A Mad Dash into Insanity

*snap* *CRASH*

The wooden ceiling fan blade snapped right off the second Dashie’s weight was applied to it, she fell to the floor with a loud crash. She began sobbing uncontrollably and yanked on the rope around her neck.

“Why. Can’t. I. Just. DIE?!?!?” she screamed between sobs.

Her front door creaked open, Twilight and her friends had stopped knocking on her door and began just walking in to see her.

“Rainbow? How are you feeling?” Twilight asked softly, they went into her bedroom and found Dash on the floor curled up into a ball, with the rope still around her neck and the broken fan blade beside her. Her sobs had become exhausted grunts.

“Oh Celestia, Rainbow, what happened?” Twilight asked looking up at the mangled ceiling fan

“I… I tried to just end it.” Dash croaked in a very frail and broken voice. “I don’t want to live anymore, Twilight, I don’t want to suffer anymore. I just want to die.” She could not sob anymore, she had no energy left.

Twilight looked at the others, they looked back at her sadly.

“Don’t just stand there and stare at me.” Twilight said “We need to do something!”

“Like what?” Applejack asked “We tried almost everything. Nothing can cheer her up.”

“That’s no excuse.” Twilight said “She is our friend, we promised her we would never give up on her.”

“Twilight darling, can we see you in the kitchen for a minute?” Rarity piped up.

They made their way to Rainbow’s kitchen. She hardly noticed as she was still curled up in a ball by her bed.

“What the hay are we gonna do with that mare?” Applejack asked frustrated “It’s been months, and she still looks like she just came outta that hospital!”

“It’s heartbreaking to see her like this” Rarity said “She was always so happy and passionate. A natural born leader of the skies”

“She nearly took her own life!” Fluttershy squeaked sadly

“I’ve never seen a pony so unhappy.” Pinkie Pie said “and I can’t even cheer her up, I feel like I failed as her friend.”

“What are we going to do with her?” Fluttershy asked

“NYUUUUGH!” Twilight groaned as she flopped her head and front legs onto Dash’s counter in frustration. “Celestia be my witness, I tried, and I’m out of bucking ideas” She sighed

“What if we tried to take her to Wonderbolts HQ?” Pinkie Pie asked

“That would devastate her” Fluttershy said “That’s where she had her accident, doing the thing she loved most.”

“She’s already devastated Fluttershy, it’s not like she could get any worse” Applejack said

“I think a little fresh air would do her wonders” Rarity chimed “She hasn’t left this messy cave of disorganized despair in months” Rarity looked around, disgusted at the anarchic mess that was everywhere as a result of Dash’s wallowing.

“Ah think if we took her to HQ, and she saw Spitfire and the rest of the squad, it might make her feel a bit better.” Applejack added “I agree with Rarity, she needs to get outta here, some good ol’ fresh air is perfect medicine as Granny Smith would always tell us.”

“Well, I suppose it is worth a try.” Fluttershy peeped

“What the hay? Let’s do it.” Twilight said, still half lying on the counter “Not like we have any better ideas. I think depression is contagious.”

“Alrighty then” Applejack said with a smile “Its settled. We go to Wonderbolt HQ and try to get our friend back!”

“WEEE! It’ll be just like our old adventures!” Pinkie Pie chirped.

The ponies went back to Rainbow Dash, she had crawled back into her bed and had a pillow over her face. She left the rope on the floor beside her.

“Hey Dashie?” Twilight said trying to sound excited “We have a surprise for you!”

Dash just grunted, not even moving her pillow to look at them.

“We’re taking you to Wonderbolts HQ!” Fluttershy chimed “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“Nah” Dash groaned “Not really”

‘Why not darling?” Rarity asked “Don’t you want to see your fellow comrades?”

“And a little fresh air would do ya good” Applejack added “Granny Smith always told us foals that the best medicine was some hot cider and good ol’ fresh air!”

Dash threw the pillow from her face “I don’t wanna go anywhere guys!” She said grumpily “They aren’t my comrades anymore, I’m a brain damaged cripple, remember? They don’t want me anymore!”

