The Blank Flank Adventurer

by Sapare

Reunion

Reunion
The Blank Flank Adventurer
Part 5

Dream Feather awoke, feeling almost as tired as he had before he slept. Sleep was no longer the comfort it was meant to be. His nightmares had changed it into a form of torture. The weary pegasus could barely remember the contents of his dreams, but the terror they contained clung to him tightly.

He shook himself to clear his mind. He had no time to ponder dreams, not when the real world was no better than his nightmares. Dream Feather was lying on the cold, hard ground of the Everfree Forest, the most dangerous place in all of Equestria. A quick scan of his surroundings revealed that Rainbow Dash was exactly where she had been the night before, much to his relief.

It looks like she is still asleep. With everything that she has gone through, she probably needs every second of rest she can get. I wish there was something more I could do to help her. I should check on her wings, but I don't want to wake her up...

Dream Feather had a habit of holding small internal debates; it helped him think and was a decent way to pass the time. He considered a variety of topics, focusing mostly on how they were going to escape the forest and what they were going to do once they did. He did not manage to come to any real decisions before his thoughts were interrupted by a ray of light. The forest was getting brighter and thin beams of radiance were shining through the thick canopy above. The sun was rising.

I hope the others are all okay... I do not believe that their story was all made up. But even if they did lie to me, their fear of this forest seemed very real. So they probably stuck to their plan and left the forest when the sun set. And now it is sunrise, I'm half a day late already. But.. if Twilight and Fluttershy were scattered by that teleportation spell too-

"Are these splints? When did you make these?" Rainbow Dash's voice came from beside him. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

Dream Feather was so startled that he couldn't fully process her words at first. He had been completely lost in his thoughts and hadn't even noticed that the cyan pegasus was awake.

He took a breath to calm his nerves before answering,"I made them after I finished..."

Dream Feather words trailed off as he was struck by a vivid recollection of breaking Rainbow Dash's wings. He knew that it was the right thing to do. That what he had done was meant to help, not harm. But that didn't stall the nausea he felt, the disgust at his own actions. The mare was staring at him now, confusion evident on her features. He wondered if she could even understand the strange conflicting emotions that held sway over his thoughts.

"After I finished fixing your wings. If your wings are going to mend correctly, then the splints will be necessary to hold them in place. I made them out of some sticks and plants, so they are not very durable. It would be for the best if you could try to move your wings as little as possible, at least until a real doctor can examine them." He gave a weak smile, glad to be of some help, but knowing that his assistance had been shoddy at best. Rainbow Dash seemed pleased by his explanation and smiled back at him.

After a short silence, she turned to stare up at the sunlight streaming through the trees. "Well, now that my wings are as good as they're gonna get, what should we do next? We probably need to get out of this forest, but I'm sure that those 'Elements' are waiting for me... you said you don't know how much you trust them?"

Her tone was cautious, but it seemed that all of her distrust was directed towards the other mares, not Dream Feather. Dream Feather felt both honored and awkward, she was trusting him more than the ponies that were supposedly her best friends.

I would hate to lead her into a trap, but I don't know what other options we have. We need to get a doctor to take a look at her wings. And... I have no reason to distrust the Elements. At the very least, they are more trustworthy than the pony that 'helped' Rainbow Dash.

"I don't think we have much of a choice to be honest, we can't just stay in the Everfree forever. But no matter what, I am on your side and I won't let anypony harm you." the stallion stated confidently, but felt incredibly silly as soon as the words left his mouth. Was there really anything he could do to protect Rainbow Dash?

"Hey! I can take care of myself no problem! You'll probably end up needing me to protect you!" Her reply was immediate and indignant, but her irritation vanished as she continued, "But you're right, we can't just sit here all day. We'll have to take our chances!"

The cyan mare smiled at him and started trotting in a seemingly random direction. Dream Feather was confused. Did she think that he was implying she was so weak she needed help? And if she was so upset by his words, why was she smiling like nothing was wrong?

"Are you coming? I'm not going to carry you." Her playful tone didn't help clear up his confusion at all.

