Dishonored: Where Loyalties Lie

by enamis

Prologue

Dishonored: Where Loyalties Lie

by enamis

Chapter 0 - Prologue

The hull creaked, gentle winds rocking it back and forth. The air was heavy with humidity as the brilliant golden sun shone down across the ruined plains of Fallen Equestria.

It was truly a grand spring day.

A lone pony sat deep within the bowels of the airship as it circled around the endless spires of the unnamed mountain. Her body was clad in leather, sharp weapons resting against her slim form. Two graying cyan wings with tips of bronze blades rested against her sides.

She had bitten down on a quill, scribbling away in the quiet room. A single Spark-gem lantern illuminated her form with an orange light. The old airship’s deck swayed and creaked, the aged mare paying it no mind.

A brilliant, crimson lightning bolt weighed heavily on her armor clad chest.

The mare sighed, quietly spitting out her quill. Something was there. Bothering her. The dampness of the air and the pressure she felt building inside her feathery chest of the oncoming storm made her prismatic mane stand on end. There was something there…

“Kirahn’…” the pegasus muttered under her breath, one of the three gems on her choker lighting up with a rusty glow as the sword on her right hoof extended forward, the enchanted metal gleaming in the Manalight.

The mare closed her eyes, nostrils flaring.

The floorboard creaked.

Her rose eyes burst open as her body snapped around, her hoof bearing the sword going in a wide arc, stopping only a few hairs away from a faded yellow neck. The blue mare slowly exhaled.

Her rose gaze traveled across the intruder, a wave of emotions suddenly surging through her mind as she collapsed back against the desk with a loud groan, her sword clicking back into its holster. She closed her rosy eyes once more as the intruder giggled and moved closer.

The intruding mare ran her faded yellow wing across the fallen assassin’s upturned belly as she walked behind her. She nudged the leather hood aside as she brushed her cheek against hers and gently nibbled the cyan pegasus’s ear, her side-combed, orange mane tickling her neck.

“I swear to Lacunae, if you keep doing I am going to accidentally kill you, ya’ know that, right?”

The blue mare turned her head to meet those beautiful yellow eyes just before the two unceremonially pressed their lips together. They held their kiss for longer then ether of them expected. The yellow one broke free first and stuck out her tongue at the other mare.

“Pfft, I know you would never do that, ya’ softy.” She playfully flicked her dulled, fiery tail and turned around to walk away without another word.

“Hardy-har-har, Spitfire…” The cyan pegasus took flight, her wings quietly flapping after her lover. As they traveled through the bowels of the old and quiet ship, they never exchanged a single word, simply basking in eachother’s presence.

As they broke free from the dust filled innards of the airship, a beautiful glint of the golden sun caught them, the single spot of light in the stormy day making the two mares shine.

Spitfire stopped, her graying yellow coat seemed just as bright as it was so many years ago, the colorless, gray streaks in her fiery mane, made unnoticeable. She closed her yellow eyes that shinned like gems of citrine. The cyan pegasus quietly stood by her side, mind wandering back to days of old when her prismatic colors were not dull and her life so very simple.

She quietly sighed and rested her rose eyes as she pressed her head against her lover’s shoulder. Quietly, they stood until the tiny spot of that wonderful, golden sun was gone, colors dulled once more and the world turned to the gray it always seemed to be.

And she spoke, breaking the harmonious silence.

“Didn’t think I’d see you so soon.” She reopened her eyes and looked at Spitfire, that beautiful firebird of a mare. She turned and smiled that confident, playful smirk she’d always wear when the two were together.

“Surprise, Dashie.” Spitfire grinned before leaning over and laying a soft kiss of the pegasus’s forehead. “Couldn’t have ya’ coming home and not seeing me first.”

Without a word, Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around Spitfire’s neck and pulled her as close as she could. “I missed you. I really did.” she whispered and closed her eyes again, voice trembling just the slightest bit.

The faded yellow mare paused, before warping her own hooves around Dash’s neck. She held her close for several long moments before reeling back, that confident smile spread across her face once more.

“It’s only been two months, dum-dum.” She playfully kissed the tip of Rainbow’s nose.

“Still…”

“Still - nothing, Dashie. Don’t go all teary on me, alright?”

The two smiled. Rainbow flapped her wings a few times and flew a few steps apart, a little blush on her cheeks.

“I still gotta’ go meet Dawn before we can head home.” Rainbow quietly spoke as they turned and began walking down the length of the ship, more and more workers and sailors appearing around them. All of them, however, trying to stay as far away from the prismatic assassin as possible.

“Psh, cant you have like, I dunno, a day off, maybe?” Spitfire half-heartedly protested as they came up to a break in the airships railings. Below them stretched Fallen Equestria.

The once beautiful and bountiful land now lay bleak and colorless. Gray and untamed clouds rolled above, filling their bodies with rain for the oncoming storm.

Canterlotian. The once great city now stood as the last bastion for pony kin’, their numbers dwindling every day. From the Central District atop the unnamed mountain all the way to the Everfree District stretching deep within the once forbidden forest. Once pristine, now gray and crumbled, the buildings were strewn across the landscape in between.

Where a homely town called PonyVille and a grand relic of the times gone by with the name of Cloudsdale once stood, now nothing but the same, gray ever-after lay in its place. They world was gray now, that much was certain.

The once lush grasslands were covered in ash, the few places where sickly greens still sprouted were overwhelmed, the buildings of the three agricultural Districts around them, closing in, threatening to crush them.

The Fall of the Celestials was truly the day Equestria ceased to exist… Lucky for those who still walk the barren world nowadays, there was a pony like Dawn who was willing to sacrifice all she had for her people. A pony like Dawn…

The low rumble of the thundery skies above snapped Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts as she gazed across the gray world she now lived in. She couldn’t help but to look up, that stray strand of her once bright mane hung limply. Red fading and yellow dulling… but then again… she was simply getting old…

“I’ll be home before you know it.” She spoke after a timely pause, her spunk returning to her in mere seconds. “I’ll just go report back at Haven, say hi to Dawn, play tag with Nova and be back with you in ten seconds flat!” The cyan mare grinned. “Okay, maybe ten minutes flat…” she quietly added with a chuckle.

Spitfire laughed, yet didn’t say a word, her gem-like eyes speaking for her. One quick, last kiss on the lips before Rainbow Dash turned and bolted away, the ruby lightning bolt around her neck blazing brightly with each flap of her blue wings, as if trying to return the colors to the dull world. And failing.

o.O.o.O.o

The pegasus softly touched down, her graying wings flapping one last time before folding against her sides, weapons setting down with a silent clank. She threw back her leather hood and her rose eyes gleamed in the dull daylight.

Rainbow Dash began a light tort, hoofsteps echoing against the worn stone of the crumbled District as she ascended towards the palace at the highest point of the mountainous city.

As she walked down the street, the few ragged looking ponies fell quiet, their terrified glances following her form as she paid them no mind. A long, long time ago, many years ago, she would have cowered from those gazes and try her best to prove that she was still her, not some cold-blooded killer they saw. Now, now they didn’t matter. Hadn’t mattered for over two decades.

The pegasus sighed, a wave of silent terror washing before her as she walked. Ponies retreated into their homes, and didn’t spare their dirty glances. She brushed them off and turned the corner, only to look upon that familiar, massive flight of stairs seemingly leading up to heaven itself. If only a place like that existed nowadays.

She couldn’t help it. She could never, ever, ever help it… she looked back. Back at those bleak, stone streets…

Once made of pristine, shinning marble, buildings lay crumbled. Roofs painted in shades of the sun and the twilight sky were now nothing more than broken clay shingles and rotting wooden planks, like skeletons trying their best to keep themselves skyward.

Black smog rolled upwards from makeshift chimneys, adding another tint of darkness to the cloud covered sky. The distant storm rumbled once more, shaking the few remaining pieces of the former city.

Rainbow grit her teeth, hating herself every single time for looking back.

A well, by far the most intact structure of the District, stood beneath a stone pedestal. Two statues, weathered by time, stood proudly, the two pairs of gems in their eyes still gleaming proudly.

Their forehooves were stretched skyward, bodies, fit and strong, carved in gray stone. With confident and serine smiles on their faces, wings open wide, horns pointed at the once blue sky. A pair of yellow sunstones and a pair of purple moonstones shone within their eyes, graceful symbols, carved on their flanks, to remind ponies, to remind them of a once golden age before the Fall…

Rainbow’s own rose eyes traveled along their cracked, stone forms, past the ponies dressed in rags against the bitter night’s cold, foals and mothers slowly pacing to nowhere. She looked for those two familiar and holy emblems.

A sun and a moon.

