The Black Hours

Chapters

I - The Cost of War
II - Lost Survivor
III - Spare Me
IV - The Cell

I - The Cost of War

Fire and ash. That was all Rainbow Dash could see as she flew slowly along the devastated street. Her mane whipped from the gentle force of the breeze, a calm aftermath of the strong winds that had battered the place only minutes before. Her slate-grey body armour was torn across the back to reveal a set of deep cuts that stung her skin, weakening the power of her wings as the pain throbbed angrily across her spine. The city was like a ghost town: some of the remaining members of her flight team sat on the ground tending to injured civilians, while others hovered above her head, gazing over the damage that could have been prevented.

The attack on Manehattan had been unexpected and catastrophic. It was Rainbow’s job to lead the pegasi troop across Equestria, protecting large cities and small villages from a possible invasion. This one, however, took the city ponies by complete surprise, the creatures appearing seemingly out of nowhere to ravage their homes and tear down the landmarks with their new-found strength and power. Rainbow Dash had received word almost immediately, but the problem came from how far away she had been situated at the time.

As she observed the unrecognisable streets, her heart grew heavy with guilt. If she and her team had been closer to the area, maybe more lives could have been saved. She should have been more careful; she should have kept a close eye on everypony, not stayed in one place thinking everything was fine. The haunting sounds of sobbing and retching that came from the city’s survivors tugged painfully at something deep inside her. This was her fault.

Suddenly, her heartbeat rose significantly as another thought came to her mind: Rock Rush, the stallion who had stayed closest to her side out of her whole team; where was he? The pace of her wings quickened as she darted to and fro, her eyes searching for any sign of her right-hoof pony. Her forehead began to sweat in panic; what if the power of the destruction had overpowered him and he had been swept away? What if she couldn’t find him again? Or what if… what if the worst had happened?

No. Rainbow wouldn’t think it. Rock Rush was a strong and courageous pony; not the type to fall into disasters. Still, these reassurances didn’t stop her heart from hammering violently against her chest.

She rushed further along the street, raising herself high to get a wide view of the demolished city. When she was about to give up hope , she saw him: a storm-cloud coloured stallion with an even darker mane and tail, lying against what remained of a skyscraper. The building was now a mere stump instead of a towering fortress.

After a momentary feeling of relief, Rainbow Dash’s spirits sank as she flew closer to him. He was motionless, his body slumped clumsily against the ruins, his eyes firmly closed, and his wings sagged uselessly along the ground. She approached him with speed, her legs collapsing to the ground as she put her fore-hooves carefully around his head.

“Rock?” she asked desperately.

There was no response.

She glanced over his body, starting to feel sick as she noticed the bruises and grazes that scattered his figure. He couldn’t be… no, he just couldn’t be. Rainbow refused to admit it.

“Rock, can you hear me?” she said more loudly, shaking him to try and get a reaction. “Rock! Wake up!”

And then, to her heart’s joy, Rock stirred. He let out a weak groan through his lips, his eyes slowly blinking as he began to focus on the world around him. As soon as he recognized Rainbow Dash staring expectantly at him, he grinned feebly.

“Hi, gorgeous.”

If he hadn’t been battle-worn and exhausted, she probably would have hit him over the head, but she was far too thankful to see him alive, well, and smiling, with that cheeky glint in his eye. So instead, she settled for rolling her eyes at him. “You’re not funny.”

He replied with a mischievous smile, before his eyes turned serious, searching her face for information. “What happened?” he asked, hitching himself up with some strained effort. “Did we win?”

Rainbow Dash’s smile faltered, ears flattening against her head. “Sort of.”

She cocked her head to examine his bruised shoulders. “You’re hurt pretty bad, Rock. We should probably get one of the medics to look you over.”

He scoffed. “Rainbow, please. I’ve been through a lot worse in my life, and this is nothing compared to – ow!”

Rock made the mistake of trying to stand up, but fell back down with a pained grunt as his bruised shoulder gave way on him. Rainbow eyed him with a smirk. “Oh, sure. It’s nothing.”

He glowered at her. Rainbow Dash knew that his ego was just as big as hers, and she had learned over time that he would often hide pain or emotions behind a confident image. Now didn’t that sound familiar?

“Tease me all you want, Dash,” Rock replied, sneaking a gaze to the incision in the mare’s armour, “but it looks like you need medical attention just as much as me. And don’t try and deny it,” he added as she opened her mouth to protest.

He then moved his eyes off her to stare at the surrounding area, and his expression fell in shock. When he was last awake, Manehattan had at least been recognizable as the magnificent city it was, but now the only things visible were debris, smoke, and collapsed buildings that reminded him of ugly mounds you would find at a rubbish dump.

“No,” Rock croaked, his eyes unable to move from the horrible sight. “Dash…” Rainbow lifted her head in response to her name, looking somewhat nervous. “What happened?” he stammered.

“A lot happened,” Rainbow replied bluntly. “But, Rock, we saved nearly everypony.”

“But this…” Rock Rush murmured with a disbelieving shake of his head. “This is just awful. Why did it have to be this bad?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t reply. She was never sure on how to reassure ponies in situations like these. Worst of all, she knew Rock Rush had a good heart and could be quite sensitive. How was she supposed to make him feel better when there was hardly any nice news to give?
After a moment of awkward silence, with Rock staring sadly at the ground, Rainbow exhaled the breath she had been holding with a helpless sigh. “Hey. We tried our best while you were out, and we managed to hold the army off in the end. There are survivors – quite a lot of them actually, so that’s something to be happy about.”