The dumbfounded stallion moved to follow after her, with mounting uncertainty. It seemed to Dream Feather that she had chosen their path on a whim, but she was so certain about it. Though he continued to tag along behind her, he couldn't help pondering the reason for her confidence. After a short but painful internal debate, he reached a conclusion that seemed to fit.

"You used the direction of the sun to determine which way we need to go? But we have no idea where in the forest we are! Why are you so self-assured when you're basically just guessing?"

"Guessing? Me? No way! I can find my way anywhere! I'm a weather pegasus, you know? This kind of thing is a piece of cake!" Rainbow Dash was frowning again. It seemed that his doubt had brought back her bad mood.

Alright, she does not like to be questioned at all. In hindsight, I should have guessed as much. I was being more than a little bit rude...

Dream Feather hung his head and followed the mare quietly. He did not dare to talk, afraid that he might accidently say something insulting again. He did his best to get lost in his thoughts, but the silence was tense and unnerving.

"I wasn't actually angry, you know? And I never said you had to stop talking. It's kinda boring walking like this, it'd be so much more exciting if I could use my wings. And we'd get there about one hundred times faster too!" Rainbow Dash struck a pose as she boasted of her speed. It was enough to cut through the tension, forcing a chuckle out of Dream Feather.

So I was misunderstanding her then? I need to remember not to take everything she says so seriously.

Keeping that thought in mind, he started talking again. They discussed all manner of subjects and even spent some time telling each other stories. The amicable discussion kept them so preoccupied that neither of them noticed how easily they were able to traverse the forest. Not a single disturbance or obstacle impeded their path through the most dangerous place in Equestria.

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"And that, is what ponies call a Sonic Rainboom."

Their trip had remained uneventful, but Dream Feather was too amazed by the confident mare's story to think twice about it. He couldn't believe that he had never heard anypony talk about the Sonic Rainboom, aside from Rainbow Dash herself. He hoped that he would get a chance to witness such a spectacular event.

"Alright, we're pretty close to the edge of the forest now. Right around Ponyville I think. What do you think we should do? Just walk out there and deal with them directly?" While the cyan pegasus still seemed confident, he could detect an undertone of dread in her quesitons.

Dream Feather didn't respond immediately. As soon as Rainbow Dash had fallen silent, he had noticed something strange. Their surroundings were entirely too quiet, but pondering the unnatural stillness and peace of their journey would have to wait. In the hush of the forest, he could just barely make out the sound of something moving. Rainbow Dash was shooting him an inquisitive look, but he simply held up a hoof in an attempt to signal for quiet.

It's getting louder, which means it's getting closer. Whatever it is, it isn't that big, no bigger than a pony. I can't tell if...

"Twilight, do you really think he was lying to us all along? He seemed like a nice pony, not mean at all..."

All of Dream Feather's guess work became pointless when he heard what was clearly Fluttershy's ever so soft voice. He was about to greet them when Rainbow Dash suddenly grabbed his tail and pulled him away from the approaching ponies. Dream Feather winced as a branch smacked into his side. Being pulled through the dense forest by a frantic pony wasn't exactly pleasant.

What is she doing? If she's trying to run from Twilight and the others, it's not going to work. We are making way too much noise. There's no way they won't notice us.

Once the mare had stopped dragging him through the forest, he collected himself and asked the questions that were bothering him: "What was that all about? I thought we are going to talk to them?"

As he spoke he examined the pegasus in front of him and quickly realized that he would be receiving no answer. Rainbow Dash was a bundle of nerves. She was backed up next to a tree, pressing herself against it as if it would protect her. Her eyes were wide and constantly darted around, searching for some unseen threat. She seemed frozen in her terror, but the shaking, tense energy that radiated from her suggested that she might start running again at any moment.

This... this is abhorrent! That pony did even more damage to her mind than he did to her wings! If I ever meet this despicable monster...

