“Wait a second pardner! Are ya’ll sayin’ that ya did another Sonic Rainboom with him!?” Applejack said in almost a yell as she stared towards Rainbow Dash, her eyes widening considerably as she interrupted Rainbow Dash’s story. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had laid down like Twilight and the rainbow-colored mare lifted her head, slowly nodding towards her,
“We did…” Rainbow Dash looked over to Twilight, seeing the unicorn simply staring at her with a blush on her face,
“Rainbow… do you want to continue?” Rainbow Dash’s blush seemed to darken a little as she thought before she slowly nodded,
“Yeah I can tell ya a bit more before we get back on the trail again…”
The two pegasi pressed through the mach cone, an immensely powerful burst of light erupting from the spot and flew out in all directions. Similar to Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom every color of the rainbow existed in the spectrum flowing outward but it seemed much darker like the night’s sky, multiple shimmering stars within some of the darker parts. The vapor trail behind the two pegasi had changed at the speed they were now going, matching that of the Sonic Rainboom as they began spiraling down towards the earth, their trail looking like an aurora in the night’s sky as they flew downwards.
Mere moments passed before the two of them opened their eyes and their wings went flat upwards, releasing one another and flew away from one another at the same speed, both flying back towards Cloudsdale. With their vapor trails separated, Written Dreams’ became a dark blue and silver shimmer of the night’s sky whilst Rainbow Dash’s returned to being a rainbow.
A few seconds later there was a loud boom as Rainbow Dash slammed down against one of the storm clouds, her wings slowly flapping to steady herself before she collapsed down against the dark grey cloud below her, out of breath with her eyes still scanning the sky slowly until she heard a light beating of wings and turned her head seeing Written Dreams landing next to her and smiling gently towards her, “I wonder what we just did would be called…” She watched as the dark blue pegasus turned his gaze up towards the sky, a beautiful aurora cascaded across the starry sky before them. Rainbow Dash felt a smile slide onto her face as she watched the dancing lights above them and turned her head back towards him,
“Perhaps a Mach Aurora?” She watched as Written Dreams took a few steps forward until he stood beside her collapsed form and he laid down, looking towards her with a very gentle smile,
“I wonder if anypony else can see this right now.” Rainbow Dash felt her face heat up slightly before she leaned over and nuzzled him a bit,
“Just us…” Written Dreams returned her nuzzle, feeling Rainbow Dash lay her head against the base of his neck,
“Rainbow Dash…? Why did you kiss me?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes slowly opened and she raised her head, seeing him giving her a bit of a puzzled look although she was grateful to see nothing in his eyes but a bit of confusion,
“I… just…” Rainbow Dash looked away from him with a soft sigh, “When you‘re the fastest pegasus… and nopony can beat you it takes some of the excitement out of racing knowing you‘ll win.” She looked back towards him, wearing a bit of a cautious smile, “And the thought that I could lose to you… that there were still pegasi in Equestria faster then me… I just did what my body told me to do.” Rainbow Dash then blinked as Written Dreams let out a light laugh still while looking at her. Now it was Rainbow’s turn to look confused, “What‘s so funny…?”
“What would you say if I asked you to come with me?” Rainbow Dash tilted her head slightly at hearing this, her look of confusion growing a bit,
“Come… with you? What do you mean?”
“I‘m following a series of clues towards something that I really want to get my hooves on… and having a traveling companion would make things all the better.” Rainbow Dash fell silent as she stared at him before she leaned over again and gave him another nuzzle,
“I really wish I could… but my job as the weather manager pretty much prevents me from leaving…” Rainbow then closed her eyes as she laid against his dark blue coat, Written Dreams laying his head against her neck as well as he smiled,
“I‘ll come and see you the next time I‘m in Ponyville.” Rainbow Dash said nothing, a deep blush on her face as she silently laid her head against him, eventually falling asleep as the beautiful aurora remained above them both.
The three mares were now trotting down the path before them, Rainbow Dash trotting with Twilight on her right and Applejack to her left, “Then what happened Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said as she continued watching the rainbow pegasus. Rainbow Dash was silent for a few moments, her blush deepening for a few more moments before she shook her head looking up at Twilight,
“I‘d rather not talk about it. There‘s more to tell but I‘ll save part two for either tonight or tomorrow.” Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight then over to Applejack with a grin, “Happy now AJ?” Applejack gave a laugh and adjusted her hat as she looked towards Rainbow,
“Hehe, never took ya for the kind ta get buttered up so easily Rainbow! Ah‘ve seen plenty of pegasi keepin’ up with ya, did ya kiss all of them too?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with an annoyed look on her face before shaking her head and growled towards Applejack,
“No! What kind of mare do you think I am?!” Applejack began making kissy noises as she laughed, puckering her lips as she grinned,
“RD WD sittin‘ in a tree!” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened and she growled again at the farm pony,
“What are you? A filly?!” Twilight Sparkle spoke up next, a rather irritated look on her face as she raised her voice,
“Will you two knock it off? Applejack, Rainbow Dash shared something really personal with us that she could have very easily left out of her story. It‘s not nice to make fun of her for it.” Applejack paused at Twilight’s scolding of her and looked down letting out a deep sigh,
“Aw shoot Twilight, ah was jus‘ havin‘ a bit of fun with her. Sorry if ah made ya mad Rainbow, I was only foolin‘ around.” Rainbow Dash gave a small chuckle before nodding over to Applejack with a bright smile,
“No worries AJ. But hey, did either of you guys see the aurora? I‘ve been wondering if everypony was asleep while it was up in the sky.” Applejack shook her head in response as Rainbow was looking at her and smiled lightly,
“Ah was out like a light come nine or ten.” Rainbow Dash then looked over to Twilight, who was looking at her with a gentle smile,
“What about you Twilight?”
