The Blank Flank Adventurer

by Sapare

Where Your Loyalties Lie

Why did I agree to do that pony's dirty work?! Now I have to hunt down and capture those poor ponies. There's no way I can do this! I'm talking about attacking the legendary Elements of Harmony... But if I don't do it then Rainbow Dash will suffer. I promised to protect her. What am I supposed to do?

Dream Feather's sleep addled mind was running in circles as he trotted over to Rainbow Dash's unconscious form. His brief rest had done him more harm than good.

I need to calm down... There has to be something I can do. Maybe I can trick that jerk into thinking that I am working for him and then help the others get the upper hoof-

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he glanced down at the pegasus mare in front of him. Rainbow Dash's body was a bloody mess; a twisted, mangled pile of broken bones and grotesque injuries. Dream Feather was unable to turn his gaze away from the horrifying sight for a long, agonizing moment. After the shock had passed, the frantic stallion rushed to the prone form and desperately checked for some sign of life.

Rainbow Dash was dead. Dream Feather started shaking her body, hoping that she would suddenly and miraculously recover. His attempts were in vain and he could do nothing but stare at the husk of the pony who was once so full of energy.

His mind was completely blank until a familiar and unwelcome voice broke through his stupor. “You are not very good at keeping promises, are you Dream Feather? Betray me and this vision will pale in comparison to the reality you shall face.”

The world around him seemed to shift as the brutalized body was replaced with a mostly healthy, but very confused Rainbow Dash. She was probably awoken by his panicked shaking. Her perplexed expression changed into a look of concern as she watched him tremble from a mixture of fear and relief. The two ponies stared at each other without word or motion until Dream Feather could no longer stand it and turned to face Ponyville instead. He hoped that the cyan mare hadn't noticed his tears; he didn't want her to know how helpless he felt at the moment. He stared at the small town, doing his best to ignore the horrific images that continued to haunt his thoughts.

It is so close now... and yet we would never make it there. And as long as that villain is around, Ponyville is no safer than-

A gentle touch brought Dream Feather's pondering to a halt and drew his attention back to the other pegasus. Rainbow Dash seemed surprisingly calm, she was even smiling as she spoke, “I have no idea what you did, but we're still alive and that pony isn't around anymore so... Well, I guess I'm trying to say thanks.”

Although she had not outright questioned him, Dream Feather still felt that he owed her an explanation.

But what should I tell her? Can I really tell her that I made a deal with the horrible monster that broke her wings? She isn't going to like this.

“There is no reason to thank me. He let us go. I did nothing deserving of gratitude... I just let that villain talk me into accepting an offer.” He tried to present a comforting smile with his words, but he wasn't able to fake a cheery disposition for very long.

Dream Feather was completely unsurprised by the change his words wrought upon the colorful mare's mood. Her suspicion was obvious in her voice as she questioned his explanation, “An offer? What kind of offer?”

Should I just tell her everything outright? Even that her life was a part of the bargain? Maybe she does not need to know everything. The basics should be enough for now.

“I agreed to hunt down the ponies that represent the Elements of Harmony... And bring them to him.”

“You can't be serious! Why would you ever agree to something like that?” The outrage in Rainbow Dash's voice was exactly what he had expected, but he still felt the need to defend his decision.

“Because I didn't want to die! It was not like I had much of a fighting chance against somepony that-” Dream Feather wanted to explain the other half of his plan, but Rainbow Dash cut him off with an angry growl. He found himself missing her smile as her concern and gratitude vanished, replaced with scorn and fury.

“I knew you were some kind of egghead, but I never expected you to be such an awful coward. I let it slide when you ran from that fight in the woods. It was a very sudden attack and we weren't even sure that those other mares were trustworthy back then. But now? Now you're betraying the Elements, betraying me, because you're scared?!”

Dream Feather flinched and gave a meek whine in response. He hoped that she would calm down once he explained the rest of the plan to her, but he still felt slightly ashamed of how afraid he had been of the mind manipulating pony.

“I was not done talking. I will not betray the Elements, least of all you, but I had to play along to survive! Both of us will have to play along to survive, just until we get an opportunity to strike.”

For a long moment the weather pegasus just stared at Dream Feather with an unreadable expression. Slowly she began to regain her composure, though she seemed wary of his suggested plan. “You expect me to just play along? Sit there and watch while you hand over my friends to that monster?”

