Rainbow Dash
Rainbow was silent as the Wych closed the doors behind her, leaving her in the trophy room alone. For a few minutes she stood still, waiting for Elithad to come and speak to her, but as the time dragged on, she became more and more bored, and eventually she started to wander, looking at the various trophy’s dotted around the room.
While she was running a hand over what could have only been Ork technology, the doors opened again, and Rainbow spun around, expecting to see Elithad, but instead almost slamming face first into the chest plate of an Incubus.
“I didn’t know Elithad had Incubi in her service,” Rainbow looked up at the expressionless helmet. “Well? Where is…she?”
Rainbow trailed off as she looked past the first Incubus, counting seven more identical warriors now flanking the door, and a single, utterly terrifying Dark Eldar in the centre.
Rainbow didn’t know who the new comer was, but he radiated terror just by his mere presence. His armour was a perfect, polished obsidian, decorated with runes that seemed to swim in and out of focus even as she watched, before she had to look away. An odd septet was hanging loosely from his waist, the Eldar softly tapping the skull shaped pommel with his long, armoured fingers.
“Tell me your name,” the figure spoke. It was not loud, and yet it pierced through the air and stabbed directly at Rainbow’s ears.
“Dash,” Rainbow began. “I’m…”
“Lying,” the figure hissed softly. “Tell, me, your name.”
“My name is Da…”
“Lie one more time, and I will ensure you live for eternity to feel every pain possible to you. One, final, chance. Your name.”
Rainbow hesitated for a second, shrinking back slightly under the figures gaze, before finally deflating and lowering her head.
“R-Rainbow Dash,” she whispered.
“And what are you? Do not say Ygal.”
“A Pegasus, from Equestria.”
“And also a Swooping Hawk of Saim-Hann, a member of the Nar-Bok Wind Clan,” the figure finished. “You were with my Craftworld kin for two years, were you not?”
“I was,” Rainbow nodded.
The figure nodded once, before looking at one of the Incubi.
“Take away her weapons and bind her, then find her compatriots and do the same. Bring them to the tower. I wish to speak to them further, away from this pitiful arena.”
The figure turned without another word, six of the Incubi following behind him, while two advanced on Rainbow. Before she could say anything, an armoured fist was swung into her temple, and Rainbow’s world went black.
***
Rainbow’s eyes shot open as she sat bolt upright, before immediately wishing she hadn’t done that. Cruel shackles were wrapped around her hooves, short chains connecting them all together, while a barbed belt was strapped tightly around her waist, digging into her skin, and making sure that flaring her wings was an impossible task, and incredibly painful to attempt at that.
“So you’re awake?” Gilda croaked from beside her, shifting around to face her, revealing that she was bound in a similar way to Rainbow was. Scootaloo was lying beside Gilda, likewise bound, although whether she was awake or not was anyone’s guess.
“Bastards came for Scootaloo and me before we could come find you. Guess we’re just waiting on the two prudes,” Gilda continued, before snapping her head round at the sound of footsteps on the other side of the bars.
A warrior soon came into view, clad in black and maroon armour, and bearing a symbol that made Rainbow’s heart freeze. A black heart, a single rune piercing it. Rainbow knew exactly what it was, having learnt to avoid that at all costs. It was the symbol of the Black Heart Kabal.
And that meant that it was Asdrubael Vect himself that ordered their imprisonment.
“We’re dead,” Rainbow whispered, her heart pounding in her ears.
“What?” Gilda snapped her head around, looking away from the Dark Eldar and hissing. “What, Dash?”
“No talking,” the Dark Eldar sneered, before unlocking the door and gesturing with a pistol. “Move, my master wishes a word with you.”
“Like hell we…” Gilda began, before Rainbow silenced her with a soft kick, her chains restricting what she could do. All colour had drained from her face now as she walked over to Scootaloo, pulling the unconscious mare onto her back.
“It seems one of your kind has a modicum of sense,” their captor sneered once more. “Any more words, and I will ensure your tongues are ripped from your mouths.
Rainbow nodded silently, before slowly shuffling towards the exit of the cell, another Dark Eldar waiting there to lead them, while the first brought up the rear, occasionally kicking Gilda when she showed signs of resisting.
Rainbow’s mind was racing now, trying to come up with every possible situation of how they drew the ire of Vect himself, and just as importantly, where Spitfire and Lightning were. Her inner thoughts were soon broken however as Spitfire and Lightning were paraded into view, bound exactly like Rainbow, Gilda and Scootaloo were, and looking just as angry and confused.
“What…” Spitfire began, before a swift kick sent her sprawling to the floor of the massive hall they had been led to. Before Rainbow could even consider voicing a complaint, kicks from the other Dark Eldar sent them all sprawling, Scootaloo stirring as she hit the ground hard.
“Bow before the lord of Commoragh,” one of the Dark Eldar growled, before each of them dropped to one knee, bowing their heads.
Rainbow took a deep breath, steadying herself before she dared to look to the end of the room where a lone throne stood, flanked by two motionless Incubi, and a figure that may as well have been death itself.