“That’s not true Dashie” Twilight said “You are the best flier they have ever seen, they would love to see you!”

“And maybe Spitfire has a few things to cheer you up” Pinkie Pie added

Dash grunted again

“Come on Dash” Applejack said “We’re trying to help ya here, and it ain’t been easy. I know y’all are trying to push away everypony, but you listen here and you listen good. Pushing away yer friends will only make it worse. Not to mention we’re bustin our flanks here to try and cheer you up, beside our normal duties. Your not only dragging yourself down, your draggin us down with ya. So I suggest you get off your sorry plot and get going with us to Wonderbolts HQ. who knows? You might genuinely feel better!”

“And maybe theres still something you can do with the Wonderbolts, like some sort of coaching.” Fluttershy added.

Dash thought, she didn’t allow herself to think about the Wonderbolts, so she never even considered a ground job. If she couldn’t fly, she thought it was worth a try to maybe look into other options. Despite all that’s happened, she still adored the Wonderbolts. And she did want to talk to Spitfire again, and ponies like Soarin and Misty Fly. They had come to visit her in the hospital and occasionally to her home, but training this time of year was intense, and they just couldn’t get away. Dash knew they were too busy, but was a little bit thankful deep down that they had bothered to visit. Spitfire hadn’t once come to her house, and that took Dash back, she wanted to ask her why she didn’t visit her once successor.

“Fine” Dash said “Let’s go see the Wonderbolts”

Twilight performed her cloud walk spell on Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack. She offered it to Rainbow Dash who looked uneasy.

“I would rather see you walk on your own than on a stretcher Dash” Twilight said compassionately and she performed the spell. They all floated up towards the clouds, Wonderbolts HQ was visible, they made for the training field. It had been a long time since Dash had last been here, she saw the team training and flying laps and other air routines. She felt an asphyxiating longing to be up there with them, but Dash tried hard to supress it, she was not going to let her mood ruin this, she had to at least try to be happy.

The friends landed in the field. One by one on the Wonderbolts landed around them.

“Hey Dash!” Misty Fly said “Its so great to see you!” Soarin said “We’ve missed you so much Dashie!” Surprise said “Our hero returns!” Blaze chirped

“Hey guys” Dash said managing a smile, she had to admit it was nice to see them all here, where they all belonged.

“I’m so sorry about the accident” Misty Fly said to Dash.

Dash looked behind her, at the raw, scarred stump where her left wing used to be. It was still painful to look at, she squeezed her eyes close and shook her head away.

“But look on the bright side!” Soarin exclaimed “We can still wing five! Ready?”

“Sure” Dash said unfolding her one good wing. Her and Soarin jumped up at the same time and slapped their wings together in mid air.

“Boooom chakalakalaka!” Soarin cheered with a grin “Still got that fire in your flap Dash!”

Dash smiled, it was really nice to be here with her team again.

“Is that who I think it is?” came a raspy shout behind them all. Spitfire trotted up to them.

“Welcome back Crash!” she said with a smile as she walked up to Dash and extended her hoof for a hoof bump.

“The place hasn’t been the same without you” Spitfire said solemnly “You’ve just been irreplaceable in the routine.

“I have really missed this place. And all of you guys” Dash replied.

“But you are immortal, Dash” Soarin said excitedly “You crushed that record. Fastest vertical dive anypony has ever attempted! In my opinion, it was worth the crash!” the Wonderbolts all cheered, Dash couldn’t help but smile.

“Great to see you, Dash” Spitfire said again “Alright team, back to practice. We can talk to Crash later” She blew her whistle and the team kicked off one by one, all nodding respectfully to Dash as they left.

Her spirits faltered bit as the team flew off. She watched in awe as they flipped and rolled in the air, she felt like a little filly again, wishing she were up there with them. Then, she remembered her locker, her treasure compartment, she hadn’t retrieved any of her personal items all this time. She made off toward the locker room.

