First Rainbow Dash flicked her hoof, bouncing a ball back against the face of the boulder in front of her. After a moment, it returned for another go. She turned her head to look sideways at her other self, groaning. "I'm bored."
Second Dash didn't show any sign of acknowledgement. She had been intensely studying the cave opening against the wall ahead of and below where they were hiding. Both Dashes had spotted a Cider-Sprayer, or at least a large machine spraying cider, and followed it back here. It had met with another and the two went inside. The pegasi just needed confirmation that Smite was in there and to know any guarding patterns, and then they could go home.
That had been hours ago.
First Rainbow Dash had already decided that after another hour, they'd pack it up and go so they could make it home just before sunrise. They were instructed not to go inside anywhere dangerous, and nopony was coming out or guarding the place, so there really wasn't much else they could do.
"Hey, do you think we should hop down, take a quick peek inside from around the corner, then head back before anyone can catch us?"
No response.
Rainbow looked at her companion with suspicion. "You're concentrating pretty hard over there." She flapped and hovered over to the other’s side.
Second Dash's head was resting on the rock she'd been hiding behind while taking her turn with the watching. Some binoculars were resting in front of her, with the front sitting on her nose, pressing the eyepieces into place. One could almost be fooled into thinking she was focused on what they were showing her, if not for the snoring.
"Hey!" Dash smacked her shoulder with a hoof. "It's my turn to rest!"
Second's eyes drowsily opened and she turned to stare dumbly at her other self. "Whuzzat?"
Rolling her eyes, First Dash took the binoculars from her and took a look down at the opening. There was still nothing going on.
"Sorry. Guess I fell asleep there for a moment." Second Dash yawned loudly. "Did I miss anything?"
The other Rainbow frowned. "How should I know? I was over there, taking my turn with the hoofball."
"Right, right." Second nodded, waving a foreleg in the air dismissively. She yawned and stretched, then crouched and shook herself vigorously, like a dog coming out of the rain. Looking more refreshed, the pegasus turned and enjoyed a quick breeze that floated by. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was not long until sunset.
First backed up in surprise as Second reeled in a more active response, wings flapping wildly and body almost darting about.
"Whoa! Why didn't you tell me it was so late! We've got to be heading back soon!" She looked unexpectedly worried about that.
The other Dash shrugged. "It's not like we can't fly in the dark."
Second looked at her and started babbling incoherently. "I need to- well- we should- I've gotta- Twilight wan- there's an errand I gotta run, and I don't want to talk about it!" She smiled, but it was almost threatening in a "don't ask" sort of way.
First rubbed her chin. "Well, okay. We still need to wait a little while longer, just in case, but then we can go before it gets dark."
It did not appear to be enough comfort for the other speedster, because after a quick frown and a leap, she was in the air and headed toward the cave entrance.
First Dash recovered quickly from her shock and jumped behind the rock in case her other self drew attention, then peeked over and watched. It didn't take long for her to get angry at the other's foolishness, though.
Second Dash landed, oddly somewhat clumsily, and just stood there for a moment, staring. She glanced up toward First and had a strange look on her face as she mouthed something, though the other could not tell what.
Looking a little nervous, she crept forward to peer around the corner. After a few minutes of staring, she crept back and made her way several yards before taking off into the air.
First Dash watched as she made her way toward their hiding area, noting that something had shaken her a little. First already had plenty of ideas floating about in her head as to what could do that. Most of them revolved around a hideous monster inside, making horrifying sounds. She felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement at the prospect.
Once Second settled onto the ground, she didn't give First the chance to ask about what had unsettled her. "I couldn't fly!"
First's face twisted in surprise. "Huh?"
Voice panicking, Second described how she had been unable to fly once she got within a few yards of the cave and had almost crashed on her landing. When she had been in that area, she couldn't even feel the magic in her wings; it was like it wasn't even there. As soon as she passed a certain point, though, it all just popped back as if nothing were wrong.
"Well, did you see Smite, at least? Was he in there?"
Second nodded. "Yeah, he was ordering a few of the Sprayers around, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. There must have been a half dozen of those things roaming around in there."
"We've got to tell the Twilights, ASAP! This sounds big!"
After Second agreed, the two shot off into the air and made their way back to Ponyville.
___________
“I’m sure Rainbow Dash won’t mind if I pop in her room for just a minute.”
