Equestrian Betrayal

It was unseasonably cold and rainy in Canterlot. The Cloudsdale weather task force had been struggling to keep up with their schedule in the absence of their Captain. A bold flash of lightening cracked across the sky, bringing with it a roll of thunder. The rain hammered down on Canterlot Castle. The mood was sombre and gloomy on the grounds. There was to be a hanging today.

Many ponies were gathered out in the pouring rain. They surrounded the entrance to the Canterlot dungeons, waiting for the condemned to appear. Not a word was spoken amongst those present.

Under a small awning sat the Regent of the Sun along with the Elements of Harmony. They were all gathered to see justice done. Six months ago something tragic had happened. Six months ago a beloved member of the community had committed a heinous and unspeakable act. It had shocked all of Equestria.

With a tremendous crash the door to the dungeon swung open, adding its rapport to the thunder above. A ring of guard ponies marched out of the castle and up the stairs of the execution platform. Their expressions were grim as the escorted their prisoner. They were followed by another, the executioner. He was to pull the lever, and wore a hood to conceal his identity.

One of the guards, a sergeant, stepped forward to read from a scroll.

"On this day, under the authority of Princess Celestia of Equestria, we bring forth the accused, Rainbow Dash, to face judgement for multiple counts of murder in the first degree, attempted murder, arson, battery, and the criminal misuse of weather clouds."

Twilight Sparkle attempted to remain stoic under the awning. Applejack and Rarity were glaring at the Element of Loyalty, anger swimming behind their eyes. Pinkie Pie's hair had deflated, and she cried quietly with a distraught Fluttershy. Princess Celestia stared at the cobblestones beneath her hooves.

"I wish there were another way…" she mumbled quietly to herself. Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head.

Up on her platform, Rainbow Dash swayed unsteadily, already dead to the world. Once vibrant rose eyes were now dull and empty. Her coat had lost its luster, and her mane had grown long and unkempt. The guard was still addressing the crowd, droning on in accordance with proper protocol, but Dash paid no attention.

She fell into a coughing fit, her weakened lungs struggling to take in precious oxygen. It was damp and cold in the dungeons and she had been locked away for so long. Many in the crowd shifted uncomfortably as the wet hacking coughs rang through the courtyard. The Princess flinched and Fluttershy let out a sob.

Dash had collapsed on the stage. The guard reading her sentencing waited for her to quiet down so he could finish his job. She was shivering on the wet wooden deck, wheezing. The guard behind her kicked her sharply in the hind leg.

"On your feet prisoner," he growled.

Rainbow struggled to stand, managing to prop herself up on trembling forelegs. She couldn't find purchase with her back legs however, her hooves slipping on the damp wood. She collapsed again, another sharp kick, and she managed to haul herself up off the deck.

The sergeant before her returned to his scroll.

"The accused is sentenced to hang from the neck until dead. With your permission, your Highness…"

All eyes were on Celestia. She hesitated for a moment and looked at Dash. Slowly she nodded. All eyes returned to Dash.

"Have you any last words?" a guard inquired. Two of his comrades hauled Dash up so she was standing on her back legs. They slipped a noose around her neck and slapped irons on her fore hooves. Her wings were already bound.

Rainbow scanned the crowd slowly.

She could see Lyra and Bonbon huddled together in the rain, looking at her sorrowfully. Derpy Hooves was in the back of the crowd bawling her eyes out. Doctor Whooves was comforting her. The Cakes were present, standing with them was Nurse Redheart and Daisy. The mayor of Ponyville was closer to the front, and glaring daggers at Dash. Berry Punch was there, looking sober for once. The spa twins, Aloe and Lilly, were looking at everything but Dash. Fluttershy's eyes were red and puffy, she had been crying ever since Dash's sentence was announced. Pinkie wouldn't look any more, and hugged the mourning yellow Pegasus. The rest of Rainbow's 'friends' continued to stare at her. Twilight's bottom lip would tremble from time to time, but the others remained angry.

