//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: DownFall // by Redback Spino //------------------------------// As she came to consciousness, the first sensation the Black Bandit felt was an intense dry heat. She licked her dry, cracked lips with her equally dry tongue, desperate for some semblance of moisture. Forcing her eyes open, she snapped them shut almost instantly in the harsh glare of the sun high above them. Cracking them open again, she peered through squinted eyes and saw around her a vast desert of yellow sand, with high mountains in the distance. Her face burned with scratches and cuts all over. A throbbing pain coursed through her head as she looked around, and saw each of her friends, the Paladin, the Mystic, Askari, Clover and Napalm. They were sat in a line before her, each with their forelegs lashed firmly to their sides, tied to a wooden stake stood up in the sand. As the Black Bandit tried to stand up, she stumbled and fell back, her forelegs also tied to her sides. Looking behind, she saw the rope tied round her terminating in a wooden stake planted firmly in the ground. Too weak to stand or struggle, the mare simply sat, trying desperately to keep her eyes open as she pieced together the memories of what led her and her friends to this predicament. The sharp blow of a pommel to the back of the head. A massive round hall. A wedding. Lady Redheart. Lady Redheart! If she’d had the strength, the Bandit would have leapt up, the name stirred such anger. She’d played them all for fools, and then sold them out when they were their most vulnerable! How long had she been working for Sinistar? From the wedding? From the very start? But the Black Bandit had little time to use upon these questions as two of the black-armoured griffon guards approached the group of captives. Between them, the guards carried something large and heavy, draped over by a white cloth. Setting it down before the Black Bandit, they snarled at her in some mocking greeting. One guard approached Askari, holding in its claws a helmet. Gazing down through bleary eyes, the zebra saw the welcome sight of glistening water. The griffon swirled it and teased it under Askari’s snout, before drawing it back and chucking the water to the sand. Both guards whooped and giggled at their own cruelty, their laughter like the feral baying of hounds. As if trying to up the ante, the other guard whipped back the white cloth, revealing the massive heavy form to be a huge block of solid ice. Kneeling down, the guard maliciously began to lick and lap at the ice block, its tongue snaking out through the gap in its helmet. The Black Bandit looked away in disgust, unable to watch the cruel taunting display. “But they were saved then, right? One of them broke free or something? Maybe one of the guards was one of their friends in disguise?” But Rainbow’s heavy eyes betrayed no sudden plot twist. “…M-maybe one of the slaves from…before…?” The pegasus shook her head groggily, as she began to feel the Morphine kicking in “Nope…There was…there was nopony left to save them…” Pip stood up in his seat “But that can’t be right! How did they escape then?!” “They didn’t.” she replied, “They were too weak to do anything but wait until…until the end.” Rainbow was beginning to find it difficult to keep her own eyes open, or her head up. Pipsqueak watched in dismay as she began to fall asleep. It can’t end like this! The bandits need to escape so they can finally defeat Lord Sinistar! But how? They were tied up in the middle of a desert, alone and defenceless, guarded and unable to move. Nopony was around to help, and nopony even knew where they were. Then, an idea struck Pipsqueak like a thunderbolt. A brilliant, crazy, ridiculous idea. There was one other pony who knew where they were and what was happening to them. A pony who had followed them ever since they escaped Butterfly Island! And even now, he was close by… Clover watched in defeat as the griffon guards teased and taunted each of his companions. Leaning his head back upon the stake he gazed up at the sky, begging in his mind for some sort of relief. Suddenly, there came a strange scrabbling noise from behind him. He could feel something tugging at his bonds as they became looser and looser, until they fell down around the stake, undone. “Hmm…Bumpkin?” He murmured through dry lips “Is that you?” “No, it’s me!” said the whispered reply. Funny, thought Clover. It almost sounded like a child…a young colt? As the mysterious rescuer went from pony to pony, undoing their bonds, he came into Clover’s line of view. At first glance, it appeared to be his boss, the Black Bandit, only half the size. But as the newcomer tipped his hat back, Clover saw that it was indeed a young colt, no older than five or six, wearing the same black jacket and split-skirt as the Black Bandit, as well as a matching mask and wide-brimmed hat. Brushing his brown