“Dash! Where are you going darling?” Rarity called

“Let her go” Applejack said “This is her moment, she needs to come to terms with this place and accept that her life is not over”

Inside the locker room, she found hers. The door was decorated with a drawing of her making her rainboom and it looked like the entire team signed their name on it. There were little messages written by some: “Get well soon!” – Surprise, “We miss you so much!” – Misty Fly, “We love you!” – Blaze “Legend” – Soarin

Rainbow smiled, this was amazing to see. She opened her locker, and she found her flight suit neatly folded on the shelf, she took it out, it looked brand new, despite it having to be cut off her in the hospital. It appeared to have been sewed back together perfectly, you could not even tell it had been cut. There was a note attached: “Good as new” – Rarity

Dash smiled, tears formed in her eyes, she hugged the suit tightly to her chest, this suit was a part of her. After a while, she put it down and folded it again, wiping the tears from her eyes. She opened her compartment and retreieved her items. Her duffel bag was still in the locker. She packed her things neatly and zipped it up. Dash felt much better, she was glad her friends brought her here. She would return to watch the practice and then ask Spitfire if there was any way she could stay on coaching staff. Dash needed this visit. It was therapeutic, her head felt a little clearer.

She was about to retrieve her bag and leave, when she heard a locker door slam shut, somepony else was here. Then, a pony rounded the corner, with a towel around her neck. Dash looked, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Hello Rainbow Trash!” the pony said “Imagine seeing you here. You know, this area is for Wonderbolts only, and well, you technically aren’t even a proper pegasus anymore, let alone a Wonderbolt” she laughed an evil, snorting laugh.

“Lightning Dust” Dash sneered, unable to believe her eyes.

“Ah, you remember, guess you didn’t hit you little head as hard as I thought”

“What are you doing here? You said it yourself, this area is for Wonderbolts only. What’s a wash out doing here?”

Lightning Dust shrieked with laughter “Oh Dashie, honey, you’re too funny” she said “But I guess while you wallowed in your self-pity after your clumsy mishap it would take you a while to get the news” she shrugged her towel onto the floor. “You see, I am a Wonderbolt now!”

Now Dash was laughing, she was not stupid, she knew Lightning Dust was kicked out of training academy for her reckless behaviour. “HA! Quit lying Dust, we all knew you’re pissed you were kicked out for being such an idiot, Spitfire would never call you back.”

Lightning Dust just smiled a dark smile “Wow, I take it back, your head really was blasted.” She laughed her ugly snorting laugh again “You see Trash, after you completely screwed up that stunt you pulled, and got your wing cut off, which was hilarious by the way, Spitfire needed somepony to replace you ASAP. She tried an emergency recruitment from the academy, but nopony made the cut. So she did some thinking, long and hard. There was only one pony in Equestria who matched your size, speed and skill. Yours Truly” Dust made a curtsey as she said it.

Dash’s face fell, she could not possibly be telling the truth. She remembered when Dust was kicked out for her reckless behaviour and total disregard for the safety of her fellow teammates. She was the last pony anyone would expect to be back here. There was no way Spitfire reached out to this mare out of everypony.

“It’s so funny to watch you pathetic face try to make sense of it all” Lightning Dust jeered, she moved closer to Dash. “Face it Dashie” she moved her face next to Dash’s “It’s the truth” she whispered in Dash’s ear.

“No!” Dash thought in her head “It can’t be! That’s beyond impossible!”

“Still don’t believe me Dash?” Lightning asked with a smile “Fine, you always were stubborn! Here, I’ll prove it.” She opened a locker across from Dash’s, she had a combination, and she pulled out the electric blue Wonderbolts flight suit, and unfolded it on the bench “There! See? Name stitched in by the neck, as per official regulation, and the insignia on both flanks, its official.”

Dash couldn’t believe her eyes, she felt the suit; the Kevlar reinforced spandex was unmistakeable.

“And to hit it home” Lighting said. She put on the suit with ease, it fit her perfectly “custom fitted, just like every Wonderbolt ever!” Lightning Dust looked menacingly at Dash “Oh I can tell you believe me now Trash! What’s the matter? Too in love how I look to speak?” she snorted her laugh in a most evil way.

