fallen friend kicked in. In a flash, Rainbow’s eyes flew open with a determined gaze, putting a new mission, a new drive in her mind. Wiping away a tear, she stood up, 5 words stamped in her mind forever. “Oh Celestia... I WILL KILL YOU, DAWSON!” END OF CHAPTER ONE Truths and LiesThe scene was all too surreal for Rainbow. Rarity was gone, and she wasn't coming back. That sense of uselessness is difficult for a pony to accept, and Rainbow was no exception. ...What happens now? I can't just stay here, if someone comes in, it'll look like- BAM! The door to the room flew open, revealing the ghastly scene to the ponies watching, mouths gaping wide. "Dashie! We heard you scream something about… wait, Dashie... what happened to Rarity?" a familiar voice said in disbelief. Sure enough, it was Pinkie Pie, aghast at the scene that brought no laughter to the usually happy pony's face. The situation seemed too unrealistic for anypony - the ponies simply stared at the disastrous scene before them. "Pinkie… please, please believe me when I say this, Pinkie…" Rainbow said through fresh, falling tears. "I didn't do this, I'm trying to find the colt that did it. He jumped out-" "We aren't falling for that. The evidence is all here, and I came as soon as I heard you mention that you'd kill someone. Rainbow Dash, for crimes committed against the town of Ponyville, I place you under arrest in the name of Celestia," a pony stark in blue officer clothing called out from the crowd. Fearing persecution, Rainbow fled to the window, cursing her injured wing the whole way. I can't just let myself get caught. I need to bring Dawson to justice and avenge Rarity. But I can't fly out of here with these wings… Backed against the window with no other way out, she jumped outside, trying desperately to evade capture. She couldn't move her wings herself as she braced for a sudden impact, but none came. Her wings caught the air and spread out themselves, allowing her to glide through the air with no effort, albeit the cool air stung her wings a little. Looking back, Rainbow saw the horrendous scene and felt her gut wrench. The officer was bolting down the stairs, attempting to get out in time to find Rainbow, but that wasn't the scariest part. Pinkie was at the window, looking at Rainbow intently with the biggest sense of disbelief on her face that she could muster. No… even my friends think I'm a monster… Even after Rainbow was approaching the ground, still gliding into the direction of Everfree forest, she could see the horrified and upset face of Pinkie behind her, with the officer nowhere in sight. She was "safe" in Everfree forest for now, safe to think about what happened and what she'll do next. I'm safe physically, but mentally… Would anypony believe her story? It was a lost cause, Rainbow knew the evidence was too strong against her. As the only witness of the crime, she was the primary suspect. Without sight of mane nor hoof of Dawson, there wasn't much Rainbow could do. Heading back to Ponyville will mean getting caught and certain persecution. Here, I will die of something eventually. Dawson is nowhere to be found. Honestly, what am I supposed to do? An idea struck her at the word "honestly". If she was being honest, there was only one pony who would believe her. A pony that can tell if you are lying or not. An honest judge of character… Rainbow's thoughts crashed along with her body as a tree halted her progress, stinging more than just her wings. As she peeled off of the tree, landing onto the ground, she cursed her wings again and sucked in the pain. It's nothing serious compared to how my wings felt earlier in that dress. Laying on the ground, the summer night filled her vision with brilliant shades of blue and black, along with the dazzling light coming from the moon and stars. Maybe Rarity is in a better place, up there with the beautiful stars. It'd be better than- Her thoughts were washed out by a distinct red glint at the bottom of her eye. A little ways up, she saw a business-like smile accompanied by a pair of ever thinking eyes. She'd seen this face before, and she knew exactly what to do. In a split second, Dawson was pinned to the ground by a frantic Rainbow Dash, still smiling all the while. "You monster! Do you even know what you did?! Isolated me from Ponyville, tricked innocent ponies and killed the most generous pony in Equestria, who so happens to be my good friend!" Rainbow yelled, angrier than she had ever been. Dawson only chuckled slightly, prompting a solid slug to his jaw by Rainbow's hoof. A small stream of blood pooled down his smiling mouth, seemingly amused by the attack. "Well, well, Rainbow Dash. Looks like you've escaped the town. How convenient it is that I've found you. Now, I suppose I have no choice but to answer your questions, but that cannot happen just yet." Lowering the hoof she had slugged Dawson with, a puzzled look appeared on Rainbow's face. "You think you're in a position to negotiate? Ha! I'm going to bring you to justice so I can clear my name and avenge my friend!" Rainbow taunted. Dawson merely kept his composure and looked at Rainbow with delight. What is wrong with him?! How crazy do you have to be to kill innocent ponies and be happy about it?! "Oh, you don't think so?" Dawson said amusingly. "In fact, it's quite the contrary. I know you won't turn me in, because you need answers. Answers I have, but won't give." Rainbow stood her ground on Dawson, unfazed by his words. "You are stubborn, yes. Which is precisely why you need the answers you clearly seek. The impact your friend Rarity had on you was so strong that you need to understand her death to have closure. Believe me, that's what you are thinking sub-consciously." 'Closure' seemed to be the magic word for Rainbow, sub-consciously releasing her pin on Dawson and taking a step back. Would… would I really give up the opportunity for justice to have closure with Rarity? Dawson stood up as if nothing had happened to him and began to trot away into the dark of the forest. It's all… hey, wait! Why did I let him go?! "Wait! Get back here!" Rainbow yelled out. "I'm not finished with you yet!" Dawson stopped for a brief second, turning to face Rainbow. "Oh, you'll get all the answers you seek. I still have a few… housekeeping duties I need to do before that happens. I'll be seeing you soon, stay alive in the meantime!" Rainbow had been sprinting to catch Dawson before he finished, but she was surprised to discover that he had disappeared after going behind a few trees. How did he fly away so stealthily? There was no evidence that he was in the sky, but it's the only thing Rainbow could come up with. I need to find him again. I can get the answers I need, then I can bring him in. But more and more questions seem to keep popping up… Dawson's visit seemed to make a noticeable impact on Rainbow. Vengeance turned into confusion, justice turned into a thirst for answers. Her emotional drive was changed by such a simple word, 'closure'. Closure… If there was one pony that could help her out with this, it was Applejack. She'd know Rainbow isn't lying, her innate gift of judgement was unparalleled. I'll need to find an opportunity to get her attention from a distance. I don't want her seeing me and attacking me… It wasn't a journey's length distance into Ponyville, but it might as well have been. No doubt the officer reported the situation to other authorities. Considering murders are so rare, a lock down was probably in order, with Rainbow as the main target. And Sweet Apple Acres was on the other side of Ponyville… In the distance, Rainbow caught sight of a gathering of ponies outside Twilight's library. Although their faces were obscured, their colours and features were still apparent. Several guards around were dressed in brilliant shades of gold armour, most with wings and equipped with attachments for spears. So flying and going through is not an option, even when my wings heal. Even then, I can't just wait here without food or water… Observing further, it appeared that a purple coloured mare was speaking to the gathering, most likely Twilight meeting about Rainbow's supposed murder. Close by, the familiar colours of Fluttershy and Applejack were nodding in agreement. So now all of my friends think I'm a monst- wait a second, where's Pinkie? The group of ponies appeared to be all of the village, but no pink coat nor mane was noticed. Left and right, there was blue, red, grey and other distinct colours, but no pink. The way she seemed at Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow was expecting her to be front and center, speaking out against how horrible Rainbow was. Watching the group’s reactions, agreements and tears of sadness, it seemed as though they were making a plan to capture Rainbow. Sure enough, that was the actions they proceeded to take once Twilight - or what appeared to be Twilight by her purple coat - finished her speech. Most ponies went inside and barred their doors, and the guards started marching to surround the city both in the skies and the perimeter on the ground. There was no way in or out of Ponyville without having to deal with them. Sighing in defeat, Rainbow decided to let her wings rest for awhile, and maybe the guards would loosen up by the time they fully healed. How to get food and water was something that could be dealt with in the