She uttered a prayer. A small, inaudible whisper… She never prayed, but never had now fallen across Equestria. She turned to continue her journey up the steps.

o.O.o.O.o

By the time she had reached the top of the broken stone stairs, all the light from the sky was gone. Thicker clouds replacing the, now familiar, gray smog with their black, thundery bodies.

There was something uneasy about this storm... after all, it was just a storm. Yet, Rainbow Dash remained vigilant. She passed the charcoal trees, once lush and green, now lay charred, their branches gnawing up at the sky, trying to reach beyond the clouds, into the wide open blue. Good luck with that…

After a few minutes of trotting through what once was a grand park and royal animal sanctuary, Rainbow spotted the first living beings in a long while. The guards that wore golden armor in a time gone past, now stood with their battered iron plates covering them from chest to flank.

The pair that were idly standing around, quickly fumbled to their hooves and straightened their weapons as the pegasus walked by. A long time ago she used to spare them glances and nods and smiles. No more. It was just a waste of time, she’d never see the same faces again anyway… The Plague made sure of that...

She didn’t walk with her head held high. No, she had put her black hood back on and hid behind it. There was no shame. Only stifled sorrow. But that was a part of the daily life now.

The dirt path turned to crumbled stone, and then to cracked marble. Collapsed pillars rose on both sides, old statues of ponies, missing limbs and features, still stood proudly. Rainbow Dash walked forward, more and more guards and staff appearing around her, yet, never nearing her.

She walked through the charred arc of what once was a massive hedge and passed another row of black trees. She heard a light shuffle behind her, though there were no guards around, only the ones ahead, watching the massive palace door.

The cracks and creaks grew louder until a branch finally snapped. There was a voice.

“AUNTIE WAINBOW!” A tiny voice screamed from behind her. In any other scenario, Rainbow would’ve uttered her magic chants and her hoof-blade would’ve soared behind her, slashing the pony flying at her into two. Not this time though.

The little red filly slammed into Rainbow’s back as she let her graying cyan wings fling in whichever direction they wanted. A massive smile broke her cool exterior as the aged pegasus felt the youngling’s weight settle on her leather-clad back.

She gleefully played along and collapsed forward. A motion a little too fast for the little filly that was playfully ambushing her as she flipped over the mare’s head and landed on the cracked marble pathway with a thud.

Rainbow cringed at the maculation. That’ll leave a bruise…
She threw her hooves forward and grabbed the filly and shot upwards into the gray sky, wings beating furiously to manage the extra weight.

The little pony instantly forgot about her injuries and squealed in delight as Rainbow Dash twirled in the air, the ruby lightning bolt on her chest burning brightly.

Her fur was a soft vermilion along with a bright crimson mane, a tiny, little horn peeking out between her frizzy locks. The filly looked no older than six as she squealed in pure joy, her frail, leathery wings aimlessly fluttering by her sides. She opened her bright green, draconian eyes with her slit, lavender pupils and smiled at her ‘auntie’. Little, sharp fangs gleamed from her mouth as she stuck out her tongue. She was missing her left incisor.

“Auntie Wainbow!” She giggled as the two fluttered to the ground and Rainbow Dash nuggied her as the filly laughed, the little black claws at the tips of her forehooves scratching against the assassin’s armor.

“Hey kiddo, whassuuup?” Rainbow grinned as she placed the dizzied filly on the ground and stretched out her hoof for their greeting. The vermilion filly casually chewed on the tip of her tongue and bumped her little hoof against Rainbow’s.

“Dusk and dawn, ladybugs awake!” They shouted in union. The two spun around in circles and collapsed against each other’s back. They opened their wings and jiggled them as they continued. “Flap your wings and do a little shriek!”

The two jumped back onto their hooves and faced each other with a playful, yet determined snarl. They both pulled a face, as silly as they could, two sets of white teeth gleaming before they collapsed with laughter.

For once in a long time, Rainbow Dash was truly happy.

o.O.o.O.o

“… and it was soooooooooooo boring!” The little vermilion filly slumped against Rainbow Dash’s leathery back as she ended her little story. They were slowly pacing through the Royal Palace, all the way through to the inner gardens and the Harmony Prism where they would most likely find Dawnbreaker.

“That really does sound superbly boring, Nova.” The graying pegasus laughed. “But what I'm more interested in is how did ya’ loose a tooth?”

“Oh, that? Weeeell… me and one of the pwetty ponies momma always talks to pwayed tag. And, and then we were pwaying and, and I twiped and then my tooth went pop!” The draconian filly named Nova tossed her little hoofs into the air before continuing.

“And, and, and then the pwetty pony got weally scared and then we went to momma and momma did her super-amazing-magicky-momma-powers and made my tooth-hole stop bweeding and then she towld us that that was a baby-twooth and that is supposed to fall out and momma said that means I'm getting bigger! Maybe when my twooth grows bwack, maybe I can be as big as momma!”

“I'm sure you will, kiddo.” Rainbow smiled and fell into silence. There was something serine about simply feeling the filly’s weight on her back. Felling her little heart beat against her once cyan wings and her little claws running through her dull, rainbow mane.

Something that she was sure Dawn felt every day. Motherly love. Or maybe she was just daydreaming about the foals she never had…

“Sai’ree!” The filly squeaked as she unintentionally tugged on Rainbow’s mane. Only now the mare realized they were already at the doors to the inner sanctuary.

A circle of runes lit up with a golden glow as the word left Nova’s lips, the filly’s eyes sparking up with a crimson light for a split-second along with the ruby lightning bolt on Rainbow’s chest. The hinges groaned and the silver-rimmed door slowly swung open.

What greeted the two ponies was far beyond anything that their dreams could make. From the small patch between the stormclouds the bright, golden sun shone down across the lush, green grass. The voices of chirping birds filled the air as they darted from tree to tree that gently swayed in the soft breeze, carrying the wonderful scent of fruits and flowers along with it. Haven. This paced was called Haven…

Nova leaped off the pegasus’s back, staggering the assassin. Yet, she paid it no mind, she was too occupied by the beauty around her. Back when, when… She never really noticed the wonderful flora around her until it was gone. Two months in the wastelands to the far east had made her forget what green grass looked like.

“Momma!” The silky, yet squeaky voice of her niece made Rainbow turn back to the task at hoof… those delicious looking daisies won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

The cyan mare began her elegant trot after the filly running ahead. Her rose gaze looked forward to reveal one of her dearest friends - Queen Dawnbreaker.

The mare stood proudly, her slim body twice the size of the two unicorns standing before her. A long horn stretching from her head and two massive, feathery wings folded against her back. Her coat shined in the shade of lavender, a little bit of magenta shinning through. Her spectral mane was billowing around like the pure cloud of magic it was, deep sapphire blue with a streak of gold and crimson twirling within, tiny bobbles of light shining like stars.

Her armor looked like it was clad from the twilight sky. A darkened crimson-purple plate covering her chest, slippers stretching up to her knee and a massive crown with a pink starburst gem atop it. Her eyes burned bright violet.

“Momma!” Nova squealed and leaped at the alicorn mare. She managed to look just as the filly slammed into her with a force too big for somepony so tiny. The two fell over in a fuzzy ball of foalish giggles.

Nova shot upwards, a bright raspberry aura mixing with a golden glow suspending her in midair as the alicorn got back onto her hooves with a smile. One of the unicorns that was talking to the Queen beforehoof opened her mouth to interrupt, but suddenly found herself face-to-face with Rainbow Dash.

“Ya’ wanted to say something?” The pegasus inquired with a little snark in her voice, her gaze drifting back to Dawn and Nova for a split second.

“Yes, actually, we have business matters that need the Queen’s utmost attention, if you would kindly get your unwashed mane out of our face we could-”

“You can insult my personal hygiene all you want, even you’re not the one who’s been actually doing something useful, but once that little filly over there goes near your precious ‘Queen’, its ta-taa for all of you.” Rainbow stiffly hissed back, cutting off the crème unicorn and leaving her speechless.

“My word! I have you know we are from the Blueblood kin and this audience with the Queen was scheduled three weeks ago and we must discuss the failure of the plague victim charity fund and furthermore, I will have the guards remove you if you even dare to-”

“Lady, if I were you I’d not mess with the mare with a seventeen pony kill streak in the Apple Civil War nine years ago and the first and living Lady Protector of the Queen. Just sayin’…” Rainbow casually interrupted her again and that seemingly shut her up for good.

“Now if you’d excuse me, I have a friend to greet and a niece to tickle, the guards that you wanted to sick on me will shove you out… ta-taa!” She turned, not even bothering with a response and began to walk to the soft shade of the blooming cherry tree Dawn and Nova had run off to.

