//------------------------------// // Friendship is Memories // Story: Twilight Gives Way to Dawn // by Lawpony //------------------------------// "I just hope we're not too late." Rainbow Dash was left alone as Applejack and Pineshield hurried out. She took her helmet off and laid it on the table. Had she really just made the decision to send them out to battle, while she stayed behind? "No Dash, you can't think that way," she firmly stated to herself. "Ponyville needs you here right now." She walked down the hall to her quarters, which were never used outside of sleep. She stepped inside and gave a sigh as she pulled a familiar picture off the wall. A tear came to her eye as she began to remember a time when they were all friends. Her gaze went from Rarity, to Twilight -which at the time of the picture was still a simple unicorn. She then saw the two that made her the most sad, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. How could she not have seen this coming? The two that would have and should have been expected to take it harder, were the elements of laughter and kindness. She began to sniffle when she remembered the day Fluttershy ran away to live on an isolated island when the war started. She begged them not to bother her. "Fluttershy, you can't just run away!", Rainbow could remember saying "What's stopping me?", Fluttershy had replied. "Nothing, you aren't being forced to stay." "Then let me go. I can't help any pony anymore." "I can't lose another friend! Not this time!" "I'm sorry Rainbow, but I can't stay. Goodbye." Rainbow let a sob escape her throat. "Goodbye Fluttershy," Rainbow sniffled with teary eyes. She looked to Pinkie and sighed. "Where did you go Pinkie?" It was the day Twilight declared dictatorship on all of Equestria. Pinkie tried to throw a party for Twilight that said "congratulations on becoming a dictator",- predictable- but was thrown out of Canterlot and threatened not to set foot there ever again. She began to act weird after that. First she started talking to walls. The next thing she did was she would grind up rocks and put them in her water, claiming it was "mineral water". The last thing she did was buy blood-red paint and paint on the walls of her room, "DEATH TO THE QUEEN", and then disappear never to be seen again. "Oh Pinkie, why did you have to go? What happened in that castle? What did they do to you?" She looked at Apple Jack. The only one to have stayed with her and fight against what had become of their friends. She couldn't put into words how much that meant to her, nor how much it meant to the people of Equestria. She looked at Apple Jack and smiled. At least one of my friends didn't go crazy or turn evil, she thought to herself Her eyes fell on Rarity. She could remember how different they were, yet how close they had become as friends. How Rarity was all about fashion, and manors, and all that pish-posh stuff. Rainbow was nothing close to that. She was all about speed, athletics, exercise, and other non-girly things. Somehow, they still got along. That is, until she began to unquestionably follow the Queen. She then looked to the pony on the "targets list". It featured a picture of a Unicorn that had a black coat, and a red mane that was frazzled and short. Her horn had been sharpened to a point that could cut metal. She was holding up a dead rebel soldier as a sign of "I dare you to appose me". The name above the poster read, "Diamond Death". Her signature weapon was featured as gems, usually diamonds that had been made into knives, and shot as projectiles. "How did you ever become this? I can barely tell you apart," Rainbow Dash whispered to the picture. She then looked above it, to a picture that had an arrow pointing from it to Diamond Death's. "Queen RedDawn", she read. "What have you done?" The picture of RedDawn was of a blood red coated Alicorn mare that had a long flowing black mane, and a sharp horn made to kill. Her eyes were glazed over with purple tendrils coming from them as she held a soldier off of a cliff with her dark powers. Her face was of pure hate. She looked as if she would kill her own friends to take what she wanted. And she had. How else had she acquired the throne and all its power for herself? Certainly not under mutual ruling terms. She then recalled a time when her and Twilight were friends. They were good friends. They would hang out sometimes, they would go on epic adventures to try and save Equestria. Good times those were. What ever happened to those times? What had changed Twilight from this lovable, inquisitive, mare to an evil overlord-lady. If only she could find a way to fix her, she would. She would fight for a way to go back to the past. Back to when their friendship was magic. Back before their friendship was memories. She stood there, lost in thought. She was pulled out of her trance by a knock on her door. "What is it?", she called. "Message for the Commander regarding the plans for Ponyville," the messenger said from outside the door. "What is the message?" "After much studying and spying, we have completely observed every factor of every guard's post. We know what they are going to do before they do it." "When do they do shift changes for the Guard?" "Every night at twelve, sharp." "Get a small invasion force ready. Come tomorrow, Ponyville will be ours." Friendship is memories.