//------------------------------// // Finding Rainbow // Story: Dead Loyalty // by Darksonickiller //------------------------------// Dead Loyalty Chapter 9: Finding Rainbow There was a collective sigh of relief from Rainbow Dash’s friends and parents when Lightning Dust was found guilty. Finally her killer was going to be put behind bars where she belonged. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Applejack tightened her grip around Twilight’s neck as She sobbed into her friend’s shoulder, letting out all of her grief, anger and sorrow all at once. She looked up from the unicorn’s shoulder just in time to see two royal guards walk up the the witness box and hold of a scared looking Lightning Dust. “Time to go Lightning Dust", one royal guard said sternly but the frightened mare planted her hooves and refused to move. “I mean it now move it!” He said with more authority. Panic had set in as Lightning Dust’s whole body stiffened up as she involuntarily struggled against the guard in the witness box. Soon enough the second guard joined his comrades and their combined strength was too much for the panicked mare as they started dragging her to the back of the courtroom. “NO, PLEASE DON’T TAKE ME AWAY!” Lightning dust screamed as she was being dragged off. “I’M SORRY I’M SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO KILL HER!” The guards paid no attention to the mare they were dragging.As they reached the back of the courtroom and swung the big double doors open, they continued on their way with the screaming pegasus in tow. “IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, I SWEAR!” She continued to scream and thrash in vain. She made eye contact with Applejack for a brief second, before she was pulled through the doors and out of the courtroom. Applejack’s eyes sent shivers down her spine, she could tell that mare hated her more than anything. She would rather stare a cockatrice and turn to stone then have to look at those eyes. She was glad that unicorn always held her back when she tried to attack or she might be dead as well. After a few moments, her screams faded to silence as she was taken out of the courthouse.  When she got outside she and the two guards were instantly swarmed by the press. At least twenty microphones were shoved in there faces all at once and the ponies holding the microphones bombarded her with questions as flashes from many cameras went off constantly. “Why did you murder Rainbow Dash?” “Have you murdered anypony else before?” “How do you feel about your life sentence?” “Do you feel that you were wrongfully accused and found guilty of this crime?” “Was this a plot against the element bearers?” She ignored the endless stream of questions as the guards holding her forced carried her through the sea of press to the awaiting chariot. The guards were able to put the convicted pony into the the chariot, which was much easier than it was to to get her out of the courthouse because the sudden onslaught of press had abruptly ended her panicked struggle with the guards. As realized, it was futile and a matter of fact, hit her like a barrel of bricks. Accident or not , she had murdered Rainbow Dash and she was going to jail forever. Once she was in the chariot, two Pegasus guards, one on the left side of her and the other on the right, flew quickly into the sky. A few minutes after Lightning Dust was taken away, Rainbow’s friends and parents exited the courthouse and in an instant the eager press were on their hooves with millions of microphones, questions and camera flashes. They filled the air just like that, after Lightning Dust was brought out. "How do you feel about the guilty verdict?" “Do you have any explanation about what will happen with the elements?" “Do you think Lightning Dust had any accomplices in this murder?" Fluttershy hid behind her mane from the press, while Pinkie Pie just made silly faces at the cameras to keep her own spirits up and her hair from deflating. Applejack walked close to Twilight and had her head down. For Spike, he was trying to shoo camera ponies away from Rarity, as well as Rainbow’s parents. Everypony did there best to ignore the press, but they were relentless and soon they blocked their path to the second chariot that was waiting for them, but the questions kept coming non-stop. “Miss Sparkle, can we get a word please?” “Mr. and Mrs. Dash, is there anything you would like to say to Lightning Dust, if you must?” “Since there has been nobody found as of yet, do you think Rainbow Dash is alive and trying to frame Lightning Dust for almost killing all of you?” An emotional Twilight Sparkle had had enough of these ponies crowding around her friends. Her horn started to glow and every single camera and microphone the press had  started to hover above Twilight’s head. She desperately wanted to crush them into one big mangled ball and launch them up into the upper atmosphere. The press ponies didn’t even have a chance to complain about their destroyed equipment. She used her magic to forcefully pick the ponies up, specifically the ones that were blocking their path. “You have about two and a half minutes to get out of here before all of your equipment falls from the sky.” Twilight said to the now silent press who proceeded to scatter after her statement.         