//------------------------------// // The Final Trial: Loyalty // Story: Tormented Dreams // by Kingsley //------------------------------// The Final Trial: Loyalty Twilight and her friends looked at Rainbow Dash, surprised by her choice of words. "Not done yet?" Twilight asked. "But I thought you said this was the last trial you had to go through." "I thought it was too, but it turns out there's one more trial I have to face before Astaroth will release me," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm not entirely sure what it could be though...I already faced all you guys, what else could it be?" "I don't know Rainbow," Twilight said. "But regardless, this is the absolute last trial...No doubt Astaroth will pour everything he has into this one." "I know Twilight, I understand what Astaroth is like..." Rainbow Dash said. "But I'll definitely pull through in the end! There's nothing to worry about!" After Rainbow's comment, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna entered the bedroom. "Hello everyone." Celestia said. "Is everything alright? Has Rainbow Dash recovered from the nightmares?" "Hello Princess," Twilight said. "I'm afraid to say that she still has one more night to go, and then Astaroth will finally release her." "I see," Celestia said. "Are you sure you don't require any assistance, Rainbow Dash?" Luna said. "I could probably enter thine dream at the moment thou falls asleep." "Thanks for the offer Princess...But this is something I have to do by myself, as I've said before," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean no disrespect, but I'm sure you understand, right?" "Yes...tis something you must settle personally with Astaroth," Luna said. "I am in no position to change thine mind, so I wish thee the best of luck the next time thou slumbers." "Thank you Princess," Rainbow Dash said. Princess Luna signaled Celestia, and together they both left the room. "Well..." Twilight said. "I guess all we can do now is wait till nightfall right?" Rainbow Dash nodded her head in agreement. ____________________________________ Later that night.... ____________________________________ "Are you ready, Rainbow?" Twilight asked. "Ready as I'll ever be," Rainbow Dash said, lying down on the bed. "Better come back to us in one piece partner," Applejack said. "Heh, course I will," Rainbow Dash said. "I'll be in and out before you..." Rainbow Dash's words became incomprehensible as she passed out once more. __________________________________ Nightmare: Final Day __________________________________ Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and sprang up. "Alright Astaroth! I'm here for the final trial!" Rainbow Dash said. "Let's hurry up and get this over with!" There was no response for a few minutes, but then Astaroth spoke. "It's been a long time since I've met someone like you," Astaroth said. "You're also the first pony to make it this far, I'm really quite impressed with you." Rainbow Dash was surprised by Astaroth's praise. "Thanks, but you really shouldn't expect anything less from the best!" Rainbow Dash said. "Heh, I suppose I shouldn't have..." Astaroth said. "Well then! Enough chit-chat! Let's get this finale on the way, shall we?" "You bet!" Rainbow Dash said. The environment around her changed for the last time, and she soon found herself in a very familiar place. "This is...Cloudsdale?" Rainbow Dash said. "This is where my final trial will take place?" As Rainbow Dash was observing the area, she noticed a floating element appear in front of her. "Wait a second...Isn't that..." Rainbow Dash said. "My element?" "Your final trial...Loyalty," Astaroth said. The element floated back slowly and then started to take the shape of what seemed to be a pony. "What the hay is going on?" Rainbow Dash asked. The figure kept morphing until the transformation was complete, and the pony resembled that of Rainbow Dash herself. "You...You look like me..." Rainbow Dash said. "Look like you?" The Dark Figure said. "Oh, I'm a bit more than that my friend...I am you." Rainbow Dash cringed, this pony claiming to be her. It didn't look like her past encounters with her friends, there was no blood or scratches or anything of the sort. She was colorless, except for her pupils, which were a bright red. "You're me?" Rainbow Dash asked. "That's right, I'm you. I'm not some demon created by Astaroth like in the previous trials," Anti-Dash said. "I'm a manifestation of your mind--of who you really are." "You can't be me! I'm me! You're nothing but a fake is what you are!