" Volt, are you okay?" Fluttershy whispered into my ear.
I turned to her, "I'm fine," I told her, a little more lax. "Just... just a nightmare, they happen all the time."
"I was just worried, you didn't answer me before." she said.
We both walked out and right away, I was hit by another one of Rainbow Dash's witty sex jokes. "Oh, of course you two are the last to wake up. It's fun but it takes effort." and that pretty much got everyone going.
"Well then, if that's the case, I bet you were up all night listening, grinding you're own gears. Ya know, I heard if you do stuff like that, you could go blind."
Everyone was laughing except for Rainbow Dash, who playfully threw a rock at me, and Fluttershy, who punched me in the arm. I guess this was going to be what me and Rainbow would be doing the entire trip, I don't mind at all. Astheno landed on my nose and looked at me.
"I'm guessing you'er hungry?" I asked her.
"I already fed her." Twilight said.
"Oh, then get the hell outta here!" I said jokingly. But Astheno wouldn't budge.
Then, for some reason, Astheno just started to fly away. Well, I mean, I know I'm a dick, but not so much of a dick that I repel magic, all-knowing birds. "Hay, Astheno! Wait!"
I was starting to get worried that I just fucked everything up until she landed on me again. We were looking at a cave. It was just a cave. "Okay, It's a cave, what about it?" I asked.
Astheno flew in the cave. I followed after her. There was some kind of necklace hanging on the wall. It had a red lightning bolt on it. "Is- is this one of the elements?" I asked.
Astheno chirped which probably meant yes, and we ran back to the camp. "Uh...guys?" Everyone turned to look at me wondering, of course, what was going on. "I kinda need you to follow me, please." And everyone got up and followed.
I led them to the cave that Astheno showed me and I told them that it might have an element in it. "Well, well," Applejack started. "Looks like this won't be too hard after all." And with that, we walked inside.
The cave was shallow, like, very shallow. We didn't even have to take a turn, we just walked in about a hundred feet and it led to a little room with the element hanging from an outcropping in the wall.
"The Element of Loyalty," Twilight said. "Rainbow Dash, this is for you."
Rainbow Dash cracked her neck and walked towards it. She was just about to pick in up when some kind of blue force field stopped her from grabbing it. Another one formed over me and everyone else except Rainbow Dash.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash," Out of nowhere, some kind of ghost walked out, it had no face so we couldn't tell who it was. It was a male though, we could tell from the voice. "I believe you need this," he motioned towards the Element of Loyalty. "Well, I can't just let you have it. I'm sure you are aware." his voice sounded like one of those old transverse radios.
"What? What is this?" Rainbow Dash said with a stern face.
"You came for the element, that's true, but can you show me you deserve it?" the ghost guy said. "Are you as loyal as you say you are? You're friends say yes, but I only see to believe."
"Well what do you expect me to do?! Beg for it?" Rainbow asked.
"Beg, that's cute. But no. Just follow the instructions for this...simple....test." The sudden pause made me feel uneasy.
"I'll do it." Rainbow Dash's confidence made me feel a little more at ease.
"Well then." the ghost said. "Are you prepared to lose your innocence for your friends?"
"I don't care! Let's get this over with already!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"Oooo, ambitious, just what we need. Now, are you loyal to your mission? I'm curious. Can you watch an innocent pony die?"
Rainbow Dash backed up, "What...?" she said in a puny voice.
"You can save this pony, but if you do you will fail the test and you won't get your prize. And you cannot try again."
Now Rainbow Dash didn't look as confident as she once was. Her hoof was rubbing against her leg. She suddenly turned back to the old Rainbow Dash, or at least the one I knew. "I don't care! Let's go!"
The ghost shook his head. "You don't know guilt." And he turned to me. And, for a second, it almost looked like he smiled at me. Not a happy smile, No, it only flashed for a second, but it seemed crooked, demonic even. He knew something. "Not yet. Let the test begin." And out of nowhere, some guy just popped up. He was a pegasus with brown fur.
"Where... where am I?!" he shouted.
He looked around the the room and laid eyes on Rainbow Dash. "You! Help! Get me out of here! Please I'm innocent!"
The ghost walked up to Rainbow Dash. "You have five minuets."
Some kind of red light swirled around him and he lifted off the ground. "Look, what did I do?! I don't know what I did!" He was struggling, trying to escape. "I have a family, with foals, my wife is due for a fourth one! I wouldn't do anything to harm any-pony!"
Then he started screaming in excruciating pain. "Sweet Celestia! Help me!"
All Rainbow Dash could do was stand there, totally and completely able to help him. She knew, though, that if she did, she would let all Equestria down. Her eyes were starting to look watery. And the guy wouldn't stop screaming, I don't blame him, though. He must have been in some type of pain. One I couldn't imagine how it would feel.
Rainbow Dash was crying now, a lot. She was trying not to show it. She was hiding her face. And then the ghost walked up to her. "You can do it, Rainbow Dash. Just grab his hoof and give a little tug is all." he said.
