//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - So Long......Rainbow // Story: The Lost One // by thedarktome //------------------------------// After Pencil Sketch had walked up on stage, she continued to wave and smile. After around three more minutes off this, the announcer asked her how she came up with the ideas for the artwork. "Well, I first became interested in Celestia," she responded through the microphone. Her voice was calm and collected. Smooth like milk. "But then I became more interested in Equestria as a whole. So I created a timeline to show how far we've come." She walked towards the first one and explained how that came to her mind before doing the same to the second, third, and finally the fourth. Afterwards she explained what she learned. "It made me realize that no matter what anypony does to you, only by working, being organized, creating a plan, and intelligent thinking can you come out on top." The ponies down below all stomped their hooves while Pencil stood in the middle of the platform, waving at them once again. After the event, which lasted a few more minutes, ended, a total of two hours, the upper class ponies were allowed to meet with her to discuss, talk, and more in the restaurant area upstairs. Fancy Pants and his entourage, Fleur De Lis, Hoity Toity, and some more high class ponies. "Most ponies don't usually recognize art when they see it," Fancy Pants announced proudly when he shook her hoof from across the table. "But somehow in some unimaginable way, you've managed to capture the eye of every creature in Equestria. I believe some congratulations are in order here." Pencil chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm just really good at getting ponies to notice me. I've been doing a lot lately." "Can I ask what exactly have you been doing before all of this?" Fleur De Lis asked, genuinely interested. "The tabloids have said you appeared out of nowhere." "That's because I came here after I finished some.....overdue actions," she responded while creating a circular motion with her hoof. "It was time to move onto the next step." "Well, congratulations," one of Fancy Pants' companions said. He was a brown unicorn named Golden Gavel, sophisticated just like the pony he was following. "To Pencil Sketch!" The others lifted up their drinks in the toast. "To Pencil Sketch!" They clinked their glasses and started drinking, the wine tasting like rich blueberries across Pencil's tongue. She set the glass down with a satisfied "Ahhhhh." Hoity Toity chuckled at her response to the beverage, obvious that she hadn't had a drink before. "I take it you don't drink a lot of wine?" Pencil shook her head in confirmation. "Nope. Only on special occasions. It distracts me if I try to get things done." She took another small sip, absolutely loving the taste of the fancy beverage. "Here here," Fleur agreed before taking a sip out of her own drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a very familiar pony that she hasn't seen in a while that made her smile in surprise. "Rarity? Is that you?" Everyone at the table turned around to face the new arrival except Pencil, who was busy staring at the drink and trying to figure out why it tasted so delicious. The pony in question smiled and waved at the table before approaching with a pleased grin plastered on her face. "Fleur, darling! It's soooo good to see you again!" She came into Pencil's view and hugged the supermodel. Then started shaking hooves with everyone else there. Even Pencil who didn't even look her in the eye. Still too busy with her drink. "You too! Have a seat, have a seat!" The two sat back down and talked for a minute before Pencil finally looked up and realized who was at the table with a start. She quickly looked back down and started taking deep breaths. Where in the world did she come from? "Be cool.....be cool....," she muttered unheard. "She's just sitting here talking to Fleur, no one else." "So you're the mare of the hour." Buck. Pencil looked at her with her right eye hidden behind the shades she was still wearing at Rarity, who was giving her a gleaming smile. "It's an honor to meet you, Pencil Sketch. Your work has inspired ponies by the millions all over Equestria. And it has earned you a wealthy amount of bits I've heard." Pencil sat up and gave her some attention, not to mention a fake smile. "Yes, it has made me a ton of money that I'll use to open up another studio in Manehattan, and other places that I'll visit in the future. So if I need to paint something down quickly, I'll have a studio on hand." "Very smart," Fancy Pants commented, taking another sip of the blueberry wine. He set down his glass and added, "I've heard of ponies who make it big but spend their bits on other things that do not bring them any profit. So it's good to hear of another pony willing to invest in their career. You never know what you're going to see in another city." "I know, I know. It's just.....there's going to be so much more that comes after this. I'm doing another show in Canterlot next month to showcase all my work, Celestia herself offering the grand ballroom in the castle for me to hold it. Of course I took the offer, since it's a castle, right?" The group laughed while Pencil adjusted her necklace, catching the fashionista's eye. "Darling, where in Equestria did you get that necklace? It is absolutely divine!" She stopped positioning it and looked up into Rarity's hungry eyes. Jealous much? "I had it designed and crafted personally. It cost five hundred thousand bits and I still have over three million. Next week it will be more because I'm painting models, including Fleur here." She gestured to the supermodel who nodded her head. "She'll be modeling some new clothes that another pony I know has made." "And I can't wait to see what Pencil will create next," Hoity Toity commented. Rarity smiled before turning back at the necklace. "It's just that....the necklace reminds me of somepony I met years ago. That was her cutie mark and she lived up to it." 