Trinity

by ManeWriter

Chapter 10: Rainbow Dash

Sandalwood, Braeburn and Rainbow Dash walked another block down the long road. They had been walking for a few minutes already and the buildings that dotted the side of the path were starting to disappear one by one, replaced with trees instead.

"Where exactly is this place?" Rainbow Dash asked for the third time.

"It's only few more blocks ahead into the Hallow Shades," Braebrun answered, "She likes the woods."

"Who is this mare you keep talking about?" Sandalwood's ears perked up.

"You haven't met her before, but Rainbow Dash has."

"Can't you just tell me who we're meeting already?" Dash groaned.

Braeburn stifled a chuckle, "Well, I thought it would be obvious since her house is in the woods."

Rainbow Dash pondered over whom they were even meeting as the sun beat down on them. The woods cascaded over them fairly quickly. Darkness took over their uncertainty and worry. Braeburn hummed quietly to himself happily as he trotted over to a wooden shack.

"Here we are," he chimed, "Now, that wasn't so bad now was it?"

"Nope," Sandalwood replied sarcastically, "I just sweat buckets when it's cold."

"You should've brought a jacket then," Braeburn chuckled without catching onto the sarcasm in Sandalwood's voice.

He knocked twice on the wooden door. There was a short silence deep inside the shack before the deep voice of a mare answered the knock.

"Who is it? Who is there? If you're an intruder you better beware."

Rainbow Dash beamed at the sound of Zecora's voice. She replied swiftly, "Don't worry, Zecora. I'm no intruder."

The door opened and the zebra stuck her head out to look at everyone. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled widely, "Finally another familiar face. I thought you were lost without a trace. Come inside, why don't you three. Here, just follow me."

Zecora opened the door wider to let the three ponies step through the threshold. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. She had been expecting a cramped shack, but instead it was as large as her house in Cloudsdale.

"Wait…how is this even possible? This shack looks so small from the outside, but it's the size of my house."

Zecora laughed at the expression on Dash's face, "I built into the tree. You really didn't think such a small shack could accommodate me?"

Sandalwood hesitated before speaking, "So I reckon that you're the one who's in charge of medicine around these parts?"

"You are correct in what I do. But may I just ask…do I know you?"

"Uh, no. Me and Dash are part of the anti-scouting group," Sandalwood answered proudly, "You've probably seen some members giving out supplies before."

"I don't recall ever seeing these members you say. Maybe they came on a different day."

Sandalwood grimaced slightly, "Well, I can assure you that we have been supplying the camps here with food, water, and fireball-throwing technology."

Zecora's smile diminished at these words. She turned away quickly with a cruel laugh, "Ha! So you are to blame for helping the war progress. I didn't even have to guess."

Rainbow Dash cocked her head at her friend, "What are you talking about? We're just giving tools that help ponies here defend themselves."

"And those tools maim, injure, and sometimes kill. But now it just seems like an ordinary drill. We don't care who we hurt in this war. Whether enemy or friend, what's it all for?"

Braeburn just shook his mane, "Zecora, with all due respect, we need these supplies. It's better to defend ourselves then give up and become enslaved or imprisoned."

Zecora gave Braeburn an almost pitying look, "Is that the pegasai's true goal. Or is it all just mind control? For everything to make some sense, you must think with your brain, you eyes, and your heart. There you must think back all the way from the start."

She laid a hoof onto Rainbow Dash's forehead and the blue pony fainted abruptly. Everything had gone, not black for Rainbow Dash, but rather white. She was standing alone in a white chamber. She had the unbeknownst feeling that she was floating without even moving her wings. She looked around. The white chamber was fading away and swiftly turning into Ponyville right before her eyes. She was with her friends. Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and AppleJack.

They were walking past Sugarcube corner when a random light-blue, gray-haired pony came running along the path, screaming and hollering with a frightened Nurse Redheart trailing after her.

"Don't trust the pegasi! They're monsters! Horrible things! Help! Don't trust the pegasi! DON'T!"

They all stared in shock at this strange pony. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. Rainbow Dash remembered this. This was the a few days before the pegasi raid. They initially had thought nothing of the worked up earth pony, but now…her ramblings seemed a bit connected to the upcoming raid. Rainbow Dash watched as she and her friends walked off, murmuring about the pony.

The scene faded away into the day after that strange event. Rainbow Dash was with Twilight and Pinkie Pie that day near town hall. She remembered how sore her wings had been after collecting clouds for Twilight's latest research. They were now walking back to Twilight's house. As they were walking two pegasi brushed past Pinkie Pie rudely.

"Watch it, Earth Pony," one of them snapped at Pinkie, "Don't want you to get...hurt, do we?"

The two started laughing manically before taking off into the sky. Pinkie Pie however, smiled back at them and waved, "Thank you for ensuring my safety!"

"Pinkie, I don't think they were usurping your safety at all. If anything, they were threatening it," Twilight spoke as she stared flabbergasted at the two pegasi's figures.

"THEY WHAT?" Pinkie Pie screamed.

Rainbow Dash covered her ears, as did the Rainbow Dash that was with Twilight and Pinkie. Pinkie Pie pulled out a megaphone out of thin air and promptly began to holler into it at the two pegasi, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Twilight snatched the megaphone away from Pinkie Pie before she drew more attention to them, "Pinkie, stop it. I'm not sure if it was a threat, exactly, but it was definitely something to take offence of. How come every pegasi has been acting so coldly towards earth ponies today? I saw Thunderlane and a few others harassing Carrot Top on my way over here. And now this? What is going on with every pegasi?"

Rainbow Dash looked up towards the sky at this point with her hoof raised to shield her face from the sun. Her face was grim as she nudged Twilight and Pinkie Pie, "Whatever's going on…I don't think it's a good sign."

"What makes you say tha-

Twilight stopped mid-sentence as she glanced up to the sky. Pinkie Pie's bubbly smile faded as her blue eyes floated up to where her two friends were staring at. In the sky were what seemed to be a hundred pegasi flying to Cloudsdale. Ponies in the street pointed up at the sky with bespectacled looks and agitated gasps. Windows were shut and doors locked. The street quickly began to clear of ponies, leaving only Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and a few other stragglers.

"This is not good, is it?" Pinkie Pie whispered under her breath as the masses of pegasi blocked out the sun.

"What did you do to my partner? You answer me at once!" Sandalwood yelled at the top of his voice.

"For the last time, I tell you, she is in no harm. There is no need for such alarm," Zecora replied calmly.

Rainbow Dash awoke with a start. Her eyes fluttered open and her breathing slowed down. She was lying on the floor of Zecora's shack with her arms wrapped around her head. She blinked several times before rising steadily onto all four hooves.

"You guys, I'm fine," Dash's words were slurred.

Sandalwood stopped his squirming in Braeburn's grasp as he stared at Rainbow Dash. Relief flooded his face as she walked over to the group.

"What's going on?"

"Your 'friend' here did a zoodoo curse on you. Are you okay?" Sandalwood stomped a hoof at Zecora angrily.

"No, that's not what happened," Rainbow Dash stood between him and Zecora, "I mean, she did do something...but nothing bad! I had a, uh, revelation or a flashback, or something. But Zecora's right about one thing. Mind Control."

"Mind Control?" Sandalwood's jaw dropped, "But how come we're not mind controlled?"

Zecora sat down by her cauldron with a small sigh, "That was what I was trying to explain, you see. Now please, take a seat and listen to me."

Rainbow Dash and Braeburn sat down next to Zecora, while Sandalwood stood across from them with one eye on the door of the shack. Zecora cleared her throat and began her story.

"As I was saying before your friend began to shout. Mind control works best with ponies full of doubt. Weeks before the war you could see that some ponies were not the same. Now as to who they were, I won't mention by name. It was only a small number of those who were under some said curse. But in the days that followed it only became worse. For those pegasi and earth ponies began to recruit others to their side. And the unicorns, in the middle of it all, were just cast aside. Those hateful days would take its toil. And soon all of the anger came down to a boil.

"Not everypony was controlled with such ease. It was a challenge to even bring them to their knees. But they cannot do a thing with the princesses gone. With their friends divided, they have no one to rely on. But this is a mind control, for that I have known. Whatever could they be besides a-

"Clone!" Rainbow shrieked, "They're clones. They have to be! I know who's behind it all, Zecora!"

"I was going to say drone if I must say," Zecroa smiled, "But please continue anyway."

"It's no pony other than..." Rainbow Dash inhaled sharply, "Pause, for dramatic effect."

"Will you just say it already, Dash?" Sandalwood snapped from his place across from them.

"It's Chrysalis!"

Zecora's eyes widened in surprise and fear. Sandalwood's jaw dropped to the ground silently. And Braeburn...looked in between the two ponies with mild confusion.

Rainbow Dash took notice to this, "What's wrong, Braeburn?"

Braeburn let out a breathy chuckle as he tilted his hat at the three of them, "I, uh, may not have been in town that day, heh. So, if you care to explain..."

Rainbow stared blankly back at Braeburn before elaborating, "Queen Chrysalis is behind this all, I tell you. Just like that time when she disguised herself as Princess Cadence to control Shining Armor into letting the force field down from Canterlot last year and tried to take over Equestria."

"Ohhh, that Chrysalis," Braeburn stopped fiddling with his hat, "I hate her so much."

"She and her minions have probably been behind everything. Locking everypony up somewhere so they could clone them, kidnapping Spike and the princesses, and even hiding the elements of harmony! We have to find them! Now!"

"Oh, about that, Rainbow Dash," Zecora smile was almosttriumphant in a way, "I wouldn't be so rash."

Zecora stood up and slowly made her way toward a large bookshelf, taking her time to get there. Everyone just watched her as she lifted up a book. The shelf in front of Zecora swiveled, revealing a secret compartment inside. Zecora stepped inside, disappearing into the dark crevasse.

"Celestia came prepared for this dire time. Forgive me for not coming forward, but it was no crime. She strictly told me one must find me here in my tree. If they do they will see..."

Zecora came back holding a shiny box in her hooves. Rainbow Dash hurtled her way toward her, staring at this mysterious box in the process. Zecora successfully turned the box away from Dash's wild grabs and set it gently on her small table in the corner of the shack. She slowly opened the lid. A bright, colorful light hit Dash directly in the eyes.

"Ouch!" Rainbow Dash shielded her eyes from the glittering lights. She gingerly rubbed her eyes. She heard Braeburn and Sandalwood trot to the box at full speed.

"Is that what I think it is?" Dash heard Sandalwood's appalled voice first.

"It is!" Braeburn neighed in delight.

Rainbow Dash removed her hooves from her eyes and stared down into the box. Although, she was a very tough pony, she could feel her eyes water slightly just at the sight.

"Zecora..." Rainbow Dash spoke in a soft whisper, "How did you-

"Like I said, the princess had left them behind in my care. For when situations were dire and full of despair."

The six elements of harmony twinkled in the light of the shack and already Rainbow Dash could sense something better coming her way.