mane out of his eyes, the tiny bandit snuck his way around the guards, who obliviously continued to tease the bandits, licking at the block of ice before them. The colt reached the Black Bandit and swiftly undid her bonds, before looping her forehoof around a small shortsword. “Go get ‘em!” The griffon guards froze on the spot as they heard the stranger’s voice. Their head whipping around, they found themselves looking down the blade of a shortsword, wielded by the Black Bandit, who now stood tall once again. “Go on! Get them!” The tiny colt by her side said again. But the mare did not. Swaying on the spot, she just stood, pointing the sword at the guards. Not wanting to waste any time, the guards turned tail and took to the sky, flying off towards the West. The Black Bandit stumbled and staggered before collapsing to the ground again. The miniature bandit was by her side immediately. “Are you okay?” She peered up through bleary eyes at the newcomer “Who…who are you…?” “It’s me! Don’t you recognise me?” The tiny colt sat down beside her face “It’s Pipsqueak!” “Pipsqueak… It is you…” “Yeah, you recognise me!” Pipsqueak hugged the mare around the waist, before sitting back down by her side. Holding one of her limp forehooves in his own, Pip removed the sword from her grip. “Of course…Pip, my baby brother…I didn’t recognise you with that…that mask.” The Black Bandit said hoarsely. The colt smiled, but his smile faded as his long lost sister began to keel over, landing face first in the sand “…You’ve grown so much…It’s…it’s good to see you…” she whispered as her eyes finally fell shut. Gently, Pipsqueak nudged the Bandit “C’mon sister, you can’t fall asleep out here! Let’s get back to the hideout.” There was no response “Hey…c’mon, let’s go! Get up, no time to sleep.” As he nudged and tugged at the Black Bandit, Pip failed to notice as, behind him, the Mystic also began to keel over, before he slumped forward into the sand as well. “Hey, Rainbow Dash!...C’mon, wake up. You can’t fall asleep now…Wake up!” But it was to no avail. No amount of poking, prodding or funny faces would coax the mare wake up. Finally resigning to this fact, Pip slipped off the bed to leave Rainbow to rest. As he hobbled away, his cast bumped against the bedside table. He flinched as he heard the clatter of something hitting the floor. Turning back, he sighed with relief as Rainbow lay, fast asleep and undisturbed by the noise. Pip stooped and picked up the offending item in his teeth. It was a small set of photo-frames, each connected at the side with another frame by a tiny hinge. He peered at each photo and saw that each contained a picture of Rainbow Dash, with another mare. A mare with pale lavender fur and silvery blue hair, tied with a bright pink bow. His eyes grew wide as recognition flooded his mind. It was the same mare he had seen earlier, passing by the hospital. She had known Rainbow at one time or another, maybe they had been friends? Oh come on, Pip’s inner voice said. Aren’t the heart-shaped photos a big enough giveaway? Smiling at the cheerful faces that stared back from the photos, Pip closed the triptych of photos and put it back on the bedside table, before hobbling out the door and back to his own ward for the night. Mid morning, the same routine. After downing his gross breakfast of hospital food, Pip headed out of the ward on his usual walk. He knew the way round so well, he could have done it blindfolded. However, as he neared the block that housed Rainbow Dash’s ward, he saw a new sight. And one that he didn’t really expect, nor want, to see. Two doctors, nurses and a gurney. And upon the gurney, a prone and motionless form, concealed by a white sheet. “Pronounced time of death?” “Around five PM yesterday. Let’s get it to the morgue. Have the relatives been contacted?” “Just on my way to do so. Alright, carry on.” The gurney was wheeled away, leaving behind a stunned and terrified Pipsqueak. Rushing through the doors, he limped as fast as his cast would allow, up the stairs, down the corridor and towards the LONG TERM/PSYCH ward. Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead… Rushing through the door, he skidded to a halt by the bed where he saw… “Rainbow Dash!” There she lay, alive and…peraps not well, but at least alive! As he looked about, he saw that the bed that was usually inhabited by the muttering old pony with the faded blue mane and tail, was empty. “I dunno, doc.” Said the palomino unicorn in the bed opposite, speaking to his doctor “He seemed fine, talking to himself, playin’ with his false teeth…Never would’ve pegged him as the stroke type…Hey listen, I’m still not feeling very well, do you think we could try something else? I dunno if those pills are working…” But Pip listened to no more as he rushed up, eagerly standing on his hind legs to peer at Rainbow Dash. Slowly, the mare began to open her eyes, squinting in h