'Snake,' Pencil thought, setting down her wine glass. "Oh, that's nice. Everyone has a cutie mark." "Indeed, it's what defines us." "Wrong." Rarity turned to Pencil in confusion. "I'm sorry?" "A cutie mark does not define a pony. It's what you do that defines one. I could make all the paintings I want, but you want to know something? This is not my special talent. This is my passion, but not my talent. I wasn't born to paint. But I loved it. So I defied my predetermined choice and created my own path, creating the mare you see right now in front of you. And it feels great." All the ponies stared at her in surprise for a quiet moment. "Wow," Swan Song said, her blue eyes wide in wonder. "I've.....never thought of it THAT way before." "In other words....your cutie mark shows you what you're good at, NOT what you're best at," Pencil continued. "You have to find that on your own, like I had to. I bet all of you have a hobby that you've never actually pursued because you think that your cutie mark is the only thing you can do. But I bet, somewhere in those smart minds of yours, you can achieve at greater things. You know it." "Of course! That's why my sales haven't actually gone higher than they are!" Fancy Pants exclaimed. "Because I'm limiting myself!" "Exactly. Thanks, Ms. Rarity for giving me that chance to wake up the group." Pencil took the last few drops of her drink before standing up. "I have to get out of here. Buff is probably sleeping in some elevator or something else. See ya'." "Goodbye, Pencil!" Fleur De Lis called out as she walked away, her golden hoofshoes making a metallic sound that faded away, along with her form. "That gray pony could do a speech if she wanted to. Don't you think, Rarity?" The fashionista was looking at the way Pencil walked off to, a little more jealous than when she actually arrived to the event. "Yes.....she could." *** "Alright, Buff. This is where we part ways again," Pencil reported, standing at her front door with her bodyguard beside her. "You hittin' the hay later, huh?" "Can I come inside and just lay on your couch?" The obviously tired Pegasus pleaded, obviously too tired to get home. "PLEEEAAASSSEE?" Pencil just looked at him for a moment, trying to make up her mind. "Some other time, maybe. Get out of here, you rough stallion." She walked inside and closed the door in his face, leaving him standing there speechless. After about a minute, he shrugged. "It was worth a shot," he chuckled before flying in the air, headed to his own home. After Pencil had walked inside, she walked up the grand staircase and into her room, taking off her dress and throwing it in a basket that was lying on the floor before jumping on the bed, sighing once the soft covers and bed sheets met her coat. It was a rough night. Even after SHE showed up. She had to tell her what's up, that Cutie Marks were just a symbol. They don't matter to the pony it belongs to. In fact, it's irrelevant. It's just..........a mark. Nothing special. Rainbow's mark didn't get her anywhere but in a cage and replaced by someone better. Pencil Sketch. The mare who could get what she wanted, anytime she wanted to get it. The mare who could inspire an entire nation with just a paintbrush, ink, a canvas, and a vision. The mare on a mission that isn't held back by snakes who called themselves her friends. She wasn't open to the ideology that you needed friends to succeed in life. She had no friends. Only accomplices. And that was enough. "How was it? What's she like? Do you know, did you see her, huh, huh, huh?" Rarity pushed Pinkie's face back slowly, uncomfortable with the Party mare's closeness. They were all inside her boutique to talk about Pencil Sketch's artwork, Rarity's experience, and to discuss Rainbow Dash who's still missing for a full seven days the next morning after the exhibit. If she doesn't return by today, an Equestrian alert would be sent out. "Yes, I saw her," she answered her as she sat down next to Applejack. "I even met her and shook her hoof. The artwork was inspiring, truly inspiring, darlings! She made a timeline that consisted of the rough times of Equestria all the way up to the peace and serene atmosphere we have now. After Discord, the Changelings, and more. It would truly bring a tear to your eye." "So what was she like?" Twilight asked, drinking from her cup of tea. Rarity clicked her tongue and circled the rim of her cup with her hoof as she tried to find a better word for the artist. "She was......hidden. She didn't reveal much of anything on her, not even her cutie mark. But she did wear a necklace of a cutie mark that I recognized almost instantly." "And what was it?" Fluttershy asked. Rarity pulled out a newspaper, showing Pencil Sketch on the front page, and of what she looked like last night. "A lightning bolt. A Rainbow colored lightning bolt." They all stopped and