morning. ************************************************************************************************************* Eyes still closed, Rainbow attempted to keep them that way despite the bright light trying to force it’s way into her eyes from the forest opening. It was no use - any position she changed into would still leave her feeling the effects of the bright sunlight. Well, better to wake up now so I won’t be out in the bright light, open and noticeable. It wasn't until Rainbow collected her bearings that a delectable smell filled her nostrils, alerting her sense of starvation of the presence of food. Darting her head left and right in the forest, there appeared to be nothing but herself and trees around her. Too far to be Ponyville. I really need to find where it… Aha! Protruding out of an old, rotting tree stump, a curious pink, patterned knot from a fairly large bag was in sight. The wave of the scent’s general direction pointed towards the bag, masked a little by the soggy smell of the stump. The smell felt wonderful to Rainbow, but she couldn't figure out what it was with the stump masking some of the smell. Wasting no time, she grabbed the bag from the stump and set it on the ground, mouth drooling in anticipation. Then her rational, collected mind kicked in and stopped her. Looking down on the bag and thinking about the events of last night made it clear that this was not a coincidence. So I found a bag of what seems like delicious food in a tree stump. Less than likely this bag was made naturally; it had to have been made in Ponyville. Where everyone wants me gone. Do they think I'm stupid? Despite the protests of her stomach, Rainbow turned away from the bag and chewed on some leaves from a nearby tree. It's all I have now- *pitoo*- ugh! Disgusting! Everything in this forest is old and soggy! Rainbow took another look at the appetizing bag, mouth still drooling from the smell. Well, there isn't really any way that it's a dangerous bag, and I need to get this taste out of my mouth… Grabbing the pink bag with her hooves, Rainbow ripped it open with her teeth, allowing the contents to spill out. Despite the cautions she took, the contents of the bag were not fitted to the smell. The reality was even better, composing of a few golden apples, a couple of apple tarts, some jugs of water and a first aid kit. Rainbow hadn't been this surprised since Rarity was fatally injured, but this was a different feeling. Happiness, and hope now flew through her mind. Now she can survive here for a few days to heal without going hungry, but her mind was back to it's previous state - thirsty for answers. As she consumed the apples, the questions stemming from the bag consumed her. Drinking the last bit of water from one of the jugs, Rainbow knew rationing was essential for her survival. She needed to act rational first, so she wanted to satiate her thirst for answers by analyzing a couple of questions. Who delivered these? Clearly, the apples and first aid kit make it seem like Applejack, but she was nodding her head in total agreement at the meeting. She's too honest to lie about that, so she's out. Without any other leads, Rainbow decided to tend a little to her wounds. Opening the first aid kit, there were substantially more bottles of medicine and bandages instead of the more serious wound treatments. It appeared to suit Rainbow's needs perfectly, just as the food had suited her hunger. Taking another look into the forest to make sure her mysterious gifter wasn't watching, Rainbow abandoned any belief that this was an enemy and proceeded to apply medicine-soaked bandages onto her wings. The wings are top priority, the rest of my body can wait. I need to get flying soon before I run out of this food. Judging that sleep would suit the healing best, Rainbow proceeded to resume her rest on a dark, shaded patch of grass on the side of a nearby tree. As her eyelids drooped down, a peculiar sound came from the tree stump. Shooting up in a flash, Rainbow noticed a hooded figure dashing away from the stump, having left another small bag. "Hey! Wait up!" Rainbow called out. "I'm not going to hurt you, I want to thank you for the gifts!" The hooded figure kept running into the forest, briefly turning around to check if Rainbow was chasing her. Well, just because that 'thing' is helping me out doesn't mean I shouldn't know who it is. Rainbow gave chase, quickly making ground on the fleeing figure. Just as she was within spitting distance, her side seared with pain. Her wing caught a branch hanging loosely from a tree, increasing the pain already present in the injury. Argh! That branch... wait, I’m not bleeding? Then I can still run! The hooded presence looked back, seemingly worried about Rainbow while continuing to flee the scene. Her progress was halted by an unnoticed tree, to which Rainbow promptly dashed to the knocked down figure, despite the aching in her wing. The hooded escapist knew that it was futile to try and escape, deciding to lift it’s - her - hood to show Rainbow. Rainbow no sooner saw the face staring right into her eyes than remembered that face staring at her out from the window of Sugarcube Corner. “Pi...Pinkie?” END OF CHAPTER TWO Hope and SorrowI am not prepared for this. There wasn’t much to do in a situation like this, where emotions are running high and you don’t know what to do. Seeing the sight of one of her friends who still trusted her gave Rainbow something she hadn't felt since Rarity was murdered. Hope and happiness. "P…Pinkie? But… but why? Everypony else hates me and I thought you did too! What made you-" It took all of her effort not to tear up, but it was a lost cause after Pinkie interrupted her speech with a tug into a tight embrace. They both had tears flowing out of their eyes, but for the first time in a while, both were of happiness and relief. "I'd always believe you. You would never do such a thing, Dashie. I will always lo-” “It’s just... it’s really nice to see you Pinkie. I’m not sure what I’d do without a friend by my side,” Rainbow interrupted. As if she had something important to say before she was interrupted, Pinkie sighed at the missed opportunity to express her feelings. “I’m not sure what I should do though, Pinkie. I have no way of getting inside the town to get the rest of our friends to back me up, and they wouldn’t even listen to me anyway.” Even though this news sounded horrible to Rainbow, it didn't phase Pinkie in the slightest. If anything, she smiled with a happier tone to her voice. "Oh, come on, Dashie! I'll just convince them myself! Sometimes, they don't seem to take me seriously, but I'll just ask them if they can come to see you and I'm sure they will! …Oh, no. Now that everypony's back from their celebrations, Twilight will be busy speaking to them about you. I guess I can still get Fluttershy and Applejack!" Only Pinkie could make a pony this happy, even after everything she had already been through. This could be Rainbow’s ticket to freedom, justice and a chance at living a semi-normal life. Nothing would ever be like it used to be- not without Rarity. “Pinkie... you don’t understand how happy it makes me to hear that coming from you. It’s been nearly impossible to deal with what’s happened... it’s relieving to hear that everything can work out in the end.” Pinkie smiled at her kind words, keeping them close to heart. It was all she needed to hear before leaving, even if there was something she still wanted to say. As Pinkie walked away towards Ponyville, Rainbow found a comfy spot on the ground to think. I’ve got some time on my hands, maybe I can set things a little straight in my own mind before getting things straight with my friends. Most of what happened in the last while seemed to relate to Dawson primarily, who is probably a good place to start. Who even is Dawson? He seems like a fantastic flyer... no, that question is too broad. Let’s see... why would he kill Rarity, and how does he know me? I’ve never seen him before, and I’m pretty sure Rarity looked at him in confusion. I’d be pretty confused if I faced some homicidal pony I haven’t met before. But how does he maintain his calm demeanour? ...Ugh! This is so pointless! All I’m doing is making more questions for myself... Rainbow judged that waiting for Pinkie was probably a better idea. Thinking of answers to questions she could only dream of figuring out turned out to do more bad than good. Now there was more conflict in her own mind, and even though the situation seemed good and under control, Rainbow’s struggle to remain sane was becoming more and more difficult. The tension building inside Rainbow lasted for hours, brooding as she sat on the ground unmoving. It came as a huge relief when she could see a familiar pink figure coming towards her. Pinkie. I know she has good news. Sure enough, Pinkie came with a bright smile on her face, as though she were proud of something. “Dashie, guess what? Fluttershy wasn’t available since she’s helping out Twilight with something, but I got Applejack on the bandwagon! Isn’t that great?” Pinkie said, cheerily. Pinkie jumped up and down repeatedly, but Rainbow didn’t share the sentiment. As she shook her head, Pinkie slowed down her excitement in confusion. “Didn’t you hear me, Dashie? I said-” “Yes, I know what you said. It’s just that it seems out of character for Applejack to do something like