Colorless

by The Questioner

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Tragedy, Queen Chrysalis
Length: 5031

The Second Changeling War killed Rainbow Dash. Now, Twilight will discover the depths of her sorrow.

Two days ago, the Changelings returned. The history books will call it the "Second War," but it was just a slaughter. The monsters swept through Equestria, ravaging mountain and vale almost indiscriminately. They would've killed us all, but for her sacrifice. Her loyalty. As the saying goes, "stone walls do not a prison make," but my mind is becoming one.

It's becoming a prison of glass and fire, a colorless prism, splitting my shining tears into a rainbow of sorrow.

--Completed for the time being. Regard it as a one-shot (although if I have time, I'll see about writing more)

Published 2012-10-14 01:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-14 01:00:01 UTC

Fade to Grey

One: Fade to GreyTwo Days After the Second Changeling Invasion"Equestrians, mares and gentlecolts… we are gathered here today to commemorate one special pony's indomitable spirit. Her spirit of loyalty… never wavered. I… we… are only standing here today because of this special… this heroic… pony. We are standing here… safe and secure… peaceful once more… because of one pony's sacrifice. Because… of Rainbow Dash's… Rainbow Dash's… loyalty."

Twilight Sparkle's voice wavered, hoarse with weeping and emotional inflection, as she gave the opening speech to the first Loyalty Day, the first commemoration of Rainbow Dash's heroism during the Second Changeling War. From atop the marble balcony, pitted and scarred with the marks of war, she could see the devastated ruins that were Canterlot, and in the distance, the plume of smoke that marked the spot where Ponyville once was.

Once, Equestria had been a land of peace and prosperity. Now, all that was left was a broken, marred land; a land of smoldering ashes and lifeless wastes. But thanks to Rainbow Dash, they still lived. Thanks to her loyalty with no self-regard, ponies still lived and changelings littered the forests, polluting the once-sweet streams.

A tear rolled down Twilight's face as she bowed her head and turned away from the ragged, mourning crowd of ponies below her. Yesterday she hadn't been able to cry at all, but now, it was as if all the tears she'd held back were surging forth.

She suddenly felt a wave of bitterness and anger flash through her body. They couldn't ever understand. No-one would ever be able to understand how much Rainbow had meant to her. She was the most loyal friend anypony could ask for. They'll never understand that.

Twilight turned towards the only group of ponies who could come close to feeling her heart-wrenching torment, her four closest friends, her brother, and her sister-in-law. Princess Luna was somewhere, probably watching over the Changeling Queen Chrysalis' imprisonment, while Celestia had left almost immediately after the battle's end to assuage the fears of the populace.

She didn't even have time to say a sympathetic word to Twilight, or any of them. Pah. Some ruler, Twilight thought for a moment, but pushed the thoughts away angrily. She shouldn't be thinking those things, especially about Celestia. She WAS a Princess, after all, and had to look after the populace.

Twilight surveyed them all, her soft lavender eyes beset with grief and rage. Applejack looked stoic, her eyes betraying the sorrow she held for Rainbow Dash. Rarity was dabbing at her eyes with an alabaster cloth, her indigo curls mussed and unkempt. Fluttershy was sitting in a corner, soft sobs emanating from her quivering, anguish-wracked body. Pinkie's normally poofy mane was straight as a board, and her eyes were dilated awkwardly as she sat on a faded blue cushion, motionless.

Shining Armor looked the epitome of a soldier, rugged and detached, but every so often he would give a mournful nuzzle to Cadance, who was limp on the bare stone floor of the ruins of what was once the proud Royal Palace. Princess Celestia seemed as if she was trying to maintain her regal air, but the sadness on her face was plain for the world to see.

Twilight walked past them, heading towards her temporary quarters. The few royal guards she saw as she walked through the Palace's cracked and damaged corridors. Scorch-marks and craters dotted the walls, and there were the remnants of several bloodstains still visible on the cold stone floor.

