Time Dash

by Xz Hacker

Chapter Three: “Missing”

Snow fell down on the sleeping Rainbow Dash. She jumped up in surprise. “What the?” Snow wasn't due for several more months. Somepony had screwed up her weather. She shot up into the sky and looked around. In the distance, she saw several pegasi moving clouds around. She went over to them and yelled. “What the hay do you featherheads think you are doing? Winter isn't for another three months!”

From out from behind one of the clouds, Fluttershy poked her head and got a huge smile. “RAINBOW DASH!?!?” She flew straight over to her and practically tackled her with a hug. With tears in her eyes she looked up at Rainbow Dash while still holding her tightly. “Where have you been? Everyone else had given up looking for you.”

“Given up... looking for me? What in Equestria are you talking about Fluttershy?”

“You don't know? You've been missing for three years Dash.”

Rainbow Dash peeled back from Fluttershy's tight hug. “Wait what?! Three years, no, no, no. I just took a nap, and woke up, It couldn't have been more than three minutes or so.”

Fluttershy shook her head a little. “Come on Dash, let's go talk to Twilight. She hasn't been quite the same since you disappeared, but I think she will be happy to see you again.”

They both flew down to the library. Fluttershy knocked at the door. Spike opened it a few seconds later. “Hey Fluttershy what...” he paused as he saw Rainbow Dash behind her. “Rainbow Dash!!! What are you doing here? Where have you been? Are you alright?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Whoa, slow down Spike. I'm fine, and I haven't gone anywhere. I don't know what everypony is talking about. I didn't go anywhere.”

“I haven't seen you in three years, so you must be pretty good at hiding if you haven't gone anywhere.”

Fluttershy looked at Spike. “She doesn’t seem to remember anything that happened. I think maybe she has amnesia.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head furiously. “I'm right here you know, and I don't have amnesia. Something else is going on here.”

Just then, Twilight came walking out of the library's basement. “Dash? Is that you?” She ran over and gave Rainbow Dash a tight hug. “I can't believe it, I never thought I would see you again!”

“OK, this is getting old fast.”

Twilight held her back from herself. “What do you mean?”

Fluttershy stepped in to explain. “Dash doesn't have any memory of having been missing. She claims she was just napping, and woke up a few minutes later. Do you think it could be amnesia Twilight?”

Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash closely. “No, I doubt it, there isn't any indication of head trauma, the usual cause of amnesia. Rainbow, what is the last thing you remember?”

“Well, I had just come back from the Everfree Forest with a bunch of those glowing rocks, and then you and Celestia looked at them for a bit, then she told me to go outside. Then I took a nap, woke up, and then suddenly, everypony says I've been missing for three years.”

Twilight began pacing the floor of the library. “That sounds like amnesia, but some things just don't add up. Why would nopony have reported seeing you all this time. You are fairly famous, especially here in Ponyville.” She stopped to stare at Rainbow Dash. “No, something else happened, I'm sure of it, but where have you been these last there years?”

Rainbow Dash finally broke down. “OK fine, I believe you. I've been missing for three years. Can we stop talking about me like I'm a mystery? I'm right here, and I'm fine!”

Twilight walked over and hugged her again. “You're right Dash, we should be thankful you came back to us. I wish Celestia could have been here to see this.”

Rainbow Dash looked confused. “What, can't you just send her a letter and tell her?”

Both Fluttershy and Twilight lowered there heads. Twilight was the first to speak. “I'm sorry Dash, I've forgotten how much you missed. If only we hadn't... no, it's not the time for regrets. About a year after you disappeared, the changeling army attacked Canterlot again, this time in force. They subdued Celestia, Luna, and Cadence quickly, and without all of us... Equestria was defenseless. Somehow they had learned of your disappearance, and knew it was their time to strike. Since then, Canterlot is a ghost town. No one dares oppose the changeling queen's rule.”

Rainbow Dash sat dumbfounded. “You can't be serious, all that happened in just a year of me being gone?”

“Yes, and that's not all. About a month after I gave you that distilled liquid, Applejack went looking for you. She was actually in Canterlot during the attack. Meaning, even with you back with us, we are still missing one of the Elements. Even if we found AJ, the changeling army came and stole the Elements themselves from me, so I'm afraid that Equestria is doomed.”