Celestia was far out of her comfort zone. She wanted dearly to be the kind and benevolent ruler that everypony looked up to. The situation had forced her hoof. The citizens of Equestria were calling for blood as far out as Manehattan. She had searched for another way, desperately wishing to avoid killing one of her ponies. The nobles in her court wouldn't stand for that. They voted unanimously for this. Celestia  had nothing left to do but bite her cheek and keep a straight face. The pain gave her something to focus on. She couldn't afford to cry here.

Rainbow Dash let out a shaky breath. She had nothing to say to these ponies. She had already tried defending her case, but doing so was pointless now.  Besides, nopony had bothered to visit her in prison, aside from Fluttershy and Princess Luna. The night Princess had visited Dash as often as she could, oddly enough. Rainbow had come to enjoy her company immensely.

She closed her eyes.

"Very well," the guard said. One by one they descended the stairs to the courtyard below, taking up formation at the base of the platform.

"Wait," somepony cried from the audience, "let her go, she didn't do anything. Rainbow Dash!"

Dash's eyes snapped open. She knew that voice well. It was Scootaloo.

The orange Pegasus was trying to shove her way past the guards. She was kicking and screaming as the guards pushed her back to the crowd.

"You're making a mistake," she continued, "she would never hurt us, you have to let her go!" The little filly was flapping her wings desperately, trying to reach her idol.

Dash was deeply touched that her little fan would try to rescue her.

"Wait," she called out as loudly as she could.

Everypony froze with apprehension, even the guards paused warily, allowing Scootaloo to escape their grasp. The Cutie Mark Crusader bolted forward, flying on her tiny wings straight to the condemned mare. The crowd gasped as Scootaloo tackled Rainbow Dash, ripping the noose off her and hugging her tightly. As the guards thundered up the stairs, Rainbow sank to her knees, cradling the distraught Pegasus filly.

Dash gently rubbed Scootaloo's back with a hoof, trying to calm her. Her shackles made this difficult and awkward to do, but she would be damned if she didn't try her best. The older mare looked up at the guards. They had surrounded her, weapons drawn.

"Release the filly," they demanded, "now."

Dash nodded slowly, and tried to hand over Scootaloo. The filly was having none of that though, and held on tightly.

The guards were getting impatient, and brought their weapons closer, repeating their command.

Celestia stood and stepped into the rain.

"Guards, I order you to stand down," her voice boomed. She had brought up her monarch's facade, daring the guards to disobey with her eyes.

They backed away instantly. Everypony looked between Celestia and Dash with uncertainty.

Applejack rushed to the Princesses side, "Tha hay are you thinkin' Princess? You caint let a young'un anywhere near-"

"Silence!" The Princess demanded, fixing the young Apple with a stone melting glare. She backed away meekly.

"Don't go Dash, don't l-leave me," Scootaloo buried her face into Rainbow's chest.

"You're the fastest p-pony in E-equestria, you can fly away, right? You can get away. I don't want you to d-die, I l-love you!"

Dash gently rocked her number one fan, trying to console the young orphan.

"Hey, hey, hey," she murmured quietly in Scootaloo's ear, "you shouldn't be here Scoots, it's not a good place for a filly."

She nuzzled the fillies purple mane as she spoke.

"I need you to do me a favor Scootaloo. It's really important, do you think you can do it?"

The younger of the two looked up with watery purple eyes.

"Y-yeah," she said trying to wipe her eyes with a hoof, "I-I can do it."

"Good, cause I need you to be strong, for me. Can you do that?"

"W-what do you mean Dash?"

Rainbow was grateful for the rain, it was doing a wonderful job of hiding her tears from Scootaloo.

"I'm not going to be around for much longer, but its got to be this way. Don't let it get you down squirt, you still have Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, and I know everypony in Ponyville cares about you. You don't need me. I'm a horrible influence anyway, I'm pretty much a selfish bum."

Scootaloo tried to protest Dash's words, but was shushed by the cyan mare.

"Look… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more… but we've run out of time. I need you to keep your chin up after I'm gone. Don't let this be a raincloud over your head. Okay?"

Dash leaned forward and kissed the filly on the forehead. She was watching Dash with wide eyes.

