Once a Hero

Canterlot

Rainbow Dash landed on the path leading to the castle.

The guards were watching her, jaws gaping as the cyan pegasus landed and trotted towards the castle gate. She smirked as the guards saluted and opened the gates. To her dismay, a guard stepped in her way. In an annoyed tone, Rainbow asked what he was doing. He looked at her suspiciously.

"It's the normal procedure ma`am. Checking if you are a changeling or not"

Rainbow relaxed as she let the guard perform a simple scanning spell on her. He confirmed her identity and she passed through.

She barely took 5 steps before being stopped again. Annoyed, she looked up at the figure. Immediately she felt her lungs crush as the purple allicorn hugged her. She struggled to breathe.

"Dash! You..You're back! We..We though you were dead!"

Ah yes, Discord had mentioned her. This must be the element of magic, Twilight Sparkle.

Behind her, an orange earth pony and a white unicorn rushed to catch up. Rainbow recognized them from Discord's description.

Ah, yes. They were definetely the ponies Discord described. What was the orange one's name again...?  Apples something?

Dash gasped for air. Twilight flashed an apologetic smile and let her go. She said with as much emotion she could muster.

"Uh.. I'm glad to see you too Twili-"

She caught sight of Celestia, slowly trotting towards them. Her voice caught in her throat as she felt hate build inside her. She struggled to keep her tone level as she muttered to Twilight.

"I...I really need to see a doctor, like right now."

Applejack and Rarity soon joined the group reunion with tears on their faces.  After a few "I missed you" and "You're back!"s, Rainbow found herself in a hospital ward, being tended to her various wounds.

She smiled. All was going according to plan.

Last night

Crystal Mountains

"You'll go to Canterlot to retrieve it, of course"

"What?!"

Rainbow exclaimed. Discord was looking at her with a amused expression.

"You remember that missing member of the Elements of Harmony, I told you?"

"Yeah.. but what does that have to do with this??!"

Discord grinned smugly. This was just too perfect. All he had to do was explain his devious plan to the pegasus.

"I'll disguise you with my magic, so you look just like the missing pony! She  disappeared during a battle. So, you can just go in the castle, pretending to have come back alive."

Rainbow's expression brightened. That made much more sense.

"That's awesome! Why don't we cast your spell now?"

Discord pretended to cast a spell. Rainbow looked down at herself eagerly and frowned.

"Uh... I'm still me..?"

"No, my dear. Only to you, It seems that way."

Rainbow shrugged. Discord probably knew more about spells than she did.

"So, do I leave for Canterlot ,like now?"

"There's one last thing, I'll have to add the wounds in your disguise. You are coming back from a battle after all"

Rainbow looked at her body, which was without any bruise or cut and nodded. Discord got ready to cast a real spell. This time to put fake injuries on Dash's body.

"I'll add some bruises firs-"

"Wait! But, the doctors will find out the wounds aren't real! Then, they're gonna get really suspicious."

Rainbow interrupted. Discord hadn't thought of that. His ingenious plan, had a critical fault in it. And he couldn't think of a way to fix the problem. He regretted healing her up, after he knocked her out earlier that week. His thoughts were interrupted by Rainbow Dash.

"Well, If the doctor's can't be fooled by fake injuries. There's really one simple solution. To make real ones."

Rainbow grimaced. Her face was grim. She picked up a sharp crystal next to her. Discord's eyes widened.

"W..Wai-"

She brought the crystal down on her left side with a muffled scream.

"A...Agh.. Th..That hurt more than I thought it would.."

She winced. She was bleeding from a large gash. She raised the crystal again. Discord just stood and watched in shock, while the mare wounded herself again and again. It was almost as if she was more determined than him to conquer Equestria.

He smiled inwardly. He had picked the right pony to partner with, all right.

2 Days After Rainbow's Arrival

Canterlot

Rainbow stepped out of the Canterlot hospital. She flexed her wings and prepared to take off. She was itching to fly after being stuck in bed for so long. She hovered just above the ground, savoring the feeling of not having to put her weight on her hooves. She prepared to fly up.

