//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: On Knife's Edge // by Mr. SexSymbol //------------------------------// It was simply wonderful day; the sun was out and not a cloud was to be spotted in the bright blue sky... a perfect day to do the impossible once again. The spring near the forest was a great place to start… Rainbow Dash smirked, slowly unfolding her wings. Then she remembered something she had forgotten, going back inside her home, checking the locks on her door before flying out the balcony. She shut the large glass window and locked it, putting the key in its hiding spot inside the dirt of a hanging plant. “Great!” She exclaimed. She stepped back and did a back flip, turning in mid air and opened her cyan-colored wings, feeling the cool air rush against her body. The pegasus grinned; she hadn’t felt this good in a long time! She spiraled down to the freshwater spring, the afternoon sun made the crystal clear waters sparkle as if there were crushed diamonds floating along the surface of the small lake. Dash landed, flapping her wings to steady herself. Alright! She thought to herself. First part of my brand new routine, I’m gonna fly up high in the sky. The next part, hoping that this spring is deep enough, I’ll do a Sonic Rainboom right over it! With the water going all over and the sun being out like this would make an awesome display! The Wonderbolts would take me in if I can perfect this! “You can do it, Dashie!” An energy filled voice yelled out from behind. Rainbow shouted in surprise and jumped up, catching herself in mid air by flapping her wings. Pinkie Pie was down below, sitting and looking up at her with a pleased expression. “Did I getcha? Did I, Did I?” She asked, turning her head to the side with a bigger smile. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m kind of busy today, Pinkie…” Pinkie raised her hooves and shook her own head. “I was going to ask if we could do some pranks today but then I have a totally different reason now that I had another Pinkie Sense!” She said. Dash raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Today is like, the best day ever.” Pinkie stared at the lake. “I think we should get out of here… That lake looks weird!” Dash looked over her shoulder. “Hmmm… Nah. We've been here before, remember when you started following me when you wanted to do pranks last time? Besides, a lot of ponies come here for water. Nothing to be afraid of. ” She concluded and jumped up into the air before Pinkie could say another word. Pinkie gazed up at Dash, feeling very uncomfortable about this place… Her ear suddenly flopped. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as hard as she could, gaining more height with every breath she took. Soon the air got cold. She shivered, looking down at the lake far down below, a pink dot moving around. Pinkie squinted, searching for Rainbow Dash, her eyes fluttering. “Huh?” She said, frowning. Her knees twitched. Something was about to happen! Pinkie tried to remember what this meant… Ear flop, eye flutter and knee twitch… But there were no doors around. What was going on? Dash took in a deep breath and tucked her wings in, falling face forward with her hooves in front of her, shaping herself like a spear. The lake was racing closer as the sonic cone formed around her, Dash squinted. Just a little more... She thought. Down below, Pinkie heard something in the water move, and she neared the lakeshore. Deep in the water, something glowed… Pinkie gasped. Something definitely was not right here at all. Before she could yell at Dash to stop, the cyan pegasus broke the sound-color barrier, creating the Sonic Rainboom and diving into the lake. The glowing object in the lake shone even brighter and the aftermath of the Sonic Rainboom stopped in its tracks and then retracted, being sucked into the lake. A loud whistling sound came out of nowhere, forcing Pinkie to clamp her hooves over her ears, gritting her teeth as the sound still penetrated. The air picked up around her as the lake opened up like giant mouth, a whirlpool forming. The remains of the Sonic Rainboom went inside the whirlpool and then the force of the suction picked up, branches and leaves were flying into the hole. Pinkie felt herself being lifted up and she realized that she was being sucked in too! “No no no!!!” She screamed, digging her hooves into the dirt as she tried to resist. There was a snap in front of her and she saw a log coming her way. Pinkie ducked but her poofy tail got caught. She screamed one final time as she was drawn into the whirlpool. The water turned bright white and Pinkie passed out, the world around falling apart as if she were falling… The whirlpool slowed and eventually came to a stop… The spring became still again, as if nothing had happened. The mysterious glowing object darkened and cracked… Then there was silence. Pinkie didn’t know how long she was out… Her eyes were open and yet she could not see anything. Around her, she felt wet. Was she still underwater? She tried to move, struggling to twitch. Nothing; fear overcame her, she was going to drown! That high pitched shriek came again and Pinkie felt even more afraid. If she could block her ears to this maddening sound then how would she swim up to breathe? Despite all the pain and the hopelessness, not a tear came from her shut eyes… All of a sudden the sound stopped and Pinkie felt herself being tugged. The whistling turned into a loud whooshing sound and she was being pulled at a faster rate. This wasn’t an ordinary current… No. She wasn’t wet anymore. “Pinkie! Wake up!” Dash’s voice? She was okay… But how was she speaking underwater? Pinkie opened