Dash was speechless. It was true, Lightning Dust was an official Wonderbolt, no, she was her replacement. Dash was dumbstruck, she felt dizzy, she was hyperventilating. She was a mixture of emotions, a mixture she never felt before. Anger, sadness, betrayal, disappointment, but most of all, she felt rage; a white-hot, overwhelming rage, as if everything that had transpired in the last few months had come full circle. Her injury and hospitalization and wallowing depression flashed before her eyes.

“What’s wrong Trash? You look like you going to cry!” Lightning Dust jeered

Dash felt hot adrenaline rush through her body, her heart beat faster than she had ever felt it, she felt stronger than ever before. She saw red.

“Take off that suit!” Dash said, in a supressed voice.

“Excuse me?” Dust said with a laugh

“I said, take. It. OFF!” she said louder now

“Make me, Trash” Lightning rebutted

“TAKE IT OFF, NOW!!” Dash screamed, she couldn’t hold back longer, she kicked off as if taking off for flight, and dove at Lightning Dust, her hooves collided with Dust’s chest, knocking the wind out of her.

“Take off that fucking suit, NOW! You don’t deserve it!” Dash roared at Dust

Lightning Dust coughed as she regained her breath, she looked up at Dash, but Dash was already in the air. Dash brought her hooves down hard on Dust’s face, blood splattered as her muzzle was broken. Rainbow followed up with a kick from her hind legs that caught Lightning’s temple, sending her flying towards a wall. Lightning tried to block the next hits, but Dash’s rage made her too strong. Dash felt strength she never felt in her life before, she was blind with adrenaline. She swung her front hooves hard at Lightning’s face, each hit harder than the last. Blood was flying, Dash had knocked out some of Dust’s teeth, but she didn’t stop swinging. Rainbow’s hooves were bloody, and Lightning’s face was a magled, bloody mess. Dash stopped hitting, but she wasn’t done, her adrenaline overdose had peaked, she got on to her hind legs, and picked up Lightning Dust, and dove the full weight of her body into a row of lockers. Lightning’s spine snapped. Rainbow dropped Lightning’s body limp on the floor, Lightning was gasping for breath and couldn’t move. Dash climbed onto the bench and looked at the mess of Lightning’s bloody body.

“You’re not a Wonderbolt, you’re just a piece of shit!” Dash jumped off the bench and dove her hoof at Lightning’s neck, her hoof collided with Lightning’s collar bone and her neck snapped, Lightning was no longer breathing.

Dash was panting as she got up and looked at the bloody mess of mangled pony body on the floor. As her adrenaline subsided her thoughts cleared.

“Get up Dust!” she called at Lightning’s limp body, but it didn’t move. Dash looked closer and saw the abnormal position her now broken neck was in, and saw she was no longer breathing. Dash looked at her hooves, they were covered in Lightning’s blood. She realized what she had done.

“Oh Celestia!” she quivered “Did…did I kill her?” she began trembling at the thought, and felt a wash of dread as the full realization came in. “Oh no, No nonono! I killed a pony!”

Suddenly there was a noise at the entrance to the locker room entrance, somepony was coming.

“Oh shit!” Dash thought “I’m so screwed!” Dash ducked behind a row of lockers to see who was coming. It was Spitfire.

“Of all the ponies, it’s her!” Rainbow thought in panic. Spitfire made her way, closer to where Lightning Dust lay dead.

“Hey Dust! You in here? Come on! Practise has started already!” Spitfire turned, and there was the corpse of Lightning Dust at her feet. Spitfire jumped, but didn’t scream. “Sweet Celestia, what happened here?!” Spitfire knelt by Dust, she felt for a pulse, and her face dropped sadly when she realized she was dead. Spitfire got up and looked around.