A pink furry blur collided with her. Rainbow barely had time to utter a single word before Pinkie chattered away happily. The rest of the group gathered around her in a group hug. Well, her disguise seemed to be working. After what seemed like an eternity of hugs, sobs, smiles, they pulled back. Rainbow Dash chatted along with her "friends" as they trotted along the paved road.

"Say, Twi. I have something to ask you. How `bout after we get some donuts?"

Rainbow Dash asked Twilight as Pinkie launched into another conversation about having a "Rainbow Dash is back" party. Applejack remarked that she had already hosted that party yesterday at the donut shop. Twilight was curious as what she would ask her. She began to ask her what it was when she heard the distinct grumbling of Dash's stomach. Twilight smiled as they headed towards Joe's Donut shop.

Pinkie was arguing that there was nothing wrong with hosting the exact same party twice. Applejack sighed and explained that it was not that she was hosting the exact party, it was that she was hosting it the very next day. She complained that she was too tired to bake more pies and that they would probably be out of party supplies. Pinkie laughed as she pulled a box full of supplies from her mane.

"I'm never out of party supplies!"

As they entered the shop. Rainbow felt something under her hoof crunch. She looked down at a piece of paper. She picked up the object and inspected it. It was a party streamer. She gasped as fuzzy images flooded her mind.

"Come on, Pinkie. I'll be back, before you know it"

She struggled to pry off the sobbing party pony.

"Pinkie promise..??"

Pinkie sighed as Dash nodded. She let go and stuffed pink streamers in Dash's mane.

"Be back quick, safely!"

Rainbow stumbled back. Applejack caught her before she could fall to the ground. Fluttershy cast her a worried look.

"Umm... Rainbow Dash?..  Maybe you should.. get back to the hospi-"

Rainbow regained her balance. Those images.. It must be a side effect of the spell that Discord cast to disguise her. But, they... they seemed so real. They didn't make any sense. She decided to ignore it for the time being.

"I'm okay, Fluttershy. I just got out of the hospital, remember? I think I slipped on the streamer"

Fluttershy relaxed.

"Somepony forgot to clean up after the party yesterday, didn't she?"

Rarity remarked staring at a nervously twitching Pinkie. Pinkie tried her best to turn invisible. Twilight laughed.

"Come on, I'm having a chocolate donut"

After the snack, they decided to break up for the night. Twilight turned to leave, when Rainbow called her to wait. She turned to see Rainbow galloping towards her.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot, what is it Dash?"

"Hey, uh.. Mind if I see the Crystal Heart?  I risked my life on it, you know."

Twilight didn't see why not. After all, If anypony should get to see it. It was by no doubt Rainbow Dash.

"Sure, why not?"

"Awesome!!"

Rainbow whooped with delight as Twilight turned towards the Canterlot vaults.

The vaults was an underground system with the best security in Equestria. The tunnels were always patrolled by guards and a series of gates were remotely controlled. There were different classes of rooms in this place, ranging from low security to maximum security. The Crystal Heart was in the maximum security vaults, in the deepest parts of the tunnel. Only few items were kept in these vaults, she had only heard folk tales about each item, such as Starswirl's journals on dark magic and King Sombra's old crown. Guards bowed respectfully as she and Dash passed.

She approached the room where the Heart was kept. Fitted with enchanted metal doors and magic dampening spells, It was impossible to use magic thus making the vault impossible to break in. This also meant less guards would be guarding it, due to the unhealthy properties of the magic dampeners. At the moment, there were only two guards.

Twilight trotted past the two only guards. Only the princesses were allowed in this room, not even the fancy royals could enter. The guards looked at Rainbow Dash. They began to move in her way when Twilight spoke up.

"She has my permission as the Element of Loyalty and head of the mission who brought back the Crystal Heart"

The guards hesitated. Rainbow Dash was a known hero of the nation and the princess of friendship herself was with her. They decided she could be allowed as well. After all, she had retrieved it. The guards moved to the side for Rainbow to pass.