The stallion had been doing his best to ignore the implications of that part of the plan, but he couldn't expect Rainbow Dash to do that same. He tried to make sure that she understood it was their only viable option. “I know that you, the Element of Loyalty, are probably the last pony that could do something like this, but we really do not have much of a choice. You've already tried to assault him directly. We have no chance of beating him that way. The only method that might work is playing along until he drops his guard. We need to wait for the perfect moment to strike.”

Am I really doing this? I am trying to persuade the Element of Loyalty to help me find and betray the other Elements of Harmony. All for what? Some fool's hope that we might get a chance to catch that villain by surprise?

While wondering if there was something fundamentally wrong with his ability to plan, Dream Feather turned to gaze upon the Everfree Forest. As if all of the other problems that plagued his scheme weren't enough, it also meant that they would have to once again venture into those dangerous woods. He knew that as long as they were working for that mysterious pony, they had nothing to fear from the various creatures in the Everfree. But even that knowledge did little to make the grim forest seem appealing.

All of a sudden, Rainbow Dash lifted her head high and met his gaze. Her eyes were brimming with confidence and determination. Dream Feather could feel his spirits rekindling from the energy and self assurance that seemed to exude from her form.

“That sounds like a plan. Maybe it's not a great one, but as long as I'm here everything is certain to work out. That jerk isn't going to get the best of me again!”

When I first met her she seemed so alien to me. And even now I cannot understand how she draws so much strength from her own will. It is strangely... fascinating...

“We're not going to get anything done if we just sit here! Get moving already so we can get this 'game' started.” Rainbow Dash's returning energy seemed to have brought back her typical impatience as well. She was already trotting into the woods, having apparently gotten tired of waiting for him while he was absorbed in his thoughts.

Dream Feather hurried to catch up with the brash mare. He suddenly noticed how glad he was to have her there with him. Her tenacity and willpower were exactly what he needed to keep himself motivated. Unlike his first trip into the Everfree Forest, he was unconcerned with the darkness and possible dangers. He had to no reason to fear with Rainbow Dash at his side.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trip proved to be as uneventful as Dream Feather had expected, which gave him plenty of time to get his mind in order. They wandered the forest for a long time, uncertain of where they were headed or how they were supposed to track down the other Elements. Finally, just when Rainbow Dash was about to lose her patience with the aimless meandering, they happened across a familiar location.

This is where those creatures ambushed us... This is the closest thing to a landmark that I know of in the Everfree. If that vile pony left us a means of finding the Elements, then he probably left it here. I hope he did something like that anyway... Unless he expects us to aimlessly wander through the forest until we stumble across one of the others. I hope he didn't take what I said about Rainbow Dash guiding me literally. She knows as little about where they might be as I do.

As he searched the area for some clue, he shared his thoughts with the cyan mare. “My original theory was that they used a teleportation spell to escape from their attackers. However, since our 'employer' can somehow tamper with that type of spell, it seems likely that they are all scattered throughout the forest. That also means that conventional means of tracking will be useless. There has to be some sort of clue...”

As his gaze passed over the familiar tree, he was besieged by a vivid recollection of Rainbow Dash cowering next to it. He briefly became lost in his thoughts as he remembered his earlier mistake, but was brought back to reality by his companion's voice.

“I'm pretty sure this wasn't here before.” Rainbow Dash sounded apprehensive as she stared at the scroll lying on the ground in front of the tree.

Dream Feather nodded in agreement. There was no way they would have missed a scroll in their last examination of the area. Which meant that this must be the clue that he had been hoping to find here. After placing the parchment on the ground in front of him, the would-be writer quickly opened it and read the contents.

Follow the light to the Elements and then bring the Elements to the light. The light will lead you at all times. Remember it is up to you to keep your 'friend' from interfering. If you fail to do so, you forfeit her life and your own.

Reading the message stirred up a new feeling in Dream Feather. Until now he had not fully grasped the role that was expected of him. He was little more than an uncooperative tool to the evil pony; a simple object that would either fulfill its task or be thrown away. The realization filled him with a strange sort of defiance. He wanted to rebel, to cast away the agreement and refuse his role.

“What are we supposed to do with a blank scroll?!” The question caught Dream Feather by surprise. He turned his head and stared at Rainbow Dash, confused by her sudden outburst. Glancing back at the scroll under his hoof, he saw the same words as before.