Second Twilight received no reply as she needlessly justified her intrusion to Byuk. “I am dropping off a cupcake for her from Sugercube Corner, after all. It would be irresponsible for me to leave it where Pinkie could see.”
“A cupcake you bought solely for such an excuse.”
She waved him off. “Details.”
Setting the cupcake on a dresser, Twilight began rifling through the pegasus’s belongings. There wasn’t much, but it was enough to take several minutes in being thorough, not to mention careful. She almost thought herself caught when the latch on the back of a bag gave her a big shock, causing her to yelp.
“Stupid weatherponies and their static electricity!”
It was worth it, though. In the pouch was a notebook, one which detailed Rainbow Dash’s private thoughts and emotions… and the number of times she dyed her Twilight’s hair puke-green and got away with it. The prank portion of the diary would be memorized and have retribution planned later. For now, Twilight was more interested in how this other Dash thought. She turned to the last entry and started reading.
Her eyes got bigger and she felt her breathing become harsher as she finished reading it, and the very specific, even graphic plans laid out. Twilight thought she heard a sound and jerked her head up, but saw nothing except the open door. She briefly wondered why she hadn’t closed it when sneaking in, but focused again on the shocking revelation in front of her.
When it finally caught up with her, without realizing it, she jumped up and almost shouted in surprise, “Rainbow Dash murders fillies and is planning to kill Scootaloo?!”
She barely caught another sound, this time definitely coming from the doorway, but was too stunned to move. That was not where rainbows came from!
Twilight knew to expect the unexpected, but… what?
___________
A few minutes earlier, Second Rarity stepped out of her room just in time to spy one of the Twilights suspiciously ducking into Rainbow Dash’s room.
Carefully creeping to where she was just peeking around the corner, she watched Second Twilight comb through Dash’s luggage, muttering to herself in what sounded like a one-sided argument.
Rarity narrowed her eyes at the other unicorn’s strange, and quite unmannerly, behavior. She considered whether or not to inform the others about this. She was about to creep back, away from the door, when a voice made her jolt in a panic.
“What’cha doin’?”
Although Second Applejack had little more than whispered, Rarity immediately checked to see if the obsessive pony prowling around inside had heard. She hadn’t.
As Applejack opened her mouth to say something else, Rarity shushed her. “Twilight,” she whispered emphatically to the farmer, “is rifling through Rainbow Dash’s things!”
Applejack, on the other side of the doorway, leaned over and cautiously peered inside. “Don’t look like she’s taken anything. What do ya reckon she’s looking for?”
“I don’t know!” Rarity almost hissed. “Do I look like someone who sticks her nose into other ponies’ business?”
There was a slight eyebrow raise and quiet chuckling. “You sure got your nose pretty far in that doorway, there.”
Turning red, Rarity prepared to give her friend a piece of her mind, before a gasp inside caught both sets of attention.
They both peered inside as Twilight read and reread what looked like it might have been a journal entry. Their curiosity was finally answered when she blurted out something that made everypony’s mouth drop in shock.
After a moment, the two looked back at each other, trying to think of an excuse to return to their rooms. Almost unanimously, they said, “I’ve, uh… I’ve got to go!”
A few minutes after both doors slammed shut, Twilight’s did as well.
___________
“A filly!”
Second Rarity paced, practically spasming as her mind raced. “She would kill a little filly! One that looks up to her, even! Like a sister!”
Realizing she was beginning to lose herself, Rarity began taking deep breaths.
Admittedly, it was fascinating to know this other Rainbow Dash was a killer like herself. What did it mean? Did Discord intend to bring them together for a reason? What about the others, did they have criminal interests, as well?
Rarity shook her head. It didn’t matter; not in this case. Fillies were off-limits. The idea that Rainbow Dash would kill Scootaloo was… sickening. She was a blemish in their group of friends.
Luckily, Rarity knew how to fix blemishes.
___________
Second Applejack pulled her essentials out of her carrying case. She had her trusty lasso, a six-inch hunting knife she’d taken from griffon drifter, trusty duct tape, a towel, and a brand new shovel.
After finishing her inventory check, the farm pony sat back and sighed.
All in all, she felt pretty bad about what had to be done. One of her best friends was planning to kill a filly, which left no choice in the matter. Rainbow Dash just so happened to be a secret bad apple.
As hard as it was, there was only one thing that could be done.