“Oh, and when I said shove - I meant it!” Rainbow couldn’t help but to add that as she saw the two being escorted away.

o.O.o.O.o

“…the Blueblood twins just being Blueblood twins, like always.” Dawnbreaker giggled as she lay in the soft, green grass, the fragrant cherry blossoms shade stretching over her lavender form like a cooling blanket. Nova was curled in her embrace like a fuzzy little vermilion ball, little squeaks and whistles from her missing tooth escaping the filly as she napped.

“I still can’t believe how awesomely you deal with all those annoying, little-” Rainbow Dash was sprawled all over the ground, her leather-hooded head remaining in the shade with Dawnbreaker, and the rest of her body enjoying the small patch of the warm sun as the distant rumbles of thunder rolled over the plains of Fallen Equestria.

“You have no idea how many pillows have been beaten to death because of those two.” Dawnbreaker smirked, her melodic, yet familiar and snazzy voice sounding off into the distance like a phoenix’s song.

“Heh-he-he,” Rainbow laughed her odd little laugh as she re-opened her rose eyes only to see the softy smiling face of Dawnbreaker. “So, I'm guessing by that face, you need a little more from me than just getting rid of pesky nobles.” She smiled, only the happiness was slowly draining out from her system.

Just like her own, Dawn’s face dropped, her gentle smile replaced by a worried frown. Without a word the alicorn stood up, her red-and-gold aura picking up her daughter and placing her between her large magenta wings.

“Walk with me…”

She turned and trotted into the fading sunlight once more, the clouds slowly patching the sky closed as the thunder grew louder. Without a word Rainbow Dash hopped to her hooves, weapons that she never took off loudly rattling.

She began a brisk gait to keep up with the alicorn’s long legs as their hooves carried them forward, down the path of blissfully smelling flowers and blooming trees swaying in the wind that was steadily picking up.

As Dawnbreaker walked she graced the guards and gardeners in their path with small, yet humble nods. Rainbow, however, held her head high, stiff, rose eyes locked forward as she puffed out her chest. She even counted four ponies that quickly skidded out of her way as the two walked, little Nova mumbling in her sleep.

“Rainbow… Tell me something, be honest… Do I look like a pony with a plan?” After a long pause and walking down the elegant and polished marble pathway, flanked with flowerbeds of irises and daisies and small and posh vinegar trees, Dawnbreaker finally asked.

The graying-blue pegasus took a moment to dwell on the Queen’s words until she came to a conclusion. “I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

Dawnbreaker sighed as she pressed her lips together, brow furrowing as she slowed her pace.

“What I mean is… do they think I can do it? Do you think I can do it? Can I figure out how to finally end the Parasprite Plague? Do you believe in me? Because I'm starting not to…” She turned to her fateful protector, half her height, standing next to her, her own eyes pleading for something… Comfort? Help? Forgiveness?

Rainbow Dash raised her rose eyes looking into those deep violet pools, something sparking between them as the two best friends simply stood there. The pegasus looked at that pleading gaze and just as that, she knew what to do.

She gently placed her right hoof under the Queen’s chin, the extendable hoof-blade making the task just a little bit difficult. She gently raised the alicorn’s lavender head and spoke in her calm and confident voice.

“You are Queen Dawnbreaker - Goddess among ponies. There is a reason you are a queen not just a princess and it’s not because you have a daughter. No, it’s because you are the greatest pony that has ever walked this earth. And you will keep doing that. Why? Just cuz’. Just cuz’ you named yourself Dawn. Because dawn is the beginning. A good beginning. You sacrificed your name, the only thing that could be considered the purest you and you gave that up for ponies who might not even deserve it. Why? Because that’s who you are… am I right…? Twilight Sparkle?”

Dawnbreaker bit her lip, eyes clenching shut as she finally let sudden tears freely flow down her silky cheeks after such a long time. She collapsed to her knees and hastily buried her face in Rainbow’s armor-clad chest as she sobbed.

The once-unicorn took sharp breaths as she fought her tears and sobs, Rainbow gently wrapping her gray hooves around her as the two sat in the middle of the bright green garden, birds falling quiet, letting the Queen quietly cry.

The sky grew darker and thunder louder as the minutes passed. The tears slowly ended and the sobs slowly faded to quiet sniffles. The alicorn never let go of her pegasus protector. Her voice was quiet and somewhat pained as she spoke.

“Thank you. Thank you Rainbow, I don’t know how I’d be able to live without your loyalty by my side.” Twilight smiled, the last of her tears still glistering in the corners of her eyes.

The cyan pegasus threw back her black hood with a smile, revealing her dulled rainbow mane to the dying sunlight before softly wiping the tear from Twilight’s eye. The two pulled each other close in a tight embrace and held on for as long as they could.

“And then, they kissed…” Nova smirked, appearing out of nowhere, her little red tongue sticking out from the side of her mouth and her bright, emerald eyes gleaming.

The two mares froze in their embrace, shock plastered on their faces before they exchanged a look, only to fall over with laugher seconds later. As they lay on the marble pathway, side by side, Nova loudly giggled as she bounced in circles around her mother and her auntie until the two mares staggered to their hooves, large smiles spread across their faces.

Rainbow Dash managed to tousle the filly’s already frizzy crimson mane before Dawnbreaker, or should we say Twilight, nuzzled the little pony before scooping her onto her back as the three continued their unspoken trek to the Harmony Prism.

o.O.o.O.o

There was no rain. Why wasn’t it raining? The skies had been thundering for the better part of an hour, the thick clouds with their black, rain-filled bodies ready to burst, yet, they didn’t. It was like something was stopping the rain from cascading down onto the ashen earth and turning the once lush grasslands to never-ending fields of mud.

It was a question Rainbow’s mind constantly drifted to as the three ponies slowly paced their way through the hedge maze, Twilight insisting on the scenic route, just like she always used to before the Fall.

As the silence and the surge of unease in the pegasus’s mind came to a boiling point, she finally spoke, just to escape the corners of her own mind.

“Soooooooo… What’s Spike been up to?” She casually inquired, though her voice seemed a bit off. Nova was just a six-year-old filly so she didn’t notice, nor even pay much attention as she watched a glowing blue butterfly pass her, hairs away from her adorable little nose. But Twilight noticed, yet stayed silent.

“Oh, he came back about three days ago and he’s somewhere in the Haven but I'm not exactly sure where…” Twilight replied, the cheer back in her voice. “Still can’t figure out how you can lose a dragon twice my size in a garden.” She giggled but Rainbow didn’t seem so pleased.

“You shouldn’t have sent him away, Dawn, you left yourself vulnerable and with all the Chaosblessed turning up ever since the plague… Never do that again, alright?” Rainbow Dash spared her a glare, much like a mother looking at her disobedient foal.

The alicorn sighed.

“I know, I know… I should always have at least one of you here, but I just need as much information I can get if I'm ever going to figure out a way to stop the plague and if it means leaving myself without two of my most fateful protectors… It’s a risk I'm willing to take.”

“Wut’s a pwague?” Nova squeaked as she peaked out from behind Dawn’s back, the glowing butterfly perched atop her stubby little horn. The two mares froze, unsure what to do next. Was it right for such a young filly to know of the horrors of the dark world? Her entire life she had been living in Haven, not even knowing the ash-coated wasteland beyond the crumbled palace’s walls and what horrors lay beyond the charred streets of the Central District…

Was it right for the little blank-flank filly to even try and comprehend the fact that every minute they breathed, another pony stopped. The never-ending Parasprite Plague that was slowly killing pony kind?

Was it right for her to know?

“It’s really bad adult stuff, Nova. You shouldn’t bother with it, it’ll go away real soon anyway.” Rainbow replied, her voice with that usual, arrogant undertone. Yet, she didn’t even think of the way her words tugged at Dawn’s brain. What she said was a promise. A promise for this dark chapter in history to finally close and the thousands of deaths to finally end. An unintentional promise she would keep until her heart stopped beating.

o.O.o.O.o

The clicking. That unholy clicking. For the first time in nineteen Celeste-damned years Rainbow heard the clicking.

She was slowly pacing back and forth, the horrible unease chewing away at her mind. As she walked, every four Lacunae-cursed steps there was the clicking as the hoof-claws on her back left leg made contact with the ground. And the clicking! Have mercy, it was unbearable!

The mare grit her teeth, her breaths becoming uneven the more time passed. Her black leather hood weighed heavily atop her once-bright mane, the ruby lightning bolt on her chest seemingly dragging her to the ground. The choker with three gems embedded within, making it hard to draw breath.

Her extendable and enchanted sword seemingly burned her weathered hoof, saddlebags strapped over her leather-clad flanks full with manabullets, runestones and crossbow bolts weighing her down. Firefly pulsed with every heartbeat as she rested against the pegasus’s left side in her beautifully ornamented holster. The mother of all rune pistols, she was.

