It was a stand-off, or so it appeared.
The three of them: Twilight Sparkle, the Alicorn Princess of Friendship: Luna, the Alicorn Princess of the Night; and Discord, the Draconequus Ex-Lord of Chaos-----all standing in alliance in the Throne Room of the Castle of Friendship----versus Rainbow Dash, former Pegasus weather pony and self-corrupted misrepresentative of the Element of Loyalty.
Only now… it would seem… the chase had come to an end. The pony in question, appeared to be…ready to surrender.
“Um… as much as I would usually hate to admit it…” Dash began awkwardly, “…and as much as I hate being anywhere near Discord…this time, he’s right. I’m tired of running… I’m tired of being scared all the time. I need to stop running away like a little filly, and…(*gulp*) own up to what I’ve become. And if that means losing everything I thought made me important…my home, my job, my friends, the Element of Loyalty, my place on the Wonderbolts team, or even my throne on the Friendship Council...” she squeezed her big rosy eyes shut, but a tear trickled down anyway. “…so be it. I’ve totally made a mess of everything, betrayed my fellow Pegasi, betrayed you and the others…” she was looked at Twilight, “…I’ve done everything a true and loyal friend should never, ever do.”
“(*Ahem*) Including eavesdropping, I see!” Discord added reprovingly.
"SSHHH!!" The Alicorn Princesses shushed him! He straightened up and folded his forelimbs indignantly.
Rainbow continued: “So… I wouldn’t blame you for, well…not being my friends anymore.”
Here Twilight shook her head vigorously, her eyes soft and moist, her expression pleading.
“…Whatever I’ve still got coming to me for trashing Cloudsdale, I promise…I’m pony enough to take it.
I give up.” Rainbow concluded, bowing low to her superiors.
After a pause…Twilight came forward, lifted Rainbow’s chin up with a hoof, and smiled. “Oh, Rainbow Dash…” she said softly, leading the Pegasus to get up on her own. “We’re never going to stop being friends.” said Twilight, pulling Dash into a warm hug.
“Nothing in earth, sea or sky, is ever going to stop us from being the best of friends.” The two best pony friends embraced long and tight…
But after another pause… Luna came up to them, and placed a gentle but firm hoof on Dash’s rainbow mane.
“You are bargaining again, Rainbow Dash…” the Night Princess declared, apologetically.
“Huh?” Dash queried, her brow furrowing, as Twilight released her embrace.
“She means: you’re still trying to avoid facing something you don't want to face.” Twilight explained.
“And this is never going to stop, until you do face it…” said Luna, removing her hoof and backing away.
At this, Discord conjured up a manacle & chain and CLAMPED it around Dash’s neck!
“HEY!” Dash yelled!
He also conjured up an armored guard’s uniform for himself, and a sharp lance to jab at her flank!
“OW!” she yelped!
“I’m NOT letting you get away THIS TIME!” He snarled!
“All right, all right! Take it easy, will ‘ya?” Dash complained.
Then Twilight touched her glowing horn to the manacle.
“What? Twilight, what are you doing?” asked Dash.
“It’s an anti-teleportation spell. I’m sorry, but it’s for your own good.” said Twilight.
“A what kind of spell?” asked a puzzled Dash.
The three marched forward, until they flanked the Night Princess. Luna trotted forward, then stopped, and stared at the Mane Entrance double doors at the far end of the Grand Hallway. She aimed her horn, flashed it, and made the doors swing wide open! The weather outside was wintery again; now a blowing gale, a BLIZZARD once again!
Dash quailed! “(*Gulp*) Wh-what is it I that have to face?” she asked timidly.
Luna turned and stated sidelong back at Dash. “…YOUR WORST FEAR...” she stoically declared.
Dash’s eyes grew wide, pupils shrinking to ten-bit size again, and her mouth gaping wide open!
One more claw-snap from Discord (he had to lay down the lance first, then pick it up again) they were all
clad in their cold-weather clothes again----minus the armored ex-Chaos Lord.
