To Kill a Pegasus

"Dash! Dash, no!"

The pain that Scootaloo felt seemed to intensify with knowing who just died.

"I've gotta tell Derpy!"

Scootaloo rushed out of her house and leaped in the air, wings flapping at full speed. Tears streamed down her face and filled her eyes. Scootaloo was blinded by grief. She wasn't watching where she was flying. She didn't notice when it got darker and the trees grew thicker. She paid no attention to the glowing eyes around her until she ran into a tree. It was too late when she realized where she was. The Changelings were around her in an instant. They grabbed her legs and wings. Scootaloo struggled but couldn't loosen their grip.

"Let me go! Let me go! You'll never take me alive!"

A bright, turquoise light blinded Scootaloo. A Changeling shrieked and let go of one of her wings. Another one fell off of her left foreleg. All but one shrieked in fear and fled. The remaining Changeling clung to her back, preventing her from flying. It hissed in defiance, but the hiss cut into a shriek, which faded into a gurgling noise.

Scootaloo fell to the ground. She opened her eyes.

"Dash!"

The glowing spirit of Rainbow Dash hovered in front of her. The spirit's eyes were filled with love and sorrow.

"You said you'd never leave me!" Scootaloo wailed.

"But I haven't left you," the spirit replied.

"But you're dead!" Scootaloo argued.

"You may not see, hear, or feel me, but I will always be with you. I promise."

Rainbow Dash's spirit reached out a hoof and wiped a tear from Scootaloo's eye. She caressed Scootaloo in a gentle embrace. It ended all to soon for Scootaloo.

"No!" the sound of despair burst from Scootaloo's throat as the spirit of Rainbow Dash turned and flew away. She flew faster and faster, even faster still. She soared towards the ground. A thundering boom echoed around the Changeling Kingdom. Color spread over all of Equestria as the spirit of Rainbow Dash made a high arc over the ground. She had performed her final Sonic Rainboom. Her visible spirit was gone.

Tears streamed down Fluttershy's face. Her heartbeat sounded in her ears, drowning out every other sound.

No...no, no, no! This can't be happening! Fluttershy thought. Dash can't be dead!

"Fluttershy! Fluttershy!"

The voice sounded distant.

"Fluttershy, wake up! No, you can't be dead, too! FLUTTERSHY!"

Fluttershy's eyes shot open.

"Fluttershy, what the hell is going on? You can tell us you know."

"No! You'll die!" Fluttershy shrieked.

"Fluttershy! Calm down! Just freakin' explain!" Twilight nearly hissed the sentence out of fear.

Fluttershy looked around her, eyes wild. She took a deep breath, only to scream as a turquoise light appeared in front of her.

"It's okay to tell them, Fluttershy. They can help you."

"D-Dash?"

"Tell them, Fluttershy. Tell them the whole story."

Dash's spirit disappeared. Fluttershy inhaled deeply.

"Okay. I'll tell you."

A thundering boom echoed around Dash's house and a bright, glowing turquoise dot led a rainbow in a high arc over the earth. All of them stared in wonder.

"By Celestia's mane!" Twilight murmured. "It's Dash's spirit!"

"Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Of course, Fluttershy. Go ahead."

"I am a Pegasus, descended from the great mare Mayberry, as all Pegasi are. There is also a race called the DemonGhosts. A little history is needed for you to fully understand.

"Mayberry was a great pony who had a massive desire to fly. She had her genetics altered to have wings, and it went to her head. She became senile, and started to make destructive creatures. In the process, most of her unicorn's horn broke off, and she tore an ear. Her creations were the DemonGhosts. At first, they did Mayberry's bidding, but after she had brought the first Pegasus into the world, the DemonGhosts realized she was evil, and killed her."

"Holy shit!" Twilight hissed. "That's horrible!"

"No interruptions, please. Anyway, the myth is that all pegasi carry that trait of evil. Here is where my part of the story begins."

"Since all pegasi are presumed to have that trait of evil, the DemonGhosts have numbered us. They kill us in order, from one to however many pegasi there are. We've lived in peace for years, but some feather-brain did something to tick the DemonGhosts off, and now they're killing us off one by one. Dash was Number Six. I'm Number 10."

"Dang. That sucks. Only three more till you..."

"I KNOW! DON'T REMIND ME!"

Fluttershy broke down into tears, curled up in a ball at the door of Dash's house.