“Who else is here?” she demanded

Dash was panicking “She’s going to find me, and then what? I’m a murderer” She thought. She had no idea what to do, she couldn’t move, and she knew that sooner or later Spitfire would move in her direction and see her behind the lockers. A voice began speaking in the back of Dash’s head “It’s over, get out and face her, there’s no way you’re running away from this” Before Rainbow could even protest with this voice, her body moved on its own, she stepped out into the open.

“What?” Spitfire said “Crash?” and she saw her bloody hooves. “You!” She said in a menacing tone “What the hay did you do? You murdered Lightning Dust!”

“I…” Dash couldn’t speak.

“What the buck is wrong with you, you monster?”

Dash’s heart began to race again, the voice in her head spoke again “You’re not the monster, she is the monster, she replaced you, SHE brought this upon Lightning Dust!”

Dash spoke without even thinking “I… I’m not the monster, you are!”

Spitfire’s face looked shocked, as if someone had just hit her.

“What the fuck did you say to me?”

“You heard me, you’re the monster” Dash had no control over the words coming out of her mouth “You… you replaced me! With HER out of everypony!”

“What I do with my team is none of anypony’s business, and just because you two have your differences, doesn’t mean you get to go and kill each other!”

“She is a sworn enemy of the the Wonderbolts!” Dash screamed “You broke honour by bringing that waste of a mare back here! She’s not a Wonderbolt, I’m ten times the Wonderbolt she would ever have been, even in my current messed up state! Bucking Twilight is more Wonderbolt than her!” Dash was yelling at the top of her voice! “And to think that after a life destroying injury like this, you would replace me with an insult to the very Wonderbolt’s name?! Shame on you Spitfire! Shame on you, and everypony in on this charade!”

Spitfire looked like she was about to hit Dash, but she took a deep breath and stood down, which surprised Rainbow Dash.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Rainbow Dash” Spitfire said, calming down. “About your injury.”

Spitfire looked weak all of a sudden. “The day you crashed, I… I may have had something to do with that.”

“What are you talking about?” Dash asked , folding her one good wing

Spitfire sighed “I… I stuck you with a nerve tranquilizer before you’re dive”

Now Dash felt like she was hit “You what?” she had trouble following what Spitfire was saying

“When I motioned you to take the lead, I stuck a dart full of nerve tranquilizer, at least I tried, it got you right in the left wing.”

Dash couldn’t beleive her ears, she couldn’t speak

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Spitfire went on “That’s the last thing I wanted. I just wanted to ground you, to stop you taking on the record break attempt.”

Spitfire looked exhausted, as if an enormous weight was being removed from her shoulders. “I just didn’t want you to make that dive, because I knew you would do it, I knew you’d break the record. So I wanted to stop you before you tried. Some nerve tranquilizer in the wing, I was sure would make you stop and come in for landing, it would feel like a cramp, nothing major, and no serious injury. But what I didn’t count on was how long it would take for the nerve tranquilizer to take effect. It took effect once you were in your dive, after your rainboom. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I regretted everything, I couldn’t watch. Then, I saw you collide with that wall, I thought you were dead. I… I thought a part of me also died. When I found out you were alive in a coma in Ponyville, I rushed over, I didn’t leave your side for weeks, but when you awoke, I couldn’t bring myself to see you so broken. So I ran, and tried to compartmentalize. It was all my fault.”

Dash felt sick, she wanted to vomit, her legs buckled under her, she couldn’t breathe. “Why?” was all she could muster, barely audible.

Spitfire squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “A while ago you asked me about a pony called Firestorm. And I refused to tell you about her, but I never told you, or anypony else why. So here it is. Firestorm was the best flier the Wonderbolts have ever seen, that I have ever seen, that even Wind Rider had seen. Firestorm was something special, she had a gift nopony had ever seen before, or since. She was the definition of a pegasus, but most of all, she was my best friend. We grew up together, our parents were friends, we did everything together. Everything. We had our eyes set on the Wonderbolts as fillies, and oh Celestia, we worked hard in training camp. When we were accepted on the team, it was the happiest moment of our lives. I realized something then, I realized that Firestorm was more than my friend. I was in love with her. I didn’t know how to tell her, but I knew it was real. I loved her with all my heart. We trained together, and set records together, it was magical.”