___________
Second Twilight sat on her bed and stared at her wall for several minutes.
Sure, she had been suspicious. Yes, she’d killed ponies herself, even innocent ones. A little filly, though….
She had not been prepared to find out Dash was a monster.
After some time of thinking, Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly, relaxing. This was not her Dash. This was a creature from another dimension. A monster far worse than she could ever be. That pony wore the face of Rainbow Dash, but it didn’t mean anything. She was a criminal. There was only one punishment for criminals.
Twilight reached for the Death Note.
___________
As the Dashes made their way back, Second turned to the other and shouted, "I've got to take care of something real quick! You get that info to the Twilights and I'll join you later!"
Receiving an affirmative, Second Dash broke off course and made her way to where she knew the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be today. Rarity had been blabbing about how they were going to earn cutie marks in birdwatching by studying what birds do when they go to sleep at night, or something like that. It was a small window to know where they would be and that they would be alone. She couldn’t miss that opportunity. It would bring up too many questions for her to go around the town looking for them, or especially just Scootaloo.
Plotting in her mind how to best separate the group without being noticed, Rainbow Dash almost didn’t notice a certain white unicorn flagging her down. She hesitated only a moment before setting down to see what Rarity wanted. It was Second Rarity, by the looks of her necklace.
Rarity stared at her as she landed, focused on her head. She seemed pleased at something once close enough, and Dash realized she had been searching for the goggles that differentiated her from her twin. Whatever this was about, involved her specifically.
Rainbow Dash looked once more at the lowering sun. “I don’t have much time-“
“Oh, it will only take a moment!” There was something wrong with Rarity. She was… jittery. She seemed both excited and nervous, but looked like she would burst regardless of which. She was also carrying a picnic basket, and holding it like it was her best friend in the world. “I need you to come with me! Quickly!”
Dash frowned and looked at the sun once more. She had a little bit of time, and this sounded important. “Okay, but this better be fast, or I’m bailing!”
Rarity nodded, rapidly jerking her head up and down enough to make a pony dizzy from watching. “Oh, yes, yes, of course! Come with me, darling!”
Rarity started walking — almost prancing — along, constantly darting her head to see if Rainbow was really following her. It was hardly necessary, they were close enough to hear each other’s breathing. Rarity’s was considerably erratic. Dash still couldn’t place a hoof on what would cause her to act like this. She was some sort of happy, obviously, but also nervous. There was no hint as to what this was about.
“What’s going on, Rarity? Why are you acting so… giddy?”
“Giddy?” The unicorn’s face jumped between a fake smile, a fake look of confusion, and back again. “Whatever do you mean?”
Rainbow Dash frowned, feeling something was very wrong with her. “Where are we going?”
Rarity faced forward and pointed straight ahead, her hoof shaking violently. “Oh, oh, it’s just ahead! Come on, now!”
As they approached an empty area next to a creek, Rainbow Dash stopped following. “Rarity, why am I here?”
Without warning, her prissy fashionista friend swung around with some sort of large kitchen knife, the type one might expect to see in a horror movie. The picnic basket went flying as its biggest knife was withdrawn, revealing a number of other sharp instruments flashing. Neither paid much attention to them.
Second Dash had barely twisted out of the way from the initial plunge, and had to dive back another few feet to avoid a follow-up swipe. Rarity’s second attempt had combined with her momentum from the first to trip her up and send her crashing. Catching a moment to breath and try to process what just happened, Dash felt something on her chest. Touching it, she then brought her hoof in front of her face and saw blood.
Her blood.
Rarity was trying to kill her.
As she was trying to comprehend this, Rarity struck again. This time, Rainbow Dash more smoothly avoided her and got a good look at her face. It was full of rage… and glee.
Dash saw red, but this time, it wasn’t blood. When Rarity dove again, the pegasus spun out of the way and smacked her friend’s forelegs while tripping her hindlegs below. The maneuver sent her sprawling, and the knife went flying. Dash would always be the better fighter. She just couldn’t figure out why this was happening in the first place.
Rarity shot up like a bolt and backed up. Now her eyes showed fear, having finally realized it was a mistake to go up against Rainbow Dash in fight. She saw the basket next to her, and frantically threw a hoof inside and pulled the first thing she could grab. Wielding the spatula in front of her, her eyes widened and she gulped in fear.