They marched forward---their hooves clopping soundly on the polished floor---through the Throne Room double doors, through
the Grand Hallway, out through the open Mane Entrance double-doors, and down the Golden Steps, into the raging snowstorm…
Almost instantly, they reached the intended spot, but the blizzard was whiting out everything.
A command from Luna, and another claw-snap, made the storm lessen, but only a little.
Twilight recognized the place. “Hey…we’re back!” she said, brightening a bit.
“B-b-back where?” asked Rainbow in dread.
Then she looked around… and saw where they were. The tree…the hill…the ice pond…
And she froze with fright!
“(*GAAAASP*) NO! Oh, no…NO! N-NOT HERE…NOT AGAIN… NO!!” she squealed in terror!
Dash tried to flee. She forced her wings up & out of the slit in the back of her winter jacket, and flapped them like crazy!
She flew up a short distance, and darted in circles, but the chain & manacle held fast.
She was little more than a flighty bird on a short tether.
“RAINBOW DASH, YOU PROMISED!” Twilight scolded, “YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!”
“NO!!! OH, MY CELESTIA, NO!! PLEASE! I NEVER AGREED TO THIS!!” Dash protested in anguish!
"YES, YOU DID! NOW GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!!" Discord snarled, jerking the chain!
Dash plummeted down and plopped through the snow! “OWW! THAT HURT!” Dash yelled back up!
"DISCORD!!" Both Princess snapped!
Enraged, Dash flew up out of her snow-hole and rushed the abusive Draconequus, shoving him with both
hooves and knocking him on his back!
"STOP YANKING MY CHAIN, 'YA BIG BULLY!!" the irate Pegasi threatened her captor!
BULLY!? Oh, that was it…he’d had just about enough of this spoiled brat of a pony!!
Not giving her a chance to recover, Discord seized Rainbow firmly, got up, turned her about-face in his mismatched paws, marched her forward to the small hill, and slammed her down rear-first, in the snow!
“OOWW!” she whined in pain!
"PONY UP, YOU ZAP-APPLE PEGASUS and LOOOK!!" he ROARED, more angrily than necessary!!
All this time, Luna & Twilight just gazed in shock (first at each other, then back at Discord) livid with rage and wanting to trample the stuffings out of the beast for his brutal treatment of their tantrum-throwing friend, but fearful of prolonging matters any further. So…quivering to maintain their own self-control, they kept stock-still…and silent.
Rainbow Dash cringed and trembled. Discord’s fiery tone had reminded her of her own father, in one of his more
impatient moments with her in fillyhood. For a moment now, she too worried about what might happen to her if
she really made Discord mad. She panted, trying to calm down…trying also to summon her courage.
When steady enough, she got up, her tailbone and bottom stinging from the impact of her earth-spanking…and ran a
hoof over the spot on the small hill beneath the tree in front of her, to clear away the snow. Soon she got into it with
both hooves, until…yes… the burrow grave-marker was readable again:
"HERE LIES TANK. RAINBOW DASH'S BELOVED PET TORTOISE. DIED IN HIBERNATION. R.I.P."
Upon reading those terrible words again, poor Rainbow Dash caved in, and started sobbing anew.
"(*Gasp*) WHYYYY??? WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME DO THIS?? (*Sob*) HE'S GONE, DON'T YOU SEE THAT? (*Sob*) HE'S GOH-HOH-HOH-HONE...AND THERE'S NOT A BUCKIN' THING I CAN DO ABOUT IT! (*Sob*) NOTHING I CAN DO TO BRING HIM BACK! (*Sob*) NOTHING...(*Sob*) I LOVED HIM! (*Sob*) POOR LITTLE GUY... (*Sob*) BUT WHY COULDN'T I SAVE HIM??? (*Sob*) WHYYYHYHYHYHYHYHYHYYYY???"
Discord thrust the lance point-down into the snow next to his feet and balled up his mismatches fists in fury,
desperately wanting to knock some sense into this stubborn little pony’s hard head!
But, instead, the armored guard Draconequus kept still, for off in the distance to his right, he could see---Fluttershy, once again
on her way to apologize to Rainbow Dash, and comfort her if she could.
