The next thing I remembered was waking up in front of the portal. The cold, concrete, floor was a stark contrast to the warm, soft body moving next to me. Rainbow Dash jumped through after me. Even with the severity of the situation, she wouldn't leave my side. Then again, I always felt naked when she wasn't there.
"Wake the hell up, brother!" Jenna yelled at me, her back pressing as hard as she could against the metal desks. They were using them to brace the door shut. The strongest guys and girls in our group were doing the same, hoping to buy time for another idea. Outside of the door, the sounds of the screaming mob were getting louder. They could smell the blood in the water and were whipping themselves into a frenzy. They were getting close to finally break down the metal door.
"What happened?!" I hollered, seeing the situation had turned south while I was gone.
"We tried, brother. They were too much for us, the traps, and even the first blast door!" Jenna reported.
"If it's any consolation, Jenna and I are dating now," Joshua said.
"Just find a way to get the portal out of this hellhole!" Nassir commanded.
Dash and I helped each other up and joined the effort to move the portal. It was too heavy to lift it up, it even flattened the dollies that we brought to carry it to the cart. Every idea was in consideration, and every single one of them was not doable. If the mob hadn’t of shown up, the nephew of the superintendent would have arranged for the school district to move it somewhere, where it could be taken later on.
***
As I looked outside the window to the streets below, the citizens of Canterlot were in confusion. Panic was starting to set in as well. The entire royal guard was running or flying through their city, racing to the castle without any reason. In the Hall of the Mirror, the mobilization was chaotic, with almost the entire guard trying to figure out where to place who in position. A deep strategy of beating back a possible invasion with the least amount bloodshed as possible was being formed. The pegasi was to guard the windows while the rest of the guards were stationed at checkpoints throughout the castle; stopping anyone who attempted to leave. Even the eldest students of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns had been summoned to help me cast a barrier around the mirror as the first line of defense.
"Um, Twilight? What about Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked me as she saw the chaos around her unfolding.
"She is in safe hooves, or I hope so. Last I checked there were not books on this portal. If something goes wrong she might be trapped in that world forever," I answered, the worry of possibly losing Rainbow over this setting in.
***
As I sat with my girlfriend at the town diner, we began to worry. We knew about the oncoming mob, we heard the commotion and had a nice view of Jenna and Joshua holding them back. We also were witnesses to them breaking into the school. It had been silent since then. Under no circumstance we were to intervene, just watch the roads for anything that might cause trouble. They had it all right… In the form of an armada of police SWAT, and a helicopter zipping and screaming down the highway and to the school. They were farther down the road, which gave everyone a few minutes to get out.
"Radio that in!" My girl cried out.
***
"Heads up! We got the 5-0 coming your way! I repeat! Pigs on parade!" The radio cried out. Everyone on our side of the door stopped to look at the radio on Jenna's belt. They knew it was going to be a shitshow but to the point where the police were involved was a whole ‘nother level. The mob didn't hear the radio call, they didn't know that there was the police on the way to break up that party, so they kept hammering on, trying to break in. We all knew the consequences of doing that, breaking into the school and taking something that seemed by all rights their property. Even Jenna would not be spared from expulsion, no matter if she used the easy way or the hard way. It was then I realized it all: the situation, the lack of ideas to make it all right. I began to feel heavy, and fighting back the urge to cry: I knew what had to be done.
I walked up to Rainbow Dash, the love of my life who was leaning against the mirror's frame. She met me half way and fell into my sweet embrace. We exchanged a few pecks on the lips, and for a moment it was just us, the troubles of everything else melted away, but the bangs of the weakening metal door were interrupting that serenity.
"I love you.," I told her, smiling as if everything was going to be alright;, that we were going to make it unscathed.
"I love you too.," She whispered
"I'm sorry.," I whispered back. Rainbow looked up in confusion and then realized what I was doing when I firmly grabbed her by her arms. With all my might I pushed her, her body disappearing into the portal where she came from.
***
The guards were in place and, the magic students were lined on beside me., We were ready for whatever came our way. My friends and I were hoping to see Rainbow Dash and her boyfriend walk back into our world claiming that everything worked out and that our worlds would became at peace.
We saw the ripples in the portal, with and Rainbow Dash falling through. She slid from in front of the portal to my hooves.
"Rainbow Dash! What's going on?!" Applejack hollered.
She didn't answer, she looked up at me, at everyone, and then the portal. Her face had fear written all over it as she got up and flew to the portal screaming "No! No! No! No!"
***
Once she disappeared into the portal, I knew I didn't have much time. Llaying on top of a box next to the portal was a sledgehammer. I had no thought, no emotion. I cCouldn't have that get in the way. As much as I loved Rrainbow Ddash and wanted to be with her, it was meant to be. There was her world to think about, and what it would mean for my world. I could hear the sounds of war play in my head, the sounds of people dying to access the portal if the world was to find out that there was a this whole other world in their grasp. I guess that was the price to pay for the greater good, even if it meant never being able to see her again
I'm so sorry, Rainbow.,
With a powerful swing, the end of the sledgehammer met the side of the mirror. Causing the heavy metal frame to crack. The once liquid mirror became solid and broke into many pieces on the floor.
***
Rainbow Dash didn't make it.
She was a second from entering when the portal solidified and broke. I believe that I could speak for my friends that our hearts were broken when the portal shattered in front of us. A new world. Pure, new friends. A new place to spread the magic of friendship..., It was lost to us forever. Rainbow dash was hit the hardest. She stopped in front of the metal frame that held the mirror and was trying to soak up what had just happened.
She had no emotion at that moment, just landed and sat in front of the empty hull, her special some pony lost to her forever.
"Rainbow Dash.." I said as I walked up to her. She had a blank expression, her eyes already watering. Her gaze was fixated on the now broken portal, its glass all over the floor.
"Egghead, you idiot!" She thundered as she shouted at the once functioning portal. "There had to be another way! There's always another way!"
She layed on her belly and, had her hooves over her eyes., and She began to sob. The girls and I went to her and comforted her. With the exception of Aapplejack, we all had tears in our eyes, our hearts breaking for the situation, and for Rainbow dash.
***
I was on my knees next to the portal, my left hand on the portal frame itself. The glass around me was cutting into my knees, but I didn't care. I could only think of the heartache I had caused over in Equestria. I could feel the tears stream from my eyes., My stomach was churning in sadness and guilt. I was unable to move.
"Fuck," Jenna said, having a front row seat to what just happened.
"See you and that sweet ass n’ tiddies in another life, Applejack" Nassir lamented. Nassir would cry for the loss of Applejack, but privately, because he always had the rule of ‘smile now, cry later’, "Now what?"
"I guess there's no reason to stay here. Let's get out of here!" Jenna commanded.