stared intensely at the image, looking closely at the necklace around her neck. "It was completely covered in diamonds of different colors, bringing it that Rainbow look. I asked her about it and she said she had it crafted for five hundred thousand bits. I told her it looked like my friend's cutie mark and she went on a speech about how it doesn't define us." Twilight chuckled in response. "Now that's just silly. Then what is it there for?" "That's where she went on the speech. She said a cutie mark shows what we're GOOD at. Not what we're BEST at. Her talent wasn't painting apparently. It was just her passion. She didn't say what her special talent was, but it wasn't painting. She was just so good at it that it got into a museum after one day of looking at it, then became a millionaire after a week. I don't know who taught her that, but she just backed it up." Twilight stared in disbelief at the photo. There was absolutely no pony could define a cutie mark like that, let alone offend her! Magic was her thing, and she was good at it. No, she was the best at it! This pony was wrong and she was going to yell it in her face! "That is not true!" She exclaimed, jumping to her hooves, outraged. "So basically, she's saying that what I'm best at isn't magic?! "I'm positive that's not what she meant, Twilight!" Pinkie said, trying to diffuse the situation. "She was obviously giving advice on how ponies can become better, silly! What else would it mean?" "That what I'm best at ISN'T magic and that it's something else!" "Twilight, I think you're just stressed over Rainbow," Applejack said calmly, patting the spot Twilight was just sitting on. "Have a seat and calm down." "No!" She trotted towards the door and opened it, letting in the hot heat of the day before walking out with a goal in mind. To prove Pencil Sketch wrong. "And where the heck is Rainbow?!" *** That same morning, Pencil Sketch woke up with a smile on her face, glad to see a new day. Of course, it was still very early like sunrise, but she had somewhere to be right now. Undercover. Back at the destroyed mansion, she had left some important documents about her old self. Her name, identification, and more. Those could fall into the wrong Pony's hooves and cause a disaster for her. She quickly jumped out of bed and put on her incognito suit before zooming out her balcony doors, flying towards Canterlot. The city itself shining from the early morning sun. Hopefully, nopony woulld go over there to snoop around. They could grab whatever the heck they wanted to, just not the documents. Looking down, she spotted the guards preparing Celestia's chariot for something, along with Celestia standing beside it. Where could she be going so early in the morning? She shook her head of those thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Searching the ruins for some documents. Hopefully they'd still be there. Soon she arrived at the destination, the Cloudominimum's remains on the flat land of grss in front of Ponyville and Applejack's farm. She flew low starting a mile back to make herself unseen as she approached. Some ponies were already looking for a gray Pegasus with a very hard rear hoof. Up ahead were the ruins. No one was around so far as Pencil could tell. That made this much easier, of course. A pony could show up while she was searching though, which could take an hour or two, maybe a little less if she went by the speed she was so accustomed. She put her hood over her head to hide her long hair before landing at the site. Since most of the structure was a cloud, that made the search far easier to find. Way easier. Hard part was going through it. There was actually a few things that were blown across town. She hoped she didn't have to go walking through that place again. It was already getting hot out there. "Ponies can do better, huh? Yeah right. I'm already the best, and I'm going to tell her that." Twilight continued muttering to herself as she approached the crash site. She froze and her attention was captured as she spotted something going up into the air and falling back down behind a stone column, spiking her curiosity. Looking around first, she slowly and quietly made her way over to the scene, not making a sound. Who or whatever it was was looking for something, that much was obvious with the typical muttering of "where is it, where is it" going on over there. She was dangerously close now, the thing literally right in front of her behind the fallen column. All she had to do was peak over it. Which she did, and nearly gasped in surprise. That pony that destroyed the Cloudominium in the first place was going through Rainbow's stuff! This was NOT going to happen. Twilight jumped over the column and tackled the pony to the ground, surprising her and nearly taking off her hood in the process. She put her horn at the ponie's face, shock written all over it, before she gave a demand. "Who are you, and what have you done with Rainbow?!" The pony groaned and gave her a sad smile. "Rainbow's dead..." Pencil kicked Twilight in the stomach again with a shoe covered hoof, knocking the air out of her. Then knocked her over to the side by the head, stunning her. The painter stood up and towered over her. "Thanks to all of you." Twilight gasped before the pony slammed her hoof into the side of her head, knocking her out in one blow. Pencil sighed and looked down at her before going back to what she was doing. After a few more