Fortunately for her, there was no time to take vengeance, and Scootaloo still took a higher priority. Rarity was simply next on the list.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you,” Dash seethed, “but I’ve got somewhere I need to be. I assure you, this isn’t over!”
Rarity, still afraid for her own neck, just watched with wide eyes as Rainbow Dash took off over the ground, leaving the unicorn in her dust.
Dash was practically growling as she left, still trying to come to terms with what just happened, whatever it was. It didn’t make any sense. It was a completely unprovoked attack. Who would do such a—
Her neck clenched and the air left her lungs as her direction turned to point her straight at the ground. She almost couldn’t pull up in time to not go out like a light, but managed. She did, however, tumble along the ground a ways, making a rough landing right past an orange blur. Immediately rolling to the side and lashing out, Rainbow Dash felt her hooves connect with what felt like the belly of another pony.
Gasping and sitting up to try and bring in some air, Dash saw Applejack getting back to her hooves a few feet away, facing the opposite direction. Thinking quickly, the pegasus grabbed the rope now connected to her neck and yanked it so the slack went in the air over Applejack. Twisting it, she used a maneuver her own Applejack had showed her to create a loop that landed over the other’s neck. She repeated it and then yanked again, this time towards herself, and Applejack was spun to face her with a noose around her own neck.
She had an apple sewn into her hat. It was the second one, again, the one not native to this world. What was wrong with them? Was she the only sane pony from another world?
Applejack grabbed the rope and pulled, almost forcing Rainbow Dash to her knees. Dash got her footing and yanked, almost dropping the farmer. Back and forth, they played tug-of-war with each other’s necks. It was lucky for them that ponies had such strong necks. Eventually, they simply started going in the opposite direction, pulling as hard as they could, choking themselves.
“Give *hack* it *hack u- ugh!”
“I *cough* cou- *hack* do this *cough* *cough* all day!”
As they continued to pull, equally harming themselves as each other, Rainbow Dash realized she really didn’t have all day, as she was almost out of time. She wouldn’t be able to win if she was going to get away before sundown, but a draw would have to be good enough for now.
She spun around and flew straight at Applejack, swinging a hoof with all her might as she aimed for her head.
Unfortunately, the sudden slack in the rope caught the farmer off-guard, and she fell forward into the dirt. Rainbow Dash flew overhead and crashed a few feet away.
Getting up and dusting herself off, she sneered at Applejack and promised revenge before continuing on her way.
At least for a few feet, before Applejack’s considerable weight yanked her back.
The farm pony, meanwhile, had been lifted from the strength of Dash’s takeoff, and found herself swinging like a pendulum for a few yards before her weight pulled them both down, smacking her into the dirt again. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, landed and started freaking out that she couldn’t get the lasso off her neck. When she panicked and again tried to take to the skies, she got even higher, as did her anchor. Together, the two kept going up and down, Applejack jerking off the ground and then swinging hard into the dirt each time.
In her panic, Rainbow Dash was completely unaware she was giving her opponent the beatdown of a lifetime. She was simply scrambling her hooves at the rope around her neck and trying to get to the sky where she’d be safe. Her mind was stuck jumping between getting to her destination before it was too late, and getting the blasted noose off.
Finally, something loosened on Applejack’s side and she landed in a pile of cow pies.
Rainbow Dash straightened her path and flew off, ignoring her chain and fully intent on her destination.
___________
The Death Note was in front of her, her quill hovering in her magic.
Second Twilight had every tool she needed ready for her.
This wasn’t the first time she’d killed a friend. The others hadn’t even deserved it. It had been necessary; for the cause.
Somehow, though, she had thought it would be different on another world. A peaceful world, where the worst criminals soaked others with cider, rather than… but this wasn’t the time to think on that.
There was no cause to fight for, but justice was still needed. She had been right. Discord brought something nasty when he let the six of them into this world. The other four would need close examination as well.
One thing at a time.
___________
Diving through the clouds, Second Rainbow Dash paid them no mind. Her usual, impulsive theatrics would slow her down, and in truth, she didn’t feel like any kind of performance, anyway.
She was mad.
‘How dare they!’ she seethed to herself. ‘How could they?! Traitors, the lot of them!’
A tear escaped her eye, but she convinced herself it was from the bruised neck. Her friends had turned on her, tried to have her killed. Killed!
What kind of monsters were they?
