Dashie: A Hero's Tale

Rainbow reached her ultimate pinnacle of strength and health after healing Scootaloo. Her ever-expanding list of heroic deeds earned her the respect and admiration of creatures across the globe. Those who encountered her on the streets and during social gatherings would often shout praises her way.

"HAVE MY BABIES," Soarin had yelled on one particular occasion in Cloudsdale.

"MAYBE LATER!"

As far as Rainbow was concerned, it was nothing but clear skies and sunshine from here on out. There would be one last incident to occur before the world could know true peace.

Late into October, Rainbow was awakened during an early chilly morning. Expecting it to be one of her friends or fans, she was surprised to see princess Celestia greeting her in person.

"Hey, sun flank. What's shakin'?"

"As much as I would adore visiting you for informal conversation, I'm afraid I am not here for social reasons."

"Is something wrong?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Just say the word and I'll do what I can to help."

"An earth mare came to me this morning seeking aid. Her husband was murdered while he slept next to her this prior evening."

"Woah..."

"Yes. It is as unsavory as you might imagine."

"Did you question her?"

"And granted the guard a search warrant. There was no motive for her to have committed this crime."

"Personal grudge?"

"Highly unlikely. The chances of her surviving would have been astronomically low."

"Then I'm placing my bets on burglary."

"She did mention some of their possessions had been stolen."

"The scumbag probably sold them off to make some bits."

"With your assistance, we can swiftly apprehend this menace. What do you say?"

"Count me in. This wacko's going down."

Celestia escorted Rainbow to the castle to meet with the widow. She was an orange mare with a medium-length, dark brown mane.

"Hey," Rainbow opened.

"Your mane...And your coat...Are you...Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah."

A look of semi-relief washed over the widow, indicating she was one of Rainbow's many supporters.

"The princess asked me to come here to help. What's your name?"

"Sweet Citrus."

"Can you give me a description of your husband's attacker?"

"I can't. They were already gone by the time I woke up."

"Did your husband have any enemies?"

"No. Everyone we knew thought he was an upstanding gentleman."

"I'll be straight with you. Given the circumstances, we think this was a random burglary. It's not unheard of for ponies down on their luck to resort to desperate measures."

"Do you know why they left me alive?"

"Some killers perceive the man as the most threatening force. I think whoever it was did it discreetly to avoid a confrontation."

"I see..."

"Do you live here in Canterlot?"

"No. I ran here most of the night from Caramel Valley."

"That's two cities past the dragon lands. I've been there a few times."

"Do you think my husband's murderer is still there?"

"They can't be too far away yet. Leave it to us. We'll get 'em."

The earth pony gave Rainbow a heartfelt expression of gratitude.

"Thank you..."

"Come," Celestia counseled the mare, "We will make arrangements for you to stay at the inn. You will be safe there."

When Celestia returned, her and Rainbow spent the rest of the day compiling a list of all the possible suspects in Caramel Valley. Rainbow teleported there the next day using her newfound powers. She wasn't expecting to meet a pair of allies at the entrance.

"Scoots? What are you doing here?"

"Word got around town you were investigating something bad. I didn't want you to go alone."

"You wimpy ponies can't handle yourselves for nothin'," a familiar red dragon boldly proclaimed.

"Garble?"

"In the flesh. And don't you forget it."

"You guys shouldn't be here. It's dangerous."

"Hey - I may not like you pony types much, but I absolutely LOATHE murderers. There ain't no honor in slaughtering a defenseless animal."

"Well, as long as you guys are being a pain in the butt, we may as well start asking around."

The group headed into town to begin their official royal inquiries.

By lunch, the party didn't have any conclusive evidence. However, rumors had begun surfacing about a homeless stallion by the name of Stone Frost who'd recently left town. His physical description was that of a young man with a dark gray coat and a short black mane.

"Do you think it's him," Scootaloo wondered.

"No idea," Rainbow admitted.

"It is," a familiar voice spoke from the table next to them.

Rainbow turned around to see who was talking. Their face was hidden by a hood.

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw him on my way here."

The mysterious figure revealed herself.

"Seera!?"

"Long time, no see, Dashie."

"How've you been!? I didn't recognize you without all the chips and holes!"

"Turns out having a steady supply of nutrition is good for the skin."

"How long have you been here?"

"I got into town before you showed up."

"So you said you saw Stone on your way here?"

"He was trying to conceal his identity. He had a tightly sealed sack. Now, tell me, why would he go to such measures unless he was hiding something?"

"How far away is he right now?"

"I would say he's close to the town behind this one by now."

"We don't have any time to lose! Let's get him!"

Rainbow left a tip before her and the others galloped out the door.

The speed with which the party caught up to Stone was truly a sight to behold. They found him mere feet away from the previous town's entrance.

"Hold it," Rainbow commanded.

Stone tried to run, unaware of the nature of the force that was attempting to confront him. Summoning an assorted array of magical colored swords, Rainbow blocked off his path. He tried to turn around and flee, but Rainbow was already face to face with him. She clutched his face, slamming him to the ground. She then proceeded to pin him using a force field, effectively subduing the killer.

"Please, don't hurt me!"

"I'm not gonna' sink to your level. You're going away for a long time, bub."

Stone bit his lower lip. He had no other option but to concede to the mare. Concentrating the force field, Rainbow transformed it into a set of shackles. The party unified their efforts and kept Stone in custody until they could transfer him over to the royal court. His imprisonment would serve as a reminder to the criminal underworld that Rainbow and her friends were not to be trifled with.