After what felt like a single fleeting second, their lips were once again separated, as both of them were unsure of what to say. Rainbow Dash was in a whole other place, trying to think logical to why this just happened.
She… but I am… and she is… was all her mind could manage.
“I…” a little sound came from Twilight, making Dash’s thoughts wash away.
“I didn’t know if you’d let me… kiss you” the word ‘kiss’ seemed like a struggle for her to say.
“But the way you just shared your feelings, made me think… that I shouldn’t hide mine” Twilight still had a clear blush across her face.
“Your feelings?” The blue Pegasus was somewhat able to think straight.
“When did- so that’s why you have been acting so strange?” Rainbow Dash interrupted herself.
The princess shied away embarrassed.
“I just didn’t know if you ever thought of me that way…” A pause appeared, one Dash decided to stay silent for.
“H-have you thought of me… this way?” Twilight questioned, doing her best to look at Rainbow Dash.
“I- I don’t know” she quickly responded, trying to think of an answer.
Have I? I mean… I just tried pushing those thoughts away. Maybe that was wrong?
“It’s just so… surprising,” Dash admitted, making Twilight show mixed emotions.
“Being that you’re a girl and all… I just thought-“
“I know” The purple pony broke in.
“But the time I spend with you,” Twilight said gently as she lifted her hand towards Dash’s face.
“Means so much to me… and if you don’t want it to happen now… or ever” she continued, as she slowly removed Rainbow Dash’s hair from her right eye.
“It’s fine. I just think you should know that I actually do lo-“ Twilight stopped middle sentence, as she noticed a rough bruise on Dash’s cheek.
“Where did you get that?”
Rainbow Dash that had been otherwise frozen most of this conversation, suddenly reacted as her thoughts almost exploded in her brain.
Oh no! I opened the bag! What time is it?!”
The Pegasus suddenly jumped up, startling the purple princess.
I can’t do this to her! What was I thinking?!
“Twi. You have to get out of here!” Rainbow Dash said anxiously.
“What?” was all Twilight could utter, unsure of what had gotten into her.
“D- Do you want me to leave?”
Dash quickly looked at her bag, which had a purple glow coming from the inside.
“No!” she quickly looked back at Twilight.
“Or yes… I can’t explain it right now, but you need to run!”
Twilight got up from her sitting position, looking both mad and confused.
“What are you talking about?!”
Just as Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to respond, a loud screeching noise came from the green shoulder bag as the purple glow rushed high up into the air.
Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight were forced to close their eyes as they got pushed back from the immense explosion-like shockwave.
Dash was the first to open her eyes to see the thing she feared the most. The creature of the silent world. The demon that had been haunting her for months… Banshee.
His twisted eyes that could make any pony feel insane. His floating, torn up body that was as black as night itself. Unable to make out if he even had body parts, as he was just a floating piece of evil, with soul drenching eyes and a blood hungry mouth.
“YOU DIDN’T DO IT!” The creature hysterically screamed.
“YOU FAILED! YOU FAILED YOU FAILED YOU FAILED YOU FAILED!!!” He kept repeating in a crying voice.
This demon was without a doubt completely insane. For reasons Rainbow Dash had come to understand.
“Listen here you freak!” Dash yelled back.
“I will not let you take Twilight, so you can twist her mind! I don’t care if you keep haunting me forever! JUST LEAVE HER THE HELL ALONE!” Dash screamed the last sentence, as she stomped her hoof into the ground, looking furious.
“Such modesty. Such bravery… SUCH FEARLESSNESS!” The demon floated closer towards Rainbow Dash, who was now showing her open nostrils and grinding teeth.
The black demon, who was easily twice as big as Rainbow Dash, crept out an arm from the deep blackness that was his body and moved it close towards her face.
“Too bad I can’t take you up on your offer, as I don’t need you anymore. All I want… is her” he said in a somewhat normal voice, as he pointed to something behind the blue pony.
“Dashie…” a scared voice appeared, making Rainbow Dash turn her head towards the shocked Princess.
“What is going on?” Twilight was clearly in shock, as her whole body trembled.
As soon as Rainbow Dash saw the frightened look on Twilight, her intimidating face vanished.
“I- I couldn’t…” Dash tried to speak, but it only came out as sobbing noises.
“Well Princess” The demon broke in, with a grin on his face.
“Maybe I should explain what is going on”
“No!” Rainbow Dash took a quick step forward, while unwillingly letting her tears drop to the ground. “Twi” she looked back at the purple princess. “Whatever he says, is not true! You need to get out- of here”
Dash’s last words were spoken but not heard, not even by herself.
