Rainbow Dash was ecstatic when she came back to headquarters. She had found the Elements of Harmony in just one day. She soared through the air without a care in the world. Now all she had to do was find all five of her friends. She already had one living with her, so perhaps finding the other three wouldn't be so hard after all. She let out a hearty, delightful, giggle that only would be used once in her life.
"Hey, Giggles," Sandalwood shouted from in front of her, "You're going to blow our cover. No one should know about the elements, okay. It's just between us two for now. Just keep it cool...and stop staring at my bag."
Rainbow Dash let out another chuckle, luckily not as girly as the first, "It's just that...I mean...the elements are, like, a foot away from me. How can I not be psyched? This means that the war is going to over soon, just as soon as I find my friends!"
"Shhh!"
"Sorry," Rainbow Dash yelped with a gleeful smile, "Hey, where are we going with these anyway?"
"We're going to drop them off at your house," Sandalwood answered, "But first we're going to check back in to headquarters."
Rainbow Dash's smile deteriorated slowly, "Aw, man! I don't wanna go through that slide again. It totally blows."
"Well, deal with it. We're almost there anyway," Sandalwood's voice drifted over toward her.
Indeed, he was right, for Cloudsdale loomed overhead in the distance. Rainbow Dash jittered with excitement. She couldn't help it. How do you stay perfectly calm when you know there's a valuable item that you successfully found and are now carrying over to the place where it is highly illegal? How does Daring Do do it?
Rainbow's heartbeat only increased as they entered Cloudsdale. It nearly stopped when they neared the abandoned warehouse. Her excited jitters were quickly taken over by nervous shivers. When they were finally at the front entrance, Sandalwood knocked at the broken, unhinged door. There was a small grunt from inside. A few seconds later Rainbow Dash and Sandalwood were flying through the slide. Sandalwood leapt out with ease while Rainbow Dash fell to the ground, sprawled out on all fours. Sandalwood helped her off with a mild annoyance.
"I thought you'd get the hang of it by now," he muttered.
"Hey," Dash began to dust her wings off, "It's not like I choose to make a complete fool out of myself."
"No, because obviously you were just born that way," Sandalwood gave her a teasing grin.
"Yea-Hey!"
Sandalwood looked around the warehouse, a hint of mystery gleaming in his eyes. The warehouse was empty. Or at least too empty to be considered normal. Rainbow Dash stared around the warehouse like her partner, ears twitching slightly.
"Where is everypony?" she kept her voice to a low whisper.
Sandalwood shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know...but I don't like it, that's for sure."
Suddenly the sound of incoming hoofsteps caught the two of them by surprise. A dark, shadowed figure stood rooted at the other end of the warehouse, looking at them with a vertical cock of their neck. A light shone on the figure, revealing him to be Milky Way. Something was not right.
Sandalwood slowly raised his hoof to prevent Rainbow Dash from coming any further. She stopped in her tracks as Sandalwood moved forward. Milky Way had a stone cold glare etched upon his face but a small smile creeping up. Sandalwood came to a halt a few feet away from him.
"How did your mission go?" Milky Way asked, obviously hinting at something, "Did everything go according to plan?"
Sandalwood scrunched up his brow in confusion at his friend's odd behavior, "Yeah. The ponies needed a few extra supplies, so I'm making an order for some soap and water."
"Oh, really?" Milky Way began to pace in a small circle around Sandalwood, feigning confusion, "It's just that...a little birdy told me that you stopped at a certain hut of somepony and were able to get a certain thing. Isn't that so?"
Rainbow Dash felt her insides swoop downwards, hurtling through a bottomless pit. Sandalwood just remained perfectly calm and sincere, merely casting a bemused look at Milky Way.
"Your little birdy was wrong. Braeburn just gave us a tour of the place, since my partner was new to Fillydelphia. We listed a few supplies that needed to be ordered and that was all. Now could you care to explain to me where everypony is, Milky Way?"
Milky Way threw a scornful glance at Sandalwood before whistling a short, but shrill note. Everypony came out of hiding in the shadows. Rainbow Dash stepped forward a few more feet, her knees wobbling in anticipation. A bead of sweat ran down her back, only adding to her fearful chills. Sandalwood gave a small laugh.
"Oh, is this a surprise party?"
Milky Way stomped his hoof rashly, "Enough jokes, Sandalwood. I know for a fact that you two have the Elements of Harmony."
"Even if we did," Rainbow Dash found herself speaking, "Why would you corner us like this. Wouldn't finding the Elements be, oh, I don't know, a good thing?"
"It would be if they were themselves," Sandalwood responded slowly, "But they aren't. These aren't pegasi either, at least I don't think they are."
"What would make you think that?" Milky Way gave Sandalwood a cruel laugh, "Maybe we just want to know where the Elements are. For all we know, you two could very well be imposters or worse."
"Well, we aren't," Sandalwood snapped, "Anyone, including you, would be able to see that."