accept me so easily, even if you were advocating for me. She seemed dead set that I was a menace to the town at that meeting or whatever it was,” Rainbow explained. Pinkie shuffled her hooves a little, mumbling under her breath. “Well, I guess I forgot to mention... she doesn’t actually believe you, but she wants to meet you over by Fluttershy’s cottage. She wants to see you personally to see if you are lying or not.” “What about Fluttershy? Won’t she be upset to see me?” “We’re planning on meeting behind a tree out of sight from her windows. The idea we had was to get Fluttershy in it if Applejack agrees that you’re innocent. She’ll jump on the bandwagon too, and I am guessing that the three of us will be enough to make the case for Twilight. It’ll only branch out from there,” Pinkie explained. Rainbow pondered Pinkie’s words. It all makes sense, but what if Applejack doesn’t believe me? Sure, I know I’m telling the truth, but maybe the pressure or the anxiety will change how it looks to Applejack... Pinkie put her hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder and smiled assuringly, giving Rainbow a newfound sense of hope. She smiled in turn. “Don’t worry, Dashie. I know you might think Applejack won’t get it right, but she will. It’s not about what appears on your coat, it’s what she sees in your heart through your eyes. She’ll know the truth,” Pinkie said. What if... what if what I think isn’t the truth? Those words haunted Rainbow on the journey to Fluttershy’s cottage, despite any attempts she made to remove them with small talk. “Pinkie, I noticed there was a first aid kit and some apple stuff in the bag. How did you get those from Applejack? You didn’t steal them, did you?” Rainbow inquired. Pinkie brightened up with a smile, coming up with a logical answer for everything. There was something about that that bothered Rainbow. She was acting differently; she was happy like her usual self, but her attitude was off. She was logical instead of random, and she seemed to take a lot of interest in Rainbow. “Well, the first aid kit was from Sugarcube Corner. Applejack isn’t the only one that has one!” Pinkie joked. “Applejack gave me the apple stuff to give to you as a little treat for cleaning her barn. This was before the... inci...” Pinkie choked up a little at the memory of her fallen friend. It brought up flashes of Pinkie’s shocked face to Rainbow, who was close to tears before she caught sight of Applejack sitting by a tree. All of the thoughts in her mind dissipated as she saw the opportunities that could take place. “Applejack! I’m so happy you’re here!” No response from Applejack except an accusing stare as she marched towards Rainbow assertively. As she got closer and closer, still not saying a word, Rainbow felt more and more anxious. What if she can’t tell if I’m telling the truth? As Applejack approached within a nose of Rainbow, her face straightened to meet Rainbow’s directly. Despite her forwardness, Rainbow tried to make her case as good as possible by holding her ground. After what seemed like forever, Pinkie broke the two up and asked Applejack what she thought. “Rainbow, it seemed unlikely to me that you were the one at fault for the whole ordeal, but I started to have my doubts as everypony kept accusing you. Now that I’ve looked you in the eye...” Pinkie and Rainbow leaned in, perking their ears to hear the result. Applejack gave a light hearted smile as she opened her hooves out to Rainbow. “I believe everything Pinkie told me. I think ya’ll are innocent.” Rainbow rushed at Applejack to accept the invitation, embracing her tightly. Pinkie joined soon after, happy to see her friends reconciling. “You don’t know how good it is to hear-” Rainbow stopped abruptly when she caught a glint of red on the other side of the tree, with a devilish smile on his face. “Hello, Rainbow. Thanks for making my housekeeping duties so much easier, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Dawson said. Rainbow was about to protest to Dawson and tell her friends of the impending attack, when she caught sight of a squad of soldiers rushing over. They must have seen Rainbow in the distance and decided to come to detain her. Breaking apart the hug with Applejack, she smiled with satisfaction to Dawson, who seemed frightened by the sudden realization. “Looks like you’re done, Dawson. They’ll put you in prison forever,” Rainbow taunted Dawson. Just as the guards came within spitting distance of everypony, Dawson turned with a scowl to Pinkie Pie. In the meantime, Applejack stared at Dawson with a look of anger and frustration. “You really are something. I hope you wind up in a prison cell for the rest of your life,” Applejack said sharply to Dawson. Applejack was too far away from Dawson to lunge, but she began charging at him before he acted on Pinkie in desperation. Rainbow knew exactly why she was doing this. Dawson has a knife pointed at Pinkie! I have to save her! With a quick lunge to Pinkie, Rainbow expected to see Dawson lunge at the same time, but was surprised to discover that her own world went pitch black quickly, without any foreseeable reason. Dawson hadn’t even touched her yet. No... What’s going... on... Pinkie... *************************************************************************************************************** The pitch darkness that had dominated Rainbow’s vision turned into a dazzling white light as she opened her eyes, illuminating the now visible room. It had a simple white design, with a bed and sink pressed against the walls. Rainbow made an attempt to rub her eyes so she can adjust them better, but was surprised to discover a yellow binding kept her hooves crossed over herself. A… a straightjacket? Where am I? What happened? "HELP ME!!!!" No answer. Complete silence filled the room for a few minutes, until a scruffy voice reassured her that she was not alone. "Hello, Rainbow," the voice projected from outside the door to her room. "You are currently residing in a rehabilitation institute with the purpose of helping you recover your mental state. We trust that-" "Hey, what's the big idea? I just blacked out, and all of a sudden, I wind up here! Let me go!" Rainbow yelled to the door. "And who's this 'we'?" "We had guessed you would be a little dazed. We are not suspecting or accusing you of murder or anything, but we believe that you may have some sort of mental ailment. The authorities will deal with you once we discover the nature of the problem. Determining if you are a criminal is not up to us." It wasn't easy to take in. Rather than argue about it, she decided to get the only question on her mind answered. After all, it would help her mental integrity, and isn't that the goal of this rehabilitation? "Could you just answer one question? I'll be subjected to whatever you want if you can answer it," Rainbow pleaded. "And what is that?" "What did you mean by murder? Is this going back to Rarity's death?" Silence for a few moments, as though the voice had something to say that would be difficult for Rainbow to comprehend. "Hello? Hey! Why won't you answer me?!" Rainbow called out. Her yelling was met by an upset sigh coming from the curious voice. "Rainbow, Pinkie Pie is dead." END OF CHAPTER THREE
Wishes and RegretsDashing Your Friends Away I didn't want this. I didn't ask for this. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. So why am I the one being punished? Rainbow Dash’s eyes drooped down to the colourful dress strapped onto her and let out an unimpressed groan. It just wasn’t her style; no rainbows, no aerodynamically-tuned piece, nothing that tells someone ‘Rainbow Dash’. She’d have left hours ago, but a promise was a promise, and the element of loyalty doesn't just leave when her friends need her. Ugh, what’s with my wing? Maybe if I... *urgh* loosen... *mmph*... I’ll just ask Rarity to get this puffball off me later. Glancing at the huge, ornate staircase, Rainbow caught a sight of a dainty white hoof. Rarity at last! “Oh darling, you’re still there? Thanks for waiting so patiently, my room is such a ghastly mess that I couldn’t find the thread I wanted! I checked in the attic to make sure I didn’t misplace it, and sure enough, voila! A nice, new roll was there, just waiting for me! And what’s more, is...” Rarity rambled on. Blah, blah, blah. Does she ever shut up? Get on with it already! “...Rainbow? Rainbow? Hello?” Rarity questioned. “Y…yeah, sure! It’s great!” Rainbow replied. Rainbow’s eyes wandered to the back of the room, thinking about the awkward situation she was in. Did she answer correctly? “Splendid! So which dress do you want to try on next?” Rarity asked happily. Buck. “Ah, yes... well, I didn’t really mean it when I said that...” Rainbow began. Rarity’s eyes narrowed, clearly unimpressed. “You aren’t planning on leaving, are you?” Rarity interjected. “Wh... what? Leave? No, no, no, it’s just that Pinkie needed some... streamers! For the party!” Rainbow lied. “You understand, right?” “You know, you did say that you’d help me by putting on all of these lovely dresses... but I suppose I can’t stop you.” Rarity said, sighing deeply. “It’ll be difficult for me to find someone else, since it’s just the 6 of us around here, but I understand Pinkie would need your help more than I do.” Oh no. She’s playing the pity card. I have to act fast. “I promise I’ll come back later. And I