“We can slow down, if you’d like,” Spike suggested. “You did just have a big meal, after all.”
“Do you know who you’re talking to?” Rainbow Dash replied, trotting at a brisk pace while Spike practically jogged from behind. Despite her large meal, her stomach was already feeling less full, and try as she might, she just couldn’t relax the growing tension in her muscles. “The quicker we get back to help Twi’ work on this stuff the better.”
“Well… then,” Spike exhaled before letting out a gasp. “Can we slow down for my sake? I think I got a stitch in my side.”
“Oh, sure,” Rainbow Dash said as she stopped. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Spike holding his left side while he caught his breath. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he wheezed. “I think I’ve just had too many sweets lately.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I told you, dude. If you kept eating sweets for lunch then it’ll come back to bite ya. I think today’s the first time I’ve seen you eat real food in like, I don’t know, a while?”
“Twenty-five days,” Spike said as he panted. “I’ve been eating sweets for twenty-five days because that’s exactly how many recipes I’ve made in Draconian Delights, and I can’t help it.” He looked to Rainbow Dash with a pleading look. “The only pony who helps me bake them is Pinkie Pie. You know there’s no way to stop her!”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure Twilight could help you and make it healthy.”
“No, Twilight won’t help,” Spike replied. “It’s one of Night Walker’s books. He kind of, uh… let me borrow it before we found out he was evil. Twilight let me keep it when the guard came for his stuff at that house he had, but only after she did every test imaginable on it. She doesn’t go near it now, even though she said it was fine.”
“Think we can guess why,” Rainbow Dash sarcastically said. “Ready to go now?”
“Yeah, just a sec,” Spike replied. After two quick breaths, he shook his arms, and started walking. “Okay, ready.”
The two of them continued on, easily passing through the trickling crowds of Ponyville’s streets. Ponies seemed more than willing to make way for them, something Rainbow Dash normally appreciated, but the crowd’s eyes lingered longer than usual, and she shifted her draconic wings in unease.
Spike, also noticing the wide berth ponies gave them, flashed Rainbow Dash a supporting smile. “Hey, maybe if we see a comfy cloud on the way, you could stop for one of your famous power naps.”
Rainbow Dash softly sighed, and then straightened her posture and kept her head high. “It’s okay, Spike. I can handle this.” Without giving him a moment to reply, Rainbow Dash trotted forward, and Spike sighed at having to keep up again.
They turned down another street, and then entered an alley between two particularly close houses; a shortcut back to Twilight’s, Spike had noticed. The little path was shaded thanks to the adjacent tall houses, a perfect path with no other ponies sharing it. However, Spike found very little to distract his eyes with, and he couldn’t help but look over Rainbow Dash’s wings. While she seemed comfortable enough keeping them tucked to her sides, he noted that they would still quiver now and then.
As they reached the end of the narrow street, they exited into the small clearing where Twilight’s library sat within view. However, the two of them spotted Applejack, easily catching her orange coat and cowpony hat while she trotted towards Twilights. Likewise, it only took a moment before Applejack saw the two of them, and she changed direction to meet them.
“Rainbow Dash! There you are,” Applejack said as she came closer. “You know how long Ah was sitting in the lobby before I asked one of the staff where ya were? If ya’ll were leaving right after sunrise you could have just told me.”
Rainbow Dash gave an apologetic smirk. “Sorry, AJ. Couldn’t stand being cooped up in those beds any longer.”
Applejack snorted. “Oh come on, they can’t be that bad.”
“Have you ever been in them?”
“Of course I have,” Applejack declared, but then took a moments pause as she brought a hoof to her chin. “Although, whenever Ah was at the hospital as a filly, Granny always did take me back home before Ah’d fall asleep there...”
Rainbow Dash craned her head, causing an audible crick in her neck that she rubbed at. “Yeah, be thankful she did that.”
Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a second glance, and then turned to Spike. “Any news?”
Spike nodded. “Twilight’s reading a message from the Princesses right now. Also, we found out there’s other drakes!”
Applejack’s eyes widened, recalling the name Twilight used when explaining what was happening to Rainbow Dash. “There’s others?” she asked in surprise.
Rainbow Dash subtly rubbed her foreleg as Spike eagerly nodded. “Yeah, one in Vanhoover, one who was on her way to Las Pegasus, and the other is an old racing legend from Dodge City! And it looks like they have the same transformations Rainbow’s got.”