My voice? He… he silenced my voice.
“DON’T INTERRUPT ME!” The dark demon whined like a small child.
I- I can’t speak. Rainbow Dash’s mouth was moving, but nothing but breath came out.
The demon took a quick look at the blue pony, making sure she would stay silent, before he turned his attention towards Princess Twilight.
“Allooow me to explain” He hummed, as he floated closer towards the stunned princess.
“My name is Banshee. I am the servant of the silent world, a world where everything is spoken but nothing is heard. I have come to this dull world to… how do I put this… to insanify you” the demon looked confused, but excited at the same time. “Is that a word?” he whispered to himself. “THAT’S NOT A WORD!” he suddenly yelled into the open. “NO NO NO!” he cried out as he repeatedly smacked his hand across his face. “To make you go insane,” he said, as he instantly had calmed down. “You see, someone doesn’t like your title of being a princess. SOMEONE thinks you’re doing an awful job. SOMEONE wants to see you… YOU descend into madness” he kept going, while Twilight still stood at the same spot, looking terrified. “But…” she mustered.
In a flash, the demon floated towards the princess, poking her in the neck with one of his sharp fingers. “BUT WHY NOT JUST KILL YOU?! SAVE US ALL THE TROUBLE OF MADNESS, INSANITY, CONFUSION… and betrayal” he ended.
SHUT UP! Dash screamed in her mind, before jumping the demon, getting ready to bite him.
“BETRAYAL, BETRAYAL!” Banshee taunted, just before disappearing into nothing but black mist, making Rainbow Dash fall to the ground, landing inches before Twilight’s hooves. Her adrenaline was put on hold, as she slowly looked up. “Dash… I’m scared,” the purple princess stuttered, looking down onto her friend on the ground. “Help Me,” she whispered anxiously.
Dash’s mouth spoke out silent words, with small tears making their way down face. Her mouth kept moving, but the only sound was made by the afternoon wind passing by.
“That’s right” a low voice was again heard, this time coming from behind Twilight. The purple princess froze as she could feel the demons close presence. “Your dear friend… the friend you LOVE SO MUCH” he yelled into Twilight’s right ear. “Is the reason why all this is happing. Is the reason why you will never feel alive again” he spoke out silently.
Twilight looked down onto Rainbow Dash, who was still sobbing on the ground before her. Her head was shaking and anger was building. “What exactly… is going on!?!” she tried not yell.
She looked straightforward. Into the eyes of the demon, just wanting an explanation. She was still shaking, but whether it was from fear or anger was unclear.
“You seeee” Banshee stretched the word while levitating closer.
“I come from the silent world. A world where everything is spoken, but nothing is heard. As I actually said earlier” The demon, Banshee, was now levitating in front of the purple princess that barely flinched. Dash was still on the ground, by Twilight’s hooves. She knew it was pointless to fight him and the truth had to come out at some point. Furthermore, she needed to replenish her energy.
“I am a servant of a certain… shall we say person? Demon? MASTER OF WORLDS?!”
Banshee continued his explanation. An explanation that sounded more like random ranting.
“This person sent me here, to this pitiful world, in order to bring you to my world. The silent world. We need you to hang around in this place for a while. WE NEED YOU… to go insane”
Banshee did a quick twirl, before grapping his head with his hands.
“You may be wondering…” he whimpered.
“Can you go insane, by not being able to hear anything? Good question!”
Now he is talking to himself…
Rainbow Dash growled silently.
“It is a slow process,” Banshee continued.
“But when the panic finally hits you. The claustrophobia. The fear… when all that comes crashing into your mind… you won’t even be able to hear your own screams”
Twilight tensed tightly, which made her shake even more. His words were truly terrifying.
“It may take you a couple of years for you to truly lose your mind, but there is no rush. 10 years, 100 years, all the same” The black demon turned around, facing- what appeared to be his back, towards the princess.
“That is the general plan. Now to how I even ended up here…”
No.
Rainbow Dash hit her right front hoof into the ground, to get her adrenaline pumping, just before she jumped up from her position, facing Twilight. They were mere inches from each other’s faces, as Twilight could feel Dash’s cold breath gently spreading across her face.
Don’t listen to him. Get out of here.
Rainbow Dash worded slowly, in hope that Twilight could read her lips. The purple pony’s eyes were twitching and her mouth was trembling. The wind was picking up. The cold air surrounded them both with a chill that went down Dash’s spine… but another chill quickly filled her body. A chill that send her heart in panic mode. A chill… created by hearing Twilight ’s quite words…
“Did you plan this?”