> Lightning's Revenge > by SeleneMizutani > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue: We Hate RD Club > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zephyr Breeze POV Thursday evening, at 8:30 pm, I set off to the local park to meet with the team. Even though Rainbow Dash just started dating Soarin yesterday, it felt like simply ages. I still don't understand why she chose Soarin. I'm much better than him. Anyway, I arrived at the park fifteen minutes later, and I walked to the flower garden. The roses from yesterday were still there, and upon seeing, a wave of nostalgia hit me. I smiled sadly, thinking of the times I spent here with Rainbow. Only to be rejected. Well, now I'm going to get my revenge on her, so the past is in the past. I looked around and saw a cloaked shadow signaling to me. It dove into a dark alley. I followed, and saw the shadow with five other cloaked figures. "Lightning Dust? Is that you?" I asked. The shadow replied,"Indeed." She took off her cloak, revealing her face for the first time. Lightning had spiky orange hair, mint-colored skin and she wore a white T-shirt and a black jacket with yellow stripes, blue jeans and green sneakers. "Good to have you join us. Since last year, I formed this team and recruited five members, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare and Indigo Zap. We all have one thing in common: We six all hate Rainbow Dash. She had done unforgettable things to all of us, just like what she did to you. Zephyr Breeze, welcome to the 'We Hate RD Club'." she said. I answered,"Thanks." The five other figures took off their cloaks. "I'm Sour Sweet." a girl with pink and blue scraped into a ponytail said. The others introduced themselves. Sugarcoat was a girl with blueish-gray hair in pigtails, Lemon Zest had yellow and green hair, Sunny Flare wore her pink and purple hair short, and Indigo Zap's hairstyle was similar to Lightning Dust's, but in a shade of navy blue. I asked,"What did Rainbow do to you six?" Sunny Flare replied angrily,"She and her pathetic friends made our school, Crystal Prep, lose the Friendship Games!" "She ruined the reputation of our school!" cried Sugarcoat. Indigo Zap said indignantly,"She cheated in the motocross competition and made me lose to her!" "We were being teased at losing because of her!" shouted Lemon Zest. Sour Sweet continued,"She destroyed our lives!" "When me and Rainbow studied at Wonderbolts Academy, the biggest sports school in the world, I told her to cheat in the audition soccer match and let us win easily by using a trick soccer ball! But she thought that so-called playing fair was better than winning and told on me to the coach, Spitfire! I was disgraced and disqualified! My life is in shambles!" yelled Lightning Dust. I asked again,"In one sentence, you hate her because she did something bad to you?" "YES!" the six answered in unison. "I hadn't fared it much worse. She ditched me for another guy and broke my heart!" I said. Lightning sighed,"Welcome to our world!" I asked for the third time,"Then how are we going to get our revenge on Rainbow?" "Here's the plan. I dress up as one of her friends, then lead her to the marked alley near Canterlot Mall, and capture her. So we could do whatever we want to her! We're going to hold a trial tomorrow. Wanna join?" said Lightning. "Okay!" I replied. She said,"Meet us here tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. Fine with you?" I answered,"I'll skip school just for the occasion." "See you then." said Sour Sweet. The six put their cloaks back on and left the alley. I followed them. In the midst, I heard Lightning Dust say,"Rainbow Dash, watch out! I will get my revenge!" > Amusement Park Chronicles > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV A month later... "Hey, Soarin. What should we do next?" I asked. Soarin replied,"Look, that seems nice. Want to give it a shot?" He pointed in a direction, towards the 'Tunnel of Love'. "Um, no thanks." I said. We were at an amusement park together, since it was a Saturday, to celebrate our first month together. BTW, I was just qualified to take off my crutches yesterday, so I'm going to make up for the past month by having as much fun as possible. Soarin asked,"Why? It says here in the brochure that it's the most popular ride for couples." "But they always kiss in there." I commented. He said,"That's the point! We have been dating for a month already. When can we..." "But I still feel guilty about Zephyr Breeze. Since we started holding hands in hallways, he always turns away, avoiding us. Once I dared myself to have eye contact with him, prepared for whatever devastated expression he had on his face, but I saw a surprising sight. He had an evil grin on his face, like a cold-blooded murderer. Something's up. So that's why I didn't dare to be in close contact with you when he's in the background." I explained. Soarin sighed,"Yeah. I kind of heel the same way about Spitfire. She's hiding from me ever since I rejected her." He told me about him and Spitfire a week after we started dating. "I love you, Rainbow. I told you countless times." he said. I said,"I'd love to go that ride with you, but not until our relationship is more...stable. I never told you this, but I want to save my first kiss for the love of my life. Can we wait until I fell more confident in you?" "Me too. We could wait a little longer." answered Soarin. I said,"Then may we go back home? It's 7 pm, and I'd like to call it a day." "Okay. Let's go." replied Soarin. As we left the amusement park, I thought that I saw Zephyr Breeze hiding behind a tree, grinning wickedly. Nothing. It's just my imagination. > Secret Basement > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lightning Dust POV I was down in my secret basement, waiting for the team. I sat down on a chair nearby and waited. A minute later, the team came from one of the secret passages I built. They allowed me to travel all across the city in secret, hence the name. Anyway, they arrived and sat down beside me. "Everyone, remember the plan?" I asked. Indigo Zap replied,"You dress up as one of Rainbow's friends, then trick her into going to the marked alley next to Canterlot Mall. Then we capture her and take her back here, right?" I nodded. "I brought this here. You guys take a look and confirm the disguise." I said. I pushed out a box from a dark corner. Zephyr Breeze, my newest and smartest recruit, opened it. There was a wig, mask and some clothes which resembles one of Rainbow's friends, called Sunset Shimmer. Sour Sweet said,"This looks good." "With all these in our control, we are able to so whatever we want to Dash. We can hurt her like she hurt us. We can destroy her and her friends. Then we take their magic and take over the world!" I cried. "YEAH!" shouted the team, along with me. I took out a bottle of soda and poured it into seven glasses. They each took one. I raised my own high into the air. "Here's to our success!" I cheered. Sunny Flare raised hers, and the others followed. We clinked glasses and downed the contents. Sugarcoat asked,"When do we meet tomorrow?" "At ten am, on the dot. Rainbow and her friends are going to the mall at ten thirty." I answered. "See you then." said Lemon Zest. The Shadowbolts left the basement, but Zephyr stayed behind. "Lightning Dust? I have very reliable news about Rainbow Dash." he said. I asked,"What is it?" "Rainbow said to Soarin that she wanted her first kiss to be with the real love of her life. Could you hurt her with this?" he said. I smiled evilly. "Yes, I can. Thanks for the news. You may go now." I said. Zephyr left the basement. I clenched my fist and smiled again, satisfied. > Canterlot Mall > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV It was a beautiful Sunday, and the weather looked like nothing could ever go wrong. I yawned and stretched, then got out of bed. Even though I just saw Soarin yesterday, but I couldn't wait to see him again today. We planned to meet at Canterlot Mall at 12 pm, after I am done with the gathering with my friends. I changed into my normal sporty style of clothes, packed my backpack and set off to the coffee shop in Canterlot Mall, our usual meeting place. Just then, my phone rang. It was a message from Twilight. It said:At the coffee shop. Come ASAP! I hurried on to Canterlot