//------------------------------// // Break Free // Story: A Dark Knight Over Canterlot // by Battwell //------------------------------// Canterlot City Applejack stomped on the brakes of the minivan, causing the vehicle to skid across the snow. Once the minivan came to a complete stop, all seven girls stepped out of the vehicle, the cold chill of the air hitting them like a tidal wave. But that would soon go completely ignored as they took in the sight before them. Police cruisers parked in front of the now destroyed Shipping Yard, the unconscious form of Slade Wilson being placed into one of the cruisers, the Fire Brigade fighting the flames that danced in the cold night. But what caught their attention was that of Rainbow Dash, sitting on the side of the road with her knees up to her chest. Before anyone could react, Applejack stomped over to the impulsive athlete to give her a piece of her mind. "You impulsive, irresponsible, stupid idiot!!!" Applejack started, her voice gaining volume as she talked, "What in Sam hill were ya thinkin RD?! Runnin' off like tha Flash thinkin' ya could be some sort of super hero! Ugh, if I wasn't so worried about you, I would pummel you until ya couldn't move no more, ya moron!" AJ panted heavily, her rant having been said to her impulsive friend. The rest of the girls and Spike walked over and scolded Rainbow, wondering how she could be so reckless. Rarity flicked her hair back, "Honestly darling what were you thinking?" She asked before gesturing to the blaze behind them, "I mean, look behind us, you could've been killed!" Fluttershy didn't say anything, she just looked at her friend with disappointment. Rainbow couldn't even look in her eyes, she didn't want to see her best friend look at her like that. In truth, Rainbow knew how stupid it was, but she just wanted to help. The athlete shook her head slightly, "They wouldn't understand." She thought internally. She then thought back to what Batman said to her. Rainbow was sweating under the gaze of the Dark Knight, his glare piercing her soul, her adrenaline wearing off. She rubbed the back of her head nervously before saying, "Look, I don't get what the big deal is. I just saved you from whoever that guy was, I was a hero, I helped save the day." Rainbow didn't think that Batman's glare could get any deeper, but somehow it did, and it terrified her. "The big deal is that you're a kid. You're inexperienced and untrained. Your reckless behavior could've gotten us both killed." Batman started, already laying into her, "And you would've been killed had I not been here." Rainbow rolled her eyes at that. Big mistake. Batman clenched his fists, "Don't believe me? Allow me to give you an example." He then started walking closer to her, his shadow looming over her shrinking form, "Slade Wilson had a gun pointed to your head, and you just laid there, shaking in terror as he prepared to pull the trigger." Rainbow decided to get defensive, "H-Hey! I was fine, I could've just ran out of there and hit him from behind, easy peasy." She said, defending herself with a smug smirk plastered on her face. Batman quirked an eyebrow, "Then why didn't you?" That shattered her façade instantaneously, "H-Huh?" She stammered, not prepared for that exact question. Batman decided to not back down, "If you could've escaped just like that," He snapped his fingers to further push his point, "Then why didn't you? Why didn't you speed out of there when you had the chance?" Rainbow honestly didn't have an answer. She tried coming up with one, but she just couldn't find one, "U-Um, well--" "I'll tell you why." Batman said, cutting her off, "Because you weren't thinking. Just as you weren't thinking when you decided to come here." Rainbow was about to object, but Batman wasn't done, "You were afraid." That actually caught Rainbow off guard, "You were scared." Batman then leaned down and got right in her face. "You should be." The prismatic girl visibly gulped before the Dark Knight continued. "In this line of work there can be no mistakes, no room for error, no fear. If there is, lives could be lost, and not just yours, but those around you. What if someone else had been there tonight? What if there were hostages inside that Shipping Yard? What if you being there causing Slade to blow it up killed those hostages. Those deaths would be on your shoulders. You would have to live with that for the rest of your life." Rainbow had no words, her ego deflated down to nothing. He was hammering right into her with his points, it made her feel horrible. But that's not what hurt the most. This was. "You call yourself a hero, yet you put yourself first before others. And that's not what heroes do. At this rate, you, Rainbow Dash, will never be a hero." Those words rung in her head multiple times, they just wouldn't leave her alone. The fact that Batman was right didn't help either. Now with her