Fluttershy had seen everything Discord did, and was sitting up, her forehooves crossed, her jaw set, her face furious, and her big turquoise eyes hard as steel! It wasn’t quite ‘the stare’ she was notorious for (not that it would’ve worked on him if it was) but for him, it didn’t have to be. He was already sorry for losing his temper in such a big way. Sorrier still, that Fluttershy was there to see it. And now, as Rainbow Dash poured her heart out, he could see Fluttershy starting to quiver, her hooves uncrossing and moving up to cover her mouth, and her eyes welling up with tears. The Alicorn Princesses also welled up.
Only the ex-Chaos Lord remained dry-eyed. Unmoving. Unflinching.
He just stood still, like the centurion we was dressed as…waiting for Dash to finish her tirade.
(*Gasp*) I WANT TANK!! I WANT TANK!! WHY CAN'T I WAKE HIM UP? (*Gasp*) WHY??"
"(*Sob, Gasp*) I'M NEVER 'GONNA HAVE ANOTHER PET AS LONG AS I LIVE! I DON'T WANT ANY MORE PETS! NOT IF THEY'RE 'GONNA DIE OFF LIKE HE DID!! IT'S NOT FAIR, I TELL 'YA! IT'S NOT! IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT! (*Sob*) WHAT GOOD IS LOVING ANYPONY IF ALL THEY'RE 'GONNA DO SOMEDAY IS LEAVE ME???"
At this, Dash stopped, and stared blankly, with wide red-rimmed eyes…
Luna & Twilight came forward, glad to see she was realizing the truth at last. But not yet were they smiling.
“Oh, my Celestia…” said Dash, in puzzlement, “…That is what I’m really afraid of, isn’t it? To be left alone.
All alone. I always did hate being all alone.”
“Dash…you’re not alone. We're here. And we’ll always be here for you.” Twilight explained.
“Even though we cannot always be there for you…” said Luna, sheepishly.
This made about as much sense to Rainbow Dash as one of Applejack’s countryisms. Which, of course, didn’t.
Twilight came closer. “What Luna means is: even though we can’t always be there for you in pony-person…”
She placed a hoof on Dash’s chest, squarely in the middle. “We’ll always be with you right here...in your heart..”
A grateful Rainbow Dash placed her hoof upon Twilight’s.
“And that’s something nopony can ever take away from you…for any reason.
So you see, Dash…you’re not alone….ever.” Twilight concluded.
Rainbow held Twilight’s hoof in both of hers, held it to her chest, and rested her chin on it, as well.
“Thanks, guys…” she said at last.
Still… stoically… Rainbow Dash turned back toward the cold, hard gravestone.
“But I’m still petless.” she declared wearily, “…and there’s still nothing I can do about it.”
“No, Rainbow Dash, that is not true…” said Luna. Rainbow straightened, and looked back at the Night Princess.
“Huh? W-what do you mean?” she asked.
Losing patience, Discord whacked the little cyan pony up the side of the head!
“OW!” she yelped!
“SHE MEANS IT’S NOT REAL! WAKE UP!!” he snarled!
“Wake up? Dash echoed, “Whaddya mean, wake up? I’d have to be asleep before I can----!
“BINGO!” said Discord, making an electric light bulb appear over Dash’s head, before pulling the chain to turn it off!
It fell right on the Rainbow pony’s head and popped, before vanishing!
“Ohhhh…” Dash realized, “…you mean…I am asleep? That…that this is all…” she turned back around and
faced the granite stone. “…just a dream?”
“You fell asleep during the meeting…” Twilight explained, smiling.
“You were having a nightmare, so I had to come inside to help you face your fear…” Luna explained.
“But it was too big to handle alone. That’s why we're here, too…” Twilight added.
“WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!” said Dash, shaking her head, “You mean to tell me I’ve been freakin' out all over the place here…for NOTHING?? That this is all JUST IN MY HEAD? WHY WOULD I DO THIS TO MYSELF? Is it because I’m still grieving over Tank’s de---”
"HE'S NOT DEAD!!" the others HOLLERED at once!
