//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Super Rainbow Adventure // by Fenrir068 //------------------------------// Ah, yeah! This is happenin'! , Thought a certain rainbow-maned mare as she streaked through the heavens. With the wind in her mane, and the ground plummeting below her she climbed ever higher until she reached her peak at the top of the world. At this altitude she always felt freedom from the world below; nothing else mattered up here, nothing, except her and the epicness she was about to perform. The Sonic Rainboom, she thought as she hovered high above the light cloud cover, it’s the definition of awesomeness on its own but, the time has come to push it to the next level! She was extremely keen to see if she could pull this off, with this move under her belt there's was no doubt in her mind that she would be unstoppable at the Wonderbolt tryouts coming up. She closed her eyes and took a deep, slightly nervous breath, even if nopony was watching this this far out of town, she would know she failed, but she quickly reminded herself she wasn't going to let that happen! Now! Her wits sharpened – her muscles tightened and she dived, "Come on!" she yelled to herself, as she shot towards the ground like a bolt of lightning. She gained speed, the airflow pushing against her made her eyes water; she had performed the Sonic Rainboom dozens of times now; the feeling was so familiar now: the friction of the air like fire in her soul, the pressure on her body like electricity in her veins; So far so good! The sound in her ears densened; just a little more! The cone began to form around her and- "RAINBOW DASH!" Huh? -the distant yelling was just enough for her concentration snap like a twig. Rainbow Dash stalled in midair for a complete half-a-second before the full force of the rebound caught her off guard and sent her soaring uncontrollably into a nearby cloud screaming with the sudden loss of control before softly smashing into the smooshiness of the cloud and then quickly falling from cloud to conveniently placed tree. A couple seconds and several broken branches later Rainbow Dash finally hit the ground a tangled mess with a resounding thud. Rainbow reworked herself out of her ridiculously artful looking landing pose in time to see a worried looking, little, orange filly running up to her screaming her name frantically. "Ow...uh...hey, Squirt, what's up?" Rainbow said, trying not to sound too mad about her training being interrupted and smiling uneasily. "Rainbow Dash! You have to come quick! Ponyville's under attack!” "What!?" All of her remaining frustration vanished instantly, she got up immediately and looked towards Scootaloo and asked in earnest. "What do you mean it’s under attack? What's happening?” Scootaloo ran up to her hero “I-I dunno’," she said desperately, "there were these big green explosion all over the place and now there're these big black bug-like things everywhere and then Applejack said she needs your help and-!" Rainbow cut Scootaloo off and looked away as disgusted understanding crossed her face, "Alright, hang on squirt!" Rainbow said as she tossed the shaking, tired Scootaloo in-between her wings, "Me and you are going back to Ponyville, pronto!" and with that Rainbow streaked off towards her town with Scootaloo hanging on her neck. Thoughts raced through Rainbow's head: What were the changelings doing in Ponyville? Why were they attacking it? But she didn't have long to think as the two pegasi flew over Ghastly Gorge, past which Rainbow Dash had been training, and were already halfway back to Ponyville. As they approached the town, both orange and green fires could be seen in the distance. Rainbow put on an extra burst of speed before she came to land at the edge of town, away from the center where most of the action was happening. Scootaloo leapt from of Rainbow Dash and looked towards her hero, “Rainbow Dash" she breathed, "Why would somepony do something like?" she looked around at the wreckage, then back to Rainbow Dash "Rainbow Dash?" she asked again expecting an answer, but Rainbow Dash didn't have one. Instead Rainbow scowled at the damage herself. Rainbow's eyed around and spotted the Carousel Boutique, which looked relatively untouched. Then at that moment she spotted Rarity leading Sweetie Belle and Applebloom to her shop. Rainbow yelled her friend's name and she and Scootaloo ran up to meet the white mare in front of the Boutique. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, there you are!” Rarity said, she glanced at Scootaloo then back to Rainbow Dash, “You'd better head up to the library quickly! Applejack took Big Mac and ran in that direction when the attack started. I’m not sure what they were up to, unless Spike still hasn’t left for Canterlot yet-“ "But shouldn’t he have left this morning?” Asked Scootaloo. “Yeah, he should have," Rainbow answered slowly, "…Anyways, I just need you to take Scootaloo for me 'K?" she asked Rarity. "But, Rainbow Dash, I wanna' go with you, I can-" said Scootaloo, who was eager to help. "No! Its way to dangerous there, you'll be safer here with Rarity!" Rainbow argued. "But, when I saved Opalescence from the tree yesterday you told me I was really brave! I can help! Really! I can-” Scootaloo tried to persuade Rainbow of her usefulness, but Rainbow didn’t have time for this. "No!” she yelled at Scootaloo, “This is dangerous! Now stay here, out of the center of town!" The young filly surrendered reluctantly and Rainbow turned once again to Rarity. “Rarity-“ "Don't worry Rainbow Dash, I'll look after her." but before Rainbow Dash could take off