//------------------------------// // Midnight flight. // Story: Intangible // by DtdFIMBrony //------------------------------// Shortly after receiving the letter, Spike looked out the window, curious as to when the Princess of the Night was going to arrive. Rainbow Dash was however pacing around the room, still, obviously nervous. "Rainbow, you don't have to pace nervously like that, it is very distracting." Spike told her, to which he got a piercing glare returned, one that was much more intimidating than Twilight's glares. "I'll have you know that I am not 'nervous' or anything of the sort, I am simply, well, eager to talk to Twilight about this." Rainbow started, then realizing that Twilight has been gone for quite a while asked, "Where is she anyway?" "Oh, she went to the Everfree forest to talk to Zecora, also she was going to talk to Fluttershy about something, but she did not know what it was about." Said Spike, rummaging through the books that Rainbow Dash kept knocking over. "Maybe you should go check on her, it was the Everfree after all." "yea, your right, I should check on her." Dash said, flying out the door. She had an unnerving feeling that something was happening that she didn't want to happen. Dash was flying around for what seemed to be hours, but she didn't see anypony in sight, except Fluttershy of course, who in which was headed to town. It looked like she was going shopping, though Dash did not think she would be able to get anything from all the ponies that were not out. Continuing to look for Twilight, Dash remembered that she was headed to Zecora's so she went to the edge of the forest, gulped, and went in. She was looking around a bit for her, but got kinda lost. About 45 minutes passed before she heard a growl and a bunch of crashing sounds. She jumped up above the tree line, where she was surprised had no thick branches like most of the other canopy. Relieved that she could fly now, she looked in the direction of the crashing she had heard, and what she saw was two HUGE Timberwolves chasing a pony. Taking a closer look, she saw it was Derpy. Gulping, Dash did a swift dive, crashing into one of the Timberwolves, causing it to shatter into little bits. The second however ignored dash, and continued running after Derpy. Dash started to follow but stumbled over moving branch debris of the Timberwolf, obviously reconstructing, so Dash had to keep it down as long as she could. She however had no clue how Derpy was going to handle the other one, but at that, she did not know how 2 huge Timberwolves even got after her. By the time the Timberwolf gave up, it was late at night, Dash was exhausted, and wanted to just go home. She flew away, a bit slower than normally but it felt good to her. She was slightly scanning the ground, when she caught site of Fluttershy and Twilight sitting in a field, this sight caused Dash to feel a jealous twinge run through her, and without hesitation she turned and flew off. She was unsure where she was going, but she was going somewhere to calm down, maybe that waterfall on the outskirts of Canterlot? It was sometime after midnight so she knew she couldn't go too far. She didn't care though, she just wanted to fly, as long and as fast as she could. Taking off as fast as she could, she felt something twinging even stronger. Dash tried to ignore it, but it seemed odd. Nevertheless, she continued to fly until she could see the waterfall, at that point she started to soar through the air rather than actually flying, more like letting the air carry her from on her wings. She landed on a ledge about halfway up the falls, looking out, she saw some of the Everfree forest, but she also saw a greener forest, one she never explored, it surrounded the falls and the mountain to which Canterlot was latched to. Examining it from above, she could see a river running through it, slowly rippling with the soft flow of the wind. Dash stood, closed her eyes, and stepped up to the edge of the ledge, feeling the misty air flowing through her mane, she turned her back to the forest, and with a powerful jump, she flung herself over the edge, head down, just feeling the air flowing through her, almost seeming like it was opening up everything about her, letting her fears and sorrow flow out like a flood gate being opened. She waited a few more seconds, waiting as her heart pounded faster with invigoration, joy, happiness, peace. When she felt her heart skip a beat, she thrust her hooves out in front of her, arced her wings in a v shape and felt the water rush around her as she glided through the pond that the waterfall melded into, then with a full stop under the water, dash opened her eyes, holding her breath, and, observing as her own thoughts seemed to project themselves within the water. Finding her worst fear within those thoughts, she urged her mind to overcome it, then, almost as fast as she entered the water, it seemed like it all disappeared, and she was standing before a large marble gate. The pillars that were beyond the gate looked to be made of light themselves. Dash saw an image within the lights, it was her, being controlled, well more manipulated, and by none other than the Prince of Terror himself. Then behind her, she felt a hoof placed on her shoulder blade, looking back, she saw Luna, standing within a massive shadow, in which seemed to be resonating from Dash herself. "You are under my protection, you have no need to fear." Luna said to Dash, to which sent dash back to her consciousness in her own body. She swam back to the surface, and flew back to her cloud home. She felt renewed, but she was still tired, so when she landed she decided she was going to just sleep. Dash had no idea what to expect, but she knew that she could not just ignore it either, falling asleep, she had a pleasant dream, the last she will have for a while.