emorning light. As she raised herself up on one foreleg, she gazed back at Pipsqueak with a look of confusion “Pip…what…huh?” “Rainbow! I…I saw them taking somepony out, and they were saying they were dead, and, and I thought it was you…I’m glad you’re okay” Pip muttered as he hugged the pegasus’ waist. Rainbow looked around, utterly confused. Then, she noticed a taste on her lips and tongue. Sweetness. “…Sugar.” “Rainbow Dash?” “They’re givin’ him sugar pills.” The doctor approached her bedside “Ah, Rainbow Dash, you’re awake. Good, I have your latest x-rays here, if you’d like to...” But Rainbow Dash grabbed the x-ray sheets and threw them aside, followed by her pillow. Pip hastily let go and recoiled. “Oh geez, would you just calm down?!” the unicorn shouted from his bed “I’ve had nothin’ but noise from you and that little runt since I came in here! Just shut up already!” But Rainbow shouted in reply “No you shut up! You shouldn’t even be here, you’re not even sick! They’re givin’ you sugar pills!” “Wait, what?!” “Now, Rainbow Dash, please calm down and be quiet!” The doctor said as he tried to maintain some semblance of order in the ward. “Whadaya mean, sugar pills? You got me on placebos?!” “Now both of you, please calm down! Can we get some help in here?” the doctor called. Pip just stood by, frozen by fear as insults and incoherent shouts flew thick and fast As nurses and orderlies came running to the source of the sound, Pipsqueak found himself whisked away by Nurse Redheart. “Now, head back to the children’s ward, Pip. Orderlies, can we get some help in here?” Without another backward glance, Pipsqueak hurried out of the block and towards the main block, until the sounds of shouting were nearly inaudible. That night, Pipsqueak lay awake, still on edge since Rainbow’s outburst. What had gone wrong? It made no sense to him. The old pony had died, and she wasthe one angry about it? Did she know him? Was he a friend of Rainbow’s? Or was it something else. Those pills must be really important, said the voice in his head. Why would Rainbow Dash go to so much effort to get them otherwise? And how did that other mare fit into all this? The one with the silvery hair and pink bow, Rainbow’s friend…possibly, a marefriend? Pip sat up in his bed as a decision was made. He needed to get those pills to Rainbow Dash. He was tired of seeing her so unhappy all the time. Slipping silently out of bed, he tip-hoofed his way through the ward, careful not to awaken any of the other foals. As he passed the doorway, he chanced a peek into the nurse’s office. There sat one of the nurses, reading some book. She never even noticed him leave. Through the silent dark corridors he hobbled, down the stairs and out onto the grounds. The hospital was a little unnerving at night, even moreso for a foal as young as he, but Pip steeled his resolve. He was doing this for Rainbow Dash. Finally, he reached the supply room, next door to the chapel. By some divine chance, the door was once again ajar, no doubt left so by some careless intern. Cringing slightly as it creaked, he opened the door and flicked the lights on. Bringing to memory his last escapade here, he remembered exactly where to find those Morphine pills. Clambering up onto the worktop, he reared up and reached onto the shelf, feeling around for the little brown bottle he sought. So intent was his searching, that it was not until it was too late that he felt one of his hooves step upon the round form of a pestle. It rolled back under his hoof and he found himself tumbling backwards, off the worktop, down into infinity. There was a splitting pain in the back of his skull as he hit the floor, like the butt of a battleaxe. The bottle of pills shattered next to him, and all turned to blackness. The fluttering of the bandits’ standard in the dry desert breeze. A wooden leg, splintered and broken in the sand. “Mummy…where’s that smoke coming from?” Lady Redheart’s carriage in flames, as armoured griffon guards fly by. “The house is on fire!” “You griffon thugs! Get away from our house!!” A Trottingham house, licked by fire and pouring forth smoke. Sillhouettes of griffons rush past the window, flaming brands in hand. Clouds of black smoke billow into the sky, turning into grey butterflies. “Daddy, they’re burning our home!” Strapped down for interrogation. “Well, the x-ray looks better than we thought.” “Just a minor crack.” Head bound in white. Strapped to a stake in the ground. “Were you taking medicine to Rainbow Dash?” Mummy…where’s Mummy? “I’m appalled at you, Miss Dash!” Rainbow Dash in a wheelchair. The doctor is shouting at her. “You're given the privilege of a visitor, and this is how you treat it?!” Lord Sinistar smiles. “If you’re going to get through this, you need your own will to live. Think of your reputation, Miss Dash. Think of your friends!” Images fluttering, like a butterfly’s wing. Darkness again.