Rainbow Dash
It took Rainbow almost a week to get back to the Lightning Fang arena, dodging Hellions and other Reaver clans, and moving far slower than the Venom that had brought her there in the first place, but eventually she made it, landing heavily in the garage of the Lightning Fang, slaves scattering at her arrival, and even some of the other pilots looking over at her with some concern.
“Where is Gilda and Scootaloo?!” she roared, looking around the garage for the pair, quickly finding Gilda and beaconing the Griffon over.
“Well?” Gilda asked, failing to keep the excitement out of her voice.
“We have a heading,” Rainbow grinned back. “Galactic East, with the Tau. I’ll pull in a favour with Ilithia, get the Triumvent on side. Tau worlds are ripe for the picking at the best of times. We’ll raid their worlds and make them beg for mercy for taking Applejack.”
“About fucking time!” Gilda let out a roaring laugh, grabbing Rainbow in a tight hug, being careful not to risk damaging the drug injector embedded in her spine. “There is some…”
“Too right,” Rainbow cut her off, returned the hug. “Now…”
“Dash?” their hug was interrupted by the cold voice of Ilithia, the Succubus striding into the garage, not paying attention to the others in the room.
“Succubus, I was just wanting to speak to you,” Rainbow chuckled, extracting herself from the hug and moving to meet her, hovering so they were looking eye to eye. “I didn’t expect to see you down here though. What’s the occasion?”
“I have something to show you,” Ilithia replied curtly, turning and gesturing for Rainbow to follow her. “Just you however, the rest of yours can remain here.”
“Gilda, go get everyone, I want a full bike check from each Reaver, any that aren’t up to standards, fix it. Got it?” Rainbow called over her shoulder.
“Yeah, I here ya,” Gilda nodded, starting to bark orders as Rainbow left the garage behind.
“So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?” Rainbow asked again, hovering along beside Ilithia.
“A small group of our Craftworld kin decided they wished to visit our little city and start causing a not inconsiderable amount of damage to some of our holdings. They put up a small fight but the majority of them have been taken care of.”
“Which craftworld were they from?” Rainbow asked casually, barely registering Ilithia’s words.
“They, like many, removed the symbols and colouring from their armour before they came here, and besides, it hardly matters,” Ilithia replied dismissively.
“So how many have we captured? And how many did the Cult take?”
“Eldar, we captured two, both are in the arena,” Ilithia slowed as they approached one of the arenas viewing platforms, reserved for the Cult’s members. “The interesting captive however, was a mon-keigh.”
Rainbow’s ears picked up at this, cocking her head slightly. “A human? What would one of their kind being doing here outside of a cell, let alone with a group of Eldar.”
“Well, I believe that will become clear,” Ilithia opened the door, allowing Rainbow to step onto the small balcony overlooking the sands. “Mon-keigh from Elysia all look the same to me, but this one is special, especially to you, I believe.”
Confused, Rainbow ran to the side of the balcony, looking over just as the crowd roared in pleasure at another kill. Three figures stood upon the sands with battered armour, surrounded by bodies of animals and other gladiator slaves, three figures that Rainbow instantly recognised.
“So, you do know them,” Ilithia smiled coldly as Rainbow visibly stiffened.
“Tar’nek and Juhani Nar’bok from Saim-Hann, and…Colonel Goge Cusatis, Elysian 212,” Rainbow nodded slowly, not bothering to listen to the commentator, focusing on her old friends.
They looked like they had been fighting for a while now, their weapons slick with blood and gore. Their armour was also equally covered, large dents or cuts revealing that not all of the blood was from their opponents. Even as Rainbow watched, the trio closed ranks again, standing back to back as a pair of creatures were released into the arena, charging straight at them.
“How long have you had them for?” Rainbow asked softly, finally tearing her eyes away from them and turning to Ilithia.
“Four days now. I must say, they are certainly competent warriors. Some of our middle tier slaves have already fallen to them. Normally I would have already pitted them against each other, but these ones…they’re special to you, Rainbow. And so, I gift their deaths to you. Kill them, in the arena, before thousands of your fans, make your name ring, not just for your Reavers, but my Cult. We will bring in thousands now that you have won the Torn Scar Open, your fame has already spread across the districts. We stand ready to challenge the larger cults for the rights of the larger raids, and you will at the forefront of it all.”
“Take to the sands against them?” Rainbow gestured behind her. “Why not one of your Wyches? It doesn’t look like you’ve sent anyone of merit against yet, not even top tier slave fighters.”
“Because right now you’re the name on everybody’s lips,” Ilithia snapped. “I wish it were not the case, but right now the most powerful tool at my disposal is your name, and I will capitalise on that.”
After a few seconds, Rainbow nodded. “Fine, I’ll do it. We’ll make it big, but I want something.”