She reached her quarters, magicked open the door, and collapsed on the mattress that was her quarters' only furnishing, aside from a picture of her and her five friends. The picture showed them together on the outskirts of Ponyville, in happier times. Now, the frame was charred, and the glass of the frame had cracked, sending spidery lines across Rainbow's beautiful face.

Twilight let out a mournful sigh as she closed her eyes. She was bone-tired, and drifted off in moments. As Twilight slept, memories of Rainbow manifested themselves as dreams, floating before her like a cinematic record of Rainbow's life.

Rainbow's brash, boastful attitude had made a deep impression on Twilight since she'd arrived in Ponyville, and they had become fast friends. Until Rainbow died, however, just two days ago, she had never truly realized how much Rainbow meant to her.

A mere remembrance of that prismatic mane and tail, those deep cerise pools of eyes, that wonderfully brave, loyal, and carefree attitude would not do justice to Rainbow's life.

Twilight felt as if she'd never feel joy again; one of her best friends, one she'd shared countless experiences with, felt elation and sorrow alongside, happiness and devastation, had passed out of her life--forever.

Floating amidst her grief, Twilight Sparkle slipped into a dreamless sleep. There, at least, away from all her woes and worries, she could feel temporary respite.

But like all things, her peaceful sleep came to an end, bringing with its departure the return of all her grief.

Twilight's heart pounded in her chest as she recalled, for the e-to-the-pi-times-pi-th time, the day she would rue for the rest of her life. The day the Changelings attacked, the day Equestria as she knew it was lost forever. The day Rainbow Dash died.

Groaning in frustration, Twilight tried to push the sorrowing images out of her head. No, she thought. Leave me alone! I know how it goes. I know how it ends. I remember the blood. I remember the fire. I remember the shouts, the cries, the screams. I remember the ashes. "I remember, I remember, I REMEMBER! GO AWAY!" Twilight screamed, burying her face in her hooves and blearily rubbing her eyes.

Rainbow Dash floated before Twilight, taunting her with that azure blue coat, those cyan wings, that beautiful mane and tail, those amaranth lakes of emotion. Rainbow hung in space, her body in pristine condition. Where is all the blood? Twilight thought, where are the ashes and wounds, the scorches and bloodied, mangled patches of tear-stained fur where I cried on you?

Why are you here? Am I going mad? I don't know. But I do know one thing. You can't be Rainbow Dash. Rainbow wouldn't leave me here, mourning in grief. That can't be why she saved me, just to break me. She would NEVER do such a thing.

The apparition beckoned, raising one sky-blue foreleg to point at Twilight before jabbing it forward accusingly.

What? Are you… are you BLAMING me for your death? Rainbow, I don't understand. I just... I just don't know. Talk to me, talk to me… please. I need you here, Rainbow. I need you alive, flying about the sky with no worries. Just three days ago, you came to my library late at night, after closing time. You said you wanted to tell me "something important," but you left a moment later, running away with a tear sliding down your face, as if I was some kind of monster. Why, Rainbow Dash? Why did you have to leave? I can't see the world's color with you on. It's all colorless.

Rainbow Dash's specter slowly began to fade, the bright colors of life lessening, disappearing. Soon, all that was left was a silhouette, a colorless version of the once-beautiful figure floating in the air. Twilight raised a trembling hoof, as if to touch the phantom's mane, but the ghostly apparition had faded away into nothingness.

Twilight lowered her hoof, curled up once more on the mattress, and shut her eyes again. This time, however, sleep would not come to her, and mind was plagued with thoughts of the specter. No matter how hard she tried to push the thoughts away, they came pouring back in, like a relentless flood gushing through a broken dam. Resignedly, Twilight gave up her struggle.