For just a moment, his anger had overwhelmed him and thoughts of violence had filled his mind. Thankfully, he snapped out of his musings when he heard the sound of somepony approaching. He did his best to prepare for the imminent confrontation. As he turned towards the sounds, he saw Twilight Sparkle gallop into the clearing, followed shortly after by Fluttershy. The unicorn mare looked furious and her horn was already glowing, in preparation to unleash her magic. Dream Feather wondered how all of this must look through her eyes, here was Rainbow Dash cowering against a tree with him standing nearby. Right after they had run away from the Elements and only a day after he had disappeared.

"Twilight... I found Rainbow Dash! I..." He struggled to find the words to convince them that it wasn't what it looked like, but Twilight's glare silenced him before he could make any progress.

Fluttershy ignored him and rushed over to the injured mare. Rainbow Dash flinched away from the gentle pegasus and collapsed to the ground, seemingly going catatonic. At that moment, a bright light flared out from the lavender pony's horn. The sudden flash took Dream Feather by surprise and left him seeing spots.

"Have you really? What convenient timing! But I have to wonder, were you trying to bring her to us? Or force her away from us? You were running away, if I'm not mistaken. And you somehow vanished during my teleportation spell the other day." The unicorn's voice was filled with ire and sarcasm. She seemed ready to continue lashing out with accusations and questions, but she stopped as two more ponies came rushing through the forest. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had arrived. Applejack was looking worse for the wear, bandages covered her side and she seemed to be in intense pain.

So, she was attacked and that's what triggered the signal? But what attacked her? Some kind of monster? Wait... how come I haven't seen a single creature the entire time I've been in the Everfree? Rainbow Dash and I made so much noise earlier...

While he pondered the oddity, the other ponies moved over to the prone pegasus, but Twilight hadn't budged an inch. Her fierce stare pierced his thoughts and left him with no words. Now the other ponies were staring at him too, demanding answers.

The silence was broken by an oddly somber Pinkie. "I think we should get Dashie back to Ponyville quickly. She doesn't seem alright at all."

The other ponies seemed to agree completely. It was then that Dream Feather noticed that he couldn't move any more. The glow of Twilight's magic surrounded his form, rendering him immobile.

"We'll have to take Dream Feather too. We can't give him a chance to escape again. Who knows what he might try next? Applejack and I will keep our eyes on him." The words of the unicorn struck the bound stallion hard. He had lost any good will or trust that these ponies felt towards him and there was nothing he could do about it. At this point, being imprisond in Ponyville was probably the best result he could hope for.

Dream Feather never got a chance to show his willingness to submit to custody, as at that moment the forest erupted into a flurry of noise and movement. Before anypony could react a large creature jumped past the immobile stallion, heading straight towards Twilight. She reacted swiftly, dropping the magic which held Dream Feather in place and using it to hold off the aggressive beast instead. As the newly freed pegasus stumbled to his hooves, he quickly identified the attacker.

The body of a lion, tail of a scorpion, bat-like wings... a manticore!? And it just leapt right past me! If it's hungry or just territorial, then why did it ignore me? Why is...

His thoughts trailed off as a horde of monsters burst out from the surrounding forest. Instinctively, he threw himself to the ground, trying to get as far out of their way as he could. But to his surprise these beasts took no notice of him, charging around him towards the other ponies. While they did not seem to bear any aggression for Dream Feather, he was still in danger of being trampled. He struggled to take to the sky, but his wings refused to open. It seemed that fear and shock had frozen them in place.

The frantic stallion was forced to roll to the side as a large serpentine form tumbled backwards, almost crushing him. The creature looked similar to a dragon, but Dream Feather thought it more closely resembled a drake. He couldn't just sit there and examine it though, he had to get to somewhere safe. Running through the chaotic conflict was so confusing that he accidently collided with one of the creatures. It was only his quick identification of the monster as a cockatrice that saved him from being turned to stone. With his gaze directed towards the ground in front of him, he tried to keep moving, hoping that the cockatrice would ignore him like all the other attackers had.