She wasn’t sure how comforting her words were. Thankfully, Rock nodded his head, albeit forlornly, and returned her stare with a small smile. “I believe you, Rainbow. You always try your hardest – toughest pegasus I know, and definitely the best team captain.”

Rainbow wanted to smile at the compliment, but the events of the day held her back. Being the captain of a patrol team of fighters was honourable, but she had hoped for something better before the war started. Sadly, that dream was no longer in her sights.

“Rainbow Dash, you’re bleeding.”

Rock’s worried voice turned Rainbow’s attention to the wound on her back. She was indeed bleeding; a sizeable trail seeping out of the longest cut, staining her armour like a little red stream.

“I’ll get it looked at.”

“But what happened to you?”

“One of them grabbed hold of me while I was flying and got its teeth into me,” she said nonchalantly, moving her eyes straight back to Rock Rush. “But it doesn’t matter. You need to be checked first. You’ve been out the longest and you don’t even have the strength to get up yet.”

Ignoring his petulant grimace, she reached into her pocket and passed him the small bottle of water she had been carrying. “Drink some of this, it’ll do you good. And stay right here.” She rose off her hooves with a flap of her wings. “I’m going to get some help so they can see to you.”

Rock took a long-needed swig of water before releasing a satisfied breath and meeting her eyes again. His expression slowly turned to one of concern as he examined his friend. “Are you all right, Dash?”

She shrugged with a frown. “Sure, why wouldn't I be? I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Rainbow, wait a second.” The mare paused in her flight and turned back to Rock, realising she was afraid of hearing what he was going to say. The stallion appeared to muster some effort to get his words out. “How many?”

She stared at him with a raised eyebrow, puzzled, though in her heart, she knew exactly what he was asking. “How many what?”

“How many… did we lose?”
Rainbow's voice unexpectedly caught in her throat. She avoided his questioning gaze for a moment or two, her eyes fixed guiltily on the ground. Eventually, she found her voice, though it was fragile. “I don’t know.”

Rock Rush stared at her without emotion, processing her words, and then nodded solemnly. Feeling pain tug at her heart, Rainbow Dash quickly turned away from him and continued her flight back the way she came, trying to ignore the building tears in her eyes and the sound of a crying filly in the distance.

Author's Note

Hi, everyone! Wow, this is the first fanfiction I've posted here for at least a year.

To be honest, I have no idea where this story came from. One day the plotline just came to my head, and it was originally just going to be a one-shot, but once I started writing it, I couldn't stop.

So now it's just sort of... taken off.

I'm really excited about the future of this fic, since it's the first multi-chapter story I've attempted in months, and I hope it pays off. Most importantly, I hope YOU guys like it.

Please leave me your comments! They mean the world to me. :)

II - Lost Survivor

“There we are, honey. Good as new,” a periwinkle-blue mare said sweetly, making final adjustments to the bandage around Rock Rush’s withers. She flicked her hot-pink mane out of her eyes as she stepped back to admire her work, before giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “You took quite a beating, didn’t you?”

Rock shrugged with an amused grin. “Can’t say I didn’t throw myself into it.” He cast Rainbow Dash a mischievous look, who hovered a few feet above them with her own bandage strapped neatly around her back to cover her scratches.

“If I know you at all, Rock,” the rainbow-haired pegasus said, “I reckon you were more than willing to throw yourself into it.”

She took a moment to observe her bandaged back, a grateful smile forming on her lips. Only faint blotches of blood were visible under the material, and her wound had stopped stinging a long time ago. “Thanks for patching us up, Beryl.”

“It’s no problem, darling,” Beryl Sky replied, adopting her familiar motherly tone. “Looks like I need to be around more often if you two are going to take so much damage.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Beryl,” Rock commented with a grin, earning an embarrassed blush from the older mare.

Beryl Sky was older than the majority of Rainbow Dash’s team, as well as being unusually stylish for a medic pony. It was her kind and giving personality, however, that made her such an asset to the group. Whenever they felt low, undermined, or needed a gentle mare’s touch to heal both their physical and emotional wounds, Beryl would be there.

It was pleasing for Rainbow Dash to see Rock recovering so well; Beryl was even able to get him back on his feet after a few painful groans. She looked around to study the city. It was much less clouded with ash than before, her throat no longer feeling itchy from dust, and the atmosphere was considerably calmer, though of course, not completely recuperated.

Beryl had done her magic throughout the group of remaining ponies, reassuring both scouts and residents alike, sometimes helping split families to be reunited. Still, despite the improvement in conditions, to see the grand city Manehattan – the place she had fond memories of with her friends – torn apart and scrunched up like a piece of paper, sent sad shudders across Rainbow Dash’s body. Would she ever see it again as it once was? It was possible, but somehow, she doubted it.

“Rainbow Dash, sweetheart.” Beryl’s soft voice snapped the pegasus out of her thoughts. “You look completely worn out. Don’t burden yourself with any more trouble today. Petal and I will take care of the last few casualties. Why don’t you and Rock have some rest while your injuries heal?”

The kind sparkle in Beryl’s eyes was enough to make her feel a complete sense of trust in the lilac mare. “Sure,” she replied with a smile. “Thanks, Beryl.”

The pretty earth pony returned her beam, reaching a hoof out to affectionately rub under her chin. “You may be a war patrol captain, Rainbow, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t look out for you. You’ve done brilliantly today, no matter what anypony thinks – including yourself.”