Am I going mad? I must be, for why would Rainbow just… be there, a mere image of her, floating in front of me? This must be what going mad feels like, all the sorrows in your body gushing through you, pulling you down, chaining you to some dark place deep inside you, and whispering in your head over and over until all of you is corrupted; until there's nothing sane left.

Twilight heard a muffled rapping sound against her door, as if the pony outside couldn't decide whether to come in or not, but a moment later, Fluttershy crept slowly into her room.

"Are… are you alright, Twilight?" came the quiet, sympathy-soaked question.

The rage Twilight had felt before, when she'd gazed upon the ignorant, scared crowd below the balcony returned in full force. Anger poured through her, consuming her, and her mane began to smoke slightly, fire lighting in her eyes.

"OF COURSE NOT!" she shouted, glaring at Fluttershy with an acid look that could melt through Rarity's best diamonds, or readily deconstruct even gel-spun, high-crystallinity UHMW polyethylene/platinum/ceramic composites.

Fluttershy gave a small "eep" sound, then quickly turned about-face and retreated, faster than either the Ten Thousand fleeing from Artaxerxes of Persia, or Sir John Moore's famous retreat to Corunna.

When the door closed, shutting Twilight once more in her dim quarters, her prison of grief and the site of her beginning descent into madness, as she thought, Twilight felt the bitter rage trickle out of her, not as the mighty monsoon's flood of anger she had felt a moment before but as the rivulets of a minuscule rill.

Why did I do that? Fluttershy was just… was just trying… to help…. And I screamed at her. Why? Am I really this angry? I have no right to be angry like this. I just… I don't know. I should feel more sadness, or sympathy, when someone tries to help me, but I just… can't stop this rage inside of me. Why did she have to die?

A moment later, tears were flowing freely down Twilight's already tearstained face, soaking into two damp spots on her mattress. The dingy room she was quartered in seemed to be a prison, not of stone, but of glass and fire. Twilight's tears glistened as she gazed once more at the cracked picture, the only remembrance of Rainbow Dash she had left.

Twilight had wanted to take a snippet of Rainbow's mane as Princess Celestia had lain Rainbow Dash in a marble mausoleum outside the Royal Castle, right beside Discord's statue (which had been pulverized in the Changelings' indiscriminate swarming invasion, probably the ONLY somewhat good thing that came of the invasion) but Rainbow Dash's body was still sparking and twitching with massive amounts of magical energy when they'd buried her. It had been too dangerous, even for Celestia, to do anything but magically lift the prismatic pegasus mare's lifeless body into the sepulcher and seal it with her strongest spell.

The spidery web of lines crossing Rainbow Dash's image seemed like chains binding her, keeping her captive, and separating her from Twilight across the void of death. Twilight suddenly had an insane urge to end it all, to join Rainbow Dash in that place beyond death, but her rational mind instantaneously shut her emotions off.

No. Think, Twilight, think. Modus Ponies. Provided "if p, then q" and event "p" are true, then event "q" must also be true. Natural Lunarithmic functions. The Lunarithm to base e, where the solution for any real number a is defined as the area under the curve "y=1/x" from 1 to a, which is implicitly asymptotic to the y-axis. The Zeroth Law of Celestidynamics. Thermal equilibrium between systems in contact, implying an empirical parameter or measurement known as temperature. The Starswirl Sum over Histories. Simply put, without all the complex mathematics, as the innate, minuscule possibility of an object to be anywhere in the universe at any given moment, which is expressed as a functional integral.

Secure in the knowledge that her mind was working at optimal levels, Twilight pondered why she had had the irrational urge to commit suicide. Was Rainbow Dash really that important to me? She was my friend and all, but… ugh. I have to stop thinking about this, it's driving me mad.

Sighing, Twilight realized she had better apologize to Fluttershy before the demure yellow pegasus became too frightened of her, and so she unsteadily got to her feet and walked out of the room. Her focusing on something other than Rainbow would also give her an avenue with which to channel away all the mind-numbing, irrational thoughts rushing through her head.