“Yeah, it’s been a crazy,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Hey, AJ, we just got done eating and we’re heading back to Twi’s. Want to come with?”
“Oh, sure,” Applejack answered, and she joined Rainbow Dash’s side as the three of them walked together. It wasn’t but a few steps, however, before Applejack’s eyes trailed down to Rainbow Dash’s wings. After a polite cough, Applejack asked, “So, aside learning that there's some ponies going through the same stuff, how ya feeling today?”
“Alright, I guess,” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Alright as in, ‘Ah’m fine,’ or alright as in, ‘Ah’m dealing with it’?”
“Is there a difference?”
“You know there is.” Applejack turned her head so that she could see Rainbow Dash as she walked. “Ah just want to know how you’re doing, is all. Ah can’t imagine how hard this is for ya, and Ah—”
“It’s fine, AJ. I get it,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “There’s not much to figure out here. My wings changed, probably forever. Yeah, it sucks, and it’s a part of me now.” She shook her leathery wings for emphasis, sending a shiver up her spine at how it still felt. “But... I’m getting over it. I just gotta’ figure out stuff with Twilight and things will be okay.”
Spike and Applejack fell a step behind to flash each other a look of concern. “You know, Sugarcube,” Applejack began. “It’s okay to take it easy. Big changes like these probably take some time, you know?” When Rainbow Dash didn’t reply, Applejack stepped closer. “Look, to be honest, as much as Ah’m relieved to see you doing better, Ah’m still worried, and Ah just don’t want you pushing yourself too hard on getting over this.”
“Not much else I can do, AJ,” Rainbow Dash dully replied, keeping her eyes focused on the library door that they approached. Grabbing the door’s handle, Rainbow Dash added one last remark, “It’s either deal with it or don’t.”
Applejack and Spike looked at one another, sharing concerned glances before following Rainbow Dash inside. When the three of them entered, the door slammed behind them, and Twilight seemingly appeared next to them.
“Big news,” Twilight said with a pensive look while the three of them jerked in surprise.
“What it is it?” Rainbow Dash asked, first to recover from the sudden fright.
Twilight motioned to the scroll sitting open on her desk. “I read Celestia and Luna’s message, and I’ve already written a message in response. The latest reports show that Gale is leaving Equestria.”
Applejack and Spike shared a sigh of relief, but Rainbow Dash glowered at Twilight. “Why’s he leaving?” she asked.
“The princesses believe he’s searching for the dragons’ main nesting grounds.”
“Wait, you don’t mean...” Spike spoke, recalling the nest with all the teenagers during the dragon migration.
Twilight shook her head. “No, that was just one of the migratory grounds. What Gale’s after right now is most likely the main nesting ground, which is on an island south of the Griffon Kingdoms.”
Turning her head, Twilight used her magic to unfurl a world map hanging in front of a wide bookshelf, drawing it down until the bottom of the map nearly touched the floor. She then levitated a nearby quill and brought it to the very bottom right of the map.
“The dragons migrated to these southern islands some centuries ago when Lord Torch, the current ruler of the dragons, decided to move out from the northern frontier. The good news is that Gale doesn’t know the dragons have moved, yet.”
Twilight raised the quill upwards, stopping at the very top of the large map. She pointed at the frozen mountains lining the edge of Equestria’s eastern and northern borders. “Based of the guard reports, we think Gale will leave Equestria’s borders tomorrow or the next day along here, where he’ll then go on to the northern Celestial Sea and into unknown territory.” Twilight brought the quill back. “The northern areas are uncharted for ponies, but what we do know is that it’s a big place, and despite the nest moving, there are still plenty of dragons living in the area.”
Applejack raised her eyebrow. “Just how long do you think it’ll take him before he catches on?”
“We’re not sure. It could be a week, or a few months,” Twilight replied.
Rainbow Dash panned her between the two places on the map. “So what happens when he does find it and meets this Lord Scorch or whatever?”
“It’s Lord Torch, and that’s the bad part,” Twilight said as she tilted her ears. “It turns out that dragon hierarchy is based off whoever’s holding a sacred and magical artifact that allows the bearer to, uhm… well, as unbelievable as it is, magically command all the other dragons.”
“What,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned.
“That was Ruby’s response, too. To be honest, I can’t find myself disagreeing with her opinion.” Twilight looked back to the map with a grave expression. “If Gale manages to take control of that artifact, there’s no telling what kind of destruction he might cause. Being able to control every dragon in the world… I’m not sure that’s something even we could stop.”
