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// Chapter 8: Fillies Before Bronies 
// Story: Snippet of Messages 
// by PinkieHD 
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	Twilight and Dusk were pacing around the room where they waited for the princess and the two cyan pegasi to return. While the two were busy pacing, the others looked at them amusingly. Dusk Shine was pacing one way while Twilight Sparkle was going the other, never bumping to each other. It was like they knew where the other was going.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Twilight quickly exhaled, eyes wide. "What if something happened to them? What if that... that thing was able to defeat the princess and is now attacking both Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Blitz?!" strands of her mane already started pointing out in different directions.

"I mean, you saw that thing, right?! It was huge! Huge I tell you! It was at least a head taller than the rest of us! Not to mention those red, unblinking, cold eyes! It was like it was staring into my soul!" Twilight unconsciously shivered by the mere thought of the creature staring her down.

Dusk Shine was also having his own episode. "This does  not compute! I repeat, this does not compute! What if the three of them aren't enough to defeat it?! What if Blitz did something stupid like show off in front of the princess and her counterpart which costed him his life and since Rainbow Dash is busy grieving for him she wouldn't notice the thing getting closer to her and BAM she would also bite the dust!" He dragged his hooves across his face "Or, what if the creature isn't alone?! What if it has backup with it?! Oh sweet Solaris' mane! What if there is a whole army waiting for us outside?!"

Before anypony could tell the two frantic unicorns how those theories were highly doubtful to some of their theories happen, a brief flash of light blinded them. As the light faded, princess Celestia, Rainbow Blitz and Rainbow dash stood in the middle of the room. A tense few seconds with nopony doing anything before the room up roared with "Are you ok?!", "Princess, what happened?!" and the one that made everypony there silent again was when Pinkie Pie somberly asked "Is it dead?"

Princess Celestia released a huge sigh before she shook her head which earned a gasp from everypony there except for the cyan pegasi.

"D-did I made a m-mistake?" Blitz whispered as he sat on the hall with his head down. "W-was I not strong enough?"

"Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow Dash realized that Dusk was next to her who looked worried "Can you tell us what happened?"

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly "When me and Blitz reached the room, the thing-"

"Machine..." Celestia interrupted, still panting. She was still tired from the fight and she was still trying to catch her breath.

Rainbow Dash nodded silently "The machine was busy charging it's horn and was about to fire at the princess when Blitz quickly reacted and threw a rock at it. To our luck, it's concentration broke and started focusing on us. " 

Twilight raised an eyebrow "How is that lucky?! You just got the attention of something that doesn't even blink and could fire beams of light!"

Rainbow Dash nodded her head towards Celestia and smiled "Weeeelll, if we didn't interrupt it then the princess wouldn't be here now, would she? "

Twilight tried to counter her but nothing came out of her mouth. Rainbow Dash was right, if they didn't throw that rock then who knows what would've happened to the princess. Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. "I guess you're right." She raised her head with a stern look on her face "But that still doesn't excuse your recklessness, both of you!"

Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes "Yes mom. Could I please continue with the story? Thanks. Like I said, as we got it's attention, it started firing lasers at us. We dodged the lasers and started our counterattacks but it proved to be very tough since it didn't even flinch as we threw kicks and punches at it!" 

"That was when the princess told us to give it our best shot." Blitz said as he stood tall and walked next to Rainbow Dash "We both knew what we were gonna do so we went with our guts." He chuckled lightly at this "I don't think it was mere coincidence when we both had the same idea, that we needed to use our secret weapon."

"What was that?" Dusk asked curiously

Blitz frowned "A sonic rainboom"

Everypony there gasped. "I know it was a bit too much but we were pressed for time so I nodded towards Rainbow Dash and flew out of the castle."

Rainbow Dash continued "While he was busy gaining altitude, I did my part by distracting the thing. I gotta tell you though that that thing was harder than breaking a rock with an egg"

Rainbow Blitz stepped in once again "After gaining height, I measured the distance that would probably give the maximum effect of the rainboom and I started flying down towards it. When the rainboom finally came out, I turned around until my backlegs were in front of me."

"What happened next?"

Blitz smiled but it was empty "It was a direct hit. The machine went flying and smashed through five walls before coming to a stop. We were celebrating when the princess limped towards us and congratulated us for saving her." Blitz sighed as he once again bowed his head and frowned "But it was too good to be true since the thing stood up and once again glared unblinkingly at us. That was when princess Celestia teleported us and we are here."

Silence enveloped the room before Blitz walked away.

"I'm weak!" he shouted to himself "I hit it with a rainboom but that only made it even angrier at us!"

"Hey, you're not weak!" Pinkie said as she tried to comfort him

Blitz just scoffed and smiled dryly at her "Oh yeah? How would you know? You weren't there! Even if you were, you are just an air headed nincompo-!" but before he could finish his insult, a hoof struck his face and he was pushed back from the force. His mouth was bleeding as he looked up and glared at the assailant. His eyes widened when he realized that the pony who punched him was actually a pink stallion.

"B-berry? Why?"

Berry just glared at him while he was standing protectively in front of  Pinkie Pie, his size easily hiding the pink mare "Just because you think that you made a mistake doesn't give you the right to insult anypony, especially the ponies I deeply cared about." The pink stallion walked towards the cyan pegasus with a stern gaze "I know it hurts when you disappoint those who are important to you but that doesn't mean you should stop doing what's right and hurt those that did not fault." He smiled sadly as he raised a hoof to Blitz "Like Rainbow Dash said, if it weren't for you guys then the princess wouldn't be here in the first place"

Blitz stared at the hoof for a few seconds before laughing lightly and giving his best coltfriend a brohoof. "Thanks dude. I don't know what I would do without your brand of craziness around."

Berry smiled brightly before giving the pegasus a crushing hug that made Dusk Shine wince in pain. He knew first hand experience how much force the big stallion exerted when he hugged anypony. He shivered unconsciously  as he remembered being bed-ridden for days after telling the pink stallion that he was once of his closest friends.

Twilight turned towards the princess "So... what now princess? I don't think this is a safe place to stay."

Celestia smiled at her prized student "You're right. I think it's time for you to meet the others."

Everypony blinked "Others?"