He was not taller than the other Dark Eldar Rainbow had seen, nor was he bigger physically. Even his armour was not that much more embellished than that of a normal Archon, the same runes frome before still swimming before rainbow’s eyes. A small goblet was clutched in one of his hands, while a tabard that Rainbow instantly recognised as being made of flayed skin hung down over the lip of the throne, proudly displaying the mark of the Black Heart.
But even though he was not physically any different from the other Eldar around her, Rainbow knew that every single one of the Dark Eldar present would rather fall on their own swords than draw his ire. And Rainbow had managed to do just that.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked, leaning forward ever so slightly, placing the goblet on the arm of his throne and interlocking his long fingers.
“A-A-Asdrubael V-V-Vect,” Rainbow nodded hurriedly, dropping her gaze to the floor. “L-Lord of Commoragh.”
“Very good, Rainbow Dash,” Vect nodded slowly, the thin smile never leaving his face. “You seem much more in your element than before, on your knees, before your betters. It was…odd, to say the least to find something new in my city who did not instantly fall before my feet. I must say the sensation was…strange, I had almost forgotten what it felt like. If you did not intrigue me so, you would already be suffering for your impudence.”
“My lord Vect, I…” Rainbow began, before Vect held up a hand, Rainbow instantly falling silent.
“Do not speak, worm, unless I tell you to. Do not mistake my intrigue for an excuse to talk unannounced in my presence,” Vect’s voice was even icier than before as he placed his hands back together. “My sources on the Craftworld never spoke of there being more than one of your kind, and certainly not this larger creature. They all seem trained however, are you responsible for this, Rainbow?”
“Yes, my lord,” Rainbow nodded hurriedly.
“And you are also responsible for training them when they got here,” Vect continued with a knowing nod. “Interesting. But, to more important mattered. What is a Craftworld trained xenos, such as yourself, and five other creatures, doing in my city?”
Rainbow’s mind raced again as she summed up every option, every possible avenue of escape from their current situation. She could smell her own fear rising at this point, so she could only imagine what everyone else could smell and see. From a quick glance, Vect was still smiling, clearly enjoying tormenting her so casually.
“Take your time, little pony,” Vect leant forward. “I imagine right about now a million thoughts are going through that head of yours. Do you tell the truth that you clearly want to keep hidden, thus spilling one of the few remaining secrets you have left, or do you tell the truth, because you know that you have already used up all of my patience for lies this century. Weight up your choices, then speak, and pray to whatever gods you hold that I am satisfied by your answer. Celestia is one of your pantheon if I remember my sources words correctly. Pray to Celestia, Rainbow Dash, pray like it is the last thing you will ever do.”
“We’re looking for my friend,” Rainbow blurted out, the story spilling from her lips like an open flood gate. “We were experimenting with new technology on our homeworld and one of my friends accidentally got sucked into an artificial tear in the webway and we don’t know where she is so me and my team were sent through the webway as well to try and find her because I’m the only one that knows anything about this universe and my team and I are the most trained warriors of our world.”
Rainbow took a massive breath as she finished talking, panting slightly while still looking at the floor.
“That certainly is an interesting tale,” Vect nodded slowly, leaning back in his throne and picking up his goblet once more, swirling the contents around in mock though, before taking a sip. “You’ve come into my city, the Dark City of Commoragh, rumoured to be the most dangerous plane of existence in all of creation, and you say this is all to search for one of your own kind. That is quite a tale, an interesting one if true, but if false, more than enough for me to justify wringing all the pain you can feel from your fragile bodies. Not that it would require any justification at all. If you are the strongest warriors your planet possesses, I would say that I don’t even have a decent amount of sport, let alone a challenge.”
“I swear, my lord, everything I said is true,” Rainbow stammered. “All we are doing in your city is hunting down a lead for our friend, it is the only one we got after weeks of searching the Saim-Hann archives. We never wished to come here, nor did we wish to cause any trouble for you. I beg of you, please believe me, lord Vect. At least…at least spare my teammates, they were only following my lead.”
“Rain…” Gilda began, before one of the Dark Eldar savagely kicked her once again, drawing a pained squawk from her as the barbs around her wings dug in even deeper, blood oozing out onto the gleaming obsidian floor.
“Let’s say I did believe you,” Vect’s smile grew almost imperceptibly bigger as he spoke. “That I decide to spare your teammates, what can you offer me in return?”
“I offer you everything I have, lord Vect,” Rainbow spoke again, her voice a shallow whisper. “My service, my loyalty, my soul, my body…my life. I can offer you no more, for I have nothing left that you do not already have in abundance. I was the Element of Loyalty on my homeworld, the embodiment of the virtue. Spare them and I swear on my very soul that I will live up to that embodiment in service of you.”
“Your loyalty?” Vect mused softly. “If one of my own kind had said that, I may have laughed, but you have not begged for your own life, only that of your friends. Perhaps I am inclined to believe that your loyalty is something of a…rare commodity in my city, rarely seen outside of the Incubi. Hmmm….to have a loyal and slightly skilled ally is something that even I can value. You wished to enter the Torn Scar Open, did you not? That is why you raced before?”