Mall. When I stepped indoors, a blast of chilly air hit me squarely in the face. It triggered my memory. A month ago, when I first met Soarin here... So much has happened since then. Soarin and Zephyr Breeze fought over me, but I chose Soarin, which brings us to the present. Twilight, Sunset and Rarity were waving to me from the coffee shop. I walked over to them. "Rainbow, we saved you a seat!" said Rarity. I asked while sitting down,"Where are the others?" "On their way. Hey, look! There's Pinkie and Fluttershy!" cried Twilight, pointing to the entrance of the mall. The duo walked over to our table. "Um, hi. I just saw Applejack coming." whispered Fluttershy. At that moment, Applejack arrived. "Hey, girls. What are we gonna do today?" she asked. Sunset replied,"First shopping, then freetime." "Can we go to Sugarcube Corner after shopping?" I asked. You see, I have something on my mind I need to let out. Pinkie Pie answered,"Okie dokie! I've got special triple-chocolate cupcakes wit assorted rainbow sprinkles for you all!" "Then it's settled. Shopping, Sugarcube Corner and freetime." concluded Twilight. Rarity suggested,"What about splitting into two groups to shop, then regroup back in Sugarcube Corner?" "Okay! I call me, Sunset, Pinkie and Fluttershy!" said Applejack. "Fine with me." I said. Applejack and her group set off towards the lifts. I said to Twilight and Rarity, who were with me,"Sorry, but I have to go to the bathroom. You guys go shopping first and I'll catch up." "Then we'll contact with our phones." replied Twilight. She and Rarity headed towards a cosmetic store in the distance, whilst I walked to the bathroom, opposite to the direction they have gone. I went into a cubicle and did my business, then walked out out. What I saw surprised me. > Surprises Keep Coming > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV Sunset was waiting for me outside the bathroom. Huh? "Hey, Sunset. How did you know that I am here? You went before I went to the bathroom." I asked tentatively. She replied nervously,"Um...er...I...heard from your other friends." "What do you mean? They are your friends too! What made you become so weird?" I said. She said,"Oh...nothing!" "Your voice is different and you're acting strange. Are you really alright?" I asked. "Um...I caught a cold yesterday! Anyway, come on, I want to show you something!" she said. I hesitated,"Um...okay, as long as it's quick." Before Sunset started taking me somewhere, I sent a message to our chatroom. Going somewhere with Sunset! If I'm not at Sugarcube by 11, call me. The message said. Sunset started dragging me outside the mall. "Where are we going?" I asked. She replied casually,"Just over there. That alley." I followed her cautiously. The alley was empty except for a few cardboard boxes. It was dark, very dark. Creepy. I started to say,"Sunset, this place looks spooky. What is it that you want to show-" I was cut off by a strange noise coming from the shadows. I stepped back gingerly. Looking around, it's like that I was being watched. "Who's there? Show yourself!" I cried. Things happened in a blur. All of a sudden, I felt people approaching me from an unknown direction, and before I knew it, my hands were pinned behind behind my back. I struggled furiously, but my captors wouldn't let go. A flashlight was shone directly in my face. Once I was accustomed to the blinding light, I was able to distinguish the holder of the flashlight. "Sunset Shimmer?! Why are you doing this to me? I thought that we are friends!" I screamed. She said coldly,"We WERE friends. You cared more about 'playing fair' than being a Wonderbolt. You made me leave the academy in disgrace, ruined my future, my dreams and my life!" "Huh?" I said, confused. Sunset replied,"Oh, sorry. Forgot to take these off." She took off her face (mask) and hair (wig), revealing her true identity. Lightning Dust. That girl. I hate her so much. I asked,"Lightning Dust? What do you want?" "You should know. REVENGE! You're gonna pay for everything you've done!" she cried. I exclaimed,"What did I do? You cheated in that soccer match! I had to be fair!" "I just wanted to make a good impression on the Wonderbolts! Now they look at me with contempt and disgrace!" Lightning hollered. I yelled,"Then that doesn't mean that you could impersonate Sunset Shimmer and trick me like that! You have no morale!" "I needed an excuse to lure you here. So loyal and trustworthy. Rainbow Dash, do you know that your loyalty is both your greatest strength and your greatest weakness? So easy to get you." she replied. "I sent my friends a text before coming here with you. They will sense something's wrong and come here to help me." I said mockingly. Lightning laughed,"Me and my best friends will prevent it. We have change a lot and are better than ever!" "What best friends?" I asked. How could a lowdown cheater like her find friends? Enemies are more like it. She answered,"I'll introduce you to them once we get back." "To whe-" I said. As I spoke, Lightning snapped her fingers, and the next thing I knew, blows came to the back of my head and I lost consciousness. > Stinky Sewers > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lightning Dust POV I snapped my fingers, and from behind Dash, Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat whacked her on the back of her head hard with wooden sticks. She collapsed to the ground, but before her eyes closed, I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. Good! Let her worry more. I signaled to the rest of the team and they came out of the shadows. Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest bound her hands to her sides and her knees and ankles together. Once this was done with, we loaded her into a cart. I moved away the cardboard boxes to reveal a secret passage. We disappeared through the entrance, and followed the dark tunnel into the underground sewers. I lit a torch, illuminating the endless path ahead of us. It was a long journey, and the passage really stinks, but fortunately for us, Rainbow stayed unconscious throughout the twenty-five minute long trip. The tunnel led to my basement, along with others. I tied Rainbow to a prepared chair, and gagged her with a piece of cloth. Finally! I can get my revenge! And no one will stop me, even by the name of the law. Not even her pathetic friends, and not even...Soarin. I once had a major crush on him, but now my heart is filled with hate. I don't need love to survive. At least, I don't need it now. Suddenly, as I was looking at Rainbow, she started to stir. > Something's Wrong > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunset Shimmer POV The morning passed real quick when shopping, and at 11:05 our group arrived at Sugarcube Corner. Twilight and Rarity were sitting on sofas near the cashier, but I don't see Rainbow Dash anywhere. She must have gone to the bathroom. She always does that lately. "Hey girls!" greeted Twilight,"Have you seen Rainbow just now? She went to the bathroom in the mall 35 minutes ago and never came back." Rarity continued,"She sent a text to our chatroom that she went somewhere with Sunset, and to call her if she doesn't regroup with us." "What? I was with our group the whole time!" I exclaimed. Twilight suggested,"Let's wait for her. She might just be late for the hundredth time." So we sat down and waited for five minutes, but still no sign of her and no contact at all. "Where could she be?" wondered Pinkie. Applejack replied,"Just like Rainbow to bring us here and not show up!" I said,"But it's not her personality to leave us behind like that." Suddenly, our geodes started glowing vibrantly. Fluttershy whispered,"Um, check out our geodes!" The glow became even brighter. "Is Rainbow using her super speed again?" asked Rarity. I replied,"No, I can't hear anyone's thoughts." The glow disappeared as fast as it appeared. "It's normal now!" exclaimed Twilight. Just then, all the color faded from our geodes, leaving behind a dreary grey. Applejack said,"Huh? Why did the color disappear?" "Something's off. Something happened to Rainbow. There's something wrong!" I cried. > Stolen Memories, Still Fresh In My Heart > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV My eyes fluttered open. I was in a dark room, without any light. The last thing I remember... Oh, goodness! Lightning's