mean it.” Rainbow assured her. “Could you get this dress off of me before I go? I can barely move in it let alone fly, and my hooves won’t *urgh* reach back far enough to untie these strings, see?” Rarity nodded and in a flash, she was rummaging through her drawers for something. With a look of satisfaction, a light blue glow was shimmering on her horn and a drawer full of dress scissors. “So why is this dress so tight on me, Rarity? Can’t it be any looser?” Rainbow asked. “The dress is for fillies, but no one else is here other than us 6! I really needed to get this fitted because a *gasp* royal princess’ daughter needs it in just one week! I asked you because you’re a pegasus, so the wing section can be modeled too. Unfortunately, since it’s designed for fillies, it is as loose as it can go. Sorry darling!” Rarity explained. “Why not ask Fluttershy then?” Rainbow inquired. Rarity's eyes rolled at the question. “Fluttershy is nowhere to be found. She is probably off hiding in some corner somewhere. It’ll be off in a jiffy though, no need to worry! Just hold still...” Rarity replied. After several minutes of snipping and grunts of dissatisfaction, Rarity sighed and sat down in defeat. "You'll have to get someone stronger to do it, darling. The strings were too thick for my magic. Maybe Applejack is available, but you'd better hurry or Pinkie will wonder where you've been." Rarity explained. Rainbow's eyes narrowed, just as unimpressed as Rarity was. What?! The string had to be under a centimetre thick! And those professional scissors couldn't put a dent in it? Rainbow thought. Ah, I can't question her. She knows I lied. With a subtle yet assertive stride, Rainbow left Rarity's house without a word. She would deal with her at the party, but for now, she had a puffball to cut loose. Just as Rainbow's hoof touched the stone path outside Rarity's home, a snapping noise startled her back. "Hello?" Rainbow called. A ruffling noise and a mysterious shadow shifted next to a tree in the distance. "Who's there? I could really use your help right now, this nightmare is crazy tight!" Just as quickly as the shadow had appeared, it gasped in shock and bolted into the forest, without word or notion of Rainbow's existence. Weird. Maybe someone else decided to stay here instead of celebrating in Fillydelphia. Passing a few more glances into the forest, Rainbow dismissed the figure as her mind playing tricks on her. After being stuck with Rarity, anyone can go crazy and hallucinate. Rainbow began the arduous journey to Sweet Apple Acres, forgetting about the curious happening. She had much more to think about every step she took, hating the dress on her more and more every second. As Applejack's house on Sweet Apple Acres drew close, a sliver of red began to seep through the dress on her wingspan. “Holy jumpin’ apple tarts! That is one tight dress! Don’t just stand there, let me get it off of you!” A familiar voice told her. Sure enough, it was Applejack, who saw the blood on the dress through her window, and was bolting to Rainbow, who was eager to get the straight jacket off. “Thanks... *urgh* Applejack, this dress was killing me!” Rainbow replied. “By the looks of it, it might jus’ kill you eventually. Just tryin’ to keep my friends alive!” Applejack joked. Rainbow chuckled a little, tightening in pain as the dress restricted her ribcage more and more after every chuckle. “I might as well have been dead. How would I be able to live if I couldn’t fly? It’d really suck if I had to be stuck on the ground all the time!” Rainbow said. Applejack's eyes caught Rainbow's in a deathly stare. "Right. It must be impossible to live life without wings. Imagine how much worse Equestria would be without them." Applejack scowled. What? What is she talking about? Despite her clear annoyance, Applejack's hooves were already untying the dress with ease. "Now wait just a minute, didn't you say Rarity couldn't get these strings cut?" Applejack questioned. Her attitude seemed to have drifted from her irritated self. "That queen of fru fru made this dress, so she must be able to deal with these strings no problem with her hooves, let alone with scissors." Well, that proves it. She knows I lied. But now that she let me suffer through this, we're even. Rainbow flexed her whole body and flew around a little after the prison of a dress was off of her, before she fell down, gripping her wing. It oozed a small amount of shiny red liquid as Applejack rushed over. “Seriously, jus’ because the dress is off doesn’t mean yer wing magically heals. Here, let me bandage it up.” Applejack insisted. Trotting over to the first aid kit, Applejack bent over and caught the kit in her mouth. Looking inside, you could find everything a pony would need for help. Rainbow bandages, magic gauze, even a piece of candy, probably to cheer you up after getting injured. Applejack hurried over to a bleeding Rainbow Dash, complaining about her inability to fly. Every wrap around the wing made Rainbow wince, as it was hurting enough with the bleeding. Looks like flying will be put on hold for awhile. Wait a minute, I was dissing on ponies that couldn't fly, wasn't I? Crap, now she thinks I'm insensitive. I can't have two ponies hate me today, but what can I possibly do to make it up to her Rainbow thought. “There, good as new... sorta. Say, Rainbow, I could use a hand cleaning out my barn, and since I just helped you an' all, would you mind stacking the hay inside? It shouldn't be a problem, even without the use of your wings to pick them up." Applejack asked. Rainbow cringed at the last sentence. Applejack must feel resentful, and the stern tone of her voice made that evident enough. But cleaning her barn could be her ticket to make it better! Rainbow had told Rarity that she’d be going to see Pinkie Pie to help with the party, but she wouldn’t know if she didn’t show up. Besides, she felt it was necessary to help her out after she had helped her free herself of that dress. “I’ll go return this to Rarity if you can get this barn done in the meantime. Mighty thanks for th' help, Rainbow!” Applejack finished, dress in hand. Applejack's voice hinted at a friendlier demeanour, putting a sense of good feeling on Rainbow as Applejack trotted away. At least one of my friends won't hate me by the end of the day. Rainbow thought. Stepping into the barn, Rainbow's grin twisted into a state of disbelief. Barn doors as far as the eye can see - okay, not really that far, but they were a good distance away. The hay was scattered everywhere, completely disorganized. Rainbow's complaints were heard on deaf ears, but she felt it was necessary after seeing this disaster. Rainbow sighed and slipped on the pitchfork attachment nearby, clipping in the grooves to the wooden handle. It was a little large and awkward, but it'd do for now. It wasn't easy to start with. She hadn't ever done this before, and sticking a few spikes into little threads on the ground was difficult given her size and strength. Despite the hard labour, she kept trudging on, determined to make her friend happy. After a few hours of hoof-blistering work, Rainbow took a step back and admired the work she had done so far. The task seemed so much more manageable with the amount of hay left. All that sweating doesn't smell bad… it smells like success! Rainbow thought proudly. Out of the corner of Rainbow's eye, one of the neatly arranged stacks of hat tumbled over deliberately. "Hey! Who goes there? I don't take kindly to ponies ruining hard work!" Rainbow yelled. Another hay stack was knocked over, this time behind her. "Seriously! Whatever you are doing here, please show yourself! I worked really hard on these!" At those words, a dark red colt stepped aside from another of the hay stacks, which he was probably pretty close to knocking over. His eyes had the same glint as the shadow had back at Rarity's house. With a little more observation, she noticed that he was the same height as she was, and had wings. The look in his eye was rock solid, his stance completely rigid. This colt meant business. Big Macintosh? Nah, he's an earth pony, and this guy is a pegasus. "Hello, Rainbow Dash. You might have seen me following you down the path, and I assure you, it was for good reason. I wasn't sure if you were busy or not, and I wanted -" The mysterious pony started. "Oh no, you aren't going to ask me anything until you explain to me why you knocked over those stacks of hay!" Rainbow demanded. “Please, Rainbow. Let me say a few things first and I’ll answer your questions later.” The colt said. Rainbow thought about that for a second, but then dismissed the notion as his idea of taking control. “You’re not really in any position to be making suggestions.” Rainbow reminded him, putting her hoof down assertively.