"Search the area. There may be more of them!"
Black Flare's army was passing through the safe zone of the human ponies, until a lone one stumbled out of the woods. She was almost immediately slaughtered by Alphion's shadows and the area was now being patrolled. Rainbow Dash knew they would check the hollows eventually. But when? How much time did the even have to plan an escape? Was it even possible to escape? And if they did, would she have to leave the bodies of her friends behind?
Blitz was still sobbing in the corner of the hollow, her mouth was being covered by Anne. If not Blitz's sobs would have been loud enough to alert Alphion's minions.
"Blitz!" Rainbow Dash said quietly but angrily.
The hysterical Pegasus looked up, surprised at her friends tone.
"I'm trying to think right now and your crying isn't helping! If you don't shut up you're going to get us all killed!"
Blitz's crying stopped and the hollow became dead silent. Rainbow Dash had never spoken to her in such an angry tone. Anne removed her hoof from Blitz's mouth. The red maned Pegasus slowly nodded her head.
Suddenly, a sharp scream of pain came from outside the hollow. Rainbow Dash jumped up in surprise and banged her head on the wooden ceiling. She let out a small screech of pain. Everything then turned silent. The sounds from outside were gone, complete, udder, dead silence.
"No... no.. this is it. I screwed up, we're all going to die right here, because of me." Rainbow Dash thought to herself.
Rainbow Dash needed a plan, and she needed a plan now. She had to get her and her friends out of here. She raised her right hoof and motioned Blitz to stand on the right side of the doorway. She motioned Anne to stand on the left side. Both of them looked confused, but they were confident that Rainbow Dash had a plan.
The hollow became dark and something began to enter. Likely one of Black Flare's minions. Hopefully it was just one, if it wasn't they were done for. Sure enough, one of Alphion's shadows stepped into the dim light of the hollow.
Rainbow Dash rose up into the air, and like a bullet, fired herself at the shadow. The shadow flew back out of the hollow, dazed by the impact.
"NOW! Blitz, grab Anne!"
Since Anne wasn't a Pegasus she wouldn't be able to fly away. Blitz and Rainbow Dash picked her up and dashed off, flying faster then they could have ever hoped to.
Back at the clearing Black Flare stared at the horizon as the 3 ponies flew away. He began to laugh menacingly.
"Black Flare. Do we give chase to the Pegasi and the human pony."
"No. They'll be back."
Far away from the clearing Rainbow Dash and Blitz landed, setting Anne down as well. Blitz was exhausted, she wasn't used to flying fast, or carrying another pony.
"Blitz, go now. Take Anne and run, I have to go back and see how many other human ponies I can get out of there."
"Rainbow Dash, you can't. There's too many of them, you'll die. We barely made it out of there."
For a moment the trio just stood in silence looking at each other. Rainbow Dash didn't speak, but the look in her eyes told Blitz that she was going back, and that nothing would change that.
"Good luck..." Blitz said softly.
"Don't worry about me, just stay focused on getting away from here, I'll meet with you later."
The cyan Pegasus dashed of, back into the clearing.
Black Flare slowly walked through the clearing, firing a dark beam at any human pony who escaped the grasp of the shadows. Their bodies covered the floor and blood stained the cold hard ground. He turned around and looked straight ahead at the sky. He began to smile and let out a small hiss.
Rainbow Dash was flying back towards them.
"So, she came alone. That I did not expect. Oh well, this will be fun."
Rainbow Dash hovered high directly above the clearing.
"Here we go!"
She plunged directly at the ground, picking up massive speed.
"What is she doing?"
Suddenly, as she nearly reached the ground, a huge rainbow pulse shot out from her body, striking all of Black Flare's minions in the vicinity. They all retreated back into Alphion's Nightmare, phased by the blast. Black Flare however stood string, he wasn't even dazed by the pulse. It was as if a small breeze had hit him.
The remaining human ponies stopped and stared at Rainbow Dash.
"Go now!"
The cyan Pegasus pointed her hoof in the direction she had taken Blitz and Anne.
"Nah uh uh. I don't think so."
The deranged alicorn's horn began to glow, and all of the human ponies were brought back next to him.
"How about we play a little game Rainbow Dash?"
The cyan Pegasus didn't speak. She stood there with her, front hooves bent forward, her teeth clenched and her eyes were completely fixated on Black Flare.
"All of these, helpless, innocent, worthless human ponies can go, and survive for maybe an extra day. Or you can watch me slaughter them all and you can go free. Make your choice."
Black Flare slowly backed up, giving Rainbow Dash and evil smile. The cyan Pegasus thought long and hard, was it worth it to save them?