minutes, she found what she came for. Her personal records. Including her bank information, Equestrian Identification, and more. If she didn't grab these, they could've taken all her money. She cast one last look at the mare with a bruise on the side of her head, knocked out and laying on the ground. "Stupid ponies," she muttered. Then looked back up and flew away, headed towards Manehattan. Luckily, no on else had seen her and that mare's crazy altercation. Great. On the way back, she passed by Princess Celestia's chariot, obviously headed for Ponyville. What for, she had no idea. But she wasn't going to like what she found. At all. "Twilight.....Twilight, wake up...." The librarian groaned when someone placed something on her head, something very cold. "Twilight, are you okay, darling?" Twilight grunted before she sat up, holding the ice pack against the side of her head with a hoof and looked around. All of her friends were around her, except Rainbow, and Princess Celestia. Wait...Celestia? "Princess? What are you doing here?" She asked tiredly, rubbing her head. Looks like they were back in her library. "I was on my way to see you after you haven't written me any letters for a full week when I found you passed out in some destroyed home with a bruise on your head," she explained. "So I teleported you here. What happened there? And where's Rainbow Dash?" Twilight gasped and whimpered a little, remembering what that mare said. "Twilight?" The librarian looked up with tears threatening to spill over. "I was attacked by the same pony that destroyed Rainbow's home yesterday." "We have a new enemy," Celestia concluded. "And where's Rainbow? Do you know?" The other ponies all shook their heads before Twilight responded. "I do." The elements gasped before turning to her with hope in their eyes. "Where is she, Twilight?!" Fluttershy asked desperately, grabbing the mare by the shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "We have to find her now, where is she?!" "That's just it, Fluttershy. That pony said she's dead." The room was silent as they all stared at Twilight in shock. Celestia narrowed her eyes before she turned around and walked over to the case holding the elements , gasping a little at what was inside. Then sighed loudly, catching their attention and their ears. She slowly and timidly opened the glass case with her magic and pulled out five gems, placing them on a table behind her. Then she picked up the......red dust that had made up the red lightning bolt that was the Element of Loyalty. "This....was her Element. When a pony is either deceased or changed, they turn to dust. Since me and my sister were the last holders of the Elements, and are not deceased, they have held up. But since we passed them on, the status of them changed to you six being the owners. So it does not matter if we are gone or not. It matters if you are. And so far, it looks like the Elements of Harmony have lost an Element permanently...or temporarily. Either way....her form is gone." "NO!" They all looked towards Fluttershy who had tears coming down her face. "NO, SHE CAN'T BE GONE! SHE JUST CAN'T BE GONE! YOU'RE WRONG! SHE IS NOT GONE!" "Fluttershy," Applejack said, walking over with tears trailing down her face too. "I don't want to believe it either. But what other explanation is there?" "WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, CELESTIA! ISN'T THERE SOME WAY FOR YOU TO SEE IF SHE'S ALIVE?!" Fluttershy asked in desperation. "The only one who can do that is Luna," Celestia responded sadly. She turned to the door and yelled, "Guard! Summon Luna at once!" One of the Royal guards outside wrote and sent the letter at the same time to get the Princess of the Night out to Ponyville. Turning back to the others, Celestia added, "While Luna tracks for life, we will only hope for the best. If she does not find any, we will inform Ponyville, her parents, and those she was really close to." A flash of light blinded all of them before it dissipated, revealing Princess Luna in a frenzied state. "We came as fast as we could," she said quickly, reverting back to the new Equestrian. "What is it thou needed?" "Twilight got into a altercation with a pony who has declared Rainbow Dash deceased," she explained turning around to face Luna with hopeful eyes and meeting Luna's surprised ones. "So far..." She picked up the dust in her magic. "Her claims are solid." "Oh no," she replied in despair. But she knew what her sister wanted. "I'll check to make sure by going into our ponies' minds." She closed her eyes and summoned the advanced spell, trying to find the supposedly lost pony. "It will take her a few minutes to scan every pony in Equestria," Celestia informed the rest of the Elements. "Can somepony please tell me what happened before all of this?" "We got in a fight," Twilight admitted. "We got in a fight after she messed up the spell I asked you to let me practice, and I put all my frustration on her. I yelled to her......that she wasn't my friend." "And the rest of us agreed," Applejack finished, taking off her hat slowly in respect. "We were all just frustrated. An' we put it all on Dash." Celestia sighed loudly before sniffling behind her caught her attention. They all looked towards Luna to see her trying to hold back tears, making little sobs every now and then. After about another minute she opened her eyes and cried, letting it all out. "I....I couldn't find her.....she's gone. I