//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Red Lady 
// Story: Corruption 
// by Slingshot619 
//------------------------------//

The five mares were starting to get bored, Rainbow Dash had been gone for almost the whole day by now, night was starting to fall upon Equinox, and there was nothing they could do about it. Twilight could get another portal up, but the mutant smoke would seep in to Equestria, then their efforts would be for nothing, Equestria would be just as corrupted as Equinox.

Twilight waited along the other four ponies, a sense of dread slowly built up in her as they waited for their cyan blue friend. They waited ever so anxiously for that rainbow mane and cyan blue fur to pop up, but it was no use. Twilight gulped down the fear that consumed her and faced her four friends.

"G-girls, I think, Rainbow's-"

"NO SHE AIN'T!"

Twilight looked up to see AJ standing before her, her nostrils flared as and her heavy breathing was heard throughout the entire home.

"I've known Rainbow since ah was just a little filly. She can't be dead, she just can't be."

Tears were starting to well up in Applejack's eyes, she knew Rainbow was dead, that was the truth, but she didn't like the truth, she couldn't handle it. She didn't want to accept the fact that her friend was gone.

"As a matter of fact, imma go find her!"

Applejack burst through the doors without waiting for her friends, they simply watched as the orange mare galloped down the streets in search of her cyan blue friend. She felt tears stream down her cheeks as she remembered the times they had, The Running Of The Leaves, The Iron Pony competition, all those sweet memories will only remind her of this dark day.

She found a home with a broken window, she must've crashed through that for some reason. Applejack entered the home and made her way upstairs to where the window was located, she saw a trail of blood that came from the shadows. AJ followed the trail of blood to it's owner, the curtains of the home swished back and forth as the cold air blew in, Applejack stepped onto something, it didn't feel like blood, it felt much more solid.

Applejack found nothing that could be used to illuminate the object, she looked around closely and saw an oil lamp. She turned it on and light flickered inside the glass casing, she held it close to her hooves and saw the remains of Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow had an opening on her stomach, all her guts were gone, save for a half eaten heart, she was missing an eye, a left arm, and a right leg. Almost her whole body was bone, only her right arm, left leg and head wore skin and flesh. Her rainbow mane was now covered in blood, her remaining cyan blue skin was now a shade of blood red.

Applejack backed up into a corner and collapsed, tears were pouring out of her eyes and forming a small puddle, She let out sobs and sniffles, she shook and quivered from the wave of emotions that consumed her, anger, sadness, and hatred. She was going to find whoever did this and make them pay.

Applejack walked over to the body of Rainbow Dash, she got down on her knees and gave a kiss on the forehead before closing Rainbow's single magenta eye.

"Goodbye Rainbow. Rest In Peace."

Applejack got up, a certain fire blazing in her eyes as she stomped down the stairs and kicked the door down, she headed for the library when a figure lurking in the smoke caught her attention. She saw the pony just standing there, doing absolutely nothing. She gritted her teeth and walked up to the pony in the shadows.

As Applejack got closer, she noticed that the pony was lime green, she had a gray mane and stitches that covered her whole body and she wore a black stetson hat. It was Rottenbunch, her counter-part. Applejack couldn't care less as she walked right up to the green mare and punched her right in the face with so much force it should've killed her.

"THAT WAS FOR RAINBOW!"

The mare simply stood and looked at her with those snake like eyes. They glowed with ferocity, Applejack gave a mighty kick to her face. Rottenbunch's head snapped back at a funny angle, instead of dropping to the floor dead, with a simple *snap* she had gotten her head back into place. Applejack's jaw dropped as she tried to comprehend what she just saw.

"Y'all can't kill what's already dead."

Applejack stared in horror as the green mare gave her a powerful uppercut, Applejack had no choice but to rear up onto her hooves from the sheer force. Rottenbunch seized this moment of opportunity and kicked Applejack's chest with her spiky legs. 

Applejack landed back down on her front two hooves and she felt her lungs go loose, she looked down to see that Rottenbunch had slice her chest open, her lungs dangled around aimlessly, her livers fell out and splattered on the cold stone floor. Applejack tried to breathe, but nothing went in, she looked in horror at Rottenbunch.

"Don't worry, imma make this one quick."

Rottenbunch spun around and in one swift move, decapitated Applejack. The sickening *Slice* echoed throughout the streets and the head rolled to the floor, Applejack's body went slack and fell to the cold stone floor., blood poured out of the neck. Rottenbunch walked over and picked up Applejack's severed head. She rolled it around the puddle of blood until it was completely blood red.

Rottenbunch picked the head up and tossed it into a cart with various other rotting fruits. Rottenbunch took her place behind the cart and wheeled it down the empty streets as the blood dripped off the cart and made a trail.

"We've got a fresh apple! Come get it now before it's too late!"

Rottenbunch let out an insane laugh and continued pushing the cart down the streets while Applejack's lifeless eyes ushered forth one more last tear that welled up in the corner of her eye.