again one of the little fillies screamed and pointed to the sky. Rainbow turned just in time to see a small swarm of the beetle-black, bug-pony hybrids descending upon them. "Scoots, get behind Rarity! Now!" Rainbow ordered and without arguing this time Scootaloo went to go hide with her friends. Rainbow Dash rocketed up a punched the nearest changeling with her hoof, knocking it from the air. Rainbow continued to punch and kick her way between each one of them until they had all been grounded, then quickly landing back into a protective position in front of Rarity and the three fillies. It didn't take to long for the injured changeling to start getting up though, "Huh!" Rainbow scoffed, "These guys are nothin', if not persistent!" before Rainbow could charge again however, several blue beams of magic shot out from behind her scaring the changelings to fleeing. Rainbow turned to see Rarity breathing heavily, “I may not be as powerful as Twilight," said the usually proper pony, "But, I can still kick a little flank if need be!" Rainbow burst out laughing at the whole situation and gave Rarity hoof bump, "Ah, yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Rarity chuckled a bit despite her usual lady-like nature but, soon turned serious again once more, giving Rainbow a confident smile, "Alright, I can take care of everything here, now you need to go find Applejack!" Rainbow simply nodded and smiled back, gave a quick look to the three little fillies and leaped back into the air and flew off to the library. Scootaloo watched her go reluctantly. • • • Inside the Ponyville Library, Applejack and Big Macintosh braced themselves against the blocked door, somehow they'd been able to seal up most of the entry ways not shielded by Twilight’s fading protection spell before the Changelings began seriously swarming the place, now they were trying to keep the main door blocked off with the coffee table against the never ending onslaught of changelings throwing themselves at the door. Big Mac slipped slightly, grunting as he pressed himself even more firmly against the door. “Hang on, Big Mac!” yelled his sister Applejack, “Just hold out a lil’ more ‘til Rainbow Dash gets here!” even as she said that, however, she could hear the wood surface behind her began to give way. “Spike!” Applejack yelled once more, “You best get done with that lett’r to tha’ Princess quick! Mmf! This door ain’t gonna’ hold much long’r!” she spotted Twilight’s dragon assistant hurriedly scribbling across a sheet of parchment upstairs. “I’m writing as fast as I can, Applejack!” Spike shrieked under pressure. There was another great slam against the door, “Nn! I know, Sugarcube.” Applejack responded quietly. Yelling wasn’t going to get them anywhere in this situation, their best bet was to stay calm. Still, that was easier said than done. Applejack closed her eyes in silent prayer to Celestia. Reopening them when a glint of green flashed through her eye lids and a familiar burp reached her ears; Spike had sent the letter. The little Dragon came hurrying down stairs, “OK, I-I sent it, what now?” he asked uncertainly. “Ah need you to take look at Big Macintosh’s leg- nnf –he hurt it tryin’ ta’ get ov’r here.” Applejack was sure that that wasn’t what Spike was asking about, but she needed his help none the less. “Fr’ tha’ last time, Ah’m fine, AJ!” Big Macintosh grumbled through a pained voice. He kept his injured leg off the ground as he held the door. “No, yer’ not! You always tell me not to be so stubborn, well, now who’s bein’ stubborn?” Applejack argued. “It’s not about bein’ stubborn! It’s-“Big Mac glanced at Spike, Applejack followed his gaze before looking back at her brother, and he gave her a look that said everything. Spike, confused, looked from one Apple to the other trying to decide which order to follow Applejack sighed in gruesome understanding, “You're right...Spike,” she began heavily over the thundering of the breaking door behind her. Without meeting Spike's worried gaze, she continued, “I need you to run back upstairs and go hide, right now.” “W-what!?” Spike asked incredulously, “You can’t be serious, Applejack!? You can’t hold that door by yourselves! You’ll-“ “We know Sugarcube,” There was another particularly nasty slam against the door, and a crunch, sending a piece from the top of the door flying into the library; numerous changelings could be seen through the gap. Big Mac grunted at that one too, Applejack continued once she regained her footing, “We know,” She said, finally giving Spike what she hoped was an encouraging smile, but it seemed not to have worked because his eyes filled with tears, “But yer still kid,” she continued, the crunching became worse as more pieces were knocked loose, “That’s why you need to go upstairs an’-“ The cobstant pressure behind her vanished suddenly, catching Applejack off guard and she slid against the door. Big Mac fell too, but before Applejack could ask what was going on, the room once again filled with bright green flames, although Applejack was positive it wasn't Spike this time. The light produced by the flames was so intense and sudden, that it forced Applejack to cover her eyes. She heard Spike scream and when she lowered her arm to see she found Spike next to her curled up in fright. And as she looked upward toward the source of the flames, her eyes met that of somepony she had hoped she would never have to see again. There, in the center of the room stood a tall black unicorn with a jagged horn and hollowed hooves. The unicorn smirked and her horn glowed a malicious, monstrous green, and then it all faded to white…