//------------------------------//
// Carrying On 
// Story: Rainbow Dash and the Darkwing Pony 
// by ThomasZoey3000 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 10: Carrying On


KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The sudden knocking noise woke Rainbow Dash up. She had been sleeping in her living room chair, and wasn't expecting any visitors today. Still, she got up, wiped the droll coming down from her mouth, and walked over to the front door, "hang on, I'm coming!"

She opened the door and found Soarin' on the other side, and wearing his wonderbolts outfit.

"Hey Dash, we haven't seen you in three days, is everything alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine, other than my sore shoulder and hooves," she groaned.

It had been three days since the fight in Inferno's castle in the Everfree Forest. Rainbow was still recovering from the slight injuries she got from banging on the rock wall so many times.

"So, how come you haven't come in to Wonderbolts Headquarters? All Spitfire will say is, 'you're taking time off to attend to a problem'."

During that time too, Twilight had sent a message to Spitfire, on behalf of Rainbow Dash, and said she couldn't make it to training or any shows until such a time she felt ready to return.

"I'm watching over a friend," and she pointed to Darkwing Pony.

Soarin' couldn't believe his eyes, "it's really him, the legendary masked hero of the night."

Rainbow shook her head, "no he's the Terror that trots in the night, at least that's what he calls himself now." She sighed and continued, "until he wakes up and I talk with him, I won't be returning to Wonderbolts headquarters. Sorry Soarin'."

"Hey it's alright, I just wanted to make sure you were alright, and it's actually good to know you're looking out for a friend, rather than slacking off." Soarin' turned to leave, but he had to ask, "word from Ponyville is that you got arrested recently. Is that true?"

"Oh yeah, well that's because I was looking out for my pal over there, but he kicked me off the roof and into the hooves of the police. Silver Badge even had a report all set for me."

"Really now? Well even if you had one, we wouldn't kick you off the team, you're still one of our most talented flyers."

"Not as much as you guys are. After all, you've been doing these tricks longer than I have."

"Perhaps, but we're all important to this team." Rainbow Dash had to nod in agreement. "Well I guess I'll see you later Crash," he smirked.

Rainbow smirked, "yeah yeah, see you around, Clipper."

Soarin' laughed as he flew away. As soon as he was gone though, and Rainbow Dash had shut the door, silence filled the big house in the sky. Darkwing Pony was still out like a light. Rainbow sighed and walked back to the chair.

"I only wish you had come to me sooner, I could've helped you. Then maybe you wouldn't have to go at this alone," she said quietly to him.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.


When she next opened her eyes, she discovered it was nighttime. Luna's moonlight shone brightly into the room, almost hurting Rainbow's eyes, "must be a full moon tonight," she thought to herself.

"About time you woke up," said another voice.

Rainbow looked away from the window and saw Darkwing, now awake and staring at her.

"I could say the same about you," giggled Rainbow Dash. "You've been out cold for three days, yet now you decide to wake up."

"Well what can I say? I haven't had a decent night's sleep in moons, plus I'm an evening pony, not daytime." He then groaned again, "ow, my wing hurts. My shoulders hurt, my legs hurt, even my bruises have got bruises."

"Really? I can't tell with that costume on."

"Hey, you know I have to wear it...say, where did these bandages come from?"

"Nurse Redheart and Nurse Coldheart came in and bandaged you up. They also checked to make sure you're okay."

Darkwing's eyes popped wide open in surprise, "you mean, somepony else saw me. Did they..."

"They only checked you over, they did not remove the mask, I made it very clear to them. Don't worry buddy, your identity is still safe with me."

Darkwing sighed, "thank you Dashie." A thought then came to him, "what about Inferno? Have they found him?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head, "they haven't reached the bottom of the Pit yet, and it's been three days."

"Hmm, I guess I should've figured that out."

"So, what will you do now?"

Darkwing Pony groaned as he got to his hooves and put his hat back on top of his head, "I don't know. With Inferno defeated, all that's left is his minions."

"Actually, many were captured by the Ponyville police department, not to mention my friends."

"Then, I guess that's it. Once the last of those minions have been captured, there's no purpose for the Darkwing Pony anymore. My life is officially over."

Rainbow's face changed to a firm expression as she jumped down from her chair, "your life over? Not by a long shot buddy, there's still alot of life in you, and I can help you get it."

"Oh yeah, how? Inferno and his minions have hidden all of the evidance that could convict them."

"Not all of it, and if I can prove that they were the ones that commited those crimes and not you, we can finally clear your name and get you back to the life you once had." Darkwing Pony didn't look so sure, but before he could say anything, Rainbow Dash spoke up, "I'll give you the Rainbow Dash promise here and now, that I will find the evidance to clear your name once and for all." She did three spins around Darkwing Pony, then hoofbumped him, "and that's the Rainbow Dash promise."