Spike gulped. “Maybe, uh… Maybe he can’t use the artifact. You know, since he’s part pony?”
“I don’t think we can afford to test that,” Twilight replied.
“But if this artifact can control dragons, then doesn’t that mean Gale’s affected by it, too? Can’t Lord Torch just use it on him?”
“That’s the worse part,” Twilight replied. “Celestia told me that the few drakes she had met were able to resist some of the artifact’s magic. Whatever reasons behind the magic, Gale’s used that advantage to challenge Lord Torch for rulership at his discretion. So far, he’s never succeeded.”
“Ah take it that ‘aint the case anymore?” Applejack asked.
“At least a thousand years have passed since they last fought,” Twilight answered. “A thousand years isn’t much for a dragon, but when they’re as old as Lord Torch, well, weaknesses can appear at his age. If Celestia is right about Gale, then even one slip up from Lord Torch could put the fight in Gale’s favor. And given that Gale is probably stronger now, we’re worried that he might win this time. In fact, physically, he’s probably in his prime.”
Spike poked his claws together, and asked with a hopeful voice, “Maybe he’s out of shape because he’s been sleeping for the last thousand years?”
“Actually, that’s really likely,” Twilight answered with a surprisingly cheerful voice. “Sleeping for a thousand years, that is, not the out of shape part. Dragons primarily grow while sleeping, and it turns out they actually age slower when they’re awake. You would not believe how fascinating a dragon’s life cycle and-” Twilight’s face physically jerked for a second, and with an embarrassed cough, she said, “Sorry, getting off topic here.”
Applejack gave a knowing smirk, and even Rainbow Dash felt her lips smile seeing Ruby keep Twilight on track. Spike, however, was looking at Twilight with wide eyes as he asked, “There’s a book about dragons?”
Twilight nodded excitedly. “There’s three books about dragons, and they’re from Celestia’s personally library. The last time I visited Canterlot, she showed them to me and talked about how she was planning on gifting them to you when you were older, but given the circumstances, she felt it was time to break them out. I only managed to get a brief glance over a few chapters before she took them away for copying, but I’m expecting them to arrive today. The copies will be given to various points in the chain of command so they can prepare themselves for what Gale is capable of.” She then flashed Spike a knowing look. “You would not believe some of the books she has. The next time we have a break, we are studying those spells.”
“But back to the matter at hoof,” Twilight continued. “To answer your question, Spike, yes, we think it’s likely he’s been sleeping these last thousand years, and he’s probably in good shape, too. When Celestia heard about each pony’s description of him from the reports, she remarked that he sounded larger than her last encounter with him a thousand years ago. Back then, it seemed he was only the size of a house.”
A pit formed in Rainbow Dash’s stomach as she recalled running into Gale and how his dragon form towered over the Everfree trees. “He’s definitely bigger than that,” she said flatly.
Twilight nodded. “One of our main concerns is that we’re not sure how much stronger he is now, and whether or not he could defeat Lord Torch.”
Rainbow Dash let out a snort. “Great. So after taking a nap for a thousand years, he just happens to wake up now when he could beat this Lord whatever?”
“Well, we have a theory as to why that is,” Twilight replied, visibly hesitant to continue speaking. “Ruby and I think that Gale’s sleeping has something to do with the disappearance of the Four Shepherds.”
If there was any doubt left as to the severity of the situation, Twilight’s proclamation put it to rest. Despite having known that another Shepherd might appear after Night Walker’s death, it was still difficult to accept. Rainbow Dash flexed her wings at the mention of them, and couldn’t help but glance over Twilight’s red cutie mark, vampiric red eyes, and pearly fangs. She and Twilight had been changed by two Shepherds, in ways most ponies will never understand, and the thought of something happening to the rest of her friends twisted her chest into knots.
“Counting Sombra,” Twilight continued, “three of the Four Shepherds have shown up.” She brought a hoof to her chest. “Ruby and I still aren’t sure what’s causing them to appear one after another like this, but if it continues, then it’s likely that Gale only woke up because Ruby and I killed Night Walker. Which means that when we do stop Gale, there’s a strong chance that the last Shepherd will show up as well.”
“W-Who’s that?” Spike nervously asked.
“Right now, I think it’s important that we focus on—”
“We aren’t your war council or whatever it is you do at Canterlot now. Just say who it is,” Rainbow Dash sardonically interrupted.