Stunned, Rainbow Dash stood stone still, stunned, wondering…
"N-NOT DEAD??" She cooed, hoping...but then doubting.
"WHOA-WHOA-WHOA! Whaddy'a mean he's not dead? He died right there in my hooves, on the
bed in my cloud house! We all came here to bury him! You were there, Twilight! You saw---!"
"NO DASH!! HE DIDN'T DIE!" Twilight corrected.
"'TIS A FALSE MEMORY!" Luna declared in support.
"YES! YES! Just like at the Cloudeseum! You didn't lose your wings! You made a Sonic Rainboom and saved Rarity & the Wonderbolts! You WON the Best Young Flier's Competition!! And Tank didn't die: he went into hibernation! You broke down crying because you didn't want to let him go! But you learned that love sometimes means letting go! You brought him here not to die, but to sleep! To sleep through the winter, until springtime! That's ALL! You even read him a bedtime story about Daring-Do! Don't you see, Dash? Tank is NOT DEAD! He's FINE! You WILL see him again, in THREE MONTHS! I PROMISE YOU, THAT'S THE TRUTH!!" Twilight explained desperately, nearly breaking down in sobs herself...
Rainbow Dash paused, thunderstruck. Numb. Confused.
“This is making no sense at all…” she concluded, crossing her hooves.
“UUUGH!” Discord groaned in frustration, “DON’T YOU GET IT? DREAMS AREN’T SUPPOSED TO MAKE SENSE! THEY’RE WHATEVER YOU IMAGINE THEM TO BE!”
“Dash, this is YOUR DREAM! Your OWN IMAGINATION! Isn’t it time YOU took control of IT, and stop letting IT control YOU?” Twilight implored.
Control me?” Dash echoed again, turning back toward Tank’s headstone.
Then Dash stiffened again, as though some thought she’d been working on finally clicked, and turned to see Fluttershy a small distance away. The Kindness Pony just smiled, waved a hoof… and faded away.
Encouraged, Dash turned her gaze back to the stone, and blinked in realization.
The others all stared… waiting to see what Rainbow would do next.
Without snapping a claw, Discord made the manacle & chain disappear, but Dash didn’t notice.
The cyan Pegasus lowered her head, closed her eyes, shook her head clear, blinked her eyes several
times for focus, then squinted…concentrating a hard stare on the carved stone… Seconds passed.
And soon…the writing on the stone…also faded away.
The others leaned forward…staring in amazement!
Encouraged further, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, lowered her head, and raised her right hoof…
In a sweeping gesture, she passed the hoof over the stone… and it too, faded away!!
Dash was entranced… as were the others. Except Discord, who looked smug.
Now it was just a bare patch of earth, covering the burrow.
Rainbow concentrated… brought her right hoof forward, turned it shoe-up, and raised it slowly…
The others leaned in closer, to see what would happen next…
The soil quivered, a little…then shook, and began to fall away…
Dash’s upturned hoof rose higher, and shook harder…
More soil fell away…until all that remained…was a spotted green tortoise shell.
Dash’s eyes grew wide! Her lips parted in a gasp!
The shell was…empty.
“(*Gasp*) NO! No..no...OH, NO! TANK?? OH, MY---! TANK! (*Sniff*) Aw, no… (*Sob*) TA-HA-HA-HANK!!”
Poor Dash picked the shell up in her hooves, not knowing what to make of it, and fretting all over again.
“No, no, please, Rainbow Dash, don’t weaken now!” Twilight pleaded softly.
But then… “Wait! What?” said a puzzled Dash, peering into the head hole of the shell.
“Tank? Buddy? Are you in there? Come on, it’s me…Rainbow Dash, your best pal! You don’t have to hide from me.
Come on, Tank…if you’re in there, please…just ‘gimme a sign; something, okay? Aw, please…please…”
“(*Sigh*) 'Tis not working…” said Luna, softly.
“Hmph, try harder…” said Discord, gritting his single snaggletooth.
