//------------------------------// // Defiance (1/25/2017) // Story: A Pony a Day // by OfTheIronwilled //------------------------------// When those bullies challenged Fluttershy's honor, Rainbow Dash stood up for her and entered that race. It was an easy one, one she would beat no problem; it was only Dumbbell and Hoops, there was no competition! When she lost because of some weird unicorn lady, she just got back up and challenged them again. Seriously, something inside her told her she had been this close to something so totally awesome-- When they refused her, she tried to do that cool thing her heart was telling her about anyway. She crashed into the ground and broke her left wing in three different places. When she recovered and went back to school, she told everypony she had broken her wings trying to catch Fluttershy, obviously, because... b-because it was cool to do that, and totally lame to crash because she lost a stupid race, and she already heard ponies talking about her behind her back. When Fluttershy ratted her out, Rainbow Dash stopped talking to her. When Fluttershy went home crying every other day, Rainbow didn't follow her, and instead went to go hang with Gilda. When Fluttershy moved away because the bullying was so bad, Rainbow Dash tried to tell herself it was the filly's own fault. That night, she wrecked her room and punched herself in the face, because that's what Fluttershy should have done to her before she left. When they were teenagers and Gilda finally crossed the line, Rainbow Dash ran away from home to a dumpy little town called Ponyville. When some weird ponies started talking to her, she figure they were all right and started a sort-of friendship with them, no matter what the hay Gilda would probably have to say about Rarity, and no matter how frilly that "Applejack" mare was. When the two of them butted heads and made it awkward, Rainbow Dash didn't feel bad about ditching them for the weather ponies she was trying to get in good with. The weather ponies hated her, and she lost her new job three days after she got it. When Nightmare Moon returned, Rainbow Dash tried to defend everypony, because even if they thought she was a jerk, she couldn't just flake on a whole town! When Nightmare Moon shot her down, she got back up. When Nightmare Moon shot her down again, she got back up. When Nightmare Moon ran off to the old castle, Rainbow Dash followed after her alone to end this madness. Nightmare Moon nearly strangled her to death, and Rainbow Dash stayed down. When the Empress threw her into a cell, Rainbow Dash smashed into the bars in desperation and rage, until who knows how long and she eventually passed out. When the Empress took an interest in her afterwards, Rainbow Dash spat in her face. When the Empress offered her a place in the Shadowbolts, Rainbow Dash hesitantly said no, because as far as she knew, they didn't really exist. When the Empress beat her, mocked her, starved her, told her that the only way to live was to join her Night Guard and not care about anypony else... Rainbow Dash thought about it, but said no. Later she saw Applejack being dragged off screaming to see the Empress, contrasted with the mighty Night Guard (who looked strangely familiar, with that yellow coat and the teal eyes) lifting her wings and carrying off that prisoner with so much freedom and strength... and suddenly she had made her decision. Rainbow Dash sobbed in pure agony as her wings stretched and changed into weighty, scaly, bloody slabs of meat at her sides. When the Nightmare mockingly soothed her through the painful process, Rainbow Dash thought about how terrible this was, about how she was giving up on everypony in Ponyville for some freedom and some power, and she tried to fight back again, if only just once. It didn't work. When she had a moment, she thought about Fluttershy as she trained; as she caught glimpses of a unicorn she may have known once; as she learned to fly again; as she polished her armor; as she attacked towns and dragged away prisoners and stood guard at her Empress's side. Until she didn't anymore. When a weird alicorn came crashing into the palace, Rainbow Dash thought for a moment -- a single, solitary moment about helping her and everypony else within these walls. When she saw that mare's Cutie Mark, she felt a tingle on her blankflank, she heard something inside her screaming, telling of her of loyalty and friendship, of a better world, and she almost followed that song inside of her. She didn't, though. That night she shouted at caged ponies, sharpened her spear, and went to bed. She didn't feel bad about it. That's just how you survived, around here. The other ponies could learn that and submit, or they could face whatever punishment the Empress saw fit. It didn't matter to her.