gonna torture me to death, like last time! Why does life have to treat me like that? I'm a human too! I tried to move, but failed. I was tied to a wooden chair, and a piece of cloth was shoved into my mouth. Oh, not again. What will Lightning do to me? I dreaded the answer, since I already knew. All of a sudden, a lone spotlight was shone on me, and Lightning Dust appeared. She was back in her normal clothes, smiling wickedly. Like last time...like last time...like last time. I know. A blazing inferno. That's what she's like last time. A month ago... A normal Friday, as usual. I was waking back to school as usual, eager to meet my friends. And Soarin, of course. We just started dating two days ago. As I passed an alley, a hard blow collided to the back of my head, and I fell, unconscious. -TIME SKIP (two hours later)- I woke up only to find a searing pain in all parts of my body. I looked down to see blood, fresh blood, splattered all over my clothes. My arms and legs were covered in knife wounds, still dripping blood. Blood was staining the ground as droplets touched the floor, creating a hollow 'drip-drip' sound. I tried to move, but I was tied down to a chair with ropes, the binds digging into my flesh. Oh, goodness! What exactly had happened after I was knocked out?! I looked back up to see a girl I least wanted to see. She was grinning all over her face, but her eyes were full of anger. Inferno. The only word I could find to describe the fury in her soul. Back to the present... "Rainbow Dash, the lead guitarist of the Rainbooms, the captain of almost every sport team in CHS, the infamous cadet of the Wonderbolts...in my total dominance!" said Lightning with faux concern. She removed my gag, so I could speak. I asked,"What are you going to do to me?" "Hurt you, of course. Like you hurt me." she replied casually, polishing the knife she was holding. "Where are we?" I asked again. Lightning answered,"Relax, you're just in my basement. Me and my best friends brought you here." "Who are your friends? Surely a cheater who has no potential to play soccer justice and has to depend on a trick ball to win a match couldn't find any friends." I said. She said,"You have met them all before. They are old acquaintances of yours." Six cloaked figures stepped out from the endless darkness around me. They removed their cloaks and revealed themselves. I gasped. The Shadowbolts were there, along with Zephyr Breeze. "What are you six doing here? And why are you working with Lightning?" I exclaimed. Lightning Dust replied for them,"You broke Zephyr's heart and ruined Crystal Prep's reputation. They have held a grudge on you since then, so I gave them the glorious opportunity to join me, and get their revenge on you." "B...But you didn't have to do this to me! You all knew I didn't mean it!" I said. Sour Sweet said,"You did mean it. We won so many times that CHS was jealous, so you used 'magic' to wreck us!" "But-" I started to say. Lightning interrupted,"They have spoken. Since I knew you a year back, you already ruined everything for me and my best friends. Now it's time for us to retaliate!" "You broke my heart just because you wanted to be with that Soarin. You never cared about my feelings!" cried Zephyr. I faintly protested,"But I never-" "So annoying. Just shut up and let me go back to work!" said Lightning. "Help! Please!" I screamed in my mind, but I knew it was useless. Meanwhile, Lightning opened my backpack, which was on another chair nearby. "Speaking of friends, they won't be able to help you out this time." she said. She took out my phone. I cried,"What are you doing!" Lightning ignored me and pulled out my geode. She placed the two items on a table nearby and from her weapons, she picked a sledgehammer and raised it high above her head. "No one will even know you're here!" she laughed. I pleaded,"Please don't!" I struggled as hard as I possibly could, but the knots holding me were tight and didn't give way. "BANG!" The hammer landed on my phone and my geode, and bits and pieces flew everywhere. A larger piece of my geode struck my face, leaving a deep cut. Blood trickled down my face. The piece of my geode landed on my lap, still stained with my blood. I gazed at it sadly. So many fond memories that I've shared with my friends within it...all gone. A tear rolled down my cheek. In the corner of my eye, I saw Lightning smile. > Secluded House > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunset Shimmer POV "Something's off. Something happened to Rainbow. There's something wrong!" I cried. Twilight said,"What? The last time I've seen her was about forty minutes ago. Such a short time, she couldn't have gone far." The doors suddenly flew open, creating an almighty BANG. Fluttershy jumped violently. A strong breeze was picking up as we rushed outside. Our hair was tossed around in the playful breeze. However, Rarity wasn't so enthusiastic about it. "Oh my goodness! My hair's a total mess!" she cried. As she wailed and moaned over her ruined hairstyle, our geodes started to glow once again. Then, an amazing thing happened. The geodes levitated in midair and pointed toward a particular direction. I tried forcefully walking in the opposite direction, but my geode yanked me in that particular direction. Applejack called,"The geodes are warning us! Rainbow must be somewhere over there!" She took off straight into the unknown, and we followed. We passed buildings, houses and parks, until we came to a plain, secluded house with a small garden. Pinkie asked,"Hello? Is anyone home?" My geode glowed even brighter. "Huh? Why only mine is glowing this time?" I wondered. Just when I was least expecting it, I could hear a familiar voice I called,"Rainbow Dash? Is that you?" Twilight turned to me. "Snap out of it, Sunset. She isn't here." she pointed out bluntly. Voices were coming from the ground. I knelt down and presses my ear to the grass. "Oh, I wish that my friends were here. They could help me get out of this inferno. But my phone and my geode were destroyed by Lightning Dust. It's hopeless." I heard Rainbow say. I stood up and asked,"Does anyone know who is Lightning Dust?" "Um, she's a girl who's disqualified from Wonderbolts Academy of cheating, and she really hates Rainbow Dash." replied Fluttershy. I gasped. "I think Rainbow is somehow captured by Lightning Dust," I said,"My powers activated and I heard Rainbow calling for help!" Applejack asked,"Then how do we rescue her?" "This is something we can't solve alone. Twilight, you, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy go and find Soarin. He needs to know about this." I said. Rarity asked,"Then what about you, darling?" "I'm going to find help. I need to go to Equestria!" I replied determinedly. > Equestria > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Princess Twilight POV It was another normal, relaxing morning in the Castle of Friendship. I was in the library reading peacefully (for the umpteenth time), when all of a sudden, the Crystal Mirror placed in the corned of the room started glowing and beeping. Weird. I put down my crimson colored book titled 'All Rare and Radical Spells of Equestria' and trotted over to the mirror. I inspected it closely but there seemed to be nothing wrong. As I stuck my face very closely to the clear polished surface of the mirror, a figure suddenly rolled out from the mirror, landing right on top of me. "What the..." I muttered. The figure stood up shakily and asked no one in particular,"Am I back in Equestria?" I recognized the figure and said,"Sunset Shimmer? What brings you here?" Sunset rushed towards me in a state of panic. "Twilight! Oh, I'm so happy that you're here! Our world needs your help! No, actually we need the Mane Six together!" she cried. I asked frantically,"What happened? Tell me!" "The Rainbow Dash in our world has been kidnapped by Lightning Dust! She's very dangerous, and we need to stop her from hurting Rainbow!" she said. I exclaimed,"Oh no! We need to tell the others!" I cast a summoning spell and within minutes the others were all here in the library. Applejack asked,"What happened, Twilight?" "We came as fast as we could!" cried Fluttershy. I said,"Rainbow Dash's human counterpart has been kidnapped by Lightning Dust from her world! Sunset came to tell me." "Yes, that's true