Rainbow's Wrath

Rainbow's Wrath

Part 2: Rebirth

Chapter 8: Willing Sacrifices

The young mare continued to stare at the statue of Rainbow Dash as its eye lit up, backing away as her filly continued to whine and cry in her arms. The large stone began to shake and crack as more markings glowed on the statue, with a loud mare's yelling slowly building up as it echoed through the area. Then the stone prison shattered to pieces as Rainbow Dash burst forth, alive once again. Her aura radiated about her as she stood before the young mare, who had fallen back in surprise from this emergence, and stared at the god she'd prayed to for years. Rainbow's aura faded slowly as she panted, slowly looking at her hands surprised she was alive. She clenched her fists to test her joints, when she heard her name called and looked to the village pony. She said to the mare, "Where… am I…?" The mare tilted her head in confusion, and upon closer inspection, Rainbow Dash realized the mare looked just like, "Zap Apple…?"

The girl blinked and said, "Zap Apple? My name is Lola Artery." She looked around and saw the flower she'd left on the table. She grabbed it and held it out to Rainbow Dash. "Peace be with you, lord Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash stared at the flower for a moment, before the area began to quake again. Lightning stroked in the sky, and the baby began to cry again, causing Rainbow Dash to raise a brow as she realized where the baby cries she'd heard came from. Lola dropped the flower and looked terrified, holding her baby close as she jumped down from the shrine. Ape Blanks fell from the sky and landed before her, blocking her path to the stone bridge as they howled at her. A gorilla Blank leapt from the nearby rocks and grabbed the poor mare, running off with her. It howled back at the smaller apes as it rushed off, and Rainbow Dash watched this with an angry glare.

She pumped her fists back and shot forward, punching two in the face hard enough to send them flying off. Two more tried to block her path, but she leapt in the air and did a split kick to the sides of their faces, sending them over the edges of the bridge and falling into the abyss. She reached the end of the short bridge, a staircase lead down to an opening in the surrounding rock walls, obviously the path to the village where Lola had been taken. Five ape Blanks tried to block her path, but she dive bombed down to them, smashing one into the ground. She grabbed two by the backs of their heads and slammed their faces together rapidly until they could no longer stand. As she dropped the lifeless beasts to disintegrate, one swung at her back. She twisted around and kicked his arm away, before stomping it in the side and sending it slamming back into the stairs. The last leapt at her, but she slid under it and grabbed its ankle. She then twirled the poor creature above her head before tossing it down into the abyss.

Rainbow Dash wiped her hands clean, and sprinted off after the gorilla Blank that made off with Lola. When she got to the village, she saw it was built into the sides of a snowy mountain valley, several passages with pillars keeping them up, and bridges reached from one side to the other. The cry of a pair of large bird Blanks could be heard as they flew near her, off to terrorize the valley, and that's when she saw the gorilla holding Lola under its arm. It howled at her angrily and rushed away, Rainbow quickly giving chase.

Her palms opened, and she shot her ki rapid fire at the creature as it twisted and turned through the village. They ran by homes in the walls, and over bridges. The Blank through balls of dark energy on the floor to slow Rainbow down, but she easily swerved around them and jumped over them. As she rapid fired the creature, she noticed it beginning to slow down, and when she got the chance she gave it a good punch in the back. The creature leapt forward but continued its pace, refusing to stop as it ran up stairs and between narrow rock walls. As they passed a wooden fence built along the Cliffside, the creature noticed lots of laundry hung up to dry. It leapt up and gave the ropes a swipe, and Rainbow Dash was bombarded with clothes. She quickly threw it off, blushing in confusion as a pair of panties was on her face. She tossed it aside, and sprinted even faster after the Blank.

Rainbow then saw an opportunity, and dashed across the canyon, landing on a wall along the gorilla's path. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the creature turned to look at her, only to have her leap forward with a powerful punch to its face. It flew over the edge, Lola flying from his arms, who Rainbow Dash quickly caught and found a safe place to land down below. She found herself in the main part of the village, a large town square surrounded by large building and gates, as well as ponies running about screaming in terror as Blanks attacked them.