Rainbow closed her eyes and let the wind whisk away at her form. Bronze blade-tipped feathers spreading open at her sides once more, doing her best to keep away the unnatural unease.

“Rainbow?”

“Huh-what?” The pegasus turned to see gently smiling Dawnbreaker, Nova bouncing behind her.

“Enjoying the wind?” Dawn gently tilted her head, the pink starburst gem atop her head threatening to fall off.

“Eh-he-heh, I guess you could say that…” The once-cyan pegasus folded her wings as she turned to the alicorn, only now noticing something off about her. The twilight-colored chestplate the Queen always wore was missing something.

Four empty sockets lined the violet armor, each of a different shape. Rainbow didn’t even have to look to know what they were - a balloon on the left, an apple to the right, a butterfly in the bottom-middle and a diamond above it. Something deep inside her made the aged mare gulp.

“Whoah, hold up egghead, what the hay did you do to the Elements?” she asked as she raised an eyebrow, walking towards Dawnbreaker.

“Oh, right…” The alicorn slightly cringed. “I gave them back to our friends not long after you left, I’ll explain more, but now we have to go, the Prism is starting to act up.”

Rainbow grunted as she watched the Queen turn around and begin walking towards…

The Harmony Prism, the heart of Haven, was the greatest mana-well in Equestria’s history, its heavenly beam that pierced the heavens was the only thing besides Dawnbreaker that could sustain the day and night cycle, not to mention the Sun and Moon itself.

The pure force at which it released the magical energies was overwhelming. Constant management was a necessity, and only eight entities were physically capable of nearing it, and one of them was a young filly and the other one was trapped within the ice in the far northern reaches, never to be seen again.

The Prism had to be maintained by the harmony energies that had manifested within the six Bearers, each contributing their essences to the creation. Of course, none of it would have ever been needed if only the Celestials hadn’t…

Rainbow Dash felt it. The pure energy that radiated around her as her hooves carried her with renewed vigor, towards the massive, crystalline structure. The lightning bolt around her chest was ready to melt through her flesh as her gaze came to the ‘home’ of the damned Prism, believed to be the only thing that kept Fallen Equestria in one piece.

Goliath crystals erected from the ground, their shinning, lavender bodies creating a massive cone from which a bright beam of pure energy shot upwards into the black, stormy sky. The structures shined in every shade of light and dark, a beautiful dance of shadow play reflecting from within.

Rainbow watched Dawnbreaker stagger ahead, the pure power overwhelming even somepony like her. All the while the graying pegasus bravely trudged ahead, pain being an everyday part of her new existence. Little Nova held a sour expression, yet seemed largely unaffected by the Prism’s vast power.

As they entered the crystalline structure, the surge of magic suddenly disappeared. It was like they could breathe again, no more unseen smog slowly drowning them.

The massive beam of light heading skyward glowed in shades of magnificent cerulean and light green, intervened with soft heliotrope and faded gold. It seemingly came from a low, sharp pillar that held a small purple gem atop it. The gem itself was constantly shifting between crimson and violet and deep, midnight blue with each pulse.

The entire beam was surrounded by twelve stone pillars placed in two circles, a sharp contrast from the lucid interior of the magical structure, the inner circle holding up six stone spheres.

Rainbow Dash and Dawn stepped forward, both very familiar to what came next, except this time something felt different. The outer circle glowed ominously with its pale golden light, a lot brighter than the prismatic pegasus ever remembered.

The draconic filly trotted forward, a particular liveliness in her step getting cut short as her mother shoved her lavender hoof in front of her.

“Nova,” Dawnbreaker began with a strict hiss in her voice that drew a questioning glace from Rainbow Dash. “What did I tell you, young lady?”

The vermillion filly pouted before answering with an annoyed tone. “Don’t go near the big light-thiwngy or you’ll get zawpity-zapped…”

“That’s right, zapped. Now go stand over there, I don’t want you to yourself hurt, alright?”

“Ooooo-kay…” The filly grimaced and dragged her way to the entrance from where the gray sky could be seen, her leathery wings flopping behind her.

Now that her innocent ears and eyes were further away, Rainbow Dash could finally ask what had been bugging her the entire time inside the Harmony Prism. But first...

“She can’t be hurt by the Prism ya’ know. You made the enchantments yourself… granted Cadence helped but-”

“Not anymore, Dash.”

“Saywahtnow?” The pegasus paused, confusion hitting its highest point. But as she looked at those sorrowful eyes, she knew this was only the beginning of something much, much darker.

Dawnbreaker didn’t say a thing and turned around to walk through the light barrier of the outer circle, the energy wafting around her as she harmlessly passed through. She turned back to Rainbow Dash and gently smiled.

“It’s alright to come through.”

At first the mare seemed skeptical, but never, ever doubtful. She took a few deep breaths and stepped forward. Instantly, as the field touched her leather-clad body, she felt a warmth spread through her system. It was like her coat became a tone brighter and her careless and blissful arrogance re-surfaced after many, long years.

As her body left the barrier, the pegasus couldn’t help but shiver, even under all that warmth it just felt so cold… She turned to Dawnbreaker only to see her already standing before one of the inner pillars - opposite of herself.

Rainbow rolled her eyes as her leather-bound hooves carried her to the familiar symbol etched in the crystalline floor and the dark stone pillar holding a light-gray sphere with a hexagon depicted into its smooth surface.

The aged mare took a deep breath, another attempt to calm her edgy nerves. She watched across the blinding light of the core of the Prism as Dawnbreaker prepared to cast the spell, her massive horn beginning to glow with the familiar raspberry and golden light.

Rainbow closed her eyes. She could already feel the Prism’s energies tugging at her chest where the ruby lightning bolt rested. She felt the light grasps of invisible tendrils gently warping around her body, drawing her closer and closer, wanting her for her inert magic but nothing more.

She didn’t have to look. She didn’t even have to open her eyes, she knew this by heart. So many years gone by, it was almost hurting, but this was Rainbow we were talking about.

She furrowed her brow just before her eyes burst open, burning brighter than two red suns, as she watched with her blind gaze. The magical tendrils swimming around her and her Queen as she warped her trained mind around the arcane magic’s the pegasus would never truly understand.

Barely a second passed as Rainbow watched the magical currents and leylines cross her vision before it was too much for her simple understanding. She clenched her eyes shut and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the hexagon on the smooth sphere before her.

Images flashed through her mind, like a violent river surging through her consciousness as she tried to make sense of it all. She saw so many memories, ponies, adventures as they bolted through her closed eyelids. She hated this part of the spell…

Four stars burning in the night sky. Five pale spheres gleaming in moonlight. Two golden papers fluttering before her. Bags under her emerald eyes. Brown wings and an infinity of pranks. A star-ridden cape. Angry golden eyes and billowing smoke. The storm ripping at her home. Bright eyes and black stripes. The tambourines. The snow melting away in the sunlight. Her tied last place. Twenty percent cooler. Her greatest moment with those dewy wings. Her daughter’s song. Monsters beneath the earth. Train-wrecks and new friends. Their intertwined destinies. That straight and dull mane. And finally the night that ended all nights…

But it never stopped, the memories kept going.

Him. Them. The disturbed picnic. That nightmare and candy filled night. Her newest and life-long companion. Her greatest failure. Party at the Central District. His envious rampage. The fire of friendship. Chasing after the one that ran. She can do it in her sleep. Her undiscovered secret pleasures. The horrible butterfly migration. Her love and loyalty tested. Disappointments and lies from the pony she loved. And finally the burning shadow over Canterlotian.

The mare winced, this was always the worst part. Just before it all ended, that final year before hell broke across her homeland and ripped it and her friends apart.

The northern winds slashing at her sides. The dark monstrosities forming from shadows and smoke. A friend one too many. Her hooves pressed against the glass dome. The night her daughter nearly died. The days she saw the true her and those bright citrine eyes. His return and disappearance into the spirit realms. One trip before it fell apart…

And one final memory as she opened her lavender wings.

Darkness.

o.O.o.O.o

Rainbow Dash groaned as she opened her blurry eyes. Her head was throbbing like hell and it felt like the entire world was doing a Sonic Rainboom around her.

As her weary eyes centered she managed to pick out a lavender and vermilion blur looking down at her. And… light? There was no sunlight in the Prism, only the magical beam itself!

“Hey! She’s not dewd!” A very familiar and squeaky voice announced as Rainbow blinked repeatedly, trying to get her teary eyes to work.

“Don’t say that about your auntie, young lady!” Dawnbreaker tried to scold her daughter but it wasn’t very successful as she tried to stifle a chuckle.