There's the text, clear as day. It's impossible to miss... or at least to me it is. What is the point of making it invisible to Rainbow Dash?

Dream Feather pondered the reasoning behind this latest bit of oddness before concluding that it wasn't really that important at the moment. Taking his hoof off of the scroll, he allowed it to roll up and left it by the tree. He searched his surroundings for the light that the missive mentioned and was able to spot a faint glimmer in the distance.

“It is not blank. I can see the words on it just fine. I guess he does not want you to read it for whatever reason. The only thing on it are instructions, so I do not see the point, but who knows what that mad pony is thinking? It says that we should follow that light over there and it will lead us to the other Elements.” He gestured in the direction of the distant glow, but Rainbow Dash seemed even more confused than before. It seemed that she was unable to see the light as well.

I don't understand why that villain needs my help at all. If he's just going to guide me to each of those mares, then why can't he capture them himself? And why would he bother letting Rainbow Dash be my 'guide' when she can't even see the light that is leading us? This all makes no sense! Unless there's some reason why he can't just capture the Elements himself...

Dream Feather nodded to the perplexed mare to reassure her that it was okay. Rainbow Dash seemed to shrug off her confusion and followed him, surprisingly without question. The socially awkward stallion was almost ready to start up a conversation himself, when he noticed that the light wasn't getting any closer. It actually seemed to move away from him whenever he made a step towards it. The elusive beacon seemed to goad him on in a manner that he found curiously entrancing. He soon became so fixated on the seemingly never ending chase that he stopped paying any attention to his surroundings.

Dream Feather followed the light for a period of time that felt simultaneously long and short. When the hypnotizing radiance finally blinked out of existence, he found himself dazed and lost. Regaining his senses, he frantically searched for his companion and found her staring at him with an odd expression.

I cannot believe that I completely ignored her this entire time! What would I have done if I had lost her? Or if she gotten hurt? Thankfully, she seems to be okay, but if that's how I am going to behave every time we are looking for one of the Elements, then it might not be safe for her to follow me around anymore... but why did that light disappear anyway?

“This time was different from your normal spacing out, wasn't it?" Rainbow Dash asked with a mixture of concern and fear.

Dream Feather was caught off caught by her question. He didn't expect her to realize that this was different from his habit of getting lost in his thoughts.

“You assume correctly. This was... very different. I lost control of myself. I wasn't aware of my surroundings at all. I was entirely focused on that light. I don't even know how long we were walking for or if-”

His awkward explanation was cut short when they heard the sounds of something moving through the forest in their direction. Rainbow Dash seemed to ready herself for a violent encounter, but Dream Feather was unconcerned. After all, none of the creatures attacked them before they became that villain's assistants, so it would make no sense if they were targeted by the forest's beasts now.

It didn't long for the being to reach them and burst through the underbrush into their small clearing. Rainbow Dash relaxed at the sight of the orange earth pony that Dream Feather remembered as Applejack. The apple farmer was still wearing the bandages that he had seen on her before the ambush, but now they were tinted dark red with dried blood.

The pegasus stallion had been expecting one of the Elements to show up and he was quick to initiate conversation. “Applejack! I am so glad we found you! I am sorry that we abandoned all of you earlier, but-”

To Dream Feather's surprise, the orange mare immediately trotted over to Rainbow Dash ignoring him completely. Applejack nuzzled her friend briefly, but it was the pegasus mare's reaction that really startled Dream Feather. She didn't shy away or cower at all. She seemed completely unafraid and calm.

An awkward silence filled the clearing for a moment until Applejack whispered something to Rainbow Dash and then turned to face the stallion. When she had rushed past him, she had placed herself between him and the cyan mare. Her thickly accented voice was filled with anger as she addressed Dream Feather.

“From the moment I met you, I've tried my best to give you the benefit of the doubt. I like to believe in the good of everypony, but everything has just gone from bad to worse since you showed up! You and your stupid plan! I know you're gonna try to trick me again, maybe even kill me this time, but do you really have to force RD to betray us like this? Isn't killing us enough for you?!”

The pain and rage in Applejack's rant left Dream Feather frozen. He could think of no response for her harsh accusations. But while he was unable to think of an appropriate defence, his mind was racing with a terrifying realization. The honest mare's words had brought back the memory of his only conversation with Spike.