“Just answer the question!" The mysterious colt managed a chuckle despite his serious demeanour. “Alright, I suppose there’s no convincing you otherwise. My name is Dawson H. Arib, and I merely knocked down your hay stacks to get your attention. I will clean them up later, given you accept my invitation.” Dawson said calmly. “Invitation? What invitation?" Rainbow interjected. "If you actually let me finish, I'll explain." Dawson continued. "I am having a party tonight at Sugarcube Corner-" "Me and my friends are having a party tonight at Sugarcube Corner! How can you be there at the same time?" Rainbow interrupted. Dawson's calm demeanour snapped for a second at the sudden interruption. "Honestly, the nerve- I mean, yes. But I will be upstairs, doing my own thing, and I'd love if you could at least visit." Dawson said, clearly irritated. Rainbow thought about this for a bit. All she had to do was visit this "Dawson" for a little bit, and he wouldn't ruin any more hay stacks. She could just as easily kick him out, but he could just as easily ruin the rest of the stacks on his way. "Fine. I'll go if you clean up the stacks you messed up." Rainbow gritted through her teeth Dawson nodded his head in agreement and fixed up the piles of hay, arranged to Rainbow's liking. He turned his hoof and began to leave, resuming his serious attitude. "Hey, wait a second!" Rainbow called out. Dawson stopped, ears focused on Rainbow. "Why is it that everypony else is in big cities like Fillydelphia celebrating the defeat of Queen Chrysalis while you 'do your own thing'? What could drive you to stay here rather than celebrate with the other ponies?" Rainbow questioned. "I am here for the same reasons you are. See you tonight, Rainbow Dash." Dawson finished. Rainbow's mind flooded with questions, and she bolted to the barn door, looking to see where he went. To her surprise, Dawson wasn't anywhere, as if he vanished out of thin air. He's a pegasus, so he must've flown out. Rainbow thought. But how have I not heard of him if he's that fast? The next few hours consisted of more hay than Rainbow had ever seen in her life, let alone at one time. The shade of yellow would be in her eyes forever, but it was worth it. She took a step back, dismantling the attachment from her hoof and admired her handiwork. It was something else to see such a noticeable difference from the state it was at before. As if on cue, Applejack arrived with a worried look on her face. At the sight of the barn, however, she lit up like a lightbulb. "Wow, thanks again fer yer help, Rainbow!" Applejack commended Rainbow. “You sure did a great job!” “It was no sweat.” Rainbow said, as puddles of sweat ran down her back. “Right... anyway, I was downtown and I noticed a pony was really upset at you.” Applejack mentioned. Damn. She must be referring to Rarity. "What's the problem?" Rainbow asked nervously. "Well... th’ pony is Rarity, and she was coming to check up on you and Pinkie, what with setting up the party an’ all. When she saw you weren’t there, she told me that you were just ‘making excuses to leave’. Now, I ain’t one to get involved, but I’d go and apologize as soon as possible if I were you." Applejack advised. How am I going to face Rarity now that I know for sure she knows... "I'm guessing you know a little about what's going on, so do you have any ideas on how I should make it up to her?" Rainbow asked. Applejack thought for a second and shook her head. "Nah, I can't help you there. This is yer own problem, you need to fix this yerself." Applejack responded. “Come on, let’s head down to the party, it’s starting soon. Rainbow felt the fear of facing Rarity course through her hooves, shuddering and wobbling the entire way there. Rainbow’s mantra the duration of the trip consisted of I flat out lied to her face, some loyal pony I am..., making her feel worse and worse about being the element of loyalty. As soon as Sugarcube Corner was in sight, Pinkie Pie was in their face, blocking all sights but herself. Pinkie’s eyes were completely focused on Rainbow, seemingly taking no notion of Applejack’s existence. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Rainbow! Thanks so much for coming! I thought that you wouldn't come since you got in a fight with Rarity or something, and I was afraid the party would be incomplete, and I had made cake for you, and you have no idea what-" Pinkie rambled on. Well, at least someone has no reason to hate me today. "Pinkie, it's fine! I came, no need to make a big deal about it." Rainbow interrupted. "Where's Rarity? I need to talk to her." "She's somewhere inside, but the party has just started! Come and have fun with your best friends!" Pinkie said cheerily. "…Um…we are best friends, right?" "Of course Pinkie! Why wouldn't we be?" Rainbow responded, a little taken aback at the sudden question. Applejack shot a confused look at Rainbow, clearly confused at how to approach this. "I don't seem to be too involved in this little gathering, so... I think I'll head inside and chat with Fluttershy or Twilight." Applejack said with a big, fake grin on her face. Rainbow shot Applejack an accusing look, who was oblivious to the stare, focusing on getting out of the situation. Dammit, she left me on my own. Pinkie appeared to take no notice of Applejack's departure, but kept her attention to Rainbow. "Well… do you like being around me? I know I can be annoying at times, but I just love to be around you… and the rest of my friends!" Pinkie added quickly. Her tone was lower and quieter, unnerving Rainbow with the sudden change from happiness. "Of course I like being around you! All of you guys are a lot of fun to hang out with, and I wouldn't celebrate this occasion with any other set of ponies!" Rainbow replied, still a little baffled by Pinkie's change of tone. This isn’t like Pinkie. Is she hiding something? Pinkie lowered her head and ears, frowning for the first time in Rainbow’s recent memory. She had to cock her head forward to hear the whispering Pinkie had gotten down to. "Oh, okay." Pinkie said, a little defeated. Now I made yet another pony upset. How am I going to fix this one when I don’t even know what I did? “Pinkie, I can tell something’s wrong. What’s the matter?” Rainbow said assuringly. “You can tell me anything.” As if those words were ‘happy birthday’, Pinkie’s face lit up and she resumed her natural happiness, albeit with a hint of disappointment. “What are you talking about, you silly pony? I’m hosting a party, I would never be upset at a party!” Pinkie said, sounding bubblier and bubblier by the second. Rainbow neglected to tell her about being upset at the after party for Gummy. That would just make thing worse. Rainbow thought. "Sorry to cut this short, Pinkie, but I really need to apologize to Rarity, so I should go and look for her inside." Rainbow told Pinkie. "See you later!" As she trotted inside the bakery, she swore she heard a small "That's what you always say…" sound come from Pinkie's mouth, but it couldn't have been her. The voice was far too sad for Pinkie, even when she was upset before! Rainbow darted her head around the party to try and catch a glimpse of Rarity's white coat, but could not catch horn nor hoof of her. Just as she was about to give up, Twilight came over and put her hoof around Rainbow. "This is a pretty cool party, just the 5 of us." Twilight reminded Rainbow. "You should try and enjoy yourself. You can apologize to Rarity once you get the opportunity." Rainbow stepped back at ‘5 of us’. “What?! Rarity’s not even here? Why didn’t you tell me she wasn’t here!” Rainbow accused. “Now she could be anywhere...” Twilight put her hoof on her head, as though it would help her concentrate on remembering something. "Well… no, I saw her at the party earlier, she just left the main room. Maybe she's still here somewhere, you just have to look harder!" Twilight encouraged Rainbow. Rainbow nodded her head and trotted upstairs to check. Wait a minute… Dawson said he'd be up here! I should keep an eye out for him, he seems to nice and too mysterious to be up to any good. Rainbow thought. I'll check through this door… As Rainbow opened the ornate door to her left, she saw Rarity in the corner, crying next to the dress she had modeled on Rainbow. Uh oh. I've got to leave before she- "Oh, what are you doing?" Rarity turned around and looked behind Rainbow. No yelling, no more crying, just questioning behind her. Curious, Rainbow checked behind her. A dark red, feathery wing flapped into her face, accompanied by an amused grin clamping down on a silver knife. Sure enough, it was the mysterious colt, Dawson. Rarity merely stared at him, dumbstruck as though he was casting a spell on her, paralyzing her in place. Preparing prey for the kill. Preparing to kill prey… what am I standing around for?! I have to stop him! Rainbow leaped at Dawson, tackling him easily and tossing the knife away with the element of surprise. Dawson clearly had not expected resistance. As Rainbow was pinning her hooves down at Dawson, Rarity merely stared at Dawson as though he was a puzzle that needed to be solved. Celestia, how can she be so ignorant? I am saving her life and she looks confused! Dawson took advantage of Rainbow's distraction and shoved her off of his body, leaping dexterously to the knife and clamping it in his teeth once more. "NO!" Rainbow cried out. *Whump* Rainbow’s hooves lay on the ground, having missed their mark. Dawson had reacted quite quickly this time, and he was whispering something in Rarity’s ear while Rainbow struggled to get up. In the blink of an eye, Rarity showed a pang of sadness in her eyes, as though she was upset with whatever truth Dawson whispered to her. Her blank stare was soon replaced by the dilation of her pupils and the thud she made as her head hit the ground. Rainbow watched in disbelief as Rarity tried to speak, but thick red liquid seeped through her mouth instead. Every attempt at a sound