Spitfire took another breath. Despite her age, she was always a strong, stern mare, as if she had a skeleton of steel, never showing emotion or weakness. Now though, in this moment, Spitfire looked older and weaker than ever.

“As we worked our way up the ladder in the Wonderbolts, the coaches took a special interest in Firestorm, she was positively glowing when she was named lead pony. She was happy, and I was happy for her, I was her wing pony. I wanted to tell her how I felt so badly, but I had no idea how she would react. Eventually, one night we were alone in our quarters, just the two of us, we were going over drills for the next day. It was my moment, we stood across from each other, without really thinking about it, I leaned in and kissed her, deep. She was surprised, I pulled away, I thought she liked it, so I went in for another but she pushed me away, and asked me what I was doing. It was so awkward, so I explained to her how deeply I felt about her. I thought she would feel the same, but instead she just stood there and told me that she liked me as a friend, but not that kind of friend, she said she was seeing a stallion and that they were in love. I felt so humiliated, I was so hurt, I truly loved Firestorm. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to sleep with her. I wanted us to have a family together one day. And it all came crashing down in one humiliating moment.”

A single tear dropped from Spitfire’s eye.

“Our friendship was never the same after that. She wanted distance from me, like I was some sort of freak. It hurt so much, she was my best friend. During practise, we couldn’t fly together, it was too awkward. Firestorm ended up flying with her stallion boyfriend, and the two excelled. Firestorm was to lead the team in a show and perform a solo dive, the fastest dive ever attempted by a pony. She set a record and was immortalized by the Wonderbolts. Everyone loved her, so did I… but she didn’t love me back, and it was a pain unlike I have ever felt. I got angry with her rejection of me in my gesture of admiration; I became jealous of her being loved by the team, while I seemed to be stuck not getting better. Then one day, I was thinking out of adrenaline. I stole her flight suit when nopony was looking. I ripped a hole in it and mounted it on the flagpole in the field. When coach found it the next day, he was furious, as you know, damage on purpose to your flight suit is not tolerated at all, neither is defacement of property. Coach called Firestorm to the front, and stripped her of her title in front of everypony. She was kicked off, and publicly humiliated, like I had been in front of her. I expected her to retaliate, she knew it was me. But instead she did something unexpected, she gathered her things and left, never to be seen again. It took me back, seeing how humbly she took defeat, even though she did nothing wrong, it was all the petty jealousy of her once best friend.”

Dash had no voice, she was lightheaded but paid attention to every word Spitfire said.

“the coach back then was cruel, he stripped Firestorm’s record plaque off the wall of fame, and got rid of all her trophies. Her very existence as a Wonderbolt was all but erased. Nopony but me knew the truth, and it burned knowing that I did that to her. As the years went on, Firestorm was quietly forgotten, by everypony but me, and I have regretted my actions ever since. I bore this burden all my life, I trained hard to cope with it, eventually becoming commander myself, but not a day goes by that I don’t truly regret my actions, and long for my best friend, whom I still love so much.”

Spitfire looked up at Dash “You remind me a lot of her you know? You have the same confident personality, the same never give up attitude, and you’re both gifted fliers. But when I saw how you were training, setting flight records left and right, I knew you would eventually go after Firestorm’s record. I suppose that bothered me, everyone had forgotten about her and her record, except me, it was the last thing I had to remember her by, I wanted to preserve it, so I turned to sabotage yet again out of my own selfishness. But once again it backfired, the tranquilizer didn’t take effect until much later, and the only possible explanation is that your body was just too tough for it, until you went supersonic and became more vulnerable. Then it hit you in full force, all at once, rendering you flightless and unable to recover. That crash… I felt it. And I saw the full impact it had on you, and that was it. I couldn’t bear to see you, I couldn’t bear a second burden like Firestorm. But I’m such a stupid, self centered, egomaniac, that I still went and did it in the first place!”

