It started out as a normal week for Twilight. The same goes for Applejack, Fluttershy, and the Crusaders, but we'll get to them later. However, that's all about to change...
"Rainbow Dash has been having some strange, spontanious pains lately, and I'm starting to worry."
"Why are you worried, Applejack?" Twilight asked.
"Well, Twi, have you seen her when she has them?"
"Um...no?"
"I thought so. Now, every time she has one of these, she falls to the ground and starts shouting a number!"
"Right. That is a little strange."
"What should we do?"
"No idea. Maybe Fluttershy knows something," Twilight suggested. "After all, she's a pegasus too. Maybe it's something wing related."
"Good idea, Twilight! Let's go."
"Augh!"
Scootaloo screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground.
"Five! Five! Number Five is dead!"
"Scootaloo, just what are you doing?"
Of course. Number Five had to drop down dead when I'm with my friends.
"Yeah. And who's 'Number Five?'"
That was Sweetie Belle, this time.
What am I gonna do? Scootaloo thought. I can't tell 'em! They'll get killed, all because of what I am.
"Look guys, I'd love to tell you, but I can't."
"Oh, come on Scootaloo!"
Apple Bloom sounded exasperated.
"There's gotta be something you can tell us!"
"Please?" Sweetie Belle pleaded.
"Aw, now Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo scoffed. "You know what Rarity would say if she heard you right now?"
"Now, Sweetie Belle, don't beg, darling! It's not proper!" the Crusaders chourused, mimicing Sweetie Belle's older sister perfectly.
They collapsed, laughing hysterically.
"But seriously, Scoots," Apple Bloom continued after catching her breath. "What's going on?"
Scootaloo started to sweat. She couldn't tell them! It would lead them to their deaths!
"Scoots? You okay? Scoots?"
Sweetie Belle sounded distant.
"I-I-I really c-can't tell you, guys. I-I-I-I've gotta go!"
Scootaloo turned and ran. She had to get away from her friends and keep them from getting into more danger than they were already in.
Fluttershy clamped her jaw shut. She knew Number Five, whatever poor pegasus that was, had just been killed by the pain she felt. She couldn't scream, no matter how badly she wanted to, because she didn't want to frighten the animals. Fluttershy inhaled deeply, the "death pains" as she called them beginning to fade. She shuddered as she realized her time was getting closer and closer.
"I just don't understand," Fluttershy murmured. "We've lived in peace for so long. Why do we all have to die?"
She wished she knew. There had to be some way to keep the other numbers from dying. she laid down to think. Suddenly, Fluttershy sat straight up.
"Rainbow Dash is Number Six. Five just died. Dash is next!"
Fluttershy started to panic. She had to warn Rainbow Dash as soon as possible. She was about to leave when there was a knock at her door.
"Fluttershy! You home?"
"Comming!" Fluttershy called.
She opened the door to see Applejack and Twilight standing side-by-side with worried looks on their faces.
"Hi guys! What can I do for you?"
"It's Dash," Twilight said. "Something's wrong."
"It's urgent!" Applejack cried.
"Well, I was just about to head over there," Fluttershy said. "But if it's urgent we must leave right away!"
They left, Applejack and Twilight running at top speed, Fluttershy flying but falling behind and wailing for the others to slow down. Twilight and Applejack slowed to a steady trot so Fluttershy could catch up.
"So exactly what is up with Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy inquired.
"She's having strange, spontanious pains. Are those bad?"
"Yes, Applejack. Bad. Very bad indeed! I..."
She was going to finish 'have them, too!', but stopped short. If she said that, Fluttershy knew they would ask what they were. She couldn't lie, not to her friends! And even if she did tell them they would most likely die.
"We're almost at Dash's house!" Applejack called.
Twilight started to run. Applejack followed suit. Fluttershy landed and sprinted to catch up. The trio skidded to a stop in front of Rainbow Dash's house.
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy shouted. "Dash, let us in!"
An earsplitting scream broke the silence around Dash's house. Twilight let out an eerie wail. Fluttershy looked over at her and saw her nose spattered with blood, her ears laid back and eyes filled with tears. Looking past Twilight at Applejack, Fluttershy observed the orange mare spattered with blood and staring at the sky in shock. A pain sharp as a thousand needles pierced Fluttershy's body. She collapsed to the ground, a single, ominous thought flooding her brain.
Dash is dead!
"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.