After what felt like an eternity, he dared to take a few glances at his surroundings. Seeing no signs of a reptilian body with a chicken head, the pegasus lifted his head and looked around. He was surprised to find himself outside of the battlefield. He couldn't tell if it was his own efforts that had brought him to safety or if the combat had simply moved past him on it's own. Dream Feather took a deep breath, allowing himself a moment to calm down after the harrowing experience.

Feeling much less panicked than before, he attempted to spread his wings and was pleased by their prompt compliance. Dream Feather took flight, knowing that it would be easier to stay out of the way and see what was happening from the air. The full weight of the event came to him, as he stared at the multitude of creatures that were assailing the five mares. The supposed Elements were doing their best to fend off the onslaught, but he could see that things were not going well. He wanted to help them, but there was a certain pony that he was even more worried about.

Even as he focused on searching the battle for Rainbow Dash, he could not stop himself from gaping when he saw Fluttershy staring directly at a cockatrice. He had no time to wonder what she was thinking and quickly averted his gaze. He didn't want to watch as she was turned into stone. But looking at another section of the melee did not make him feel any better, as he quickly spotted Applejack fighting for her life against what appeared to be an unusually vicious two-headed dog.

For a moment, he put aside his search for Rainbow Dash and thought about trying to help hold off the monsters. But Dream Feather had no idea what he should do to assist the besieged ponies. He didn't even know if there was anything he could do. He was no fighter, but he could try to distract some of the creatures. Although, they seemed to be ignoring him completely. And even if he got their attention, he'd probably just end up getting eaten or turned into stone. While he was debating with himself, he caught a glimpse of a rainbow colored mane. Without even thinking about it, he landed next to the shaken pegasus and started pulling her to her hooves.

She seems a lot more responsive than just a few moments ago. The fighting must be breaking through her fear. I have to make sure nothing harms her. We should run now, but.. can we really just leave them to deal with this?

"Twilight, can`t ya teleport us out of here? All of us, right now!" Applejack's thick accent rang out over the cacophony of the battle.

Dream Feather peered into the chaotic mess, searching for Twilight. She was easy to spot, her magic was still fending off the manticore, but she was also struggling to deal with the drake that had nearly crushed him. The stallion was amazed by her power and skill, but holding off two of the largest and most dangerous creatures simultaneously must have been taking all of her concentration.

If I could somehow distract one of those monsters, then Twilight might have enough time to pull off her teleportation spell. But I can't leave Rainbow Dash unprotected! Besides, those things would rip me apart... and even if the spell worked, I already know that it can be tampered with...

His internal debate was interrupted when Rainbow Dash suddenly growled angrily from beside him. She looked ready to charge into the fray, but Dream Feather knew that she was in no condition to be fighting. He jumped in front of her, pushing her back gently with his hoof.

"Dash! Dash listen, I don't know what you're planning to do, but I can tell you right now that it would be suicide. Remember your wings! You're too badly injured to be getting involved in something this dangerous." His words seemed to get through to her, but Dream Feather could tell that she wouldn't be willing to just sit there and watch for very long. He had made his decision, even if he hated himself for it.

"Come on Dash, we're getting out of here. If they truly are the Elements then they can take care of themselves. There's not much we can do for them anyway." He tried to sound confident about his reasoning, but he couldn't dismiss his own doubts. He ran off into the forest without waiting for a reply, leaving Rainbow Dash to make her own decision.

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Dream Feather came to a stop in a small clearing. He was too tired to go further and the sounds of violence had already faded into the distance. He sprawled out on the ground panting.

How can it be so quiet here?After what we just left behind, this silence is almost surreal. Did the fighting end already? If they really are the El-

Just then Rainbow Dash burst through the underbrush, walking up beside him. She wasn't even breathing hard from the run, but she seemed very agitated. Her frustration didn't surprise him, she didn't seem like the type that would be okay with running from a fight.

"I am really sorry... it's just... staying there would have been pointless. Even if you weren't as badly hurt as you are, we still wouldn't know if we should be helping them in the first place. I mean... I don't want to see them get hurt, but well... " He couldn't seem to communicate his thoughts. His mind was a disorientating storm of feelings.