Leaving Rainbow Dash with a warm feeling in her chest, Beryl made her way off, approaching a unicorn mare curled up nearby with a foal beside her. Rainbow felt Rock Rush walk to her side as she stared admirably at the medic pony.

“I’m glad we’ve got her on our side,” the stallion murmured.

“Me too,” Rainbow Dash agreed with a nod. “She’s a really kind pony – reminds me a little of Fluttershy.”

“Sorry, of who?”

Rainbow Dash turned her head to meet Rock’s confused expression, a twinge of sadness pinching her stomach. “Oh… she’s just a friend of mine from back home. Not important.”

She averted his gaze, wrapping her tail despondently around her haunches. It was conversations like these that made her feel downhearted; the memories she had of the times before the present, and the thought of knowing that she may not have the joy of those times again. At least, not for a long time.

Rock sensed her discomfort, stepping forward to lay a hoof on his captain’s shoulder. “Rainbow, I know you miss your friends. It’s hard for all of us to be away from home. But I’m telling you now: it'll all be over some day, and we won’t have to live through this anymore. We just have to fight through these last few battles, then everypony will be safe. We’ll be home again. Isn’t that worth it?”

Rainbow Dash let out the breath she had been holding with a gentle wisp of air, seemingly more relaxed. Rock waited patiently for her to reply, knowing that she would often take quiet moments to compose herself during times like these. After a few seconds, she turned to him with a smile. “I know it’ll be worth it.”

Rock chuckled, gently patting her hoof. “Let’s face it, Dash: we’re bound to be okay with an amazing pony like you leading the team.”
She could do nothing but smile – not out of shyness, but pride. “Gotta give credit where it’s due.”

Rock laughed more loudly, then tenderly pulled her closer to him, surprising Rainbow Dash with the sudden intimacy. “You make me laugh. I love that about you – and have I ever told you that your eyes are like beautiful rubies?”

“Only about a hundred times,” Rainbow Dash remarked sarcastically.

“And yet it never seems to convince you.” He raised his eyes playfully. “Maybe I can convince you in other ways.”

As soon as Rainbow realised that he was leaning in to try and kiss her, she came to her senses and quickly pushed him back. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. We’re not going there.”

“Are you sure?” Rock Rush asked with a smile, not seeming disappointed or deterred in any way.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Rainbow replied indignantly, though she couldn’t help returning his infectious grin. “Don’t get me wrong, Rock – you’re awesome, and I like you a lot – just not in that way.”

He nodded with acceptance, finally stepping away to give her space, but the mischievous look did not leave his face for one moment. “Well – we’ll just see where life takes us, won’t we?”

Rainbow Dash scoffed with amusement, quite astounded by his confident remarks, deciding not to say anything else.

Rock Rush was certainly unlike any pony she had met previously. He was smug, over-confident, witty, and yet had such a kind heart among all those qualities. This was what made him so likeable to Rainbow Dash, and why they had become near-inseparable since their first meeting.

She was never sure whether to take his flirting as a compliment or not, since Rock was the type of stallion who flirted with any mare he saw. But she had noticed the way he’d been looking at her from time to time – was it really just casual flirting? If not, it would make the situation uncomfortable for Rainbow Dash. She definitely liked him, and took his compliments on the chin without thinking much of it. But if he was looking for more than friendship… no. It couldn’t happen. Friendship was the only thing Rainbow Dash found comfort in, knowing that well enough from her time in Ponyville. Anything more than that would probably do more harm than good.

She bit her lip as she smiled at him, before suddenly realising how tired she felt. Rubbing her eyes, she said to him, “We should take Beryl’s advice and get some rest. We don’t know when we’ll need our strength again.”

Rock quickly agreed, beginning to lead them off in the direction of their base. But before they had even taken a few steps, a sudden movement caught Rainbow Dash’s eye. Stopping in her tracks, she looked to her right, where something out of place was moving among the rubble. It was a piece of pink fabric – most likely torn from bedding or clothing – draped between two pieces of shard. A hump was formed underneath the cloth, and it was the movement of this hump that had alerted Rainbow. She could also hear something: a whimpering; incoherent sounds of struggling, perhaps even sobs of pain. Was it another survivor that hadn’t been counted for?

Rainbow looked back at Rock Rush to see that he had noticed it too, staring at the movements underneath the fabric with perplexity. She raised a hoof at him. “Stay here,” she ordered calmly, before using her wings to flap steadily over to the sounds. As she landed beside it, the movement intensified, and the whimpering appeared to become panic-stricken as it sensed the pony nearby.

“Uhh… hello?” Rainbow Dash asked awkwardly. “Are you hurt?”

It said nothing, retreating more tightly into itself as the bundle in the fabric became smaller. Rainbow noticed a tremble reverberating along the material, suggesting that the casualty was shaking with fear. She considered calling Beryl Sky over, since she was usually the best at handling those with a nervous disposition, but she decided to handle this on her own.

“It’s... err... okay, buddy,” she said, trying to soothe the frightened pony.

Cautiously, she stepped forward, brought her hoof underneath the edge of the fabric, and gently lifted it up. But what she saw was, in fact, not a pony at all. Her eyes widened in shock, a gasp escaping her, and she felt a mixture of both fear and intense anger. It was one of the monstrosities that had attacked Manehattan only minutes ago. The creature that lay trembling under the cloth, its black body curled into a coil, its electric-blue eyes staring straight at her – was a changeling.

III - Spare Me

“Everypony get away!” Rainbow Dash shouted, sparing no hesitation as she threw back the cloth and pinned her hooves down on the changeling’s neck. It began to choke under her weight, but it didn’t bother her in the slightest, considering how much she had come to resent the foul creatures.

