Rainbow Dash woke up, picking herself up off the cold cave floor. Her head was extremely sore, there was a bump under her mane. She rubbed the lump, wincing a bit as she took in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was the cave, the same cave she was in, where she had gone with Dark to lay low. There was a significant difference in this cave's features, a large hole in the ceiling. She stared out of the hole and saw that the sky was painted with black clouds. As she stared at the billowing dark sky, her memory began coming back, and she jumped up into the air and darted out the hole, flying toward Ponyville.
vvvvvvvvvvvvv
As Dash explored the cave, waiting for the supplies to appear, she heard dark laughing coming from behind her. Turning around, her eyes went wide at the sight of the growing storm cloud, Dark Streak standing on it's edge, a ruby amulet around his neck. Dash flew up on top of the cloud, landing on it's surface. “Dark, what's going on?” Dash asked. “And where did you get that? Isn't that the Griffon's Eye?”
Dark turned around and flashed a devious smirk at the mare. “It is, but this time it's the real one, the powerful one.”
“Powerful one?”
“Yes, the weapon the unicorns of the ancient world developed to allow us pegasi to overcome the griffons. The amulet that was given to my grandfather and then forced out of his hands.”
“I don't understand, you said your grandfather was a war hero.”
“Fool.” Dark said, shaking his head. “He was a war hero, a hero of more than just the Griffon Territory War. Soon, he will also be the hero of the Equestria Purification Movement.”
“The what?” Dash took a step closer, putting her hoof on his cheek. “Dark, what are you talking about? Why do you have that look in your eyes?”
Dark smiled at her, a look of evil in his eyes. “I needed you to traverse the traps designed to protect the amulet, and now that I have it, I'm ready to put my grandfather's plan into action. Rainbow Dash, you and I are going to bring about the downfall of the unicorns.”
Dash took a step back, surprised. “Downfall of the unicorns? I...why? Why would you want to destroy the unicorns?”
Dark shook his head. “Unicorns are the enemy, they've held back the pegasi for centuries. Come with me Rainbow Dash, let's purify Equestria.”
Dark held out his hoof for her to take. Dash stared at it, and shakily reached out her hoof. She slapped his hoof away, shutting her eyes. “I'm sorry Dark, but I can't do that.”
Dark gritted his teeth, glaring at the rainbow hued pegasus. “Then you are useless to me.” he told her.
Dash screamed as she was electrocuted by the storm clouds below her. As she began to fall on her side, the clouds opened and she began descending to the cave floor. “It's a shame, we could have had such a happy life, king and queen.” he told her.
Dash's vision blurred as she fell, she watched dizzily as a bolt of lightning broke a hole in the ceiling, and Dark left, riding the cloud out. She blacked out as her head hit against the cold stone floor, leaving her limp on the ground.
vvvvvvvvvvvvv
Everyone in the library was trying their best to help in their own different ways while Twilight and Princess Celestia stood over a series of maps, examining the topography to find the most likely area they would find Rainbow Dash and Dark Streak. “It's pointless.” Princess Celestia said with a sigh. “We searched for years but were never able to find the hidden location, there's no way we'll find it now. We have no choice but to wait until the two plan to show themselves.”
“Don't say that Princess.” Fluttershy told her. “You're just tired is all, you've been so preoccupied with trying to catch a ghost, you haven't even taken the time to raise the sun yet.”
Celestia's eyes went wide as she turned her head to the clock. It was already eight, the clock had turned past the midnight hour. Twilight saw the worry in her mentor's eyes and immediately galloped out the door. The rest of the group followed behind, and stood in awe at the sky they saw above. All across Ponyville, ponies were staring up at the menacing dark sky above, which seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. Celestia leaned back on her back legs, getting ready to jump into the air, when a bolt of lightning came dangerously close to her front hooves. “I wouldn't do that if I were you.” a voice warned.
Descending on a cloud, mane blowing in a powerful wind, was Dark Streak, the amulet around his neck. “You must be Dark Streak.” Celestia said, glaring at him.
“I am, and you must be Princess Celestia. I must say, so far I'm unimpressed.”
“Unimpressed? What about me wouldn't leave you impressed?”
Dark smirked as he brushed his mane back. “Well, though I'll admit I've seen you before, I thought in person you'd be more intimidating. Honestly, I can't see how such a frail filly like you was able to force my family into hiding.”