and we need your help. She's gonna hurt Rainbow if we're too late." added Sunset. "We've got to stop her!" cried Rainbow Dash (from Equestria). I said,"But first, we have to dress up, or there'll be two of us at the same time. Rarity, got any wardrobe options?" "Yes, darling!" Rarity replied. She pulled out a rack of clothes from apparently nowhere. The clothes were equipped with wigs and shoes, which are essential if we are going to travel through the portal into the alternate world. We, except Sunset dressed in the clothes, making us look totally different from how we look now. I had pale pink hair, a casual shirt in purple and a miniskirt. Applejack still had her trusty Stetson hat on, but now she had brown braids, a Western vest and jeans. As for Rainbow Dash, she had a blue and red ponytail, an athletic shirt and ripped jeans. Rarity got lilac and lavender hair, and a magenta dress studded with diamonds. Pinkie Pie had her new mint green hair into pigtails, a forest green vest and skirt. Fluttershy had auburn hair, and a yellow dress. We looked totally different than we looked before. "Okay. Can we go now? Time won't stop for us!" cried Sunset impatiently. I put the Elements of Harmony into a satchel, and nodded. With Sunset leading the way, we walked through the mirror. "Another adventure awaits!" I thought. > Bad News > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin POV I woke up fairly late this morning, at about 10:30 am. I lazily dressed and went downstairs and cooked pancakes for breakfast. Ten minutes later, the pancakes were cooked and I sat down for breakfast. The pancakes were almost finished when I heard the doorbell ringing. It rang and rang again. Gosh, the person(s) outside must be really impatient. I hurried up and opened the door. I saw Rainbow's friends at my doorstep, waiting impatiently. "Soarin, something's happened!" cried Twilight Sparkle. I asked,"What? Slow down for a bit and tell me." "Rainbow has been kidnapped by her nemesis, Lightning Dust! We need your help to rescue her!" said Applejack. I replied,"Oh no! Let's go NOW!" "Oh, and bring a first-aid box just in case Rainbow might be injured." reminded Rarity. I grabbed one just nearby and left the house. We raced to a secluded house. Sunset Shimmer was waiting for us, six strange girls in tow. "Who are they?" I asked. Sunset replied,"Actually, another world parallel to this one exists. These girls are Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rainbow's counterparts. They are dressed up so there wouldn't be two of them at the same time. Since I come from that world, which it's name is Equestria, so I don't have a duplicate of myself." A girl with blue and red hair piped up,"So, you're my counterpart's boyfriend, huh?! A big deal." "We found a manhole which apparently leads to our destination. Let's go." said Sunset. She, the counterparts, the real ones and I went to the western edge of the garden, where there's a manhole. Twilight Sparkle opened the cover. Pee-yoo! It stinks so bad! There were stairs leading down to darkness. "Luckily, I brought torches (modern ones)." said Sunset. She gave us one each, which adds up to thirteen. We descended into the darkness I thought: We're gonna save Rainbow. That's a promise. > Physical Torture > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV After Lightning Dust destroyed my phone and my geode, she said,"Now you're alone with us." Oh My Hell. When will the torment stop?! Sugarcoat stepped forward and gagged me again. Just great (sarcastic). I can't even speak. I was forced to sit still on the chair, confined by ropes. Lightning walked over to me and lightly stroked my shoulder. I flinched. "We've got a lot in store for you, sweetie." she said gently, but I could fell the sarcasm in her tone. Lemon Zest handed her a sharp knife. Oh goodness, no! "You're going to pay. With every drop of blood for each tear we shed." said Lemon, smiling. Lightning placed the knife on my left arm and slashed down, leaving a wound four inches long. I mentally screamed with pain. Blood gushed out of the wound, down my arm and dripping on the ground. Lightning said,"This pain is exactly how I felt when you sneaked on me!" She continued to create wounds on my arm, more blood coming out. The pain was unbearable. A tear slowly slid down my cheek. "Aw, someone's crying now! Weak, I call it. Especially for a person like you." teased Lightning. I remembered an unfortunate incident from a month ago... Flashback: Lightning Dust was smiling wickedly. She was holding a knife stained with my blood. My blood was on her clothes, but she didn't seem to care. "Oh, Rainbow. Care to tell me the reason of this?" she asked. She held up a newspaper clipping. The headlines said: Superhero Girls Save The World! Below the headlines, there were a photo of me and my friends. How did this get on the papers?! She continued,"How did you get the 'magic' as it says on the papers?" I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't about to let her know about Equestria and our counterparts! No, never! "Well, are you answering?" she said impatiently,"I haven't got all day!" I said defiantly,"No! Never!" "You're going to answer, I know it." she smirked. I said again,"No! I won't ever do this!" "Then...I shall make you watch as I kill each and every one of your precious loved ones..." Lightning said. The color drained from my face. "No...please don't hurt my friends..." I whispered. She asked again,"Then are you going to tell me?" "F...Fine...You see...it all starts like this..." I said. I couldn't help it. I don't want my loved ones to get hurt. A few minutes later, I told Lightning everything. She smiled, satisfied. "You promise you wouldn't hurt my friends?" I asked. She replied,"I think I won't." "Not yet." she added. My blood ran cold. "Since you kept your promise, I'll let you go. Just don't tell anyone about this. Not even your friends and Soarin. Got it?" she said. I nodded. She cut my bonds with her knife. I stood up shakily. Back to the present... Blood covered my whole left arm now. Lightning finally stopped and said,"Hey, do you want to have a go?" She passed the knife to Indigo Zap, who was standing nearby. Indigo took it. She continued to inflict wounds on my other arm. There was nothing I could do but to witness blood gushing out of my wounds. Fifteen minutes later... My arms and legs were covered in blood. The wounds really hurt. "You see?! That's we felt when you and your pathetic 'friends' humiliated us in front of our classmates!" cried Sunny Flare. Yeah? So what? The torture sucks, but I'm not gonna surrender. I think the look in my eyes tell Lightning Dust this, because she said,"Not enough to make you bow down before us? Then, you'll get more!" A brutal beating later (I don't want to write it out because I don't want to add the warning 'violence')... Bruises, cuts, wounds were all over me. It hurts. A LOT. I couldn't complain. I COULDN'T COMPLAIN. I COULDN'T COMPLAIN! That will be giving up. Lightning smiled wickedly. > Infinite Darkness > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin POV As we descended into the eternal darkness, it was starting to creep me out. The drip-drop of the sewer water all around me, the hollow sound of the wind, the stink... I pulled my hands closer to my heart, hearing the pulse. Even the torch I'm holding did little to console me. The feeble light it gives off lights up the environment we're in right now. I took another step forward, knowing that Rainbow was somewhere in the darkness. If Lightning Dust harms even one single hair on her head, I swear I'll...kill her! "Huh? It's a dead end!" said Sunset, who was leading the way. A wall was blocking our path. I stepped forward and moved my palm across the wall, looking for hidden entrances. A moment later, I felt a doorknob near the side of the wall. So this was a door, not a wall! I whispered,"This isn't a wall! It's a door!" I tried it but it wouldn't open. "But it's locked." I added. Twilight said,"Even I can open the door with my magic, but it's not a good time to do so. I'll conjure a screen so we could see inside, and when the time is right, I can burst open the door and take them by surprise!" Wow. She's really smart. She touched her geode hanging from her neck and drew a rectangle in midair. A screen appeared, showing