"If… if things had been different… if I hadn't been so stupidly self centered… I would have loved to call you my sister."

Dash brought her into a final embrace, gently stroking her back.

"Oh yeah, and be sure to do something wickedly awesome to earn your cutie mark."

Scootaloo managed a weak smile at this. Rainbow was barely keeping a straight face at this point.

Dash looked up at the crowd, they were all staring at her. She made eye contact with Fluttershy.

"Please take her. Please. Take her far away from here. I don't want her to see this Fluttershy."

The Element of Kindness nodded with remorse. She floated forward wordlessly and gently pulled Scootaloo away. The young filly never took her eyes off Rainbow Dash as she was taken.

"Wherever your life takes you, just remember to keep on soaring kiddo, 'cause you're going to be the best flyer in all of Equestria someday," Dash offered as a last piece of encouragement.

She was smiling softly as she made her farewell, watching Fluttershy fly away over the horizon.

With Scootaloo gone, there was nothing left to get in the way of her execution. She sighed deeply and rose to her hind legs with some difficulty. After standing she pulled the noose back over her head and cinched it tight around her neck.

"Lets do this," she grunted.

Once again, the guards filed down the stairs and assumed their positions at the base of the platform. Only the executioner was left standing next to the ill-fated Pegasus.

Dash took a deep breath and held it, counting to ten before letting it out.

"I didn't do it," she whispered to herself. Nopony else saw her lips move, or heard what she said.

Her jaw was trembling, and she quickly ran her tongue across chapped lips.

"I didn't do it…"

She screwed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the world any longer.

"I didn't do it…"

Dash was breathing heavily, adrenaline was pumping through her body. Her entire body shook with anxiety. She was afraid.

"I didn't d-"

The trap door fell away. Gravity reared up and seized the malnourished pony, ripping her down towards the earth below. Rainbow Dash plummeted down until her rope snapped tight. Everypony thought it was over.

But something was wrong.

The fall didn't break her neck as was intended. The rope had been cut too short when it was tied.

Many ponies in the audience looked on in horror as Rainbow Dash flailed at the end of her noose. She feebly kicked her back legs and pulled at the course rope with her fore hooves. Her wings were shaking violently, desperately trying to spread out and catch the wind. It was instinctual for Pegasi to spread their wings when falling. Dash was slowly suffocating under her own weight.

"Guard, what is the meaning of this? This was supposed to be quick and painless," the Solar Princess snarled.

The sergeant snapped to attention before replying, "The rope is too short. It would be unusually cruel to stop now and subject the accused to this again, your highness."

Celestia shifted her weight back and forth nervously, before gritting her teeth and bowing her head. This is what she deserved. For allowing one of her subjects to be executed, she deserved to watch them suffer. It broke her heart to do so, but she looked back at Dash. The Pegasi's eyes were wide and pleading, focusing on nothing as she struggled against her bonds.

Her vision was fading now, her lungs fruitlessly screaming for air. She thought how nice it would be to just sleep. To make this all go away. Dash's motions slowed. She was slipping away.

"We demand that you stop this travesty at once!" somepony bellowed from the air. Everypony looked up, thankful for some distraction from the nightmare before them. They were greeted by an even greater nightmare.

The Regent of the Moon shot over the palace walls as quickly as her wings could carry her, flanked by several of her Night Guard on both sides. Her mane and tail were swirling around furiously, reflecting the emotions, and her eyes shone brightly with barely contained magic.

Luna's guards swarmed over the Royal Guard present in the courtyard, overwhelming them and pinning them to the wet cobblestones. They had to work quickly, they couldn't afford time wasted by interference from the Royal Guard. The Lunar Princess herself skidded to a halt between the crowd and the hangponys platform. Everypony could feel the righteous fury rolling off the princess as she slashed her horn through the air. A wide arcing wave of magic blasted the rope that was holding Rainbow Dash apart, along with the wooden beam supporting it.

The last thing Dash registered was Luna's face as she lifted her from the ground with magic.

"You can rest now, Rainbow Dash. You are safe."

Everything faded to black.