Celestia's horn began to glow as she glared at the overconfident colt. “Then perhaps it's time I showed you what I'm capable of.”
Once again a bolt of lightning passed by the alicorn's vision, breaking her concentration. “Oh, that's definitely not a good idea.” he told her. “You see those clouds up there? They're pretty heavily charged. If you were to attempt to capture me then you'd certainly break my concentration, and that would set off a series of lightning bolts. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what unfortunate little lightning rods those horns of yours are.”
“Where's Rainbow Dash?” Came an angry southern voice.
Dark turned his attention to Applejack, who had been glaring holes in him since he had shown himself. “Rainbow Dash? I imagine she's still unconscious in that cave I left her in.”
“You better not have hurt her!” Twilight yelled.
“Or what?” Dark asked snidely, floating in close to meet her eye to eye. “You'll hit me with a spell? Go ahead and try, as soon as I see you light up I'll send one hundred thousand amperes through that pretty purple hood ornament.”
Twilight met his sly smirk with her own angry glare as he patted her horn. Dark's amused look left his face and was replaced with a bored frown and he floated back. “Oh lighten up, I only stunned her so she wouldn't get in the way, I'm not a monster. Now, onto my demands.”
“Demands?” Celestia asked. “What demands?”
“You didn't think I created this storm for nothing did you?” he asked, smiling up at the storm. “I did this for my Grandfather, now let's get down to business. It's nothing too hard, all I ask is that the unicorns of Equestria pack their bags and cross the border, and never enter again.”
“You want to ban unicorns from Equestria?” Rarity asked in surprise. “Why on earth would you want to do that?”
“Didn't your dear princess tell you? It's your kind that caused all this in the first place. The unicorn council gave my grandfather the amulet during the Griffon Territory War, and then, when all the fighting was done, what did they do? They wanted to wrap their greedy little hooves around it again, with little more than a thank you for his services. The council was the one to decide that my grandfather decided life for wanting to hold on to a war medal, and they were the ones that chased my grandfather to his own death for wanting little more than to have a family! You unicorns, you believe your magic is the ultimate power in this world, you don't deserve to exist in the same country as the masters of the sky, you do not belong in Equestria, neither on her land, nor in her skies!”
Dark's voice was raised, his true anger and emotion showing. “Dark Streak, I apologize for your grandfather's life.” Celestia told him. “That is why I disbanded the unicorn council, and why I stopped the search for your family.”
“And you think that makes it okay?” he asked, taking his turn to glare down at the group. “A pathetically worded 'I'm sorry' and a 'let's pretend it never happened?' Not good enough! My grandfather should have been master of the skies, he would want you dead! Be lucky I let you leave this country with all your feathers intact.”
“We will stop you!” Twilight declared.
“With what? Your unicorn magic? Do I have to spell it out for you? This is MAGIC lightning, as soon as you charge up your horn my storm charges up a bolt.”
“Then we'll use the elements of harmony!”
“With just the five of you? I highly doubt that. I can see you need some time to mull it over, so I'll make it brief. You have one hour to decide, if you disagree, then I'll begin a storm across all of Equestria that will home in on any unicorn who peers their head outside their door. I'll be in the clouds whenever you're ready.”
Dark began to ascend toward his storm. Letting out a high pitched whistle, the clouds cracked with thunder, and a heavy rain began pouring down. The ponies of Ponyville all ran in their houses, worried for their safety. None were more worried, however, than the unicorns, most of which had hurried inside long before.
vvvvvvvvvvvvv
“We could send somepony up above the clouds to negotiate with him.” Twilight suggested, speed reading through books, trying desperately to find a solution.
“I don't think he's open to negotiation.” Celestia told her, staring out the window. “At best he would listen to the negotiator, deny anything we ask for, and we'd be down another ten minutes.”
Twilight ran her hoof through her mane, which had frizzed out of frustration. “Then what about telling every unicorn to stay inside?”
“We don't have time for that, it would take more than an hour to go across all of Equestria.”
“Then we could send up a team to stop him.”
“That would require our best stealth team, and we don't have the time to put together a group like that either.”
Twilight sighed as she let her head rest on a book. “It's hopeless, there isn't anypony who can stop him.”
“I can stop him.” came a familiar voice from the door.
The group turned to face the source, staring across the room at a soaking wet Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie said excitedly, pouncing on the back of her cyan friend. “I knew you were okay.”