Fluttershy was cowering against the marred marble wall, and when she saw Twilight, she mumbled, "I… I'm sorry…"

Apologetically, Twilight replied, "No, Fluttershy. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you… it's just… well…"

"We're all sad, Twilight… you of all ponies should know that. Just remember that we're all there for each other, right? Remember when Nightmare Moon returned? We're still with you, 'Twi… just you, be there for us, okay?"

Twilight's glistening eyes widened, and she nodded her head slightly in agreement. How could I be so narrow-minded? We're ALL suffering, and I have to stop thinking about… Rainbow's death… and be there for my friends. But that's recursive! Rainbow's still my friend… even though she… even though she's… gone. Shaking her head an infinitesimally small increment, Twilight berated herself. How could I just forget Rainbow Dash was one of my best friends, too? How could I cast her off, just because she died? How could I… when she saved me? "Ugh! I just don't know what to do, what with her gone."

From Fluttershy's sympathetic look, Twilight realized she'd said the last part out loud. Frantically shaking her head, she tried to deny the severity of her implication.

"Nonononononono! I didn't mean that I just I mean I… Mmphh…"

Fluttershy had covered Twilight's mouth with a hoof, saying "It's okay, Twilight. We all loved--love--Rainbow Dash. She'll always be with us. But we just have to rebuild right now, and move on."

Although Fluttershy surely meant well, those words were almost exactly the wrong thing to say to Twilight.

"No. We can't move on. Queen Chrysalis is the one who took Rainbow Dash from me--from us--and we have to punish her. There will be NO moving on, no 'love and tolerance.' I will NOT move on from her death, as long as I live. Nor will I allow that… MONSTER to live, while Rainbow Dash languishes on Acheron's bloody banks."

Fluttershy tried to back away from Twilight's once-more-smoking mane and eyes that burned with rage, but could do no more than shrink against the pitted marble. Cowering before the rage-filled, almost possessed creature that had been her friend, she tried to shut out Twilight's rant.

"I'll send her past the Styx. I'll send her through Tartarus' screaming gates, listening to her wail and cry for mercy. I'll not even dip myself in the Lethe when I'm done. I want to watch her while I strip her essence down, layer by cold-hearted layer. I want her to feel the pain Rainbow felt. I want her to suffer as Rainbow suffered. I want her to die a horrible death, just as Rainbow gave her life for me. Her tears will fill the Cocytus, and when I'm done I'll cast her husk into the Phlegethon, where it will burn in the fields of suffering for all time."

With a manic grin on her face, Twilight galloped away, heading for the remnants of the palace entrance.

Coughing up dust, Fluttershy realized Twilight's mind had broken, and that she was mad with grief and rage. She knew she had to get help, before Twilight did something stupid, like try to find Chrysalis and kill her. Luna WAS keeping her under heavy guard, and there was going to be a trial when the wounds of the populace had healed somewhat.

Fluttershy flew faster than she'd ever flown before, desperation giving her strength. She rounded first one corner, continued down a twisty passageway, then flew smack into one of the few remaining Royal Guards.

He was undoubtedly a member of Shining Armor's regiment, which had been away inspecting the Equestrian outposts in the far north when the Changelings had suddenly attacked. Thankfully, they'd made it back in time to rout the few Changelings the Royal Princesses had left.

Pushing those ruminations out of her head, however, Fluttershy mumbled a quick apology and continued on her path, intent on reaching the rest of her friends before Twilight got too far away.

Twilight galloped through the castle, eyes alight with murderous rage. Chrysalis took Rainbow away. She must be killed. She must suffer. She must--

A Royal Guard, stammering something about the Princesses wanting her "kept here for a while," tried to stop her. Tilting her head while still maintaining speed, Twilight's horn became encased in a magical glow and the Guard was flung bodily into a partially-collapsed marble column. Screaming as he was buried under the falling stone, the Guard tried to struggle in her magical grip, but his voice was abruptly cut off.