“I did see it actually.” Twilight looked up at the sky, “I didn‘t see when it happened though and it didn‘t make much of a sound. I just remember looking out my window and seeing it spreading throughout the sky… it really was something beautiful. Although… since I didn‘t see it a few minutes ago I was confounded as to how an aurora could show up so suddenly.” Twilight blushed a bit out of embarrassment as she nervously giggled, “I started going through books on them to try and figure it out.” Rainbow Dash let out a laugh and grinned at the mare,
“That‘s just like you Twilight. Always the egg head!” Twilight blinked at the name and closed her eyes smiling proudly,
“I‘m not an egg head, I‘m well read!” Rainbow Dash snickered as she looked over to Applejack and grinned,
“Egg head.” Twilight’s expression turned to one of frustration before she narrowed her eyes looking over to Rainbow Dash,
“I am not!” She then paused as Rainbow Dash and Applejack both stared at her with grins and Twilight blinked before she began laughing, accompanied by the other two mares and they all laughed together as they ran down the path.
The three mares ran for another good twenty minutes before a large shadow passed over them and quickly disappeared, Rainbow Dash, who was gliding along with them instead of running dropped to her hooves and watched the sky with a curious look on her face, “Anypony else see that?” Twilight Sparkle and Applejack both nodded and started looking around carefully as they all continued running, “I think… we‘re being followed.” Twilight nodded in response and the three slowed to a light trot before they all stopped, Twilight looking up to the sky and yelled,
“Show yourself!” There were a few moments of silence before there was a boom behind the three, a large dust cloud behind them and as the three turned around a form began to become visible in the dust. The form slowly became fully visible, a female griffon standing before the three with a slightly dark expression on her face accompanied by a sinister smirk, although her color scheme seemed off, “Wait… that’s…!” Rainbow Dash took a step forward, her head tilting slowly as she stared towards the griffon,
“Gilda?”
“Surprised you even still remember your old best friend after all this time.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened for a few moments before she shook her head,
“What.. What are you doing here?!” Gilda paused at her words, raising an eyebrow as she stared at the three,
“So that‘s the greeting I get after all this time?” Applejack spoke up next, taking a step forward as Rainbow Dash did,
“Ya weren‘t the face of kindness last time we saw ya. Have ya changed since then?” Gilda rolled her eyes with a loud laugh, her tail flicking as she shook her head and smirked,
“Actually I‘ve been keeping tabs on you three for king Discord.” Gilda let out another laugh before grinning to the three, “I gotta say, I‘m surprised it took you all so long to catch on to me but now that you have…” Gilda’s expression faded as she stared at them, “Congratulations. Discord has deemed you three a threat and has tasked me with eliminating you.” The mare’s eyes widened considerably as they all took a step back staring at her, Twilight pausing before shaking her head,
“You mean… You‘re going to kill us?” Rainbow Dash took a step forward with a defiant gaze as she got down low and growled,
“What‘s this all about?! A little humiliation and you agree to kill us?! What‘s Discord filled your head with?!” Gilda only smirked in response, her tail whipping again behind her as she stomped forward,
“Our friendship is dead Dash! It died when you chose those ponies over me.” She then began to growl as she got down low. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes as she stomped her hoof,
“Twilight! Applejack! Get out of here!” Twilight’s eyes widened as she looked down at the rainbow pegasus at her hooves,
“But…!”
“No buts! I‘ll hold her off while you two get out of here! Go find a place to hide!” Her expression then darkened slightly, “Nobody threatens my friends.” Twilight shook her head quickly, staring at Rainbow Dash with a look of fear,
“Rainbow we can‘t just--!” Rainbow Dash didn’t face her, her gaze fixed upon the griffon standing before them,
“Twilight listen to me. What matters the most is that you move forward with Applejack. I‘ll be okay…” Rainbow whipped her head staring into Twilight’s eyes with a mixed look of fear, pain, and determination, “Now GO!” Twilight took a step back as she gulped and nodded, her and Applejack turning and running down the path before Rainbow Dash turned her head back to Gilda once they had gone out of sight.
