Fluttershy had fled as soon as she had seen the shadows. She had planned to do the opposite, but as soon as it had started, all of her convictions had been washed away, leaving only the wish to escape. She had observed the battle from a distance, had seen Twilight and Lynn fall, seen Rainbow and Cyclone dive after them, seen Sigma annihilate every shadow in a purple shower of sparks. She had seen Featherfall crash into the wall, too far away from the fight and unnoticed by anyone but her.
And she had seen both Rainbow and Cyclone return, carrying the fallen ponies on their backs.
But as Fluttershy flew down, expecting only Featherfall to be lethally hurt, her hopes were soon shattered. Her reality shattered. Everything shattered.
Lynn was alive. Twilight was not.
“She’s dead!” Rainbow cried, holding Twilight’s limp body in both her hooves. “I dove after her. I got her. But she wasn’t moving. The shadow just touched her, and... unless she’s under a spell or something... but she’s not breathing...”
“Um. We should go further.”
“TWILIGHT DIED!”
“Please, there is no reason to stay here longer.”
“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy whispered, unable to hold back tears. “Rainbow... let’s go d-down and l-look at her l-later.”
Rainbow spun around in mid air. “What do you mean ‘look at her?’”
“Maybe she’s not... maybe Sigma-”
“Can do what?”
“Please,” Cyclone said, who was now carrying both Gold Star and Lynn, one on her back, and the other in her grasp. “We also lost one of ours. Featherfall might still be alive. She could be hurt. Let’s go find her.”
That did what reason couldn’t. Rainbow Dash nodded, then dove downwards, flying at an unreasonable speed. The others followed. Soon, they couldn’t see her anymore, but there was only one direction to go.
Featherfall lay on the ground a hundred yards below.
Despite the large distance, the fall hadn’t caused any visible damage, but Featherfall was dead all the same. Lynn had said she had flown straight through a shadow, and if Twilight was any indication, than a single touch was deadly.
Rainbow Dash was standing on the ground, beside both her and Twilight.
“They’re both dead,” she repeated as Cyclone got in reach, dropping Lynn on the ground before she came to a landing, allowing Gold Star to climb off her back. “Dead. Gone.”
“Maybe...” Gold Star said quietly. “M-maybe... Sigma can bring them back?”
“What?” Rainbow asked, her voice hollow.
“Maybe Sigma can bring them back,” Gold Star repeated. A part of her wondered whether she had finally lost her mind, but she was past the point where she believed in impossibilities. “Sigma?” she asked as the mare came floating downward. “Sigma? Can you bring them back? Can you bring Twilight and Featherfall back? Or, aren’t they dead at all? Maybe it’s just part of some spell?”
“Um,” Sigma said, seeming even more hesitant than normal. “Um ... they are both dead. Um. If we succeed, it is possible that I will bring them back.”
“It is?” Gold Star asked excitedly. “Rainbow, did you hear that? You don’t have to give up hope yet. You can still fight for her!”
“You!” Suddenly, Rainbow was in front of Sigma, hitting her breast with a front limb. “You are the reason she’s dead at all! Why would I believe you?”
“She’s trying to save the world!” Gold Star shouted. “Would you rather that everyone dies? She just told you that Twilight might come back! It’s a chance! Take it!”
To her mild relief, Sigma didn’t make any attempts to fight off Rainbow, even as she forced her to slowly retreat.
“How likely is it?” Gold Star asked. “How likely that you can bring them back?”
“Um. Rainbow, can you back off, please? Then I will answer.”
Five full seconds passed, then Rainbow took a step backwards.
“... seventy percent for Twilight, fifteen for Featherfall, conditional on us succeeding and the bodies being intact.”
“You expect to be able to do it?” Rainbow asked, but Gold Star noticed that her tone was now more disbelieving than angry. “Who do you think you are?”
But Gold Star had another question.
“Why the difference?”
“Um. It is very likely that the angels exist because of the rift. If we close the rift, I don’t believe the existing ones will die, but I also don’t believe I will be able to bring back a dead one. Um, my understanding of things is incomplete, therefore I could be wrong, but I believe it will be impossible for me.”
“Wait,” Lightning Arc cut in. “You don’t believe we will die? So we might? We might die if you succeed?”
“Um. Yes.”
“You should have told us!”
“Um. If the rift remains, the chance is far larger. I didn’t think it would make a difference from your perspective. I am sorry.”
“Alright.” Rainbow shook her head, and Gold Star could feel the change that had been going through her. “We got a job to do. Let’s save friggin’ Equestria,, and then deal with saving Twilight. But if you lied,” she hissed at Sigma, only to at once turn around without finishing the sentence. “Let’s go!”