//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Imperfect // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 12 “Rainbow? Rainbow Dash! Wake up!” Twilight said, nudging and prodding the Pegasus. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes; Twilight had obviously carried her back to the Library, as she discovered this was where she was. “Oh hey Twilight! I have the weirdest story to tell you,” Rainbow Dash began, but was interrupted by Twilight. “I’m sorry Rainbow, I don’t mean to sound rude, but we really don’t have time for this right now. You need to see this,” Twilight said, opening the window curtains for Rainbow to look out. Night had fallen, but for some reason it didn’t look that dark, Rainbow realised quickly why. The Everfree forest was on fire. “Twilight! My first flash forward showed me the Everfree forest being on fire!” Rainbow Dash said. “I know, Rainbow. I know, we don’t know what’s going to happen when it comes time for you to have the flash forward...” Twilight began, “Yes we do! I saw it, come on we need to be outside!” Rainbow Dash said rushing out the door. Twilight called after her, but it wasn’t helping. Rainbow had misunderstood her. ... Rainbow Dash had run into the centre of town. She recognised being here from the flash forward, any second now, the Kangaroo tank was going to be rolling through, followed by Trixie, Derpy, the Doctor, and the cloud of Black Smoke. Rainbow Dash tripped, skidding to a halt right where she was supposed to be. She heard a low rumble behind her; she turned to see the kangaroo M3 Light Tank rolling through the streets. Quickly thinking, she rolled out of the way as it kept moving past her. Right on schedule. Trixie, Derpy, and the Doctor followed soon afterwards. “Run!” the Doctor shouted. Run? From what? Rainbow Dash asked rhetorically, knowing full well. Rainbow Dash heard a loud howling noise. Run from that. Docka-docka-docka-docka-docka! Wait a minute, that didn’t sound right. Rainbow Dash passed a building before she felt somepony grab her and pull her into an alleyway, she struggled, trying to break free of whoever had grabbed her, but she soon discovered it to be none other than Twilight Sparkle. Twilight put a hoof to her mouth, shushing Rainbow Dash. Rainbow obeyed, staying quiet. Well, at least that part was right. A cloud of grey smoke darted past the alleyway. Wait a minute, grey smoke? That was completely wrong! Docka-docka-docka-docka-docka! “Twilight? What is going on?” Rainbow Dash asked. “This isn’t happening how I remembered it!” “It’s... not?” Twilight asked. “Oh no. That’s bad, Rainbow that is really bad! We’re not safe here we need to move!” They heard another howl, and looked up. Ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka! The Black Smoke dove from the rooftops, striking Rainbow Dash hard and sending her flying into the back of another building. Rainbow hit her head hard, and slid down onto the ground; she struggled to stay conscious as the Black Smoke came towards her. Out of the smoke, the three siblings Nightmare materialised and stepped towards Rainbow, she tried to keep her eyes open, but it was becoming much harder. “She’s in the Paragon’s hold,” Nightcaller said. “She shows the signs. Cleanse her.” “Leave her alone!” Twilight called out, rushing over to where Rainbow had fallen. The siblings became smoke again, wrapping themselves around Rainbow and encasing her in the cloud of smoke. Rainbow lost consciousness. ... Rainbow opened her eyes. There was blackness, endless black space. This was no night. It was an endless void. “Who’s there!?” Rainbow Dash called out. “Just us three.” Rainbow turned to find the Siblings Nightmare standing, looking at her with their glowing amber eyes. “What are you doing to me?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Saving your life,” Nightcaller said simply. “I... wait what?” Rainbow Dash asked. “The Paragon of Order has you in his grasp, he’s been sending you false visions of the future,” Nightsinger said. “The Paragon of Order... isn’t that...?” “The Alicorn, Overdrive? Yes. Yes it is.” Nightshadow said calmly. “But, he’s dead!” Rainbow Dash called out. Nightcaller chuckled softly. “Rainbow Dash, Order is a concept, an idea, a school of thought. Its paragon is the physical embodiment of it; he is no more killable than a thought, as long as some vestige of order in the universe, he remains alive... His body on the other hand was destroyed. He can no longer directly interact with the world; instead, he must manipulate others into doing his bidding.” “Actually, considering the Paragon, nothing has really changed, has it?” Nightsinger mused. “The grey smoke? Is that... him?