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "If anyone here is a fake, it's you," Anti-Dash said, showing no emotion in her voice. Rainbow Dash backed up a bit, starting to get irritated. "Yeah? Well, this fake is going to beat you down!" Rainbow Dash said, about to charge Anti-Dash. "Anger and violence, is that all you resort to when you don't understand something?" Anti-Dash asked. "Shut your face!" Rainbow Dash said, tackling Anti-Dash to the cloud floor. "Heh, not so tough now are you?" Rainbow Dash asked. Anti-Dash laid on the ground and stared at Rainbow's face. "Well, if you're not going to answer me then I'll just have to beat one out of you!" Rainbow Dash said, landing a few blows to Anti-Dash's face. Anti-Dash remained silent. "Why won't you answer me!" Rainbow Dash said, continuing to beat Anti-Dash. "You think you're better than me? Is that it!?" Silence. "SAY SOMETHING OR I'LL KILL YOU!" Rainbow Dash said yelled, delivering one final blow to her face, breathing heavily. Anti-Dash moved her head a little and looked at Rainbow Dash's face and responded. "...Are you afraid?" Anti-Dash asked. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "W-What?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Are you afraid? Do you not want to accept the truth?" Anti-Dash asked. "You fear me, don't you?" Rainbow Dash got up and backed away from Anti-Dash. "I...I don't understand...You're not..." Rainbow Dash said. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON!" "Exactly, you don't understand why, so you answer with anger and recklessness," Anti-Dash said. "You fear me and you don't know why." "Shut up..." Rainbow Dash said. "Ponies fear because they imagine. Imagination is the power of all the emotions combined. Ponies imagine things because they do not understand them," Anti-Dash said. "I said shut up..." Rainbow Dash said. "It's more terrifying imagining a future that provides more pain," Anti-Dash said. "I SAID SHUT UP!" Rainbow Dash said, rushing at Anti-Dash and bringing her hoof crashing down, hitting Anti-Dash through the cloud floor and having her smash down on the floating land in the Distorted Ponyville. "It's not that ponies are not afraid to die, but that they are scared to imagine...Death," Anti-Dash said. getting up from the crater. Rainbow Dash flew down and met with Anti-Dash. "I don't care if you're me! All that matters is beating you so I can get out of here!" Rainbow Dash said. Rainbow Dash flew towards Anti-Dash and punched her right across the face, but she didn't flinch whatsoever. "I don't mind pain, pain doesn't bother me," Anti-Dash said, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the neck. "You, however, feel it much differently than I do." Anti-Dash brought Rainbow crashing down towards the floor, leaving her vulnerable. Anti-Dash crushed both of Rainbow's wings and started to rip off pieces of her coat, enjoying the sounds Rainbow Dash's screams. "Surely you understand now, correct?" Anti-Dash said, picking Rainbow up again by her neck and holding her up. "You are an illusion, concealing your true self from your friends." Anti-Dash threw Rainbow's body on the ground, and shortly after, the red velvet door appeared. "W-What? But I never got the element..." Rainbow Dash said, writhing on the ground. Anti-Dash walked towards the red velvet door and opened it. "H-How did you open it!? You can't do that! Only I can!" Rainbow Dash said. "What makes you think that only you could have emerged victorious from this fight?" Anti-Dash said. "But...The light! Shouldn't you be..." Rainbow Dash said. "I'm not a demon, I'm you...The light has no reason to kill me..." Anti-Dash said. "With that being said, I wonder how your friends will react when I take your place and show them who you truly are." Rainbow Dash was horrified, she had no idea what to do. Her heart was racing and she was in complete agony. "I...You're not me...I know who I am..." Rainbow Dash said. "You just don't get it, do you? It doesn't matter how much you try to cover me up," Anti-Dash said. "Regardless of what you do, you'll never seem to understand your true self." Rainbow Dash was about to break down from everything that was happening, but then it finally hit her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll make my departure," Anti-Dash said, about to walk through the door. "You're right..." Rainbow Dash said. "Huh?" Anti-Dash asked, turning around. "What do you mean, 'I'm right?'" "You're right, you are me," Rainbow Dash said. "It was hard to accept at first, but I guess you could really be me." Anti-Dash closed the door behind her. "W-What are you talking about? How can you just come to accept it so easily?" Anti-Dash asked. "All this sorrow, all this negativity, and you'll just...Accept it!?" "Yeah...Pretty much," Rainbow Dash said. "Maybe you're right, maybe I am the fake one...But, you know what? I'm perfectly happy with that." "H-Happy? How can you be HAPPY!? YOU'RE NOT REAL! FAKE! A FACADE! NOTHING IS WHAT YOU ARE! HOW CAN YOU JUST ACCEPT THAT AND BE HAPPY!?" Anti-Dash asked. "IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" "Tell me something..." Rainbow Dash said. "Huh!?" Anti-Dash asked. "...Are you afraid?" Rainbow Dash asked. "M-Me? Afraid? W-What could possibly give you a STUPID IDEA LIKE THAT!?" Anti-Dash asked. "...Because you don't understand," Rainbow Dash said. Anti-Dash was confused, breaking down at this...Fake. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S AFRAID!" Anti-Dash said, flying towards Rainbow Dash and punching her across the face, but she didn't flinch at all. "Yeah...It hurts...But that isn't going to stop me from getting out of here!" Rainbow Dash said, confidence filling up her voice. "I don't understand...Where is all her bravery coming from...It doesn't make any sense...I can't make heads or tails of it...What the heck is going on..." Anti-Dash said. "YOU DON'T MAKE SENSE!" "GET READY BECAUSE I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE!" Rainbow Dash said, flying towards Anti-Dash. "NO STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Anti-Dash said, trying to back away from Rainbow Dash. "TAKE THIS!" Rainbow Dash, punching Anti-Dash dead in the face as hard as she could. Anti-Dash jumped back after receiving the blow. "HA! YOU THINK YOU CAN HURT ME? YOUR MEASLY LITTLE PUNCH DID NOTHING! YOU'RE WEA-" Anti-Dash said, cutting herself off. Bright cracks started to appear all over Anti-Dash's face and body. "Hey...What's going on? All you did was punch me! It wasn't anything special!" Anti-Dash said, placing her hoof over her right eye. "You're right, it wasn't anything special," Rainbow Dash said. "But I've come to accept who I am...And although I may not ever show it...I know my true self, and that's something I understand now!" "Is that so?" Anti-Dash asked, with a smile. "I guess I've underestimated you..." Anti-Dash's body exploded into pure light with her final comment and the red velvet door creaked open. "Well...It looks like...You've won," Astaroth said. "I...Never thought a day like this would come..." "Yeah...I guess I did." Rainbow Dash said. "Well go on, the door's open...What are you waiting for?" Astaroth asked. Rainbow Dash turned to the door and started to walk towards it. "Well Astaroth..." Rainbow Dash said. "I know this'll sound weird but..." "Huh?" Astaroth asked. "Well, I'll sorta miss you in a way," Rainbow Dash said. "You'll... Miss me?" Astaroth said. "But...All I've been doing is trying to kill you, why would you miss me?" "I...Don't know exactly..." Rainbow Dash said. "...Thank you, Rainbow Dash," Astaroth said. "It was a pleasure having you here..." "Thanks..." Rainbow Dash said. "Well, I guess this is goodbye." "Yeah, see ya'," Astaroth said. Rainbow Dash walked through the door, looked back one final time, and continued on through to reality. ___________________________________ Reality ___________________________________ Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, and sat up in her bed. "Rainbow Dash!" Her friends said simultaneously, as they all hugged her with joy. "Hey! Come on guys! Not so tight!" Rainbow Dash said. "We knew you could do it Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said. "It's over now...Right?" "Yeah...Astaroth congratulated me and we said our goodbyes," Rainbow Dash said. "Heh... You know it's funny... If he wasn't out to kill me the whole time, I think we could have gotten along real well." "Well at least everything is finally back to normal," Twilight said. "Come on Rainbow, let's go downstairs and tell Princess Celestia of your success." "Alright," Rainbow Dash said, getting up from bed and walking downstairs with her friends to Princess Celesita's Throne Room. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight said. "Rainbow Dash succeeded in conquering the nightmares! All by herself!" "I always had the utmost faith in your success Rainbow Dash," Celestia said. "I'm just relieved that you emerged from the whole situation unscathed." "Thank you Princess," Rainbow Dash said. "But it'll take more than a few nightmares to stop someone like me!" "I would assume so," Celestia said. "Now the only thing I want is to finally have a good night's sleep..." Rainbow Dash said, laughing with her friends as she celebrated her victory. THE END...? "Oh, Rainbow Dash...I'm not sure I can release you just yet... Hehehehehehe."