Twilight frowned at Rainbow Dash, but nodded in reply as she cleared her throat. “Alright. Her name is Thistle Bell, like the flower that grows near the Crystal Kingdom. Among the Four Shepherds, she was called the Dead.”
Applejack grimaced. “Ah can’t imagine why anypony would want to be called that.”
“Interestingly enough,” Twilight began, “it was actually the various villages of Equestria that named them. Each Shepherd has a few surnames historically recorded in certain regions alone, but their ‘code names’, so to speak, are titles that actually stuck around during a time when news was spread only by word of mouth.”
“But why in Equestria was she called that?”
“She was called that because…” Twilight trailed off, biting her lip on how to explain.
“Because what?” Rainbow Dash asked. There was a growing note of irritation in her voice.
“Well, she was able to… or rather, is able to raise the, uhm… the dead.”
“Say what now?” Applejack said.
“She, uh… she can raise dead ponies and control them to do her bidding.”
Spike started chewing on his claws. “A-Are you saying she can make zombies?”
“Zombies, skeletons, and worse,” Twilight replied. “Thistle Bell was a mad pony who collected the corpses and souls of ponies who passed away, storing them in her fortress at the northern and southern edges of Equestria. Although, it’s fair to say that each Shepherd is mad in their own way.”
“What were the other names?” Spike asked, hoping to change the topic.
“Sombra was known as the King,” Twilight answered, “Night Walker the Shadow, and Gale the Beast—”
Slam every book shut. The urge suddenly tore through Rainbow Dash's mind as her muscles tensed and twitched in preparation. She clamped her teeth at the notion, and after a moment, it passed. “Okay, we get it. They have names. So how are they involved in this again?” Rainbow Dash pressed.
“We… Don’t know, yet,” Twilight sheepishly replied. “But there are some clues. Sombra appeared with the Crystal Kingdom, something we still don’t fully understand, but we don’t have any idea where Night Walker and Gale first showed up at. For all we know, they could have been traveling through time like the Crystal Kingdom. But thankfully, Gale’s signs of growth rules out that theory.”
Twilight turned to Spike and asked with a gentle voice, “Remember when Night Walker put you to sleep with a powder?”
Spike nodded while poking his claws together.
“It’s called… ahem, Dragon’s Puff. It seems it’s made from the shavings of a rare magical reagent that has a strong reaction with dragons. Fine amounts of it can cause dragons to fall asleep if quickly inhaled.”
Spike was pensive as his eyes trailed downward, but he blinked at a thought that bubbled up from the unpleasant memory. “You think Night Walker might have something to do with Gale then? Like... maybe he used the same powder on him?”
“It’s a good guess, and Ruby and I are still considering it, but we don’t think it’s too likely in this case,” Twilight answered. Without turning her head, Twilight’s horn lit as she grabbed Night Walker’s journal from the shelf behind her, and then levitated it in front of her towards the girls and Spike. “But that might change.”
Applejack and Spike grimaced at the book. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof, wanted to throw it against a wall and yell at Twilight for taking so long to—
Rainbow Dash fluttered her eyes, and forced herself to keep paying attention to Twilight.
“I’ve been going over his journal,” Twilight began, “and so far I haven’t reached the part in his story where he’s a shepherd yet. But whenever I try to skip past the parts I’ve read, the pages become blank. I’ve counted the remaining pages each time I’ve opened it, and despite how much I read there are always about twenty blank pages left.”
Opening the book for them to see, Twilight showed the magical phenomenon to them, twirling past previously read pages until they suddenly became blank. She then closed book and gave it a wary glare. “Ruby and I figured out that it uses some kind of shadow magic for its enchantments. Night Walker was somehow able to get it to work without emanating any magical energy. At least, that’s our working theory for it right now. Still…”
Twilight brought the book close to her chest. “Night Walker wanted me to read this, and it looks like until I’ve read everything I can’t guarantee I’ll be able find anything helpful from it. ” She sighed while lowering the book. “If I had spent more time on it between my royal duties, then perhaps I could have found an answer by now. But until then, it looks like I’ll be putting more reading hours into it.”
“So, what are we going to do then?” Rainbow Dash asked. Her wings were twitching in anticipation, and she wanted to throw them open and shake the air. “What’s the plan for stopping him and this Dead or whatever coming after him?”
