Maybe the world just had a sense for the dramatic as well because shortly after Rainbow Dash’s victory over Blizzard the storm around the floating mountain began to break. Clouds parted, the sky cleared up, thunder got quieter and less frequent, it started to look like a normal day all over the city. Warm rays of sunlight came down and bathed the streets and ponies like it was baptizing the creation of a new world. All across the city Rainbow Dash could hear ponies cheering and celebrating, whether they knew what had just happened or not was irrelevant, they were partying to their hearts’ content thanks to the freedom and joy brought to them by Rainbow Dash. Blizzard really had already lost long ago, no matter what the outcome of their fight had been he’d never be the Commander or rule over these pegasi anymore.
When she started flying back to the city all her pain and exhaustion hit her at once. Each flap of her wings became a laborious event and she was looking forward to the next time she could just nap on a cloud.
Everyone was going to want to see her and congratulate her though… and she had to make sure the rest of her squad was okay. This was still going to be a very long day. She wondered what was going to happen now in the Empire?
Well the next couple of days were certainly busy. It took long enough just to get the rioting to stop and things like food production back on track. A lot of soldiers and a few others were arrested and put into jail, but a number of the ones who had initially fought against Rainbow Dash’s side on the day had renounced Blizzard and were willing to join whatever the new society would call itself without a fuss. As expected, Elder Tornado went back to legislating and getting everything in working order. He would be the interim leader of the city for now (after removing quite a few of the more ineffectual Elders from council duties).
With how different everything would be now her friends had already made it clear what they planned to do in the Empire. Since there was no or little point to the army anymore.
Fierce Current was joining his father at the farms. He had a knack for it and a knowledge of the work more than most other pegasi had. And as much as it annoyed him to admit to Rainbow Dash, he did want to reconnect with his father. Besides, there was plenty of physical activity to be done on the farms to keep in shape too, and no one would notice if a single potato went missing from time to time, would they?
Clear Skies said he wanted to make his own Buckball team. Or start coaching his little brothers in how to play it. Already he was making plans to renovate the coliseum into an official Buckball stadium. With a new sport he hoped he could get his brothers occupied with it so they’d lay off him for a day or two.
Flashbolt decided to join Elder Tornado in the administration of the Empire. He wanted to make sure things were done right and that the city could be fixed and improved as much as possible. His strong sense of justice and right and wrong would serve him well, for ages he had had ideas on what needed to be done and what had to be changed. Now he could finally fulfill his heart’s desire.
Skychaser on the other hoof decided to stay a soldier, even though the others weren’t sure why. He told them someone still had to patrol the Empire’s borders and that’s what he was going to do. Dangers or not he always believed in his duties as a soldier and he had no desire to change that. Something about all of this made him feel out of place.
Summer Rains planned to start a family with Snowshine, and watch over Aurora as she tried to figure out what she now wanted to do with her life with the endless possibilities that now presented themselves for all the mares in the city thanks to Rainbow Dash. The three of them were happy to have Rainbow Dash return to living with them… and were thus quite sad when just a couple days down the road Rainbow Dash announced her intentions to leave the city.
She had an adventure to return to.
Now as it was, Rainbow Dash, Wild Wind, Crescent Moon, Elder Tornado, Summer Rains, Snowshine, and Aurora all stood at the edge of the clouds at the bottom of the floating mountain. The mare from Equestria staring to the northeast.
“Do you really have to go? Just like this?” Aurora asked her.
Rainbow Dash gave her an affectionate noogie. “Sorry kid but yeah, I do. I know I’ve got a lot more to see up here. There’s way more adventuring up north, I can feel it. Helping you guys here was awesome but it’s not like it was the only thing I wanted to do, you know? I’m just not satisfied yet.” Rainbow Dash set her lips in a tight frown. “If this was it I’d still be restless, so I can’t go back home or stay here for another day or something. This isn’t all I want from my adventure.”
The filly sniffled, rubbing away the tears that started to appear in her eyes. “O-Okay… will I ever see you again?”
“Heh,” Dash grinned. “Someday. I promise. Maybe you can even visit me in Equestria? I think you’d all think it’s a pretty cool place.”
“Ahem,” Elder Tornado coughed. “Actually that’s something I wanted to talk to you about before you go,”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s up?”
Crescent Moon and Wild Wind stepped forward and the former Lieutenant opened up his mouth to speak. “Wild Wind and I are going to be traveling south right now. We’re going to Equestria. Before we see you off we’d appreciate if you could tell us the best route to get there from here?”