“You don’t get to make demands,” Ilithia snapped.
“I get to make demands when you’ve just said you need me!” Rainbow snapped back. “The Tau in the Galactic East, I’ve found that they have something of mine, something very dear to me. All I want is for the Triumvent to raid there, take Tau slaves, use them for the furnaces, whatever. I give up all my rights to slaves captured there, but when we find what I’m looking for, nobody else touches it. Once I’ve got it, I’ll never make a request like this again.”
“I’ll think about it,” Ilithia growled.
“No, you’ll agree to it,” Rainbow insisted.
“Very well,” Ilithia glared at Rainbow. “Make it a show, show the crowd what you can do, and I will organise raids on the Tau planets.”
“Thank you, I’ll go make myself ready,” Rainbow grinned, before turning and heading towards the armoury, her mind racing.
“You have two hours,” Ilithia called after her. “I will ensure that they get some rest before you meet them. Make it impressive Rainbow.”
Rainbow didn’t respond, waiting until she was out of sight of the Succubus, before letting out a deep sign and placing a claw against the wall, her razor sharp talons slicing into the structure, leaving shallow marks.
“What are the fucking chances?” she cursed softly. Before balling her claw into a fist, slamming it against the wall. It didn’t accomplish anything really, but the dull ache cleared her mind ever so slightly. She had been strong for this long, she couldn’t give up now, Applejack still needed her.
Shaking her short mane from her eyes, Rainbow set off again. If she had two hours, she wanted to stop off somewhere first.
***
Rainbow dragged a chair across from her roof, reclining in it as she sat just outside the forcefield separating her room from Lightning and Spitfires cells. The pair were both looking at her with equal parts fear and hatred, huddled up in a corner together, giving each other all the strength they could.
They were both covered in dried blood, their fur matted by sweat and bodily fluids that they simply didn’t have the means or the drive to clean off anymore. Spitfires wing stump was still raw, but it was sealed, ensuring that, while painful, it would not lead to her death. Lightnings mouth was also sealed, but with tight metallic threads, biting hard into the lips, only allowing a small tube to escape from them.
“Believe it or not, I’m not here to torture you,” she finally spoke, her voice a rasp as she starred at the two, not getting the thrill she usually got from tormenting the pair.
“S-Sure you’re not,” Spitfire snapped, her voice breaking as she tried her best to muster a defiant glare. “W-Why don’t you just g-get on with it?”
“Because I’m serious,” Rainbow shrugged. “I doubt you know, but the Torn Scar is over…I won.”
When neither pony moved or made a sound, Rainbow continued on.
“I got an audience with the All-Seeing Eye, there Archons interesting, old too. Told me all sorts of things,” Rainbow sighed, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the door was still sealed, before looking back at the pair. “Applejack…she’s still alive. She’s with the Tau. I’m going to find her, take her home. Everything will have been worth it, she’ll be safe, Equestria will be safe. You two…you could have been there to see it…not like this.”
“S-she’s not going to stand for this,” Spitfire grimaced, pulling herself away from Lightning and standing just before the forcefield. “She would hate, what you’ve become…”
“Stop, now,” Rainbow hissed dangerously, her eyes narrowing, but Spitfire paid it no heed, a fire filling her eyes that Rainbow hadn’t seen for months.
“And when she sees you, if she’s smart, she’s going to put a hole right in that ugly modified face Eethron gave you!”
Rainbow let out a rage filled scream as she flung herself forward, moving faster than Spitfire could follow and slamming the older mare into the back wall, knocking the air out of her and sending her sprawling across the floor.
“Say that again!” Rainbow roared, towering over Spitfire.
“She’s going to hate you!” Spitfire roared back, a laugh bursting forth from her lips, even as Rainbow began to rain blows down on her. The laughter didn’t stop, even as her gums were reduced to blood filled craters, teeth scattering across the floor. Still the taunts came on, Rainbow’s screams and Lightnings laughter joining together and echoing through the arena.
***
“Armour, mistress?” Kas asked, standing a little behind Rainbow, waiting for her reply.
They were both in Rainbow’s personal armoury beneath the arena, the small supply of weapons being kept there for when Rainbow was called to fight as a Wych. No one came in there usually, any slaves found approaching it suffering gruesome deaths with few exceptions. Even Gilda had opted to miss this arming session, instead getting a decent seat in the arena itself to watch the fight.
“Minimalistic,” Rainbow nodded. “Armour the right side, polish the left.”
“Yes, mistress,” Kas nodded, quickly grabbing the pieces of Rainbows armour and affixing them to her bodysuit, micro-barbs slipping through the fabric and digging deep into her nerve centres, sending ripples of pain through her body with every movement, keeping her senses sharp.
“You have some blood on your face, mistress, shall I clean it off?” Kas asked as she began to polish the left side of the suit.