So this is what it's like to kill somepony. It feels… too easy, like there should be something stopping me. Is this how Chrysalis felt, when she struck Rainbow down? Did she feel something when she ended my friend's life, or was it just… nothing?

Her path clear, Twilight followed the path she'd seen Luna's Guards take when they transported Chrysalis to Equestria's only high-security complex--the Palace Gardens. Doubtlessly, Chrysalis was in some magic-inhibiting field, maybe even turned to stone temporarily. Perhaps even Luna herself would be there, keeping guard. But none of that mattered to Twilight. All she focused on was revenging Rainbow Dash.

Gasping for breath, Fluttershy crashed through the door into the balcony room where her four other friends, Shining, and Cadance still were. They were trying to make small talk, to assuage their raw grief at Rainbow's passing, and they all looked up in shock as Fluttershy burst into the room.

"Everypony, it's… it's Twilight," Fluttershy huffed, "She's… gone mad! She yelled something about 'making Chrysalis suffer' then ran off. I think… I think… eep!" Fluttershy's pupils dilated, as did all the others', as the horrible realization struck home. Twilight was going to try to kill Queen Chrysalis.

"We've got to stop her!" Shining Armor was the first to respond, then everypony joined in, even the normally demure Fluttershy and the grief-stricken Princess Cadance. Pinkie Pie looked confused for a split second, then her eyes widened, farther than one would've imagined possible for a pony. Nodding at each other, they rushed out, towards the Palace Gardens.

Twilight's horn glowed lilac, and two more Royal Guards were flung haphazardly, groaning in pain as they landed. These two didn't die, and Twilight had only killed the one guard in her mad gallop, but Twilight felt no remorse at causing them pain, only the buzz of magic and adrenaline in her head. Rainbow Dash was the only thing she could think about, Rainbow Dash and causing Chrysalis pain.

As Twilight approached the Castle Gardens, she saw six guards standing before the entrance, clad in dented armor and carrying battle-tested spears in their magical telekinesis. These were Shining Armor's finest unicorn Guards, his elite task force, and they fell to Twilight's magic almost as easily as the others.

Chuckling maniacally at the Guards' apparent weakness, Twilight made it into the Castle Gardens. Here, arrayed in front of her glinting eyes and glowing horn, were thirty or so of Luna's finest Guards, hand-picked to accompany the Princess, serving 'till death.

One noticed Twilight galloping towards them, the glint of battle in her eyes, and gave a hasty warning to his compatriots. They turned as one, and stoically stood, blocking Twilight's path.

The eight that were unicorns stepped forward, erecting a magical shield against the gargantuan bolt of energy that Twilight loosed from her horn. Their shield absorbed the magical impact for a moment, shuddering under the strain, then shattered into uncountable pieces, showering the Guards with magical detritus.

The unicorn Guards were then lifted into the air and slammed into the ground, knocking them out. The remainder of the Guards charged Twilight, but were brushed aside by her overwhelming power.

Just then, Luna, who had been circling Chrysalis, who was shrouded in a sphere of black energy above the Gardens, noticed the cries of battle and bolts of light beneath her. Descending regally, she saw Twilight laying about with her magic. It seemed too powerful for a single unicorn, as if she was… an alicorn. But that couldn't be. Luna shivered, icy fear running down her spine.

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE, WE COMMAND THEE TO STOP THIS MAD-NMMph…" A small muzzle, wrought with light, encompassed Luna's mouth, and cut even her ear-shattering Royal Canterlot Voice off.

"No, Princess," came the reply. "I will NOT stop. Not until that… THING feels what Rainbow Dash felt. Not until she dies of pain. Not until I have Rainbow back."

