“What do ya need me fer?” Applejack questioned me. I looked over at her and saw a sneer etched onto her face, but I ignored her. “I said-“
“I heard what you said, you dumb hick!” That seemed to shut her up, but the sneer turned into a scowl. Then I saw the pink earth pony stir from her unconsciousness.
“Wha-what happened?” She asked as she rubbed her sore head, but then she grimaced and placed her hoof back down. She looked at her chest and whimpered as she saw the numerous bandages around it soaked with blood. What can I say? She was struggling, I was holding the knife, she knocked into it. Her fault, not mine! I approached her and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder.
“You’re going to be OK,” I said quietly.
“Getchyer hoof off of me!” She screamed, slapping my hoof away but then wincing once more and sinking lower onto the ground.
“You’d better mind your manners, earth pony, before I do something less than friendly!” She began to cry, but I just rolled my eyes in disgust and walked away from her. Thunderlane chuckled as I dragged my hoof across my throat in aggravation.
“Y’all leave her alone!” Applejack screamed and then she charged me. She smashed her head into my side, throwing me onto the ground with a loud ‘thud!’ Then she tried to turn around and kick me with her ‘hooves of steel’ as the Ponyville folk always called them, but Thunderlane tackled her to the ground. “Get off ah me!” She struggled as Thunderlane tied her front and rear hooves together with a rough rope. When he was finished, he punched his hoof across her face, making her cry out for only a brief second. I smiled as he returned to my side and stood at attention.
“How DARE you?!” I turned around to see an exhausted, yet determined, Rainbow Dash. “How DARE you hurt her?!”
Lightning Dust didn’t seem to respond to my questions which made me become even more enraged. I wiped sweat from my forehead and advanced towards her which seemed to make her smile.
“Rainbow Dash, good to see you… again,” She chuckled and then trotted over to Applejack. “Your friends have been quite a handful,” She patted Applejack’s head even after she loudly protested.
“Get yer blood-stained, soulless hooves off ah me!” She struggled in her bindings, but still managed to give Lightning Dust a decent kick from her back legs. Lightning Dust stumbled away from her much to my pleasure. Then she gave Applejack a kick of her own. The iron shoes slammed into Applejack’s side, making her gasp, and the impact sent her dangerously close to the edge of the Academy. Then I saw a blood stain not much farther away from where Applejack now laid. A blood stain and a yellow feather.
“No,” I whispered, refusing to believe it. Lightning Dust followed my gaze and laughed triumphantly.
“Yes! That was quite an event, was it not?”
“You killed Spitfire,” I said.
“Yes,”
I shook my head.
“How much more of a monster can you be, you demon?” I questioned.
“Oh, I can do so many more things, Rainbow,” She advanced towards Applejack. “I expected you to not do anything heroic, Rainbow Dash, after I broke your wings. But I was wrong. You just had to start that cute little therapy group for disabled pegasi.”
“How did you know about that?”
“I have my sources,” She glanced over to Thunderlane who smirked. “Oh, Thunderlane, bring out the other prisoner as well,”
“Other prisoner?” I asked as Thunderlane flew off.
“Yes, he’s been quite a hoof-full these past few weeks, but a few chains and a few cracks from the whip did him some good,” Thunderlane returned with a pegasus that I hardly recognized. The scars were all over his body and his mane was in patches of dark blue. Dark blue.
“Soarin’,” I choked. His emerald eyes opened briefly and lit up the second he saw me, but they immediately closed again as Thunderlane dropped him to the ground making his body slam on the concrete. He grimaced in pain and then opened his eyes again.
“R-r-rainbow Dash,” He said with difficulty.
“I’m here, Soarin’,” I tried to approach him, but Thunderlane blocked my path.
“He’s going to watch you fall, Rainbow Dash,” Lightning Dust said.
“I thought you didn’t want to kill me,” I accused.
“I don’t. He’s going to watch your spirit fall,” She got closer to Applejack who was still groaning in pain from the iron horse shoes. My eyes widened as I realized what she was going to do. She placed one hoof on Applejack and scooted her closer to the edge. Applejack whimpered in terror and closed her eyes tightly.
Then Lightning Dust spoke.
“See ya later, partner,” She readied her muscles for the shove, but she never got the chance. I charged her, knocking her over the edge of the Academy. I smashed my hooves as hard as I could into her wings until I felt the bones give way beneath them. She cried out in agony and fell over the edge, trying hard to flap her wings and fly off. With every flap came a flow of blood and every try came a blood-curdling howl. I fell with her, hearing every scream and feeling every drop of blood. I looked down, not being able to see the earth beneath me and then I looked up and saw Applejack.
“RAINBOW!” She called out, reaching her hoof down towards me and trying to catch me. It was too late for that. I continued to fall, not even bothering to try to fly. The wind whipped through my mane and a trail of tears emerged from my eyes. I watched Applejack’s sobs and I heard Soarin’ calling out to me.
“NO! RAINBOW! FLY, RAINBOW, FLY!” I couldn’t. I fell. Applejack became smaller, as did Soarin’s cries. At that instant I knew what loyalty truly meant. It wasn’t just sticking next to your friends, but risking your life for them as well.
My loyalty went until the end of my days, so how far will your loyalty go?
END OF PART 1