To his surprise, Rainbow Dash nodded and flashed an understanding smile.

She understood that? Huh... but what should we do now?

This time she had the answer to his question before he even asked it.

"We'd better get out of here quickly, it's not safe at all. We should go to Ponyville." Her voice was strange, she sounded shaken and uncertain. Dream Feather got the feeling that she was holding something back. Still, he had to agree that Ponyville seemed like their best bet.

Maybe she is just trying to hide how shaken up she is. I know that my mind is a total mess right now and even though she is much stronger than me... some feelings cannot be controlled. I just want to get out of here.

"Alright, you should probably lead the way though, being the weatherpony and all." he said, attempting to cheer her up with a little humor.

Rainbow Dash simply nodded, not even acknowledging his failed joke. She glanced up at the sunlight for a moment and then started walking.

Where are we now anyway? We almost made it to Ponyville, but then Dash panicked and dragged me back into the forest. And then we ran from those monsters... it can´t be a coincidence that they all attacked at that moment. All of those different beasts working together? Obviously they were being controlled somehow... but why didn't they attack Rainbow Dash and me?

The forest was completely quiet as they trotted along. Dream Feather struggled with his thoughts, especially his decision to leave the other ponies behind. He knew that he didn't really owe them anything, but that didn't mean he wanted something bad to happen to them.

I hope Twilight managed to get them all out of there...

"I bet you're wondering if you did the right thing back there." Her word choice was as blunt as always, but Dream Feather had to admit that she was more insightful than he expected. Not that he was trying to hide his feelings or anything.

"Yes, even though I know this was for the best... what if I made the wrong choice? We left them behind because of my-"

The mare suddenly thrust her hoof in front of his face, signaling him to be quiet. She flashed another smile and began walking again as she spoke, "You're way overthinking this! You can't be blamed for everything that goes wrong. I didn't leave that fight because you forced me to, I chose to leave. "

She is just trying to comfort me, but she's obviously lying. She would have charged right in if I hadn't stopped her.

He gave a fake smile, but he couldn't stop himself from pointing out the falsehood. "If you left because you thought that it was the right thing to do, then why were you so ready to join that fight moments before?"

The cyan pegasus didn't say anything for a minute and Dream Feather wondered if he had struck a nerve. When she finally answered his question, it was with none of the anger that he had been expecting.

"I wasn't myself back there. I don't know what happened, but from the moment we heard those ponies talking I couldn't really control myself... and when those monsters came out of nowhere, I felt like I had to protect them. Like I was supposed to fight by their sides until the very end..." Rainbow Dash trailed off when she saw that the stallion had stopped moving.

I never told her that she was the Element of Loyalty! She doesn't know... but that means that she...

Dream Feather burst into motion, spinning around to face the direction they had come from. Back to the place where the ponies that held the Elements of Harmony might still be fighting for their lives.

"You know, you have a really bad habit of ignoring ponies when you're thinking. What is it?" He barely heard Rainbow Dash's question as his blood pounded in his ears.

Dream Feather briefly debated between taking the time to explain what he had realized and just running as fast as he could and hoping that she would follow. He decided to do both. He knew that Rainbow Dash could easily keep up with any pace he set.

"Come with me, I'll tell you while we run!" And with that he took off. Once the confused mare had caught up to him, he began explaining. "This might sound really strange, but after what you just said I'm certain that those ponies were actually the Elements of Harmony."

He paused for a second to take a few deep breaths. He wasn't well suited to the large amounts of physical exertion that had filled these last few days.

"They told me that you are the Element of Loyalty. And now you're talking about feeling like you have to protect them. Even though you don't remember them, even though you're terrified of them, you want to help them. That certainly sounds like loyalty to me."

Rainbow Dash`s confusion at his reasoning was obvious, but she didn't question it. Their sprint quickly brought them to the location of the ambush. They had been galloping as fast as Dream Feather could manage.

Now he was staring at the tree that the pegasus mare had been cowering against earlier. It struck him as something that didn't happen often. And with just that event the tree had become a landmark to him. But his attention quickly shifted to the surprisingly clean battlefield.