The muzzle of light expanded, circling Luna in magical chains from horn to hooves. Twilight's eyes flashed white, and she began to rise up in the air, amaranth-and-white bolts, sparks, and mandalas of magic whipping around her. Queen Chrysalis, held captive by Luna's magic prison, wriggled frantically as she tried to escape, to flee, to do anything to escape Twilight's wrath.

Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie raced towards the Castle Gardens, hoping beyond hope that they weren't too late. Shining would've teleported, but a strange magical aura hung over the area, and his spell just would not take hold. So it was that they ran, ran for Twilight's life.

Along the way, Shining saw one of his guards, dead, buried in rubble. His throat tightened. Could Twilight have done this? Could my little Twily have become a heartless killer?

Closer to the entrance, he saw two more, groaning in pain. They saw him, and tried to stand up, but he galloped on, not even seeing to his own men. Then, he realized what he had done and skidded to a halt, trotting back to his men while the others continued on.

"She was… she just…" one of the soldiers started, but Shining Armor cut him off.

"Can you stand up?" The soldier tried, but flopped over in pain. His partner could, however, and Shining told him to carry an urgent message to Princess Celestia.

Galloping with all his strength, Shining rejoined the others, who were staring, mouth agape, at two figures, encased in magic, slowly orbiting each other.

Around the others, Shining Armor saw six of his finest, knocked out upon the ground, as well as Luna's entire detachment of Guards. Beneath Twilight and a figure shrouded in a sphere of black, presumably Chrysalis, was Luna. She was chained, in white, shimmering, magical chains, and Shining soon realized that he couldn't break them.

Looking up once more, he saw Twilight's magic-clad figure fade to grey, then pulse in rainbow colors wildly, a white spear of magic lancing towards Chrysalis.

"NO!" he cried, gazing up at his sister. "No, no, no, no, NO! Twily, what'r-EMMPH…"

Twilight felt the magic surround her, rage egging her on, as she faced the bound Queen Chrysalis. All she could think about was Rainbow Dash. The world seemed grey before her eyes without that prismatic pegasus there, brash and carefree. And Chrysalis had taken Rainbow Dash from her.

Rage boiled within her, and Twilight felt the magic swirling around her, coiling, and building up pressure as an image of Rainbow Dash appeared in her mind's eye.

The image of Princess Celestia replaced Rainbow's for a split second, carrying a disapproving look. I can't disappoint her… Twilight thought, but her brief hesitation turned to steadfast resolution as she once more imagined Rainbow Dash's twitching, smoking body laying over her, and Rainbow Dash's last spoken words.

She had said, "'Twi. I'm… sorry I never… told… you." Told me what?

Twilight felt a blast of energy ready itself, bigger and more powerful than anything she'd felt before. This would surely make Chrysalis suffer. The Queen writhed as she too felt Twilight's magic, but her movement was in vain, for a massive bolt of pure energy lanced from Twilight's body, straight towards the Changeling Queen.

The moment Twilight felt the energy leave her system, it seemed as time slowed down. Her thoughts cleared. The world brightened. Her mind dispelled Rainbow's broken image, and an apparition floated before her once more. This time, it was completely grey, and barely visible.

A solitary tear rolled off the silhouette's cheek, a droplet of glass and fire arcing towards the ground. Twilight heard Rainbow Dash's voice in her head, saying one word.

"Why?"

Time stopped. All Twilight could hear, see, or think about was that voice. She responded after what seemed a millennium, hesitantly.

"What?"

"Why, 'Twi? Why? I… Why did you do this? I… loved you, 'Twi. Please, don't do this."

"YOU WHAAAAAAT?"

"Sorry, 'Twi. I can't… can't… I'll see you… later. I'll ALWAYS be watching, okay? I'll always be… with… you. Loyal… to… the… end. Ha-ha… That's what I am… Loyal…"

Rainbow Dash's voice petered out, fading into nothingness, and the silhouette too faded, again.

She said she… she loved me?! What? Since when? Did it start right when we met, or was it later, when she stood by me that time Nightmare Moon arrived? Or did she only know it that day, two days ago. The day she threw herself in front of me, between Chrysalis' magic and myself.

