Chapter 4
Now she had to admit, Rainbow Dash was no longer sure if that was just a regular dream, or if it was actually a flash-forward. There was really no way to tell, she’d only experienced flash-forwards a few times in her life, so it was really up in the air.
It was early in the morning, the sun had not risen and Twilight was still asleep. Rainbow figured that it would be a good time to go out and stretch her legs a bit, maybe even do a quick aerial lap around town.
She remembered what Twilight had said, flying was dangerous, if she flashed while in the air, she could fall to her death, and it would be a gruesome sight to all who would behold it. Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe she was saying this, but she figured it might be best to keep her hooves on the ground.
She opened the door to the Library and stepped out; standing in front of the Library was a brown earth pony with a spiky mane and an hourglass cutie mark.
“Hello! Fancy an early morning stroll?” the Doctor said with a smile. Rainbow Dash was hesitant to answer; Twilight in the future had warned her about associating with him.
“Not with you,” Rainbow Dash said. She was choosing to trust Twilight.
“Ah, so you’ve made your choice, fair enough, fair enough. You’ll know where to find me if you change your mind,” the earth pony turned and walked away, rounding the corner without another word.
Rainbow Dash followed him, peering around the corner to discover he had vanished into thin air. Rainbow shook the Doctor from her mind, he wasn’t important. She turned around to discover a straight maned, muted pink, Pinkie Pie wandering haphazardly through the streets, mumbling to herself.
“Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash called out to her. Pinkie Pie did not respond, neither did she look up from where she was walking. Pinkie Pie walked past Rainbow Dash without having even noticed that she was there. Somewhat annoying the Pegasus that her best friend wouldn’t even say hello to her.
Rainbow Dash prodded Pinkie Pie with her hoof, causing the earth pony to scream at the top of her lungs in surprise. Every building on the high street was darkened, however one after another began to light up, front doors swung open as the residents, forced awake by Pinkie’s screaming, and came outside to see what the commotion was.
Pinkie Pie looked around in confusion, she looked at Rainbow, then at the ground, then back at Rainbow. She turned to run, but Rainbow was quick, grabbing her tail with her teeth to keep the earth pony from running away.
“Pinkie Pie? What has gotten into you?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Pinkie Pie shook her head at her, as if she was either unable, or unwilling to answer.
Twilight opened the door to the Library, looking out onto the commotion, Pinkie Pie’s eyes fell upon her, rage filled the earth pony, she raised her hind legs and gave Rainbow Dash a strong kick, catching the Pegasus off guard, she let go of her tail.
Pinkie Pie rushed at Twilight, leaping into the air, and tackling the lavender unicorn to the ground, she lifted up her hooves and brought them down on her as hard as she possibly could, kicking and biting the defenceless unicorn at with a unstoppable rage.
Twilight had been surprised by Pinkie’s attack, before she knew what was happening, she’d already been kicked five times. Twilight focused her magic and caused a concussive blast of air to throw Pinkie off her, sending the earth pony flying and smacking hard into the side of the building, splattering it with a light coat of the party pony’s blood.
Twilight was bleeding as well, but was more concerned about Pinkie, while the pink pony had attacked her; Twilight hadn’t meant to hurt her!
“Pinkie Pie? Are you okay?!” Twilight exclaimed, rushing to the fallen pony’s side. Pinkie repaid this kindness with a roundhouse kick that connected with Twilight’s jaw, sending the unicorn to the ground, knocking her unconscious. Pinkie Pie ran off towards the west, Rainbow Dash considered following her, but realised how useless it would be. Twilight needed her more now.
Rainbow Dash picked her up and carried her to the Ponyville Clinic, hoping that the lavender unicorn wasn’t hurt too bad.
...
Twilight awoke a few hours later, lying back in the hospital bed, covered in bandages, Rainbow Dash waiting patiently by her side.
“Rainbow? What happened?” Twilight asked.