Rainbow Dash sat there for several moments, staring at nothing in particular, feeling guilty for something that really couldn't be her fault. After a minute of ear splitting silence, Fluttershy finally spoke. “I'm glad you're back Dash, despite everything that has happened At least I have you again.”

Rainbow Dash looked over at her, then hugged her tightly. “I'm so sorry, I had no idea.”

“It's fine Dash, we have managed.”

There was a knock on the door. Twilight looked over at it nervously, then whispered fiercely towards Rainbow Dash. “Hide!”

Fluttershy dragged Rainbow Dash down into the basement of the library. Upstairs they could hear Twilight answering the door. “Can I help you?”

“We have reports that a weather pegasus and an unidentified pegasus made their way into this building several minutes ago. The weather pegasus is dodging her duties, and the unidentified pegasus needs to be confirmed to have been registered. Are you aware of the presence of these two pegasi in your facility?”

“I'm afraid I haven't seen the two pegasi you are referring to. Maybe you have the wrong building?”

“Move aside, we need to search the premises.”

“Of course.”

The two at the door made their way inside, and started searching the library. After a few seconds the door to the basement burst open, and two changelings were staring at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. “We found them!”

Fluttershy jumped up. “Run!”

They both flew past the two at the top of the stairs and out through the front door. Once outside, they took off into the air. After a few seconds of flying, hundreds of changelings flew into the air in chase. Fluttershy yelled to Rainbow Dash. “Go faster, don't worry about me!”

Rainbow Dash stopped and looked at her. “No way, I'm not leaving you to them!”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Ponyville has changed a lot since you've been gone, I can hide here, but you can out-fly them, I can't. Just go ahead, I promise I'll be OK.”

She pushed Rainbow Dash forward, and dived to the ground. About half of the changelings dived after her, she darted through an alleyway and knocked over a fruit stand as she went by. The other half of the changelings were still making there way towards Rainbow Dash. She took a second look at Fluttershy as she disappeared into the alley, then turned and bolted away.

She flew as fast as she could, not even knowing where to. Where could she go if all of Equestria was under the rule of the changelings? She thought about this for a moment, then a thought occurred to her. She could go to Canterlot, then maybe she could find Applejack, maybe she could somehow get the Elements back, and maybe they could somehow use them to beat the changeling queen. It was a lot of maybes, but with nothing to lose she turned and bolted for Canterlot.

About an hour later, she found herself in Canterlot. To her surprise she found it to be full of ponies, as it always had been. What was going on? Twilight had made it sound like there was pretty much nopony left here.

No one seemed to pay attention to her, or care at all she was there. There was no way changelings would just let her walk in, would they?

Rainbow Dash flew around the city, looking for any sign of changelings, or anything out-of-place. Canterlot seemed to her just as it had when she had last left it, happy and full of ponies going about there lives. After several minutes of flying she found herself growing tired, and reluctantly, landed.

After several minutes of walking around she spotted Applejack walking up to vendors in the market and showing them something. She flew over to her. “Applejack? What's going on here?”

Applejack turned at hearing Rainbow Dash's voice. “Rainbow Dash? Where in tarnation have you been?” She asked, half trying not to cry, half legitimately angry.

“Yeah, I know, I know, I've been missing for three years, I have already heard it three times today AJ.”

“Three years? You've only been missin for about a year now Dash.”

“Wait what? OK, somethings not right here. First everypony tells me I've been missing for three years and changelings took over, then you tell me that it's been a year. UHG!!!! What is going on?”

“What in Equestria are you goin on about Dash?”

“I was at Twilight's, OK? Then I decided to take a quick nap while Celestia talked with her, then I wake up and its Winter, and then Fluttershy says it's been three years, then Changeling attack, and I'm totally lost.”

“You sayin you were attacked by changelings at Twilight's? Why didn't you help them?”

“They said that the Changelings took over Canterlot already, and that you were lost.”

“I ain't lost, I'm here lookin fer your tail. Your the one whose been missing for a year!”

“That's it I give up, OK? I don't care what's going on, just take me home!”

“Now that I can oblige, everypony back in Ponyville will be mighty happy to see ya Dash.”

“Let's go hop on a train, I'm beat.”

“What did you fly here from Ponyville?”

“Yeah, after Twilight...”