What have I done? Was I so… so lost without her? Did I… did I love her too? Why would I do this? Nucleostallionthesis. When isotopes…. I can't remember. What is wrong with me? No. I'm sorry, all. I'm sorry, Celestia, Shining, Cadance, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Luna. I'm sorry… Rainbow Dash. I wasn't… loyal.

Twilight heard an anguished scream, and saw Chrysalis' very being reduced to cold ashes before her. Sick with revulsion, Twilight pulsed magic through her once more, one final time. This would be the last, she knew, the last time she used her magic. It had given her so much over the years, so much laughter and happiness. But now, it only brought her pain.

No more sorrow, now. No more tears. No more anger, no more pain. Time to acknowledge what I've done. Time to end it. Time to leave, just as Rainbow did. Except… she did it out of love, and out of loyalty. I'm just weak. I'm just… a failure. They'll all hate me, won't they? I could return, try to repair my life… but no.

No more running. Time to meet you, Rainbow Dash. I'm coming, through this colorless world. I shall find you, in the colorless void beyond death. No matter the cost. It's time… for me to be loyal… to you. Time...

Princess Celestia suddenly appeared on the horizon, and Luna's chains broke free in her presence. Celestia instantly saw Twilight, floating alone in the sky above the Castle Gardens. A solitary tear dripped from her regal eye as she gazed upon her student, driven to madness with grief and maybe… was it… love? Love and loyalty… She'd seen many ponies driven astray by those two, but never before like her favorite… her best student. It was a true tragedy, the Second War. It had ruined so many lives, and chief among them, Twilight's.

She would've tried, done almost anything to save Twilight, but Twilight was too far gone. All she could do was watch as Twilight's body slowly faded in color, until it was just a silhouette. Pale, colorless. Just like Equestria, it seemed. After the War. But there could be no looking back. Twilight and Rainbow Dash would live on forever, but Equestria had to keep moving forward. It was the sad truth, the horrible reality of being a Royal Princess, that one could never truly care enough--or try hard enough--to save everyone.

All she could do was try. Unfortunately, Twilight had made her decision. She was going to see Rainbow Dash.

Magic encased Twilight, one final time, looking for all the world to see like a prison, wrought in glass and fire.

All the others gazed up at Twilight, forlorn and melancholy. As they all watched, the magic around Twilight dissipated, the glass melting away and the fire dying to ashes.. She sank to the ground, lifeless, all the fire of life out of her colorless eyes.

Twilight saw the world turn to grey before her eyes, cold as ashes and colorless. A rainbow light descended from the heavens, carrying her into the sky. She passed beyond the sky, beyond the moon, beyond the sun, beyond the stars, to a cold, colorless place. And there, there amidst the grey, there, the only spot of color before a colorless, intricate marble gate, was her. Rainbow Dash, before the colorless gate of death. Waiting for her.

"I'm here."

"I know. C'mon, Twilight. It won't be so colorless anymore."

A/N: So, first fic, you know the drill! Comment, criticize, and let the flames of your hatred pour forth like the Phlegethon's waters!(just kidding! I love you all!). Many thanks go to the supports in my life: My ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL art team (also coincidentally my pre-readers!), my friends, and everypony among you! I love you all!

~InfinityXanadu

And now, for your quote(s) of the day! I'm feeling in a good mood (read: I'm sick and have free time), so y'all get four!

"Getting caught is the mother of invention"

-Robert Byrne

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it"

-Patrick Young

"Actions lie louder than words"

-Carolyn Wells

"At least half the mystery novels published violate the law that the solution, once revealed, must seem to be inevitable.

-Raymond Chandler

This is gonna be "in medias res," meaning that I'll make a second chapter, that'll hopefully explain some things… Just so you don't wonder what the buck is going on, dear reader.