Then the hair started being torn off the pegasus's mane, clumps at a time and same with the tail until all of his hair was on the ground. Then his wings stretched out and it looked like they were being pulled, just like the hair he once had. His wings started spreading even further until I could see the muscles stretching out. At that point, I knew it would only get worse so I quickly got down on the ground and covered my eyes. I was able to stand blood by now, I would see it all the time when looking to make hide tents and blankets and other stuff, but this was insane.
As I lay on the ground with my eyes covered, I could hear a tearing sound and then a snap. The guy only got louder and louder. And so did Rainbow Dash's crying. "I'm sorry!" she shouted at the pony, her voice was weak, though. "I cant help!"
I could hear the ghost again. "It's so easy, Rainbow Dash! It'll take two seconds!"
Something cracked, it might have been a bone. Then more ripping. If Rainbow Dash hadn't broken yet, she was a lot stronger then me. I stood up, "Shut up!" I yelled at the ghost thing. As I said that, lightning vehemently shot out of me. Of course, since we were in the force field, it was absorbed and gradually went away. More lightning randomly coming out of my body, I wonder how long this was going to happen.
I got a good look the guy, too. His wings were gone, his front legs going nineteen different angels, his hide legs, not even there and it looked like something was going on with his chest, like something was going to burst out. Rainbow Dash had her head down with one eye open, still looking at the guy and she was drenched in sweat and tears. I was amazed Rainbow Dash was even able to watch this. I certainly couldn't and I covered my eyes again.
More ripping, more screaming, more crying. I couldn't take it anymore. All I could think about now was Rock Well and Bull. The two ponies I voluntarily killed. Guilt[/i.
And everything went quiet. No more screaming or shouting, no more ripping or tearing, just Rainbow Dash crying. I looked up slowly and all that was left of the guy was bones and a few hairs. The ghost picked up the skull. "Well, well, well. You are loyal, indeed. Strong, too."
He pulled the Element of Loyalty off the wall and put it around Rainbow Dash's neck. "You look beautiful in it, darling. Pretty as a picture."
The force field around us dropped and we quickly ran over to Rainbow Dash, but she ran out of the cave before we could get to her.
"I'll be seeing you soon." he said and he vanished.
Rainbow Dash was back at the camp, sobbing. We decided to give her some space, some time to cool down, because that wouldn't come easily. And the fact that we would be seeing him again didn't exactly bring any smiles. I ended up staying up with Rainbow Dash that night. She didn't say too much, just looked at the fire, poked it a couple of times with a stick. I wondered if I should tell her about me killing the two guards. It might make her feel a little better. You are probably thinking as you read this That's a horrible idea, are you kidding me? But just hear me out, alright. If I tell her my guilt, the burden might not be as bad as it is for her right now. I thought about it for a little bit and made my decision.
"Can I tell you something, Rainbow Dash?" I asked.
"What?" she asked quietly.
"Alright, but you can't tell anyone else, especially Twilight. Please, I need to know if you can keep a secret."
She turned to me, looking confused. "Why Twilight?" she asked. "Yeah, I can keep a secret."
"Look me in the eyes." I told her sternly.
She looked at me straight in the eyes and swore on her life. And I scooted up to her and put my mouth to her ear. I hesitated but was finally able to get it out.
"I-" I thought about it. Would it really help? I was already in knee deep, might as well get it over with.
"I-" Just say it, they're probably going to end up hating you in the end anyway! What difference does it make if you they do now?
"I killed someone" I managed to say.
I slowly backed up and waited, my heart was thundering. She looked at me, not quite sure what to say.
"You- you would trust me with that?" she asked.
Holy crap! I think it worked. I tried to smile, "Of course." I said.
And for the first time almost all day I saw her smile. It was a little smile. "Well... would it be too much to ask who it was."
I thought about this. I wasn't too sure. It could be too risky. And she probably knew them since she was friends with Twilight. But what if she didn't know them. I sucked it up.
"They were guards. Two of them. And it was during the wedding." I said in a soft, low voice.
"The wedding?" she asked.
"The one in Canterlot." I told her.
She covered her mouth with her hoof. "Bull? Rockwell?" she asked quietly.
I said nothing. I just looked at the ground. "It was for a heist. A failed one at that. I was going to do it with a friend, but he died trying to set the thing up, get me familiar with the place. His name was Icarus, he was a changeling."
How the hell did I get that all out? Well, either way, I was screwed. But Rainbow Dash- now, you're not going to believe this, but Rainbow Dash hugged me.
"I can't believe you told me that. And just to make me feel better. Thank you," she said, squeezing me tight.
"So, you won't tell, right?" was all I could think to say.
Rainbow Dash pretended to zip her lips. She asked me what I did and how the heist was destroyed. So I told her everything as quietly as I could. How I killed Rock Well, how I pretended to be him, how I knew about the attack and how it backfired on me.
Rainbow Dash told me her part of the story. Apparently, she had to fight the changelings and that she and her friends ended up getting rid of them. I felt like an ass when she told me her story until she told me how much fun she had beating them up. And that's what we talked about the whole night. It was twisted, yes, but if it made Rainbow Dash happy, it was fine with me.