irritated her now open throat, sliced by the now bloody knife resting on the ground. Rainbow couldn’t grasp what had happened in the last 2 seconds, hooves numb from hitting the ground. Despite this, she soared up and bolted to Dawson, malicious thoughts soaring through her mind. “Silly filly.” Dawson called out as he jumped out of the window, not bothering to use his wings. Rainbow had missed her mark again. It was over 10 metres away from the ground, so Rainbow assumed Dawson would’ve crashed and would be too injured to fly or walk. Instead, she tended to Rarity to try and analyze the problem. A large cut was slashed into her jugular, causing a fatal injury and her loss of speech. Her air supply was almost completely blocked off, and there was nothing Rainbow could do. "No... This can't be..." Rainbow stuttered, then froze into place. Signs of shock coursed through her veins, stopping any motor functions. After a moment of disbelief, the reality of the situation hit Rainbow. I have to try something. Anything... Rainbow dashed to the first aid kit in the room, wasting no time dumping the contents onto the floor and grabbing everything she thought could help. “gack...urk!” Rarity called out, beckoning for Rainbow to come over. Tears of sadness flew down both ponies’ eyes, inflicting sadness in Rainbow’s eyes and showing acceptance and forgiving in Rarity’s. No... she forgives me... but I still feel so terrible... Rarity’s eyelids drooped farther and farther down, confirming her fatal injury. By the time they closed halfway, she was covered in everything Rainbow could throw at her. None of it could fix the physical condition of Rarity or the mental state of Rainbow, not even the candy. Rainbow was about to call for help when she noticed the obscene noises stopped coming from Rarity's mouth. She had finished with another accepting smile for Rainbow, attempting closure before her untimely end. The element of generousity infused in Rarity flickered out. "No… I didn't even get to say goodbye... What does this mean for me...” Rainbow cried, eyes closed. It wasn't for several minutes that the feeling of vengeance for her fallen friend kicked in. In a flash, Rainbow’s eyes flew open with a determined gaze, putting a new mission, a new drive in her mind. Wiping away a tear, she stood up, 5 words stamped in her mind forever. “Oh Celestia... I WILL KILL YOU, DAWSON!” END OF CHAPTER ONE
Truths and LiesThe scene was all too surreal for Rainbow. Rarity was gone, and she wasn't coming back. That sense of uselessness is difficult for a pony to accept, and Rainbow was no exception. ...What happens now? I can't just stay here, if someone comes in, it'll look like- BAM! The door to the room flew open, revealing the ghastly scene to the ponies watching, mouths gaping wide. "Dashie! We heard you scream something about… wait, Dashie... what happened to Rarity?" a familiar voice said in disbelief. Sure enough, it was Pinkie Pie, aghast at the scene that brought no laughter to the usually happy pony's face. The situation seemed too unrealistic for anypony - the ponies simply stared at the disastrous scene before them. "Pinkie… please, please believe me when I say this, Pinkie…" Rainbow said through fresh, falling tears. "I didn't do this, I'm trying to find the colt that did it. He jumped out-" "We aren't falling for that. The evidence is all here, and I came as soon as I heard you mention that you'd kill someone. Rainbow Dash, for crimes committed against the town of Ponyville, I place you under arrest in the name of Celestia," a pony stark in blue officer clothing called out from the crowd. Fearing persecution, Rainbow fled to the window, cursing her injured wing the whole way. I can't just let myself get caught. I need to bring Dawson to justice and avenge Rarity. But I can't fly out of here with these wings… Backed against the window with no other way out, she jumped outside, trying desperately to evade capture. She couldn't move her wings herself as she braced for a sudden impact, but none came. Her wings caught the air and spread out themselves, allowing her to glide through the air with no effort, albeit the cool air stung her wings a little. Looking back, Rainbow saw the horrendous scene and felt her gut wrench. The officer was bolting down the stairs, attempting to get out in time to find Rainbow, but that wasn't the scariest part. Pinkie was at the window, looking at Rainbow intently with the biggest sense of disbelief on her face that she could muster. No… even my friends think I'm a monster… Even after Rainbow was approaching the ground, still gliding into the direction of Everfree forest, she could see the horrified and upset face of Pinkie behind her, with the officer nowhere in sight. She was "safe" in Everfree forest for now, safe to think about what happened and what she'll do next. I'm safe physically, but mentally… Would anypony believe her story? It was a lost cause, Rainbow knew the evidence was too strong against her. As the only witness of the crime, she was the primary suspect. Without sight of mane nor hoof of Dawson, there wasn't much Rainbow could do. Heading back to Ponyville will mean getting caught and certain persecution. Here, I will die of something eventually. Dawson is nowhere to be found. Honestly, what am I supposed to do? An idea struck her at the word "honestly". If she was being honest, there was only one pony who would believe her. A pony that can tell if you are lying or not. An honest judge of character… Rainbow's thoughts crashed along with her body as a tree halted her progress, stinging more than just her wings. As she peeled off of the tree, landing onto the ground, she cursed her wings again and sucked in the pain. It's nothing serious compared to how my wings felt earlier in that dress. Laying on the ground, the summer night filled her vision with brilliant shades of blue and black, along with the dazzling light coming from the moon and stars. Maybe Rarity is in a better place, up there with the beautiful stars. It'd be better than- Her thoughts were washed out by a distinct red glint at the bottom of her eye. A little ways up, she saw a business-like smile accompanied by a pair of ever thinking eyes. She'd seen this face before, and she knew exactly what to do. In a split second, Dawson was pinned to the ground by a frantic Rainbow Dash, still smiling all the while. "You monster! Do you even know what you did?! Isolated me from Ponyville, tricked innocent ponies and killed the most generous pony in Equestria, who so happens to be my good friend!" Rainbow yelled, angrier than she had ever been. Dawson only chuckled slightly, prompting a solid slug to his jaw by Rainbow's hoof. A small stream of blood pooled down his smiling mouth, seemingly amused by the attack. "Well, well, Rainbow Dash. Looks like you've escaped the town. How convenient it is that I've found you. Now, I suppose I have no choice but to answer your questions, but that cannot happen just yet." Lowering the hoof she had slugged Dawson with, a puzzled look appeared on Rainbow's face. "You think you're in a position to negotiate? Ha! I'm going to bring you to justice so I can clear my name and avenge my friend!" Rainbow taunted. Dawson merely kept his composure and looked at Rainbow with delight. What is wrong with him?! How crazy do you have to be to kill innocent ponies and be happy about it?! "Oh, you don't think so?" Dawson said amusingly. "In fact, it's quite the contrary. I know you won't turn me in, because you need answers. Answers I have, but won't give." Rainbow stood her ground on Dawson, unfazed by his words. "You are stubborn, yes. Which is precisely why you need the answers you clearly seek. The impact your friend Rarity had on you was so strong that you need to understand her death to have closure. Believe me, that's what you are thinking sub-consciously." 'Closure' seemed to be the magic word for Rainbow, sub-consciously releasing her pin on Dawson and taking a step back. Would… would I really give up the opportunity for justice to have closure with Rarity? Dawson stood up as if nothing had happened to him and began to trot away into the dark of the forest. It's all… hey, wait! Why did I let him go?! "Wait! Get back here!" Rainbow yelled out. "I'm not finished with you yet!" Dawson stopped for a brief second, turning to face Rainbow. "Oh, you'll get all the answers you seek. I still have a few… housekeeping duties I need to do before that happens. I'll be seeing you soon, stay alive in the meantime!" Rainbow had been sprinting to catch Dawson before he finished, but she was surprised to discover that he had disappeared after going behind a few trees. How did he fly away so stealthily? There was no evidence that he was in the sky, but it's the only thing Rainbow could come up with. I need to find him again. I can get the answers I need, then I can bring him in. But more and more questions seem to keep popping up… Dawson's visit seemed to make a noticeable impact on Rainbow. Vengeance turned into confusion, justice turned into a thirst for answers. Her emotional drive was changed by such a simple word, 'closure'. Closure… If there was one pony that could help her out with this, it was Applejack. She'd know Rainbow isn't lying, her innate gift of judgement was unparalleled. I'll need to find an opportunity to get her attention from a distance. I don't want