friends chastising her, she needed time to think. She needed to be alone. She needed to run. With that mindset, Rainbow suddenly took off at super speed, leaving her friends in the dust. "RAINBOW WAIT!!!" Princess Twilight shouted, reaching an arm out to the retreating form of her friend. When RD was no longer in sight, Twilight sighed and bowed her head. Applejack was fuming. Rainbow just took off again. She was about to let out an agitated scream when the voice of Pinkie caught her ear. "Hi there, stranger in the darkness!!!" She exclaimed, waving her arm enthusiastically. The girls all turned to the alleyway, hearing footsteps grow louder as the figure drew closer. Everyone sans Spike, Twilight, and Sunset let out a gasp as the Batman stepped out into the light. And he did not look happy. "We need to talk." Rainbow slid to a stop in front of Canterlot High, it was the Holidays so she knew that it would be the perfect place to stop and think. She placed her hands into her pockets and began walking around the statue, thinking to herself, "Stupid Batman, saying that I'll never be a hero, saying that I was reckless. I just wanted to help, he could've at least said thank you. Stupid jerk." She then kicked some snow with her foot before groaning in annoyance, "But he's right though, I was stupid and reckless! I could've gotten people killed, I could've been killed had Bats not been there. But I just want to help people, I want to be a hero! I want to show all those stupid jerks who said I wouldn't amount to nothing that they're wrong! I want to save the day, I want to prove that I'm at least worth something!" A small tear trickled down her face before she wiped it away with the back of her hand. "I want to break out of these limitations! I want to show everyone that I am not a dumb, stupid, brainless athlete! I want to be more than that!" Rainbow's face turned to one of determination as she tightened her fists, "I want to break free." Rainbow pulled up her hoodie as she began to tap into her magic, she could feel the magic pulsing in her veins as time literally began to slow down, the falling snow slowing down to a stop. "I have so much more to say But I live in slow motion From moment to moment, hey Holding back from day to day The clock's ticking slowly But time cannot hold me down I find myself in the rhythm of my feet Feel it in my heartbeat The time is now, and I won't hold back, hold back" She began stretching her legs and bounced around on the spot before moving into a running start. Without warning, she took off at speeds so fast that she was practically invisible to the eye. "Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin' Watch me, yeah-yeah, I'm runnin' I let go in this moment, all roads open Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin' I was born to break free" She zipped through multiple blocks and maneuvered around several cars. She looked to the sidewalks and saw that everyone was frozen, everything was moving in literal slow motion for her. This is what life was like for her every single day. "I choose my path, I choose my dreams My spirit's a fighter A passion igniter, yeah All I need's inside of me A light shining brighter A spark to a fire now" She made a sharp turn to the right and began running up and around a building. "I find myself in the rhythm of my feet Feel it in my heartbeat The time is now, and I won't hold back, hold back (Whoa-oh-oh-ohhhh-oh)" Rainbow then suddenly stopped and pushed herself off of the building, Ponying Up and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, having the time of her life. "Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin' (yeah-yeah) Watch me, yeah-yeah, I'm runnin' (I'm runnin', runnin', whoa) I let go in this moment, all roads open Gonna break free, yeah, I'm runnin' I was born to break free" She jumped one last time and flipped a few times before she landed before landing on the ground in a Super Hero Pose. She stood upright before depowering herself, she looked around and noticed that she was right back at CHS. RD folded her arms over her chest and began to ponder. "I should head back, right? Explain myself and admit that I was wrong.... And dumb." She then began to walk away, but stopped when she heard slow clapping coming from right behind her. She turned around and saw that a man in a green suit with a cane was leaning against the statue. The Riddler. "That was quite the display, my dear dimwit." Nygma started before getting off of the statue, stamping his cane on the ground. Before Rainbow could react, one of Riddler's goons wacked her across the back of the head with the butt of their gun, knocking her into the snow. Rainbow groaned as her vision began to blur, slowly slipping into unconsciousness. The last thing she saw was Riddler crouch down in front of her with a gleeful smile on his face. "I can't wait for you to show me more."