her eyes, groaning. She winced at the sudden brightness. “Oh!” With her hooves, she rubbed her closed eyes. “What… Where are we?” She asked, sitting up. Dash looked around herself for the first time since waking up. “I… I don’t know…” Pinkie opened her eyes again, squinting under the almost blinding sunlight. What she saw was made her open her mouth in disbelief. Sand. As far as the eye could see, sand… sand… and more sand. Pinkie got up on all fours and looked around. Miles and miles of emptiness. “A desert…” She breathed out. Pinkie sat down on the hot sand, feeling lost and confused. “Oh Dashie! How did this happen? What’re going to do? I mean, this is perfect for a beach party but there’s no ocean… Nopony around!” Rainbow Dash jumped up, flapping her wings to stay afloat a few feet in the air. “Hang on! I’ll just fly up real high and have a look around. Just stay here.” Pinkie sighed and prodded the sand with her hoof. Dash was alone in the sky, looking aimlessly around… It was almost too much for her. What had happened? How did they get here? She shut her eyes, trying to remember what had gone wrong. I was trying a new trick… Over the lake spring… thing. I… I saw something… She snapped her eyes open, remembering everything. There was a glowing object when she did the Rainboom over the lake. Dash saw something bright expanding and was being sucked into the light… next thing she knew… she was lying face down in sand. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Now’s not the time… I gotta find a town or something!” She could see nothing be the endless stretch of the desert in all directions… Nothing but- “Huh?” There, off to the far East. There was… a dot... a very small dot. Like a little hill. That had to be something! Dash beamed and dived back down, the hot air blasting against her face. She landed next to Pinkie, coughing and panting. “Wow… It’s so hard to breath up there…” She muttered. Pinkie looked up at Dash. “Did you see anything?” Dash nodded, extending her wings. “Yeah! Come on! All we gotta do is follow the sun rise!” Pinkie got up, looking up. “You… are you sure?” “Yeah,” Dash said, “what’s wrong?” “Maybe we should sleep for the night. The sun is already setting.” “What?” True to Pinkie’s word, the sun was setting in the west. Rainbow Dash shook her head again in disbelief. “What the... the sun was at its highest just a few minutes ago!” Pinkie just shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know what’s going on either.” The two exchanged worried looks. Where were they? * * * The night came soon after and Dash was lying on her back while Pinkie was sleeping peacefully curled up beside her. She was alone with her thoughts. In a situation like this I don’t know how she could sleep so easily… what am I going to do? I don’t remember a desert on any map of Equestria. Oh, if only that egghead Twilight was here. She’d know exactly what to do. Fluttershy would be scared out of her wits… Dash smirked. Applejack… I don’t know what she’d do. Rarity… Rainbow Dash laughed a little bit, softly so she would wake up Pinkie. She would complain all the time about no water or food. Sand getting in her mane… The cyan pegasus sighed… Without a clue in the world on how to get home, she felt close to tears. Dash missed her friends and no doubt Pinkie did too. The earth pony probably wasn’t even showing how she really felt to keep Dash from feeling bad. Dash sat up, leaning on her forehooves. She smiled at Pinkie and laid back down, shutting her eyes. “Everything’s going to be better. I promise. First thing in the morning we’ll get to that town, if it’s a town, and find a way home!” She whispered. Pinkie mumbled and stirred before becoming still again. The pair was not alone in the night. A robed figure watched at them from a distance, glaring at Rainbow Dash with a mix of curiosity and bitter emotions. A white hoof emerged from under the robe and dug into the sand. The figured stayed in that pose, waiting for morning to come. If this was who this being thought the Pegasus who lay several yards in front of her was… Then this was her only chance to make things right. Patiently, the robed figured awaited sunrise in this warped twisted desert. They awoke at an hour past dawn. Pinkie Pie was the first to notice the mysterious being covered in a brown tattered robe. The pink earth pony walked up to the figure. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie!” She said to it. No response. Pinkie frowned. “Are you okay? Do you need help?” She pressed, walking around the pony. She knew it was a pony. She could see the purple tail poking out from under the robe. Pinkie Pie was confused at first but then she gasped. “Oh I know! You’re here to invite me and Dashie to a party~!” The hooded head glanced up at the mention of Dash’s name. “Wake her.” A soft voice came from under the hood. Pinkie frowned. “Well okay, don’t pay attention to me. Dashie, wakey wakey!” She called out. Rainbow Dash raised a hoof. “Give me a moment…” She kept still, snoozing. A cloud of magic wrapped around Dash and lifted her up by the tail. She yelped in surprise and Pinkie ran up and grabbed her, pulling her back to the ground. The figure said nothing else but continued to stare at Dash. “Hey! What was that for you punk!? You want me to mess you up?” Rainbow Dash threatened, upside down on the sand after Pinkie had helped her. “Your name is Rainbow Dash… Correct?" The robed figure said. Dash got up on all fours and went up to the robed pony, jabbing her hoof on the stranger. “Yeah and what’s it to you?” She was blasted back by a wall of magic and Pinkie ducked as Dash was sent flying. “Hey! Don’t be a meanie!” She