"Raiiinbooow..." the voice echoed softly.
"Huh? Who's there?!" Rainbow dash challenged, jumping to her hind hooves and jutting her front hooves forward; punching away at the air. "Show yourself! I'm not afraid of you!"
"We've been *eagerly** awaiting the arrival of the best flyer in Equestria..." the voice said admiringly.*
"Who?" Rainbow Dash asked simply in confusion.
"Why, you, of course!" the voice responded encouragingly.
"Really?" the blue pegasus piped up. "I mean...Oh yea; me! Hey, uh, you wouldn't mind telling the Wonderbolts that, would ya? I mean, I've been trying to get into that group for like, ever!"
"No, Rainbow Dash, we want you to join us!" the female voice said and the galloping of hooves soon followed.
Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes and tried to pierce the thick white fog but couldn't.
Luckily for her, the voice soon became a female pegasus flanked on either side by two male pegasi.
"The Shadowbolts!" the female said proudly as she and her escorts sat down, skidding to a halt in front of the slightly stunned rainbow mare. "We're the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest! And soon, we will be the greatest in *all** of Equestria..."*
"But first..." the dark mare whispered as she began circling around Rainbow Dash. "We need a captain...The most magnificent..."
"Yep." Rainbow Dash interrupted, her eyes gleaming.
"Swiftest..." the mare continued, only to be answered with another 'yes' from the rainbow mare.
"Bravest flyer in all the land!" the Shadowbolt said, landing in front of the starry eyed pegasus.
"Yep, it's all true." Rainbow Dash answered proudly.
"We need..." the Shadowbolt whispered, leaning in close. "You."
Rainbow Dash let out a fangirl squeal and took a few paces into the air to express her excitement.
"Sign me up! Just lemme tie this bridge real quick..." she started, only to be rudely interrupted.
"No!" the mare barked, capturing the attention of Rainbow Dash once more. "It's them or us!"
The rainbow colored mares' eyes widened in horror as she realized all three Shadowbolts had removed their masks now.
Her throat locked up as her eyes began to water.
She knew those faces.
Those faces long gone to her.
Those faces she could never, ever forget.
"Bwah!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she sat up in bed, panting and sweating profusely.
The shaken pegasus mare stared blankly into space before falling back into bed and groaning as she pressed her hooves against her face.
This was the fourth night in a row she had seen those faces, but they had gotten the Elements of Harmony such a long time ago.
Why was she just now having these dreams?
Why was she just now recognizing those faces?
Rolling over in bed and pulling her cloud blanket tighter around her body, Rainbow Dash quietly whimpered to herself and attempted to fall back into sleep.