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1. The Gathering of the Lodges3,515 words
2. The Gathering of the Recruits3,510 words
3. Fire and Fury6,444 words
4. A Creeping Shadow5,824 words
5. Fall Apart5,686 words
6. The Rainbow Mare3,476 words
7. Spiders and Goats3,532 words
8. The Battle of Black Rook Lodge7,253 words
Epilogue584 words

Epilogue

It had been a few days since the battle and night had settled over the lodge. Construction had begun on repairing the broken gates and the walls were still patrolled by Rangers, just in case the caprataurs would make another attempt upon the lodge. So far though, the forest edge remained empty and quiet.

Yet all was not well in the Black Rook Lodge, for a figure crept its way across the bailey. Cloaked, it clung close to the buildings as it snuck towards the commander’s quarters. With the other rangers focused on the exterior, they were completely oblivious to the shadow that slipped its way into the section of the compound that contained the lodge master’s office and quarters. It slipped down the short hallway to Lightning Dust’s room, pausing only to squirt a few drops of oil into the hinges of the door before swinging it open.

The lump that was Lightning Dust slept in her bed, oblivious to the doom that was stalking towards her. The cloaked figure slid over to the side of the bed, drew a dagger from its cloak and plunged it deeply into the sleeping pony. Again and again the dagger came down in a flurry of stabs, until a cloud of feathers were floating above the mattress. Throwing back the blanket the cloaked figure froze at the sight of the ruined pillows that had been piled up in a loose pony shape.

“Now that was just uncalled for. What did those pillows ever do to you?”

The cloaked figure turned to see a spell shimmer away into nothing, revealing the forms of Lightning Dust, Starlight Glimmer and Rainbow Dash. Lightning Dust had her crossbow in her hooves. The figure began to move to escape but Rainbow Dash took a step towards the door, blocking the figure’s exit.

Lightning didn’t take her hooves off her crossbow but she nodded towards the figure. “Alright Scootaloo. Let’s talk.”

The figure threw back her hood, revealing the orange coat and purple mane. She glowered right back at Lightning. “How’d you figure it out?”

“You let your guard down in the caprataur battle. ‘She’s mine!’. Got me thinking as I realized that your fighting style and the assassin’s were rather similar.”

Scootaloo winced. “I suppose that’s what I get for letting my emotions get the better of me.” She looked from Rainbow Dash, to Starlight Glimmer. “You got me dead to rights. So...what happens now? I get shipped off to the dungeons like the rest of your former members?”

“Honestly, that depends on you.”

“...What?”

“I don’t think that locking you up will accomplish much. After all, I’m giving your idol a second chance.”

“You denigrate Chroma’s-”

“Don’t,” Rainbow Dash growled. “Don’t even try to justify what I did in the past. I don’t know what lies you’ve been fed but nothing I did back then was worthy of admiration.”

“But you tried to make Equestria strong-”

“We broke Equestria!” Rainbow Dash roared. “You want to be devoted to me? Stay here and get to know the actual me. Not the pony that was drunk on dark magic and her own delusions.”

Scootaloo shifted her hooves. “You’re seriously willing to give me a chance after I tried to kill you? Twice?”

Lightning Dust grinned back. “I’m willing to take that chance.”

Scootaloo glanced at Rainbow Dash before sighing. “...Fine. If anything, I want to see where you’re going with all of this.”

“Wherever it is, it should be a fun trip.”

Author's Note:

You know, I'm still not sure that I've really worked out the whole "ending" thing.

This was another fic that ended up...rougher than I would have liked. This one and Blood and Ponies really remain the fics that have pushed me into not writing without an outline first.

Scootaloo's thread in particular feels like it was really flopping around for some direction. She'll hang around in Ponyville though, so I hope to do some more with here in the future.

But this chapter of the Rainsverse has officially come to a close. Join me next week when I bounce back to another AU, before we eventually return to the Skitchverse.

.....Writing around cancer is bullshit sometimes.

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