Twilight watched in horror as O'Brien pressed the knife to Rainbow's throat. She froze where she was, and looked on helplessly as Rainbow's magenta irises grew as her fear increased. The cyan-blue pony had always been there for Twilight, now she wasn't able to do anything to help her friend when she needed her most.
This realization made Twilight angry. She was her best friend, for Celestia's sake! The other Rainbow Dash had walked off before O'Brien brought out the knife to take a call from her mom, so Twilight was all alone.
She took a step forward, but raised her hands in surrender as O'Brien pressed the knife against Rainbow's neck.
"Alright," she sighed. "You win."
"Haha! I was right! Wait, what?" he suddenly looked confused. "You're trying to trick me."
"No, I'm not," she said, taking another step forward. "I lied about her being my horse."
"Haha!" he fist pumped with the knife, but still kept a firm hold on Rainbow. Her eyes screamed Get me away from this crazy thing!
"I wasn't lying about knowing her, though," Twilight added. "She's one of my best friends, from Equestria."
"I found her on an island with little cottages and a castle in the distance," O'Brien was getting nervous.
"I live there, and the wild horses do, too. They are friendly creatures that never have need for violence," Twilight said.
"No," O'Brien muttered.
"And I am their princess," Twilight finished.
"LIES!!" O'Brian screamed. He dropped Rainbow and charged Twilight with the knife. She ducked, and kicked the knife out of his hand.
Twilight could hear sirens in the distance, but they were still distant. She needed more time.
She sprinted towards Rainbow, but O'Brian got in her way and stabbed at her.
WHEEE-OOHHHH!!! the sirens blared. Just a few more seconds.
Twilight didn't have one second. O'Brien stabbed again, and it nicked her arm. Crying out in pain, she looked desperately for Rainbow Dash. She was gone!
Then Twilight saw one of O'Brian's henchmen pulling her to safety. She couldn't look long, because O-Brian took another swipe. Before she could duck away again, he caught her wrist.
"You will never interfere with my plans again!" he foamed, raising the gleaming blade.
"Hold it right there!" called a police officer. "Drop the weapon!"
"Officers!" called Rainbow, the humanoid version. "That man is attacking my friend and stealing her pets to sell!"
"Officer," stammered O'Brian, getting to his knees. "I can explain!"
"You have the right to remain silent," said the gruff voice of the police.
"You will never get your hands on me," growled O'Brian, and then he turned tail and fled.
"Ms, are you alright?" asked a paramedic.
"Just a cut," replied Twilight. But she was distant. She looked at the broken form of Rainbow on the ground, and gulped.
"She's barely breathing," informed the man who had brought her away from O'Brian. But Twilight wasn't listening to him. She felt Rainbow's chest, then her breath caught in her lungs.
"OUT OF THE WAY!" shouted humanoid Rainbow, and lunged to Twilight's side.
"Oh, no," she gasped when she saw her friend's expression. "Is she..." she trailed off. Twilight couldn't even nod.
When Rainbow got to the pegasus's motionless body, she looked at her face. Her hand moved to her pony-counterpart's chest.
Suddenly a ruby glow pulsated from her fingertips. It slowly got brighter and brighter until it completely enveloped the girl and pony.
Suddenly there was a flash of red light, and Twilight, Rainbow, and Rainbow were gone.
In their place was a smoking scorch mark.