Lying on the floor of her bedroom, Twilight kept her gaze on her soul gem that was held securely in the palm of her hand. It seemed duller than before by just a bit, and she wondered why. Of course, that wasn’t the only thought nipping at her brain like a parasite- she couldn’t help but feel she should have pushed harder for everything to go well with Rainbow.
A certain dimness lingered in her eyes, much like the duller shade of her gem. “Kyubey, should I have tried harder? I let the adrenaline of battle go to my head, and…” She sighed and allowed her mind to wander, which proved to be a horrid mistake, as Rainbow’s corpse made its way into her thoughts. Twilight felt a pang of sadness come over her, and there was something like guilt mixed in there as well. Guilt that she was responsible, and that Dash’s life was in her hands, and she was afraid that she’d let it slip.
It was resting comfortably on her bed, lying atop one of her fuzzy lavender pillows. “There’s nothing more you could have done. You have to come to terms with the fact that Dash is ignorant to the fate you witnessed, nor does she have any knowledge as to what you wished for.” It got up, stretched, and then leaped to land beside Twilight. “Your wish didn’t affect the girls’ thoughts and feelings. It won’t be all friendship and magic trying to recruit and protect them.”
She traced the intricate designs on her gem with her left index finger as she spoke, not even so much as turning to acknowledge Kyubey. “I know.” I say that, but the truth is… I did think that they would just become my allies without so much as a second thought. Her eyes closed and her gem transformed back into a necklace. She sat up then and put it on, glancing at Kyubey with a mixed look of determination and fear. "I'm scared, scared of them rejecting me like Rainbow."
"I'm also afraid of them not believing that all I want to do is protect them. I'd like it if they teamed up with me, but as you said... magical girls aren't really designed to work together." She jumped up, rising to her feet, a newfound energy in her step replacing the dismal thoughts from earlier. That's when her gaze floated to her clock, and she realized it was about one in the morning. "Oh, no, I have school in a few hours..."
As she said that, a faint ringing sound from her soul gem interrupted her. "That'll have to wait," Kyubey responded, flicking its tail, "that glow means there's a witch nearby. We should be careful, too. If Dash is still in the area, she's noted it too. And you should remember, from your encounter with her earlier..."
"That she isn't the type to let her prey get away."
*~*~*~*~*
She had noticed it, as Kyubey predicted, however her response was the opposite of what Twilight would have expected. She was lying lazily in her bed, eyes glued to the television, some sports recap program on. She'd wanted to go after it and show Twilight how a real magical girl fights- and then kill her, of course, for going after prey in her territory. However, by the way her soul gem was ringing, she could tell from years of experience that it was a Familiar. She didn't go after anything that wouldn't reward her accordingly; no grief seed meant no Dash.
Besides, it wouldn't be fun to take her on all-out if she didn't even have experience fighting Familiars. She'd go down in ten seconds flat, and then where would my victory lap be? It'd hardly be a victory in my books. Sighing and biting down on an apple she'd had placed on the nightstand beside her, Dash shook the thoughts away and decided not to worry about it.
She flicked the television off, her mind too distracted to pay solid attention to it. Besides, the opposing team had just scored anyway, and she didn't feel like letting sports disappoint her today. She rolled lazily out of bed and onto the floor, standing up and then quickly making her way to the window. She slid it up and climbed outside onto the roof, letting her back slouch against the brick wall of her house.
Chilling out on her roof and gazing at the night sky was somewhat of a pasttime for Dash. "Calm an' peaceful, just the way you loved it. You'd run for hours nonstop on nights like these, then we'd come out here and talk until we passed out. Those were the days..."
She caught sight of it then. Even with her gaze shifted upward and her thoughts elsewhere, she still saw it. A girl with long pink hair in a bright yellow dress, making her way down the street as agile as a rabbit. Usually, Rainbow would ignore nighttime joggers because she was one. However, one thing made her curiosity peak. A yellow bracelet was on her right wrist, a pink gem in the middle of it.
Of course, Rainbow knew it was no ordinary gem. But what would a magical girl- scratch that, what would a magical girl who wasn't her be in her territory besides that nuisance Twilight? Unless....
"Don't tell me it's what I think it is."
*~*~*~*~*
They began their trek through the silent and barren city streets, following where her gem showed her to go. Twilight had never been out this late, as usually she'd be asleep or in her room studying at this time, but this was somewhat of a special circumstance. Kyubey had suggested they walk at first, then pick up the pace as the glow got brighter, because that meant that the witch was closer. Twilight agreed without a second thought.
She had to admit that if they weren't tracking something that put the town in possible danger, she would have liked to brought a book with her, to read in the cover of night's sweet embrace with none of the usual annoyances to distract her. She knew it wasn't an option however, and they simply kept on walking.
"Do you think Rainbow Dash will show up?"
"Probably not. As we approach, I'm realizing it's a Familiar we're dealing with, not a witch. It doesn't drop any grief seeds, so Rainbow normally doesn't bother to take care of those until they become witches."
"Wait," Twilight prodded, "if she doesn't take care of them, doesn't that leave innocent people in harm's way?"
"That it does."
"So why-"
"Twilight, as much as I'd like to give you an answer, I don't know what goes through her mind. I'm not her." The glowing of the gem intensified, and to follow suit, they picked up the pace. "What she does is not my place to interfere or comprehend, I simply go along with it. As long as what a magical girl does doesn't break the rules that I know of, I technically can't interfere."
They were both silent for the rest of the run, Twilight deciding it best not to ask any more questions, and Kyubey not seeing the need to give answers that weren't wanted.
Soon enough, they reached what Kyubey refferred to as a grief seed. It was apparently not the same as the seeds witches dropped, as you couldn't just take them. "Touch the seed, and we'll be transported to the labrynth of the familiar that resides in it. You go first, and I'll follow right behind."
Twilight nodded and tapped the seed with a fingernail, sucking her inside. Kyubey instead turned and addressed seemingly no one- "What are your intentions, miss Shy?"
As if in rhythm with Kyubey's question, out of the shadows came the girl that Dash had seen running. "You know that she can't handle this on her own, don't you?" She simply nodded. "I see. Do whatever you'd like, then. I was just a bit curious."
"You should get going or she's going to get worried."
Kyubey simply turned and leaped into the labrynth, leaving the girl standing there, pondering whether it'd be wise to trail just behind them or wait a bit longer to go in.
"I can't fail one of her kind again."