The Shadow Behind Her Eyes
WARNING: The following story has been rated Mature by the author, due to disturbing themes such as murder and insanity, and disturbing descriptions of gore and violence. Reader discretion advised strongly.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash," alicorn Twilight Sparkle said. Rainbow Dash's eyes fluttered open. She was lying on a wooden table in a dark room that looked like a dungeon. "Ah, you're awake!" Twilight said. "Good. Now we can begin."
"Wha- huh?" Rainbow said in confusion, still half asleep. "Twi? Is that you?"
"Yep," Twilight said. "And now we can begin."
Rainbow's eyes suddenly popped open wide. As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she saw Twilight standing in front of the table she was lying on. "But- begin what? I don't understand."
"You will soon, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. Her horn began to glow, and suddenly, a scalpel rose from a nearby table on the side of the dungeon and floated to Twilight who snatched it out of the air with a content smile.
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in horror. "Twilight, what are you doing? Stop!" Then, Rainbow realized something and she began to laugh. "Oh! I get it, this is all just a joke. Good one, Twi. I didn't know you were much for playing pranks, but this is definitely one of the best ones I've ever seen."
Twilight shook her head sadly. "I don't think you understand, Rainbow," she said in a voice that was almost sorry. "But this is no prank."
Rainbow's eyes widened in terror as Twilight began to lower the scalpel. "That's it! I'm outa here!" She tried to flap her spread-out wings but she couldn't and realized for the first time that they were clamped down to the table. There was also metal chains that held her legs apart to the table and more holding down her front legs.
"Twilight, I'm sorry!" Rainbow screamed, beginning to lose it. "I don't know what I did to you but whatever it was, I'm sorry! Just please let me go! Was I not respecting you enough as a princess? What did I do? Please just let me go, I won't tell anypony about this, I swear!"
Twilight laughed. "Oh, Rainbow, you didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why are you doing this?!" Rainbow asked, struggling against the chains.
"Well, you see, Rainbow, there's this new potion I'm working on. It requires body parts from a Pegasus pony, and what pegasus would be better than the fastest flyer in Equestria?"
"Fine," Rainbow Dash said, closing her eyes. Then, in a hopeless voice, she said, "At least make it quick."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Twilight said sadly. "You see, as I am a scientist, or 'egghead', as you always put it, you'll know that I love to learn new things. So while I'm at it, I'm going to also test how different varieties of torture affect the pony body."
Rainbow's eyes snapped open and she began to struggle, desperately trying to free herself. "Twilight, STOP! Please! This isn't funny!" She said, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow," Twilight repeated. She lowered the scalpel and began a cut above Rainbow's Cutie Mark on her right side. "This is a little trick I got, Rainbow."
Rainbow Dash tried to comprehend what she had just heard from Twilight but instead began to scream in pain as the scalpel blade pierced her flesh. "Aaaahh!" Rainbow screamed. "Aaaaaaa! Aaaa-"
"-aaaaaahhhhh!" Rainbow Dash screamed. Half-asleep, she leapt up, hit her head on something, and crashed to the ground. She opened her eyes, instinctively checking her flank for a scalpel cut - there was none. She was safe. It had just been a terrible nightmare.
Rainbow slowly stood up, her legs shaking slightly from the horrible dream. She looked around. It was gloomy, that was true, but only because it was still nighttime. She wasn't in any dark dungeon, instead she was in her bedroom up in her cloud house. Near the opening which led out of her bedroom, Rainbow's pet turtle, Tank, slept peacefully on. Twilight had cast a spell on him a while ago, allowing the turtle to walk on clouds.
Twilight. That memory brought the dream Rainbow had just had back in a sickening jolt. She didn't think she had ever had a dream so realistic - or scary. The scary thing was, she had had the dreams before but she had never seen her torturer until tonight. After two weeks of disturbing nightmares, she finally knew who her captor was. What did these realistic dreams mean, anyway? Rainbow had to wonder to herself. Visions? Warnings? Normal dreams?
Still shaking from the nightmare, Rainbow Dash crawled back into her bed but it took her a long time to fall asleep again.
***
The next morning, Rainbow Dash groaned as she got out of bed. She was tired - she had hardly slept at all last night, thinking and worrying about the dream she had had. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stepped out of her bedroom and looked upset the sun in the sky. "What the hay?" She said in surprise, looking at the position of the sun in the sky. "I think I slept in a little too late - and I promised I'd help Pinkie Pie make cupcakes with her this morning!"
Rainbow Dash took off from her house, struggling a little due to tiredness. As she flew, she closed her eyes for a few seconds - and opened them quickly as she felt her body hit something.
"Why don't you watch where you're going?" The angry Pegasus Rainbow had bumped into shouted at her.
