Chapter 2 - False Honesty
It had been a week since Twilight Sparkle had disappeared. In that time, a nationwide ponyhunt had commenced, with the Royal Guard searching every inch of Equestria. An entire contingent had been sent to safeguard Ponyville; the only thing feared more than a mad unicorn missing was a mad unicorn on a rampage.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were combing through the Everfree Forest, hoping to find Twilight and talk some sense into her. Both were prepared to knock said sense into her, if need be. Twilight had a long history of getting crazy ideas wrapped in her head and freaking out. Talking didn’t always fix the problem.
“I don’t understand what happened! Usually, there’ll be some signs that she’s about to flip out. You know, science binges, extreme lack of sleep, trying to comprehend Pinkie, or something! But this time? Nothing.” Being unable to support her friends aggravated Rainbow Dash. She hated nothing more than an unloyal friend; why did Twilight have to make it so blasted difficult?
“Ah don’t know neither, but she’ll come around. She always has.” Though Applejack’s flippant attitude suggested she didn’t care, inside Applejack was worried about Twilight. She had never run out on her friends like this before, much less for such a long period of time. Ah hope she knows what she’s doin’.
“And what makes even less sense is the lame excuse she had for running off. Spike, an imposter? I mean, come on, really? Does she think anypony will fall for that?”
“Ah don’t know, Rainbow. Ah can usually tell when she’s lying. It didn’t seem that way to me.”
Rainbow turned towards her friend, staring incredulously.” Are you saying you think Spike is an imposter?”
“Of course not. What Ah’m sayin’ is that she seemed to believe what she said. She seems to have gotten it into her head that Spike actually is an imposter.”
“Great! I don’t know what’s worse: that she thinks we’ll believe it, or that she actually does believe it.”
Rainbow turned forward and flew above the treeline. There was no sign of Twilight, as per usual. Ugh, where has that pony run off to? She dipped back below the foliage and landed beside Applejack. “I still don’t see any sign of her. You?”
“Nope.” Applejack bit her lower lip, then threw a glance at Rainbow Dash. “What if Spike actually is an imposter?”
“Are you serious? Please tell me you have your head on straight. You know he’s the real Spike... right?”
“Of course, of course! Ah’m just thinkin’, ‘what would Ah do if suddenly all of my best friends were replaced by imposters?’ ”
Rainbow chuckled at this, amused by the ridiculous prospect. A grin on her face, she turned towards Applejack to retort her plan of attack. But the blood drained from her face as she ground to a stop.
Not-Applejack grinned back. “Luckily, we’ll never have to worry about that, right?”
Ponyfeathers. This is bad, bad, bad! I’ve got to get out of here! “Uhhh... yeah, right!”
Applejack frowned at Rainbow. “Are ya alright, sugarcube?”
“I’m perfectly alright. I’m fine. I’m fine, thanks. How are you?” Rainbow Dash was desperately trying to think of a way out of this situation.
“Are ya sure? Ya seem nervous.”
Ponyfeathers! Not-Applejack is onto me! “Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you ever lie to me?”
“What’re you talkin’ about? Of course not!”
Ha! Like I’d believe that. “Thanks...” She trailed off as their path led into a large clearing. For the first time for a few hours, Rainbow Dash could see the sky overhead from the ground. Then, in a low voice, she continued. “When did they get you?”
“Beggin’ your pardon?”
“When did they replace you?”
Applejack’s eyes shot wide open as she spun around to face Rainbow. But Rainbow Dash had already cocked back a hoof and, with a grim look, shot it forward. Applejack’s head snapped back as she collapsed against a tree, limp.
Rainbow Dash sneered at the imposter. They thought they could pull one over on her. But, looking around, she realized she needed another plan. “Incapacitate the imposter” had forgotten the extraction phase. What would Twilight do?
Twilight! Twilight had been the first to understand what was really going on. Twilight had escaped and, so far, she wa the only one Rainbow knew she could rely on. I need some way to get a message to Twilight. A way that she’ll know that it’s from the real me. What can I do that nopony else can?
Well, duh!
~~~
As she flew higher and higher into the air, Rainbow heard the flapping of wings from behind her. They’re too early! The not-guardsponies paced her, matching her speed and movements. If I can only get high enough, I can send a message most of Equestria will see! Twilight’s gotta see that!
She stopped flapping her wings. Gravity once again took over, arcing her into a line pointed back down towards the ground. Rainbow began to beat her wings once again. In only moments, she could feel the sonic cone begin to form at her hooftips. Flying harder and faster, she pushed with all of her might against it.
And it broke. With its shattered remains, she launched into a sonic rainboom, leaving a contrail that most of Equestria would see. Surely Twilight can see that... right? Rapidly declining in altitude, she was forced to turn ninety degrees, leveling off across the ground.
But in her path, surrounding her, was a circle of not-guardsponies, equipped with nets. Rainbows ears folded back against her head in fear. They’re gonna catch me! They’ll replace me just like they have Applejack and the others! I’ll never make it to Twilight!
And like Rainbow Dash, the not-guardsponies were assured of their inevitable victory. Unshakable in their faith of victory, they never noticed the flash of light coming from the ground until that light was repeated, except with Rainbow Dash as the center. After the light cleared, Rainbow Dash was gone.
~~~
“Rainbow Dash! You’re real! Thank Celestia you’re here! I was so worried that I’d never see any of you again! Listen, if you’re real, I think we might be able to save the others!
“But, while I was... alone, I got this letter. This pony says they know what’s going on, and I think he actually might. But nonetheless, he can’t be trusted. We know him, he was—”
Rainbow Dash cut Twilight off. Rainbow didn’t need any other distractions; she had only one thing on her mind. “That’s not important right now. What is important is rescuing our friends from those imposters. They’re probably as terrified as we were, we have to save them. That should be our first and only goal for right now.”
Twilight nodded in grim agreement. If there was one thing Rainbow Dash knew, it was that she would never abandon her friends. The two ponies turned back towards the table and began to construct a plan.