her seeing me and attacking me… It wasn't a journey's length distance into Ponyville, but it might as well have been. No doubt the officer reported the situation to other authorities. Considering murders are so rare, a lock down was probably in order, with Rainbow as the main target. And Sweet Apple Acres was on the other side of Ponyville… In the distance, Rainbow caught sight of a gathering of ponies outside Twilight's library. Although their faces were obscured, their colours and features were still apparent. Several guards around were dressed in brilliant shades of gold armour, most with wings and equipped with attachments for spears. So flying and going through is not an option, even when my wings heal. Even then, I can't just wait here without food or water… Observing further, it appeared that a purple coloured mare was speaking to the gathering, most likely Twilight meeting about Rainbow's supposed murder. Close by, the familiar colours of Fluttershy and Applejack were nodding in agreement. So now all of my friends think I'm a monst- wait a second, where's Pinkie? The group of ponies appeared to be all of the village, but no pink coat nor mane was noticed. Left and right, there was blue, red, grey and other distinct colours, but no pink. The way she seemed at Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow was expecting her to be front and center, speaking out against how horrible Rainbow was. Watching the group’s reactions, agreements and tears of sadness, it seemed as though they were making a plan to capture Rainbow. Sure enough, that was the actions they proceeded to take once Twilight - or what appeared to be Twilight by her purple coat - finished her speech. Most ponies went inside and barred their doors, and the guards started marching to surround the city both in the skies and the perimeter on the ground. There was no way in or out of Ponyville without having to deal with them. Sighing in defeat, Rainbow decided to let her wings rest for awhile, and maybe the guards would loosen up by the time they fully healed. How to get food and water was something that could be dealt with in the morning. ************************************************************************************************************* Eyes still closed, Rainbow attempted to keep them that way despite the bright light trying to force it’s way into her eyes from the forest opening. It was no use - any position she changed into would still leave her feeling the effects of the bright sunlight. Well, better to wake up now so I won’t be out in the bright light, open and noticeable. It wasn't until Rainbow collected her bearings that a delectable smell filled her nostrils, alerting her sense of starvation of the presence of food. Darting her head left and right in the forest, there appeared to be nothing but herself and trees around her. Too far to be Ponyville. I really need to find where it… Aha! Protruding out of an old, rotting tree stump, a curious pink, patterned knot from a fairly large bag was in sight. The wave of the scent’s general direction pointed towards the bag, masked a little by the soggy smell of the stump. The smell felt wonderful to Rainbow, but she couldn't figure out what it was with the stump masking some of the smell. Wasting no time, she grabbed the bag from the stump and set it on the ground, mouth drooling in anticipation. Then her rational, collected mind kicked in and stopped her. Looking down on the bag and thinking about the events of last night made it clear that this was not a coincidence. So I found a bag of what seems like delicious food in a tree stump. Less than likely this bag was made naturally; it had to have been made in Ponyville. Where everyone wants me gone. Do they think I'm stupid? Despite the protests of her stomach, Rainbow turned away from the bag and chewed on some leaves from a nearby tree. It's all I have now- *pitoo*- ugh! Disgusting! Everything in this forest is old and soggy! Rainbow took another look at the appetizing bag, mouth still drooling from the smell. Well, there isn't really any way that it's a dangerous bag, and I need to get this taste out of my mouth… Grabbing the pink bag with her hooves, Rainbow ripped it open with her teeth, allowing the contents to spill out. Despite the cautions she took, the contents of the bag were not fitted to the smell. The reality was even better, composing of a few golden apples, a couple of apple tarts, some jugs of water and a first aid kit. Rainbow hadn't been this surprised since Rarity was fatally injured, but this was a different feeling. Happiness, and hope now flew through her mind. Now she can survive here for a few days to heal without going hungry, but her mind was back to it's previous state - thirsty for answers. As she consumed the apples, the questions stemming from the bag consumed her. Drinking the last bit of water from one of the jugs, Rainbow knew rationing was essential for her survival. She needed to act rational first, so she wanted to satiate her thirst for answers by analyzing a couple of questions. Who delivered these? Clearly, the apples and first aid kit make it seem like Applejack, but she was nodding her head in total agreement at the meeting. She's too honest to lie about that, so she's out. Without any other leads, Rainbow decided to tend a little to her wounds. Opening the first aid kit, there were substantially more bottles of medicine and bandages instead of the more serious wound treatments. It appeared to suit Rainbow's needs perfectly, just as the food had suited her hunger. Taking another look into the forest to make sure her mysterious gifter wasn't watching, Rainbow abandoned any belief that this was an enemy and proceeded to apply medicine-soaked bandages onto her wings. The wings are top priority, the rest of my body can wait. I need to get flying soon before I run out of this food. Judging that sleep would suit the healing best, Rainbow proceeded to resume her rest on a dark, shaded patch of grass on the side of a nearby tree. As her eyelids drooped down, a peculiar sound came from the tree stump. Shooting up in a flash, Rainbow noticed a hooded figure dashing away from the stump, having left another small bag. "Hey! Wait up!" Rainbow called out. "I'm not going to hurt you, I want to thank you for the gifts!" The hooded figure kept running into the forest, briefly turning around to check if Rainbow was chasing her. Well, just because that 'thing' is helping me out doesn't mean I shouldn't know who it is. Rainbow gave chase, quickly making ground on the fleeing figure. Just as she was within spitting distance, her side seared with pain. Her wing caught a branch hanging loosely from a tree, increasing the pain already present in the injury. Argh! That branch... wait, I’m not bleeding? Then I can still run! The hooded presence looked back, seemingly worried about Rainbow while continuing to flee the scene. Her progress was halted by an unnoticed tree, to which Rainbow promptly dashed to the knocked down figure, despite the aching in her wing. The hooded escapist knew that it was futile to try and escape, deciding to lift it’s - her - hood to show Rainbow. Rainbow no sooner saw the face staring right into her eyes than remembered that face staring at her out from the window of Sugarcube Corner. “Pi...Pinkie?” END OF CHAPTER TWO
Hope and SorrowI am not prepared for this. There wasn’t much to do in a situation like this, where emotions are running high and you don’t know what to do. Seeing the sight of one of her friends who still trusted her gave Rainbow something she hadn't felt since Rarity was murdered. Hope and happiness. "P…Pinkie? But… but why? Everypony else hates me and I thought you did too! What made you-" It took all of her effort not to tear up, but it was a lost cause after Pinkie interrupted her speech with a tug into a tight embrace. They both had tears flowing out of their eyes, but for the first time in a while, both were of happiness and relief. "I'd always believe you. You would never do such a thing, Dashie. I will always lo-” “It’s just... it’s really nice to see you Pinkie. I’m not sure what I’d do without a friend by my side,” Rainbow interrupted. As if she had something important to say before she was interrupted, Pinkie sighed at the missed opportunity to express her feelings. “I’m not sure what I should do though, Pinkie. I have no way of getting inside the town to get the rest of our friends to back me up, and they wouldn’t even listen to me anyway.” Even though this news sounded horrible to Rainbow, it didn't phase Pinkie in the slightest. If anything, she smiled with a happier tone to her voice. "Oh, come on, Dashie! I'll just convince them myself! Sometimes, they don't seem to take me seriously, but I'll just ask them if they can come to see you and I'm sure they will! …Oh, no. Now that everypony's back from their celebrations, Twilight will be busy speaking to them about you. I guess I can still get Fluttershy and Applejack!" Only Pinkie could make a pony this happy, even after everything she had already been through. This could be Rainbow’s ticket to freedom, justice and a chance at living a semi-normal life. Nothing would ever be like it used to be- not without Rarity. “Pinkie... you don’t understand how happy it makes me to hear that coming from you. It’s been nearly impossible to deal with what’s happened... it’s