How did I not see this earlier? Applejack just asked the question that I should have been contemplating this entire time! If killing the Elements of Harmony isn't enough, then what IS? And the Element of Loyalty is-

His thoughts were interrupted by a surprising outburst from Rainbow Dash. “Applejack, he isn't forcing me to do anything! He's done his best to help me. Just look at these splints! He made them after fixing my wings. Trust me, Dream Feather isn't a bad pony.”

In spite of the pegasus mare's pleading, Applejack continued to glare at Dream Feather. But now her gaze held as much confusion as suspicion. As the strange staring contest dragged on, the would-be writer could feel his will begin to collapse under the pressure. Thankfully, the earth pony hung her head in defeat before he broke down and told her everything.

"You win... I can't possibly argue against R.D.'s word, even if this whole thing feels like a setup."

Dream Feather certainly didn't feel like he'd won anything. He wished he could confess and reveal what was really happening, but he already knew how that would end. It seemed that he had no choice. That fact didn't make him feel better about deceiving Applejack.

Maybe Rainbow Dash can't help me find my way through the Everfree, but she is perfect for gaining the trust of the Elements. Applejack is right, I really am forcing her to betray her friends! Making the Element of Loyalty betray the others, is that his plan? Would that somehow destroy the Elements? Or render them useless? What if-

His thoughts were once again interrupted by the cyan pony. "Come on Applejack, trusting the Element of Loyalty isn't some kind of loss. We're all on the same side here! I'm your friend, I would never betray you."

The apple farmer just nodded weakly, but at least she seemed to have drawn some comfort from her friend's little speech. Rainbow Dash's words were only making Dream Feather feel worse about what they were doing.

If I go through with this then I will be just as bad as that despicable pony... But if I don't then Rainbow Dash and I are as good as dead! I have to find a ways to stop her from betraying all of her friends without breaking my agreement. Though I doubt that villain will even hesitate to ignore our deal once it is of no use to him.

Being stuck in a no-win situation was making Dream Feather's thoughts run in circles. A bright light glowed in the distance, seemingly impatient. The mysterious stallion wouldn't be happy if they kept him waiting. For now, he would have to take over the conversation to stop Rainbow Dash from lying anymore than she already had.

"I do not wish to ruin the joy of this reunion, but we should probably get out of here. The fiend behind all of this might be planning another move as we speak."

Great logic there! Let's rush forward without thought when the one after us is particularly fond of traps. Makes perfect sense! I just hope Applejack doesn't realized how flawed that course of action is.

Applejack seemed dubious of his suggestion and he wondered if his first attempted lie would give away the whole deception. Luckily for Dream Feather, the orange mare nodded after a moment and gestured for them to lead the way. Without another word Dream Feather started to trot towards the magical illumination at a decent pace. He tried to focus on not falling into some kind of trance like last time.

The silence of the journey was broken when Applejack asked the obvious question. "Where are we going exactly?"

I wish I knew... Though I don't think that knowing would help at all anyway. Obviously the villain wants me to bring the Elements to him, but he could be anywhere! What am I going to tell Applejack?

Dream Feather wanted to answer her question himself, as he was unwilling to let Rainbow Dash become even more involved in this charade than she was currently. He quickly thought up as many explanations as he could, then picked the one which sounded the most believable.

"We managed to find Twilight and Pinkie Pie earlier. I think that we should meet up with them before we continue searching for the others."

His confidence in his ability to lie was shaken when Applejack almost immediately pointed out a flaw in his logic. "If you already found them, then why aren't they with you now? Shouldn't we all be sticking together?"

Why would a group split up even when it makes more sense to have all of them stay together? Maybe if somepony was too hurt to travel...

"Pinkie Pie... was attacked by a timber wolf. She is in no condition to be searching the Everfree Forest. So Twilight stayed behind to see if she could help Pinkie Pie with her magic, while Rainbow Dash and I look for everypony else. We couldn't just leave you all alone in the forest after all."

Dream Feather's nerves were on fire as he waited through the tense silence for Applejack's answer. If she didn't believe his lie, then things could get ugly fast. He was relieved when she simply continued, seemingly accepting his explanation. Rather than questioning him further, she started a hushed conversation with Rainbow Dash. It was obvious that she didn't want him involved in their chat, but that was okay with Dream Feather. He would have had a hard time remaining focused on any sort of discussion anyway, since their guiding light seemed to grow more mesmerizing with each passing second.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So where are Twilight and Pinkie?"