“Pinkie Pie kicked the snot out of you! That’s what happened!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“I remember that... I want to know why she did it!” Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash shrugged.
...
Nurse Redheart let Twilight go home soon afterwards; Rainbow Dash walked with her to make sure that everything was all right. Being attacked by Pinkie Pie of all ponies was frankly a traumatic experience, Rainbow Dash hadn’t thought that Pinkie had it in her, clearly she had been wrong.
What had happened to her? What made her best friend snap like that? Rainbow wanted to go looking for her, but Twilight advised against it, Pinkie Pie needed time to cool down. Rainbow Dash didn’t like it, but she knew Twilight was right. Trying to talk to Pinkie Pie when she was agitated wasn’t going to get her anywhere.
Rainbow Dash brought Twilight back up to her bedroom, tucking the injured unicorn in so that she could get some rest, and went back downstairs.
Pinkie Pie was standing inside the door, shutting it behind her ever so quietly.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” Rainbow Dash called out at her.
Pinkie Pie panicked, she skittered into the next room, throwing open the supply closet and grabbing a six metre long coil of rope. Rainbow Dash snuck up behind her and attempted to land a kick.
Pinkie Pie ducked, sending Rainbow off her balance and falling onto the floor. Rainbow Dash hit the ground hard, her eyes grew heavy and her head split with pain as she watched Pinkie run out the door. Rainbow Dash blacked out.
...
What was wrong with this picture? Pinkie Pie had a gun in her mouth. Rainbow Dash recognised it as an identical model to the one she’d seen under Twilight’s pillow during her last flash-forward. Worse still, Pinkie Pie was pointing it at her.
“Eh-du-ub-ant?” Pinkie Pie said. Rainbow didn’t understand how could she? Pinkie Pie’s mouth was full of deadly weapon.
“I didn’t understand what you said...” Rainbow said.
Pinkie Pie grunted in annoyance, and slammed the door to Sugarcube corner in her face. She reopened it a few seconds later, mouth free and clear of the revolver she’d been carrying. “What do you want?” she asked again.
Rainbow blinked. “What? Am I not allowed to visit a friend?”
Pinkie Pie gave Rainbow Dash a look of extreme annoyance. “I don’t know what kind of messed up world you’re living in Rainbow Dash, but you and I are not friends. Don’t ever come back here, or I will blow your stupid fucking head off!”
Pinkie Pie slammed the door in Rainbow Dash’s face again, turning multiple locks on the door until they clicked shut.
Okay. First off, what just happened? And second off when did Pinkie Pie start talking like that?! Rainbow Dash backed away from the door, figuring it best not to loiter, considering how well armed Twilight Sparkle was, Pinkie Pie was likely just as well armed... and more willing to use them.
It was the middle of the day, according to Twilight; it was relatively safe to be outside during the daytime... but why? What made it safer? What was going on in this crazy world?
Rainbow Dash remembered what Twilight had said about you could barely afford to go out your door without being armed. She discovered that she was wearing a saddlebag, and opened it up, hidden inside was a gun, another clearly of kangaroo origin. The general shape was similar to the gun used by Lieutenant Razorwing, the gryphon artillery commander that they had met in the Hoofson bay; guns of this kind were called “pistols,” and accompanying the pistol was a small box labelled “10x26mm Automatic” of which Rainbow Dash figured that this was what the weapon used.
Rainbow Dash shut her saddlebag in disgust, why was she carrying this? She found the use of such a device to be a travesty for Celestia’s sake! Thought the more she thought about it, she was likely carrying it in case she needed to protect Twilight. That was a different story, when it came down to it, a life or death situation, she’d use a deadly weapon like this if she had to, if her life or the lives of one of her friends were on the line. She was loyalty incarnate after all, how could she not?
She made her way to Twilight’s Library, knowing how long her flashes lasted; she figured that the last place she wanted to be when it happened was out in the open.