The small number of civilians nearby heard Rainbow Dash’s warning and dispersed with alarmed screams, or at least backed away some distance from where she stood. Rock Rush, on the other hoof, cantered over immediately, limping slightly from his aching shoulder. He took in a horrified breath as he took in the sight of the changeling under Rainbow Dash’s firm hooves. It was squirming madly, chattering a strange language as its malformed legs flailed around, an unnerving buzz sounding from the movement of its insect-like wings.

“Don’t even think about going anywhere,” Rainbow Dash hissed into its ear, her teeth gritted.

As Rock Rush stepped closer to examine the changeling’s face more closely, its wild chattering began to change into intelligible words. “P-p-please! Mercy! … No… hurt me…!”

It was an extremely alien-like voice: croaky, high-pitched, and even possessed an unnerving growl, as if multiple creatures were talking at the same time.

Ruck Rush snorted in contempt. “Are you seriously asking me for mercy?”

“I – m-mean no harm…” the changeling stuttered, its entire body quivering.

“And why the hell should we believe you?” Rock Rush snarled, hatred evident in his voice.

“I – the only one left.” It paused to let out a strangled cough. “You can sp-spare me…”

“Give me one good reason why we should even consider sparing your life.” As he spoke, Rock Rush scooped up an abandoned knife from the ground and pressed the hem of the blade firmly against the creature’s neck, causing it to let out a terrified shriek. “Your kind are the cause of innocent ponies’ deaths everywhere. You’ve ransacked Equestria; you’ve destroyed the lives and happiness of families without any sympathy. Why should we give you any of our sympathy in return?”

The changeling swallowed hard against the knife, its eyes never leaving Rock’s. “I could – help you stop it…”

The stallion scoffed, not intending to listen to anything the animal had to say. Rainbow Dash, however, was beginning to feel a tiny sense of remorse as she observed the changeling in her clutches. She thought back to her previous meetings with the creatures, remembering most of them to be considerably larger than the one she was looking at. It also had a strangely innocent look in its eyes, as if it had never experienced true life, unlike its relatives.

She sighed to herself – it was a young one.

“Rock Rush…” she began hesitantly.

His eyes lifted to meet hers. “What?” he asked, rather sharply.

“Just... don't do anything you'll regret. This one's a juvenile; I don’t think it’s going to harm anypony.”

He looked at her, dumbfounded. “Rainbow, do you hear yourself? These creatures tore apart a beautiful city, not to mention tore apart innocent lives, and you’re actually prepared to pity them?”

“I don’t pity anypony,” Rainbow Dash retorted, narrowing her eyes. “But think about it: if we just kill a changeling without thinking about it, how does that make us any better than them?”

He opened his mouth to argue, but found his words being held back. He bit his lip with frustration, shaking his head, as he looked between Rainbow Dash and the wide-eyed changeling. “I don’t like this, Rainbow. You never know what could happen, even if only one creature escaped.”

“Well, I'll take that risk then,” Rainbow Dash said firmly. “But we’re not having any more deaths today.” She glanced at the changeling, seeing it shift uncomfortably between her hooves and Rock’s knife. “And you’ve gotta do as your captain commands, Rock. Got it?” Her voice acquired its sharp tone, something she had to use a lot during her time as a captain, even when addressing somepony she called a friend.

Rock inhaled a deep breath, trying to repress aggravation. After a few tense moments, he seemed to acknowledge defeat, reluctantly moving the knife from the changeling’s throat and tossing it angrily to the ground. He met her eyes, eventually regaining his calm composure. “Whatever you say, ma’am,” he said with a nod, and perhaps a ghost of a smile.

She shot him a grateful look, feeling an unspoken connection between them once more, before turning her attention back to the changeling beneath her. She didn’t want it under the impression that she’d gone soft, so immediately pressed her hooves more firmly onto its body, causing it to let out a shocked gasp.

“Now what do you mean “you can help us stop it”, huh?” she demanded with anger. “And you’d better talk quickly.”

The changeling had to take a few long-needed breaths before speaking again, its strange voice chilling Rainbow Dash to the bone. “I – have nothing left. No-one else to – to … just nothing else to live for. Hate all the – v-violence. Don’t want it no more. I – want to help stop it.”

Rock Rush audibly scoffed again, but Rainbow ignored him. She removed her front hooves from the changeling, allowing it some time to desperately inhale air, before lowering herself eye-to-eye with the animal and forcibly bringing its chin up to face her. “You listen to me: I have no reason to believe you. Your kind make me sick; they’ve given me too much trouble in the past, and I don't think you’ll be any different. But you seem... sort of weak compared to the others, and I don’t want to take lives without thinking about it.”

She could glimpse visible sheens of sweat gathering on the changeling’s coarse forehead as it fearfully held her gaze.

“You’ll be our prisoner,” she declared, “for now, at least. Maybe I'll find a use for you, but if not, or if you try anything suspicious,” her snout pressed firmly against the changeling to emphasize her warning, causing it to whimper like a baby animal, “you’re gone. Get me?”

After a tense hesitation, the changeling managed a nod. Rainbow got back to her feet, finally releasing the creature from her grasp, but giving it a swift kick with her back leg for good measure. “Don’t think for a moment that I’ll be nice to you.”

Ignoring the changeling’s groans, she turned to Rock Rush, who stood watching her movements. “Go and get Brisk Shade, will you?” she said. “We’re going to need some shackles.”