Twilight waited as the metal doors slid open, recognizing her magic aura. The Crystal Heart was kept in the middle of the room on a pedestal. It was truly a magnificent artifact. The light reflected off it's sides, shimmering in all the colors of the rainbow. Twilight gazed at it dumbstruck by its beauty. After a few minutes Twilight tore her gaze away from the Crystal.

"So, did you get your fill?"

Twilight asked Dash as she turned around, expecting to see a awestruck pegasus. She froze in shock as she saw Rainbow Dash slowly lowering the unconscious guards to the ground. Rainbow grinned as she noticed Twilight stammering, she was clearly in shock.

"Oh, I got my fill, all right"

Twilight broke out of her trance as she selected the right spell to knock the cyan pegasus out. Her horn glowed to life as Dash launched herself directly at her. Her horn crackled, then fizzled out.

The magic dampeners

Crap

Her head exploded in pain as a hind hoof slammed in her face. It was quickly followed by two short jabs and a punch. Twilight blacked out.

Rainbow Dash put the artifact in her pack. She moved Twilight and the guards to the far corners of the room and closed the metal doors. They won't be getting out anytime soon. She trotted out of the maximum security vaults calmly, and continued out the hallway. The guards stopped her to ask why she was alone.

"I'm not allowed in the maximum security vaults, so I'm just getting back home"

The guards nodded and made way for her as she waited for her exit to open. The metal gate slid open and the night air rushed in. Rainbow Dash stepped out and flexed her wings.

"Ma`am. We'll have to check your bag. It's just security protoco-"

Darn it.

Dash bolted.

The guards blinked and yelled for backup as they flew in pursuit.

"She has the Crystal Heart!"

"After her!!!"

"Contact the general!"

She was faster than them. But, they were vast in numbers. Rainbow knew she would be surrounded in mere minutes. She grimaced and landed in the Canterlot streets. She zipped between houses, hoping to lose them.

She turned a sharp left through the houses and instantly made two rapid turns. She had lost the guards, for now. All she had to do now was to get out with the Crystal Heart. Suddenly, a barrier formed around the entire town.

She was trapped.

Shining Armor had arrived on the scene. He had cast a barrier spell on the town, so nothing could get out. It was just a matter of time before the guilty mare was caught. It wasn't long until a yell sounded from an alley as the guards found the cyan pegasus. She attempted to escape, but she was soon cornered. She put up quite a fight, but was eventually restrained.

Shining Armor dropped the barrier as he trotted towards the cowering pony. She glared at him as he approached her. He was shocked at how much hate and loathing those magenta eyes could hold. He managed to whisper in a low tone.

"Why..? Rainbow Dash.. Why?..."

She didn't reply and lifted her wings, revealing her bare back. Shining Armor's eyes widened as she shakily got up. She didn't have the bag with her. Then... that meant.. the Crystal Heart was not with her. He gasped, his tone rising.

"Whe...Where's the Crystal Heart?!"

The guards were escorting Rainbow Dash away as she grinned at him.

"Where d`ya think?"

Earlier that day

The Barren Wastelands

Discord checked the time. He grumbled. It was past their promised meeting time. He would rather not use the help, but he knew he needed more backup for his plan.

"I am here, Discord"

Discord snapped his fingers and a table appeared between them.

"So, Right to business. I need your help to conquer Equestria."

"And... What'ss in it for me?"

"The Crystal Heart, You can have it."

Discord heard a sharp intake of breath. The Crystal heart was filled with the love of the entire empire's citizens. He knew that was an offer that would be hard to refuse.

"I thought the Crystal Heart was in Canterlot now?"

Discord chuckled. He expected the response.

"It's going to be delivered into my hands soon, by a friend"

Discord neglected to mention the details. If the offer was declined, mentioning his "friend" 's identity would have a serious impact on the plan.

"So, what will it be?"

A long silience passed.

"Very well, I'll agree to help you on the terms that I receive the Crystal Heart"

"I assure you. The Heart is in my hands"

Discord got up, the table disappearing.

"So, What's the plan, Discord? What can I do?"

Discord grinned. Things were going smoothly so far.

"Just one teensy weensy job for now."

It was time to begin the second phase of his master plan.