“Wakey, wakey - sweepy weepy!” Nova chanted as she placed her soft, little hooves on the pegasus’s chest, her tiny black claws making imprints in her leather gear. Rainbow Dash faintly smiled as she rubbed her hoof against her temple and tried to raise on all four’s. While she did so, she managed to figure out where exactly she was.

The mouth of the small cave opened up behind her, Spark lanterns hanging from the gray and gem-ridden walls. She was lying on a small plateau, flat and light gray stone blocks below her, a small stream tickling beside filling the air with its cheery tones.

As Rainbow successfully rose up to her hooves all of Haven opened up before her. The green trees and colorful flowers lay beneath as the mare gazed outwards from the highest point of the little slice of heaven. The magical beam of the Prism shinning to her far left. As much as she wanted to watch the storm roll overhead and shower the blissful place in its heavenly dew, she couldn’t.

The faded blue pegasus ripped her rose gaze from the scenery and turned to Dawnbreaker who was calmly waiting for her to finish her remembrance. One word was on Dash’s blue lips and she spoke in one of her coldest tones.

“Talk.”

Dawnbreaker sighed and turned her gaze back for a few seconds to see that Nova was skipping around the gray, stone tiles, oblivious to any other ponies around her .

“I guess I’ll start from the beginning, then.” The Queen closed her eyes and with a massive and disruptive crack disappeared, only to reappear next to her prismatic protector in a golden flash. She turned her gaze over Haven, over at the ashen land of Canterlotian against the dark horizon.

“By Lacunae’s horn, I totally forgot you could do that…” Rainbow hissed through her teeth not wanting to spare a glance at Dawn.

“Some time after you left I began thinking…” The alicorn began. “Without you and your selflessness and fatefulness beside me I realized we were slipping. All of us. As Elements, I mean.” She paused. “Except for you, Rainbow.”

“I began noticing the little notions, a small slip or a missed hug… We are losing ourselves and our friendship, Rainbow, and I don’t want to believe it but I am growing suspicious…” She hung her head with a loud sigh. “The Elements were held in the Prism, accessible only by the six of us and Nova. Not anymore.” She lightly stomped her armor-clad hoof.

“I locked the Prism. And I am keeping it locked until we can sort this out, you and I, Dash.” She turned her pleading violet eyes to her best friend. “For the first time since the Fall I fear for my life, and the worst part is knowing who is going against you…”

Rainbow didn’t say a word as she let the words settle in her mind. It wasn’t possible that her own flesh and blood would plot against her and Dawn… But then again… She saw it as well. The Queen was right, they were slipping.

Applejack was the façade of it all, she was lying in the face of everypony. About the plague, about everything… because who would accuse the Element of Honesty to lie?

Rarity was quiet. Still designing the new fashion lines but barely seen in public all because her charities were failing. Rainbow remembered seeing the mare around Haven just for the sake of it, after all, unicorns stick together. Not anymore.

Pinkie was losing it in more ways than one. She had taken the ‘fun’ part too far. No wonder, her mane was always straight just like her two sister’s that she’d dragged into all of this.

And Fluttershy… Rainbow didn’t even want to think about what the shy pegasus was up to. After all, everything that went down in the Everfree District was a secret.

“Then why not seal the Elements in the Prism?” The cyan pegasus asked. Words. The less the better.

“…”

“Well?”

“I… Somewhere deep down inside I hoped that they would help them… That maybe, just maybe they would help them get better… But I know that’s not true, the Elements of Harmony draw power from the Bearers and just like when He came… It’s useless is what it is.”

The Queen turned her face to Rainbow her expressions turning to numbness, the entire topic weighing heavily on her heart. “And if I were you, I’d look behind.”

Rainbow paused, unsure what the words meant. Just as she was about to shrug it off as one of Dawnbreaker’s crazy, cryptic messages she felt a breath tickle the top of her exposed, blue ear.

The pegasus’s rose eyes snapped wide as she realized there was not enough time to utter her chants so the option of drawing her sword was gone. Within a heartbeat she had lowered her head and clamped her jaws around Firefly and snapped around. Her skilled tongue wrapped around the rune pistol’s trigger as she spun her body around to meet a massive green eye.

“Boo.” The creature before her exclaimed with no enthusiasm, his massive emerald eyes looked at her with half-closed eyelids.

The pegasus’s jaw clenched around the pistol so hard it was nearly bitten in half. She took a few seconds until she spat it in the eye of the beast before her and let out a massive roar of utter frustration before falling over with her hooves over her eyes and rolling around on the stone tiles, mumbling in mental anguish.

“Geee, what’s her problem?” The large beast muttered as he rubbed his sore eye with a massive violet hand ending in four sharp claws. As he laid down next to Dawnbreaker, his gaze still centered on Rainbow who was wallowing in… something… he arched back his arm and scratched the mossy green scales on the top of his head that ran down the entire length of his back ending at the tip of his tail like a bony blade.

“I have no idea, but I'm guessing she doesn’t like when friends sneak up on her…” Dawnbreaker casually pointed out as she felt the twin emerald orbs with slit pupils gazed down at her and the beaming filly beside her.

Nova grinned, her little fangs showing and the ominous missing tooth giving her a mischievous appearance as two sets of emerald eyes met.

“SPWIKEY!” The vermillion filly shouted as she leaped forward, trying her best to act like a predator as she drove her fangs into the dragon’s scaled palm. Granted, he didn’t feel a thing, but he played along, his massive, leathery wings opening wide as he rolled over on his back. Dawnbreaker had to step aside if she didn’t want to be crushed by the dragon twice her size, a small smile breaking her saddened mood.

Spike picked up the little filly between his massive claws and held her up in the air much like Rainbow had, the youngling squealed and giggled. He smiled and placed the filly atop his head and with one mighty flap of his wings turned around, only to look down at the once cyan pegasus who had seemingly given up on life.

He smiled as he kneeled next to Rainbow and nudged her with his mighty claw, Nova nibbling on the lime-green scales on the side of the dragon’s head. The aged pegasus didn’t respond. Spike rolled his emerald eyes and reached over to where she had dropped her beloved pistol.

As he gently placed Firefly atop Rainbow’s chest she finally opened her rose eyes with an annoyed growl. “Is it really that hard for ponies to realize I can kill them with a single flap of a wing?” She glared at the two creatures before her as she slipped her leather hood back on and got back to her hooves, Firefly back in her ornate holster.

“It kinda’ is…” Spike smirked as the two exchanged a bro-hoof, Nova leaping off his back and crashing into her mother. Rainbow managed a smile. Besides all the horrors that’d been dropped on her in the past half an hour she felt happy. Happy to see her friends safe and sound.

“Mummy?” Nova asked as her gaze drifted over Haven as she leaned against the back of her mother’s head.

“Yes sweetheart?” Dawn gently replied her mind concentrated on her two most fateful guardians.

“Why are thowse ponies dwessed in blawk?” She tilted her head and pointed to the small pathway that lead to the Prism and to the plateau where they were standing.

“Black? Sweetie, what are you…” Dawnbreaker’s gaze slid across the gardens below them as her violet eyes caught a glimpse of a black mist disappearing into nothingness. “CHAOSBLESSED!” the alicorn mare screamed seconds before a dozen black forms blinked into existence before them.

“Kirahn’!” Rainbow Dash didn’t waste a second as she yelled her chants, the rust-colored gem on her choker burning brightly as her sword extended forward from her right hoof. Her mouth once more clamped around Firefly, ripping the rune pistol from its holster on her left side.

Barely two seconds had passed since Dawn’s scream and Rainbow had already thrown herself into combat.

Half of the black-armored ponies threw themselves at Spike, the rest, splitting up and going after the two Elements of Harmony.

Dawn wrapped her lavender wings around Nova that had driven her claws into her mother’s back for dear life. The alicorn’s horn glowed raspberry and gold, erecting shield and magical bursts around her. Rainbow didn’t see any of that.

Her wings flapped furiously as she lurched forward driving her sword ahead of her speeding form. Nopony could match the fastest flier in all of Fallen Equestria and the earth pony didn’t even see the faded rainbow coming his way before it was too late.

He managed to shoot from his pistol once, manabullet going astray before Rainbow’s sword had been driven through his neck. The Chaosblessed didn’t even hit the ground before his body turned to black mist and disappeared.

Rainbow didn’t spare him a glace as another pegasus mare brought her sword down on her. The prismatic protector met the blade with her own mid-air, her strength proving greater as she threw the two swords skyward staggering her opponent. Rainbow planted her forehooves on the ground, her right hoof going in a bad angle due to the sword strapped atop it, as she twisted her body so her rainbow tail met with the black assassin’s head. And she bucked as hard as she could. She drove her rear hooves into the other pegasus’s muzzle shattering it to a hundred fragments.