He nodded obediently, making his way off. But he then paused in his steps, turning to look uncertainly into Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “I really hope you know what you’re doing, Dash.”

She considered his statement for a moment, her eyes wavering thoughtfully, but responded confidently. “Well, I do.”

He gave her a less-than-comfortable smile, before heading off, reassuring some panic-stricken ponies along the way.

In truth, Rainbow Dash was not as comfortable as she was making herself out to be, but she had her reasons, and they were good reasons. She would never go back on any action she took, being a firm believer of having no regrets.

She glared at the changeling as it stared nervously up at her, its fangs grinding with fear. Undeterred, she marched over, tucked it roughly under her shoulder, and dragged it upwards to carry it while in flight. “I’m not letting you escape,” she snarled, staring straight ahead so she could catch up with Rock Rush.

The changeling squirmed in her clutches, its legs scraping across sharp stones as she travelled unnecessarily near to the ground, but she paid no mind. Soon it would be in a secure place, she would have everything under control, and everypony would be safe. At least – she hoped they would be.

Death seemed a better fate than this.

She was lying on the floor, alone and trapped, surrounded only by the steady tip-tap of rainwater falling as droplets from the ceiling. She stared miserably through the bars that contained her – ears drooped, her face feeling dry and tight from condensed air and dirt patches, while her mane was nothing more than a matted mess sticking to her neck.

A pair of green eyes became visible through the darkness, sauntering past her cell and gazing right at her. She wasn’t sure, due to the poor light, but she thought she could see a malicious smile creeping to the figure’s face. “Is everything to your satisfaction – your highness?” a male voice sneered.

She said nothing, but met the green gaze with defiance, determined not to be overpowered. She expressed her anger through a sharp whip of her purple tail.

“It’s such a shame,” the figure said, “a beautiful princess like you, worth so much more, to be locked in a place like this.” There was no true sound of pity in his voice.

“You have only yourself and the queen to blame for that,” the princess retorted.

The figure laughed lightly, his breath appearing in a wisp of thin vapour. “Oh, don’t worry – we have much planned for you yet. You just need to have patience, and it will become known to you in good time.”

The alicorn tried to shift forward, only to be held back by the heavy manacles clamped around her hooves. She sighed with frustration, before addressing the figure again. “I want to know what you’ll do with me. Why can’t you just keep me here and be done with it? I’m nothing when I’m tied up in a cell.”

“Oh, it may seem that way to you, of course, but you possess more power than even you yourself realise. We need to restrain it, and perhaps even use it for ourselves one day.”

She bared her teeth in anger. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“We would dare,” he sneered, visibly smirking. “Love hasn’t worked for us in the past, but perhaps the princess of friendship can show us another way to survive.”

“Like I’d ever help you,” the princess snarled.

The figure chuckled. “We’ll see about that. Good night, princess.”

As she was left alone once again in the darkness, the damp, and the emptiness, the alicorn felt her eyes grow moist. For the first time in her life, she felt completely powerless. This could end up being the worst defeat she had ever suffered. And it was her fault. If only she had done more, as she was expected to do as a princess, maybe none of it would have happened.

But there was hope yet, she reminded herself, forcing her tears back. After all, she was never alone in her battles: there were five very special ponies out there, undoubtedly fighting for peace. Maybe, for once, if she stood aside, and put her faith in them, things would be all right.

For now though, all she had to go to sleep to was a flickering wall lantern, instead of the comforting presence of a friend.

IV - The Cell

It was an odd transition from the ruin of Manehattan to the relaxed atmosphere of the lunch hall at the team’s main base. Rainbow Dash was seated alone at one of the tables, letting the noisy chatter fade out of her hearing. Lost in her thoughts, she was staring sullenly at the empty space on her table.

As a leader, she often found herself questioning her choices, wondering if she had done the right thing for everyone around her. Now she was feeling this more than ever. Had she made a mistake by sparing a changeling? Rock Rush had made it very clear he was opposed to the idea, and she would usually trust his opinion on anything. She wasn’t sure what had brought on her actions. Perhaps it was just her experiences; she had seen enough death and misery over the years, especially during this stressful time in her life. Had it made her sympathetic?

As soon as the word entered her mind, she pushed it away with annoyance. She would not accept that. 'Sympathetic' was not a characteristic she often beheld, and she was determined she never would.

A second later, the sharp thud of a plate hitting the table broke Rainbow out of her daydream. She blinked lazily, lifting her head from its place on her folded fore hooves, looking up to see Rock Rush gazing at her with concern.

She could have smirked. If anypony around here was the sympathetic one, it was Rock.

“Here,” he said calmly but firmly, nodding at the steaming hot food he had placed beside her. “Eat something. You need it.”

“Thanks, but I’m not hungry,” Rainbow replied, resting her head on her hooves again.

“You think you’re not hungry,” Rock pressed on, “but you haven’t touched food for at least a day and you’ve been working without a break. Trust me: you need something.”

Rainbow didn’t have the energy to argue further. Letting out a heavy sigh, she looked up at him. “Fine. Thanks, Rock.”

She drew the plate towards her to take in the scent of warm food. It was spaghetti, drenched in a succulent looking sauce. She took a fork and consumed a small mouthful, chewing gently at first, before realising how hungry she truly was, and suddenly eating larger mouthfuls more quickly.

“Mmmm!” she hummed eagerly. “This is good!”

Rock had to stifle a laugh, noticing how muffled her voice was while eating, as well as how little she seemed to care about table manners. “Knew you were hungry,” he commented with a wink.

