//------------------------------// // Chap 12 // Story: Soarin and Rainbow Dash // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// Back at the farm, Rainbow Dash was just tucking Scootaloo into one of the beds and kissed her sleeping sister on the head, before grabbing a pillow and blanket from the other bed and curled up on the window seat looking up to the moon. Slowly, her eye-lids started to droop and she fell asleep. *** Rainbow Dash was happily walking though a moonlit forest, breathing in the night air and loving the piece and quiet that came with it. All the sudden a scream was heard and she ran as fast as she could, but no matter how fast she ran or flew, she didn't seam to be getting anywhere nearer to the screaming. It sounded like it was all around her now. Trying to stay calm, Rainbow looked around and saw a little black filly and a stallion over by the the trees on the right. Rainbow saw the moonlight reflect off of something in the stallion's hoof for a moment. 'This is Granny's story!' Rainbow thought trying to get closer only to be pushed away. There was nothing she could do but watch. The filly was pressed up against a wall of trees curled up into a ball hooves over her head, shaking like she just got out of the swimming pool. As the stallion raised his knife again the winds started to pick up, the tree tops blew and the sound of many voices, crying and screaming. Out of the shadows opposite them a white Alicorn in armor and started to rush towards them. The filly was back to bending over but the stallion was frozen in fear eyes wide and knife dropped. The Alicorn ran right though him and somehow after the light was gone, so was he. And all that was left was the now white Polka-Dot and the Alicorn going over to her. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" Rainbow cried and once again tried to get to the filly, only to be pushed back again. The Alicorn walked up to the filly and gently put a hoof on to her head and rubbed it comfortably as if showing it meant no harm. Slowly the filly looked up a smile coming to her face as she hugged the Alicorn. After a while they departed. "Who... Who are you?" Polka-Dot asked. "Why did you save me?" "We saved you, because he was a bully and thou were just a filly." the Alicorn said "We know what it's like to be small, and weak... We were banished here a long time ago, because We were an outcast, who no one believed in or loved." It was at that point that Rainbow Dash saw a crescent moon just peaking out from behind the Alicorn's wings. Shaking her head thinking she was seeing things Rainbow turned back to them. "But still... Who are you?" Polka-Dot asked "And why are you talking like that?" "This is the Royal 'We'." The Alicorn said pointing to herself. "Tis tradition to talk like this from when We were alive." she said once again avoiding saying who she is. "'Royal We'?" Polka-Dot asked still not noticing she had changed color "Does that mean you're... or were a Princess?" she asked eyes getting as big as dinner plates. Finally admitting defeat the Alicorn sighed smiling a little. "Yes young filly," she said "We were a princess. We are Princess Luna, although recently We've heard We are now called Nightmare Moon." Rainbow Dash was speechless, which didn't matter because she wouldn't of been heard anyway, but still... "We walk round these woods protecting Our subjects from the dangers that are in this world." Luna said. "We do not leave all that come in here white because We scare them. We do it to show everyone We helped them. They are now as white as the moon and glow with an aura as bright as Our stars." she said looking up into the sky smiling a little. But Polka-Dot had gone to sleep halfway though her explanation and was dreaming happily. All the sudden the scene changed and all around Rainbow was blackness. Rainbow looked around not saying anything, getting into her fighting stance eyes wide and ears twitching. "Nice to see you still like my nights Rainbow Dash," a voice she had just been listening to said. "It's just a shame that you dropped all that you had to be in the light with a Wonderbolt!" "I thought you just said you protected your subjects and cared for them." Rainbow Dash said still looking around. "I did, but..." Nightmare Moon said stepping out of the darkness "The Wonderbolts are not MY subjects. They are my sisters. The sister who stripped me of my powers and banished me to stay with in the bounders of Whitetail Woods." "What made you go dark anyway?" Rainbow asked thinking 'just keep her busy until I wake up'. "I did not turn dark." Nightmare Moon said stomping her hoof. "I got more powerful so I can spread my night over Equestria and let my moon shine for all my subjects to see." Rainbow... "Huh?" Rainbow Dash said taking her eyes off of Nightmare Moon and twitching her ears. "Even though I turn my loving subjects white as a sign of protection, Rainbow Dash," Nightmare Moon said "That does not mean I can not kill any unwanted visitors who keep coming to my woods..." Rainbow... "Scoot?" Rainbow Dash asked looking all over the place. "Sooner or later, I find him on his own and then I'll take him..." "NO!" Rainbow yelled understanding what was going on and ran towards Nightmare Moon only to be pulled back and chained to a wall anger written on her face. "I... wont... let... you!" she said shooting daggers at the princess her family have looked up to for centuries. "Humph," Nightmare Moon said showing her fangs in a evil smile slowly walking over to her. "And how is one traitorous little filly going to stop me?" she said grabbing Rainbow's chin with her magic and making her look into her eyes. RAINBOW! *** Rainbow's eyes snapped open feeling cold sweat on her face and she began to look all over the place. Suddenly she sees Scootaloo and the whole Apple family next to her window seat bed. "You alright Sugarcube?" Applejack asked coming over while Apple Bloom was hiding under Mac shaking a little. "Err... yeah." Rainbow coughed. "Wha... What happened?" "You... You were having a nightmare..." Scootaloo said tears in her eyes. "I... I tried to wake you up, but then you started screaming and rolling around. and everyone came to see what was wrong." "What was it about dear?" Granny Smith asked coming over and laying a hoof on top of Rainbows. "I... I was in Whitetail Wood," Rainbow began to tell her nightmare, making sure not to leave out a signal detail out. But when she got to the part about Nightmare Moon being the spirit she stopped for a bit. "I... I had the same dream..." a small voice said making her jump. Everyone looked down at Scootaloo her eyes as big as dinner plates shock on her face at what she was hearing. "How... How far did you get?" Rainbow asked wrapping her wing around her sister. "I woke up as Polka-Dot fell asleep." Scootaloo said. "After Nightmare Moon finished saying she turned ponies white to show everyone she helped them and didn't scare them." "No... Nothing after that?" Rainbow asked not caring about the looks she was getting. "No." "Why does it matter when she woke up Rainbow Dash?" Apple Bloom asked coming out from under her brother. "No reason..." Rainbow Dash said trying to remain calm. "I er... I think I'll just go for a flight to... you know get over the nightmare..." She said getting up her legs feeling wobbly and her neck aching. "You going to be alright Sugarcube?" Applejack asked making way for Rainbow either way. "Of course I will," Rainbow Dash said, asking that question herself, before going down the stairs and out the door.