Rainbow Dash was bored.
She had just finished cleaning up a bar fight in Fillydelphia, a normal occurrence these days, and she now had nothing to do. Nothing except watch the sad little ponies down in Ponyville as their dismal lives dragged on. Dash was keen on watching Pinkie Pie, mostly because they had been good friends once upon a time. But now… now, they never even spoke. None of them spoke. Dash occasionally saw Twilight Sparkle during her many strolls around the castle grounds, and Rarity had a shop near the center of Canterlot. Fluttershy had disappeared a few years back, muttering to herself about evil and “darkness abound”, whatever the hell that meant. And Applejack… Rainbow Dash hadn’t seen Applejack ever since she had joined the Equestrian Guard to protect their genius ruler, King Eqilarsous. That pony was a master of nearly everything, accept books, which is why he had hired Twilight. Twilight had been so excited, she left immediately, only saying goodbye to everypony once. That day, when Rainbow Dash returned to Canterlot for some much needed rest, she got the news that Scootaloo, her student, had been killed.
“By who?” Dash had asked. She wished she hadn’t.
The authorities had reason to believe that it was the Wonderbolts, or at least a small group of them, who beat and murdered Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe it. The Wonderbolts had been her idols, and joining them was the only thing she had ever worked for. So she couldn’t believe it. She just couldn’t.
Until they vanished.
Dash awoke three days after the death of Scootaloo, refreshed and ready to start anew. She heard a knock on her door. It was Fluttershy. She looked as if she hadn’t gotten any sleep at all.
“The Wonderbolts are gone, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy had said. That was it. No explanation, no other words. Fluttershy descended down through the clouds and back to her little cottage before Dash could even utter a word.
At first, Rainbow Dash didn’t know what to think. Then rage began to boil inside her. Her idols had killed Scootaloo and abandoned their duties in Equestria. And so Dash no longer wanted to be one of them. After pacing angrily in her house for a few hours, Rainbow Dash decided on how she would handle the situation.
Two hours later, she was happily patrolling the streets of Ponyville, proudly presenting the crest of the royal guard.
That was nine years ago. Now, with the rest of the rebellion dying off and the technological advances slowing to a steadier rate, Rainbow Dash had nothing to do but stare at her old friend from afar.
After a few minutes of staring at the dusty streets of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash began to tinker with her newly acquired weapon. It was a bronze bullet shooter, as the inventors called it. Commoners called it a gun. The machine was hoisted onto her back, the trigger attached to her right wing. If she was ever in need of it, she could simply flex that one muscle, and bronze pellets would rain hell on anyone who dared go near her. On her side was another weapon, a diamond blade. Unlike with the gun, she could hold this weapon with her hoof. The special silver three-fingers-and-thumb attached to her hooves made using these much, much easier. Guns, however, weren’t believed to be stable enough to be held with a hoof. So they were placed on the back, side, or neck, depending on which race of pony you were.
Rainbow Dash, hearing a sudden yell, turned her head toward Ponyville. That was odd. Usually, ponies didn’t get the chance to scream before they were killed or raped.
“RD!” somepony called out to her. Rainbow Dash turned toward the voice and saw Twist, running up to meet her. Twist had gone from a geeky schoolgirl making candy to… well, a badass fighter. She learned how to use the newly invented weapons quickly, and she and Rainbow Dash quickly became partners.
“What is it, Twist?” Dash asked the younger pony. “Did something happen?”
“There’s this pony going through Ponyville giving the poor gigantic bags of money! Following him was Pinkie Pie and Applejack, but that’s not the important part. No, the important part is that, when he was told to stop by one of the guards, the pony simply pulled out a diamond blade and sliced the guard’s head off!” Twist explained. When she was finished, she took a deep breath and sighed.
Rainbow Dash tensed. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were with him? This wasn’t looking good.
“C’mon, Twist,” she said, lifting herself off the ground. “We’re going to catch that bastard and bring him to justice!” She took of down to Ponyville, with Twist following at a much slower rate.
“Hey, you!” Rainbow Dash yelled to the stranger. “What gives?! Why’re you killing our guards?!”
The pony turned. A green cloak covered his eyes. He smiled. “Rainbow Dash, is it? I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Who the hell are you?” Dash questioned the pony.
“That’s what I asked him!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, appearing from behind the stranger. “He says his name is-“ Pinkie was suddenly pulled back and muffled by the one, the only, Applejack. She smiled apologetically at Rainbow dash.
“Hey, Dash,” she said. “How have you been?”
“Applejack?” Rainbow Dash murmured. “You look… terrible.”
“Yes, that’s what tends to happen to those who are not accepted by my father.” The pony said to her.
“You’re father…” Dash began. “Who’s your father?” But she should have already known the answer to that.
“I am Stormfax. My father is your king. Now, if you don’t mind coming with me-“
She flexed the muscle in her right wing.
A shower of bronze bullets shot towards Stormfax. He quickly but calmly pulled out a diamond blade and somehow deflected all of the bullets, and none of them hit the cowering civilians.
“I would ask you to stop that,” Stormfax said. “But I believe this will be too much fun to pass up. How about a fair fight, Rainbow Dash?” He pointed the tip of his blade at Dash’s gun. Dash hesitated, but decided on letting this criminal have his fun. He wouldn’t be alive for very long, anyway.
Rainbow Dash flexed a muscle in her right wing, and the gun collapsed into the armor on her back. She pulled out her own diamond blade and pointed it at the pony. “Fine then,” she said. “A fair fight.”
The two ponies circled the street, watching each other intently. Rainbow Dash knew that making the first move in any fight would surely lead to one’s downfall. But, apparently, so did Stormfax. They continued walking in circles until Stormfax smiled and said, “Remember Scootaloo?”
It was him. This was the bastard who had killed her student.
Rainbow Dash lunged at the damned pony, anger blinding her. Stormfax stepped to the side, and Dash hit the ground. Stormfax chuckled, nudging her with his blade.
“Scootaloo was killed by my father,” he told her. “And he framed the Wonderbolts. A few days later, he banished them. Don’t you see, Rainbow Dash? It was all a ploy to get you on his side. Because, without you, he would be weak.”
“I’m not sure I should take that as a complement,” Dash growled, standing. “But I will anyways, so thanks.”
“Any time.”
Rainbow Dash, seizing the moment, lunged at Stormfax, swinging her blade. Stormfax deflected the blow, and metal clashed against metal. Stormfax chuckled again.
“How’re you… so good with a blade?” Rainbow Dash questioned him, pulling back.
“Well, you see, I spent my days in the Foal Mountains training myself. I, for one, would have died from boredom if I hadn’t been so clever.”
“Why were you in the Foal Mountains?”
“Why do think?” Stormfax questioned. “I was, of course, exiled for being a threat to my father. Applejack’s brother could vouch for me, if only he were here.” Rainbow Dash glanced and Applejack, who had a face of sudden realization on her.
She again lunged at Stormfax, and this time the pony struck back. He managed to slightly cut her foreleg, and Rainbow Dash was able to ignore it. They continued exchanging blows, each one being blocked. Rainbow Dash was slowly getting angrier and angrier. If she didn’t kill this son of a bitch, then she may as well kill herself.
Suddenly, Dash struck Stormfax’s blade with such force that it knocked the weapon right out of his hoof. She hit him with the butt of the blade, and he finally collapsed. Dash pushed the tip of the blade against his neck.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” she snarled. “Any last words, you sick bastard?”
“Yes,” Stormfax said coolly. “Goodnight.”
Rainbow Dash stared at him quizzically, then a sharp pain sprouted from the back of her head, and she collapsed, darkness clouding her sight.