“No, leave it there,” Rainbow growled. “Finish polishing the suit, then fetch Ravenous.”
“Would you not prefer a smaller weapon, mistress?” Kas asked, before trailing off at a glare from Rainbow. Even with her elevated position, she knew when to shut up, and now was definitely the time.
She didn’t know what Spitfire and Lightning had done or said inside the room, but the laughter had been plain to hear, and when Rainbow had emerged, her face and claws were covered in blood. Scootaloo had seen the pair as they headed towards the armoury, before Kas had gotten the worst of the blood off, the young mare turning and walking away without a word, but Kas had seen a paleness flush her cheeks, and she could have sworn she had heard retching. Rainbow had shown no signs of acknowledging it if she had heard it, and Kas was not going to bring it up either.
Eventually, Kas finished polishing the suit and the armour pieces, walking to fetch the huge power sword from the wall, sliding it onto the grav-scabbard Rainbow wore just beneath her left wing.
“You look deadly and ready, Mistress,” Kas purred softly, stepping back from Rainbow and smiling. “You said you knew these slaves?”
“A lifetime ago, yes,” Rainbow nodded.
“They won’t recognise you now, mistress,” Kas nodded. “You are a god out there, show them why you have been given this honour.”
“I intend to,” Rainbow snarled, before kicking a button on the wall, a small patch of the ceiling peeling open above her, and allowing her to shoot upwards into the arena, the floor closing behind her once more.
For a minute, she floated in mid-air, spinning slowly with the occasional flap of her wings, looking like a Valkyrie of mythology as the crowd erupted in screams of delight, before she plunged to the floor again, kicking up a cloud of sand as she stood before her foes.
“Rainbow? Is that…you?” Goge was the first one to speak, taking a hesitant step forward, Tar’nek sticking a hand out in front of him, locking eyes with her through his helmet.
“Rainbow…you’re better than this,” he breathed softly. “I know…you’re better than this. Don’t.”
“You don’t know me,” Rainbow whispered softly, wrapping her claws around her power sword, the worn handle felling like a natural extension of herself.
“I know how you got that weapon. A human, a space marine thought you were worth giving a weapon to. Are you still that same pony?” Tar’nek insisted.
“No,” Rainbow slowly shook her head, closing her eyes and letting out a long breath.
When she opened them again, the world had slowed to a crawl, her muscles bulging outwards as drug flooded her system. Tar’nek, Juhani and Goge could obviously see the sudden change, bringing their own weapons into a defensive position, but they were moving far too slowly.
Blurring into motion, Ravenous Screaming as its power field activated, Rainbow charged. Goge was her first target, aiming for the handle of his chainsword and neatly slicing through it, the blade of the weapon falling away without so much as a scratch on his hand.
Next was Tar’nek’s weapon, the Eldar moving far faster than the human, but still slower than Rainbow. The spinning teeth of his chainsaw swung to meet Rainbow, only to find her sword in the way. The chainsaw held for a few seconds, sparks flying from the two weapons, before the destructive nature of the power sword won out, slicing through the chainsword just like she had with Goge’s.
Capitalising on the sudden lack of resistance, Rainbow leapt upwards, slamming the flat of her blade into Tar’nek’s nose, blood erupting from her blow as she flipped over his head, narrowly avoiding a swipe from Juhani.
Landing several meters away, Rainbow readied herself, flapping her wings as she stabilised herself on her back two hooves, bringing her sword into a ready position, more drugs pumping into her system, returning her to a normal perception of time. Goge was still reeling from the force of the blow, Tar’nek was on the floor stunned, leaving just Juhani standing ready before her.
“You may wear Rainbow’s face, but you’re not her, monster,” Juhani snarled as the pair began to circle.
“Oh I’m her, just far far better,” Rainbow snarled back. “Let’s put this to a final test, Juhani.”
With a roar, the pair dove at each other, both power swords ringing out as they clashed against each other, each thrust met with a perfect block, before a counter thrust was tried, only to be likewise blocked. Neither held anything back, unlike in the duelling cages where they had not been fighting to kill. They had been evenly matched once, and Juhani was still an extremely competent opponent, but she was a biker first, and a warrior second. For her, it was an art form, whereas for Rainbow, she had been forced to make it second nature.
Slowly but surely, and to the pleasure of the crowd, Rainbow drove Juhani back, step by step as they clashed, before finally she saw her opening as their swords locked up. In a flash, Rainbow released one of her claws from around the swords grip, driving it forward into Juhanis chest and squeezing hard, her drugged fuelled muscles straining as the armour cracked beneath her grip, blood seeping out of some of the holes as Juhani screamed, releasing her sword.
Letting go, Rainbow delivered an upper cut with every ounce of her strength, yet more blood erupting from Juhani as her helmet was flung from her head, the Eldar collapsing to the floor of the arena out for the count.