He had expected to find at least one or two bodies. If not the ponies, then the creatures. But there was nothing of the sort. Beyond some damaged trees and crushed leaves and twigs, there was nothing which would hint at the struggle that recently took place here. Rainbow Dash was standing beside him and looked just as baffled as he was, maybe even more so.

How?! Calm... calm down. They can`t be dead, that much is certain. After all, they are the Elements of Harmony, so the pony behind all of this wouldn't want them to die. If Spike and I were right anyway. Please don`t let them be dead...

Dream Feather couldn't keep his body from collapsing. He was exhausted and this latest shock to his system was just too much. He hadn't known them very well, but Twilight and her friends seemed like good ponies. He couldn't believe that he had just left them behind like that. He had abandoned them and had even driven Rainbow Dash to do so as well.

There was nothing we could have done... nothing. We would have just shared their fate, whatever that fate is. But what now? We could still go to Ponyville, maybe they also managed to make it back there?

The weary stallion pulled himself to his hooves. Rainbow Dash was pacing around the area. He wondered if she was trying to find tracks or something. If he was right, she wouldn't find what she was looking for.

"Twilight, the lavender unicorn, must have used that teleportation spell of hers. I don't know how she managed to pull it off in that chaos, but it's the only theory that makes sense. What do you think?"

Rainbow Dash turned to face him and looked pleasantly surprised to see him standing. Maybe she had expected him to give up by this point?

"That sounds right to me. But where does that leave us? If they are safe and they are truly the Elements, then we should probably get back to Ponyville. Right?" She sounded hopeful, but he could tell how uncertain she was.

Dream Feather wanted to reassure her, but he had his own doubts about the theory weighing down his mind. If the pony behind this had been able to mess with Twilight's spell once, then he could probably do it again. It seemed likely that none of them had made it back to Ponyville.

If I tell her that they are somewhere in the forest, I don´t have a clue what she might do. She was so scared of them that she couldn't even move, but once they were in danger she was ready to throw her life away to help them. It almost seems like the Element in her is fighting back against whatever has been done to her mind. Still... if she goes running off to rescue them now, it will only make things worse.

"I am sure that they are fine. They're probably already planning another expedition into the Everfree. If we move quickly we might arrive in Ponyville before they set out." Dream Feather gave his best comforting grin as he attempted to assuage her worries. He hated lying to Rainbow Dash, but he knew that telling the truth just wouldn't work in this case.

With a heavy heart, he gestured for the her to lead the way once again. They walked in silence. Dream Feather was absorbed in his thoughts and Rainbow Dash had apparently decided to leave him to his internal debate for now. She led him through the forest carefully, he was so distracted that she had to guide him around roots and branches so that he didn't run into them and hurt himself.

What are we going to do once we get to Ponyville? She needs medical attention badly, but I doubt that this evil pony is just going to leave her alone. The Elements can't do much against him if they are all separated like this. I will have to stay by her side and protect her while she heals... but what can I do? If the evil pony comes for her, all I can do is run away... I guess the only option left is to take her to Canterlot. Celestia should be able to keep her safe... if we can make it that far...

"Rainbow Dash, Dream Feather! By Celestia, am I glad to have found you two!"

They froze at the edge of the forest. They could see Ponyville in the distance, but standing in front of them was Rarity. Dream Feather's mind scanned through his memories, he couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed her absence during the earlier confrontation. Had she stayed behind in Ponyville?

"Rarity? What are you doing here all on your own? Why didn't you go with the others?"

They stepped out of the Everfree Forest and approached the white unicorn. Rainbow Dash looked wary, but she wasn't panicking like she had when they encountered Twilight and Fluttershy. Now that he was closer he could see that Rarity looked exactly the same as she had the last time he saw her, not a hair out of place in her well kept mane. No wounds or anything. It certainly seemed odd, but it supported the theory that she had been in Ponyville all day.

"I will explain on the way back, but for now we really should get you two back to Ponyville."