Rainbow Dash locked eyes, once again, with Gilda, the griffon having brought her left claw up from the ground and was looking at it before she flicked something from one of her claws and looked back to Rainbow Dash, “Never knew you could be such an idiot Dash. Sending those two away? I‘ll just finish with you quickly so I don‘t have to look too hard for them… Let‘s go!” Gilda leapt forward, swiping with her claw and Rainbow leaped back, avoiding her strike before lunging and jumped to the left, sending a good buck into Gilda’s torso before her wings spread and the pegasus flew up into the sky. Gilda gave an irritated growl, mostly unfazed by the buck and took off into the sky after her.
The sky above them was rather dark, the moon beginning to peek over the horizon next to them as both Gilda and Rainbow Dash stood upon different clouds. Rainbow Dash stared up at Gilda, a few tears streaking down Rainbow’s eyes before she yelled out, “Gilda I don‘t understand! Why would you work for Discord?! Why would you agree to eliminate us?! You were my best friend!” Gilda’s face was dark, the few feathers sticking out in front of her head like hair casting a shadow across her face as she shook her head and stared down the pegasus,
“Rainbow Dash. We stopped being friends the day that you sided with those ponies and I was humiliated. Discord is the ruler of Equestria now whether you little ponies want him to be or not. You are not going to stop him but the information I‘ve told him has caused him to believe that what you are after could possibly dethrone him so I asked if it would be easier to simply eliminate you three. He didn‘t order this. I asked for it.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened considerably as she took a step back on her cloud, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face,
“Gilda… if you intend to kill us…” Her eyes narrowed in anger and she stamped her hoof with a growl, “I‘ll stop you!” Gilda then smirked with a bit of a laugh and raised her claw, shaking one from side to side,
“Tch, Rainbow… although I suppose it‘s fitting that it be you who I kill first. Actually I was hoping it would be you and me last. Our history and all.” Rainbow Dash’s mane seemed to flare a bit as her eyes widened further in anger,
“Is this a game to you?!” Gilda planted her claws back against the cloud under her and narrowed her eyes,
“Loyal to the end aren‘t you? I have an idea actually. Discord said something to me before I left.” Rainbow Dash gave her a distrusting look as she slightly tilted her head, her wings, once slowly flapping, were now back at her sides,
“What did he tell you?”
“He said that if any of you make the choice to instead join him that I‘m to spare your life and bring you back. So how about it Dash? Come on!” Gilda grinned darkly towards her, bringing one of her claws up and clenched it into a fist, “Join our side! Then all of your troubles will be gone!” Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof again and whipped her mane and tail, getting down low as her eyes narrowed,
“Gilda…” The griffon blinked and tilted her head slightly as she looked down at Rainbow Dash, “You threaten my friend‘s lives… spy on us for Discord… then challenge my loyalty. No friend of mine would do anything like that. I‘m going to fight you Gilda. I‘m going to protect my friends.” Rainbow Dash then let out a yell as she rocketed forward and slammed hard into the griffon’s chest, the wind knocked out of her making her stumble and slip off the cloud, Rainbow Dash landing where she was standing and looked down as she began falling but Gilda quickly regained her balance and spread her wings, flying back towards Rainbow Dash with a dark glare of hatred in her eyes,
“So be it.”
Applejack let out a few pants as she stood at the back of a dark cave the two mares had found far down the path from where they had been confronted by Gilda. She looked around slowly, her eyes having steadily adjusted to the darkness around her and she looked down at Twilight who was laying down with her face in her hooves silently weeping, her tears catching the small amount of light floating in from the moon outside making them shine slightly, “Twilight please stop yer cryin‘… We‘re gonna be safe here and before ya know it Rainbow‘s gonna be trottin‘ through that cave entrance over there and we‘ll all be together again!” Twilight slowly rose her head, a look of fear and dread in her eyes,
“I could have just teleported all of us away from there! Why did she tell us to run?! Why Applejack?!” Applejack let out a slow sigh and looked back to the mouth of the cave,
“There‘re moments in all our lives where we just know we‘ve gotta do somethin‘… if Rainbow hadn‘t done what she did… then we might not have gotten out of there in one piece. Neither of us can fly Twilight so we‘d be pretty useless in a fight like that anyway… we‘d just be a burden ta Rainbow while she protected us.” Applejack looked back to Twilight and smiled softly, “If we had teleported she woulda just found us again… maybe while we were sleeping… Rainbow Dash may have saved both of our lives Twilight.” Twilight Sparkle paused and sniffed a few times, wiping the tears from her eyes before looking up at Applejack,
“I… I guess you‘re right but I‘m still really worried about her… logically… a pegasus shouldn‘t be able to beat a griffon… If only I could have gotten close enough I could have used the memory spell on her…” Applejack raised her hoof, wiping a final tear from Twilight’s eye and shook her head still wearing her smile,
“Twilight, we gotta have faith in Rainbow now. She‘s so fast that Gilda won‘t even be able to touch her! Twilight, do you have faith in Dash?” Twilight fell silent, a small smile spreading across her face before she looked up at Applejack and gave a small nod, “Then we‘ve got to believe that everything is going to be okay.”