relieving to hear that everything can work out in the end.” Pinkie smiled at her kind words, keeping them close to heart. It was all she needed to hear before leaving, even if there was something she still wanted to say. As Pinkie walked away towards Ponyville, Rainbow found a comfy spot on the ground to think. I’ve got some time on my hands, maybe I can set things a little straight in my own mind before getting things straight with my friends. Most of what happened in the last while seemed to relate to Dawson primarily, who is probably a good place to start. Who even is Dawson? He seems like a fantastic flyer... no, that question is too broad. Let’s see... why would he kill Rarity, and how does he know me? I’ve never seen him before, and I’m pretty sure Rarity looked at him in confusion. I’d be pretty confused if I faced some homicidal pony I haven’t met before. But how does he maintain his calm demeanour? ...Ugh! This is so pointless! All I’m doing is making more questions for myself... Rainbow judged that waiting for Pinkie was probably a better idea. Thinking of answers to questions she could only dream of figuring out turned out to do more bad than good. Now there was more conflict in her own mind, and even though the situation seemed good and under control, Rainbow’s struggle to remain sane was becoming more and more difficult. The tension building inside Rainbow lasted for hours, brooding as she sat on the ground unmoving. It came as a huge relief when she could see a familiar pink figure coming towards her. Pinkie. I know she has good news. Sure enough, Pinkie came with a bright smile on her face, as though she were proud of something. “Dashie, guess what? Fluttershy wasn’t available since she’s helping out Twilight with something, but I got Applejack on the bandwagon! Isn’t that great?” Pinkie said, cheerily. Pinkie jumped up and down repeatedly, but Rainbow didn’t share the sentiment. As she shook her head, Pinkie slowed down her excitement in confusion. “Didn’t you hear me, Dashie? I said-” “Yes, I know what you said. It’s just that it seems out of character for Applejack to do something like accept me so easily, even if you were advocating for me. She seemed dead set that I was a menace to the town at that meeting or whatever it was,” Rainbow explained. Pinkie shuffled her hooves a little, mumbling under her breath. “Well, I guess I forgot to mention... she doesn’t actually believe you, but she wants to meet you over by Fluttershy’s cottage. She wants to see you personally to see if you are lying or not.” “What about Fluttershy? Won’t she be upset to see me?” “We’re planning on meeting behind a tree out of sight from her windows. The idea we had was to get Fluttershy in it if Applejack agrees that you’re innocent. She’ll jump on the bandwagon too, and I am guessing that the three of us will be enough to make the case for Twilight. It’ll only branch out from there,” Pinkie explained. Rainbow pondered Pinkie’s words. It all makes sense, but what if Applejack doesn’t believe me? Sure, I know I’m telling the truth, but maybe the pressure or the anxiety will change how it looks to Applejack... Pinkie put her hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder and smiled assuringly, giving Rainbow a newfound sense of hope. She smiled in turn. “Don’t worry, Dashie. I know you might think Applejack won’t get it right, but she will. It’s not about what appears on your coat, it’s what she sees in your heart through your eyes. She’ll know the truth,” Pinkie said. What if... what if what I think isn’t the truth? Those words haunted Rainbow on the journey to Fluttershy’s cottage, despite any attempts she made to remove them with small talk. “Pinkie, I noticed there was a first aid kit and some apple stuff in the bag. How did you get those from Applejack? You didn’t steal them, did you?” Rainbow inquired. Pinkie brightened up with a smile, coming up with a logical answer for everything. There was something about that that bothered Rainbow. She was acting differently; she was happy like her usual self, but her attitude was off. She was logical instead of random, and she seemed to take a lot of interest in Rainbow. “Well, the first aid kit was from Sugarcube Corner. Applejack isn’t the only one that has one!” Pinkie joked. “Applejack gave me the apple stuff to give to you as a little treat for cleaning her barn. This was before the... inci...” Pinkie choked up a little at the memory of her fallen friend. It brought up flashes of Pinkie’s shocked face to Rainbow, who was close to tears before she caught sight of Applejack sitting by a tree. All of the thoughts in her mind dissipated as she saw the opportunities that could take place. “Applejack! I’m so happy you’re here!” No response from Applejack except an accusing stare as she marched towards Rainbow assertively. As she got closer and closer, still not saying a word, Rainbow felt more and more anxious. What if she can’t tell if I’m telling the truth? As Applejack approached within a nose of Rainbow, her face straightened to meet Rainbow’s directly. Despite her forwardness, Rainbow tried to make her case as good as possible by holding her ground. After what seemed like forever, Pinkie broke the two up and asked Applejack what she thought. “Rainbow, it seemed unlikely to me that you were the one at fault for the whole ordeal, but I started to have my doubts as everypony kept accusing you. Now that I’ve looked you in the eye...” Pinkie and Rainbow leaned in, perking their ears to hear the result. Applejack gave a light hearted smile as she opened her hooves out to Rainbow. “I believe everything Pinkie told me. I think ya’ll are innocent.” Rainbow rushed at Applejack to accept the invitation, embracing her tightly. Pinkie joined soon after, happy to see her friends reconciling. “You don’t know how good it is to hear-” Rainbow stopped abruptly when she caught a glint of red on the other side of the tree, with a devilish smile on his face. “Hello, Rainbow. Thanks for making my housekeeping duties so much easier, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Dawson said. Rainbow was about to protest to Dawson and tell her friends of the impending attack, when she caught sight of a squad of soldiers rushing over. They must have seen Rainbow in the distance and decided to come to detain her. Breaking apart the hug with Applejack, she smiled with satisfaction to Dawson, who seemed frightened by the sudden realization. “Looks like you’re done, Dawson. They’ll put you in prison forever,” Rainbow taunted Dawson. Just as the guards came within spitting distance of everypony, Dawson turned with a scowl to Pinkie Pie. In the meantime, Applejack stared at Dawson with a look of anger and frustration. “You really are something. I hope you wind up in a prison cell for the rest of your life,” Applejack said sharply to Dawson. Applejack was too far away from Dawson to lunge, but she began charging at him before he acted on Pinkie in desperation. Rainbow knew exactly why she was doing this. Dawson has a knife pointed at Pinkie! I have to save her! With a quick lunge to Pinkie, Rainbow expected to see Dawson lunge at the same time, but was surprised to discover that her own world went pitch black quickly, without any foreseeable reason. Dawson hadn’t even touched her yet. No... What’s going... on... Pinkie... *************************************************************************************************************** The pitch darkness that had dominated Rainbow’s vision turned into a dazzling white light as she opened her eyes, illuminating the now visible room. It had a simple white design, with a bed and sink pressed against the walls. Rainbow made an attempt to rub her eyes so she can adjust them better, but was surprised to discover a yellow binding kept her hooves crossed over herself. A… a straightjacket? Where am I? What happened? "HELP ME!!!!" No answer. Complete silence filled the room for a few minutes, until a scruffy voice reassured her that she was not alone. "Hello, Rainbow," the voice projected from outside the door to her room. "You are currently residing in a rehabilitation institute with the purpose of helping you recover your mental state. We trust that-" "Hey, what's the big idea? I just blacked out, and all of a sudden, I wind up here! Let me go!" Rainbow yelled to the door. "And who's this 'we'?" "We had guessed you would be a little dazed. We are not suspecting or accusing you of murder or anything, but we believe that you may have some sort of mental ailment. The authorities will deal with you once we discover the nature of the problem. Determining if you are a criminal is not up to us." It wasn't easy to take in. Rather than argue about it, she decided to get the only question on her mind answered. After all, it would help her mental integrity, and isn't that the goal of this rehabilitation? "Could you just answer one question? I'll be subjected to whatever you want if you can answer it," Rainbow pleaded. "And what is that?" "What did you mean by murder? Is this going back to Rarity's death?" Silence for a few moments, as though the voice had something to say that would be difficult for Rainbow to comprehend. "Hello? Hey! Why won't you answer me?!" Rainbow called out. Her yelling was met by an upset sigh coming from the curious voice. "Rainbow, Pinkie Pie is dead." END OF CHAPTER THREE