Does she even know what happened to the rest of the Elements? Probably not. I guess I'll have to-

Before he could finish his current train of thought, Rainbow Dash suddenly backed away from them and braced herself like she had during the combat in the woods. He could only stare at her in confusion.

"Dream Feather! That's the pony that 'helped' me by setting my wings!" The memory of the pain seemed to wash across Rainbow Dash's features, as if she experiencing it all over again. Dream Feather understood her words, but he couldn't comprehend them. Rarity was the one that had ruined the cyan pony's wings?

Before he could ask the pegasus mare to explain herself, she rushed at them. Dream Feather barely had time to throw himself out of the way of her reckless charge. By the time he had stood up again, he knew that something was horribly wrong. It was quiet, there were no sounds of violence. His eyes found Rainbow Dash, who was now laying motionless on the ground, but Rarity was missing. Where she had stood mere moments before, there was now a stallion. He had a dark grey coat and his cutie mark was confusing, to say the least.

A lens? Like the ones used in glasses... this is the pony responsible for everything that's happened? I refuse to believe his special talent is making reading glasses! But that isn't important right now. If this villain can take out Dash that easily, then I don't really stand a chance against him. I need to find some way to grab her and get out of here.

Dream Feather glanced at Rainbow Dash's unconscious form again. He stood up as tall as he could and glared at the unicorn across from him. This stallion had a very heavy air around him, an intimidating aura.

"Dream Feather, you have done your job very well. You have been perfect for leading the Elements towards their ends. But our little game is not yet over. The Elements still live and it is time for you to help me finish them off." The mysterious pony had a voice that seemed to resonate with power and surety. He knew that there was nothing Dream Feather could do to stop him and he had no qualms about letting Dream Feather know it too.

Dream Feather took a step backwards unintentionally. His body shook. It wanted to flee or maybe just give up. But the sight of Rainbow Dash's still body reminded him of his promise and he stood his ground. He ran through his thoughts as quickly as he could, he didn't think that this pony would have much patience for his long internal monologues.

He's trying to intimidate me, make me scared of him so that he can force me to do whatever he wants.. I have to keep my mind clear, I can't let his magic get to me. He has no reason to fear me, all I have to do is play along and... no! How can I even think that? I can't just leave the Elements, he plans to kill them!

"What exactly do you want from me? I have nothing to do with the Elements nor do I have any power which you can use. I doubt that I would be of much use in defeating the Elements of Harmony. They don't even trust me anymore." Dream Feather's head ached. It seemed like everything was becoming distant and hazy, he could hardly even focus on the injured pegasus mare that he strived to protect. The unicorn in front didn't feel hazy at all, actually he was clearer than before and seemed to loom over Dream Feather. He could tell that his perceptions were being tampered with, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"The Elements are scattered throughout the Everfree Forest. All you have to do is go back into that forest and find them. Bring them to me, one by one. It should not be difficult, once you are finished you will be free to leave. Do you agree?"

Dream Feather almost agreed immediately, all he had ever wanted was to be detached from this adventure. This was his way out! The pegasus shook his head, trying to clear away the clutter of compelling thoughts. He had to focus, he couldn't let this unicorn's magic overpower his will.

"No... you obviously need me and I know I can get more out of this. What can you offer me beyond my own safety? What about Rainbow Dash? I need her to guide me through the forest and you need me to find the Elements. Grant me her safety and my own, then you'll have my assistance. " Dream Feather mustered up all of his mental strength for his demand. He would not be persuaded otherwise on this issue.

Dream Feather's reaction obviously surprised the dark pony. For a single moment, the veil of confusion surrounding the would-be writer's mind lifted, allowing him to think clearly. But the strange magic returned quickly, and it was even worse than before. Dream Feather's thoughts twisted as the large, imposing figure glared at him.

"Do you feel like you have any say in the outcome of these events? Don`t be stupid Dream Feather, you are nothing more than a pawn in my game, just as we are all pawns in Celestia`s. Still, I have no need of this pegasus. Her life is yours. But if you betray me, you will be responsible for her slow and painful death, as well as your own."

