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// Prologue 
// Story: A Pony's Requiem 
// by The Pony 
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Rainbow Dash stared solemnly out over the city of Canterlot, that thrived once more. She was amazed by how quickly a ruined city had built itself back up and moved on. It was only six months prior that the rag-tag rebellion had marched through the streets. Five months since the fall of emperial Equestria. Four and a half months since the birth of the republic.

It was a victory Rainbow had no choice but to be a proud of. The pride came at much to great a cost though. "Hoofson!" Rainbow called to her attendant, Rich Hoofson. 

"Yes ma'am?" Hoofson was a bland, grey stallion. Not the type a younger Rainbow Dash would have ever associated herself with.

"I'm going out again today."

Hoofson had a stern expression on her face. "Ms. Dash, you've been taking a lot of time off. Are you sure you're cut out for this kind of responsibility?"

Rainbow was silent. She turned and looked out the window behind her, with a perfect view of the newly revitalized city. "I don't know..." She finally admitted. 

"I hope that, for all our sakes, you figure that out soon." Dash nodded in agreeance, then flew out the window, over Canterlot. Equestria was a better place now, but at what cost? How much must one mare lose for the greater good of us all?

Dash landed on a small hill far north of Canterlot, on the boarder of Equestria proper. At the hill's peak their lay four wooden crosses, each a different color. A white cross. A purple cross. A yellow cross. An orange cross. The Elements of Harmony. The four fallen heroes of Old Equestria.

"NOPONY should have that much power." Her own words echoed in Dash's ears as she remembered her former friends. "If you're not with me... I guess you're my enemy too."

Rainbow Dash turned coldly away from the crosses and flew off. “They were wrong. They deserved their fates.” She reassured herself, heading back to Canterlot, the capital of the New Equestrian Republic.



“DASHIE!” Pinkie called out into the rain. “DAAASHIE!” She looked around town, trying to find her friend. The rain was too heavy, and she was worried Dash would catch a cold. She finally found her, laying on her back behind a tree. “Hey silly, whatcha doin’ layin’ around in the…! TWILIGHT!” She ran back to get Twilight and the others, who were waiting at Sugar Cube Corner for a surprise party for Rainbow. “TWILIGHT! RAINBOW’S DEAD!”

Rainbow drifted into consciousness, very much alive. She found herself at Sugar Cube Corner, surrounded by her friends. “She’s not dead, Pinkie.” She could hear Twilight explaining. “She just hit her head a little too hard. She’ll be fine.” Dash hadn’t noticed it until Twilight mentioned it, but her head really was in a fair bit of pain.

“Oh. That’s a relief. OH! We should have a party! Celebrating Dashie not dying!”

“If not dying’s worth having a party, shouldn’t we have a party everyday?”

Pinkie gasped excitedly. “THAT’S A GREAT IDEA TWILIGHT! Oh, I need to go get some streamers!” Before anyone could question her, Pinkie bolted out the door and down the street. Dash let out a quiet chuckle. Pinkie Pie was so random. 

“Oh… You’re awake.” Twilight noticed. “You really need to start being more careful, Dash.”

“It’s not my fault. Somepony put a tree in my way.” Twilight shook her head, then gave a friendly smile. Rainbow wasn’t necessarily the smartest pony, but there was one thing Twilight was sure.

Rainbow Dash would never abandon her friends. Ever.