Chapter 2 - What in Tartarus happened to me?
Floating, that was the closest word Rainbow could use. Not the wondrous sensation of floating on air, like in the days before Sombra and his damn war. No, this was something akin to being suspended in pudding (not that she knew what that was like, no matter WHAT Cloud Kicker would tell you. What happened at the Academy, stayed at the Academy).
Looking around, she could see nothing but darkness. No horizon line existed to define earth from sky. No features existed here, no hills, plants, building, just desolation.
“Not exactly how I pictured the afterlife,” Rainbow said with a small shake of her body. As the vibration carried through her coat from mane to tail, she felt the tips of her feathers on her right wing flex with the movement of the rest of her body. However, she received no such feedback from the left side of her body. “Huh, that’s weird. It’s almost like nothing’s there,” she thought. With a quick glance down her left side, Rainbow did notice that her left wing was playing an awfully good game of hide and seek with her. “There’s not a wing there, huh. WAIT A BUCKING MINUTE!!! WHERE THE BUCK IS MY WING!?!” Panic filled Rainbow’s heart as she chased her own tail. She was determined that it was merely a trick of her battle weary mind. Her wing had to be there. It had to be! She couldn’t very well lead her flight squad without both of her wings. “Unless,” she gulped as a very sobering thought crept into her brain. “Unless I really am…”
Rainbow passed out again.
How much time had passed since she’d decided to kiss the ground again (or lack thereof), Rainbow didn’t know. Slowly, she rose to her hooves and noticed that instead of being in an expanse of black, the scenery had shifted to a soft blue. The feeling of isolation that had permeated her thought earlier seemed abated. Now, if anything, Rainbow felt a little relaxed. “Wish I had a cloud or something to at least sit on,” she mused aloud. As if on cue, a soft, fluffy white cloud materialized in front of the cyan pegasus. Blinking her eyes and rubbing them with her hooves, she determined that, no she wasn’t imagining things. A perfect napping cloud, one the likes of which she hadn’t seen in ages was before her. It begged her to flop onto its plush surface and surrender to it’s comfort. “Aw yeah! This is awesome!” Dash exclaimed with a small hoof pump. “What the hay, if I’m asking, I might as well ask big. Hey! Mysterious cloud giver? Think you could spare a nice cold bottle of cider? I haven’t had one in ages.” Rainbow sat on her new cloud and bounced slightly hoping against hope that her request would be fulfilled.
“I’m sorry Captain, there is only so much even I am capable of here,” came a calm but commanding voice. Rainbow’s head went on a swivel looking for the source of the sound. Finally, in the distance, she saw a dark silhouette slowly marching towards her. Squinting, Dash could faintly make out the shape of a pony. And if her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, she could make out the outline of a pair of wings.
“P-P-.Princess Luna?! You’re still alive?!” exclaimed a bewildered Rainbow. Instantly, she bowed her head in reverence. “You’ve been missing for 5 years? What happened to you?”
Slowly, the figure came closer to Dash. As it came closer, her vision became clearer and she realized that something was different about the Lunar Diarch. “Um, Princess, no offense, but you’re looking a little thin. Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry Captain, but I am not your dear, departed Princess…”
Gasping at the sight, Rainbow Dash was now able to clearly see the pony before her. A tattered and worn dark cloak and hood covered a skeleton thin Alicorn. It’s steps were measured and slow, as if it had all the time in the world to get wherever it needed to be. Wisps of a dull grey and white mane fell from the shadows of it’s hood. It’s tail was weathered and looked as if it hadn’t been brushed in ages. Yet, there was still a haunting beauty about the pony. One that seemed to flow off of it like some sort of magical spell.
“But, I have seen her. Just days ago in Elysium. She weeps at what has happened to her former home and is saddened further by those ponies that come to join her,” it said as it came to rest directly in front of Dash.
“Who...who are you?” asked a clearly shaken Rainbow.
“I have been called many things over the ages. ‘Reaper’, ‘Pale Death’, ‘The Grey Mare.” Reaching up with a withered fetlock, the pony finally revealed an ashen grey face that made Granny Smith look like a foal. Though, for her rough appearance, there was a soft kindness that came from it. An almost motherly smile crossed her face as the mare bowed her head slightly, “But, my dear Rainbow Dash, you may call me Morgana.”
“So, I’m...d-d-d-dea..” stuttered Rainbow.
“You are between. In the balance so to speak. Welcome to the Aether. Kinda a waiting room for those who are on their way to their deserved rest.”
“So, I’m going to Elysium? I-I can’t believe it. I can’t be d-d-d…” Dash babbled.
Morgana slowly wrapped her hooves around Rainbow and pulled the trembling pony into her chest. “Dear childe, You, of all ponies, have earned the right spend your days in the joyus fields of Paradise. You, who’ve see so much destruction, felt so much heartbreak and loss, been subjected to things nopony should EVER have to go through. You’ve been such a strong and wonderful pony. Now, it’s time for you to walk where those before you have gone.” Slowly releasing Dash, Morgana smiled at the pegasus and held her hoof out. “Come with me dear. I’m sure Princess Luna would love to see you. As well as your parents. And, if I’m not mistaken, a certain orange pegasus filly is going to be over the moon when she sees you again…”
Sniffling as she wiped away a tear, Dash gave a weak smile to the mare and reached out to take the offered hoof. “Heh, I bet Scoots would be floored to see me again. And Mom and Dad, I…” she sniffled as tears threatened to fall again. Lightly squeezing Morgana’s hoof, Dash looked Death straight in the eyes. “But I can’t! Princess Celestia needs me, Rarity and Flutters need me. My squad needs me. AJ...she...she needs me too. Don’t you see? I can’t leave them hanging. Even with all you’re offering me, I just can’t!” wailed Rainbow.
Sighing softly Morgana nodded to the distraught pegasus. “I was afraid you’d say that.” Slowly, the Grey Mare pulled her hood up over her head once more. “If you truly want to go back to that Tartarus on Equus, you need only stay here and rest on that cloud.” The mare took a couple of steps away from Dash, but looked back at her. “But, if you want this to end. If you want to be free of all the pain. Come with me now. Come and walk to the golden fields with me.”
Dash shook her head and smiled “Nah, as nice as it all sounds. I still got work to do here. Can I ask you something?”
“Of course Rainbow.”
“When I wake up, is it gonna, y’know, hurt?”
With sad smile, the Grey Mare shook her head, “Like bucking hell.” Morgana slowly began her walk back into the mist, disappearing only a few feet from where she started.
Gulping and laying her head on her hooves, Dash got comfortable on the cloud. “Oh ponyfeathers…”