Once all her hooves were back on the ground and the pitter patter of the attacking mare’s blood had hit her saddlebags, Rainbow could exhale. Within the second she took another deep breath she could only confirm the attacker’s identities.

Several years after the Fall of the Celestials, after order had finally been established and Dawn at her throne they had shown up. The Chaosblessed as they called themselves, followers of Discord - a more common name. They had had an irk against the Queen and all her loyalists since the Fall, always trying their best to kill or capture her, always foiled by Rainbow Dash when she was a lot younger.

But as the group became bigger a certain entity began to take notice. Discord himself, after being released from his stone form and retreating to the spirit realms, began to communicate with the Chaosblessed. His favorite pony was the leader of the cult of sorts - Master Assassin Bloodmoon.

As they joined forces to wreak chaos across already dying Equestria, he had found some powers to spare. And so were born the Chaosblessed Rainbow despised so very much, their dark powers granting special magic’s to every type of pony, ether earth of sky or stars.

And using those powers of darkness another earth pony teleported just before Rainbow Dash’s nose. And his brain blew out the back of his head coating Dash and still smoking Firefly in a shower of crimson. One runestone gone, five to go. The mare exhaled.

She slightly bent her knees lowering her body closer to the ground. Rainbow filled her lungs with air once more as she leaped upwards in an impossible angle, her strong legs and hollow pegasi bones letting her shoot upwards. Her bronze-tipped wings jerked open and began to furiously flap sending the mare skyward as she crooked her body into a flying position.

As she darted above the battlefield she managed a few more shallow breaths before a Chaosblessed pegasus rammed into her side knocking the little bit of air out of her lungs.

Two massive steel claws were attached to each of the leather-clad buck’s forehooves as he snapped around in the air, charging at Rainbow once more. A pair of unnecessarily massive amber goggles were draped around his eyes, orange mane and tail flowing freely as the thundering storm above trashed the two pegasi in its whisking wind currents. Spike’s roar and the torrent of flame sounded below.

The Chaosblessed managed to ram one of the steel claws through Rainbow’s enhanced armor, digging into her faded blue coat and drawing the mare’s blood. His other claw missed the right side of her exposed neck by an inch as Rainbow managed to slap the attacker’s hoof away just in time.

She thrust her blue hoof against the blades in her shoulder, halting any further movement into her damaged limb as she wrapped her other extremity around the freely-swinging assassin and began to draw circles around his limb. Faster and faster she moved, much like she hoped, it disorientated the attacker but only just. Her leather gear caught the tip of the hoof-claw and she began to finally twist the buck’s hoof.

She kept circling her hoof as she twisted the Chaosblessed’s shoulder further and further, the buck’s screams muffled by the Spark-gem respiration in his mouth. At this point she remembered the fact that the two were actually flying.

The moment Rainbow heard a loud crack a malicious grin spread across her face. She had worn out her opponent and now it was time to take him out. She summoned all her strength as she ripped her trapped hoof free from the buck’s totaled limb. A few straps of her black leather armor still hung from the steel claw as the assassin’s hoof fell limply against his side.

It was a second too late for him to realize what would come next. Rainbow didn’t have to see his face to know how much his eyes widened in shock. She didn’t enjoy it.

The prismatic protector slammed her right hind leg straight into the other pegasus’s black-armored chest. The force was enough for her to feel at least one rib shatter from the blunt blow as it knocked the buck backwards making him rip the other hoof-claw from her shoulder.

Rainbow Dash’s mind exploded from the sudden burst of pain as the sharp blade exited her body, a spatter of blood following the falling pegasus buck. But he wasn’t quite done with her yet. Too bad the cyan mare was a step ahead.

She faintly placed her forehooves atop the Chaosblessed’s shoulders as she cartwheeled over his hovering form. At the end of her gymnastic act she once again slammed both her hind legs into the other pegasus’s back. She felt the dull throb resounded inside her own body as another bone shattered and she ended her act with a somersault away from him.

She hovered in place for a fraction of a second before she thrust her body forward, wings swatting against her sides. She re-positioned her forehooves on the pegasus’s shoulders the second she slammed into his back with all four’s. With a loud grunt Rainbow lifted up her left hind leg as it bore three titanium claws that began to cleave through the buck’s back.

At that point he could take no more, his form limply plummeting down to the battle beneath, Rainbow didn’t even know if his body turned to black mist as she once again exhaled, fresh blood dripping down her side. The mare drew another breath and within a heartbeat she thrust herself into the battle below. Her mind finally became aware of the rune pistol clenched between her jaws, spit soaking the ornate mahogany handle and tickling down her neck.

Rainbow’s faded blue wings arched downwards as she positioned her forehooves in front of her bullet-like body. The ground rushed closer and closer, her mind kicking into overdrive as her rose eyes picked out several entities, already devising a plan of attack.

The mare suddenly snapped her wings closed, momentum carrying her forward. “Vryn’n!” she hissed through her teeth, another layer of spittle coating the precious rune pistol in her mouth.

The miniature crossbow on her left hoof opened up, glowing bright green just like the gem or Rainbow’s choker. The parts slid into place powered by the six Spark-gems in the thick leather wristband it was attached to. A few beads of sweat broke out on Rainbow’s forehead. She wasn’t sure if there’d be enough time.

But it seemed like somepony was watching over her, the crossbow’s string pulling back and then fired an iron bolt straight forward. It now became a race, which was faster? Rainbow or the crossbow bolt.

The faded cyan mare lost the race as the iron bolt dug into the side of another Chaosblessed, if the enchantment held it should’ve torn her insides apart.

And just like that the pony turned black mist and disappeared, the prismatic protector shooting through the fading magic as she braced for impact. Her hooves touched down onto the smooth stone below, wings re-opening as she skirted next to a Chaosblessed, her bronze-tipped wings making large gashes on her body and slowing down the protector’s descent. She inhaled.

Rainbow caught a loose tile with the tip of her hoof and twirled around, the momentum finally ending as she slid next to Dawn. The alicorn looked battered, large, bloody gashes ran down her neck and forehooves as her horn and crown of the pink starburst gem glowed brightly.

The longer the aged mare stared the more the injuries healed, cuts closing and blood soaking back into her body. The once prismatic mare even felt her shoulder slowly mending as she stood in some sort of magical bubble created by the lavender alicorn.

The second she felt time was being wasted, Rainbow sprung to action. Her tongue contracted around Firefly’s trigger, the rune pistol firing with a loud crack, runestone rushing out of the metal cylinder with such speed and force it managed to take a leg off one of the attackers. He spasmed and tried to warp his magic around the stub of his forehoof, crimson blood gushing out of the severed limb like a fountain.

Rainbow didn’t see any of that. Her hoofs burned from the heat the traction had caused as she ran forward, only to slam into a unicorn wielding two rune pistols and a dagger on the side.

“Kirahn’!” Rainbow shouted over the sound of battle, her sword once more extending forward as she drove it ahead of her. She heard stone crack and the foul sounds of bones crunching beneath a mighty force just behind her. Spike was giving the assassins a hard time, that’s for sure.

The faded blue pegasus leaped at the unicorn mare. But just before her crimson-coated sword met with the Chaosblessed’s side she felt herself being tugged away. The mare had grabbed Rainbow’s sword in her magical grasp and threw the prismatic protector away.

As Rainbow collided with the ground with a loud thud, the grip on Firefly weakened, rune pistol slipping out of her mouth. Rainbow cringed in agony, the blunt landing making her old back injury resurface after ten Celeste-damned years.

The mare wheezed as the same unicorn she had attacked stepped on her exposed chest, this specimen in particular just had to be wearing the heaviest horseshoes in all of Fallen Equestria. The leather-clad mare smirked behind her mask, amber goggles gleaming, as she pointed both rune pistols at Rainbow’s head and knocked Firefly further away.

The prismatic protector snarled as she tried to wiggle free, a loose stone digging into her injured back causing her torrents of pain each second. The unicorn slowly drew back both the two-bullet pistol’s hammers with a little click, probably savoring the moment as she was going to be the one to finally end the Chaosblessed’s greatest enemy.

Rainbow was growing desperate. Many times before she had been in a sticky situation, but this was bad. Very bad. The mare tried to move her forehooves, just to try and swat away the metal cylinders filled with doom and death, but found them pinned to the ground by a green aura. She once more tried to wiggle her body from under the mare’s heavy hoof.

It was no use as another burst of pain shot through Rainbow’s brain. She mentally cursed Bloodmoon, after all, it was that lucky hit all those years ago that now guaranteed the pegasus’s downfall. On that note, where the hell were the guards?!

“S-s-s-sa-a-ah…” Rainbow tried her damndest to utter at least one chat, something just to get her on her hooves, just something, damnit!