“Who made this?” Rainbow asked, wide-eyed with excitement, stuffing a final forkful of spaghetti into her mouth.

“Who do you think?”

Rainbow considered for a second, then realised almost immediately. “Beryl?”

“Of course.”

She smiled knowingly, shuffling over to let Rock have a seat next to her. “She’s the best: great at cooking, cheering ponies up, patching them up after a battle. Don’t really know what we’d do without her.”

“She certainly keeps a keen eye on you,” Rock added, earning a sceptical stare from Rainbow. “Hey, I’m serious. She notices how hard you work, as well as the pressure you’ve got on your shoulders. She’s more of a mother to you than anyone else in the team.”

Her eyes clouded over in thought. “Yeah, but... I didn’t ask her to be. I’ve always preferred doing things like this by myself.”

“I don’t doubt that,” he whispered, giving her a friendly nudge. “But there’s nothing wrong with support to back you up. You know that better than anypony.”

She nodded in agreement, beginning to reminisce. She did indeed know that, considering all the things she’d been through. Those memories seemed distant to her now, only made worse by the situation and atmosphere she was in every day, and the chaos that surrounded herself and innocent ponies. How long would it go on for? Forever? Right now, that seemed likely. No end was in true sight. But that didn’t mean she was going to stop for anything.

They didn't speak for the next few minutes, the only movement coming from Rainbow Dash as she munched eagerly on her food. She felt an occasional twinge from the wound on her back, despite the comfort of Beryl’s bandage. She subconsciously wondered how Rock was feeling in regards to his own injuries; after all, she had found him almost dead only hours previously. As she took occasional glances at him, she felt happy to see that he looked content, sitting calmly beside her and sparing friendly gazes to the ponies that passed.

When he eventually met her eyes, she turned away quickly, returning her focus to her meal. It wasn’t long before he spoke again, his voice quiet. “That was a brave thing you did back there.”

She froze, biting the inside of her cheek. This was the last thing she wanted to talk about right now.

“Dealing with the changeling in the way you did,” Rock continued, encouraging Rainbow to look at him. “I mean – it’s not what I would have done, but you have your reasons, and it takes guts to do something like that.”

She rolled her eyes, not really taking his words as a compliment. “It’s not something I would have done a few months ago – that’s for sure.”

Rock raised his eyebrows curiously, sensing her remorse. “So… why did you spare its life like that? I’ve known you for a while, and it’s not something I expected of you.”

Rainbow exhaled, putting down her utensil. She knew she was going to have to explain herself in some way, but even she didn’t really know how to. It was bizarre: she understood herself better than anyone else, and yet she couldn't understand her own actions.

“I guess, with everything that's been happening – you just end up changing,” she admitted sadly. “I don’t feel like I’m the same pony I used to be, before all of this started. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done in the past, so maybe I’m just trying to make up for that.”

She met Rock’s eyes to study his reaction, only to find that, surprisingly, he was grinning at her. “Who would have thought it? Rainbow Dash – the daring flier, the born leader – not being proud of herself? Are you sure you’re the real Rainbow Dash?”

She cracked a smile as he gave her an affectionate push, but it quickly faded away again. “I don’t think even I know,” she replied morbidly. Her eyes were fixed on the table, her expression sullen, and there was only a response of silence from Rock by her side.

“Rainbow Dash!”

Her ears pricked up at the sound of a female voice calling her. She and Rock looked up to see one of the younger medic ponies, Petal, approaching them, in an apparent hurry. She stopped at the table, pausing to take a breath before speaking.

“Brisk Shade asked me to find you. He wants you to come to the prison room and talk to the changeling.”

Rainbow frowned, immediately confused. “Why?”

“Beats me,” Petal said with a shrug. “But it sounded pretty urgent. You know what Brisk is like when he's agitated.” She paused to meet her eyes questioningly. “Will you go?”

The pegasus sighed, looking to Rock for advice. The expression in his eyes was just as baffled as hers, but after a moment’s thought, he replied with a single nod.

Her shoulders feeling tight with anxiety, Rainbow left the table and followed Petal to the prison room. The journey felt agonizingly long to her, though it only took less than a minute to get there. Despite her nerves, she held her head high. A conversation with a changeling she had kept alive was not something she looked forward to, but she felt ready to approach the situation with confidence, unafraid to give the creature a piece of her mind if necessary.

When she finally came to the door of the cell room, Petal quietly left her side, feeling she wasn't needed. The metal door suddenly appeared very forbidding as it loomed before Rainbow Dash. Taking a collected breath, she gently pushed the door open, hearing the loud creak of the hinges as it swung forth, revealing a dark, shadowed room. It was by far the worst-kept room of the entire base, which was hardly surprising due to the way it was used. The walls were scratched and peeling from old paint, the floor was more than often damp and slippery, and only a few small candles provided a meek source of light. Not only that, but the room was unbearably cramped. It only had one prison cell, where the changeling was currently being held.

As she trotted across the floor, the shadow of a stallion lingered at the other side of the room. His jet-black body was vaguely visible in the darkness, as well as his luminous green mane and tail, the colours so bright they seemed to shine like neon. His blue eyes were focused intently on the cell in front of him, but upon hearing Rainbow Dash enter, he immediately looked up to meet her stern gaze.

Brisk Shade was the blacksmith of the team, who created all the steel equipment needed for their travels, like weaponry, armour, and basic tools, including contraptions used for prisoners. He was a loyal pony, always by Rainbow Dash's side when she needed him, but despite that, he had a mysterious and sinister quality that made most ponies quite wary around him.

