//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Lost // Story: Ace Combat: Wings of Unity // by PolishValsion //------------------------------// In the darkness, the search is on. Time is not on either side. What fate had befallen the heroine? When the sun comes up, things will be different... Chapter 15 Lost August 30th, 2021 0200 hrs Ceres Ocean, Equestria airspace Two figures were soaring below the clouds. They were checking their surroundings and observing the dark, night sky. They weren’t expecting to return to this place so soon, not a few hours after their great victory. Deathwing flew a little closer to Shockwave and spoke, breaking the silence:         “I suppose it was a good thing that you informed Lady Aurora of our success. She was certainly pleased with Rainbow Dash’s demise.”         “Indeed,” said Shockwave. “But our lady was right to send us back. If we are to proceed with our plans, she needs to know for certain the she is gone.” Deathwing nodded, recalling in his mind what Aurora told them. When Shockwave contacted Aurora and told her the news of Rainbow Dash’s demise, she was very pleased at first. But when she asked about her corpse, the Reapers responded that they didn’t have it. This turned Aurora’s moment of triumph into one of concern. In spite of all odds, there was a small chance that Rainbow Dash survived the fall and could still be alive. For the alicorn, this was unacceptable. She needed to have a proof of her demise. And not just some hair from her mane, a skinned fragment of her coat or a piece of her vest… She needed her body. She wanted to put it on display for all the Exiles in her city, to see and rejoice with the knowledge that this troublemaker was punished. In addition, Rainbow’s body could be used as an element of intimidation toward Celestia and her forces. It would be a warning; if anyone would dare continue to oppose the Exiles, they would meet the same fate, if not worse. Surely, knowing that their heroine is dead, the Equestrian Allied Forces would eventually surrender to prevent further losses, and Celestia would bow down before Aurora and herald her as the new ruler of Equestria. But before all that could happen, Deathwing and Shockwave were sent back to the location where they fought with Rainbow Dash to collect her body and bring it to Canterlot before the ponies from EAF could beat them to it. It could then be transported to the city of Exiles. Havoc and Trickster wanted to come along as well, but they were still suffering from effects of overusing Zeal during the battle. Havoc complained about his strained muscles, while Trickster kept on moaning about his aching head. Because of this, Aurora told them to head back to their quarters and recover, while Deathwing and Shockwave would bring Rainbow’s body with them. The black pegasus thought about the city where he and the other Reapers were raised. Even though it was rather small by typical city standards, it still had over 5000 ponies living in it. Those who followed Aurora after she was exiled by Princess Celestia did so either out of admiration for her incredible magical skills and knowledge, or because they were lured by the promises she made them: promises of a better world, of herself becoming the new ruler of Equestria and granting her subjects their hearts’ desires. Over the course of twenty five years, many other ponies outside of Equestria also heard about Aurora from her followers, who wanted to spread the word about her “noble intentions,” as they put it. Those who believed their words were welcome among the community. Together, they not only managed to construct the city from scratch, with a little help from Aurora’s great magic, but also by striking a deal with the dragons and their king, Aigaion. Initial negotiations weren’t easy, but once Aurora began dispatching some of her followers to secretly excavate gems in the Crystal Mines located across the region of Equestria, they had managed to amass a few thousand of them within a few months. Aurora offered these gems to the dragons if, in return, they would protect them from any hostile activities and aid them in constructing the city. Aigaion agreed to this offer. In highlight of this, Aurora wanted to name the city after that monumental event. After consulting some of new residents that arrived from the country of Belka, she had decided to name the city “Edelstein,” or “gemstone,” as it would sound in common. Deathwing wasn’t there in person to witness this event, but his father told him in detail how it went, as he heard of the negotiations from other Exiles. Years passed, and even after his father died of old age, the black pegasus followed his last will. He told Deathwing that he had the potential to become one of the greatest pegasus fighters in the world, but in order to become one, he must always seek out, fight and defeat an opponent much stronger than him. Fighting weaker pegasi was considered dishonorable by his father, and Deathwing always recalled that in his mind when he headed out to battle. It had been over three months since he and his companions last saw the city. Since then, they had been constantly fighting the Equestrian Allied Forces or running errands for Aurora, who took temporary residence in Canterlot Castle after her forces took it over with the assistance of Dragon King, Aigaion. In the castle, Aurora discovered plans of a superweapon codenamed “The Atmos Ring” and decided to summon her chief technicians and engineers from Edelstein to hasten the construction of the superweapon and use it to fortify Canterlot even further, in case Celestia and her troops would dare to prepare an assault on the city in an effort to get it back. Deathwing seemed to be caught in his thoughts. He slowed down a bit. Shockwave noticed it.         “Don’t fall behind. We can’t waste time.”         “I know,” Deathwing replied. “It’s just that… I’ve been thinking about her.” Shockwave looked at him without any emotions.         “Why are you still concerned about Mirage 1? She is gone.”         “And that’s what’s bothering me. Out of all the opponents I’ve fought… she was the one that gave me the most thrill. When I was fighting her, I felt truly alive… Now, I may never face such a great opponent again. I do not enjoy fighting weaklings. Only the strongest fighters bring out the best in me.” Deathwing’s confession was sincere. He didn’t really enjoy using the Zeal as much as the other Reapers did. For him, it made the confrontation too easy. Rainbow was powerless against him when he was using the Zeal. When he thought about it, it took away all the pleasure he had while defeating her. Shockwave dismissed his worries.         “As great as she could be, nopony can withstand the power of my Zeal.”         “That’s the point. Without it, we could have still crushed her… and it would’ve been much more satisfying,” said Deathwing.         “So are you saying that my Zeal took away for pleasure of beating Mirage 1? Then perhaps you should refrain from using it anymore. Perhaps you are not worthy of such power.” Deathwing gave Shockwave an angry look, but before the tension escalated, he calmed himself down and checked his radar. Before descending, the black pegasus let out a long sigh.         “Forget what I’ve said. What matters is that we have won. Now, we must find her body and quickly, before the sun rises.” The two Reapers flew down to the small island where they saw Rainbow Dash fall. ----------------- The light of the moon reflected itself on the calm waters. Aside from the two stallions, several rocks were the only things lying on the beachside. They didn’t stop to admire the scenery, however. Having arrived at the crash site, the two Reapers expected to find Rainbow’s battered body lying on the ground, but to their surprise, the body was nowhere in sight. Deathwing turned his head back and forth, vainly trying to spot something in the dark.         “Gone…?” he whispered. “How can this be? Could she have—”         “No,” Shockwave interrupted coldly. “She couldn’t have survived. It’s impossible. No pony could survive a fall like that. And with her injuries… she must have died, right here. But the body isn’t here… This defies all logic.”         The purple pegasus kept shaking his head in denial. He didn’t want to accept the possibility of Rainbow’s survival. Deathwing’s face turned grim.         “Were we too late? Maybe her friends already took her remains back to the Crystal Empire…”         “I doubt it,” said Shockwave. “Remember that Trickster injured one of the Mirage fliers. They wouldn’t be trying to take additional risk.” Deathwing gave a thought to those words. For once, he tried to think like his enemy. The other six pegasi from Mirage squadron already knew of Reapers’ presence in the area, and they could assume that there would be more of the Exiles waiting to assist them. Getting to the area also must have cost them some stamina. To return with two wounded fliers, without calling for additional protection, would not be very wise. Finally, Deathwing gave Shockwave a nod and said:         “Maybe you’re right. Hmm…” He leaned toward the ground, as if trying to examine something. He touched the soil where evidence of a crash was  still remaining. It was a little hard to see things in the dark, but because the moon kept on shining through the clouds, Deathwing quickly grew accustomed to his surroundings. After a brief inspection, he said:         “It seems like there was somepony else here… though I don’t know who. Not one from Mirage squadron, that is for certain. The hoofprints are bigger than that of a mare…”         “An outsider?” Shockwave inquired.         “I’m not sure. If it was a bit brighter, maybe I could make more of this… wait…” The black pegasus looked in front of him. He discovered something else. A small smirk appeared on his face.         “Well, Shockwave, believe it or not, Rainbow Dash did survive the initial crash.” Shockwave suddenly turned to face him.         “How can you be so sure?” Deathwing pointed ahead.         “That trace leads me to believe that Rainbow was attacked by another pegasus… an unknown. She tried to escape it, but her injuries wouldn’t allow her to fly away, so she tried crawling instead…” Shockwave lept forward.         “That means she is still alive, somewhere in this forest! Or maybe she already died and is lying somewhere. We must hurry and find her before—” Suddenly, a warning signal sounded in his headphones. The purple pegasus looked at his radar. It was showing six red dots on its edge, slowly heading in their direction.         “Blast!” Shockwave cursed. “Most inconvenient timing… Mirage squadron is coming!”         “Already?” Deathwing let out a growl of frustration. “We can’t risk a confrontation right now. We must head back to Canterlot!”         “Agreed.” The two Reapers spread their wings and took of to the sky, leaving the island and a possible large bounty behind them. ----------------- After a few minutes, Shockwave confirmed that they were out of their range and that the radar contacts had disappeared. Deathwing was still feeling disappointed by the outcome. Although he could safely assume that Rainbow Dash survived the crash, he didn’t know what happened to her after. If she was still somewhere on that island, then she either hid somewhere or collapsed and died in the forest. The black pegasus let out a sigh.         “Such an opportunity, wasted… We can only hope that Mirage pegasi will not find her body before we dispatch a search party after returning.”         “That won’t be necessary…” Shockwave said. Deathwing turned his head to him.         “What do you mean? We have to—”         “There is no need to rush. As far as I can tell, the EAF doesn’t have the equipment needed to perform a search and rescue operation during the night. They will waste precious hours trying to find their companion and, even if she’s somehow still alive, she will eventually be found by them after morning as dead… or not at all. Finding a lone body in the thick forest is not as simple as some may think.” Deathwing wanted to believe Shockwave’s words, but he was still anxious.         “Let us hope you are correct. Still, Lady Aurora will not be pleased by this outcome…”         “No, she won’t. But… perhaps there is some other way. Perhaps we can turn this situation in our favor.”         “What do you have in mind?” Shockwave looked at his leader and said ominously:         “I’ll explain everything once we return to Canterlot. The others need to hear about this, too. If all goes well… our Lady will be ever so closer to total victory.” Deathwing wasn’t certain what Shockwave meant. He apparently noticed his uncertainty, because he quickly followed his last sentence with another:         “Trust me, Deathwing. This plan will work.”         “I… I trust you, Shockwave. You always have good plans.” The purple flier acknowledged that statement with a nod. The two Reapers picked up speed and kept heading south. ========== 0240 hrs Firefly and her companions reached the island. She, Lightning Bolt, Derpy and Medley were wearing night vision goggles. Lightning looked down and noticed the clearing in the trees. She guessed correctly that this was the place where Rainbow Dash fell.         “With any luck, with might be able to find her…” she said.         “We got no other choice. We’re not coming back without Rainbow,” said Firefly. “Kid, you’ll stay here and watch over the perimeter. If anything shows up on your radar, give us a call immediately. Got it?” Medley nodded, but a frown on her face let others know that she wasn’t happy with that order. Her left arm was already put in the cask and was immobilized, but due to this injury, her assistance in the search was limited. Still, she was glad that Firefly had decided not to leave her in the hospital like she planned to do at first. As she watched the five pegasi descend toward the island, she took a look around. Seeing the deep blue ocean all around her, with only a few small chunks of land sticking out of the water, Medley got caught in her thoughts. She still saw an image of Rainbow, falling down; her eyes blank, her body broken. The young flier could only hope, perhaps even against all logic, that she was still alive. She winced a little when she tried moving her broken arm, only to feel brief, stinging pain in it. She shook her head, put on the night vision goggles and turned them on. Everything in front of her was now a hue of green instead of blue and black. Medley let out a quiet gasp. Never before had she seen a sight like this. Maybe, if she was closer to the island’s surface, she could also see her friends searching for Rainbow through branches, bushes and trees. After a few minutes of silence, Lightning Bolt’s voice sounded in everypony’s headphones.         “Over here! I think I found something! I’m sending coordinates to you all!” Without thinking, Medley darted toward the ground, seeing as there were no enemy units in the vicinity. Once she landed, she instantly heard Firefly’s yell.         “Kid! I told you to stay up there and keep an eye out!”         “There are no enemies around!” Medley retorted. Firefly sighed, but did not scold her any further. The pegasi gathered around Lightning Bolt. She was standing in front of the spot where Rainbow fell. She was kneeling down, examining the ground.         “What did you find, Thunder?” Firefly asked. The white pegasus stood up, holding something on her hoof.         “This… I found this…” her voice was shaking a bit. The others got closer. Fluttershy gasped.         “A blue piece of fabric… It must be from Rainbow’s vest!” She looked up. Seeing the opening amidst the tree branches, she put the pieces together.         “When she fell, the branches must have torn her vest… But, Rainbow is nowhere in sight.”         “Then she didn’t die! She is somewhere on this island! I told you!” Medley exclaimed, nearly flailing her limbs in exasperation.         “Calm yourself down, Kid!” Firefly said loudly. Taking in a few deep breathes, Medley regained her composure.         “Even if that’s true, we still don’t know where she is exactly…” Firefly needed a few moments to consider all options. After a minute of contemplation, the pink pegasus started issuing orders. “All right, girls, let’s split up. That way we’ll cover more ground, and we should find Rainbow quicker. Thunder, you and Sunny will inspect the area around here. Ditzy, you’ll go with Fluttershy and check up the north. I’ll go to the south. And you, Kid…” Medley looked at Firefly, uncertain.         “Go back above and keep your watch on.” The green pegasus sighed, but she complied with the order. The Mirage fliers resumed their search. ----------------- 0500 hrs Over two hours had passed. And yet, aside from finding a piece of Rainbow’s vest and a few of her weak hoof prints on the ground not far from the crash site, they were unable to locate any more clues that would point them to her location. Not even Cloud Kicker or Medley could find anything. Fatigue started to wear everypony. Eventually, Lightning Bolt reached a beachside by following the trail of Rainbow’s hoof prints and trying to calculate possible paths. When she called the others to assemble at the beach, she didn’t have positive news.         “This is where the trail goes cold… There are are no further traces of Rainbow’s presence on the island than this. As far as I am concerned, this can only mean one thing…” She hung her voice, unable to continue.         “What, Lightning?” Cloud Kicker urged her.         “She… She is—”         “She is NOT dead!” Medley interrupted her angrily. The white pegasus shook her head.         “I never said that… I just said meant to say that… she’s gone. We can’t find her. I can’t tell if she is alive or dead, but I know for certain that she is not on this island.”         “No! We didn’t search thoroughly enough!” Medley insisted. “Let’s try one more time!” Firefly stepped forward.         “Look around you, Kid. Everypony’s exhausted. We got no leads on Rainbow’s whereabouts. We’re not getting anywhere. There’s no point in continuing this search. We’re just wasting time.” Medley looked at her in disbelief.         “How can you even think like that?! I know she’s somewhere here! We gotta find her!”         “And how are you—” Just as she was about to start another argument, Firefly was cut by a signal from her communicator. She sighed angrily.         “What now… Flash here. … What? You can’t be serious… Now? Is this necessary? … Ugh, all right. Roger that. I’ll inform the others. Flash out.” Firefly cut the connection and lowered her sight. She, too, seemed tired and frustrated. No pony said a word at first.         “Who… was that, Firefly?” Derpy finally asked. Firefly lifted her head.         “Gale. He wants us to return to Manehattan ASAP.” Her voice was glum, defeated.         “What?!” Medley squeaked. “But we still haven’t found Rainbow!”         “Gale said that our presence is required. He is going to present his plans for a new offensive campaign. We are going to play a part in it as well.” The other pegasi looked at each other. This was probably the last thing that they wanted to hear. They barely had any sleep in the past 18 hours. Their eyes were heavy. Cloud Kicker wanted nothing more than to go to bed and rest. Fluttershy could also hardly stand on her legs. They could only hope that after the briefing they would be given some time to recover their strength. Only Medley seemed to be having energy to carry on with the search, but the others did not. Everypony but Medley nodded in agreement. Firefly returned the gesture.         “Listen, girls, I don’t want to do this. But it’s an order and we have to comply with. We’re going back to Manehattan.” She turned around to prepare for takeoff, but Medley’s voice stopped her.         “No! I’m not going anywhere! You won’t make me!” Her defiance was getting on Firefly’s nerves. Firefly knew how much Rainbow meant to Medley, how the green pegasus looked up to her, admired her, hoped to learn from her. Seeing her falling down to her supposed doom must have been a traumatising experience, maybe even more than back during the Equestrian War, when Medley witnessed Rainbow Dash being tortured and beaten by her former friend. Firefly understood her determination and, even though it meant going against the order, she made a decision.         “... Fine. If you want to find Rainbow so badly, then you can keep searching for her. But, regardless of results, you are to return to base by dusk. I’m not going to cover for you anymore. Do you understand?” Medley looked in Firefly’s eyes without saying a word. Firefly reiterated the question, only louder this time.         “Do you understand?!”         “... Yes, ma’am.” Firefly gave her a nod.         “If you somehow find anything about Rainbow, give us a call, and we’ll come help you. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the base. Be careful, Kid.”         “I will.” Fluttershy initially wanted to stay with Medley as well, but the green pegasus assured her that she will be fine on her own. Her casted arm wasn’t that much of a hindrance anymore, and since dawn was coming, she could now use her eyes without having to rely on night vision goggles. She returned her pair to Lightning Bolt and saw her companions fly back in the direction of Manehattan. Once they disappeared on the horizon, Medley took a deep breath and turned toward the island’s interior, saying to herself:         “I’ll find you, Rainbow. I promise!” ----------------- 1200 hrs In spite of all her wishes and efforts, Medley did not go anywhere near finding Rainbow or even another lead that could guide her to the blue pegasus. Every time she thought that she found something and followed the trail, she ended up on the beachside again. The sun was already on high noon when Medley started feeling the fatigue setting in. She was exhausted and frustrated.         “I don’t… get it…” she said to herself, panting in between words. “I’ve searched the whole island… three times, and… nothing. Where… Where could she be?” Seeing no other option, she looked up and cried out.         “Rainbow Dash! Where are you?!” She naively thought that maybe this would make her come out of her hiding, assure her that it was safe… But only silence answered Medley’s call. She hung her head and was thinking about calling her friends to tell them that she is coming back… But then, she heard rustling of leaves behind her. She quickly turned around and asked:         “Rainbow Dash?! Is that you?” There was no answer. Medley got up on her hooves and flew toward the bushes.         “Hold on! I’ll get you to— AH!” When she cleared through, she did find somepony, but it wasn’t Rainbow. It was a male pegasus with a gray coat and dark, blue mane. Medley ran straight into his glare, and it startled her to the point she immediately jolted back and fell on her rear. The stallion came out of the bushes and said:         “Easy, kid. You must have mistaken me for somepony else.” Medley got up from the ground. She was slightly agitated by the stranger’s look. It might have had something to do with the many scars that covered his body. The young mare tried to regain her composure.         “Oh, s-s-sorry, sir. I-I I’m looking for a friend…”         “A friend… Of course you are. Why else would you be so far away from a safe place?” the gray pegasus asked. “Maybe I can help. What does your friend look like?” The tone of his voice convinced Medley that he wasn’t as intimidating as he appeared. That eased her worries. She said:         “W-Well… She’s a pegasus pony, just like me… Older by a few years. Blue coat… rainbow-colored mane…”         “Oh… her,” the gray pegasus interrupted. “Yes, I know her.” Medley lifted her gaze.         “You… You know Rainbow Dash?”         “As a matter of fact, yes. I talked with her yesterday.” Medley’s eyes lit up. Hope returned to her.         “Then you must know where she is! Please, tell me! I have to find her! She is in dire need of help!”         “I know. But you are only wasting your time. You’re not going to find your friend here.” Those words confused the young flier.         “What… do you mean?”         “Use your head, youngster,” the stranger said coldly. “Your friend is gone. As in, dead.” Medley’s eyes widened.         “No…”         “Yes. I saw her foolishly fighting four opponents at once and how they defeated her. I saw her falling from that edge. I watched her crawl pathetically to the beachside where you stand now. It’s where she probably end up dying and got swallowed by the rising tides. She is now property of the ocean.”         “You’re lying!” Medley shrieked. The gray pegasus shook his head slightly.         “Now why would I lie to you? What would that benefit me?” After a bit of uneasy silence, he continued, staring into Medley’s angry expression.         “Oh, I see… You must think that I’m one of the ‘Exiles’ that you are fighting against? Know this: I am in no way affiliated with them and I hate them just as much as you do. In fact, I already killed several of them… including a certain yellow-spined coward that you fought against a while ago.” Medley’s expression changed. She remembered the broken body of Wind Edge that she found at the coast of Fillydelphia.         “You…? You are…” She now realized that the individual before her was no regular pegasus. She felt chills running across her back. Her legs started to tremble. The stranger noticed it.         “What’s this? Starting to feel a little scared?” He chuckled under his breath, and suddenly, his voice became a lot more gruff and intimidating.         “Good… You should be.” Medley took a few steps back, afraid that this mysterious pegasus will take advantage of her injured condition and kill her, just like he did the to other Exiles. He did seemed strong, and, if he wanted to, he could easily snap Medley like a twig. However, the gray pegasus did not move.         “Take it easy, kid. I have no quarrel with you. And I want it to stay that way.” Hearing this, Medley felt her blood returning to her face. She breathed out, regaining confidence.         “Then… tell me what you know about Rainbow Dash.”         “I already told you. She is dead.”         “I don’t believe you!” Medley exclaimed.         “Believe what you want.” This response angered Medley further.         “You said you’d been observing Rainbow’s fight… and you didn’t help her?”         “I’ve heard of her abilities. I thought that she could handle something as simple as four opponents at once. I guess I was wrong,” the stranger replied casually.         “You bastard… Just how long have you been spying on us? Who are you?! Who are you working for?!”         “It’s doesn't matter. And you don’t need to know.” His words made Medley boil with anger, almost the point when she wanted to punch him.         “You’re hiding something! Tell me everything you know… or I’ll force it out of you!” The gray pegasus seemed surprised to hear those words.         “You want to fight me?” He laughed. “You’re a bold one. But you’d be a fool to face an opponent you know nothing of. Just like this so-called ‘Princess of the Skies…’ Look, if this will ease your curiosity… I came to this land to face her in battle. I’ve heard of her accomplishments and wanted to test myself against her. And since the flames of war called upon on me… I had to answer. Yet… it seems I have misjudged her abilities. She wouldn’t stand a chance against me.” The words that the gray pegasus spoke didn’t make much sense to Medley, nor did they calm her down.         “Rainbow Dash doesn’t lose to anyone!”         “Her last fight proved otherwise,” the stranger retorted, further angering the young flier.         “Where is Rainbow Dash?!” she screamed.         “Do I have to repeat myself?” the stranger sounded annoyed at this point. Medley had enough. She flew toward him and tried to hit him. The gray pegasus easily dodged by jumping away to the left.         “Heh. Feisty, aren't you? I do not wish to harm you no further... you’re already injured enough...” he said, motioning to Medley’s broken arm. Medley tried to attack him again. As in to response to that last remark, she swung her left rear leg toward his face, yet she missed again.         “Maybe those rumors about her skills were overblown… Sometimes, I wonder if the other ponies’ words about her are true…” the stranger continued.         “Rainbow Dash is the best pegasus fighter there is! She could beat you with her arms tied behind her back!” Medley shouted. The gray stallion rose his left eyebrow as he dodged Medley’s punch.         “And who are you to say so? Her pupil? Or did you idolize her?” he wondered. “Whatever you are, I hope this talk has opened your eyes a bit... I was very disappointed of her. Her poor decision has led to her own demise... what was she trying to prove?”         “Sh-Shut up!” Medley tried to kick him in the chest, but he jumped back, effortlessly avoiding all of her attacks.         “Tsk… I’ve already wasted enough time here. If what I saw yesterday was the best this Rainbow Dash could do…” Now he moved to the offensive. Medley lost balance when she again tried to punch him in the face. The blow did not connect and left her wide open for a counter attack.         “Then I expect nothing from her worshipper.” Saying this, the gray pegasus made a quick turn, making Medley fly past him. In addition, he delivered a quick, precise kick to Medley’s neck from the back. The green flier fell to the ground and did not get up. She lost consciousness. The mysterious pegasus shook his head in disgust and said:         “You’re lucky, kid. If you were somepony else, I would have killed you on the spot. Instead, you’re just going to rest here for a few hours. Maybe, by the time you wake up, you’ll understand the harsh truth and accept it…” He turned around and added under his breath.         “Ah, who am I kidding…” As he flew away, he thought to himself:         “I wonder… Will your team still remain as unified as it was until now? The next few days, maybe weeks, will be most interesting…” ----------------- 1730 hrs Medley finally regained consciousness. She blinked her eyes several times and slowly stood up, shaking off some sand that was on her coat and mane. When she felt the pain in her casted arm, she assessed her surroundings and noticed that the mysterious male pegasus she met was gone. The green flier got up and turned around, facing the horizon. The sight of a bright orange sun shining over the great body of blue water made Medley get caught in her thoughts. In her mind, she heard the voice of the stranger again:         “Face it, kid. Your hero is dead. She is gone.” Medley lowered her sight. She felt her limbs turning cold. Now she slowly started to recall the encounter. He had the perfect opportunity to kill her, like he did with several Exiles already. And yet, he did not. Maybe he didn’t harbor any ill will? What if... What if that stranger wasn’t lying to her? Medley’s lips started quivering.         “Rainbow… dead…?” Her eyebrows narrowed.         “No… No…! I don’t believe this! I… I won’t… I won’t accept it!” An angered shriek escaped her mouth. Hovering above ground, she started screaming loudly:         “You coward! We are you hiding?! Come out! Face me! I’m not done with you yet! Where are you?! Where the buck are you!!!” Unable to restrain her emotions anymore, Medley flew forward, toward a nearby tree. In her rage, she saw it as an image of the stranger and started hitting it with her right, undamaged arm. Then she tried kicking the bark several times. Each time the blow connected, she let out a painful whimper. None of them made her anger go away.         “Rainbow… is… not… dead! Not! DEAD!” she kept repeating while hitting the tree. After several hits, she unwisely tried to strike the bark with her injured arm. Before she realized her error and stopped her motion, the punch connected. Medley felt intense pain building up inside her when she heard the sound of wood cracking into pieces. Her punch left a tiny impact on the bark. She grabbed her arm and started crying. Tears began to appear in her eyes. It wasn’t certain if she was crying because she hurt her arm or because… the harsh reality started to catch up to her.         “Rainbow… R-Rainbow… you… y-you can’t…!” Her words soon turned into blubbering. Medley slumped on the sand and curled up into a ball, holding her injured arm close to her face and she wept into it. Her sobs were short and loud, but there was no one to hear them. There was no one to comfort her. ========== 1900 hrs Manehattan, Mirage Squadron’s base The meet with Gale wasn’t as fruitful as Firefly and her friends had hoped. They learned that a plan to liberate Canterlot was formulated, but no further details about it were revealed. Their first priority would be to assist other EAF groups in securing the areas in Canterlot’s vicinity. This included cutting off the Exiles’ supply lines, destroying several of their bases and eliminating the forces occupying the regions around urban zones, such as the one around Ponyville. In addition, Gale mentioned that getting back Ponyville and re-establishing their own supply lines in the region would be of great importance. This task would prove perilous, especially with the fact that one of the Drake Generals was keeping surveillance over that area in mind. Unfortunately, all Mirage fliers were exhausted from searching for Rainbow Dash and being out in the field for many hours without a break, so they weren’t really paying much attention to the briefing. Gale understood that and told them that he will tell them about the new offensive campaign in more detail within the next few days. They should rest now and regain strength. Firefly and her companions welcomed that suggestion. When they mentioned to Gale about Rainbow, he promised to look into the matter and organize a search party on the next day, so that Mirage squadron can focus on their own duties. Once they got back to their quarters, Cloud Kicker immediately fell onto a bed and fell asleep. When she woke up a few hours later, she noticed most of her friends were already up. Cloud Kicker caught a glimpse of Fluttershy looking outside the window. Fluttershy was worried about Medley and wondered why she wasn’t back yet.         “I was expecting her to be here waiting for us,” Fluttershy said. “Why is she late? I hope nothing bad happened to her…” Firefly was pacing around the room in frustration.         “Damn her. Her stubbornness is going to kill her someday… Or I will.” The others looked at her with uneasy expressions. Considering the recent events and how they affected her, they weren’t certain if she meant it or not.         “She better be back here within thirty minutes. If she gets back even a second later, I’ll—” Just then, they heard a knock on the door. Lightning Bolt walked up to the door and opened it. Her face lit up.         “Medley! You’re back! Thank goodness.” The green pegasus slowly walked into the room. She looked just as exhausted as the rest of the Mirage fliers, if not more. She staggered a little when she approached the others.         “Sorry to worry you, girls…” The tone of her voice was emotionless. “So, did you find any trace of Rainbow Dash?” Firefly asked her. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t even make any gesture. Medley just stood in one spot. “See? I told you. You were just wasting your time and energy,” Firefly said. Medley frowned and turned around, making an impression as if she was about to go upstairs. Fluttershy walked up to her, touching her cheek with her left front hoof and trying to look into her eyes. Medley quickly backed away, which only made the yellow pegasus more worried. She noticed the Medley was covered in dust and sand and had trouble standing straight because of her injured foreleg.         “Are you all right?” she asked, but did not receive a reply.         “You look terrible, Medley. Are you OK?” Cloud Kicker asked her. Medley only briefly glanced at her when she replied. She sounded mildly annoyed.         “Do I look OK to you?” Cloud Kicker realized that was a stupid question, but she still carried on.         “No… But you look like you were fighting somepony. Did you run into the Reapers or something?” Medley lowered her sight.         “I don’t wanna talk about it… I need to get some sleep…” Before she took a step, Firefly suddenly leapt in front of her.         “Hold it, Kid! You’re not leaving this room until you tell me what happened!” Medley’s face flashed with anger, but she didn’t say anything. She only walked past Firefly, ignoring her. The pink pegasus ran in front of Medley again, stopping her.         “Hey! I’m talking to you! I want to—”         “SHUT UP!!!” Suddenly, Medley used her front hooves to push Firefly away, ignoring her casted arm again. She managed to maintain balance, but Medley’s sudden outburst surprised everypony. They were looking at her in shock, wondering why she would do such a thing. Medley’s body started trembling. She finally snapped.         “You…! This is all YOUR FAULT!” she screamed at Firefly. “Rainbow is DEAD because of YOU! You left her… You left her to die… Why did you go after Deathwing instead of helping her?! You… let her die! DAMN YOU!” In between sobs, they all heard Medley’s accusations. Her voice was furious, but the more she screamed, the squeaker her voice was getting. She sounded like she was on the verge of a complete breakdown. Cloud Kicker nearly jumped out of her bed. Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves, she was too frightened to try and calm Medley down. Just as she was about to come closer to her, Medley screamed out more insults:         “If it wasn’t for you… we could have brought her here to save her! But no! You chose to let her die! What kind of a friend…! How could you?! She’s dead because of YOU I… I hate you! I HATE YOU!” Medley stomped her right hoof angrily against the floor when she spat out that last sentence. She wanted to go upstairs, but Fluttershy finally got a hold of herself and tried to stop her.         “Medley, calm down—” She attempted to hold Medley in place, but Medley shoved Fluttershy away without even looking at her.         “Let me go! LEAVE ME ALONE!” No pony stopped her. They only followed her with their sights. When they heard the sound of doors slamming shut hard, Cloud Kicker was the first to speak.         “Gee… What’s gotten into her? She wasn’t like that before…” The others seemed to have ignored her statement. Firefly stared at the floor, processing what she just heard. She finally said quietly:         “She’s right… I left Rainbow when I should’ve helped her… I failed her…” The pink pegasus squeezed her eyes shut, turned around and went into Mission Control. Fluttershy wanted to follow Firefly at first instinct, but Lightning Bolt stopped her, shaking her head.         “We should leave her be.” Tension was still in the air. Derpy moved to the door that lead outside the room.         “Derpy, where are you going?” Cloud Kicker asked her. The grey pegasus looked at her with a worried crossed-eye expression.         “I’m… just going to check on Dinky and Pip. I’ll be back soon.” She left the room. Fluttershy let out a quiet whimper and started heading upstairs. Cloud Kicker frowned.         “You too, Fluttershy?”         “I'm going to see Medley. Somepony should comfort her… And I must tell her something important. Don’t worry.” When Fluttershy went up, Cloud Kicker looked at her best friend with uncertainty.         “Lightning…?”         “Hm?”         “You’re… not going anywhere… are you?” In response, Lightning Bolt sat on her friend’s bed and tried her best to give her a reassuring smile. She saw how stressed and worried Cloud Kicker was.         “No, I’ll be right here next to you.” Cloud Kicker smiled briefly.         “That’s good…” Then she clutched her front hooves to her head, still unable to fully understand what happened.         “I feel like our team is falling apart…” Those words stirred Lightning Bolt. She moved closer and wrapped her left wing around Cloud Kicker’s waist.         “Come on, don’t say that…” She looked into her friend’s tired eyes and added:         “Listen, you’re exhausted. Rest and go to sleep. I’ll be here, I promise. You’ll see, tomorrow things will be better.” Hearing this, Cloud Kicker slowly put her head on a pillow and closed her eyes.         “You’re right… I’m talking more nonsense than usual… A-A-Ahhh… Man, I’m so… sleepy…” A few seconds later, only quiet snoring could be heard. Lightning Bolt remained next to Cloud Kicker, but her thoughts were elsewhere. If her guesses were correct, then Medley might not have been far from the truth after all... It was hard to tell who was most affected by Medley’s outburst, but it surely left an impression on everypony. Lightning only hoped that Fluttershy could get to her and prevent more unfortunate things from happening. ----------------- When Fluttershy made it to the terrace upstairs, she saw Medley leaning over the bannister and staring into the distance. Medley heard the door closing behind her, but the sight of her friend did not calm her down.         Fluttershy began:         “Medley… I—”         “Go away!” Medley interrupted bitterly.         “I can’t leave you like this…”         “Get out! I don’t need anypony’s help!” Fluttershy did not falter. She moved closer to Medley. The green pegasus turned her head around, hoping that Fluttershy would eventually leave. A few seconds later, she felt Fluttershy’s hoof on her back.         “I understand that you are angry, but… Your words really hurt Firefly.” Hearing that name, Medley tried to shove Fluttershy away again.         “Good! If it wasn’t for you guys, I would’ve punched her in the face and knocked out her teeth! She let Rainbow die!” Fluttershy’s expression grew more agitated. She grabbed Medley gently around her waist and forced her look her in the eye. She could use The Stare to make her listen, but Fluttershy didn’t want to abuse her ability. Instead, she tried a more firm tone.         “Are you hearing yourself? Snap out of it, Medley! Don’t let the hate take you! What… What would Rainbow say if she saw you like that?” Medley suddenly spasmed. Then she stopped struggling. Her eyes widened. She looked down and realized what she said and did. A feeling of cold dread surrounded her. She felt her eyes turning watery again, and her voice broke down into sobbing.         “Fluttershy… I… I’m… I’m sorry… I-I’m so… so sorry… Aahhh…” Fluttershy only embraced Medley and stroked her mane.         “Shh… There, there… Don’t cry, Medley.”         “F-Firefly… She… She probably hates me now…” Medley blubbered. “And I… almost hurt you, too… I’m so sorry…” Fluttershy gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, one no different from that of a mother kissing her saddened child.         “I’m not mad at you. And I’m sure Firefly doesn’t hate you. But she was hurt by what you said. I think you should apologize to her.” Medley looked to the side and didn’t say anything. She felt shame and guilt for her actions. Her cheeks turned red. Fluttershy continued:         “But we can do that later. For now… we are all exhausted. You should go to sleep and regain your strength. We’re going to have even more work to do with Rainbow missing.” Medley nodded.         “Okay… I’ll apologize to Firefly tomorrow. And… I’ll make up for Rainbow’s absence.” Fluttershy responded with a smile. Satisfied that her assertiveness did the job, she was about to leave, but then Medley said:         “Hey, Fluttershy…”         “Yes?”         “Can you… stay with me? I don’t want to be alone this night…” Medley looked at her with tears still flocked in her eye. How could Fluttershy say no to her? She, of course, agreed, walked up to Medley and lied down on the floor, next to her. It would seem like they were staring at the stars for a moment when Fluttershy remembered another reason why she came to her friend.         “Oh, that’s right… Medley, there is something I must tell you.”         “Mmm?” the young flier inquired.         “It’s about Rainbow… I think… No. I believe that she is still alive.” Medley looked at her.         “What makes you so sure?”         “Well… as you know, Rainbow and I are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. We are… in a way, connected together; me, Rainbow, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. If anything would have happened to one of us, the others would sense it, and we would come rushing to aid the one in need.” Hearing this explanation, Medley asked:         “Is that some kind of… magical connection between you and your friends?”         “Mm, you could say that,” Fluttershy replied. “I did feel that something bad happened to Rainbow, but… I can still sense her life energy. She’s somewhere out there… hurt and weakened, but alive. I am certain she will come back to us… eventually.” These words helped calm  Medley down. She finally smiled.The young pegasus then said:         “Say, Fluttershy… You have such a beautiful voice. Could you… sing me a lullaby? Any will do.”         “I haven’t received such a request in a while… but I’ll see what I can do,” Fluttershy replied softly.         “Thank you…” Medley let out a yawn, slowly closed her eyes and listened to Fluttershy, who started humming a soothing, calming melody. A few minutes later, Medley fell asleep. Fluttershy looked at her and gave her another kiss to the forehead before she went to sleep herself. … Or at least, she tried to. She did fall asleep, but only much later. She wasn’t Applejack, but if the orange earth pony were around, she’d probably be upset about Fluttershy’s little story. It wasn’t easy for the yellow pegasus to lie to her friend about a connection to the Elements of Harmony, for in reality, they did not possess such power. Fluttershy only said this to calm Medley down and ease her aggression. It worked, but in truth, Fluttershy had no idea about Rainbow’s whereabouts, and was just as worried as the others… perhaps even more. She had a vain hope that when she wakes up on the next day, all of this will turn out to be nothing more than a bad dream. Unfortunately, this was the grim reality. Rainbow Dash was gone, and no pony could tell where she was or what had become of her...