what was happening in the room. What we saw made us all gasp loudly. Rainbow Dash was tied to a chair, blood all over her. I saw still more blood gushing from numerous wounds on her body. Oh My Gosh. Lightning and her comrades will pay for this. She was faintly protesting,"I'll never betray my friends for anything and join you!" "Yes you will, or I'll have to force you into submission." Lightning replied, smirking. I wish I could charge in the room and wipe that grin off her face. She was also covered in Dash's blood, but she didn't seem to care. "No...You wouldn't dare..." muttered Rainbow. She looked terrified. "Yes, I'm serious, and I'm going to take away all you love." Lightning said wickedly. She casually set the knife she was holding on a nearby table and advanced towards Rainbow Dash. "What are you going to do?" asked Rainbow. Lightning replied,"Oh, you'll know." She abruptly sat sideways on Dash's lap. "Lightning...I'm serious...What are you..." Rainbow complained. She was cut off by Lightning suddenly kissing her passionately on the lips. Rainbow's eyes widened with fear. She started to blush a crimson red against her will, I could tell. She tried to scream, but Lightning seized the opportunity and forced her tongue into Rainbow's mouth. If her eyes could widen even more, it certainly did. Rainbow struggled as hard as she could against her bonds, but Lightning's weight held her in place. "Soarin...Soarin...Are you OK?" a voice asked. I turned away from the screen and saw Twilight. She said again,"You were shaking uncontrollably." "That...that scum, she did that to Rainbow! She said that she was saving her first kiss to the love of her life!" I cried. Twilight placed an arm over my shoulder and said,"She'll be okay. Just believe." I turned back to the screen and saw that Lightning had pulled away and Rainbow was screaming furiously at Lightning. "How dare you steal my first kiss away from me?! You'll pay for this!" yelled Rainbow . Lightning replied, laughing,"You couldn't even get out of the chair!" "That kiss was saved for Soarin, not you!" said Rainbow. I flinched inwardly when I heard that. "I never wanted to tell on you in the Wonderbolts Academy, Lightning. If only you would just listen, I just wanted to be fair. I just told Spitfire that I knew someone who put a trick soccer ball instead of a legitimate one. That's all, I swear!" cried Rainbow. Lightning answered,"No! You had always wanted to humiliate me in front of everyone! The trick was just a smokescreen!" "And, by the way, we're aren't done yet with you..." she continued. Oh no. > Machinery > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV After hearing Lightning say that, I struggled as hard as I could (not that I wasn't already). "We've got one last thing in store for you, and noted that it will hurt most of all." she said. Oh my gosh. Please no. She untied the bonds that kept me to the chair and forced me to stand up. Unfortunately, those weren't the only ropes around me. She and Sunny Flare forcefully pushed me to the corner of the room, where an imposing machine stood. It was a metal board, two meters high, with circular objects by the four corners of it. Wires were connected to the circular objects, leading to something like a juice machine, where the juice comes out by itself. "This was made by your 'friend' Twilight Sparkle, before she transferred to Canterlot High. She once told Sugarcoat here, that she hopes to investigate the origin of your magic by using this machine in her old Crystal Prep room. It could drain one's magic out into a liquid. But she left, and this machine was for our taking." explained Lightning. Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest locked my arms and legs to the circular objects on the board. So that's what these are for. The wires were attached to me. I couldn't bear to think about what would happen. Lightning taunted,"I want your magic. But I remember the last time we met, you firmly refused. So, I'm going to use force." She walked over to the control panel of the machine and flipped a switch. A whirring noise started from the board I was strapped to, and the next thing I knew, an excruciating pain shot through my whole body. I screamed. I felt something drain out of my body, my essence to live, to survive. I looked down at the lower part of my body and saw that a blue substance, which I guess is my magic, seep out of my body and flow into the wires, leading to the 'juice machine'. The blue substance was coming out from a hole into a glass cup. Lightning flipped another switch, and the pain became even more unbearable. It's like people are holding your limbs and yanking them up in a single pull. More of my magic was drained out, but as I looked again, my legs were starting to turn grey. The pain only increased, but I couldn't surrender just yet! I am the legendary Rainbow Dash, the superstar of CHS! Suddenly, a jolt of pain hit me, and I blacked out. > Magical Mayhem > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin POV Through the magical screen, I saw the heart-wrenching scene unfold right before my eyes. It was heartbreaking to see my girlfriend being tortured like this, but the worst of all, Lightning Dust and her comrades were laughing. LAUGHING! When someone was screaming in pain in front of you! She's insane! As I watched helplessly, a surprising thing happened. Rainbow's vibrant colors were slowly, but surely fading into a lifeless shade of grey. The Equestrian Twilight muttered,"Just like when Discord corrupted us..." Rainbow fainted in the next room. The magic continued to seep out of her body. It ran along the wires attached to her and into a 'juice machine'. The magic was filtered and turned into a blue liquid, like a potion. As she became completely grey in color, and all the magic was converted into the blue liquid, Lightning Dust took down the cup with the mysterious substance. "Here's to our success domination of the world!" cried Lightning with an unspeakable glee on her face. She drained the cup in one gulp. A rumbling sound began, as the whole basement trembled, knocking everyone off their feet. The transformation of Lightning started. Mint-green wings sprouted from her back, pony ears replaced her original, her casual clothes changed into a dark purple set of armor, and her pupils contracted and turned red. She was a terrifying sight to behold. Heck yeah, I'm lucky to survive the ordeal! "The world is ours!" she said wickedly. She readied a deathly blast of golden magic and aimed it at the lifeless form of Rainbow Dash. I cried,"No! Let's charge in and save Rainbow!" Twilight Sparkle nodded and blasted the door open, startling the people inside the room. "What are you doing here?" asked a stunned Zephyr Breeze. "Here to defeat the likes of you!" yelled Sunset Shimmer. Hey, that girl's got nerve. "Then let's begin!" said Lightning. Twilight whispered,"We handle the jerks, you go and help Rainbow. Flip the red switch and she will be released." I flashed an OK sign at her. Applejack, leading the mini battalion, roared and charged straight at the dangers to come. > Duel > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Third Person (trying something new this time) As the twelve girls charged towards Lightning Dust and her associates, Soarin sneaked quietly to the imposing machine Rainbow was chained to. He crept over to the control panel and flipped the red switch located in the middle. At once the chains let go and Rainbow's limp body fell to the ground. Soarin went over to her, carrying the first-aid box he had brought with her in the morning. Blood trickled down her multiple wounds, staining Soarin's clothes and the floor around her. He couldn't care less. Soarin took out a roll of gauze and started bandaging her wounds. "Oh, Rainbow. Why did Lightning do this to you?" he said silently. Five minutes later, all of Rainbow's wounds were taken care of, so Soarin sat down beside her, placing her head on his lap, as he didn't have magic and can't assist with the fight. He whispered,"I love you, Rainbow." ******************************************************************************************************** Meanwhile, in the battle zone... "See if you girls could handle this!" cried Lightning Dust. She prepared a zap of magic of shot it at her friends. They were