Darkwing Pony still wasn't sure, but he knew Rainbow Dash was a stubborn pony, and probably wouldn't give up in clearing his name.

"Very well then Rainbow Dash, I'll give you the chance to clear my name, but don't get your hopes up."

Now that he regained his strength, Darkwing Pony made his way out of the large house in the sky and towards the ledge of her cloudway. Rainbow Dash followed along behind him.

"It will take time, so I guess until then, I can always go after Inferno's minions, or at least what's left of them."

"I guess you could do that, just promise me this time you'll consider asking other ponies for help if you land yourself in trouble. I mean, you don't want to get tossed into the water while out cold, do you?"

"No, I guess not."

The two went quiet as they looked down upon the streets of Ponyville. Since Inferno's defeat, the curfew had been lifted and ponies were once again allowed to walk about with little worries at all. In the distance, they could see the weather team with their new leader; Cloud Chaser, working on new weather patterns for the late-night.

"Does it feel good?"

"Hmm?"

"Saving ponies from the chaos these criminals bring?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah, I guess it is a good feeling."

"Then do more than just hunt down the last of Inferno's minions. While you wait for the evidance to be found, why don't you go out there and be the hero I've always known you would become. Be a hero, and not some masked nut job that the police will want to hunt down."

Darkwing Pony looked at his friend, then back down towards the cheerful ponies in Ponyville.

"Maybe this costumed clown can be a hero, not just a pony on a solo mission. Very well, you convinced me, but the outfit and mask stays on. I'll take them off for nopony."

"What about a close personal friend?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow. "Can I at least see your face one more time?"

Darkwing Pony stood still for a bit, then he agreed, "since you're the only pony I trust, I guess it's alright for you to see the real me." He removed his hat from his head, then he pulled his mask off.

The face under the mask had a scratch under the right eye, and a bruise on the left side of his face, but apart from those, it was the face of Rainbow's old friend; Lightwing. She was so happy to see that face once again that she ran up to him and gave him a big hug. He was stunned at first, but finally he smiled and hugged her back.

"You do realize that until our paths cross again, we won't be able to talk. It's for your own safety."

"I understand...gosh, I missed you old friend."

"Well I missed you too Rainbow Dash."

They hugged for almost a minute before seperating. Lightwing put his mask and hat back on, and became Darkwing Pony once more. He turned and prepared to jump.

"Wait! Your wing is hurt, how will you be able to fly?"

"That's what the rope launchers are for," he answered. He quickly changed the broken one for a new one, "I've hurt my wings more times than you care to count, so I need launchers to get around." He pointed his right rope launcher at a cloud and fired. The launcher wrapped itself around a cloud in the distance. "Until next time Rainbow Dash, keep yourself out of trouble."

He jumped from the cloud and swung on his rope launcher. As he passed the cloud, he aimed and fired his other rope launcher. It caught another cloud and he swung off, retracting his previous launcher back into it's holder for the next cloud.

Rainbow Dash could only smile as she watched him, "go get 'em Tiger," she said quietly. Tank, who finally was able to join Rainbow Dash, looked up at her in surprise. "What? It's an old nickname I had for him, for he was firece like a tiger."

Tank raised an eyebrow at her. Rainbow disregarded the look and watched as her old friend disappeared into the distance.


The following next morning, several of Inferno's minions were clearing the mess in the Pit, "the boss wouldn't have wanted to be left here," said one, "we need to get him out."

"Too bad he's gone," said the second, "I enjoyed the jobs he gave us."

A third minion moved a big rock, and gasped, "hey guys, you're not going to believe this...come down here!"

The other minions all came down into the pit and got the biggest surprise of their lives.


Within days, Darkwing Pony had found himself in Manehatten, overlooking the streets of the big city. Just about everywhere he looked, he could see criminal ponies on the loose.

"Yes, we shall meet again Rainbow Dash. Until then, I have work to do."

He aimed his rope launcher and charged in at the streets below. As he did so, he was not aware of another pony watching him from above. In the shadows, it almost looked like Darkwing, but the outfit was in different colors and the hat was bright red.

"So the stories are true, there is such a thing as the Darkwing Pony," he said to himself. "Well, he better enjoy his little career in Manehatten while he still can, cause when I get through with him, he'll be nothing more but a forgotten legend." And the mysterious figure cackled to himself as he disappeared back into the shadows.

Meanwhile, Darkwing Pony managed, somehow, to stop at least seven criminal ponies, tied them up and using all the strength he had, brought them to the police station. This surprised the police cheif, who ran outside. He looked up, and saw just in time of a masked pony saluting him. The cheif of police knew from that point onwards, the city had it's own protector. A Terror that trotted in the night. A silent protector of the innocent, their own Darkwing Pony.



The End!...For Now