Twilight trudged into town, a vacant look in her eyes, with a shocked Spike on her back. Her friends were having a lunch together to discuss Twilight's mad dash into the Everfree Forest. It was Rarity who saw the forlorn couple sulk to the cafe.
"Darlings! We were just talking about you! Why in heavens did you barge out of town like a couple of ruffians?" Her purple hair bounced with the dramatic swing of her head. her pearly white face scrunched up in disgust. Twilight walked right past her, ignoring her question. She strolled up to a bright blue mare with a messy rainbow mane.
"Rainbow, I need to talk to you. Alone." Twilight looked up at her friend with sorrow in her eyes.
"Eh? Oh yeah sure, Twi." With a wild swing of her rainbow mane and a wink to her friends, the blue pegasus flew after Twilight. Her wings flapped gracefully, and the strong muscles rippled underneath. Twilight eyed the feathered limbs. If those are the only things to save the princess... Oh, I hope she understands. Twilight guided Rainbow Dash into an abandoned sugar mill, down the street from the cafe. Rainbow Dash had to land and walk in, her hooves treading lightly on the thin layer of dust that had gathered on the floors.
"Um, Twi? Why are we in this creepy place? I mean, I don't find it creepy, but maybe you might..." Her smile was brave, but her eyes were clouded with fear.
"Dash, I need to tell you something." Twilight whispered. "Something terrible."
"Aw, Twilight. What is it?" Rainbow Dash trotted over from where she was sitting to beside her friend, and awkwardly placed her hoof on the violet unicorn's shoulder. This only made Twilight start sobbing. Rainbow is a true friend. Why does she have to die for the princess? She is so caring. So loving. So awkward. So perfect. Twilight started to sob out every bit of information, from when the letter first blew out of Spikes throat to the moment when she left Zecora's. The entire time, Dash's grip became looser and looser, until it had left Twilight's shoulder and started wiping off tears of her own.
"So, I have to have my wings torn off. To save Princess Celestia. My pitiful, worthless life to save the most important pony in Equestria. Twilight, do you even have to ask?" Rainbow Dash tilted her head to the side, a sad smile etched on her face. Her raspy voice said each word slowly, her brain slowly digesting this news.
"No! Rainbow Dash! You're life is not worthless! You are one of my best friends! Even if we were to follow through with this, you will leave this world as a sacrificial hero. Your name will go down in history books. The Wonderbolts will engrave your name onto a golden statue of you. They will master the Sonic Rainboom, and preform it at every one of their performances. As a salute to your bravery, your loyalty. If they disagree, I will do all that and more by myself." Twilight paused, realized she was standing atop of an old abandoned barrel, and hopped down. "I mean, you aren't worthless." She gave a nervous cough, and looked up to see Dash smiling proudly.
"Of course. The Wonderbolts will honor my bravery and I will be remembered in their eyes as the most awesome pony ever!" The light in her eyes dimmed. "But when you take my life, will you do it quickly? I don't like pain." Her eyes were roud, but behind the mask, Twilight could see pure terror. Twilight embraced her.
"Of course. But, how about you say good bye first." Twilight could see confusion flicker across Dash's face.
"Good bye?" Dash sat her rump on the dusty barrel as Twilight steeped to the doorway and motioned to the cafe. Rainbow Dash's face dropped. "Oh."
"Hey there Twilight! Hey Rainbow! How's y'all doin'?" The happy orange pony greeted the couple with a grin and a toss of her cream hair, pulled loosely into a ponytail.
"Hey, Applejack, replied Rainbow Dash. "Um, guys? Twilight and I have something... um... crushing, I guess, to tell you." Dash looked at her feet and stirred the dust on the ground. She looked up when she heard and excited gasp.
"Is it a party? Is it a 'Super - Awesome - Wonderbolts - Invitation - Party'? Because you should totally invite the Wonderbolts to your magical floatie cloud house thing." Pinkie Pie's face scrunched up, thinking hard about Dash's house. Dash gave her a sad smile.
"No, Pinkie, I am not throwing a party."
"Of course not. You throw parties," Pinkie said with a giggle. "Throwing a party might hurt somepony. Parties are big! Especially my parties!" Everypony chuckled. "But if you aren't hosting a party, what are you doing? What's the big super duper looper news?" She had gotten up from the table and was not bouncing around Fluttershy, who shrieked a bit, and began hovering above the circling party pony.
Rarity got up, showing off her gemstone cutiemark, three diamonds in a triangle formation, and waltzed over to Twilight.
"Daaarrrrlings. Won't you tell us what your news is?" Her heavily mascaraed eyelashes slowly fluttered over her bright blue eyes. Twilight nodded.
"Everypony might want to sit down for this." Twilight glanced at the group, not even bothering to hide to shame. Pinkie Pie slowed her hopping a bit, and pranced over to her chair, where a purple dragon sat, picking under his claws. With a muffled oomph, Pinkie sat on him. Rarity flipped her curled purple mane, and delicately sat on her stool. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight pleadingly. Twilight cleared her throat nervously.
"Um, Princess Celestia is sick and dying." She tore her eyes from the ground and flickered her gaze over her friends. All of their mouths gawked, hanging down to the ground. "And, when I searched for help from Zecora, she said that the only think that has a chance to save her, was a pegasus wing." Fluttershy gasped a bit, tears swelling in her eyes. Rainbo zipped over to her.
"Fluttershy, it's not you. Don't worry. It has to be somepony a bit... different..." She faltered, an rested onthe ground. her rainbow mane dragged in the dirt as she hung her head and trudged over to Twilight. "Keep going, Twi." She mumbled.
"Zecora told me that this pegasus must be loyal. She must be daring. She must be true." Twilight's friends just looked around confused. Twilight's heart sank so much, she was afraid it would hit the ground. "It - it's - it's Rainbow Dash." She would not look up to meet her friends eyes. Will they shun me? Banish me? I wouldn't hate them if they did. They have every right, especially Dash. She felt hot tears flood to her eyes, when a warm embrace caught her off guard. She looked up, and saw Rarity shedding her own tears.
"Oh Twilight. How awful." Soon, Everypony joined the hug. First Pinkie Pie, then Rainbow Dash, then Fluttershy, Applejack, and finally Spike. They stayed like that until the manager of the cafe shooed them away.
Will they keep embracing me once they find out I am the one murdering her?