“Yes, my lord,” Rainbow nodded slowly. “We wish for an audience with the Archon of the All Seeing Eye.”
Vect nodded slowly, before gesturing with his hand. “Release them all, escort them from my tower. Rainbow Dash, you may race in the Torn Scar Open, you may continue to reside in my city, but your life, your soul, and that of your team, belongs to me now. If I call on you, I expect you to answer regardless of other factors. You follow my orders above all others, or you will suffer. Am I understood?”
“Y-Yes, Lord Vect,” Rainbow nodded hurriedly, hardly believing her luck, before wincing slightly as the chain around her wings were peeled off, leaving hundreds of small cuts around her body. “T-Thank you, Lord Vect.”
“Get them out of my sight,” Vect waved his hand dismissively, before the Dark Eldar behind her hauled her to her hooves and forced them from the room.
***
“Rainbow…” Spitfire began as the team dismounted their bikes inside the arena of the Lightning Fang.
“No, I will not talk about what happened, as I said before,” Rainbow snapped.
“And I told you I don’t care, I want answers,” Spitfire growled back, pulling her helmet off and dropping it to the floor as she marched towards Rainbow. “What the hell did you do back there?”
“Oh you mean saving our lives?” Rainbow snapped, turning so she was eye to eye with Spitfire. “That was Asdrubael Vect, not just another Archon, Vect himself, the leader of Commoragh, and we drew his ire. Do you understand that? We drew the gaze of the biggest fish in the pond, and we were lucky to get out of there. I had to offer him something, and we don’t have anything except our service, so yes, I offered that.”
“You put us under yet another monster!” Spitfire roared. “That brings the total up to five.”
“Five?” Scootaloo asked in confusion, pulling her own helmet free.
“Vect, Ilithia, Ale’ri, Eethron,” Spitfire listed off the names, before her eyes narrowed and she pointed a hoof at Rainbow. “And her.”
“Rainbow is not a monster!” Gilda roared, before Rainbow held up a hoof.
“No no, let her talk. I want to hear this,” Rainbow snarled darkly. “Got on, Spitfire. Tell me why I’m a monster.”
“You’ve killed innocent people, raided their homes, and now put us in service of someone else who will make us do things that are even worse,” Spitfire snarled back.
“I just put my life on the line for you. For all of you,” Rainbow looked around, glaring at each individual, lingering on Spitfire and Lightning the longest. “I did not beg for my life, because if I had we all be in more pain than you can even imagine right now. And this is the thanks I get from you?!”
“You killed those slaves!” Spitfire roared. “You…”
Spitfire was cut off as Rainbow slammed the back of her hoof into the mare’s muzzle, sending Spitfire sprawling to the floor. Before Spitfire could recover, Rainbow was beside her once more, looking down at her with barely concealed wrath. Gilda, Scootaloo and Lightning were all silent at this point, standing perfectly still as they struggled to comprehend the fact that Rainbow had hit her childhood idol. Rainbow did not have that same trouble however.
“Call a monster again, question my orders again, even hint at the idea that you could run this team any better, and I swear that my hoof will be replaced by the sands of the arena,” she snarled softly, before glaring at Lightning. “The same goes for you. You can either fight at my side, or get crushed under my hooves, but you will not stand against me.”
With that, Rainbow turned and strode from the room, the others still stunned, before Gilda finally ran after Rainbow, the others staying with Spitfire.
“Too much?” Rainbow muttered as the pair walked.
“Not really,” Gilda shrugged. “I know what it takes to run a team here, same as you. Spitfire needed taking down a notch.”
“She’ll get worse,” Rainbow pointed out. “I could do without the thorn in my side. Lightning too. Maybe Scootaloo, but that’s unlikely. The team’s falling apart, G, I can’t let that happen. We already lost one, losing another would likely set us back.”
“Wavechill wasn’t your fault,” Gilda reminded her softly.
“I know that,” Rainbow nodded. “I never said it was.”
“Well at any rate you sent him off well,” Gilda shrugged.
“No, I didn’t,” Rainbow shook her head, before pushing Gilda into her chamber and locking the door, before flaring her new wing. “there was a price to pay for this, and burning a near unique body in this city is a waste.”
“You gave Eethron Wavechill’s body?” Gilda asked in surprise.
“I didn’t have any other payment, and I needed the wing. The Dark Eldar can do amazing things with the body, and I need those things to keep us on track, especially if Lightning and Spitfire are going to be acting out like they are currently doing.”
“What are you asking me, Rainbow?” Gilda asked, taking a step backwards.
“Nothing like what you’re thinking,” Rainbow assured her, before sighing. “I just needed to tell someone, and to have someone I trust entirely support me.”
“Support you in what?” Gilda snapped. “Would you for once speak plainly, Dash.”
“I’m going back to Eethron,” Rainbow smiled, her eyes glinting. “I need to be stronger, and he’s the one to do it.”