Rainbow Dash craned her neck to the left and then to the right, before stepping through the large double doors of the Cloudsdale Mental Hospital. She took a deep breath, gathering herself one last time, before she pressed forward. The walk through the hospital and up to her destination was always the calm before the storm.
Rainbow could feel her stomach begin to tighten, as she slipped inside the elevator going upwards. The cyan colored mare kept reminding herself the importance of being at the hospital, but it did nothing to stop the queasy, nauseous feeling that was beginning to bubble up inside her body. Slowly, her hoof pressed against the button that would take her to the fifth floor. She had always found it silly to take the elevator, considering everyone in Cloudsdale had wings, but unfortunately the hospital staff disagreed.
“DING.”
The elevator signalled that she had arrived at her destination. As the doors opened, Rainbow could feel a small lump forming in her throat. She quickly put her head down, determined not to make eye contact as she exited the elevator and made her way down the hall. As she passed the nursing station, she gave a quick nod to the nurse on duty, signalling her arrival. A long time ago the nurse would have stopped her and insisted she sign in and show identification before proceeding, as was standard hospital policy. Sadly though, Rainbow had been visiting the hospital since she was a child, and so the nurse just smiled, noting the time that the pegasus mare arrived.
Rainbow could feel a trickle of sweat begin to make its way down her forehead, and she quickly wiped it away with her forehoof.
“Keep it together, Rainbow.” she muttered, under her breath.
With renewed determination, she stepped up to the room numbered 512. Taking one final deep breath, her lips automatically mouthed the name of the patient on the door as she quickly passed through it.
“PRISM DASH.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Octavia shivered as she struggled to keep up with Applejack. She was currently sandwiched between Applejack and Bon Bon as they traversed upwards into a cave-like structure. Applejack had of course taken the lead, and Bon Bon had quickly volunteered to bring up the rear. Octavia was fine with both of those things as she was now running on pure adrenaline. She knew she was an inexperienced fighter, but she also had that stubborn earth pony determination. Bon Bon, armed and dangerous, had strapped a special sword to Octavia’s backside, claiming it would be light and quick enough for a beginner. The cellist was not convinced. She was hoping that fighting would be a last resort. Applejack had opted out of bringing any sort of weapon, as she claimed she was bringing two of her best friends, Bucky McGuillicuty and Kicks McGee.
Applejack had used Rarity’s network of high powered socialite friends to discover the whereabouts of Rainbow Dash’s hideout. Many of them, unicorns themselves, were quite eager to lend a hoof in locating where Rainbow and her lackeys had taken their friends. It hadn’t taken more than an hour or so, before somepony had spotted Rainbow Dash herself leaving this exact spot, only minutes earlier. Applejack had also mentioned the prospect of “backup”. Although the blond earth pony had not shared any more information with her, Octavia still felt hopeful that they would rescue Vinyl and the others.
“Okay y’all, keep yer eyes peeled, an’ watch yer step.”
Octavia nodded in the darkness.
“Wait for me, Vinyl.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Dad?” Rainbow Dash called, looking around the seemingly empty room.
When there was no response, Rainbow could feel a sudden attack of panic begin to wash over her. She was just about to alert the nurse when she heard a strangled moan, coming from the other side of the bed. Without hesitation, she flew to the opposite side of the room. Sure enough, her poor father had fallen out of his bed and become tangled in his bed sheets. Disoriented and scared, Prism Dash had been laying on the floor for last twenty minutes, unable to gather himself up or alert the nurses to his condition.
“Dad...” Rainbow sighed, helping her father to his hooves.
Her father looked up at her blankly, before a dopey smile appeared on his weathered face. Rainbow lifted him up so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. She took a place beside him, in the visitor’s chair. Fortunately, because her father showed no signs of violent behavior, Rainbow was allowed to visit him in his room, instead of the visiting area.
“How are you feeling Dad?” Rainbow asked, as her eyes began to roam the room.
Her father said nothing, which she had come to expect. She always found it hard to look him in the eye, and so instead she fixed her sights on the picture displayed upon his night stand. It was picture of her deceased mother, Firefly. As the tears began to fall wet on her cheek, she silently cursed the ones who had taken her family from her.
Prism Dash watched silently, as his daughter began to cry. A small look of concern adorned his face as he slowly reached out and placed his front hoof on top of his daughter’s. Although it was a small gesture, Rainbow smiled through her tears.
“Don’t worry about me, Dad. I’ll be okay.” Rainbow reassured.
Her father’s moment of clarity lasted only a moment, before his eyes became glassy, and a small dollop of drool began to leak from his lips. Rainbow dried her eyes quickly and retrieved a warm face cloth from the bathroom, wiping her father’s face with as much tenderness as she could muster. She then helped her father back into his bed, tucking him in and getting him a glass of cold water.
“Next time I’ll stay longer, I promise.” Rainbow said, getting up slowly. “But, I have something really important to take care of.”
Prism Dash only smiled in response, closing his eyes.
If she had any doubts that what she was doing was wrong, they had now fled her mind. With renewed strength and vigor, Rainbow Dash took to the air. THEY were responsible for destroying her family and THEY would pay!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bon Bon had suggested a sneak attack, but Applejack was set on the direct approach. She had confidence in both Kicks and Bucky, and fully felt she could take on any pegasus that crossed her path. Octavia was not so sure about this plan, but she knew she really had no say. Whatever Applejack decided, she would agree to. Although she barely knew the mare, there was something about her that Octavia trusted.
When your entire world is falling apart, you have to have faith in somepony.
“Here goes nothin’.” Applejack said, as she aimed her strong, athletic legs at the door.
As the door went down with a crash, the three earth ponies ran inside, unsure of what exactly they would be up against. As the dust from the broken door settled, one thing became painfully clear.
