“Alright Wondercolts,” said Rainbow Dash, giving her shirt a shake to dislodge the countless flies that had landed on her back in the moment that she’d been still, “That’s all for today. A few more practices like that and we’re definitely going to take the championship this year! Cloud Chaser, you mind taking the equipment back to the storage shed and locking up? You know where to return the key.”
“Sure thing, Rainbow,” called Cloud Chaser, heading off to a shed near the soccer field, hauling an equipment bag behind her. As she did so, Rainbow pulled her own soccer ball from her bag, and began to dribble it up and down the field, before stopping at the mid-field line. She hadn’t gotten a chance to practice her long kicks this session, and if she could score the occasional goal from the mid-field line, that would be another advantage.
“Stupid flies,” grumbled Rainbow, waving her hand over her face. It wasn’t even that far into summer, and already she was getting swarmed with flies. She reminded herself to ask Applejack if there was a season or something for flies once she was done.
Two kicks later, and Rainbow had given up. She could barely hear herself think with all the stupid flies buzzing around her head. In frustration, she slapped her hand against her cheek, hoping to catch one.
“Ow!” That had not felt like a fly. Flies didn’t cause stabs of pain when Rainbow normally slapped them. Pulling her hand off her cheek, Rainbow looked down to see, instead of the usual specks of red and black, what looked like tiny peices of metal.
“What the heck?” muttered Rainbow Dash. As she was inspecting the tiny metal bug, the buzzing of the flies intensified, and another girl walked onto the soccer field, and headed for Rainbow.
“Oh hey,” called Rainbow, looking up from her hand, “You know what’s up with all these flies? They’re made out of metal and weird stuff, too.”
“You will be useful,” said the girl, who looked like she had pitch-black skin. Green hair draped over her face.
“Uh, what?” asked Rainbow, taking a step back.
“Drones report that you possess above-average to exceptional physical capabilities. You will be assimilated into the Swarm,” said the girl, taking another step forward, and reaching up and parting her hair with her hand. Solid green eyes glared out at Rainbow, and the buzzing intensified, though Rainbow found that she didn’t mind it so much. It was almost comforting, somehow.
“Surrender to the Swarm,” said the girl, and Rainbow noticed that the girls’ skin was crawling with more of the strange metal flies, though they didn’t seem that weird anymore. Almost pretty, in a weird way.
‘I should just give in,’ thought Rainbow, before shaking her head, and realising what was happening.
“Screw you!” yelled Rainbow, bolting for the main doors of the school. If she could just get inside, find the others, maybe they could defeat this weird bug-robot girl.
*****
“You will all surrender to the Swarm,” stated the girl who was controlling the robot bugs from the other side of the door.
“Like heck we will!” grumbled Applejack, as she and Rainbow Dash shoved another table against the cafeteria door, “y’can take your swarm thing elsewhere, you hear?”
“The Swarm will control you eventually. The Swarm will control all.”
“Sunset, I really hope you’re writing to Princess Twilight as fast as you can,” said Rainbow Dash.
“No,” said Sunset Shimmer, snapping the book shut, “but I do have an idea. It may not work, so if we all end up in this swarm thing, I apologise in advance.”
“Well gee, thanks,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Just open the doors when I say,” said Sunset Shimmer, her face locking into a mask of concentration.
“Okay, I don’t like where this is going,” said Applejack, “but if you reckon you can get rid of this thing...”
“Now!” yelled Sunset Shimmer, and Applejack and Rainbow yanked open the doors. A blast of flame licked past them and filled the hallway. The sound of a thousand metal bugs melting and popping apart almost overshadowed the roar of the fire.
“Since when could Sunset Shimmer make fire out of nothing?” asked Applejack.
“Don’t question it, AJ. It’s freaking awesome, and it’s working,” said Rainbow Dash.
Eventually, the flames petered out, and all that was left was a girl about their age coughing and weezing on the floor.
“It’s so quiet now. The swarm’s gone,” she whispered, before she collapsed, her green hair pooling around her head, and her dark skin clearly visible through her ragged clothes.
“Well, she’s alive,” said Applejack as she bent down, and placed two fingers on the girl’s neck, “probably just needs some rest in a hospital for a while. Now, since when could you summon fire, Sunset?”