One stallion fell to his knees and prayed, as villagers and Blanks rushed past him. He stayed like that, until the giant foot of a Blank that looked like an alligator snapping turtle smashed him. Rainbow Dash set Lola down and patted her shoulder, walking toward the giant Blank as it roared.

It charged at Dash, and she rolled to the side avoiding its snapping maw. It gave chase, Rainbow swerving out of the way as it crashed into a wall. The turtle's back spikes lit up, and began to fire dark energy blasts upward. They're shadows covered the ground as Rainbow Dash dodged between them, punching at the creature's soft underside. The Blank withdrew into its shell, and began to spin rapidly, abruptly slamming into Dash and sending her flying away. She flipped to her feet, watching the creature spin around the area before coming to a stop and poking back out of its shell.

Rainbow Dash made her way towards the Blank, which tried to stomp on her. She caught the foot and pushed it off herself, flying into its face and grabbing its upper jaw. She dragged its head backwards, its neck could be heard cracking, and landing on its shell before punching it in the face. The creature went limp on the floor from her punch. Rainbow then landed in front of the beast, and charged up enough aura in her fist to send the turtle spiraling backwards with an sucker punch, and into a wall.

The Blank crawled to its feet, and fired dark energy like rapid fireballs at Dash. She flipped out of the way and tried to go after the creature, but every time she got close a wall of dark energy blast blocked her path. The creature then withdrew into its shell and spun after Rainbow Dash again, but she flew out of the way of the assault. The Blank stopped at the center of the area, Rainbow landing at the edge, and she flew hovering across the ground towards the turtle Blank. Her fist landed under its jaw with an uppercut that made it rear its head back in the air with more cracks being heard. Rainbow Dash clenched both her fists, and as the Blank's head came back down she delivered another punch that lifted it into the air. She flew above it, and punched it diagonally back down into the ground so hard it bounced, before hitting the floor lifeless and disintegrating.

Rainbow Dash watched it disappear, and then heard several voices saying her name. She turned around to see the villagers, even Lola, come out of their hiding places, and begin to bow to her in prayer of thanks. She scowled in disgust and said, "Stop praying! This is pathetic…" Then Rainbow Dash realized she wasn't the only one being bowed to, and looked up to the sky to see a fleet of military ships in the sky. Lotus pods fell from the fleet, landing in the courtyard and letting loose several earth pony soldiers and large stallions. "This is madness."

The villagers looked elated by their arrival, and rushed to Rainbow's sides, bowing and chanting prayers to the soldiers. The soldiers stepped aside, as a familiar face floated towards Rainbow Dash with a stuffed bunny in her arms. "So this is the reason for the unusual Mantra concentration in these parts…" Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth in anger when she saw who it was. "How disappointing," said Fluttershy as she hovered before her old friend with a sarcastic smirk. "I suppose I should collect the Mantra and report back to Lord Celestia." She looked out to the villagers and lifted Angel above her head as she said in her ventriloquist voice, "Mortals! The Blanks have defiled your land! Before your tarnished souls fall to Limbo, miss Fluttershy will guide you to Heaven! Isn't that nice of her? Boing boing!" She motions to a nearby soldier, who activates an odd looking machine which makes sounds like it's charging up. Then she motions to one of the large stallions, who made his way toward the villagers.

Rainbow Dash watched in confusion as he pointed to the sky, and the villagers excitedly began to bow. Suddenly, the stallions fist crushed one of the villagers into the ground, killing him. Rainbow Dash cried out, "Stop! What are you doing!?"

Fluttershy gently stroked a finger over her dolls head and said, "I need not explain our ways to the fallen. A monkey like you wouldn't understand anyways." The villagers stared at their dead friend terrified, and began to bow and pray again with renewed vigor. The large stallion made his way to them, and began to stomp and punch them all to death one by one, and what shocked Rainbow Dash the most was they appeared to be happy. Then she watched as their Mantra floated from their bodies, and was sucked into the machines ends by propellers, the one large eye on the machine glowing with their souls.

Rainbow Dash shook with rage and ran towards Fluttershy, punching her in the face. Her hand went through her though, as the Fluttershy before her was simply an illusion. Rainbow Dash was shocked by this and stepped back as the Fluttershy hologram said, "What could you accomplish by trying to hurt us?" She waved Angel at her and said in her alternate voice, "Enjoy your new lease on life, doody head. It won't be very long." The hologram vanished and the soldiers began to kill all the villagers.