"I'm giving you one last time to tell me where the Elements are!" Milky Way roared, steam coming out of his nostrils, "Or do I have to beat it out of you!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, but this ends now!" Sandalwood exclaimed, his chest rising heavily, "This is nonsense!"
"If it's nonsense, why are you sweating? Why is your friend here, all the way at the other end of the warehouse, why is-
And then he saw Rainbow Dash. She couldn't help it. She had drowned everything out and had been staring at Sandalwood's bag the whole entire time. Milky Way smiled evilly and began to cackle.
"Hahahaha," he laughed out loud, "Get his saddlebag! The elements are in his bag!"
A dozen pegasi lurched at once, fumbling to get ahold of his bag. Sandalwood let out a gurgled yell as he jumped over two blue pegasi. He sprinted to Rainbow Dash with all of his might.
"Get out of here. Go to your home. Grab Fluttershy and get out!" He said in a rushed whisper.
"I'm not leaving you behind," Rainbow Dash tugged at his hoof, pulling him toward the chimney.
Together they managed to zip out of the chimney and into the night sky. Five bodies of pegasi came out of the chimney behind them. Sandalwood clutched his saddlebag as they flew through clouds. Sandlewood pushed Rainbow aside hurriedly in an attempt to get her to leave. But she kept flying at his side.
"Get out of here!" he screamed at her, "Fluttershy needs you! They're going to-
A hoof grabbed ahold of his heel, causing him to fall behind.
"What's in the bag?" Milky Way shouted at Sandalwood with one hoof wrapped around his leg and the other moving to the bag.
With one swipe of Milky Way's hoof, the bag's contents spilled.
"NO!" Rainbow Dash shrieked.
Rocks of different shapes and sizes fell out of the bag and hurtled down. Milky Way's eyebrows went up, "What the ha-
He glanced over at Rainbow Dash's bag with gritted teeth. He whistled once more, pointing at Rainbow Dash.
"Get her bag!"
"Wait, what?" Rainbow Dash soared through more clouds at a top speed.
Sandalwood had swapped bags, she realized. She had been a complete egghead and hadn't figured out Sandalwood's hints at her leaving him behind. Curse her loyalty. She looked behind her cautiously.
The small dots of pegasi were steadily getting smaller and smaller. She was safe for now. With a mighty jerk of her right wing, Rainbow Dash zipped to the right. Cloudsdale beckoned her back with open arms and she eagerly accepted, using the shadows of building to help aid her disguise. She silently ran to her house, moving as silently as she could.
Up in the sky, she could see the pegasi flocking together in a formation, no doubt searching for her. She kept to the buildings and only went out in the open to dart across to her house. But it was enough time for the flock to find her. Dash heard the shrill whistle of Milky Way and could already hear a dozen wings beating in the air above her.
She threw open the front door, rushed inside, and locked it shut behind her.
"Fluttershy!" she called through the house, "We have to go! Get Angel! We have to leave! NOW!"
Fluttershy looked up from her reading book, startled as ever.
"What's going on?"
"No time to explain! We need to get out of here!"
Angel stuck out his head from Fluttershy's hair, spitting at Rainbow Dash. Heavy knocks on the door caused him to dart back inside his caregiver's warm hair for cover.
"Oh good, you have him already," Dash spat as she took ahold of Flutterhshy by the hoof, "Now let's fly!"
Dash threw open the window and exited with Fluttershy at the same moment the door burst open.
"She's outside! Move, move, move!" Dash heard Milky Way's voice from inside the living room.
"RAINBOW DASH, WHAT"S GOING ON!" Fluttershy squealed with fright as they hurtled toward the Everfree Forest.
"No time to explain!" Rainbow Dash repeated as her eyes watered from the speed they were going, "Just take my bag and get out of the vicinity. It's me they're after, not you!"
Rainbow Dash bolted away from the ground at the last second. She dispensed Fluttershy into the middle of the Everfree Forest. Angel clung to Fluttershy's messed up hair with all of his life, even though they were safely on the ground. Rainbow tossed the bag over to Fluttershy.
"Meet me in Fillydelphia as soon as you can!" Rainbow explained quickly, "I can out fly all of those pegasi. I'll get myself a disguise. I'll blend in like a regular pony. Just don't lose sight of that bag and keep to the forest!"
"What's in here?"
"Just take a look for yourself," Dash looked up at the sky nervously. She didn't have any time now. The pegasi were almost here.
Fluttershy gasped as she peered inside the bag, "Rainbow, how did you-
"Long story, no time," Dash repeated for the third time, "Just promise me you'll be safe, okay?"
"I will," Fluttershy's eyes watered.
"Good, now I have to run," Rainbow Dash began to flap her wings quickly, "Stay away from the open!"
And with that, she opened her wings and soared off. Fluttershy backed into a tree slowly. She watched in horror as dozens of pegasi trailed after Rainbow Dash. Not one noticed Fluttershy's scared presence. When the last of them were gone, Fluttershy's eyes fluttered open and shut. Her legs began to give way and everything was going black. Before she even could comprehend what her body was doing, she fainted, hitting the ground with a soft thunk.