“Well, well,” he jeered, his eyes retaining their dark, intense look as Rainbow approached. “I hear somepony's gone soft.”

“Don't you ever call me soft!” Rainbow Dash burst out angrily, raising herself a foot from the ground as she jabbed her hoof at Brisk Shade's chest. “I did this for a reason, not out of sympathy, so don't get any crazy ideas about me!”

“I never said I would,” Brisk Shade replied calmly, his eyes turning serious. “Nonetheless, I want to know what your reason is, if it's at all logical.”

Rainbow bit hard on her bottom lip, trying to contain her anger, still nose-to-nose with Brisk Shade. He would often have the nerve to challenge her position as leader, but this time she wouldn't let it slide. “Why should I have to explain myself to you?” she spat defensively. “I'm the captain, I do what I want!”

“Perhaps. But not where changelings are concerned. I can't think of any good reason for keeping one alive myself.” The black stallion's voice dripped with malice and hatred at the mention of the creatures.

Snorting irritably, Rainbow placed her hooves back on the floor. “Cut it out, Brisk Shade, it's not important right now.” She met his eyes again, with seriousness. “Why did you ask me here?”

Brisk's eyes turned cold. “The creature, while I was guarding it... the stupid thing just wouldn't stop staring at me.” He let out an irritable snort before calming himself. “After a while, it suddenly said asked to speak to you.”

Rainbow raised her eyebrows nonchalantly. “Did it say why?”

“Not that I could decipher. It's been mostly jabbering to itself ever since we threw it in here.”

His eyes went to the cell again, allowing Rainbow's gaze to follow. There was a faint shadow visible behind the bars – a crouched figure sat hunched up beside the far wall. “If you want to know what it wants,” Brisk began to say, “you'd better ask it yourself.”

Rainbow watched the figure of the changeling closely. It was only now she realised how small it actually was compared to its relatives, even in the darkness of the room. Its shadow barely covered the floor beneath it, and she guessed it would barely come to her shoulder if standing up.

Then, it began to stir, realising the two ponies were staring at it. Its head turned to reveal the familiar pair of hollow blue eyes that sent a chill down Rainbow's spine, although she would never admit it. There was unmistakable fear in the animal's eyes, the kind that an innocent child gives a complete stranger. But Rainbow was in no mood to be compassionate. She wanted answers, and she was going to get them.

She kept its gaze firmly locked with hers, stepped forward and began to speak with a loud, vicious tone. “Tell me why you wanted to see me. And fast.”

The changeling was clearly nervous, staying quiet for a moment as it shifted its body around to face her properly. “In the city – before you found me... I... I thought I was going to die. But then you came along and--”

“Are you seriously trying to thank me?” Rainbow Dash snapped furiously. “What I did was not for you! It was for my team, nopony else, so I don't want your gratitude!”

“Huh.”

Rainbow shot Brisk Shade a deadly glare after hearing his derisive snort.

“I don't – w-want... say thank you. I – j-just wanted to talk,” the changeling stammered. Rainbow's eyes returned to its face inquisitively, noticing how its gaze anxiously avoided her.

“Oh yeah? About what?”

The changeling's jaw was visibly grinding with tension as it considered how to phrase its next sentence. “You're – you're R-Rainbow Dash?” it asked timidly, raising its eyes to meet hers.

She frowned, trying to contain her slight shock from it saying her name. “Yeah. What of it?”

“I – I remember you. From – long time ago...”

Rainbow stared curiously as its words trailed off. Now, all of a sudden, she had become intrigued by what it was saying. “What are you talking about?”

It shuffled uncomfortably, eyes wandering to the ground again. “My species …” it began to stutter, “they were in huge battle. I don't remember much – I was only young – b-but... you were there. I remember your face – and I remember five other ponies. My species... they fought you. And we lost.”

Rainbow Dash hung on every word that the changeling forced out as its recollected its memories. This did indeed seem familiar. It was a day that she would never forget; blurred images easily came back into her mind of that very event.

“Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way!” the pegasus snapped, clamping her hooves together aggressively.

She stepped forward... only to find her own self staring back at her. But -- what? This was confusing. She examined her doppelgänger uncertainly, only to be swiftly knocked to the ground by a powerful hoof.

“How did you...?” she asked, rubbing her sore head.

Before long, they were all there: replicas of herself and her friends, staring maliciously at them with evil grins that didn't seem to fit the usually kind-hearted faces of the six mares.

“Don't let them distract you!” Twilight Sparkle commanded. “We have to get to the Elements of Harmony! They're our only hope!”

Feeling prepared, Rainbow kept the words in mind – and then they charged together into the midst of insane conflict...

“My love will give you strength.”

She remembered hearing those words. And then magic; a powerful force... screaming... and then nothing.

All was quiet. The battle was won.

Rainbow Dash blinked, coming out of her flashback, the image of the dark room materializing around her again. She noticed the young changeling staring at her curiously, making her realise she hadn't spoken for at least ten seconds.

Retaining her composure, she said smugly, “Yeah, I was there. And you did lose. Really badly.”

“When you found me in the city...” the changeling continued, appearing to ignore her words. “I knew I s-seen you somewhere. Only when I – w-was brought here... I realized who you were.”

Rainbow felt her irritation rising. She didn't rescue the damn creature to have it talk her to death!

Before she could reply, Brisk Shade interrupted. “I'm surprised you remember that day so well,” he said with an air of sarcasm. “It was a long time ago after all, and you would have been even younger than you are now, but you're able to remember a specific pony out of it all?”

