Chapter 1
As night falls on the Everfree
Rainbow Dash was bored. None of her friends had needed help with anything, cloud busting had been done in a snap, and she still hadn't received a letter back from her idols, the high-flying stunt ponies, The Wonderbolts. This left her with nothing to do but wait. She had planned to keep busy doing work around Ponyville, but there was no work to be done. Fluttershy didn't have any critters that needed herding, Applejack didn't need any apples harvested, and Rainbow's biggest fan, Scootaloo, was with Sweetiebelle and Applebloom, trying to get their baseball cutie marks. Not even Rarity needed any help, and if Rainbow was going to Rarity for help, she was definitely bored.
"can't think of anything to do," Rainbow moaned out of pure boredom. Then, she had an idea,
"I hear that the bogs and springs in the Everfree forest are wicked good places for stunt flying over," yes, that would be a good way to pass the time until night came and she could prove that the Sonic Rainboom would be 20% cooler during the night.
ffffwwwwWWWAZOOooooommm!!! Rainbow had never felt so alive, the rumors were true, the bogs and springs were amazing places to practice flying! As she spun and twisted, she could feel the hot air giving her a lift to her flying. Then, as the sun just started to dip beneath the tallest mountain, Rainbow decided to practice her Sonic Rainboom,
"Not because I need it," she thought, " it's just that, I can never be too awesome, am I right Squirt?" Rainbow then realized, "Oh, yeah, right. Well, time to Dash!" she said as she took off. (never saying that again) Rainbow thought to herself as she soared off, going faster and faster. Suddenly, she clipped her wing on a stray branch,"OW!" Rainbow yelled,"Yaaaa!" she screamed as she spiraled downward, her balance thrown off. She tried to right herself, but, it didn't feel like she was falling anymore, but like she was being pulled down, towards a castle ruin that seemed strangely familiar.
CRASH!
Rainbow crashed into the ruin and passed out.
As Rainbow opened her eyes, she realized that she was in the temple of the royal pony sisters, where they had defeated Nightmare moon, sitting in a heap was what remained of her armor, by now, it was nothing more than a pile of rusting scrap. No, wait, there was one armor piece that hadn't seemed to change, the one piece that wasn't blown apart, the helmet.
"Rraainboowww," Rainbow Dash stared at the helmet,
"did you just talk?" she asked.
"Yes, and I want to help you," the voice was like a thousand shadows at once, but then it changed into Rainbow's own voice.
"Help me with what?" she asked in response, already slipping into a state of comfort.
"Everything, if we work together, all of your dreams could come true. Just imagine it, you, the leader of the Wonderbolts, every stallion and mare will respect you, every foal and filly will want to be just like you. You could be the hero of Equestria. I even see a handsome colt in this future, a Wonderbolt, by the name of Soarin,".
As the helmet spoke, Rainbow reached for it, in an almost hypnotic state, the offer was just too tempting to resist, this helmet was offering to help her with everything, and more, who would Rainbow Dash be to decline such a generous offer?She picked up the beaten helmet, not even noticing that she had been away from Ponyville for hours, and the moon was high in the night sky by now. She placed the beaten, night blue helmet on her head. As soon as she did this, the moon went from tonight's current crescent shape, to being full, and suddenly, she felt a seething, overpowering, thought-consuming emotion, hatred.
"GGRRRRAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Rainbow dash screamed, as waves of dark energy emanated from her body, fueled by rage and hatred, against Celestia, against her friends, against herself, against all of ponykind. Suddenly, she felt, tired. Rainbow became exhausted, the blast of energy had taken a lot out of her, and fell over into a deep slumber, as the the temple crumbled around her.