checked three times. She's.......she's gone." *** "MEETING!!!" Applejack yelled, running through the town square and getting all the ponies' attention. "MANDATORY MEETING IN TOWN HALL!!!!" She yelled again, trying to stifle her tears. "ALL PONIES ARE TO REPORT TO TOWN HALL RIGHT NOW!!!" Fluttershy had flown up to Cloudsdale to grab everyone up there, including Rainbow's parents which were just going to tear her up. The others were setting up the stand, as well as a memorial that Twilight was creating out of Flowers before placing a cover over it, hiding it behind Celestia who stalked up to the podium. The Elements were lined up on the right side of her, watching as all the ponies came up and stood in front of it, including everyone in Cloudsdale. After they were all situated, Celestia began to spread the news. "Thank you for coming, everypony. In the last week, I have been getting messages from Cloudsdale about how Ponyville has been getting battered by the intense heat and has had no cover to relieve them of it." Some pegasi who worked for the weather factory came closer to the podium, hoping to get some news on that. Sunshower was in the front, completely focused on Celestia as she continued. "We have searched high and low for the weather manager, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, defender of Equestria. Unfortunately, our search has all been for naught." The ponies all began muttering loudly, trying to understand where Celestia was going for before she held a hoof up to silence them. "We have learned today, that Rainbow Dash is no longer with us. She is now.........with the Rainbows, forever flying free, the air not even her limit. She is gone. She has passed on." The only sound being the hot air as it swept through the town, shock all over their faces. "We have tracked every living pony in Equestria, hoping to find the mind and thoughts of Rainbow Dash," Celestia continued, trying to hold back her tears. "When not even a thought is found, they are declared as deceased, since the mind always gives out pulses that we can find." Someone screamed in the back, making everyone turn around and look up to see Windy Whistles, Rainbow's mother, crying loudly into her husbands shoulder, who was shedding tears as well. Scootaloo, who was crying out too, was being consoled by the other two Crusaders. "Rainbow Dash was everyone's idol," Celestia continued, trying to hold her own tears. "She came to help whenever she could, fighting until the fight was won, giving Equestria victory. She fought against Discord, helped free my sister of Nightmare Moon, and was the Element of Loyalty...and proved that time and time again....all the way to the very end. Fly as fast as you can, Rainbow Dash. You will be missed." The princess turned to Twilight who pulled down the cover over the memorial. They looked on in appreciation at the figure. It looked exactly like the speedy Pegasus even down to the cocky grin . Her body was made out of blue flowers while her mane and tail were made up of different colored vines. And her cutie mark was also made out of flowers. "This memorial will be in remembrance of our speedy comrade," Applejack said loudly. "You can pay your respects as long as you like. We love you, Rainbow." All the ponies began crying sadly or wailing loudly as they remembered the antics of the Pegasus, as well as going over to those who have known Rainbow more personally or professionally. Like the Elements, Sunshower and Clear Skies, Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof, and Scootaloo, who was being taught by her on how to fly. But they were all unaware of the lone cloud sitting high in the sky with a certain gray Pegasus they'd never find. Pencil Sketch looked down at them from high above, feeling a little bit of pity for them. Her parents especially. But she didn't want ponies who didn't like Rainbow Dash to even know she existed. Her entire mind had changed. Gone was that snarky, smart-aleck pegasus who believed she could be a Wonderbolt. She wasn't coming back. And if she did....it would be for a reason. Now, she was replaced by the serious, all business pony who only had business on her mind. Business, art, and bits. That was it. She may come to Ponyville sometime in the near future to pay her respects....to herself. But....it'd be mostly business. She wasn't really dead. You can't find a pony you've never met before, like Pencil Sketch. The only one who has met her down there were Celestia and Rarity. And Twilight sort-of. Maybe next year, she'll open a shop down here and paint some modelling paintings for Rarity. She had already made another painting before coming down here to see the aftermath. She called it..."Wonderbolt Hopeful", which displayed a small pegasus filly wearing a Wonderbolt uniform sitting on a ledge and looking towards the real Wonderbolts soaring in front of the sunset, leaving a trail of magic behind them. It was inspired by her past and things that Rainbow Dash would've wanted to be. But instead got downtrodden and became something even better after walking out of the fire. Rainbow Dash is gone. Pencil Sketch is born. She sighed before flapping her wings and taking off into the air, headed back for the city of Manehattan and leaving a trail of unnoticed gray behind her. There was a certain dinner waiting for her that she need to eat. As well as some more paintings that needed to be done. So much to to do. So much time. She was free.