The malicious pony motioned towards Rainbow Dash and Dream Feather felt a jolt of pride. He had managed to keep his promise. At the same time however, he felt sickness overcome him. The unicorn's threat settled into the forefront of his thoughts. He could also feel his strength fading, he didn't have the energy to remain defiant any longer.

I know I can't trust him to keep his word, but this is the best I can do. This is the most that I could hope for... there's nothing more I could do...

Dream Feather gathered the remnants of his strength. There was one more thing he had to say.

"If you do not care about Rainbow Dash, then what is your goal?"

He didn't really expect an answer, so he was very surprised when the grey unicorn replied.

"Twilight Sparkle´s demise"

Even as his mind began to panic at the response, he felt his body collapsing. The darkness enclosed around him, but it felt comforting. Almost protective. Dream Feather allowed himself to slip away from the waking world. Even his nightmares would be better than this reality.

Comments

[Artimba]

Wow! This is a great chapter. Really super awesome great! And really long too.
I am at a loss for words. This story has definitely captured my interest. I can not wait for the next chapter!
A lot happened this chapter. I will write all the comments I remember, since you seem to enjoy lengthy feedback.
First, the writing is excellent. Do you get a new editor or something? This is the first time I have seen you use semicolons. You used them correctly as well.
The interactions between Rainbow Dash and Dream Feather are really well handled. I enjoyed seeing them get over their initial awkward conversation. Though Dream Feather strange devotion to Rainbow Dash is a little exaggerated, but that might be intentional in this story. All of this mind magic has me doubting myself!
The sudden attack caught me off guard. I loved the battle scene. I wish that there had been more of it actually. The oppressive, panicked feel at the beginning of that fight is just excellent.
And finally, the villain. His first appearance in the story and he hits it hard. I hate him already, in a good way.

This writng style, its familiar, to familiar.

God dam*it ive been trolled

[Sapare]

120421 Thankyou for the feedback, always welcome and like always I will adress everything.
Yes I do have a new provereader. But the large change in quality is probably more existant because of the large ammount of rewrites and edits this part had.(As i knew this part might bear the most weight in the whole story)
Though yes, the new provereader is the reason for the semicolon useage.

Dream Feather's devotion will seem more reasonable if you look at it from his eyes and not your own. Dream Feather had close to no interaction with the outside world. When he was dragged into this he was totally out of his element(no refrence intended) and at a compleet loss. When he met Rainbow Dash she was in a very much the same condition as he was, confused, lost and afraid. As such he saw his own despair and fear in her. Seeing his own blight mirrored in her made it impossible to turn his back on her. Ontop of that he is not used to making a promise, much less to breaking one. As such having made a promise and sworn his loyality he is not really used to just breaking or abondoning it.(Unlike us who might see such a thing everyday)
And lastly, he kinda needs Rainbow Dash. She is the only ally he has and without her he would be standing compleetly alone. And while the villian does seemingly not have any interest in him he can't know for sure if that is true or not.

I am glad you liked the fight scene, that actully dragged the story back at least two if not three days because the original version of it was MUCH shorter and while had the same events it was pretty much devoid of action.(In the original version DF pretty much instantly uses the wings, there is also little description about the fight between the mane 6 and the monsters. Pretty much imagen if the whole locking wings up part was gone and DF would have found RD without seeing Fluttershy and AJ first)
But I just wasn't happy with leaving it weak as this story does not have many action scenes so I thought that if I am going to have few I might as well make those ones thought out and interesting.
Also glad you liked the villian apearance. I was getting mixed feedback if I should keep him in shadows or show him but I really wanted to and here he is now. Personally my favorit scene in this part.

Next update might be slow, just warning ya. School is both wasting almost all my time and making me to tired ot really efficently write anything. But I'll see about getting it out sometime before the end of the month.

EDIT: To the guest comment.. I have no idea what you are talking about or refering, care to explain?(I am pretty sure you wont.. but might as well try)