Dream Feather found himself standing before the same tree as earlier, his only real landmark in the forest. He was unsure when he had arrived, but he quickly realized what must have happened.

"Well..." His attempt at forming some kind of excuse trailed off pitifully. He had expected the mysterious pony to be waiting for them at their destination. Dream Feather glanced over at Rainbow Dash, but she seemed to be just as uncertain as he was.

"I knew it. I knew you were lying! Darn it RD! I trusted you!"

The glare that Applejack directed at them cut Dream Feather to the core. The pain she felt and the betrayal the she was experiencing were communicated clearly by her eyes. The raw emotions left the stallion petrified. Their tense standoff was interrupted by a cold, familiar voice.

"Strike her down now."

For a brief, disturbing moment, Dream Feather accepted the command and moved to accomplish his new task. He stopped himself before he could do something he'd regret and glanced at the other ponies to see if they had also heard the vicious imperative. Applejack was tensed and ready for a fight. Any chance he might have had to surprise her was long gone now. Dream Feather closed his eyes, hoping that this was just another illusion. His hopes were quickly dashed when he finally opened his eyes. If anything, it seemed that Applejack was even angrier than before.

This is bad! Applejack looks like she might attack me at any second. And if she tries to hurt me, I am almost certain that Rainbow Dash will strike her first. An even worse betrayal than before... We'll be playing right into that fiend's terrible machinations.

“We can work this out without violence! I know how all of this looks, but I am not under that monster's thrall.”

Dream Feather tried to calm the earth pony down, but he knew that there was little use to his words. He took in his surroundings once more and considered all of the possibilities. The clearing was bare of anything which might be of use to him. He could only think of one way to solve this, without forcing Rainbow Dash to assault one of her friends.

“Alright... alright I surrender! Let's all just calm down. I don't want to hurt you.” With those words Dream Feather settled on the ground, placing himself in a prostrate position. Thankfully, Rainbow Dash followed his lead instead of trying to attack the orange mare. He wasn't surprised to see that his sudden submission had left Applejack bewildered.

“What? What's going-” Applejack question was interrupted by another voice coming from the forest. Rather than the cold voice from before, this was a panicked voice with an accent similar to Applejack's own.

“Applejack! Help! He has Big Macintosh and the others. I'm scared! This forest is so dark.“

Dream Feather had expected that the vile pony would have any number of tricks he could use to fix their current situation, but this particular solution chilled the pegasus stallion to his bones. He didn't know the filly that voice belonged to, but Applejack obviously did. At first she seemed to be doing her best to ignore the obvious ploy, but as the cries for help continued Dream Feather could see that they were taking a toll upon the orange pony. It didn't take long for her to break down and start frantically searching the area for the source of the voice. “Applebloom? Applebloom! Where are you?!”

I really do not want to do this... But this is the only chance we are going to get.

Dream Feather quietly stood up and began cautiously approaching the panicked mare. He took care not to move too quickly or alert her to his movements. Thankfully, she was too preoccupied by the filly's screams to pay much attention to her surroundings. Taking a deep, but silent breath, he struck his hoof against the back of Applejack's head. The blow landed clean and he could tell that she was quite shaken by the assault. But he also knew that it wouldn't be enough. So he lashed out again. And again. The dull thud of his hoof connecting with her head echoed through the air repeatedly, forming a sickening cadence.

He struggled to regain control of his body and stop himself from hitting the already unconscious pony again. Forcing himself away from Applejack's still form, he stared at the blood covering his hoof. Numbly, he shifted back over to the motionless body and checked the bloody mare for vital signs. She was still alive, but her breathing was slow and weak. It was only now that he noticed how quiet the clearing had become.

Did I really just do that? I... I had to. I couldn't make Rainbow Dash do it. But why didn't I stop? Why did I hurt her so badly?

Dream Feather turned to face Rainbow Dash, unsure of how she would react to his actions. She had pulled herself up from her prone position and she was staring at him in confusion. She was obviously shocked and Dream Feather could think of nothing to say. He simply walked away from the violent scene, moving in the direction of a distant glimmer.

I succeeded in keeping Rainbow Dash from harming her fellow Element, but now I feel more like a failure than I ever have before.