//------------------------------// // Sweet Dreams // Story: Twilight Gives Way to Dawn // by Lawpony //------------------------------// "I suppose you still won't talk?", Diamond had just entered the room. "T-talk 'bout what? How 'bout boys. You like ta talk 'bout boys? Well, there was this one-" "Quiet! You know what I mean!" "-He just liked me fer mah body. If you guess I told him no, you'd be right. I want a-" "Stallion that loves you for who you really are?", Diamond Death was nose to nose with a very worn Applejack. "How'd you know that? Did you read mah thoughts?", she looked up at the soulless eyes that stared into hers. "Yes, and I think I know your answer before I ask. Will you join us? Will you abandon your oath to Equestria and bow to your true queen? Or will you die a rebel's death?" "Well, if the choices are to be a coward like all o'you, or die, I guess I'll die!", she leaned forward off of the table she lay on, and stuck her tongue out at Diamond. "You seem out of it. I may have something that will bring you back to reality." Diamond summoned a looking glass out of nothing, and began to cast a spell over it. The surface of the glass moved like water. It rippled and waved, and after some more movements, it reveled Rainbow Dash sleeping. Not from the view of some unknown window, but from a pony's eyes, through a hood, with another pony in sight. The pony in the mirror looked at their fore-hoof and saw that the gem strapped to it was now glowing. "I presume you are ready Commander?", the pony whispered. Diamond's horn and the gem in the mirror blinked twice in unison. "Then we shall begin." "Begin what?!", Applejack's act fell quickly. "The death of your commander, and the beginning of an age of unchallenged rule!", she roared in premature triumph. "Ya can't! Ya just can't!", Applejack was in tears as she lay helpless, strapped down to a table. "Just watch," the look in her eye was horrifying. One hour ago: Resistance Base "So, First Lieutenant Pineshield, you were extremely lucky it was only an out of place vertebra. And that it didn't harm any nearby nerve systems." "So I'm free to go?", he looked up tiredly. "Soon, the large amount of cosmetic damage and flesh wounds were taken care of as well. You may not want to let them open themselves up so soon." "Where's the Commander?" "She took her leave, as the stress was getting to her head. Goodness, sometimes I think she should let somepony who's not so close take over." "But where did she go? I wanted to see her." "She said something about going for a walk through Ponyville, and about visiting memorable places and whatnot." "May I go? A-as long as I stay bandaged up of course!", he wouldn't want to be kept in bed, not when he had such urgent news for the Commander. "I suppose. You have never been bad about revisiting me too often. You are dismissed." "Thanks doc! I owe you one!", and with that, he got up and groggily galloped out of sickbay. "I need to find her! I need to warn her! She's in danger!", he repeated over and over while he looked around town. He ran around for twenty five minutes searching until when he hadn't found her on the streets, he sat down to think things through. "Where would she go? A sentimental place perhaps? Maybe the library. If I remember correctly, that is where Twilight used to stay, and where they had many meetings, and pre-quest gatherings." Thirty minutes ago: Ponyville Public Library He had galloped across town to the library, and upon knocking on the door, an unfamiliar face met him. "Hello? Who are you?", Spike looked tired. "Uh, do I know you?" "I don't think so. What's your name?" "They call me Pineshield." "The name's Spike...Pineshield...wait! I remember you. You came up somewhere when Rainbow and I were talking. You're like in command somewhere in the resistance, right?", Spike inquired. "I am in command of a medium sized division of pegasi warriors, yes. Do you know where she is right now? I need to speak with her!" "Um, she left my company a while ago, right after dinner was over actually. I think she was finding a place for the night. They destroyed her cloud house you know." "Do you not know where she went?!", Pineshield was beginning to look panicked. "Uh, no. I assumed she'd head back to her base or something. If she wanted to stay somewhere close to home, I'd say check Fluttershy's abandoned cottage, or Pinkie's old room in Suger Cube Corner." "I highly doubt that. Have you ever lost a loved pony?" "No, why?" "I have, and if there is one common attitude toward the former dwelling of a lost loved pony, it's to not desecrate it. That means no pony stays there, no pony sleeps there, and no pony moves anything around, or in any way alters the way it was when they died. And RD's been treating Pinkie and Fluttershy like they died ever since I've known her." "So, what about an inn? Does that sound like a "new Rainbow Dash" move?" "What do you mean new Rainbow Dash? She's the same pony as before, she's just traumatized by the past. And traumatized ponies are to be treated differently than normal ones. One time when I was talking to her about battle plans and strategies, she just went straight into a sobbing fit. As if she had been thinking about it for a while, and just suddenly let it all out." "Well, let's see. There's an inn over near the Hospital. It's called the...Out Inn, ironic right? I think all the gang stayed there once before all this happened." "Why would they all stay in an inn right here in town when they live here anyway?", Pineshield cocked an eyebrow. "It was when Sweetie Belle had pneumonia, and Rarity decided to stay close to the hospital. Rainbow Dash decided she'd stay with her, and then everypony else joined in." "Oh, I hadn't heard that story before. Well that was nice of all of them. So I'll go check the inn. And if she shows up here, could you point her in my direction?" "Sure thing Pineshield." "Thanks. See ya around," Pineshield turned and walked away from the doorway. Five minutes ago: The Out Inn "Um, hello?", Pineshield was standing in the lobby of the Inn. "How can I help you today young sir?", and elderly mare came behind the counter. "Do you have a resident by the name, Spectrum Dart?" "Why, yes we do. Is she a friend of yours?" "My wife. She told me she would ask you to leave me a key. I had to come separately. Darn job." "Oh, well, I guess you can have a key to the room as well. Room, 215. How long have you been married?" "Six years! Six long happy years." "Enjoy it while it lasts! Soon you'll be old like me!", the old mare chuckled. "Thanks!", he grabbed the key in his mouth and galloped up the stairs. He found his way to room 215 and was about to enter, when he notice scratch marks on the knob. "Hmm, it looks like it's been picked. I'm late, I just hope not too late," he whispered to himself. He gently pushed the door open and found two ponies standing ready to strike on a sleeping Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus pony's wings were showing, and Pineshield saw the color of its feathers. "I knew the bastard wasn't on our side!", Pineshield thought. Just then, he saw a blue stone on the fore-hoof of the one in question flash twice. "Then we shall begin," Feather Weight whispered. "Time to act!"