“Now's not the time Pinkie.” Dash said seriously, shrugging her party friend off her back. “You need someone to go up and stop Dark, right? I'll go.”
Fluttershy flew toward the door to help Pinkie up, giving Dash a worried look. Twilight stepped forward, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Rainbow Dash, you don't have to.”
“Yes I do, it's my fault this happened. If I had listened to you and Applejack when you warned me about him, if I hadn't ignored the signs, this wouldn't have happened.”
“Sugarcube, we don't blame you for this.” Applejack told her. “You were misguided by him, it could have happened to anypony.”
“No, it couldn't have.” Dash turned to her southern friend. “He chose me specifically, for my loyalty.”
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight pleaded, turning to her mentor, “Please, tell her she doesn't have to go.”
Rainbow Dash stared up at Celestia, and she stared back. The two watched each other for what felt like ages, having a silent conversation with each other. Celestia shut her eyes and nodded. “Very well, Rainbow Dash. If you truly wish to make things right, then go. He's up above the clouds.”
Dash nodded, turning and galloping out the door. The group chased her outside into the rain, Twilight and Applejack taking the lead. Celestia stepped out behind them as the pegasus rocketed up into the storm clouds. Twilight turned to her mentor, a mix of worry and upset in her expression. “Princess, why did you let her go? You know it wasn't her fault.”
“It is neither your business nor mine to decide where blame is placed Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia told her. “All I can say is that this is her fight.”
vvvvvvvvvvvvv
Dash weaved around the electrical pockets in the clouds, gritting her teeth. All she could think about as she forced her way through the thick cloud cover were the past weeks of her life, starting at that fateful turn toward the eastern sky. Finally, she broke through to the cloud tops. It was an awe inspiring view, the sun cascading across the cottony plains. It was almost impossible to believe that such a demonic storm could have a utopia hidden above. Dash set her hooves down on the cloud tops, looking around the horizon. It didn't take long for her to spot the cloud castle in the distance. Beating her wings irritably, she began walking toward it, holding back her emotions behind a serious face. The doors to the castle opened without much effort, revealing a beautiful entrance hall. Dash walked down the hall to another set of doors, which opened quietly into a throne room. In the center was a dark cloud throne, inscribed with pictures of pegasi. Sitting in the throne, drawing his attention to the doors, was Dark Streak. His startled look turned to a smile as he saw who had entered his kingdom in the sky. “Ah, it's just you Rainbow Dash.” he greeted as she approached. “Welcome, it's good to see you again. So you've changed your mind about my offer?”
Dash didn't say anything, instead she let the glare on her face do the talking for her. Dark frowned as he watched her unchanging expression. “I see, then what are you here for?”
“You can't go through with this Dark.” Dash told him. “You can't exile the unicorns, that's not purification. Please, just tell me you'll turn yourself in, I don't want to see anything happen to you.”
Dark shook his head, letting out an annoyed sigh. “You don't understand, do you? This is the real me, this is Dark Streak, grandson of Silver Streak. This is my family's dream and I intend to make it come true.”
Dash's face changed so slightly, it was almost unnoticeable, but her heart sank at his answer. “I was hoping you wouldn't say that.” she told him.
Without hesitation, she jumped at him, using her wings to extend the arc as she pounced him. He tried to stop her with a bolt of lightning, but she barrel rolled around it, knocking him off his throne and into the clouds. The two flew through multiple electrical pockets before Dark was able to buck her off and open his wings, flying back up above the clouds. Dash wasn't far behind as she flew at him again, but Dark was quick to buck her away again. “This is for the good of the pegasi, Rainbow Dash. How can you go against your own species?”
Dash opened her wings to save her from a fall on her back, jumping up into the air again at her target. She evaded the bolts of lightning he sent at her, spinning around his attempt to buck her away in order to buck him to the ground. “You're wrong Dark,” She told him, “You're doing this for nobody but yourself.”
Dark let out a painful cough, putting a hoof to his chest. She had delivered a hard kick straight to the ribs. He glared up at her as a mighty wind began blowing. “This is not my will, it is my grandfather's, it is his legacy, a legacy I carry on as his blood descendant.”
The mighty wind turned into a black and red cyclone. Dash didn't fight against the wind, but instead flew straight into the funnel, adding some of her own color to the spinning wind. The two stared off as they flew with the cyclone's spin. “Don't you understand?” Dark challenged. “This is the real me, not that pony that you met, you can't change me into that!”