"Think Rainbow Dash. They're all going to die anyway, you don't know any of them. You on the other hand are useful, strong, you serve a purpose."
Thoughts raced through Rainbow Dash's mind. Blitz and Anne needed her, but then... the only surviving human ponies would be killed. They didn't do anything wrong, this wasn't their fault, why should they suffer? But they couldn't stop this, the only one who had a chance was Rainbow Dash. She jammed her hooves over her ears, She began to get a bad headache.
"Time's running out, here this will make you think faster."
Black Flare turned toe the remaining 12 human ponies. His horn began to glow and he raised one up into the air. The human pony grabbed it's throat, Black Flare was choking it. The human pony began to squirm and began to make horrible bloodcurdling sounds. The dark alicorn dropped the human pony to the floor. He didn't even kill it, he was going to leave it there to die slowly, and painfully.
The cyan Pegasus still didn't move. She had taken her eyes off Black Flare and was now staring at the body of the paralyzed human pony. Blood slowly flowed out of his mouth, staining the cold dark ground. He occasionally began to shiver vigorously for a second or two, but it would he would soon settle down again. She took a step towards him.
"No no no."
Black Flare shook his head and raised up yet another human pony. This one, a filly. As a human she must have just been a little girl.
"No! Wait."
The dark alicorn picked up his head and lowered the little human filly.
"Have you made a decision?"
Rainbow Dash looked at the nearly lifeless body of the human pony. Then at the little human filly, she began to remember herself as a filly. She was so bold, so stubborn, and still so brave. She stood up for Fluttershy against those 3 bullies, and she beat them all in the race. She always did what had to be done, she always did the right thing. But what was the right thing to do here?
The dark alicorn's horn began to glow again, and the little human filly was yet again raised into the air.
"No." Rainbow Dash thought to herself. She knew what she was going to do, it was risky, but it had to be done.
She flapped her wings once hard and shot up into the air, she charged with all her might at Black Flare. The dark alicorn wasn't paying attention to her, as he looked in front of him, all he saw was Rainbow Dash, and then the cold gray ground.
When she struck Black Flare he went flying backwards and landed face first on the hard time frozen ground. He slowly stood up, his magic powers were great, but physically, he was a wreck. The damages from Alphion's strike couldn't be undone, he was weak.
Rainbow Dash let out a weak smile. There was still hope, a few more hard hits and she could cripple him.
"You guys, go!"
The rest of the human ponies ran off in the direction Blitz had gone. Black Flare hissed at Rainbow Dash.
"Foolish Pegasus, feel my real power! May the aura of death surround you!"
A dark pulse shot out of Black Flare, Rainbow Dash began to fly in the opposite direction but it was useless, it was too fast. She became enveloped by the pulse, and disappeared within it's darkness. The darkness faded and Black Flare looked down at the floor. Rainbow Dash was being held to the ground by four shadows, whose arms extended out of the ground and held her legs down. Two more then shot up out of the ground and held on tightly to her wings.
"That was a stupid move of you Rainbow Dash. By not obeying the rules of our game, I'm afraid there will be consequences."
The cyan Pegasus stopped resisting the shadow's hold. She raised her head and looked into Black Flare's soulless eyes.
"You stay away from them, or I swear I'll get you."
She spoke quietly and softly. Rainbow Dash was exhausted, the shadows were draining her energy, until she eventually collapsed to the ground, incapable of resisting. She closed her eyes and drifted off.
The cyan Pegasus awoke. The shadows still held a tight grip on her, and there, standing in front of her was Black Flare. Next to him, were the rest of the human ponies.
"Look who I found. Poor things were trying to escape. But that's against the rules."
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, but no words escaped. She couldn't speak.
"Now Rainbow Dash, since you broke a rule, there will be consequences."
Rainbow Dash thought Black Flare would do what he did to the other human pony, choke it and then leave it to die. But instead, he did something different. He fired a small beam at the shadows grasping onto Rainbow Dash. They released their grip, and let the Pegasus go.
Black Flare's horn began to glow once again, and a small white pulse emanated from it. As they struck Rainbow Dash's head she felt herself moving forward. She tried to make her legs stop but she couldn't. Black Flare was controlling her. She was his puppet. She looked again at the human filly, what was this monster going to make her do. She flinched at the thought of it.
"No. I can't do this." She thought to herself.
The cyan Pegasus began to hear a voice in her head. Alphion's voice...
"Yes, yes you will. Don't fight it, it's over Rainbow Dash. Give in, this world is mine now."