“Uhhh… I was sick that one day so I dunno how good my directions are gonna be but I guess I can help. So why you two? Just wanted to see it?” She asked them.
“I didn’t really have anything to do around here but I wanted to see where you came from,” Wild Wind shrugged. He was the same even-tempered pony as always.
“I wanted to experience Equestria. And I suppose I owe it to you to let your fellow ponies know how you’ve helped us,” Crescent Moon smiled. “If it wasn’t for you I’d still be my old dumb self.”
“Well when you get down there go say hi to the Princesses for me, they’ll have a blast meeting you,” Dash told them. She paused, her eyes glancing upwards. “As for getting down south… might be a little difficult. I guess if you just go a little southeast from here you’ll eventually hit this super gigantic rock wall that can’t be passed. But down at the bottom of it at this narrow canyon there should be a Yak living there by the name of Leopold. If you tell him I sent you I bet he’ll give you the directions you need to go further, and then you’ll get to where another Yak watches over a checkpoint on a river. His name’s Archibald, he’s kind of a jerk but he’ll still help you out. From there getting to Equestria will be easy. Er, sorry I don’t have more detailed directions or anything.” She shrugged.
“It’s fine, we’re plenty capable,” Crescent Moon waved her off.
“We’ll find wherever we need to go,” Wild Wind agreed.
“Guess that’s all that needs to be said then. I think we’ll be fine here now and it’ll be good to reconnect with our long lost brethren. Not just the pegasi, but the earth ponies and the unicorns too,” Tornado said.
Summer Rains then stopped forward and hugged Rainbow Dash. “Thank you for everything.”
Snowshine joined in on the hug. “You’re a hero to all the mares here especially.”
“Aw geez...” Rainbow Dash blushed. “Come on, quit it with the hugging...”
Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings to get away from the affectionate couple, rising above the heads of the other ponies here. It was time to go. The mare from Equestria, almost by pure happenstance and without intention, had completely changed the Eternal Pegasus Empire, but now it was time to fly on further north and find a new adventure.
“Good luck on your adventure!” Summer Rains waved to her.
“Have fun. And be a little careful,” Crescent Moon smiled.
“Thanks but no guarantee on that last one,” Rainbow Dash grinned and saluted, giving a final little wink to Aurora before darting off into the sky at high speed, a rainbow trail left behind her. She looked to the north with a determined gaze. “Now, what’s next?”
Lying on a small cloud floating to the north of the city, Blizzard woke up. As he opened his black eyes the first thing he noticed was the intense pain his body was in. The second thing were the faces of two familiar ponies looking down on him.
“Finally, you’ve awakened,” West Wind said with a relieved sigh.
“When we found you we thought the worst...” East Wind said.
Blizzard blinked, even that small act bringing him pain. “What… happened?”
The twins shared another one of their worried glances with each other before West Wind answered. “The… the city is lost, Commander. The Ice Sentinels were destroyed and Elder Tornado has instituted a new government. The Empire as we know it has ended. After… after Rainbow Dash defeated you there was no one willing to put up anymore resistance. My brother and I snuck out of the city before we could be rounded up, although I don’t think they were really thinking about us in the first place.”
Blizzard rolled from his side to prop himself up on his hooves. “After I was… defeated?”
His pupils shrank as the memory of his fight with Rainbow Dash came rushing back to him, the incredible lightning bolt, being knocked out and falling to the ground. Looking down he realized his coat was still singed black in most spots and his armor was missing, likely peeled off and discarded by the two Captains. “And the city… everything. Impossible. This can’t be possible.”
East and West Wind watched as he stood up all the way, shaking from his injuries and anger.
“S-Sir, you need to take it easier,” East Wind pleaded. “We can’t go back to the city to get any help.”
“We won’t be able to do anything,” West Wind said.
“Help? I don’t need any help,” Blizzard growled as he looked back in the direction of the city. “Those pathetic weaklings… they’ve destroyed everything. It’s all Rainbow Dash’s fault. That pitiful coward from Eqeustria, sullying our Empire and way of life from the very beginning! I’ll get her, I’ll crush her, she’ll wish she never crossed me!”
Right as he yelled that a rainbow streak flashed through the sky, heading north. Blizzard and the twins watched it with a surprised look before a malicious grin morphed onto the former Commander’s face.
“Heh… hehehe… hahahahaha!” Blizzard cackled madly. “So that’s where you’re going, Rainbow Dash? Still running?” He grit his teeth, bloodshot eyes staring after her trail. “I’ll chase you down you hear me?! I’ll never stop even if I have to follow you to the ends of the earth!”