“I don't plan to change you.” Dash told him. “I plan to stop you!”
Dash slowed down and bucked him again, straight in his abdomen. Dark flew out of the cyclone, throwing the wind off balance and breaking the funnel. As he hit the clouds the amulet flew off his neck, landing a few feet away. He coughed hard, starting to turn himself over. Before he could get around onto his hooves, a rainbow streak breezed by him, taking the amulet and pinning him within a matter of seconds. Rainbow loomed over the black colt, staring down at him with the amulet around her neck. The dark clouds began to lighten in color beneath them, dissipating. Dark sighed, a look of defeat staring up at his opponent. “I spent my life working on this plan.” He told her. “I thought I was melding the perfect partner, but all I managed to do was gain your anger and make you hate me.”
Dash shook her head, tearing up. “You just don't get it Dark Streak.” she told him, tears dripping onto his face. “I didn't stop you because I hate you.”
She brought her face down next to his, nuzzling his cheek softly as she fought to stop her shivering hooves. “I had to stop you....because...I love you.”
vvvvvvvvvvvvv
It took until late in the afternoon to clean up the mess Dark Streak had created, but would have taken significantly longer if it weren't for Rainbow Dash and the amulet. After bucking away the last of the clouds, Dash landed near the Canterlot Royal Police wagon, where two soldiers had Dark Streak in quadruple hoof cuffs. “Rainbow Dash,” Dark streak pleaded, “I don't know what came over me, the....the amulet, it messes with your-”
“Save it,” Dash told him, hiding her emotions until her back was turned, “You've done enough damage.”
“I can repair any of the buildings that the lightning-”
“That isn't what I meant.”
Twilight and the group galloped up to their cyan friend, wrapping her up in a relieved group hug. “Thank goodness you're okay Rainbow Dash.” Twilight told her.
“We were mighty worried for you.” Applejack added.
“Yeah, thanks guys.”
The group disbanded the hug as they heard Celestia approach, her face expressionless. Twilight stepped forward, staring up at her mentor. “Princess Celestia, please don't punish-”
“No Twilight.” Rainbow Dash stopped her.
She beckoned the unicorn aside, and Rainbow Dash stood in front of the alicorn, looking ready to face her fate. “Rainbow Dash,” Celestia began, “You have assisted in a plot to destroy the unicorns of Equestria, a plot that caused all of Equestria to be covered in a thick and deadly storm.”
Rainbow Dash said nothing in her defense, merely dropping her head. “However,” she continued, revealing a smile on her face, “You risked your life in a fatal attempt to make up for those errors, and in doing so saved all of Equestria from destruction. You are forgiven.”
“Thank you, princess.” Dash said, keeping her head bowed. “I know it is not my place at this point, but I would like to ask a favor of you.”
Confused, Celestia bowed her head, and the cyan pegasus whispered in the alicorn's ear. Celestia smiled and stood straight, nodding. “Very well, I will honor this favor, as a thank you for your bravery, and an apology for the events that I can't say I didn't have a hand in creating.”
Rainbow Dash smiled, though she kept her head low. “Thank you.”
vvvvvvvvvvvvv
Scootaloo put all the effort she could muster into flapping her wings, smiling as she felt herself levitate off the ground. She only made it a couple of inches off the ground before falling back down with a thud. Dash clapped her hooves, smiling at the filly pegasus. “Nice job kid,” she said, “keep working on that form, it's not all about how fast you can flap your wings.”
Scootaloo smiled, looking excitedly at her flying coach. “Thanks Rainbow Dash! I be I'll be flying before the end of the month with you helping me.”
Dash trotted up to the eager filly and tussled her hair. “That's the spirit kid. You'd better get going, the sun's starting to set. We'll continue tomorrow afternoon, alright.”
Scootaloo nodded and hopped on her scooter, buzzing away toward home. Dash smiled as she watched the young protege speed off into the distance. With a sigh, she jumped up into the air and flew toward home. Stepping inside the familiar walls, she made her way directly to bed, the moon starting it's journey across the sky. She stopped at the wall to mark off another day on the calender and smiled weakly. “A month to the day.” she told herself.
She stepped up to her bed, unlocking the drawer in her night stand. She stared down at the Griffon's Eye Amulet, a small smile across her face. Shutting the drawer again, she crawled into bed, falling into a sound sleep.