also transformed into monstrous creatures just like her. Ready for combat, the villains put on a fighting stance and readied their best moves. The Equestrian Twilight took out the Elements of Harmony she had been holding all along and tossed them to her friends. "Ready?" she asked. "You bet!" Pinkie replied. With a blast of magic, the twelve girls ponied up. The Equestrian counterparts took the forms of the Power Ponies. Twilight: Masked Matter-Horn Pinkie: Fili-Second Rainbow Dash: Zapp Rarity: Radiance Fluttershy: Saddle Rager Applejack: Mistress Mare-velous They also gained the powers each pony got. The original ones just ponied up normally, using the powers they got from the geodes. The twelve split into pairs, each pairing up with their human or pony counterpart. As Sunset had no counterpart, and Zapp's counterpart was seriously injured, the two formed a pair. "We're ready for you, Lightning Dust!" cried Zapp. Lightning replied,"I'll sit and watch your defeat while my friends fight you one-on-two!" As she said that, a stone throne rose in the middle of the room. She flew over to it, and made herself comfortable. "Seriously?" said Masked Matter-Horn. Lightning snapped her fingers, and her comrades loaded their arms with blasts of magic, and charged. Watching each other's backs, the twelve superheroes took a deep breath each and also charged. It was dueling time! Twilight and Masked Matter-Horn immediately started attacking. Twilight levitated various sorts of objects at Sour Sweet, while Masked Matter-Horn froze the objects to make it hurt even more on contact. As chairs, tables, and other objects hit Sour, she screamed in pain, but retaliated quickly by throwing the 'missiles' back at them. Masked Matter-Horn created an ice wall, reflecting the objects back at Sour Sweet. The battle continues at the other side of the room, where Rarity and Radiance were in a full-out battle with Sunny Flare. Sunny Flare kept shooting blast after blast of deathly magic at the duo, while Rarity, with her dazzling diamond shield, reflected them back at her. At the same time, Radiance created a large number of energy constructs, and fired them at Sunny Flare. Sunny was too agile to be hit with her own magic or the energy constructs, so she lifted all of the energy at once and hurled them down on the floor, causing a mini explosion. Rarity and Radiance jumped out of the way, and Sunny Flare continued shooting explosions at them, so they fled and ran around the room, avoiding each blast. Next to them, Pinkie Pie and Fili-Second's hands were full with keeping Lemon Zest at bay. Fili-Second was running around Lemon in circles to try to distract her with her super-speed, as Pinkie Pie threw handfuls of cupcake sprinkles at Lemon, but she dodged each one. "Take that, you party-pooper!" cried Pinkie in her usual cheerful tone. She placed a can of sprinkles directly under Lemon Zest, who had the capability to fly, and it exploded, covering her in sticky cupcake batter, gluing her to the ceiling. Fili instantly ran up the nearest wall up to the ceiling, and stuck any loose bits of batter firmly to the ceiling. However, Lemon wasn't so easy to beat. She pulled herself free, and threw the batter back at the duo. They were stuck to the floor as Lemon Zest advanced on them, cackling madly. Applejack and Mistress Mare-velous were heated up on war with Sugarcoat, near to Pinkie and Fili-Second. Mistress Mare-velous tried her best to lasso Sugarcoat down, but she won't give up and commanded vines and thornbushes to hold the two steady, so she could launch a deathly blow. As the vines closed in on Mistress Mare-velous, Applejack ran to her rescue by using her secret weapon: Super strength. She pushed with all her might against the vines and successfully pushed them back against a wall. As Applejack lifted up a heavy table, gained altitude to throw it at Sugarcoat, she and Mistress Mare-velous heard screams to the right of them. They turned, momentarily distracted. Lemon Zest was advancing on Pinkie and Fili-Second, an evil grin on her face as she loaded a deathly blast. Applejack gasped and cried,"Pinkie! NO!" She rushed over to her fallen comrades and stood in front of them, blocking them from Lemon Zest. Lemon said evilly,"Good! One more to vanquish!" But before she could fire, Applejack pushed her with all her strength and she went flying, crashing against a wall. Mistress Mare-velous then seized the opportunity to bind Lemon Zest with her trusty lasso. "One down." she muttered to herself. Applejack pulled Pinkie and Fili-Second out of the cupcake batter. A screeching noise from behind startled the four superheroes. Sugarcoat was screaming over Lemon's defeat. She loaded yet again another blast and fired. At the crucial moment, Applejack raised a table and blocked the blast, reflecting it back to Sugarcoat. She dodged, but what she couldn't predict, was the blast also reflected off the wall ten feet behind her and hit her in the back of her head, causing her to pass out. Nearby, Fluttershy and Saddle Rager were busy dueling with Zephyr Breeze, who gained superhuman flight abilities. "Zephyr, why are you doing here?" asked Fluttershy. Zephyr replied,"You told me to find a job, big sis! I found one, and that's working for Lightning Dust!" "I meant a proper job! Not helping evil forces and nearly killing my best friend, Rainbow Dash!" she said. "DON'T EVER MENTION HER NAME TO ME! SHE BROKE MY HEART AND I'M JUST SEEKING REVENGE!" cried Zephyr, his face twisted with anger and loathing. Saddle Rager interrupted,"No more of these talking! Just fight already!" She lost her temper and started transforming into a gargantuan monster with inhuman strength and charged. Zephyr nimbly dodged and Saddle smashed into a wall, cracking it. The wall shivered and shook, then crashed in the end, as the debris fell on Zephyr, knocking him out. "Little brother! Are you alright?" asked Fluttershy. "DON'T SYMPATHIZE WITH HIM! HE'S A NO-GOOD CRIMINAL AND DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED!" cried Saddle, returning to her original form. Sunset Shimmer and Zapp were trying their best to fend off the aggressive Indigo Zap, but it was a hard job. Zapp fired lightning bolts at her, while Sunset tried to create illusions in her head to distract her. Indigo counter-attacked by hitting anyone she could, not even caring if it was enemy or ally. The duo were trying their hardest to dodge, but failed, and fell to the ground. Suddenly, Zapp had an idea. "You create a happy illusion to distract her, and I'll put her into a tornado!" she whispered to Sunset. Sunset nodded and let Indigo think that Rainbow Dash was killed and she was gazing at her dead body, kicking it into the sewer. As Indigo was trapped in the illusion, Zapp used her lightning bolt necklace to create a powerful tornado and it sucked Indigo in it, knocking her unconscious. "Yes!" shouted Zapp. Meanwhile, back at Twilight and Masked Matter-Horn's battle, things were looking good for them. Sour Sweet was tired from throwing the objects back at them, and her throws significantly weakened. Twilight used this to her advantage, and hurled a particularly large table with all her might at Sour. It hit her right on her solar plexus and she fell, fainted from the strong blow. On the other side of the room, Sunny Flare was on the downside too. Rarity and Radiance had recovered from the explosions, and were firing energy blasts at her. Sunny was knocked down to the ground, and Rarity bound her with her diamond shield. Still on her stone throne, Lightning Dust was shocked. It was apparent that they were losing the battle, and she had to prevent it from happening. "ENOUGH!" she yelled. Everyone fell silent. "That was only the beginning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to do." she said. > Draining > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV I opened my eyes as a searing pain shot through my whole body. Just now, I had a terrifying nightmare about Lightning Dust. It has been like that since the 'incident' a month ago. Yeah, you know. I saw...Soarin?! How could he even be here? He was looking at me concernedly. "Rainbow! You're awake! Are you OK?" he asked. I said,"S...Soarin? Why are you doing here?" "Never mind that. Does your wounds hurt? I swear I'll kill Lightning, why did she even do this to you?" he said. I sat up and gasped. My friends, along with the Power Ponies, which I assume are their Equestrian counterparts, were busy in combat with the Shadowbolts and Zephyr Breeze. Lightning Dust was sitting on a stone throne, surveying the whole scene up in the air. I looked at my body, and was in shock to find that it was still grey. I expect Lightning and her friends took my magic and placed it on themselves. "Why are the Equestrian counterparts here?" I asked. Soarin replied,"To save you, of course! But you're still grey, will you pull through?" "I think so." I said. As I continued watching the battle scene, I saw that my friends were taking the upside. Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare were tied up, Sugarcoat, Zephyr Breeze, Indigo Zap and Sour Sweet were knocked out. Lightning Dust was furious. She yelled,"ENOUGH!" Everyone fell silent. "That was only the beginning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to do." she said. She flew over to me and Soarin (she's a Pegasus). "What I need to win is...MORE POWER!" she cried triumphantly. Oh no. "Lightning, what are you going to do?" I asked bravely. She replied,"Everyone has magic inside of them, and the core of the soul: memories. Now I'm going to take away all the good times you've had in your life!" "No! Please, don't!" I cried,"Those are the most important moments of my life!" "Yeah! You've done enough damage here!" added Soarin. Lightning explained,"The more the memories matter to the person who possesses it, the more magic can be drained!" Suddenly, I felt lighter inside. I looked down and saw that Lightning was using my magic to lift me up into the air! "Help!" I screamed. Mistress Mare-velous tried her best to lasso me back to the ground, but Lightning moved me in midair to dodge the lasso. She forcefully dragged me to her and covered my mouth with a hand. I struggled as best as I could, but her grip was strong, and I couldn't move. Zapp, my counterpart, conjured lightning bolts aiming at Lightning, but she created a force field and reflected the bolts all over the room, as everyone dodged. She placed her other hand on my head and pulled it away, and miraculously, a string of memories flowed from her hand and into her head. Helpless, I stared hard at all my friends and Soarin, hoping to get one last look of them before I forget them completely. Tears welled up in my eyes. I don't want to forget all the good time I've had with them. All of a sudden, I felt empty inside, and I blacked out again. > Transformation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin POV Rainbow looked helpless up in the air as string after string of memories flowed from her head. As the memories stopped flowing, she blacked out again. Poor Rainbow. To forget everyone she loves dearly. Lightning returned to full power. She dropped Rainbow carelessly and before her body could collide with the ground, I caught it and put it over to a corner. She put down the force field, and fired six blasts of magic across the room, hitting her friends, and they were set free and floated up in the air to join their leader. "We will defeat you and take over the world, now we've got an extra boost!" she cried happily. They conjured some unbreakable cords out of thin air and they wrapped around Twilight Sparkle, Masked Matter-Horn, Pinkie Pie, Fili-Second, Applejack, Mistress Mare-velous, Fluttershy, Saddle Rager, Rarity, Radiance, Sunset Shimmer and Zapp. I was the only one left, but I don't have any magic. How could I help? Twilight struggled against the cords and yelled,"Good will always prevail over evil!" "Oh, but this time, evil will triumph!" Lightning replied. "You think you're a match against me, do you? Like Rainbow Dash, you're just some worthless burdens in the progress of our world domination! She's so weak! After a beating and having her magic and memories drained from her, she fainted! ALREADY! The treatment she got now was just the prologue! We'll torture her until she dies! She's uncompassionate, vengeful, rude, insincere, definitely not like a role model to us!" she said mockingly. At that point, I snapped. I interrupted her and shouted,"I will not allow you to insult my girlfriend like that! Shes kind, sporty, talented, loyal, humorous, mischievous, funny, honest, observant, and caring! She's everything you can't be, not even if you go to finishing school! She's an angel in the mortal world, NOT LIKE YOU!" Suddenly, as I was shouting, blue sound waves came from my mouth with every word I spoke. It echoed across the room, knocking everyone to the floor except myself. "You are just a stupid, vengeful, selfish, rude, disloyal, self-obsessed, cheating, piece of shit! You're a demon, an evil spirit, an idiot, a meanie, a clump of dirt in the world! Fuck you! Rot in Tartarus, you bitch!" I yelled even louder, creating more sound waves, which knocked the seven villains to the wall. I rose into the air, and all of a sudden, pale blue Pegasus wings sprouted from my back and I got pony ears! I could pony up, too! I screamed,"HAVE A GOOD REST!" The sound waves appeared again, and Lightning Dust and her comrades were smashed through the wall, knocked out. I sighed with relief. I landed on the ground and untied the girls. Sunset exclaimed,"Wow! That's amazing! I never knew you could do magic!" "Oh, you're much better at it than me." I said modestly. Pinkie squealed,"Whoopee! Time for a party!" She and Fili-Second started jumping across the room in a celebratory way. "Um..." said Masked Matter-Horn,"What about Rainbow Dash?" We turned and stared at her lifeless body on the ground. "I could try something." piped up Sunset. We all looked at her. She continued,"I learnt a new thing I could do with my telepathy, but it's risky, because I've never tried it out before." > Mind Travels > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin POV "What?" I asked worriedly,"There's no time to lose!" Sunset replied,"I learnt a new enchantment that could allow people to travel inside someone's heart, to see what's deep inside his or her soul. Maybe we could help revive Rainbow by triggering her memory..." "Great! Let's do it now!" cried Twilight Sparkle. I and the twelve girls formed a circle around Rainbow Dash. Sunset raised her hand into the air, and thirteen cords erupted from it. They connected to our heads, and the next thing I knew, my soul and body separated, as my soul traveled down the cord to Rainbow's heart on the other side of the cord. We reappeared in a white chamber. It was white all over, blindingly white. I shielded my eyes from the glow. I looked around, and in the far corner I saw Rainbow, fully colored, trembling in a corner. "Rainbow, are you OK? Why do you have your color back?" I asked. She ignored me. Masked Matter-Horn tried again,"Rainbow, are you alright?" Finally, she turned around and faced us. "Hi." she said blankly. Sunset broke into a smile. "Rainbow! Do you remember us?" she asked. Rainbow answered,"Yes. Especially Soarin." She stared into space with a dreamy look in her eyes. "Are you really OK?" asked Fluttershy,"You look a little off color." "Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about me." she said emotionlessly. Twilight said,"You should-" But what Rainbow should do we never knew, because suddenly she started screaming. "Don't! Please don't hurt my friends. Haven't you done enough? You fucking bitch, stay away from them!" she cried. Rainbow clutched her head in despair. She continued screaming,"You already destroyed me, are you satisfied?! You've done enough damage already, just fuck off! You can hurt me, but never my friends, got it, Lightning?" "Rainbow...are you alright?" asked Rarity tentatively. Sunset just stared at Rainbow with a astonished expression on her face. She finally managed to say,"I did some research on telepathy, and a book says that everyone has a part of his or her soul that are kept hidden from the world. I think this is Rainbow's." "I could let us go deeper into her heart, and see her deepest secrets, and maybe we could try to help her." she continued. I burst out,"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sunset created a portal that seemed to lead into darkness. We stepped through the portal and into the unknown. > Dark Side > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin POV Whatever I was expecting, I certainly wasn't expecting this. It was pitch black, so dark you couldn't even see you hands if you held them in front of you. I groped around in the darkness, and clutched onto what I thought was Twilight's hand. "Hey, Sunset, are you sure you got the enchantment right? It's so dark in here!" I said. Twilight's voice came from a few feet behind me,"I'll turn on a light!" All of a sudden, Twilight used her magic to illuminate the room without warning, and we shielded our eyes away from the glow. With the aid of the light, I saw that actually I was holding Rarity's hand, who's owner was blushing furiously. Sunset said,"Oh, why is her heart so dark-" A screen appeared in front of me. Mistress Mare-velous commented,"This place sure is creepy." A scream erupted throughout the room, as everyone winced and covered their ears in pain. "Please, don't!" a familiar voice cried. It was coming from the screen. A disturbing scene greeted my eyes. Rainbow was tied to a chair, wounds all over her, and Lightning standing over her with an evil smirk on her face. She looked helpless, terrified, and mortified. "Tell me everything, or your loved ones will perish." said Lightning. "I...I...I'll do it, but only for the sake of my friends!" Rainbow finally managed to say. I looked away, disgusted. How could Lightning do this to Rainbow? As my back was turned to the screen, another screen appeared in front of me, this time showing a scene I didn't to remember... Flashback: A month ago, a peaceful Monday... I just arrived to Canterlot High School, went to the chemistry lab and sat down, when an explosion of people talking erupted in the hallway outside the classroom. The door was pushed open. "I told you, I walked into a wire fence and fell off the stairs...did you listen?" I looked up and saw Rainbow Dash entering the room with her friends, right in the middle of an argument. I gasped. Rainbow had like fifty bandages all over her body, and she was leaning heavily on her crutches to walk. "Rainbow! What happened? Did anyone hurt you?" I asked. She turned to look at me. "Soarin? What are you doing here?" she said. I replied,"Class, duh." "I...I just walked into a wire fence and fell off the stairs at home, okay?" said Rainbow. She glanced left and right as she said this, very suspicious. I said,"Really?! Tell me the truth!" "Really! That's what really happened!" she cried, earning stares from everyone in the room. She looked down, clearly embarrassed. Back to the present... > The Truth Hurts > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin POV So that's her biggest secret! No wonder Rainbow was so secretive lately! Being threatened, blackmailed, tortured, and bullied, that would be enough to make any person insane. Around me, Rainbow's friends were either crying softly, or shaking with emotion. "Rainbow...she's been through so much lately..." choked Radiance. A movement suddenly came from the shadows. A familiar girl stepped out. I said,"Rainbow? Are you OK?" She was wearing a white laboratory coat, stained with red liquid, and she had an insane grin plastered on her face. The bloodstained knife she was holding was not making us feel any better. "Of course...NOT! I've been tortured physically and mentally, as you've just witnessed! How could I be okay?!" she yelled at us. Twilight said calmly,"Rainbow, please listen. We never knew-" "KNEW! Of course you knew! You knew that your 'friend' was a freak!" she cried. Rainbow's eyes were slowly, but surely turning a shade of deep blood red. Sunset pleaded,"Rainbow, hear us out-" "NO! And don't call me Rainbow! I'm Rainbine!" she shouted loudly. "Okay, Rainbine. Just stop complaining and chill out!" screamed Saddle Rager. Rainbow-sorry, Rainbine visibly calmed. "This is NOT the real you, Rainbine! The real you is loyal, kind, considerate, caring, humorous, etc! It was that bitch Lightning who made you this way! So snap out of it, and turn back into the Rainbow Dash we all know and love!" cried Sunset, clearly stressed out from the day's events. Rainbine said,"I know! What she said to me echoed through my mind day and night, and I can't even sleep! And I still have to study, to be the Rainbow everyone thinks I am..." She rose into the air, like I did minutes earlier, and turned back into her usual self, and the room lightened. Now, the room was a meadow, flowers growing all over the fields, and birds chirping happily. "Mission accomplished." muttered Sunset. She created a portal again, and we returned into the mortal world. Our souls were inserted back in our bodies again, and the cords connected to our heads vanished. > Happily Ever After (Or Not) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash POV I opened my eyes, and at first sight, my vision was very blurry. Soarin was sitting next to me, a concerned look on his face. "Rainbow! You're awake! Are you alright?" he asked. I sat up and said,"Where are we?" "At the hospital. You were asleep for a day. It's Monday." he replied. I gasped,"What happened yesterday in Lightning's basement?" Soarin launched into a story... ******************************************************************************************************** Third Person Flashback: After Soarin and Rainbow's friends returned from the trip in Rainbow's soul, Rainbow was still grey and lifeless. Soarin said,"Twilight, do you have something to help Rainbow?" "I could try this..." she replied uncertainly. She raised her hands towards the seven villains who consumed Rainbow's magic, and pulled back. String after string of Rainbow's memories came floating out of their unconscious bodies, and a blue aura came after that. Twilight formed the memories and the magic into a glowing sphere, and it sank back into the body of it's owner. The color returned to Rainbow's body, but still she won't wake. Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer picked up a piece of shattered glass on the floor and gasped. "Hey! Look, it's a piece of Rainbow's geode!" she cried. Soarin said,"Lightning must have broke it and the fragments should be all over the room!" "I'll try this." muttered Twilight. She levitated the piece of geode out of Sunset's hand and started finding shattered fragments on the ground. She raised her hands again and pieces of glass floated up above everyone's heads. The shattered geode radiated a bright blue glow, magically repaired itself and landed gently on Rainbow's unconscious body. "Looks like she won't wake anytime sooner, and her wounds need treatment." said Masked Matter-Horn. Mistress Mare-velous said,"We could take her to a hospital with Twilight Sparkle's magic." ******************************************************************************************************** Rainbow Dash POV "Oh, so that's why I'm here." I sighed with relief. A knock came from the door. "Rainbow Dash, you are free to leave the hospital." said Nurse Redheart. Ten minutes later, I was walking out of the hospital with Soarin by my side. He asked,"Can we go on a picnic in the mountains? I've always wanted to do that with you." "Sure!" I replied. -TIME SKIP (to 6:00 pm)- It was almost nighttime, and we were watching the sunset. Different shades of orange, pink, and purple were in the sky, just like a child's painting. "Soarin, I want to ask you something." I said. He asked,"What?" "What happened in the basement, you won't be angry for losing my first kiss, won't you?" I asked. He replied,"Of course! I was hoping for that!" Soarin sighed, and he turned to stare at the sun. I forced him to look at me. "Then I won't let Lightning steal my second one." I said determinedly. Soarin gasped. "R...Really? I could kiss you?" he stuttered. I answered,"Yes, really." I pulled him into a romantic kiss. He closed his eyes, seeming to savor the happy moment. I followed suit. Nothing, not even magic could ever steal this memory away from me. A minute later, we broke apart. "This is the best moment of my whole life!" I exclaimed. Soarin smiled and said,"Mine too." He put an arm over me and pulled me close as I leaned on his shoulder, facing the sunset. The sun was almost completely covered by the mountains, only rays of light shone through. The rays were like me and Soarin, they shine bright and last forever, like us. We would never leave each other. That's a promise.