An emerald glint flashed at the corner of her eye.

A spark ignited within the prismatic protector, her crippling back injury momentarily forgotten, the ruby lightning bolt around her neck blazing like a sun as she ripped her hoof out of the unicorn’s magical grasp and struck the side of the rune pistol.

The weapon fired wildly on impact with Rainbow’s armored hoof and broke free from the surprised unicorn’s grasp flying in the same direction Firefly had gone. Rainbow threw her head out of the line of the other pistol as she reeled in her hooves and thrust them upwards, right into the Chaosblessed’s abdomen, finally knocking the pony off herself.

That very second before the mare could realize what happened a massive torrent of flame engulfed her falling body. Lightning flashed overhead, its blazing golden tones turning emerald in the light of Spike’s dragonfire.

Rainbow hastily slumped to her hooves, her back still throbbing as her rose eyes could not turn away from the burning unicorn. Her screams grated the pegasus’s ears as she watched her black leather armor shrivel and fall away, her flesh burning endlessly, turning to nothing more but coal, the amber goggles melting together with her eyes as everything that was once pony whisked away in an endless stream of agony.

Only moments later a tiny pile of blackened bones fell to the stone ground as thunder boomed above, mourning another lost life.

The pitter-patter of a light drizzle overhead, finally breaking the heavy smog all around, soothed Rainbow. Her rose gaze traveled from the charred bones to two massive emerald eyes with slit, black pupils looking at her.

“Watch out.” The massive dragon mumbled in his low, rumbling voice that nearly matched the storm above. For a fraction of a second his eyes were locked at something behind the faded pegasus. But that was all of it as he tossed around, claw coming down on one of the assassin’s reinforcements in a bloody splat.

The drizzle had turned to rain as it cascaded down from the untamed heavens soaking Rainbow Dash from tail to hoof as she let the water run down her mane, black hood long since tossed back.

Four silent splashes came from behind, making the mare’s ears perk as she closed her eyes, blade-tipped wings unfurling. She slowly turned around.

The second her rose eyes snapped open she finally saw her. Unlike most Chaosblessed her armor did not consist of simple, black leather strips draped around her form, hiding the color of her coat and making her blend with the starless night.

No, no, a heat-treated, light steel plate rested against her chest, two more plates jutting to the sides, over her shoulders. Three more plates ran down the front of each of her forehooves, held together with bolts and black strips, allowing her free and easy movement.

Another plate, divided into three fragments, stretched over her back and connected to two more over flanks - each bearing the symbol of Chaos. A snowy white tail fluttered behind her.

Around her eyes were the same amber goggles, yet, instead of a full-mask, her muzzle was covered with a black neckerchief, the familiar Spark-gem respirator loosely hanging around her neck. The rest of her body was concealed in the same black leather as everypony else.

An azure horn erected from the middle of her forehead, a chopped, snowy mane falling to one side of her head accompanying it. A rune pistol and two swords hung from her sides.

Bloodmoon.

“Took you long enough.” Rainbow Dash rasped as the assassin stood before her, unmoving.

“Indeed. And we must say, Rainbow Crash, it is time we finally end you, one way or another.” She calmly replied in the royal ‘we’ as she placed her hooves further apart, the enchanted gems within her boots silencing her hoofsteps.

“Yeah, about that,” Rainbow smirked. “Not gonna’ happen.”

Her mouth moved the very second another bolt of lightning flashed from above, thunder obscuring her voice as the rusty gem on her choker began to glow. The light rain had long since turned vicious, pounding the ponies of the stone plateau with its cold mist.

Both mares did not want to miss the opportunity of striking first as they leaped at each other, Rainbow taking the air and Bloodmoon drawing both swords with a pink glow of magic.

The Master Assassin crossed both swords and held them above her just as Rainbow brought the enchanted blade down on her. The weapons met with a loud clang, sparks flying through the rain as the prismatic protector twirled over the assassin and landed behind her with a splash, sword folding away.

Rainbow reared up, ready to buck her opponent right in the rear. As she threw her legs back, instead of meeting a steel plate, she met thin air. The cyan pegasus lost her balance and fell to her stomach with a gasp, Bloodmoon popping out of thin air before her outstretched hooves.

“Vryn’n!” Dash shouted and an iron bolt flew out of her crossbow, barely grazing Bloodmoon’s shoulder guard. That was all the distraction the mare needed, her wings shoved against the ground and tossed her skyward as she gained ground on the pesky Chaosblessed.

The second the pegasus thought she’d gained leverage she felt her flapping wings go taunt. She tossed her head back to see her feathery features concealed in pink aura just before she was tugged and tossed out of the sky.

With her wings involuntary pinned against her sides, Rainbow twirled through the sky, plummeting down like a comet. The pegasus managed to lean her body so her head didn’t take the blunt of the blow, only to crash into something relatively softer than stone seconds after.

Her head spun and her body aced all over. Her ringing ears managed to pick out a very un-equine roar as the stars retreated from her vision. Rainbow looked up to see the massive purple dragon rubbing the side of his head as she was flopped against his scaled belly. One of his leathery wings hung limply to his side.

She couldn’t even draw breath as she heard the faint sound of Bloodmoon’s shout, at least a dozen Chaosblessed popping into existance around them.

The ponies threw themselves at Spike, most of them not making to their destination as they tasted the dragon’s fiery rage. Rainbow swiftly propped herself on her hooves only to have Spike shove her away from his side, sending the battered mare tumbling.

The green-scaled dragon let out an ear-piercing cry before he released another torrent of emerald flame at his attackers. Rainbow once again hopped to her hooves, much more slowly this time as the battle was wearing her out, only to witness the impossible.

As the assassins once more piled on Spike, five managing to hang on at once, Rainbow saw their eyes flare behind their amber goggles and there was blinding flash. As her rose eyes came to, there was nothing left of Spike or his attackers, only the same, lingering black mist where he just stood.

“No…” Rainbow gasped. The Chaosblessed had just mass-teleported her greatest asset. The mare didn’t get much time to dwell on her and Dawn’s horribly declining odds and the fact that she’d personally murder the pony responsible for the lack of royal guards if she made it out alive, as something rammed into her side.

It felt like Rainbow had been run over by an airship as her body slid all the way across the rain-and-blood-soaked, pony-made plateau to where Dawn was fending off a microscopic amount of Chaosblessed.

Bloodmoon’s monstrous strength was once more displayed as she came crashing down from above, her minions scattering out of her way as the gray stone shattered at her descent. Rainbow could see her malicious smirk behind her black neckerchief.

To both the mare’s surprise Dawn stepped forward, the rain creating rivulets of blood that ran down her face as the alicorn snarled. Nova clutched her mother’s neck with her tear-streaked face and puffy, emerald eyes, a small cut running across the young filly’s cheek.

Without a warning Dawnbreaker’s horn lit up with a blinding gold and raspberry light as a massive burst of magic exploded from her forehead. Bloodmoon flashed up a weak shield as the Queen’s fury was unleashed upon her, flinging her back to where Spike had vanished.

It was a two-player game now.

Rainbow didn’t bother with her sword anymore as she panted before leaping at one of the remaining Chaosblessed. The blue mare stood up on her hind legs, wings keeping balance as she threw punch after punch. Behind her, Dawn began battling the other two attackers.

The alicorn leapt into the air and crashed down at the hooves of another leather-clad mare. She tossed her head, horn aglow, and the pony was tossed far away, her body twitching and spasming as electricity burned her inside out. Dawnbreaker shifted her weight and slid to the side, her wings fighting against instinct to open, stayed cocooned over her foal. Another burst of magical fire left her long, lavender horn, sizzling in the heavy rain as it engulfed another attacker, yet, they just kept coming. What was this, an army?

Rainbow Dash threw one last punch into the assassin’s abdomen making the pony give in as she collapsed to the ground only to disappear in a haze of black, seconds after. Rainbow turned to run to Dawn’s side only to be cut off by another buck.

Without a second thought she hurled herself forward and slid under the gun-wielding stallion, her hind leg traveling skyward as she smashed it right in his privates’. A high-pinched squeak later he disappeared and Rainbow flapped her wings and bolted in the alicorn’s direction.

Rainbow was steps away from her friend and niece as she was once more bashed aside. Bloodmoon stood above her, the lower parts of her legs charred and reaking of cooked flesh, her tail completely singed off and one of her amber lenses cracked.

“Pony go bai-bai.” she snarled as she brought both forehooves down on Rainbow’s chest. The prismatic protector spat blood as she felt half of her ribs crumble under the heavy collision.

Bloodmoon suddenly left her with one more silent pop as she teleported back to the Queen, black mist trailing behind her.