The changeling shied away, turning its head and curling into itself. Rainbow sensed that Brisk Shade made it nervous. “Does … he … h-have to be here?” it murmured.

“Yeah. He does,” Rainbow replied firmly. “And I want you to stop wasting time and get to the point. Why is you knowing who I am so important?”

Its nerves appeared to ease slightly as it let its eyes drift back to Rainbow Dash, trying to avoid Brisk's malicious gaze. “I need know something,” it croaked. “You seem like … s-special pony. Mother said... you and others had magic inside you. We never saw it before then. I remember my family was sc-scared.”

It mustered a significant amount of effort before continuing, as if speaking was a demanding challenge. “I remember explosion. Lots of – b-bright light. Everyone around me, everyone I knew just... just...”

It was unable to finish the sentence, its face shrouded in a look of trauma. Rainbow wasn't sure, but she thought she saw the glimmer of a tear in the corner of its eye. “I knew my family were lost – because of magic. I remember your face from that day, and I knew you were important; someone helped to destroy my race.”

It gazed into her eyes again, some of its previous shyness fading away. “Miss Rainbow Dash...” it began, with an awkward attempt at politeness, “I heard lot about you, during my time in battle. The other changelings always talk about you. After what happened all that time ago, we have reason to fear you. If I'm kept alive, I want to know – w-what you'll do with me now. How am I going to be used?”

Rainbow Dash found herself stumbling on her words. At the time, it made sense to keep a lone changeling prisoner, but now she was faced with the question, she didn't know how to answer it. What use would the changeling really give her? Bargaining perhaps? A form of leverage? It was possible, but she was still unsure.

And now she was faced with the guilt of knowing its family had been lost because of what happened that day; actions that she was almost certainly involved in. How would she have felt if her family had been lost in that way?

With its questioning stare right on her, Rainbow was forced to reply. “Why should I tell you? You take orders from me, not the other way around.”

“Please...” the changeling stuttered, beginning to cower like a crying child, “T-tell me what--happen to me next...”

“You whine like a baby one more time and you'll find out soon enough,” Brisk Shade spat, glancing at some of his famous metal instruments in the corner of the room.

“Leave it, Brisk,” Rainbow snapped. Violent threats from him were hardly going to help.

She took a breath to relax herself, before addressing the changeling again, talking as calmly as she was able. “I don't really know what's going to happen to you – not yet anyway. But for now, I'm keeping you around so that you can help us, like you said you would. I don't know how you'll help, but I'm going to make sure that you do help us in some way, or you're out of here.”

The changeling visibly swallowed, its round eyes not leaving her face. “I will help. I p-promise.”

“We'll see,” Brisk Shade muttered, turning away from the cell and into a nearby corner.

Rainbow ignored his attitude, though she also remained sceptical about the changeling's words. Still, she tried to keep herself moderately polite. “Look – if I'm going to keep you here, I need to call you something. You got a name?”

It nodded.

“Well, spit it out.”

Another timid pause.

After a minute, it tentatively forced out a word: “S-Stra-t-tus...”

Stratus. Kind of interesting, Rainbow thought. She had never heard anypony, or any changeling for that matter, with a name like that. But at least now she had something to refer to when addressing their prisoner.

Casting a dark look into his eyes, she asked calmly, “Is that it then?”

Hesitantly, it gave a small nod, its forlorn gaze never leaving the ground.

Slightly relieved by the fact she'd at least accomplished something, Rainbow went to Brisk Shade, who was now toying with some of his newly carved weapons with an intense look in his eyes. He gazed upon his tools with an almost obsessive manner, examining every small detail he had managed to create, letting the sharp tips of his blades glint in the light.

Being used to his sinister behaviour by now, the mare nudged him roughly on the shoulder. “I'm gonna go,” she said firmly, meeting his foreboding stare. “I want you to keep an eye on the changeling until I tell you what we'll do next. When we meet the rest of them again, which will probably be soon, I've got ideas on how to use - … uh, Stratus, to help us.”

Brisk Shade raised his eyebrows, a mildly interested spark in his eyes, and his face remaining emotionless. “Whatever you say, captain,” he replied nonchalantly, beginning to sharpen one of his neatly carved daggers. It reminded Rainbow Dash of a proud owner stroking their beloved pet.

“Don't do anything with it unless you've got permission from me,” she said firmly, while heading to the door.

“Of course not, Rainbow Dash.” The tone in the stallion's voice was almost sarcastic, his gaze never leaving his careful handiwork as he brandished his knife. Despite being unconvinced by his words, Rainbow made to leave, before a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Before you go...!” She turned abruptly, meeting the eyes of Stratus through the bars. “I want t-... know.... you still have your element?”

The pegasus blinked, trying to process what it had just asked. “What did you say?”

“Do you still have your element? Are you still the bearer of Loyalty as well as a captain?”

Now that was something she hadn't expected a young changeling to know about: the Elements of Harmony and her own element? Clearly news spread fast throughout the colony.

“I... don't have the element itself anymore,” she admitted, with a hint of sadness. “But I still represent loyalty, so don't you forget that.”

After a final look at Brisk Shade, Rainbow immediately went out and closed the door, leaving the prison room in a deadly silence. The only sounds came from Brisk Shade's knife as he sharpened it carefully, all the while sending threatening glances at the extremely nervous changeling.

A lump formed in the prisoner's throat. For Stratus, it was going to be an unpleasant night.