With the overly annoying press now gone and the camera meteor hurtling towards them, the seven ponies and little dragon squeezed in the chariot and left the courthouse. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been two days since Lightning Dust was found guilty of the murder of Rainbow Dash. Her parents went back to Cloudsdale and her friends went back to Ponyville to carry on their daily lives the best they could. But for one mare in particular, it was easier said than done. Applejack didn't get much work done in the week prior, due to that day back at court. Her brother Big Macintosh had to deal with her daily morning routines in the orchard. Applejack, she would just stay in bed all day and cry after tragic death of her rainbow-named friend. She'd curse Lightning Dust until her throat was hoarse. She didn’t know what to do anymore without Rainbow Dash, the pony she would never get to confess her love to. She did know one thing for sure though, it was the only clear thought in her head; Lightning Dust, the pony that murdered the mare she loved with all her heart. She hated every fiber of her being, she wanted to buck her face so hard.    Applejack found herself in Twilight’s library , surrounded by her friends sobbing into Twilight’s shoulder. The lost of another friend was the sadness no pony could bare to talk about. It was just too hard for Applejack, losing somepony she loved with all her heart. It was just too....hard to let her go. “Shhh, It’s ok Applejack.” Twilight said in a soothing voice, rubbing the farmers back with her hoof. “Were all here for you.” “It ain’t ok.” Applejack stuttered as she sobbed. “Ah loved Rainbow Dash and now she’s gone!” Applejack wailed again, soaking Twilight’s shoulder. “We all loved her very much, dear.” Rarity said as she sat next to the sobbing mare and, rubbed her back along with Twilight. “We know how you feel darling, and we’re here for you always". “  Ya'll didn't know how ah feel.” The apple farmer wailed again. “Ya’ll didn’t love her like  ah did,  ah wanted to be with her forever!” Applejack cried harder, letting her emotions pour out of her like a faucet. That statement took her friends by surprise, considering they weren’t quite expecting it. For a few minutes, nothing but Applejacks sobbs filled the air. “I’m truly sorry dear, we had no idea you loved her that way.” Rarity apologized, continuing to rub her back. “I’m sure she felt the same way about you honey.” “You don’t know that!” Applejack said her voice rising slightly without her knowing. “Ah’ll never know how she felt towards me.” Applejack’s grip tightened around her friend’s neck. Twilight didn’t realize just how strong the farmers grip could be, so she pried her off of her before she crushed her. She then raised Applejack’s head until they made eye contact. “Applejack, listen",Twilight said to get the distraught mare’s attention. “Every time Rainbow Dash would come to read with me or help with anything at all, all she would do was talk about you.” “Really?” Applejack said wiping her reddened eyes. “Yes she did… she would always tell me how cool, tough and awesome you were. I'm positive those were the kind of feelings Rainbow had for you", she said, comforting the mare. “Thank ya for tellin’ me Twi”. Applejack hugged Twilight, then the rest of her friends joined in on the hug as well. “It means a lot.” Applejack said taking deep breaths to calm herself down a bit.             Before anypony could say anything else, Spike came running downstairs with a letter he  begin to burp out. Running straight to Twilight almost tripping over himself as he gave her the letter. “It’s from Princess Celestia, Twilight.” Spike said catching his breath." What do you think it’s about?” “I don’t know Spike, let’s see.” She opened up the letter and quickly read through it. “They're reducing Lightning Dust’s sentence from life to thirty-five years.” “Why the hell would they do that?!" an outraged Applejack interrupted. “She deserves to be locked away forever!” Everypony else was also surprised by this,but nopony spoke up. They waited patiently as Twilight continued to read the letter suspended in her magic aura. A few moments later, she finished the letter and sat it down on the table next to her. “They’re reducing her sentence because she has agreed to lead us to where she hid Rainbow’s body.” Twilight said semi-relieved that Rainbow could now give Rainbow a proper funeral. For the second time, nopony spoke for awhile but Twilight could see the relief on each of their faces as they came to the same conclusion as she did. She could tell Applejack was still a little angry by this, but then again, she she had every right to be. “So what now Twilight?” Spike asked, breaking several minutes of silence. “Four royal guards are escorting Lightning Dust here now.” The unicorn answered her number one assistant. “They will be here in about two hours, and Princess Celestia wants us to go with them to identify the body.” With that said, the five mares and dragon patiently awaited the arrival of the mare that murdered their best friend.