Twilight was quiet as she levitated Night Walker’s journey back to the shelf. After a moment, she took a deep breath. “Some members of the guard are preparing for Thistle Bell, but the rest of our ponies are mobilizing right now to deal with Gale.”
Twilight shifted her body posture into something that bespoke royalty and authority, and her friends noticed how much easier the stance came to her. Additionally, despite having only written the orders minutes ago, Twilight spoke as if she had rehearsed it a hundred times.
“By Royal order, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and I, Princess Twilight, will be leading a joint effort with the Griffin Kingdoms in our conflict with Gale, member of the Four Shepherds. Equestrian forces will travel across the sea and fortify at the northern edge of Griffin territory where the Bug Bear Mountains begin. Our primary goal is to assist in the defence of the Griffin Kingdoms, and ensure Gale is not able to fly southward past our defenses. If Gale is allowed a direct flight over the Griffin Kingdoms, the damage would be catastrophic.”
Twilight then relaxed and blushed slightly. “That’s the first order going out. I’ve already sent it to Celestia, Luna, and Cadence who are preparing their own troops. I’ll be in charge of the bat pony company.”
Applejack and Spike stared agape at the news. Rainbow Dash, however, gritted her teeth in excitement, and her heart quickened. The sensation of her fangs gnashing together was starting to become comfortable. “When do we leave?” she nearly growled.
Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash, and lowered her ears sullenly. She could hear Rainbow Dash’s heart thumping furiously within her chest. Rainbow Dash had always been hot headed, but the sound of blood rushing through her veins as it did now was off-putting for Twilight, and she found it difficult to recompose herself for what she was about to say.
Rainbow Dash saw this reaction and asked, “We are leaving, right?”
“Rainbow…” Twilight began. “The other princesses and I decided that… You’re staying in Ponyville.”
Rainbow Dash blinked once in befuddlement before she roared thunderously, “WHAT!?”
The reverberation of her voice shifted the grand map and sent it refurling back to the top of the shelf like an elastic cord. Without care, Rainbow Dash threw her wings open while her tail madly flicked. “I’m not staying here while you’re fighting Gale!”
“Rainbow, please, you have to—”
“Do you think I can’t handle it?” Rainbow Dash stamped a hoof on the floor, causing the wooden floorboard to splinter from the force. “Is that it, huh!?”
“No, Rainbow, it’s—”
Push back! Prove who’s stronger! Rainbow Dash stomped towards Twilight, marching past Applejack and Spike who shied away in surprise. Twilight, however, kept perfectly still as Rainbow Dash pressed her nose against hers. Rainbow Dash’s open wings furled inward as if they sought to wrap Twilight up in their large grasp, and her fangs gleamed as she opened her mouth wide. “I didn’t stop you from facing Night Walker! I backed you one-hundred and twenty percent of the way. You’re going to let me do this.”
Squaring herself up and bringing her eyes close to Twilight’s, Rainbow Dash declared, “I’m not staying behind.”
Applejack and Spike were taken aback at Rainbow Dash’s suddenly eminently draconic presence, but recovered and readied themselves, ready to intervene on both their friends’ behalf.
However, before they could even take a step, in a fluid motion, Twilight shifted from her sheepish demeanor into something predatory and vampiric. A weight could be felt in the air, and Applejack and Spike found themselves automatically stiffening in fear, their bodies motionless despite how their minds’ insistence. It was like a palpable vampiric aura emanating from Twilight, dwarfing Rainbow Dash’s fury, making her outburst of bravado feel like that of a temperamental child. There was a sharpness and power to Twilight’s voice as she repeated, “You aren’t coming with us.”
Rainbow Dash was unfazed. Nothing frightened her, and so she spread her wings more. “If you honestly think that—”
“You aren’t coming because you’re needed here, Rainbow!” Twilight suddenly shouted.
Rainbow Dash paused as she regarded Twilight, noticing how she relaxed and left herself vulnerable.
“I’m bringing the other Drakes here, to Ponyville,” Twilight said. “And I need you to be here for them.”
Like a red filter being removed, all thoughts of battle vanished. Rainbow Dash flattened her ears, her wings instantly tucked themselves to her sides, and she took a nervous step backwards. “W-What do you mean? What do they got to do with me? I can’t sit around babysitting when Gale needs to be stopped!”
“These ponies have gone through the same changes you have,” Twilight softly said. “Rainbow. you aren’t alone with this. They’re going to need your help, and they’ll be able adjust to their new changes better than if they were left alone. And I also believe that helping them will help you as well.” Twilight stepped towards Rainbow Dash and raised a hoof to place on her shoulder, but Rainbow Dash stepped away, anxiously avoiding eye contact all the while.