There was not a pegasus pony to be found.
Octavia was the first to notice Vinyl and the others, trapped by the silver chains that held them to the slabs of rock. The smell of burnt flesh filled their noses as they quickly hurried to pull their vampony friends from their silver restraints. All three vamponies were silent, their faces and coats caked in blood.
“Are they going to be okay?” Octavia asked, surprised at the sound of her own voice.
As if on cue, Vinyl opened her blood red eyes, staring up at Octavia. She lifted her hoof slowly, cradling the cellist’s face as she tried to speak.
“Applejack...the floor...” Rarity whispered, the first of the trio to say anything since they had arrived.
Octavia turned and was surprised to see Rarity, sucking mouthfuls of blood from Applejack’s outstretched foreleg. Applejack’s expression was that of concern, as she tilted Rarity’s head, allowing her to drink more, speeding up the healing process.
Lyra was also being fed by Bon Bon and Octavia quickly offered her own front leg to Vinyl. The vampony shook her head, unsure that she could control herself. The others had been sharing blood for years, and although she and Octavia had done it before, she was in such bad shape, she was afraid she may not be able to stop herself from draining the cellist. Octavia was quiet as she lowered her hoof.
“Relax Rares, jus’ drink up for now.” Applejack drawled.
But Rarity couldn’t relax. Although she could feel her strength returning, she desperately needed Applejack to look down.
“Please...darling...the floor...”
Applejack furrowed her brow, but pulled her hoof from the unicorn’s mouth. As she gazed at the floor, her face went pale. There was a large trail of fresh, sticky blood that led from where they were standing and into the dark corner across the room. The orange mare didn’t even have to second guess what it was, as she had grown accustom to the sight and smell of blood.
“What the hay?” she thought out loud, slowly advancing.
Applejack had seen death many times since moving from the farm into the big city. That didn’t make it any easier for her to handle, when she stumbled across the bloody and battered bodies of Rainbow’s lackeys, Hoops and Dumbbell. The earth mare put a hoof to her forehead as she surveyed the damage.
Hoops’ body had been completely ripped in half. His major organs and entrails lay in a puddle of blood between both halves of his body. Dumbbell hadn’t fared much better. His wings had been savagely pulled off, and all four of his legs were broken. His head had been torn clean off his body at the neck. One thing was for certain, whoever had killed these two pegasi, was incredibly strong.
And ruthless.
“Who in the hay would have done something like this?” Applejack asked, not expecting a response.
“I did.” came a reply, from an unknown female voice.
Instinctively, Applejack backed up. Vinyl, upon hearing the new voice, struggled to sit upright, protectively wrapping a hoof around Octavia.
A cloaked figure emerged from the darkness, walking to the centre of the room. She dramatically paused for a moment, before pulling the cloak from her body, revealing herself to be a gorgeous orange unicorn. Her fiery red hair was streaked with a tinge of yellow and her aqua blue eyes shimmered.
“Now who’s next?” she said, baring her fangs.
“Sunset Shimmer.” Vinyl acknowledged, surprising Octavia. “These earth ponies are our friends. They came to rescue us.”
Sunset Shimmer glared directly at Octavia, before her fangs clicked back up into her mouth.
“Well why didn’t you say so?” Sunset laughed, trotting towards Vinyl. “Oh, and your welcome.” she added, addressing the earth ponies.
Without warning, Sunset shoved her own leg up to Vinyl’s mouth.
“Drink.” she commanded.
Vinyl gave her a disgusted look and refused.
“Well, it’s not as though I enjoy this either, but you need to regain your strength so we can get out of here.”
It was true, Lyra and Rarity were now both on the mend, able to stand and ready to leave, along with their partners. Octavia still had no idea who this Sunset Shimmer was, and why she dared to offer herself to her marefriend. The cellist could feel that all too familiar pang of jealousy as she watched Sunset continue to try and force Vinyl to feed.
Finally, defeated and hungry, Vinyl’s fangs shot downwards from her lip and she began to greedily suck and lap at the bloody offering before her. Octavia couldn’t believe it. Vinyl had refused her, and yet was now eagerly licking and sucking some other mare's blood.
Without thinking, Octavia blurted out the obvious question on her mind.
“Who are you?!”
“Me?” Sunset replied, a devious grin dancing across her lips. “It’s quite sad that I know exactly who you are, and yet you’ve never heard of me.”
Octavia was becoming annoyed quickly. Just who did this Sunset Shimmer think she was anyways?
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about my relationship with Vinyl Scratch. You can have her. That “why can’t we all just get along” attitude is frankly quite annoying.”
Octavia glared daggers at Sunset as the golden unicorn continued.
“I like my mares wild and unpredictable.”
At the same time as Sunset was getting to the point, Octavia put two and two together, realizing that Sunset Shimmer was of course speaking of her marefriend’s alternate personality, DJ PON-3. Sunset could tell by the horrified look on the cellist’s muzzle that now was the perfect time to hammer the final nail into her coffin.
“You may be her marefriend, but I would do anything for DJ PON-3. Look around you, and you’ll see the extent I’ll go to get what I want and protect what I care about.” The unicorn finished, loving the way Octavia’s jaw dropped at the revelation.
“Have you figured it out yet sweetheart? You earth ponies always were a little dumb. I’ll spell it out for you nice and clear.”
Feeling the animosity between the two mares, Lyra and Bon Bon rushed to Octavia’s side, knowing they needed to hold her back before she exploded on Sunset Shimmer and subsequently signed her own death certificate.
With a flip of her mane, Sunset heartily laughed, and her declaration bounced loudly off every wall in the room.
“DJ PON-3, is my maker...”
To be continued...