Rainbow tried to breathe with her totaled ribcage, but found it impossible. She hacked and gasped but there were no lungs to be filled with air. The mare’s vision began to blur, darkness seeping into her mind as she so very desperately tried to rummage through the bags on her flanks for a savior.

And once more, some goddess was looking over her as Rainbow managed to rip a healing potion from her saddlebag. Along came about a hoofful of rune ammo but she didn’t care as her shaky hoof raised the glass vial to her lips. As the sweet, red liquid touched her tongue the darkness retreated, air began to fill her chest as the bloody indents began to raise up and her bones began to crunch back into place.

The faded blue mare hacked up some more blood as she poured the remeinder of the potion over her chest, speeding up the painful process as she shoved herself to her shaky hooves, the healing magic still coursing through her insides.

The rain was growing even heavier as it began to obscure her vision. The mare’s head spun and throbbed as she began to drag, pace, trot and finally run at the Master Assassin one last time, her olden body nearly giving up on her.

Dawnbreaker and Bloodmoon were locked in a tight dance of blades, the Queen had stolen one of the unicorn’s swords and was now hacking at her as they both sidestepped the other's attacks.

Rainbow leaned her head to her left, only to bite on thin air as she remembered poor Firefly lost somewhere on the battlefield. The mare snarled as she raced towards Bloodmoon, a desperate attempt to give Dawn a chance at victory, but before the mare was even half-way to her target Bloodmoon snapped around. The Chaosblessed unicorn leaped backwards as she wrapped her pink magic around an abandoned rune pistol and fired straight at Rainbow.

The runestone ripped through her barding and into her already violated shoulder, sending the tired mare tumbling backwards. Luckily the healing potion was still in effect as Rainbow felt the magic stone being painstakingly pushed out from her body as she desperately tried to rise, her blood cascading down her forehoof along with a river of rainwater.

Two quiet pops and she found four hooves holding her down to the ground. Two massive bucks had thrown their limbs around her and pinned her to the soaking ground. The prismatic protector roared and trashed her as best she could, the battle long since worn her out as she tried to use her hoof-claw to rake at one of the ponies holding her down, purely in vain.

She was trapped…

Rainbow watched as the remaining Chaosblessed disappeared into black mist that quickly washed away in the downpour, leaving only a shocked Dawnbreaker and a turbulent Bloodmoon.

The alicorn had let her guard down for just a second as her violet eyes were on Rainbow, a little vermilion blur on her back quietly sobbing, audible even through the rain.

That one opening was all the Master Assassin needed.

Bloodmoon lunged forward, her own sword swatting away the stunned alicorn’s only weapon. She thrust her powerful hoof forward as it clamped at the top of the crimson-purple plate around Dawn’s chest. The unicorn vigorously ripped the armor away, revealing the vulnerable, lavender chest of her Queen.

“NO!” Rainbow screamed and trashed her limbs harder than before, one of buck’s letting go. But it was all too late and she could only watch. Only watch as Bloodmoon jammed something resembling a poisoned crossbow bolt into Dawnbreaker’s chest and leaped aside.

The golden glow around the alicorn’s horn died in an instant as her eyes glossed over, all the strength leaving her body. Dawnbreaker trembled as she fell to her knees, Nova screaming into her ear as he mother fell over in a heap.

Rainbow threw the assassin that was still holding her down aside as she rushed for the fallen mare. Bloodmoon still didn’t give her a chance as she cut her off, leaping at the screaming filly that was hunched over her fallen mother.

Rainbow became hysterical. Her vision blurred once more, her breathing almost forgotten as she ran, wings limping against her sides. All she could see was the Chaosblessed dive at the filly in slow motion.

Rainbow Dash stepped on one of the dropped swords and slipped, world returning to full-speed as she fell forward on her face. She toppled over her head and hooves, only to see the Master Assassin reach out and wrap her destroyed hooves around the petrified filly crying out for a saviour.

“AUNTIE!” Nova screamed, tears running down from her emerald eyes across her rain-soaked face just before the hated unicorn and her captive disappeared with a quiet pop.

The faded blue mare’s breaths turned to chokes and sobs as she dragged herself over to Dawnbreaker’s still form. Rainbow tossed her leather-clad hooves on the alicorn’s chest as she pushed her head in her lap, the rain gushing over them like a river.

“No-no-no-Dawn! DAWN! Dawn wake up! WAKE UP, DAMNIT!” The mare screamed and hyperventilated, rummaging through her saddlebags as she stared into those glassy, violet eyes.

“TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT, DO YOU HEAR ME!? TWILIGHT!” She kept screaming, mind ignoring the fact that every last one of the attackers had vanished and the rain had washed away all the blood, her own injuries long since healed.

Rainbow pulled out three more healing potions from her bags as she began to violently rip them open, showering the fallen alicorn in their sweet liquid, her cuts and gashes healing, the deadly green still there.

Dawnbreaker’s chest rose slower each time as her vivid colors had turned bleak, magical mane reverting back to actual hairs in that deep, sapphire color. From where the poisoned bolt had been driven into her spread a spider web of green. Her bloodstream, becoming infected and poisoned as Rainbow poured the very last, useless potion she had into the mare’s throat.

“No, please, Twilight, please, don’t die, for the love of Celestia and Luna don’t die… we can’t do it without you… I can’t… without you I can’t…” Rainbow Dash whispered, her tears mixing with the cold rain. “Nova, please, she… please, Twilight…” The prismatic protector choked on her sob as she lowered her head and pressed it against her best friend’s forehead, tears rolling along with Twilight’s, down her lavender coat.

“S-save her…” the alicorn croaked, her voice fragile like a glass figurine.

“I can’t, not without you, Twi… please, you’re going to make it… please…” the pegasus whimpered.

“…I'm sorry…” Twilight began to close her eyes.

“NO! Twilight…” Rainbow gasped as she tried to shake the goddess.

“I'm sorry…”

“PLEASE!”

“Save her…” Twilight closed her eyes, her last breath leaving her lips. A single tear rolled down her cheek as Rainbow finally collapsed against her limp form and cried. The mare hadn’t cried in years, so very many years… and she finally could.

o.O.o

They found her sobbing, the heavy rain long since turned to a light drizzle as the first rays of the ownerless sun broke through the clouds above Haven.

And they yelled at her, they didn’t believe her, and blamed her no matter how much she yelled and begged, the limp form of Queen Dawnbreaker at their hooves.

The crossbow bolt was identical to hers, same poison only stronger, same model, same everything. No bodies, no injuries, no fight. But she kept yelling.

Pink saw her cry, Pink had know her the best before the Fall and she didn’t believe her as they yelled. Orange was standing her ground and fought alongside Pink, her silver tongue spinning truths from lies. Lies! All lies!

White stood aside. She didn’t want to be there. She didn’t say a word, she only cried, makeup streaking her face. White didn’t say a word.

They yelled. So much yelling as Pink raged, beleving that she hid Nova and wasnt telling where their niece was. She yelled so very much.

“You are going to DIE for your crimes!” Was the last thing Pink shouted in a fit of rage at her begging and wallowing, yet, determined form. All before the guards bashed her in the head and carried her away to her prison and death.

Twilight Sparkle and Queen Dawnbreaker were gone forever.

Author's Note:

And so begins an epic tale...

I sincerely hoped you enjoyed this and let me know anything you have to say down in the comments! Feel free to rip this to shreds with some constructive criticism, I wont mind. Point out any errors and I'll go fix em' and so on and so on.
Stay tooned my fateful followers!

Comments

[Recovery15]

Interesting

[Mr Pones]

I was fully expecting this to be called Dashonored...

[enamis]

2271481 Yeah, that's kind of like the unofficial name, I figured I'd call it Dishonored so people can find it.
2271463 I'm happy you liked it

[Recovery15]

2271481
I've never played dishonored, but this makes me want to

[Aslfrasle]

This is pretty well done, barely any spelling or grammatical errors.

If I had any suggestions, it would be to try and be a little more descriptive. When you were describing the environment and places early in the chapter, there was one or two lines for everything. Granted there are times where this is better, though a more meaty description can help in pulling someone into that environment.

Another suggestion would be trying to use more differentiated adjectives. An example would be how throughout the chapter, you always used the word 'grey'. Perhaps you could use other terms like pallid, ashen, smoky, or drained. Not using the same adjective over and over can make your story seem more professional and serious.

Also for later chapters, FiMFiction uses hr in [ ] as the tag for line breaks and 'horizontal rules' as opposed to the <br> tag used in HTML and other things.

Hope this helps.

[enamis]

2288853 Wow, I'm really glad you liked it! And yeah, I was never the one for fancy descriptions of the environment My brain has two settings: Way too much or none at all! But thank you, I'll try even harder on the chapters to come!

hmmm

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Going to have to try that...