Erebus: Episode 1: Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

by Honey Mead

Scene 15

Rainbow Dash sat in the darkness of the observation room, the only light coming through the glass window to the adjacent interrogation room. That was just fine with her; it fit her mood.

It should have been just as quiet as it was dark. Her ears flicked, trying to cast out the incessant laughter leaking through the supposedly soundproof wall, or maybe it was just in her head. After spending an hour in the other room, it shouldn’t surprise her that she couldn’t get the sound to leave her be.

She shied away, nearly hissing when the door opened and let the bright lights from the hallway intrude on her comforting darkness. The offensive brightness only lasted a moment, ending quickly once the large, unicorn stallion stepped inside.

Shining Armor took his seat next to her without a word. Dash hardly noticed, her eyes never veering from the magically tinted glass and the pony on the other side. She heard Armor inhale softly, preparing to say something, and cut him off.

“It’s her.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, more out of hope than uncertainty.

Dash didn’t answer him at first. She watched the white pegasus on the other side of the glass, an expression like she had bitten into a bad apple on her lips. She hadn’t stopped moving since the moment they woke her up. Even tied down as she was, she managed to move to a beat that nopony else could hear. “Yes. I don’t know how, but it’s her.” She tore her eyes away, looking to the unicorn. “It has to be her, there are just too many coincidences.”

He nodded, remaining quiet for a few seconds. “How do you want to handle this?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate. “I’ll tell her. She needs to hear it from a friend.”

“Are you sur—”

“Yes,” Dash interrupted, her tone brooking no argument.

Shining nodded again, unwilling to test her. “And you?”

The Element of Loyalty’s stony features cracked. “I... we all thought she was dead. She was my best friend.” Dash paused to take a heavy breath before continuing. “I never thought I would get over losing her. Of burying an empty casket. And now...” she fell to her haunches and rubbed a tear from the corner of her eye with her good wing, “now all I can think is how much easier it would be if that were still true.”