Hugging the shell firmly in her embrace, and rocking back & forth in a soothing motion, Rainbow Dash squeezed her eyes shut, raised her head, and spoke bravely: first in a whisper, then building to a holler:
“This is my dream…this is MY dream…THIS IS MY DREAM! TAAAAANK!!!"
Then…. *SHOOP-POP!* The little tortoise’s head popped up through the head-hole, followed by his forelegs,
hind legs, and tail, out through their respective holes!
Dash froze, opened her eyes wide, and beheld her prized pet, yawning & stretching his stubby limbs!
"TANK!!!" Dash CHEERED!!
"YOU'RE ALIVE!!
OMYGOSHOMYGOSHOMYGOSH,
YOU'RE ALIVE!!
YESYESYESYESYES!!
OH, PRAISE CELESTIA,
YOU'RE ALI-HI-HI-HI-HIVE!!
…said a gushingly OVERJOYED Rainbow Dash, gratefully cuddling & kissing her long lost pet!
"YAAY! WOO-HOO! YAAAAY!" Both Alicorn Princesses (in very unroyal fashion)
sprang into the air and flapped their wings in JUBILATION!!
“Well played, Rainbow Dash…well played.” said Discord, nodding in respect.
Then Discord got an idea… and snapped his claw!
(*GASP*) DISCORD…WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?” said an alarmed Rainbow Dash, turning her head in fury on her captor!
“A-tut-tut-tut! Just listen!!!” said Discord, popping off one of his ears, and holding it out to Dash.
Rainbow stared at the detached ear, not knowing what the Draconequus meant, until she heard----
“R-r-r-r-um…r-r-r-Rainbow…D-d-d-dash…” a slow, weak voice croaked.
Dash froze…rosy eyes saucer-wide! The Princesses also froze, wide-eyed!
Dash turned her head back around (as Discord re-attached his ear) and looked back at Tank.
The tortoise’s lips quivered…and parted.
“R-r-r-r-rainbow…D-d-d-dash??” he repeated.
"(*GAAAAAAASP*) TANK? D---did you just...TALK???” said the astonished cyan pony!
“Mmm…w-w-whyy…y-yes…ummm…I t-think s-so…”
His voice was as slow as the rest of him. Whimsical… Humble…
In some other world, it might have belonged to a certain honey-colored teddy bear with a red shirt.
Or a striped Cheshire Cat in another, or a jungle python in still another...
“Omygoshomygoshomygosh, this is TOTALLY AWESOME!" said an elated Rainbow Dash: “I’ve got the awesomest pet tortoise in the whole wide world, and now he can TALK! This is SO COOL! This dream just got 20 PERCENT COOLER! I can’t belie---oop!” A tortoise foreleg pressed on her muzzle, hushing her.
“P-please…not sso f-f-fast…” Tank pleaded: “…I’mm k-kind’a nnew at thisss… tell mme…isssit…sssspring, yet?”
“Huh? OH! Ummm…no, not yet. I…kind’a woke you up early.” Dash explained hesitantly.
Tank raised his neck a little higher out of the shell, enough for him to bend his head down at bit, and sluggishly give Dash a stern look. Rainbow blushed, and gave a SQUEE grin.
“Sorry…” she said sheepishly: “I was just so worried about you. I thought you’d died. I’ve missed you, buddy…my winter’s not the same at all without you, pal…I can’t stop thinking about you. I just want you back so bad…(*sniff*) I’m really sorry… (*sob*) I never knew waiting for spring could be so hard…”
Tank softened, and gently bumped noses with her, in his tender fashion.
“T-there, there, R-r-rainbow D-d-dash…” he continued: “…F-f-funny… I s-s-till r-remember..h-how l-little y-you t-thought of m-me at f-first… unt-til th-the r-race t-through –G-Ghastly G-G-Gorge…w-when I l-l-lifted t-that b-b-big b-boulder off-f-f y-y-your t-t-trapped w-w-ing…”
“Yeah…I remember that…” Dash confirmed. “You saved my life, Tank. I’ll never forget that.”
“S-s-so…” Tank asked, puzzled: “…I’mm…m-more th-than-n a p-p-pet t-to you, Dash-h-h?”