Spitfire was crying silently, Dash felt a sympathy for her, she wanted to feel sorry for her, but hearing her story engraged her more, how could Spitfire be such a monster? The voice in the back of her head returned. “This monster deserves to suffer!”

Spitfire took a few deep breaths and choked back tears, she faced Rainbow Dash.

“I ruined two lives. I ruined Firestorm’s bright future, she disappeared without a trace years ago, I will never get a chance to make it right with her. And then I crippled you for life. Though unintentional, it was still malicious and cruel, and I am the one responsible for the state you are in. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know that I’m… I’m sorry.”

Dash’s voice in her head was screaming now “Sorry?! Fucking SORRY?!?! After the physical and emotional turmoil she put you through, now she’s sorry?!”

Dash felt her rage rise again, her adrenaline returned, she let out a primal scream.

“You’re sorry? You fucking ruined my life! I’m crippled and brain damaged and now you’re sorry?! I don’t want your apology, I want my wing back, I want my LIFE back, but guess what? It ain’t coming back, just like your precious Firestorm! All because YOU can’t handle rejection!”

Her rage was white hot. Her voice screamed in her head “Hit her! DESTROY her! Make her suffer the same way you did!” she saw red.

Spitfire saw Dash’s rage building. “Lightning Dust is a pony you resented, I shouldn’t have brought her back, she is a disgrace to the Wonderbolt name, but I needed a pony like you, or as close as possible to you. You are irreplaceable Rainbow Dash, your talents are beyond exceptional, and you did break that record, and you deserve it. You are the pony the Wonderbolts need. It is the most unfair thing I did to you”

“Unfair eh? No fucking shit!” her voice said in her head.

“You broke me!” Dash screamed at Spitfire “And now I’m going to break you!”

Spitfire flickered an ever so slight smile “Good” She said “Celestia knows I deserve it”

“Do it!” the voice in Dash’s head screamed “Do it already!”

Dash looked up and saw a Wonderbolts survival bag on a hook beside her. She knew each survival bag had a sharp hunting knife inside. She dug it out of the bag and held it tight in her hoof.

“What are you waiting for?” Spitfire demanded “Do it!”

A lighter, more rational voice piped in Dash’s head “You’re not a killer Dash” But the other, darker voice rebutted “Yes you are, look at Lightning Dust!”

“That was different!” The light voice chimed “Don’t do it Dash!”

“Don’t listen to her Dash, do it, kill this bitch!” the dark voice commanded

“Do it, Crash!” Spitfire was begging now “Let me see Firestorm again”

“She’s asking for it, what are you waiting for?” The voice commanded, all rationale had left her body at this point, all Dash could see was red.

“Volo, Nunc et Semper!” She said, and plunged the knife deep into Spitfire’s neck. She didn’t make a sound, she just closed her eyes and fell to her knees, but Rainbow wasn’t finished, she took the knife out and stabbed Spitfire again, in her chest this time, and again, and again and again. Blood flew everywhere, but Dash kept stabbing. “Die. Die. Die. DIE!” she screamed between stabs, she was beyond herself, her primal instincts controlling her actions.

After what felt like a hundred stabs Dash dropped the knife. She stared at the pool of blood on the locker room floor. She felt almost content, as if this was the answer she had been looking for. Unlike with Lightning Dust, Dash savoured this moment, she smiled, and looked at Spitfires mutilated corpse, then at Dust’s, she felt as if all her sadness and rage had been let go, as if everything was fine, almost happy again. She looked at where her wing was, the scarred stump on her back, the root of all her problems, and back at the corpses. She began to laugh, louder and louder an almost maniacal laugh.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” she shrieked in the locker room to herself, she was on her back now, laughing harder than ever. She picked up the knife, and saw her reflection in the bloody steel. She shrieked again with laughter. She laughed and laughed until she was gasping for breath. Then sat up and took in the sight of the mess she had left behind, she was lightheaded, she needed to vomit, but she was still smiling, and her chest burned, wanting to laugh some more. She lay back on her back and smiled as the ceiling spun around above her.