yelled. Rainbow Dash growled and opened her wings. “Now you’ve asked for it!” She shouted, flying towards the attacker. Another magical attack her way, this time the robed figure morphed the sand into giant spheres, throwing them at her. Dash laughed and avoided one and landed on top of the other, hopping off it and dashed towards the magic user, folding her wings. The robed pony jumped back as Dash turned in mid air for a kick. The Pegasus opened her wings again and caught on to the wind made by the kick, spinning her to the robed figure’s side. Another kick was made and with a loud smack, knocked over the robed pony. Rainbow Dash smirked victoriously and moved over to the defeated pony. Her teeth closed on the hood of the robed pony. “Get off me!” Dash yelped as she was pushed off again with another wall of magic. Pinkie gasped, she was unsure what to do the entire fight but she ran back and caught Dash on her back. “Oof!” The earth pony fell, the impact pushing her down. Dash groaned, her head pounding from the magic. The hooded figure stood in over them now, a horn exposed. Pinkie looked up and noticed the glowing magic that was swirling around the white horn. "Empress, you’re going to die here for the sins you wrought. Not even I would’ve thought you would’ve been foolish enough to be out in the open without your bodyguards… you will die now!" Pinkie’s eyes went wide at the threat. “No!” She screamed and jumped up, knocking Dash off of her just as the unicorn fired a beam. Dash rolled over on the sands and scrambled as Pinkie screamed in pain. “Pinkie!” She shouted, extending her hoof towards her friend. “Dashie! Help me!!!” She screamed as she shook uncontrollably in mid air, coated in a purple light. She shrunk and then with a loud sickening pop… she was gone… Dash blinked. “Wh-what…” The hooded figure stepped back. “Oh no…” Rainbow Dash stood up and tackled the pony, sending her hooves down on his or her face. “You’re going to pay!” She screamed, slamming her hooves down again and again, harder as she cried to Pinkie’s death. The hooded pony cried out in pain and blood came up, splattering across Dash’s cheek. “You killed my friend! You killed her!” She cried out. The hooded unicorn’s horn flash and teleported away from her. Dash fell on the sand and turned, looking the beaten unicorn. She stood over where Pinkie was and dug into the sands. Something glinted where the unicorn had moved. The hooded pony looked in Dash’s direction again. “Forgive me.” She said. Rainbow Dash ran over to attack again but before she could throw another hoof punch, the mysterious unicorn teleported again. Rainbow Dash flew up, looking around angrily for the killer. The attacker had fled… She huffed, and landed back down. Never before had she felt so hurt and angered… Pinkie was dead because she wasn’t there to take the shot meant for her… “Oh Pinkie…” She sobbed, hanging her head, her tears falling into the sand… “Oh Dashie… Don’t cry!” Rainbow Dash looked up and around. “Pinkie!?” Something in the sand wiggled and a tiny Pinkie Pie popped her head out of the ground. “Dashie! I’m safe!” Rainbow Dash’s face contorted into the biggest smile she ever had. “Pinkie! You’re alive!” She shouted as she grabbed her friend and gave her a hu-“ Aggh!” Dash dropped Pinkie and grabbed her bleeding hoof. “What… What just...” She whimpered. Pinkie fell back on the sand, wiggling her legs as she tried to get back up. “Ungh… Hey! I can’t get up! Help!” Dash looked from her cut to Pinkie and froze. “Pinkie… Take a look at yourself…” “Huh?” Pinkie looked down at herself and yelped. Where her tail used to be at, a long curvy pink knife was there. Pinkie Pie flipped herself on all fours and wiggled herself. The blade didn’t move. “What’s wrong with me!?” She yelled. Dash cringed. For somepony so tiny she was still loud. “I bet that jerk of a unicorn did it.” She huffed, prodding the ground with a hoof aggressively. “Oh don’t worry Dash… Now I can make cupcakes a lot easier!” "Pinkie be serious! This isn't funny! We're in the middle of nowhere, we just got attacked by some wacko and all you care about is how easy you can make cupcakes now?" Dash scolded. Pinkie looked over herself again and hung her head. "You're right... I don't like this at all." Her lip started to tremble. Dash noticed this and quickly chose her next words to comfort Pinkie. “Uh... don't cry! L-Let’s just go to the town I saw. Climb on. I don't know how you survived or why you turned into a knife but if we're lucky and that dot over there is a town then we'll just find another unicorn to turn you back to normal.” Pinkie jumped on Dash’s hoof and trotted up. “I’m sorry I hurt you Dashie…”Pinkie said humbly, being careful not to cut her again. Dash smiled, keeping her injured hoof off the ground. “It’s okay. I forgive you.” The cyan colored pegasus took a running start and opened her wings to fly. With a hop, Rainbow Dash flew up into the hot sky. “I’m sure if I fly nonstop we’ll make it before sundown!” She told her passenger. Pinkie dug into Dash’s mane, panting. “It’s so hot up here…Are you sure you can fly all the way there on your own?” Pinkie asked worriedly. Dash grinned. “Of course! Who's the fastest pony to ever fly out of Cloudsdale?" Pinkie kept quiet for a moment, putting a hoof thoughtfully on her chin. "Is it you?" "That's right! Now hang on tight!" She shouted and flapped her wings at a faster pace. The sonic cone began to build up and Pinkie bit down on Dash's rainbow colored mane as hard as she could. With a loud explosion, Rainbow Dash broke the sound barrier and light spectrum as she sped towards what they both hoped to be their salvation in this wasteland.