“Tank…” said Dash: “…you’re MY HERO!! More than the Wonderbolts…more than Daring-Do…you're my hero, Tank! I love you! Yeah, I know…I used to think that was sappy. But hey, how else is a damsel in distress supposed to react----when her knight in shining armor comes to the rescue?”
“Great. He's her hero…and what are we; chopped liver?” Twilight thought to herself, but didn’t say out loud.
“I'm in shining armor…” thought Discord: “…and she doesn’t call me a hero! Hmph, lucky reptile…”
Tank smiled, slowly…and a tear ran slowly down his cheek. “C-C-Celestia b-bless y-you, R-r-rainbow D-d-dash…” I l-l-love you, t-t-too…” he said, starting to yawn again. “…T-t-time I w-went b-back t-to b-bed, I g-g-guess… J-just p-promise m-me one t-thing, p-please?”
“Anything, Tank.” said Dash.
“…D-d-don’t b-blow u-up a-any m-more f-factories t-t-o p-prove y-y-your l-l-love f-f-for m-me, ok-k-kay?”
Tank said, with a slow, sly wink.
“(*Chuckle*) Okay, I promise…” said a smiling Dash: “Just you promise to never leave me all alone in the world. You know how I hate being all alone.” She winked in turn.
“(*Yaaawn*) I p-p-promise, R-r-rainbow D-d-dash…” said Tank, feeling himself start to sink back into slumber.
With that, Dash gently put her friend back into his burrow, and he began to wall himself up again, in dirt and snow.
“’Bye, Tank. Still love ‘ya. See you next Winter Wrap-Up, okay?” said Dash, waving a hoof goodbye.
“B-b-bye, D-d-dash…I’ll b-be d-d-dreaming of y-y-you…” said Tank, as he disappeared again, into the mound.
Rainbow heaved a HUGE SIGH… then looked around, noticing her shackle & chain were gone.
She looked back at Discord---who made his centurion armor & lance disappear in a flash!
“BRAVO! BRAVO!” He applauded!
Twilight & Luna were also hoof-clapping in applause!
“Congratulations, Rainbow Dash! You have faced your worst fear!” said Luna, coming forward.
“I am SO PROUD OF YOU!” said Twilight, pulling Dash into another hoof-hug!
“The Force is with you, young Cloudwalker!” said Discord, now clad in Jedi robes and saluting
with an ignited blue lightsaber! And with a claw-snap, the ensemble vanished.
"Okay...as much as I usually hate to say it...." Dash said, nodding: "...thank you, Discord."
"You are most welcome, Miss Rainbow Dash!" said the ex-Chaos Lord, taking a sweeping chivalrous bow.
“Seriously, though…” Dash asked: “…how’d you make Tank talk?”
“Wha---have you forgotten already?” said Discord, pulling Dash aside: "ANYTHING'S possible in dreams!
Besides…I pulled that same little trick on Fluttershy a while back---wide awake, mind you! What a tea party
she had with all her animal friends for a whole day and night on that one…”
“A whole day and night…” said Dash, disappointed: “…you mean it’s not permanent?”
“’Fraid not, Miss Dash. Only temporary.” Discord confirmed.
“Shoot…” said Dash, face-hoofing.
“But as long as we’re being serious, Miss Dash…” the ex-Chaos Lord continued, “…if you really wanted to stop winter, why didn’t you just CALL ON ME in the first place?” With a claw-snap, the weather instantly changed from winter, to spring! "See?" he said smugly. And with another snap, back to winter again.
“OH. Right...(heh) Awkward…” said a blushing Dash, rubbing the back of her rainbow mane with a hoof.
At this, the others all enjoyed a BIG BELLY-LAUGH!!!
“(*Sigh*) Well, friends…” said Twilight, “…come on. We’ve got a meeting to finish!”
And with that, the four friends all joined hooves (or forelegs) and closed their eyes.
“Oh, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…” Discord chimed.
"SHUT UP!!" the others snapped!
CONTINUED NEXT CHAPTER...