Dash had been left in the meeting room all night, taking the opportunity to try to catch up on some sleep. Her hooves were still cuffed together to the centre of the table, her head resting on the hard table. She wasn't one for complaining, she'd had much worse experience in captivity. She smiled to herself in her sleep, but eventually woke, a shiver down her spine. Opening her eyes, she saw an orange pony sitting opposite her, just staring.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you..."

"I didn't expect to see you, Applejack. I thought I wasn't allowed visitors"

"I called in a favour" Applejack sat up straight, no expression on her face.

Dash too sat up as best she could, her back still arched due to the cuffs. "Why are you here? To taunt me? I'm not in a teasing mood"

Applejack only sighed. "I've talked a lot with Twilight, and even more with Fluttershy... I came to make peace with you, Dash. I hate you for what you've done, but Twilight thinks it's just your messed up head after being tortured and so on... And I do still remember the mare that left Ponyville all those years ago"

Dash shook her head "Is this actually what you want? Or has Twilight manipulated you into it?"

"It's what I want. I doubt I'll get a chance to talk to you before your execution, and I suspect neither of us want this on our conscience"

Dash smiled and nodded "You're right... But are you only doing this because you think I'm going to die? What if... y'know. I don't?"

She pouted "I don't expect you will... But if you do? Come and buy me a drink sometime"

"Thank you Applejack. I really didn't expect this, I appreciate it"

"Hmm. Any last requests?"

"Look after Fluttershy for me, please... And... Don't let her watch"

Applejack stood and nodded, placing a hoof on Dash's shoulder "You have my word. Goodbye Rainbow Dash"

"Seeya..." She muttered, not watching AJ leave.

"I don't understand how you do it" Iron quipped, arms folded and staring at Dash, a grin spread across her face

Dash was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling and not paying much attention "Do what...?"

"You're always so calm, and cocky" She chuckled "Everyone out there wants you dead, yet you tease and mock them and get away with it. You're never scared of anything"

"I have nothing to lose... When you have nothing to lose, you can't fear losing anything. And when you don't fear losing anything, or anyone, you realise you don't have much to live for anyway, so you may as well enjoy what you can"

"Woah. Sorry to hit a nerve" She muttered

Dash let her head lol to the side, grinning at Iron "You asked the question, I answered it. You don't seem to phased by this whole thing yourself"

"Because I mostly just copy what you do" She laughed "The model Pegasi and all"

"Me?!" She laughed, shaking her head "Far from it. You should pay more attention in guard class"

"You of all ponies should know this sort of thing isn't taught in a classroom"

"Very true... How you holding up Blazing?"

The third mare was sat alone in the corner, looking between the two mares "I'll be fine... Spitfire will come any moment..."

Dash nodded "Correct! I got you two a pass out of this, Spitfires gunna get you two home"

"What?" Both mares said at the same time, Blazing more relieved than anything else, Iron sounding quite against the idea.

"And where are you going, Dash?"

"Well" She chuckled "I do love a good cell, so I asked to stay a while longer"

Iron stood and shook her head "I'm not leaving you here. It's my job to keep you safe"

"It's your job to follow my orders... And I order you to leave when possible"

"I refuse. Fuck it, I don't care if its treason, or mutiny, or whatever. I'm staying here, with you"

"Iron, I'll be fine. I'm Rainbow Dash, right? I don't think I can die"

She huffed, reluctantly sitting next to Dash "I don't like this one bit"

The next morning, as promised, the door to the cell swung open and a squad of guards roughly began to pull Iron and Blazing from the cell, cuffing them and slamming the door shut. Dash puffed out her chest and saluted her two loyal guards, the pair saluting back before being pulled away by the guards. Before long they were out of sight, and Dash sat back down, casting her gaze back to the television.

"Recent developments in the Rainbow Dash saga continued today, as Spitfire exchanged the citizenship of Rainbow Dash for the release of her two guards, Iron Wing and Blazing Trail. Consequently, the execution of Rainbow Dash has been moved forwards to midday tomorrow, the mare finally coming to justice for her crimes committed, her execution marking the fourth anniversary of the peace treaty with the griffons being signed. More to follow"

Dash stared in silence, barely able to breathe as the news hit her like a train. It seemed unescapable, the mare finally facing her past. Her gaze slowly moved from the television to her bound hooves, gulping hard as a bead of sweat ran down her forehead. She'd always said she didn't fear death, and had always maintained a cocky and hard persona, but the thoughts of her friends from Ponyville wouldn't leave her head as much as she tried to force them away.

She didn't sleep at all that night, spending hours staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Was there a way to escape this? She had no concept of time, the small cell without a window and the guards sure as hell weren't going to tell her how long she had left. Before too long, she heard the sound of a key in her door and two smug stallions entering her cell "It's almost time, Dash. Get up"

She gulped, reluctantly sliding to her feet before the two stallions, looking between them.

"Now, we're gunna have a bit of fun before we lose our chance" One grinned, kicking Dash harshly in the knee. The mare may have been able to dodge and react, but what then? She was cornered in a cell and could barely move her hooves or wings. The kick would have hurt enough as it was, but the fact it was to her injured knee made it especially excruciating, sending her to the ground, swiftly curling into a ball.

The stallions didn't let up, sending kick after kick into the mare, not caring where they landed as long as it elicited a cry from their prisoner. One grabbed her mane, pulling her up and grinning at her "Not so tough now, huh?"

Dash gritted her teeth, spitting blood onto the stallions face "Bite me, cunt"

He growled, punching the mare in the gut whilst still holding her up "Do you think you're hard?"

"I fucking know I am. I've killed enough of you Equestrian scum to prove it" She hissed, glaring at him.

He was obviously enraged, beating her over and over again in the face, before throwing her onto the cold, hard floor. "Get up. It's time"

Dash slowly got to her hooves, groaning, bruises and cuts covering her face and body as she slowly followed the two guards. She was led out of the dungeon and along the corridors of the empty castle to the front doors, which were closed with a lone pony standing before them.

Twilight stood in her royal robes, staring at Dash as she approached and stopped before her.

Dash took a deep breath, looking up at Twilight "I'm sorry Twi. Truly, I am. I appreciated you trying to take me in and I fucked it up. I'm not asking for forgiveness" She sighed, taking the photo of the six friends from under her wing and handing it to Twilight, smiling softly before stepping out of the doors.

The sun was high in the sky, blinding Dash as she stepped out onto the front steps of the castle, a place she knew well. It was here that she had truly lost the support of the Equestrians all those years ago after sentencing those that dared to speak against her to hang. The courtyard was full, as were the streets, everyone out to try and get a view of the mares impending death. In the centre of the large courtyard stood a gallows, a lone noose hanging from the frame.

Dash bit her lip and ignored the calls from the crowd as she stepped toward it, her rattled breath escaping her chest as she finally stood in place. She closed her eyes, not daring to look across the crowd, feeling a rough pulling at her midriff to ensure her wings were tightly bound, before the rough, coarse rope of the noose rubbed down against her neck.

There was a long silence, before the voice of the executioner echoed around the courtyard "Rainbow Dash. For the crimes against Equestria and it's ponies, I sentence you to die"

Dash took one long, deep breath before the floor beneath her opened.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading.