Her Frontier

by FromTheMoon

Desperation and Heroics

Chapter 14: Desperation and Heroics

A swarm of changelings had fallen on the town and was proceeding to wreck havoc for all of its residents. The bugs were crashing through windows, breaking down doors, and smashing through the roofs of buildings. The towns ponies were each reacting to the crisis differently. Some chose to hide preferring to keep out of harms way as best they could. Others chose to form small bands of fighters to combat the hostiles in an attempt to protect their homes.

Two such ponies, a pegasus mare and an earth pony stallion, were on he streets fighting hoof and tooth against an increasing number of attackers. At the moment it was only a matter of time before they too would fall like the rest of the towns fighters. "Sheriff don't take this as me being scared but I think that we may be in trouble here." Rainbow Dash had long ceased performing wrestling moves on her opponents when she was no longer just facing one at a time. The increased fighting had resulted in her taking a good number of blows from her multiple attackers. He body was beginning to be covered in bruises but she still fought on with everything she had.

"You think I don't know that!? Looks like we got no choice but to fall back to the Sheriff's Station and try to come up with new plan of action because this one sure ain't doing us any favors." He tossed an attacker aside before taking a punch to his ribs. He spat out spittle but quickly recovered and returned the favor with his own punch to his attacker's jaw line. "If we're doing this bad I can't help but wonder how Top Notch is holding up back at the station. Boy wasn't exactly in the best fighting conditions."

Top Notch!

Rainbow Dash had completely forgotten that they had left the stallion on his own. Worry began to seep into her mind not from the changeling who's jaws were snapping dangerously close to her neck but for Top Notch. With new resolve she grabbed the bugs face with both her hooves and then administered a strong headbutt knocking out her opponent. She put a hoof to her head. "Ow...no one wins with a headbutt." She quickly opened he wings and flew towards Sheriff Silver Point. She delivered a flying kick to his attackers head making sure the Sheriff was free and then pulled him into an alley for cover. "Come on old man! We got to get back to Top Notch!"

"I thought you said you weren't his mare friend."

"You see that changeling that I just kicked?" She pointed to the bug with her hoof. It was splayed out on the ground in an unnatural position with drool coming out of its mouth. "That's going to be you in a second if you don't shut up and move! Understand?"

"Point taken."

"Good. Now it looks like we're going to have to hoof it to the station since all flying is going to do is get us tackled back towards the ground. How far to the Sheriff's Station?"

Sheriff Silver Point stuck his head out of the alley for a moment to get a quick look of their surroundings. "I'd say we're about two streets over from it. In fact I think we can take this alley to the next street."

"Well what are we waiting for then come on! Top Notch needs us!" Rainbow Dash broke out in full sprint down the alley way with the Sheriff close behind her.

---

Rainbow Dash and Sheriff Silver Point emerged from a different alley way across the street from Sheriff's Station. The old pegasus was secretly grateful that they hadn't fought anymore changelings when they had to cross the previous street. It had been years since he had been in a proper fight. What he did find curious though was that the changelings seemed to leave them well enough alone when they didn't get in their way. Almost as if the towns residents were not their priority.

The pegasus mare ran in through the stations front door and looked around. "Top Notch!? Top Notch were are you!?"

"Over here!" Rainbow Dash looked down and saw that he was wrestling on the floor with the changeling who had previous been incarcerated. "A little help would be appreciated!"

Without a moments hesitation Rainbow Dash rushed to Top Notch and threw his opponent off of him. She managed to land a few quick blows before the changeling had enough and flew out the window. With the immediate threat gone she made her way back over to To Notch and helped the stallion to his hooves. "I thought I told you to yell if you were being attacked. Are you alright?"

"If I can look past the fact that I was wrestling against that thing on the ground for the past ten minutes then yeah I guess you can say I'm fine...ow" He put a hoof to his injured side. "Wow that smarts."

Rainbow Dash gave him a look of concern. "We got to get you back to the doctor Top Notch. That bug might of fractured your ribs again."

"I wouldn't try it." Both Rainbow Dash and Top notch looked to the door and saw Sheriff Silver Point closing it and then proceed to lock it. "With all the bugs outside right now I doubt you two would make it a dozen feet in his condition."

Top Notch was helped into the Sheriff's chair by his pegasus companion. "Sheriff what are we going to do? At this rate the town will destroyed by these things in a day! We don't have enough ponies who can fight to hold off this attack."

When he finished making sure the door was secure the Sheriff made is way to the broken window and started pondering how to seal it off. "I don't know. The logical thing would be to get a hold of Mayor Bouvardia and have him send a distress letter to Canterlot. Only problem with that is it would take the Defense Force a day and an half to reach us. Even if they sent combat flyers those would still take around a day to get here."

"Well its better than nothing Sheriff Silver Point cause right now we are really out of options."

"Agreed. Now all we got to do is find the Mayor and...well will you look at that? Speak of him and he shall appear." The Sheriff looked down the street and saw three ponies running towards the station. Whisky, Clover Leaf, and Mayor Bouvardia were galloping at full speed towards what they believed was safety. Sheriff Silver Point stuck his hoof out the broken window and started waving to get their attention. "Hey! Hey Mayor Bouvardia!"

The three ponies in the street stopped in their tracks and turned to see a flailing foreleg coming out the station. "Don't just stand there you three! GET IN HERE!" The Sheriff yelled.

Not needing any further motivation the ponies in the street ran the rest of the way to the window where they were helped over by Sheriff Silver Point. Clover was the first over followed by her father and then Whisky. When all three were safely inside the station the group propped up the Sheriff's desk against the window.

"Clover Leaf? Mayor Bouvardia?" What were you two doing in the streets?" Top Notch asked. He glanced over and saw Whisky leaning against the upright desk. "Oh and I guess you too Whisky."

"Good to know you're doing alright Top Notch" Whisky rebutted.

"You combed your hair why?"

"Because shut up."

Both stallions locked stares with each other that was only broken up by the interference of the two mares. "Hey! This is no time to be fighting among our selves!" Clover protested. "Look Top's I know you and Whisky aren't exactly on friendly terms at the moment."

"Really? What tipped you off to that Clover?"

"Hey don't drag her into this!" Whisky responded harshly. "This whole thing is between you and me!"

"It stopped being between you and me after you got the whole town involved in your little gossip circle."

"Oh yeah? Well..."

"Both of you idiots shut up." Every pony in the room looked towards the Sheriff who had been listening to the whole thing. "I don't what you two are fighting about but in case you haven't noticed the town is being attacked by army of ugly bugs. Either kiss and make up or save your feud till after we've dealt with the changelings. Do I make myself clear?"

Both stallions muttered a response.

"Do.I.Make.Myself.Clear?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good to know. Now get back to the threat at our door step, literally." Sheriff Silver Point turned to face Mayor Bouvardia. "Mayor we need you to send a distress letter to Canterlot. I think I got some paper and quills with in that box over there. Pass it to me will ya?"

"Wait." Rainbow Dash interrupted. "I still don't understand how you're going to get a letter to Canterlot. What's the Mayor going to do?"

Clover Leaf was the one to explain how the plan was going to work. "It's actually pretty simple honey. As you can see my old man is a unicorn just like me. All mayors that are unicorns are required to learn a transference spell that sends any scrolls, documents, whatever to Canterlot."

"Oh well that seems easy enough." Rainbow Dash looked towards Whisky who was standing in one corner of the room talking to the mayor. "Hey um Whisky?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you get that black eye? Did you guys get jumped by changelings on the way over here?"

"Oh that, well you see..."

"I gave it to him." Clover interrupted.

"Wait." Mayor Bouvardia started. "You told me he got it when he fell down some stairs." Both Clover and Whiksy blushed a little. Whisky did his best to cover up his eye.

"Clover why would you give Whisky a black eye?" Rainbow asked.

"I gave it to him after I found out that..."

"he was spreading rumors about me and Top Notch being together?"

"So you know about that." Clover responded.

"Top Notch actually told me about it earlier today before the changelings attacked." Clover Leaf looked over to Top Notch and he nodded in confirmation. Rainbow Dash made her way over to Whisky and looked him in the eye. "Look Whisky, when I first got here I thought you were a pretty cool dude. You gave us a free meal and made me feel like I could actually make friends here. You were a pretty fun guy to talk to despite the fact that you were a little perverted but you're a stallion so that's kinda a given already."

Whisky had a confused look in his eye. "Um I'm not really sure where you're going with this Rainbow Dash."

"I don't know why you started spreading those rumors about me and Top Notch but I just want to let you know something."

"That is?"

The whole world seemed to slow done and go quiet as Rainbow Dash uttered the next sentence. "I forgive you."

"WHAT!?" Top Notch and Whisky yelled in unison.

Before Rainbow Dash had a chance to explain herself Sheriff Silver Point interrupted. "If you ladies are done with your 'Feel Good Hour' maybe we can get snap back to the here and now?" He tossed a scroll over the mayor. "There's the distress letter Mayor Bouvardia, now send it!"

The Mayor quickly encased the scroll in his magics aura. His horn and the letter glowed brighter until the room was blinded by a white flash. To every pony in the rooms horror when the light receded the scroll was on the ground. "Daddy the scroll is still here! Didn't you send it?"

"I thought I did. Here let me try again." He lit up his horn and again the room was blinded by a white flash. Once again the scroll remained on the ground. "I d-don't know whats...whats wrong with me?"

Sheriff Silver Point looked glance at the Mayor and saw that his hooves were shaking violently. "Aw crap he's shaking like a wet dog on cold winter morning. He can't concentrate on the spell cause he's panicking."

"Daddy, daddy look at me!" Clover held her fathers face in her in hooves. "Everything is going to be fine. Just relax and concentrate on that spell okay?" Mayor Bouvardia quickly nodded before taking a deep breath to clear his mind. He lit his horn up again but his time there was no blinding flash of light, only a few sparks coming out of the tip of his horn.

He was breathing heavily and sweat was dripping down his face. "I'm not as young as I used to be. Those first two attempts really took it out of me. I'm afraid that i'm out of juice."

"What the hay is that supposed to mean!?" Rainbow Dash blurted out with a look of concern on her face. Suddenly loud pounding could be heard coming from the stations front door and roof. Violent cries and shrills were heard from the changelings who now converged on the Sheriff's Station.

Sheriff Silver Point turned to look at Rainbow Dash. "It means that we really are on our own."

---

"So what do we do now that we know that no help is coming our way?" Top Notch rushed over and put all his weight into holding the front door shut as Rainbow Dash and Whisky held the upright table to the window.

The Sheriff was left speechless for the first time in his career. He looked at each of the ponies in the room and saw desperation on their faces. Sheriff Silver Point didn't have to look in a mirror to see that her probably had the same look on his face as well. "I don't know Top Notch. I just don't know. The best we can do right is now is a final stand against the bugs but that's about it."

Something suddenly clicked in Rainbow Dash's mind. "Whisky, you guys said you weren't attacked on the way over here?" The stallion in question nodded his head. "Well don't you guys find it kinda of weird that these changelings seem to only be attacking ponies who are starting fights with them? They seem to be ignoring ponies who leave them alone."

"That can't be the case. We may not have been attacked on the way here but we were at my home. One of those things smashed through my window and assaulted Whisky. If it weren't for Whisky's quick response I may not be here right now." Mayor Bouvardia stated.

"Well actually daddy the changeling smashed through the window and slammed into Whisky. It didn't just out right attack him."

The Mayor put a foreleg around his daughter. "It makes no difference Clover. These monsters are still breaking into the homes and businesses of the town. They are definitely out to get us."

Now Top Notch joined in on the conversation. "Not entirely true Mayor. I mean from what I've heard it almost sounds like they're looking for something."

"Looking for what though?" Clover Leaf asked.

The answer seemingly smacked Whisky across the face. "I don't know what they're looking for but I bet I know who does. This all seems a bit too familiar don't you think?" Every pony in the room turned to look at Whisky. "Isn't it obvious? The town is put in immediate danger? Disaster strikes while Sheriff Silver Point is out patrolling?" Only the Sheriff began to see where Whisky was going with his train of thought. "It has to be Thatcher! He's got to be the one behind all of this."

Clover placed her coltfriend in a hug "Whisky darling, I don't really think that..."

"I agree with him." Sheriff Silver Point quickly stated. "We've got nothing else going for us right now so we might well roll with what we've got. I know where the little rats office is so finding him shouldn't be too much trouble, hopefully."

"Well Sheriff that's all well and good but still the fact stands that at the moment we're trapped in here by a hoard of changelings." The Mayor walked over to his daughter. "We should just stay here were its safe."

Now Sheriff Silver Point moved and put his face an inch away from the Mayor's. "I don't know about you Mayor Bouvardia but I'd rather not sit here and find out if wild changelings take prisoners." The Mayor glanced at his daughter before nodding his head in agreement. "Good, so now that we're all on the same page we better start coming up with ideas on how we're going to get out of this crazy situation exactly."

"Did you say crazy situation?" Rainbow Dash was holding the desk with all her strength now against the seemingly increasing number of changelings pounding against it. "Crazy situation. Crazy situation. I got it! What would a crazy pony like Pinkie Pie do in a situation like this? Come on think think think!" Rainbow Dash put all her thought into coming up with a plausible solution. "I GOT IT!" Rainbow Dash practically yelled causing everyone else in the room to jump. "Sheriff get over here and take my place holding the desk. Clover hand me that broom over there in the corner."

"Hold on second girl. Who died and left you in charge?"

"Look old man if you wan't to get out of here then you're going to have to trust me. Besides its a win-win situation for you in particular with this plan I got." The Sheriff didn't have anything else to say to that. "Alright everyone listen up cause here's what we're going to do."

---

"You all ready for this?" Rainbow looked around the room. Everyone nodded their head signaling that they understood what had to be done. "Alright remember that you're all only probably going to have a few seconds."

Rainbow Dash griped the broom in her hooves. "On the count of three Top Notch."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!" Top notch swung the door open and Rainbow Dash rushed outside.

She raised the broom high above her head.

"♪RULES OF NATURE!♪"

She brought her weapon down hard against the head of a changeling. She turned to face another one charging at her.

"♪AND THEY RUN WHEN THE SUN COMES UP♪"

Rainbow Dash delivered a quick strike to her attackers stomach before whacking it upside the head. A changeling was hovering above her preparing to pounce on her.

"♪WITH THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE! ALIIIIIVE!♪"

She smacked the bug out of the air like it was a pinata and then delivered a quick jab that knocked it out and broke her make shift weapon.

"♪FOR AWHILE...♪ Shoot how did the rest of that song go?"

Despite forgetting the rest of the lyrics to the song Rainbow Dash's plan had worked. She had distracted the bugs long enough for the rest of ponies in the station to make their escape and run down the street towards Thatcher's office. Rainbow pushed a changeling off of her and then flew at street level behind the rest pf the group. After a considerable amount of distance had been put between Rainbow Dash and her attackers they seemed to give up on chasing her.

At least that's what Rainbow thought. When flying past an alley way she was blinded sided by a changeling and wasslammed hard against a door on the other side of the street. "Rainbow Dash!?" Top Notch cried out.

She opened her eyes and looked down the road. Top Notch stood at the corner of the street looking as if he was about to rush back and help her. "Just go! Don't worry about me I'll catch back up!"

"But..."

"Damn it I said RUN! Don't just stand there looking like a fool!" Whisky appeared around the corner and started ushering Top Notch away from the scene. With the liability out of the way Rainbow Dash found that was once again able to focus on her attacker. "Alright you ugly piece bug crap, now its just you and me!" She kicked the changeling off of her and got back into her fighting stance. "Now that its one on one again you ain't got a..." A ceremonious punch to the jaw cut her off. The changeling came at her with fast jabs that she was only barely managing to block. Rainbow Dash was forced to cover her face from the onslaught of punches as she lost ground to the bug. She felt the glass of a window against her back. An idea suddenly came to her. She pushed the bug off of her for the first time got a good glimpse at her attacker. The bent wing identified it as the first changeling she and Top Notch encountered. Apparently changelings did feel emotion cause this one seemed to hold a grudge against Rainbow Dash.

"Bring it ugly!" She taunted. Without further motivation the changeling charged straight at it's pegasus opponent. Rainbow Dash stood her ground and didn't make an attempt to dodge. Instead she caught the bug in full force and wrapped her forelegs around it. "You wanna know what my favorite wrestling move is of all time?" She lifted the changeling of its back feet and threw it over her and into the window they were in front off. Her opponent smashed through the glass and landed on the other side. Rainbow Dash looked in and saw that the bug's limbs were twitching. She smiled at her own accomplishment. "The Belly to Belly Suplex. A classic if you ask me." She dusted herself and jumped into the air only to come crashing back down to the ground.

Upon further inspection she found that her right wing had been injured when she had been slammed against the door. She looked towards the building where her opponent lay defeated and sighed. "A wing for a wing I guess." She opened both wings more carefully and took off down the street at a much slower pace.

---

"We shouldn't of left her! It wasn't right! She could be hurt or worse!"

"Boy calm down! You heard the girl, she wanted to be left there! She knew there was no sense in risking two of the groups members for one. That girl has more sense than I gave her credit for." Top Notch, Sheriff Silver Point, and the rest of the group who had escaped from the station stood in front of Thatcher's building. Top Notch had insisted they wait a few minutes for Rainbow Dash to show up. He had been pacing back and forth in front of the buildings front door."

"Look boy..."

"My name is Top Notch and her name is Rainbow Dash! Don't just call us 'Boy' or 'Girl' like we're children."

"Look Top Notch, I've seen Rainbow Dash fight with my own eyes. She can handle single changeling no problem." A shadow fell over the group and they all looked up. "Case in point."

Rainbow Dash landed in front of the group. Before Top Notch could get a word out Clover Leaf moved and placed Rainbow Dash in a tight hug. "Thank goodness you're all right Rainbow! We were all worried about you!"

"Well I ain't going down that easily. So what's up, why are you guys waiting here?"

"Well we were waiting on you." Whisky started.

"But it seems that this Thatcher fellow has also locked the front door denying us entrance." Mayor Bouvardia finished.

Whisky walked back and forth in front of the building. "Look at that. His building doesn't even have any windows! If that doesn't scream suspicious then I don't know what does!"

"Quite frankly I think it's strange that there are no windows." The group turned their attention to Mayor Bouvardia who was standing in front of left corner of the building. "When this building was first built I remember it had a window right around here." He put his hoof to the wall to show the spot. To the group's surprise the wall shifted a little bit horizontally.

Sheriff Silver Star turned to the Mayor's daughter. "Clover can you wrap that section of the wall in your magic?" With a quick nod Clover Leaf complied. In the next instant her aura covered the targeted piece of wall and she stepped back in surprise.

"Sheriff it feels like there a two parts to this wall. A thick and thin portion with the latter being street side. In fact I think I can..." With a tug of her horn a thin section of the wall came off revealing a window behind it.

"Clover Leaf, honey, when did you get so adept at using magic? EverGlade never had a magic school."

Clover smiled at her father." Mom used to take me to magic classes whenever I went to visit her in Baltimare."

"Well Clover dear that's all well and good but a problem still remains. How are we going open the window from...what are you doing?" A rock suddenly smashed through the window sending glass everywhere.

Clover Leaf had wide grin on her face. "Problem solved daddy."

"Clover Leaf I'm pretty sure what you just did violates the law."

"I'll allow it." Sheriff Silver Point stated. "Now come on. Its time to catch us a rat."

---

The group slowly made their way in with Clover Leaf levitating each pony one by one up and over the window. "So where exactly is this Thatcher guy?" Rainbow Dash glanced around the room they were in. It looked like a small lobby of sorts.

Whisky moved up to the only door in the room. "Well how about we take a look behind door A?" The restaurant owner practically kicked the door open. "Alright Thatcher! We know that...what the!?" Whisky gazed into the room and saw that it was empty. "He ain't here!"

"What!" Sheriff Silver Point spat before barging into the room himself. He gazed around the room intently for any sign of the earth pony. "Well if he ain't here then where did the rat run off to?"

"If this Thatcher guy is as bad as you say he is then he's probably hiding out in a secrete room somewhere. Makes sense doesn't it?" Rainbow Dash moved around the empty office and saw nothing of particular interest. "Nothing here but this desk and mirror." Rainbow nudged the desk a little and when she saw that it moved she lost interest in it. "Well that secrete room isn't in here that's for sure."

The group looked as Rainbow Dash as if she was crazy. "What?" She asked.

"Girl..." The Sheriff noticed that Top Notch was giving him a nasty stare and he corrected himself. "Rainbow Dash, what exactly are you basing this off of?"

"The Daring Do Adventure Series. Bad guys in her books always have like secrete rooms and stuff." The group once again looked at Rainbow Dash like she was crazy.

Sheriff Silver Point face hoofed. "Any respect you gained from me over the course of this day was just lost. Girl this isn't one of your children's books with happy endings."

"Children's Books!?" Rainbow Dash flared her wings and walked out of the office into the lobby. She looked around and saw a lone book case around against the wall. "Clover Leaf could you move that book shelf?" Clover Leaf was about to question Rainbow's motives but she saw the stare that the pegasus was giving her. The unicorns magic encased the book shelf and she tugged her horn.

Clover was visibly struggling to move the shelf. "I can't move the darn thing. It's almost like its glued to the wall or something! If I apply any more force I might rip the wall down with it."

"Do it." Rainbow Dash responded. Clover applied more strength to her magic and she ripped the book shelf off the wall. Books flew towards the floor and lay scattered. Rainbow Dash had the biggest grin on her face. There was a flight of spiraling stairs behind the book shelf. "HA! I'll take that respect back if you don't mind Sheriff."

"Wow." Was all Clover and the rest of the group was able to say.

Whisky was the first to make his way down the stairs. "Well come on you guys! Time to get some answers from our friend down the rabbit hole."

---

A door was at the bottom of the stairs. Once again Whisky kicked the door open and smiled as he saw an earth pony sitting at a desk across the room.

"Oh hello. I wasn't really expecting company so please mind the house keeping. Care to join me for a game of solitaire?" Whisky casually walked up to Thatcher and placed his hoof on the earth ponies shoulders.

"Been waiting a long time to do this." Without any hesitation Whisky brought a hoof down hard against the side of Thatcher's head.

The earth pony fell to the floor and reeled back in pain. "That was a little rude don't you think?"

"SHUT IT! We know it's been you who's been causing all the disasters that the town has been experiencing. We also know its you who brought these changelings here."

"We?"

The rest of the group began to appear through the door and made their way to the two stallions. Sheriff Silver Point looked down at the earth pony. "You really did it this time boy."

"Did what exactly?"

Whisky kicked the stallion in the ribs causing him to wince in pain. "Quit acting so innocent. Tell us how to get rid of the changelings!"

"Changelings? There are changelings attacking the town? Well we better send a distress letter to..." Another kick to this ribs, this time from Clover Leaf, silenced the stallion. "Not very lady like Ms. Leaf."

Sheriff Silver Point bent down so that he could be at eye level with Thatcher. "Working with changelings is an act of treason against the Royal Throne. It is punishable by banishment or worse. Judging by the look on your face I'm guessing you didn't know that."

The Sheriff motioned for the group to step back as he picked Thatcher off the ground and placed him back in the chair. "Confess and tell us how to get rid of the changelings. If you do we might just go easy on you."

"Fine! Geez there's no reason to get the Princesses involved in this. We're all civilized ponies here right?" Thatcher looked across the group and only got blank stares in return. "The way I brought the changelings here is by a device that releases a pheromone that attracts them to the target and then enrages them as they get closer to the source. After they were finished messing up the town I was going to use another device which releases a high frequency sound that repels the bugs long enough for me to dispose of the pheromone source. The repellent device in the desks drawer and..."

"I got it!" Rainbow Dash flew over to the desk and pulled out the spherical device from the drawer. "So how do you use it?"

"Just throw it as hard as you can against any surface and it activates."

"Got it!" Rainbow Dash tossed the device with all her strength against the wall. The group watched with expectant eyes as the ball hit the surface and then burst into tiny pieces.

"Wow you really are stupid aren't you Rainbow Da..." Thatcher was knocked off the chair again by a blow to the head from Whisky.

"What did you do Thatcher?" The earth pony said through his teeth.

"It's not what I did its what she did. I didn't think she was stupid enough to actually throw it against the wall."

Rainbow Dash jumped over the desk and picked up Thatcher in her hooves. "Keep calling me stupid and see what happens!"

"Silly naive girl, what makes you think I'm frightened of any of you? All of you are nothing in comparison." Thatcher startled to chuckle which only infuriated Rainbow Dash more. She threw him hard against the table making him flip over the side land hard against the ground. "There is nothing any of you can do to stop the destruction of the town."

The anger in Rainbow Dash was practically boiling at this point. A solution came to her out of desperation. "Where is the other device? The one that's releasing the phony-whatever it is you called it!"

Thatcher simply grinned at her. "Why would I tell you that?"

"Cause if you don't I'll drop you from a thousand feet in the air and watch you go splat."

"Stupid girl! You wouldn't dare! In case you didn't notice you got a bad wing there." The group turned to gaze at Rainbow's wing. It was visibly injured and they began to wonder how they hadn't noticed it before. "We'll both plummet to our deaths if you try."

"Try me then ass hole." Rainbow Dash picked up Thatcher again and started dragging him back towards the door. She began moving him up the stairs.

"Okay! Okay! You've made you point that you got the balls to do it. Here I thought you were a mare this whole time." Rainbow Dash released her grip on him and let him tumble back down the stairs.

"Where is the device?"

"It's at the base of the water towers back left leg. It's in the shape of a cylinder so you can't miss it. Besides it won't matter if you find it anyway. Even if you dump the device somewhere in the scrub land the bugs will just make a hive around it which will eventually threaten the town."

"Thanks for you input but I'm going to need you to shut your mouth now and be a good little colt." Rainbow Dash dragged Thatcher back into the room and handed him to the Sheriff and Whisky. "I know where the device is. I'm going to go find it and get it away from the town." Without saying anything else Rainbow Dash rushed out of the underground room and made her way up the stairs. Top Notch was right behind her.

"Wait! Rainbow what are you going to do?" Top Notch called out to her as she stood at the window. "You heard what Thatcher said, dumping it in the scrub land won't make any difference! We need to wait and come up with a plan!"

Rainbow Dash turned around and smiled at him. "Oh I have a plan. After I get the device I'm going to go dump it in Horse Shoe Bend. The river should carry it off far away from EverGlade."

Top Notch couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You got a bad wing though! You won't be able to out run the changelings! What you're attempting to do is suicide. I'm sure there has to be another way."

"No. The Sheriff is the only other pegasus and he definitely ain't fast enough to out fly them. Besides you got nothing to worry about. I'm PonyVille's top athlete and the fastest flyer in Equestria. Just do me a favor and take care of yourself along with the others." Without saying a word more Rainbow Dash jumped out the window and into the sky above.

Her earth pony companion made his way to the window and looked up at the sky. "Please be careful Rainbow Dash."

---

Rainbow Dash flew over to the water tower as fast as she could. She landed next to the correct leg and saw that Thatcher had been telling the truth. At the base of the leg was a cylinder that seemed to be hissing. "Awesome now I just got to get you out of here." She scooped up the container in her hooves and flew up towards the sky before changing direction and flew towards Horse Shoe Bend. Sure enough as soon as she began to fly over the town the changelings took to the sky after her.

Now over the scrub land Rainbow Dash turned her head and saw that the swarm of bugs was catching up to her. "Come on I just got to go a bit further." Her bad wing began to throb in immense pain as she pushed her self to go faster.

Suddenly one of her pursuers caught up and smashed into her body. She winced in pain but continued to fly towards her target. As she closed the gap between herself and the river she continued to get smashed by the bugs hounding her.

Finally she saw her objective in the distance and willed her body to fly just a bit more. Again she was hit by one of her attackers this time almost dropping the device which she cradled in her hooves.

When she saw that she was over the water she dove down in a steep nose dive At her current speed Rainbow Dash knew what would happen if she crashed against the water. She felt giddy for whatever reason and smiled as she fell towards the surface of the water. Tears began to stream down her face and she closed her eyes.

"They always said that a good death is its own reward." Memories of her life began to play inside her mind. Growing up in CloudsDale, being with her friends in PonyVille, and even the months she had spent in EverGlade. One old memory in particular made itself more prominent. Rainbow Dash hugged the device harder closer to her chest before she hit the water.

Everything went black.

Author's Note:

1) For those wondering what song Rainbow Dash is singing when she burst through the door its called "Rules of Nature" from the Metal Gear Rising soundtrack.
2) I used to watch a lot of wrestling when I was younger.
3) Longest chapter I have ever written I think.

Comments

[FromTheMoon]

2906883 Turns out that FimFic won't allow Adventure and Slice of Life tags on the same story .This story is Adventure and also Slice of Life.

[Aqua Shimmer]

Don't die Rainbow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!