Twilight paused, and the concern showing on her face deepened. “I know it’s a lot to handle. I just want you to have the best cha—”
“I don’t care what you want!” Rainbow Dash suddenly shouted as she turned away. Break something! Destroy a bookshelf! A Table! Anything to prove you’re strong. Never let them see weakness. Shutting her eyes tight, she turned her head downward and yelled, “I just want this to be over! And to do that Gale needs to be stopped!”
Shock appeared on Twilight’s face, and after nodding to no one in particular, she closed her eyes briefly. When she had reopened them, they were filled with white light, and Twilight cautiously stepped forward. “Rainbow Dash... “
“WHAT?” Rainbow Dash screamed as she spun to face her. However, her anger gave way to confusion when she saw Twilight’s soul sight active.
Twilight stared intensely for several seconds before calmly speaking, “Breathe.”
“I… What?” Rainbow Dash replied. Her anger faltered for a moment, a split second of an opening, but it was all Twilight needed. Before Rainbow Dash could collect herself, she found Twilight had crossed the short distance between them to embrace Rainbow Dash with her hooves. Locking her arms around Rainbow Dash tightly so as to keep her hooves and wings held down, Twilight repeated, “Breathe.”
Rainbow Dash tried to pull back in vain, and when she realized she was unable to break Twilight’s grasp, her movements became erratic.
Rainbow Dash yelled as she squirmed around. “Get off me! I’m serious, Twilight!” When it was clear Twilight was not letting go, Rainbow Dash began to thrash about, but Twilight’s vampiric strength kept her locked down. “Argh! I said, let me go!” Throw her off! Strike! Don’t let her hold—
“Take a deep breath,” Twilight repeated, squeezing her eyes shut as she continued to speak calmly through the physical struggle. “Just breathe, Rainbow. Ruby will take care of it in a minute.”
“Let’go of me!” Rainbow Dash grunted. “Let me... Let...me… go...”
Rainbow Dash’s vision faded as soothing darkness overtook her, and deep in the back of her sleepy mind she felt relief that there was no fire.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rainbow Dash’s gasped as her eyes shot open, reeling in shock as she was violently ejected from the comfort of sleep. Her body leapt upwards in an instinctual urge to fight, and she nearly collided with the heads of her friends that had been packed around her prone form.
Twilight let out a squeak in surprise, having barely avoided Rainbow Dash’s sudden headbutt thanks to her improved reflexes. Applejack jerked away while muttering a curse, narrowly dodging Rainbow Dash’s flailing wing and the large clawed thumb on it. Spike on the other hoof, had let out a startled yelp and leapt so high and away that he that he managed to land himself upon a nearby chair of equal elevation.
Rainbow Dash glanced between the three of them in the span of a heartbeat, feeling her body tense in preparation for action. And yet, she also felt oddly relaxed, sighing as her muscles released their tension. Disturbed by her body’s unfamiliar urges, Rainbow Dash nervously asked, “What just happened?”
“What in tarnation, Twilight?” Applejack exclaimed at Twilight. “Is she going to be okay or not?”
Twilight stammered, “Y-You were only out for ten seconds! There’s no way you should have been able to wake up so quickly.” Without hesitation, Twilight quickly approached Rainbow Dash and offered a supporting hoof up. “How are you feeling?”
To Twilight’s surprise, Rainbow Dash grasped her hoof immediately and hoisted herself up. “Does buzzed count?” Rainbow Dash replied. “But I’m like.. calm, too, you know? It’s kind of weird.” As she thought about it, her mind finally registered her last conscious moments. “Hey! You used magic on me, didn’t you?”
Twilight’s ears fell as she nodded. “Yes, we did. Please, let me explain?”
Rainbow Dash gave her a nod.
“Ruby and I were worried about how quickly your mood was changing, and when we checked on your soul for an unusual cause, we saw a lot of aggression. Far too much.” Twilight’s eyes softened. “At least, too much for you, Rainbow.”
“I… I think I remember,” Rainbow Dash said slowly. “There was like… this… urge. I don’t know how to describe it.” She turned her head to where she had been standing just before she fell unconscious, and noticed the splintered wooden floor. A pit formed in her stomach at the sight of the damage. “Did… Did I do that?”