They masqueraded as her friends, and then tried to murder her at the first chance. What sort of world was this?
She realized this line of thought was slowing her down, and decided to drop the subject for the moment, hard as it was. Dash needed to get to Scootaloo now, so she could follow her and end her miserable little life without anypony noticing.
It was for the best, after all.
___________
Twilight once more put quill to paper, this time perfectly aware of the real name of her target.
She hesitated. It wasn’t that she no longer wished to kill this Rainbow Dash, as she had hardened her will and resolve to do so. Rather, what would writing the name produce? Would the specific pony she wrote the name for die? Would both on this world? Would only the one native to this world die?
What if it killed her Rainbow Dash back home, instead?
Second Twilight bit her lip and let the inked quill hover inches over the paper.
This was it. Her chance. So many questions answered, so many planned tests fulfilled with the result of this next writing. She had to take the risk. She had to know.
For justice.
Twilight wrote the name, whispering it in sorrow at the same time. “Rainbow Dash.”
___________
Rainbow Dash felt oddly short of breath. She didn't know what was wrong. Something strange played across her mind, and she had a bad feeling shiver down her spine.
Suddenly, her body jerked and her eyes widened as she suffered a massive—
___________
"Hey, wait a minute!" Pinkie Pie stopped in her tracks, walking through town, as a realization hit her. "I just remembered something!"
___________
Upon entering the hotel after the Berry Punch/Fruity Flavors debacle, Pinkie Pie decided to borrow one of Second Twilight’s quills, just for a minute.
She entered her friend’s room and went through some of her stuff before coming across a perfect quill to use, right next to a hidden pouch.
It was a very well hidden pouch, actually. She wouldn’t have even noticed if not for her front left knee stiffening, signaling that a pouch was hidden nearby.
Pinkie looked inside and found a notebook. “Hey! This would be perfect to balance that nominally smaller leg on my bed!”
Quickly glancing around to make sure nopony was watching, she took an identical notebook, which was three pages too long and would simply unbalance her bed the other direction, and speedily duplicated the information on the Death Note before switching the two.
Saying goodbye to the creepy, floating pony that suddenly appeared, Pinkie Pie hopped along on her way.
___________
At the memory, Pinkie grimaced, embarrassed with herself. "Gosh! I could have just taken out the three pages of the other book and left hers alone! I really need to return this notebook to Twilight! She might need it for something!"
She turned around and bounced her way back to the inn, grinning at having trolled the bronies reading.
___________
—realization that she had gone to the wrong side of town. Rainbow Dash cursed herself and made a U-turn.
By the time she got to her destination, the sun had set. She landed and searched frantically for any sign of the three fillies.
She found a sign: a clump of Sweetie Belle’s mane. There’d probably be a big bald spot on Rarity’s little sister next time she saw her, however that happened. With them, who could know? Regardless, it meant they had been here, but not anymore.
That was it. She’d missed her opportunity. Now they would take care of the business with Smite, and she’d go home as a failure. She jerked at the horrific thought that sent a shiver down her neck.
Then Dash realized it wasn’t the thought that made her jerk. It was a small dart that landed just above her shoulder. She briefly wondered about its abrupt appearance before slumping forward into the dirt.
___________
Twilight shakily put her quill down.
It was done.
It had been one of the hardest things she had ever accomplished. The unicorn couldn’t even say she felt joy at the fact she had done it.
Twilight pleaded with everything good that she hadn’t made a mistake.
It was just so… much… work.
“Spike!” she shouted, “I finished redrawing the maps on a 1:4 ratio, stitching the faded right edge of map 26 to the stained left edge of map 27. Did you get those colors I asked for?”
Spike came bouncing down the stairs with a handful of crayons. “Yep! Found each one! I didn’t even know they had colors with these funny names!”
First Twilight happily picked up the color Macaroni and Cheese from Spike’s claws and started swiping it over a small portion of her new map. She had put a lot of work into drawing the stupid thing, and she deserved to color it!
___________
Second Twilight put down her quill, letting out a shaky breath.
It was done. She could only hope she hadn’t made a mistake.
___________
As Second Rainbow Dash lay there, groaning, a shadow fell over her.
“Oh, Dashie. I’m so happy I found you!” The pegasus felt herself being dragged away while falling asleep, but noticed that she was being carefully maneuvered to avoid the sight of others.
“I could just eat you right up!”