Everything had to go. Pillows, pictures, books, trophies, everything.
Dash stumbled around her room with her head hung low, searching for as many things to take with her as she could see. The pace of her walk was that of a tortoise's and the look on her face one of blankness, the look of a pony without an emotion to feel, nor a soul to share. She went from closet to ceiling, from window to door and picked up, tore out, scratched out and smashed out anything and everything that had ever had any meaning to her, no matter how little the meaning. A bag rested on the floor where her bed once was, open and overflowing with enough items to open up a store and then some. Tank stood next to it, watching his caretaker with the same expression as her.
Dash walked to the bag and dumped into it a collection of items from her latest grab and get. What they were, not even she knew. The only thing that mattered was that they were once a part of her life, and that was all the reason she needed to include them. Items that once meant the world to her such as racing trophies and a picture with her former friends stuck out of the bag but evoked no emotion. There was nothing left to feel, no shred of emotion left inside her, just the knowledge of who she was and the decisions she had chose to make. She zipped up the bag, managing to close but only barely. It was at the point where even one more air bubble meant a burst, but it would have to do.
Dash sat down next to the bag, sighing, "Guess that's all I'm leaving with... No point in carrying everything if that means flying with a ticking time bomb... eh, Tank?" She then laid down in silence, knowing full well that the thoughts haunting her were beyond her control to erase.
Of course I am, silly... You'd do the same for me.
You'd do the same for me.
For me.
Dash shook her head to snap out it and got up to walk to the window. The image of Pinkie accepting to take the fall burned in her mind. How could she..? What burned the most was Pinkie's smile, the idea that she could know what awaited her and yet still smile like it was just another easy decision.
For me.
Dash looked out of the window and saw two stallions walking under the moonlight alongside her home.
"Shouldn't Princess Twilight's announcement be starting now?" one said.
"Nah, we still got half an hour... Supposed to be in the town hall... Can't believe they rebuilt the thing in like an hour for this; Now that's magic," the other said. They both walked towards Ponyville and out of view.
"Guess we only got half an hour left, Tank," Dash said, turning back towards her room.
Tank made one-tenth of a step towards her; that was his only response.
"There's no way I can keep living here," Dash looked back outside. Beyond the trees and buildings, a crowd was already forming in front of town hall, with Twilight there too jumping around like she had just opened a box full of new books. "Wish I could though... the last few years here have been pretty cool... but I guess Cloudsdale is pretty cool too."
Tank made another fraction of a step. Millimeter by millimeter, he'd get there.
Dash sighed, "Just being here reminds me of her, know what I mean? I just wanna put this whole thing behind me... if I can..." Memories flooded back of times Pinkie and she had shared together, from the happy to the downright annoying. Even the times once forgetful. Dash turned away from the town in front of her; it had been the home for so much that deserved to be remembered, and the home for all that needed to be forgotten.
She growled, "And I'm not going to that ceremony either. Soon as it starts and this dumb shield goes away I'm outta here!" She walked inwards towards the center of the room and the ever stretching zipped up bag, "There's no way I'm watching Pinkie get... you know."
Just as she finished her sentence the final stitch on the bag ripped causing it to explode, leading to a bomb-like explosion shooting out throughout the room. Dash stood where she was, too lost in her thoughts to react, and was covered head to hoof and eyes too by whatever she'd put inside, with some stuff also finding its way into her mouth. She spit out the objects and shook with anger, growling and still covered. "Ugh...!" It only lasted a second though. Her anger died down, leaving her once again as empty as she started. "Forget this stuff... It's just gonna remind me of this place anyway."
She could feel tapping on one of her hooves. "Huh?" She chucked away the excess covering her and found Tank standing beneath her, frowning. "What's up..?" The tortoise tapped her again with his head, as sad as ever. "Oh... right!" Dash said, facehoofing, "You're probably thinking I'm gonna leave you behind too." No response from Tank. "What, are you kidding..? There's no way I'd do that! Who do you think I am?!"
For me.
Dash froze with the thoughts once again flooding back. This time though the scenes playing in her head filled her with rage and she stomped the ground, growling and grinding her teeth, and cracking it. "Enough with this... Like this is even my fault! I mean... this wouldn't have even happened if Pinkie had just walked on top of the road like a normal pony... Who the heck digs underneath a road for no reason at ALL! Taking the blame is the least she could do for putting me through this... What does she know of the struggle!"
Dash snorted with confidence as the words spewed out, but found herself getting more and more sick as every word dripped out, "I should probably shut up now." She fell back onto the floor and laid on the sea of memorabilia underneath her.
Tank's face popped up in front of her, still with a frown. "I told you already; I'm not leaving you," Dash said in an annoyed tone, "Just give me a minute, alright... Not in the mood right now." Tank pointed his head towards another part of the room. "Now what..?" Dash looked there, finding a mountain of the bag's vomit where her pet was pointing at. Before she could open her mouth to yell at him though an object caught her attention, an object so powerful that the very sight of it took her heart and squeezed it until she was sure she could she could take no more.
It was her Element.
Dash snapped out of the hold and turned her head away, "Like I even deserve it anymore... Sorry, Tank, but all that's over now... Tank?"
Tank was gone from in front of her. She turned around and found him sweating and pushing the Element towards her. Once at her, he pointed his head in another direction, at a picture on the floor of Dash and all her friends. The six of them, together, and forever, as one.
There was a tapping like feeling on her hoof again. Tank was trying his hardest to press the Element up her hoof. Dash took it and held it in front of her, frozen and unable to look away from the symbol she was given to represent. And that was when her heart could finally take no more.
"Get ready, Tank, we're going to that ceremony!"