Lola was nearby, screaming at a pony who was obviously her parent. "Father, get up! Stop praying! Don't just sit there and wait to die! We don't have to die!" Her father just shook his head in tears staring at the floor. She held her baby close terrified as one of the stallions walked towards them, rearing his fist back.

When he stuck for them, his punch was caught in Rainbow's palm, blocking his way. She glared at him and said, "What the hell are you doing?" She pushed his fist back, and as he stumbled, she leapt into the air and punched him in the chest. He flew back into the wall behind him so hard his shirt exploded and a small crater formed. Lola nuzzled her filly, and her father and she rushed off. "I won't stand for this." She turned to the rest of the soldiers clenching her fist. "Your lives will end here!"

Another large stallion walked up to her and said, "Surrender your soul to us. You must be saved." He took a fighting stance as if to intimidate her.

Rainbow Dash looked at the stallion dumbfounded, before charging her hands with aura. "Did you say something?" Rainbow tackled through the front line of soldiers, the stallion leaping into the air. Rainbow Dash flipped back out of the way as he came slamming back down with a body slam. She roundhouse kicked him in the face and sent him flying with a broken nose, twisting around to continue the kick and cut through the earth pony soldiers poleaxes. She punched the ground to create a shockwave that sent them back, and as they flew back, a pegasus soldier flew past them with his sword outstretched. Rainbow Dash stepped to the side of his thrust and grabbed the blade and his wrist, spinning him around and throwing him back the way he came.

The stallion came back behind Rainbow Dash, slamming into her and sending her flying towards a wall. She landed on her feet and pushed off the wall, flying a fist straight back into the stallion's gut and sending him flying back, knocking over the smaller troops like bowling pins. He climbed to his feet, only to have both of Rainbow's feet stomp into his face, flipping him upside down as he flew back into the wall. Rainbow Dash flipped off his face and landed gently, flapping her wings. She turned away and held her face as she said, "Can nothing quell my anger?"

She stomped towards a lone earth pony soldier, the last standing in this field of destruction, lacking a weapon thanks to the earlier shattering kick from Rainbow Dash. The soldier cringed and cowered, shaking her head in terror as Rainbow Dash approached. She grabbed the soldier by the neck, who tried to cover her face and look away. Rainbow punched past her hands, and the poor mare cried, "Leave me be!"

"What?" Rainbow Dash reared her fist back and punched her harder, breaking her nose.

She whimpered and said, "We were only saving the souls of the mortals!"

"That matters not to me!" She reared back and the earth pony began to cry, shaking her head as she desperately tried to pull out of the angry mare's grasp.

The two of them paused hearing a thumping noise, and looked behind Rainbow to see Lola slamming a rock against one of the dead earth ponies. "Monsters!" the poor mare cried as she weakly assaulted the already lifeless soldier.

Rainbow looked to see Lola's father and child laying lifelessly nearby. Rainbow Dash stared at this for a moment, before her grip loosened and dropped the earth pony soldier. She screamed and ran for her life, as the cyan pony walked over to poor Lola, catching her wrist in mid swing. Lola sniffled and looked back at Rainbow Dash as she said, "I know how you feel." Lola dropped the rock and stared at the floor for a moment. Rainbow Dash turned to the fleet, clenching her fist as Lola stared up at her. "You let me handle them."

Lola wiped her eyes and said, "This isn't the first time… When I was a little girl my mother and I visited a nearby village that came under attack by the Blanks. The Seven Deities came at purified them, but not just them. A lot of villagers were caught in the cross fire, including my mother. Rather than defy this tyranny, everyone sees it as an honor, as being guided to heaven, and gladly give their lives. When I found your shrine, I heard tales of the aura it gave off that scared away Blanks, but I felt no fear. You reminded me of my mother when I saw your face, and I visited you every day, offering you flowers. Everyone just stood there, but you didn't. You took action!" She scowled with puffy red eyes and said, "Make them pay!"

Rainbow Dash nodded with a small smirk and said, "I intend to."

End Pt. 2 Ch. 8