When none of her friends answered right away, Rainbow Dash hesitantly walked over to the damaged floor and placed her hoof into the imprint she had left. The moment she put weight onto her hoof, her mind and body recalled the urges she had felt when she stamped her hoof down, the overwhelming desire to throw her strength at whoever was challenging her.
Rainbow Dash turned to look at Twilight, and a shudder passed through her as she flattened her ears. “Twilight, I... “ She gulped at the words caught in her throat, but the situation was too grim to put off. “I… I don’t think I can handle this.”
“I know how it feels,” Twilight solemnly replied. “You’re afraid you’ll hurt some pony, right?”
The words cut closer than Rainbow Dash had been expecting, and she lowered her head.
“I thought so,” Twilight said with a quiet voice. “I felt the same way.” Rainbow Dash’s ears pricked up, and she lifted her gaze up towards Twilight who was giving her a small, supportive smile. “You’re different now, and in a lot of ways, stronger. It’s easy to see yourself making a mistake and hurting somepony else.”
Twilight brought a hoof to her chest as she spoke. “I don’t think I’ve ever shared how much I scared myself, how worried I was that I wouldn’t be able to control my thirst for blood. But I was able to, in the end. And after making nearly a hundred vamponies over these last few months, I’ve seen many other ponies go through the same worries.”
Twilight smiled to each of her friends before looking back to Rainbow Dash. “It’s because of my friends, as well as the bat ponies, that I don’t have those fears anymore.”
“But what if I mess up?” Rainbow Dash suddenly said. “I’m not a vampony, I’m a drake! W-What if drakes are more violent? What if I just get so mad that I just… lash out. What if I can’t control myself?” Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack. “What if I go too far the next time we’re in a contest together? You know that I can get carried away, and if I ever… To any of you… I can’t even say it!” Rainbow Dash lowered her ears. “I don’t want to hurt anypony!”
“You won’t, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Ah know you won’t.”
“But what if I do?”
“You won’t,” Applejack repeated. “Ah trust you.”
“Me too,” Spike chirped from his chair. “If any pony can handle this, it’s definitely you.”
“Thanks for the support,” Rainbow Dash said quietly. “But this is too weird, even for me.” She turned to Twilight. “All of it is too much. I can’t do it on my own this time, Twilight. I don’t think I can treat this like I how I usually handle things.”
Rainbow Dash opened her wings and rattled them in front of Twilight. “Look at me! This isn’t something I can just shove off and deal with like I normally do. I almost hurt you, Twilight! I was just so angry and I… I almost… if you hadn’t used magic on me, then I don’t know what would have happened!” She gave Twilight a pleading look as she stepped closer. “I’m way over my head on this one. I need help. Please, Twilight, I need your help on figuring this out. Let me come with you.”
“Rainbow, I—” Twilight began. But as she spoke, the tucked away map above the bookcase suddenly unfurled itself, revealing the large map of Equestria all on its own. However, instead of the finely detailed map of the world with names, borders, and fine printed key, it was instead a horrid mess of arts and craft one would expect a toddler to make. The land was drawn in grossly unproportional sizes with different colored crayons, all the major cities had been replaced with takeout menus where some items were circled in black pen, and the ocean looked like it had been slapped with a messy blue paint that clearly had yet to dry.
“My map!” Twilight cried, distraught at what had become of her newest library addition. “It was only finished two days ago! What happened to it?”
“You know, Rainbow Dash,” came a voice from the map, sounding muffled and far away. The blue paint rippled as if it was made of water, and after everypony blinked trying to understand the strange effect, they could see that it was indeed, apparently made of water now. The voice continued, sounding louder and clearer with each word. “If you’re so worked up about Twilight leaving, then perhaps I can keep you entertained while she’s gone.”
The water on the map rippled once more before gushing violently outwards, almost as if a rather large aquarium had a panel of glass removed.
Everyone shouted in alarm as they leapt away, doing their best to avoid the oncoming wave. Seaweed, shells, and other ocean debris poured into the library, haphazardly decorating the entire room with a nautical theme. Only a few seconds had passed before the water abruptly stopped, leaving everypony soaked. As they shakily picked themselves up they found that the whole library floor was covered in ankle-deep water.
Wiping their eyes of salt water, they saw all the blue paint was gone from the map, and standing in front of it was a certain draconequus, sporting a full set of perfectly dry scuba gear.
With a mischievous grin, Discord spoke, “After all, we’re friends now, aren’t we?”