Blurring into motion on final time, Rainbow sped towards the other two, activating her drug dispensers yet again and powering through the others defences. There was no skill involved anymore, no finesse, and her weapon had been dropped to the sand in favour of talons, and soon, the others joined Juhani in unconsciousness, blood oozing from their bodies as the crowd roared in appreciation.
Picking up her sword, Rainbow stalked towards the exit of the arena, a dull ringing in her ears drowning out anything that was being said.
***
Tar’nek groaned as he regained consciousness, Juhani and Goge close behind him, waking up with similar pained reactions as they took in their new surroundings. They were still clad in the tattered armour, but they were now in a barren room, Tar’nek instantly recognising Spitfire and Lightning, and the visible signs of torture that crisscrossed their bodies.
“What the hell has happened to Rainbow?” he asked, clutching his head as he staggered to his feet.
“To Rainbow?!” Spitfire roared, getting to her hooves with what looked like a considerable amount of pain. “That’s the first thing you ask? I’m missing a wing, Lightning has her mouth sealed shut, Juhani looks like her head was almost ripped off, and there’s a damn human in the cell with us, but you ask about Rainbow?!”
“Alright, bad choice of words,” Tar’nek snapped. “What is going on, we came here because we heard word of a pony wreaking havoc here, we assumed that meant Rainbow was in trouble, not that she had turned into a damned monster.”
“Monsters too nice a word for her,” Spitfire spat. “And heard how? I doubt there’s a newspaper service about Commoragh.”
“We got a message from someone in here,” Tar’nek replied, kneeling and checking on Juhani. “Are you ok, my dear?”
“I’ll live,” Juhani groaned, not getting up, before adding, “barely.”
“Goge?” Tar’nek turned to face the human.
“I’ll be fine,” the man nodded, swaying as he got to his feet.
“No, you won’t,” Spitfire shook her head mournfully. “I’m not being pessimistic…but you won’t. Not in here.”
“Where is here?” Goge asked, looking around, his eyes falling on the other end of the cell that opened onto Rainbow’s quarters. “Hardly much of a prison surely.”
“Feel your neck, human,” Spitfire scoffed, returning to Lightning and wrapping her remaining wing around the pony. Lightning let out a thankful moan, leaning into Spitfire, as if the older mare could protect her from what would happen sooner or later.
Goge did as he was told, his hand shooting to his neck, quickly finding what Spitfire had clearly been alluding to as the raw skin there showed evidence of something being implanted under the skin.
“What is it?” Goge demanded, looking back round at Spitfire.
“Some sort of implant, it interfaces with the forcefield between our cell and Rainbow’s room. Get too close and…well you won’t do it a second time,” Spitfire sighed.
“There’s got to be some way out though,” Goge pressed.
“Why does there?” Spitfire snapped angrily. “Why, oh mighty human, must there be a way out? This isn’t a film where the captor makes some stupid textbook error that somehow she’d overlooked. I’ve lost track of how long we’ve been in here, there’s nothing…we’ve tried.”
Spitfires resolve trickled away as those words left her mouth, looking down at the floor and mumbling.
“We’ve tried everything, and there’s nothing. Nothing but the pain.”
For the next few minutes, nothing was said, Goge massaging his various bruises, as Tar’nek checked over Juhani’s extensive wounds, the master swordswoman having caught the worst of Rainbows ferocious attack. Eventually however, Spitfire raised her head once more, looking at Tar’nek.
“Tar’nek, you said you came her because you’d received a message. Who from?”
“I don’t know,” Tar’nek admitted, looking back at Spitfire. “It seemed rushed, and it used an ancient series of devices that have long since been outdated on the Craftworld’s to achieve it. All it said was along the lines of a pony wreaking havoc in the city, and that there were monsters. We hunted down Goge for his connection to Rainbow and headed here. We hoped we could maintain a low profile, and Goge could help us convince Rainbow to give up this foolish pursuit…clearly we were wrong.”
“It’s not foolish,” a new voice called out, everyone spinning to look at the new arrival, Scootaloo locking the door behind her and hurrying over to the forcefield. “She found Applejack, she’s with the Tau, I know what the Archon of the All-Seeing Eye told her, and it doesn’t sound like she’s there against her will. You idiot Tar’nek, my message said Rainbow was the monster,” tears were forming in Scootaloo’s eyes at this point, “I’m sorry…I didn’t know what to do…but I do now…I just hope you can all forgive me for acting so slowly.”
Before anyone could say anything, or question Scootaloo’s sudden appearance, the young mare reached into one of her pouches, pulling out a small sphere, the ponies and the Eldar instantly recognising it as a Haywire grenade.
“We get one chance,” Scootaloo grimaced, before tapping her hoof on the activation rune.