"Oh- heheh- sorry about that," Rainbow said apologetically. "I guess I need to watch where I'm going."
The Pegasus rolled her eyes and flew off. Rainbow stared after her for a few moments, thinking of Twilight, and then she snapped out of it and continued her flight to town.
Rainbow Dash flew down and landed in front of Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie had told her to meet at. She walked inside, to see Pinkie Pie already there.
"Hi, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie said happily. "For a while, I thought you weren't coming!"
"Yeah- sorry I'm late, Pinkie," Rainbow said. She yawned. "I had a rough night's sleep last night."
"Oh, silly, you're my friend! You don't need to be sorry! Of course it's ok if you're a little late!"
"Thanks for understanding," Rainbow said with another yawn. "So, are we going to get started?"
"Yep! We can- WAIT!" Pinkie Pie interrupted herself loudly, causing Rainbow to jump. "Oh, silly me, I almost forgot! Before we start, I want you to try this cupcake I made!"
Pinkie Pie bounced over to the counter, grabbing a cupcake sitting there, and held it out to Rainbow.
"But- I thought I was helping you MAKE cupcakes," Rainbow Dash said in confusion.
"You are, silly! I just want you to try this one first!"
"Oh, so like a taste test?" Rainbow asked.
Pinkie Pie thought for a moment. "Yep!" She finally said.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Sounds good to me."
Rainbow took the cupcake from Pinkie and bit into it. She chewed up the hunk of cupcake and swallowed it. "This is pretty good!"
Rainbow shoved the rest of the cupcake in her mouth and swallowed it with a gulp.
"What now, Pinkie?" Rainbow asked, but just then, the room started spinning. "Wha- wuz happening?" She said, and began to stumble, off balance.
"I guess you take a nap!" Pinkie Pie said.
That was the last Rainbow heard before the world dimmed into darkness and she fell into sleep.
***
Rainbow Dash awoke with a gasp. To her surprise, she found herself lying on the floor inside Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie Pie standing over her, looking down in concern at her friend.
"Dash? Dashie? Are you ok? What happened?" Pinkie Pie said, jumping up and down in alarm.
"I think I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said, getting up slowly.
"But Dashie, what happened? OH! It wasn't the cupcake I gave you, was it?"
"Pinkie, seriously, I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said, beginning to get a little annoyed. "The cupcake was fine, I'm sure, but I've just been really tired today and I guess I just fainted."
"Oh, I'm SOO happy you're ok! I wouldn't know what to do if my best friend got hurt!" Pinkie Pie gasped. "Anyway, are you ready to make those cupcakes now, Dashie?"
"I guess I am now," Rainbow said.
"GREAT!" Pinkie Pie said, and began to sing. "All you gotta do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix..."
***
Later that day, near evening, Rainbow Dash walked slowly through Ponyville, trying to get closer to her house before she started flying. She was tired, and now thanks to Pinkie Pie, extremely full. Together, they had made enough cupcakes to end all hunger in Equestria and then Pinkie Pie had eaten over half of them in less than five minutes. Rainbow Dash had eaten much less way more slowly but she had still eaten too much.
As Rainbow Dash walked past Applejack, who was heading back to Sweet Apple Acres, no doubt, Applejack noticed Rainbow and called out to her.
"Hey! Rainbow!"
Rainbow Dash, who had not noticed Applejack, gasped and leaped ten feet into the air hearing her name shouted. She landed, looking around wildly, and noticed Applejack.
"Oh- hey, Applejack- it's you."
Applejack frowned, puzzled. "Of course it's me, Rainbow."
"Oh," Rainbow said in relief. "I thought you were Twi- somepony else."
Applejack's frown deepened. "You ok, Sugarcube?" She asked. "Ya don't look so good."
"I'm- I'm fine, AJ!" Rainbow said. "Why wouldn't I be fine?"
Applejack stared at Rainbow. "Ah dunno- fir starters, ya jumped higher than a scared cat when ah called yer name, and ya just look nervous an everything."
"Well, I'm fine!" Rainbow Dash said a little too defensively.
"If ya say so. G'night, Rainbow."
"Night, Applejack."
***
Later, in the evening, Rainbow Dash crawled into her bed, dreading tonight, knowing the dream would return. She tried to stay awake as long as possible, but being already tired from last night and so full from all the cupcakes she had eaten, it was a hopeless effort. After two hours of struggling to stay awake, Rainbow Dash felt herself drift away into sleep...
Rainbow Dash screamed as the blade of the scalpel sliced into her flank. She screamed louder when Twilight wrenched the knife downwards, cutting her Cutie Mark in half in a spray of blood. Twilight pulled the blade out, humming to herself like this was normal, and walked around to Rainbow's other side, holding the scalpel above Rainbow's other cutie mark.
