Hold Your Color

by Quillery

She's a Rebel

“What?!” Twilight exclaimed. “You can’t be serious, Dash! You just said you would stay put!”

Dash grunted as she landed on the ground. She stretched her legs and spread her wings. Everything was accounted for and working, which she was grateful for. She knew one quick flight would knead out all the stiffness of lying in bed for a few days, and felt like doing just that.

She glanced at Twilight with a smirk. “I just agreed because I know arguing with him is pointless. He and auntie can do his thing, and I’ll do mine.” Dash faced the door, and frowned. Ditzy was still standing there, watching. She fidgeted her hooves as she stared mournfully at her.

“Your dad asked me to keep you here, Dash,” Ditzy said. “I’d really like it if you listened to him.”

Dash bared her teeth and snorted. “I don’t care if you’re some secret agent pony working for my dad, Ditzy, you aren’t stopping me.”

Ditzy winced. “I’m only doing what he asked. He gets really mad when ponies don’t do what he says.”

Dash continued to glare at the resilient Ditzy, when a dainty chuckle broke the silence. They turned their attention to Celestia.

“Now, ladies,” she said, “there is no need to resort to such tension between friends.” She turned her attention to Ditzy. “Now, I am aware that your loyalties to me are more of a facade for your duties, miss Ditzy, but perhaps if all four of us were to travel together to the Prism's chamber, would that be sufficient? There would be few that would approach us with ill intent without proper planning.”

Ditzy held her stare. She bit her lips behind an uneasy smile. “I’ve lived here long enough to respect you, Celestia, but when Khroma asks me to do something, I owe it to him to do it.”

Celestia smiled. “That is true, but I am certain if all of us were to go together, whomever has started this problem will be less inclined to approach us. I would have enlisted others, perhaps even your friends, if not for Khroma. With his injured pride, he will be resentful to any additional help.”

Dash scoffed. “That’s Dad, alright.” She paused. “Wait… where are our friends?” She looked at Twilight.

“Um, well…” Twilight started. “I wanted to tell them, but your dad wouldn’t let me. He said that it was too dangerous to let anypony else know what was happening.” She looked away towards the window. “With what happened, I was inclined to believe him.”

“That still doesn’t matter,” Ditzy said. “Khroma said for Dash to stay put, and he told me to keep her here. You getting your friends to help doesn’t change that he wanted you to stay here where it’s safe.”

Celestia grinned. “If my hearing recalls, Miss Ditzy, Khroma instructed you to keep her safe, not keep her here against her will.”

Ditzy blinked. She hung her head as she carefully considered the idea, but swiftly shook her head. “Khroma does... not care for bending rules.”

“Neither do I, but we are clearly dealing with a force that can slip past our notice with ease. I understand the importance this has on Khroma’s shoulders, but I have no intention of letting further danger come to my little ponies so long as I have a say.” She glanced at Dash and Twilight. “Or those under my stewardship who wish to lend their aid as well.”

Dash nodded. “We’re going Ditzy. If you wanna keep sucking up to Dad, then you can come with. I don’t care. Just get out of our way.”

Ditzy winced. She held her place in front of the door, staring at each pony in turn. Her expression faded, for just a moment, as she let out a short sigh. She turned and opened the door. “Fine. But you need to stay within my sight at all times.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “That shouldn’t be too hard, considering…”

Ditzy twisted her head back, glaring. “Considering what?” she snapped.

Dash reared back, letting out a weak chuckle. “Nothing! Nothing…”

Ditzy went to leave, when Celestia stepped to the door and placed a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. “In the interest of saving time, Miss Doo, I have an alternative way to get where we are going.”

Her horn began to glow, and the frame of the door began to shimmer with magic. A thin golden line traced out in the space of the open door, and slowly slid open wider as it took over the empty air. Soon, the entire frame was filled with an effervescent gold that rippled like water.

Celestia nodded at Ditzy. “After you, Miss Doo.”

Ditzy nodded and stepped through. The portal let out a low hum as she disappeared in a flash of light. Celestia turned back to the others, indicating the gateway with another nod of her head. “Quickly now, we haven’t much time.”

Dash and Twilight stood together as they approached. Twilight turned her attention to Celestia one last time, who gave her an encouraging nod. She then turned to Dash. “Are you sure about this?”

Dash nodded. “I gotta know, Twi. This is big, and I’m not gonna sit on the sidelines.” She grabbed one of Twilight’s hooves in her own. “As long as we’re together, I know we can do anything.”

Twilight blinked and looked down, descending into deep thought. After a moment, a thin smile formed on her lips. “You’re right. I’m just worried. After what happened to your house…”

Dash leaned forward and kissed Twilight on the cheek. She lifted Twilight’s head by the chin and smiled. “Don’t worry so much. I’ll be fine. Cloud houses are easy to replace.” She nuzzled Twilight. “Maybe I’ll build it closer to your place next time.”

“That would be nice, I suppose…” Twilight gasped. “Oh! I almost forgot.”

Twilight opened her bags and pulled out a small box. “While you were asleep, I went back to… what was left of your house. There wasn’t much left, but I did find this…”

She opened the box, which revealed a small heart shaped amethyst. It glowed bright at Twilight’s touch, as she lifted it over Dash’s head and let it hang from her neck. “I know wearing it while practicing was a bother, but I think it would be a good idea to keep this on for now.”

Dash held the gem in her hoof and stared at it. She caressed it gently and smiled. “I thought I lost this… The thing that brought us together last year.”

“Having something that can lead you to me might be useful.”

Dash put a hoof around Twilight and hugged her. “Are you kidding? I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

Twilight giggled, and Celestia cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt, but time is short. The sooner we solve this, the sooner the two of you can get back to your lives.”

Dash felt a brief moment of longing as Twilight pulled away from her. “Of course, Princess,” she said. “Lets get going.”

Twilight took in a deep breath as she stood at the threshold and released it slowly as she stepped through, leaving Dash alone with Celestia.

Dash went to follow her, but Celestia held up a leg across the door, barring her. Her smiled had diminished, but only slightly, as she held a serious but gentle gaze. “I do not wish to worry her more than necessary, Rainbow Dash. I care for her well-being, and have for a long time. It brings me great joy that you two have found something special between yourselves, but also great pain that in a way, she relies on you more than me these days.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Princess?”

“Love has a way of revising our priorities. Twilight has looked up to me for a long time, but for the past year, I have seen her dedication to you flourish. Even as a Princess herself, she has become her own mare in more ways than one, and I am glad that she has you.”

Celestia’s tone darkened as she lowered her head, bringing her eyes level with Dash’s. “And so believe that I say this with the utmost seriousness, and promise that you will keep it to yourself. Until we truly know the gravity of this situation, I worry for her safety, as well as yours, in what is to come. I have seen the pain that this burden has on its guardians. I have looked through the passages of time and history, and only seen blood, and death, and misery follow in the Prism’s wake.”

Celestia steeled herself with a single, long breath. “I know that whomever is behind this has no light intentions, Rainbow Dash. What happened to your home was only a taste of their power, and it will only become worse. Until we know exactly who we are dealing with, we must be on our guard. This is something your father tried to prevent. I hope in time, you will understand that.”

Celestia said nothing more. She returned to her natural posture, and stepped through the doorway. Dash blinked as she stood alone, staring at the portal. Celestia’s words repeated in her mind as they stuck deep into her memory.

The portal shimmered as the humming began to dwindle. Dash snapped out of her haze, and swallowed as she forced herself to take the first step into the unknown behind it.