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yes. That’s a form he can take. He uses it to cheat the rules,” Nightshadow said. “Don’t ask about the rules. It’s against the rules.” “Okay, fine. Answer me this then, why should I trust you? You certainly don’t have our best interests at heart anymore than the Paragon does,” Rainbow Dash asked. “Oh Rainbow Dash, you’re misunderstanding, you cannot trust us anymore than you can the Paragon. We don’t want you to trust us,” Nightcaller said. “We want you to obey us!” “And why should we ever obey somepony like you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Oh you poor, disillusioned creature. You don’t even realise that you already do.” ... The black smoke retreated from the shell it had formed around Rainbow Dash. It howled and ticked away from the scene. Rainbow Dash was lost, confused and disoriented, she vomited. Twilight rushed to her side. “Rainbow Dash? Are you okay? What did it do?” Rainbow Dash couldn’t answer, she lost consciousness. ... Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, she looked outside, it was raining, and she was in Twilight’s bedroom, looking out the window. It was morning, and it was raining. The rain had put the fires out. Smoke was billowing from the Everfree, but the fires were out. Rainbow Dash struggled to remember what had happened the night before, but it would not come to her. Rainbow Dash noted that her head felt much better than it had since her original accident, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her brain, and then she remembered that it pretty much had gone exactly that way. The Siblings Nightmare helped her. No, not helped. They did what they had to so that they could use her another day. The ponies of Equestria were pawns to the Paragon of Order and the Herald of Chaos. Playthings that they could use for whatever agenda that they had, but Rainbow remembered what they had said last, that they already obeyed someone like them. What did they mean? Rainbow dismissed it, the Siblings were liars, and it was their nature. Everything they said was suspect. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out as she entered the room. “Hey Twi.” “Rainbow, are you all right?” Twilight asked. “Yeah egghead. I’ve never felt better!” Rainbow Dash said smiling. Twilight smiled back. She had a feeling that things were going to be okay now. ... Vinyl Scratch trotted along at a brisk pace, she hadn’t been sleeping nights, choosing to continue to walk even in the dark. It was making her great time, as she was nearly out of Whitetail Wood. She heard someone approaching her from behind. She turned to look and smiled at the approacher. “Well hey Ben! Howya doing?” Vinyl said grinning. “Vinyl Scratch,” Trooper Willoughby said as he slowed down and began walking beside her. “Let’s make something perfectly clear. You do not call me Ben, Benny, Benji, or any other pet name you can think of for Benjamin. You will not call me Benjamin either, you will call me Willoughby.” Vinyl sighed, “Oh come on! We’re friends aren’t we! Doesn’t that give me the right to call you by your name?” Willoughby scowled. “My friends aren’t allowed to call me Benjamin, or Ben, or Benny, or anything but Willoughby.” Vinyl frowned, giving Willoughby a pout, “tightwad.” Willoughby merely rolled his eyes at her. “So, what are you doing out here?” Vinyl asked him. “Same thing as the last time, going to Manehattan to use the radio,” Willoughby said. “Cool,” Vinyl said. “Well glad to have you on the walk, Benny.” “Don’t make me hurt you.” The two of them heard a twig snap, followed by a rustle of leaves. “You hear that?” Willoughby asked. “Yep,” Vinyl said plainly. They heard it again. Willoughby drew out his submachine gun, and an 11mm Magnum Revolver. “You know how to use one of these things by chance?” Vinyl nodded. “I know how to do a lot of things.” She opened the breech, checking the ammo and snapped it shut, levitating it beside her head. “Tell me something Vinyl Scratch... are there any Equestrian gift giving holidays any time soon?” “Nope,” Vinyl said plainly. “Your birthday?” Willoughby asked. “Not for another ten months.” “How about I just give you that because I like you?” Willoughby asked. “I like me too,” Vinyl said with a grin. They heard the rustle again. “I figured as much,” Willoughby said under his breath. “You ready for this?” “Let’s rock and roll!” Vinyl said grinning like a madpony. The party responsible for the rustling noise leapt out from the bushes, roaring loudly, the air filled with gunfire, and then in an instant, all became silent.