"Twilight! Please don't!" Rainbow said, shaking from terror and pain. Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill.
"Sorry, Rainbow," Twilight said calmly. "But nothing you say can change my mind."
Twilight buried the scalpel in Rainbow's flesh, pulling downward, slicing that Cutie Mark in half too, and causing Rainbow to yell in pain.
"Interesting," Twilight said, monitoring her friend's screams.
"Twilight! Stop! I'll do anything!"
"Shut up," Twilight said mildly, "or I'll gouge your eyes out."
Rainbow Dash held her mouth closed, even though she wanted more than anything to just cry.
"That's better," Twilight said in a satisfied voice. Suddenly, without warning, Twilight raised the scalpel and brought it down, burying it it Rainbow's flesh, just under her ribcage. Rainbow Dash let out a sound between a scream and a choke as blood bubbled up into her mouth.
"Don't you dare die yet," Twilight said grimly, and pulled the knife downwards, unzipping Rainbow's stomach and exposing the guts inside. The pain was almost unbearable and Rainbow Dash almost blacked out, but somehow managed to stay awake.
Twilight set the blood-covered knife down on a nearby table and grabbed an axe, razor sharp. She walked back over to Rainbow.
"This is gonna hurt," Twilight said, and brought the axe down on one of Rainbow's pinned wings, chopping it off. Rainbow howled, spraying blood from her mouth, and blood sprayed all over the wooden table from the wing stump. Twilight did the same with the other wing and knocked both to the ground like they were nothing.
"You know what, Rainbow?" Twilight asked. "Torture isn't really my thing. I'll end it now."
Rainbow Dash, whose vision was beginning to grow gray, sighed with relief. That was when Twilight raised her axe and brought it down right into Rainbow's exposed guts. Rainbow's eyes snapped open as a flaring red sheet of agony caused her body to convulse uncontrollably. Her vision turned completely red which faded and she stared down at herself, dying and in disbelief, as her own intestines slid out of her body, chopped up. Her body, along with the table she was lying on and the floor around it was completely covered with blood and gore. Rainbow didn't even have any strength left to scream as Twilight raised the axe and brought it down for the final time, aiming for Rainbow's neck-
Rainbow Dash woke up screaming in the morning. She fell out of bed and stumbled out of her bedroom, nearly kicking Tank out the door. She didn't notice. She was too terrified. She took off, flying from her house, flying somewhere, not knowing where, but going there anyway.
After a few minutes of flying, Rainbow Dash heard somepony saying "I don't wanna die I don't wanna die" over and over and suddenly realized it was her that was saying it. This struck her as funny and she began to laugh.
***
That same morning, Applejack was talking to her friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle, in front of Sugarcube Corner. She was talking about Rainbow Dash.
"-an I'm telling ya, Twilight, that girl didn't look right. Ah swear ah saw something like a- a shadow behind those eyes, like somethin' scared her bad."
"Hmmm," Twilight said thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like Rainbow at all. Usually she's so proud, and not scared of anything."
"Ah know what it sounds like," Applejack said, "But there's something not right with that pony. "Ah thought maybe ya could talk to her, maybe find out what's goin' on."
"I could do that," Twilight said. "Oh, look, here she comes now!"
Sure enough, several seconds after Twilight spoke, Rainbow Dash landed in front of Sugarcube Corner where Twilight and Applejack were talking. She was sweating and shaking, and there was a slightly crazy smile on her face.
"Heeey, guys!" Rainbow said.
"Rainbow?" Twilight asked with concern, "are you all right? You look terrible!"
"I know! You really made me lose my head, Twilight!" Rainbow said, and began laughing like it was the funniest joke ever.
Applejack frowned. "Uh... Ah don't get it."
"I'm really alive!" Rainbow said. "And I intend to stay alive!"
Rainbow Dash looked around at everything and for a moment, her expression softened into her normal one. "This day is AWESOME!"
Twilight looked at Applejack. "Stay here. Wait for me. I'm going to go talk to Rainbow about this at my place. I'll be back in a half hour or less." Then, she spoke to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash! Let's go to my place for a few minutes. I need to talk to you."
"Sure you do, Twilight!" Rainbow said, and began laughing again. "I'm coming!"
***
Twilight walked into her library, Rainbow right behind her. She used her magic to shut the door and turned to Rainbow.
"Ok Rainbow, tell me what's wrong. I just talked to Applejack and Pinkie Pie and both think you haven't been acting yourself. And if Pinkie thinks you're acting weird, you KNOW there's something wrong with you."
Rainbow ignored Twilight's question. "Where's the dungeon, then?"
"What?" Twilight asked, completely confused.
