"You know what? I give up... you guys can just go back. I can't bear you guys anymore," Rainbow Dash said, after hearing their antics for the 100th time, it felt like. Within a flash, everypony just, dissapeared. Rainbow Dash sighed, walking back sadly. She felt... lost. The color began to seep out of her. Discord had won.

A mare stepped hoof onto Ponyville.

"Huh... Princess Celestia said this would be where I find that Twilight Sparkle and her friends... and isn't it the Summer Sun Celebration? Where is everypony?" a lilac mare asked. She walked around, looking at the closed businesses and ruin. That's when she bumped into another pony.

"Oh! I'm so sorry... didn't see you there," the mare said, looking up to see Rainbow Dash... just a little different.

"Wait... you're Rainbow Dash! Princess Celestia told me about you! I'm Starlight Glimmer, I came over here from Canterlot after Princess Celestia told me to do so. I began experiencing these flashes of things that didn't happen... and I wondered if you could help me," the mare, identified to be Starlight, said.

"Uh-huh. Yeah..." Rainbow Dash said, unenthusiastically.

"What... happened...?" the other mare asked.

"Discord attacked us. He foalnapped Princess Celestia and wreaked havoc on the place. We went here, to find a book on the Elements of Harmony, and it led us to the Everfree Forest. That was when we lost each other in fog. When we met each other again, they were... different. Everypony felt grouchier... I- I-" Rainbow Dash said, breaking up on that last sentence.

"I got the gist of it. You don't need to tell me any further," Starlight said.

"Anyways, isn't Fluttershy and Twilight staying here for the night? Where are they?" she asked.

"I don't know... I don't wanna know..." Rainbow said.

"Hey. For as little as I've known you... you look like a really good friend. Princess Celestia told me about you three's... antics. You guys were inseparable growing up," Starlight said, trying to cheer Rainbow up.

"Some good things have to end... do they?" Rainbow added.

"No. It doesn't. Look, I know where this path leads. I saw it in my visions," Starlight said. "After my friend, Sunburst, left for magic school after he got his cutie mark, I began to have visions. While I just sucked it up and said oh well, a version of me I saw in these visions did not. She started to feel... bitter. It led her down a dark path. A path that hated cutie marks. She founded a village, and stole everypony that inhabited the place cutie marks' and stored them in a vault. I- I was..." Starlight muttered.

"You don't need to tell me anymore about it," Rainbow Dash said.

"My point is, there are much worse friends than you are one, Rainbow. And I believe that you can stop Discord with your friends," Starlight said. "Really, you think so?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Of course I do, Rainbow... of course I do," Starlight replied. Rainbow Dash hugged her. She felt the color in her returning.

"Rainbow Dash! Your color's back!"

"It is?" she looked at herself. And then, everything clicked to place. "I know how to save my friends!"

Author's Note

Ho-wee! This was a long one to write. My longest one... by FAR! The climax is quickly approaching.