"I know what you're planning." Rainbow hissed. "It's not going to work!"
Twilight frowned. "How did you find out about your surprise birthday party Pinkie was going to throw for you in a few weeks?"
"What?" Rainbow asked. "No! What you're planning, Twilight! I know what you're planning!"
"I'm not planning anything," Twilight said, seriously confused. "Rainbow, what's happened to you? This isn't like you."
"I know what you're going to do to me, stop pretending!" Rainbow yelled.
"Rainbow Dash, I'm your friend, not to mention a princess," Twilight said. "Just tell me what's going on. Let me help you!"
"NO!" Rainbow said forcibly, causing Twilight to recoil. "You're going to kill me, just admit it, Twilight!"
Twilight felt tears start to form in her eyes. "Rainbow Dash," she whispered, hurt. "How could you say that? I would never kill you!"
"You're going to have to try, Sparkle! I'd rather die, here, now, in this fight then be tortured to death by you!"
"Fight?" Twilight whispered.
Rainbow Dash answered by reaching a hoof into her mane and pulling out a small switchblade she had hidden in her rainbow-colored hair.
Twilight's eyes widened. "That's not funny, Rainbow! Put that thing down!"
"I don't think you understand, Twilight," Rainbow sneered in a voice of mock sorrow. "But this is no prank."
With those words, Rainbow unfurled her wings and flew at Twilight, holding the knife out. Caught off guard, Twilight didn't turn in time and the blade slashed into her side. She stumbled backwards as her blood dripped to the library floor, more hurt by what her friend had become than by the actual wound. She also noticed that the blade had slashed her wing, too.
Rainbow Dash, still holding the knife, looked at Twilight staring at her in surprise and she laughed. She betted Twilight didn't expect the pony she planned to kill to hit her first.
"Rainbow Dash," Twilight said with tears in her eyes, "I am so, so sorry for what I have to do and what I will do."
Rainbow's smile faltered at those words and she saw Twilight's horn begin to glow. Rainbow tried to move out of the way, but the spell hit her in the side, going through her body, damaging internal organs. Rainbow's wings suddenly felt a thousand pounds after that and she dropped to the ground, unable to fly and in terrible pain.
Twilight, shakily, moved in towards Rainbow Dash, stopping about five feet away. "Rainbow? I am so sorry," Twilight said, as tears began to spill from her eyes. "I didn't want to, but I had too."
"Twi?" Rainbow Dash said weakly, looking up at the alicorn while choking on her own blood.
"Yes, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, leaning down to hear her dying friend better.
"I just wanted to say - they don't call me Rainbow "Dash" for nothing."
With those words, Rainbow hurled the knife still in her hooves at lightning fast speed. Twilight Sparkle didn't have time to defend herself before the blade perforated her eye, spraying blood and fluid everywhere, including all over Rainbow Dash.
Twilight looked at her friend Rainbow Dash with her one good eye in sadness and surprise. A single tear leaked out. Then, the dead alicorn fell to the floor, the knife still sticking out of her eye.
Rainbow Dash slowly got up. Twilight was dead, now the dreams would finally stop! True, Rainbow herself was dying also but not for long. If she had the strength to fly back to her cloud house, she could tend to herself and survive.
Rainbow spotted a mirror on the other side of the library and for some unknown reason, she stumbled over and looked at herself, at her blood-covered reflection.
"You killed your friend!" The reflection spat at Rainbow Dash.
"Huh?!" Rainbow Dash said in surprise.
"You killed Twilight Sparkle just to stop a few dreams!" The reflection said.
"N- n- n- no, she was g- going to k- k- kill me!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Take a look at Twilight," the reflection said. "Did you think she was going to kill you?"
Rainbow Dash, for a few moments, snapped back to her old self, where she didn't talk to her reflection and pretended it talked back. Slowly, she turned and stared at the corpse behind her. Twilight's corpse. Her friend. The one that had cheered her on when she performed a Sonic Rainboom. The friend that had always been there for her. The friend that had been killed. The friend that SHE had killed.
"No! NO! What have I done!" Rainbow screamed. "I didn't do it! It was an accident, I swear! What should I do?"
Nopony answered her.
Rainbow Dash, the loyal, proud, fearless pony, the best flyer in Equestria, took one more look at Twilight's dead body and her mind couldn't take it. She began to grin, a crazy grin of horror, the grin of the insane. It was the grin of a maniac who had lost what was left of his mind. It was the grin of a demon. Rainbow Dash stared a moment longer at her dead friend, then began to laugh, laugh mindlessly up at the ceiling, tears streaming from her eyes, mixing with the blood on her face, as her world around her, along with her sanity was destroyed in a single clawing stroke, her mind and spirit broken and shattered.