Rainbow Dash was interrupted by a large explosion on the North end of Canterlot. Every one on the streets started running in panic. Rainbow Dash looked towards the North end and squinted. At first she couldn't see anything, but then she saw a large black mass heading towards them. After just a few seconds it was apparent to her what they were.

“Changelings!!!! Run!!!”

Without a second thought, they both began to run towards the castle. They needed to see Celestia, she had to be warned. They came up to the main entrance of her throne room quickly, but it was blocked by a dozen or so guards. “Hault! What is your business?”

Applejack spoke. “I'm Applejack, and this is Rainbow Dash, we are two of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, we came to warn the Princess of the changeling attack.”

The guards glanced at each other. One nodded, the other turned to continue speaking. “Right, I assume that is the source of the explosion we heard. OK, good intel, go warn the Princess, we will hold this door as long as we can, at least now my men will know what's coming.”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack bolted towards the throne to find Celestia sitting there with Luna. Celestia turned in surprise. “Rainbow Dash? I see Applejack has finally found you, where have you been?”

Rainbow Dash stopped and looked around quickly. “No time your highness, we have a large wave of changelings incoming.”

“Changelings? How Many of them?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Way too many to count, it's an invasion.”

“Oh my, sister, prepare yourself for a fight. I have dealt with their queen once prior, and she is a force to be reckoned with.”

“We are ready to fight by your side, dear sister. Surely this changeling queen can be no match for the sisters of day and night fighting as one!”

“We shall see. Thank you Rainbow Dash, Applejack. You have done well by warning us.”

Luna nodded. “Indeed, but you should go now, reunite with the rest of the Elements. If this day does not favor us in battle, we may need them to restore order.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash nodded, and bolted for the main entrance. Outside there were three times as many guards as there were when they entered. The changeling swarm was fast approaching, but still a little ways off. Rainbow Dash looked to the commander of the squad. “Do you need any help?”

“No, you have done more than enough, has the Princess been warned of the danger?”

“Yes, both Celestia and Luna are preparing for the fight.”

“Good, I'm afraid we are outnumbered here. Alright you two, get out of here, you are more important elsewhere!”

They took off towards the South end of Canterlot. The streets were packed with screaming running ponies. Applejack was fighting her way through the crowd, while Rainbow Dash scouted the area ahead. “It looks like the main trains are gone! We might want to try the smaller ones nearer to the East side!”

Applejack nodded and turned that direction. They both slowly made their way to the South East side of Canterlot. Once there, they could hardly believe their eyes. The entire train station had been completely destroyed by what looked to be a large explosion. Applejack shook her head. “I s'pose that is one way to take care of our escape. Tarnation, how are we gonna get outa here now?”

Rainbow Dash turned around to see several hundred changelings coming towards them and the other three or four dozen ponies who had the same idea. “I don't think we are going to get the chance AJ!”

Applejack turned just in time to see the oncoming wave of changelings start to pick up the ponies in the crowd and carry them off. Some put up a good fight. Most were overwhelmed in seconds. Applejack looked around and pointed to a building nearby. “Let's get in there!”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “We would be trapped, its either run or fight!”

Applejack shook her in agreement. “All right, lets do this.”

They got side by side and prepared for the changeling swarm to hit. It didn't take long. Several changelings descended around them in a circle, completely trapping them. There were a few seconds of calm as the changelings stared at their prey. Then, as if on cue, the changelings attacked all at once. The front and back groups came hard in the middle, in a wedge formation, trying to split Applejack and Rainbow Dash apart. Applejack kicked hard with her hind legs catching the lead changeling of the flanking group, causing the formation to break apart and fall back. At the same time, Rainbow Dash gave a strong left hoof at the leader of the front group with similar results. During all this, the remaining changelings to their left and right jumped in the air and began to rain down on them. Rainbow Dash managed to shove several of them off with a strong beat of her wings. Applejack was not so fortunate. She had a changeling on her neck choking her. Rainbow Dash gave a quick right hoof to its face.It let out a high scream and fell back into the mass of its comrades. Then Rainbow Dash was grabbed from behind, being choked in the same fashion as Applejack. Rainbow Dash struggled for several seconds until Applejack saw this and leapt towards them, trying to help, but was grabbed by her hind legs and dragged backwards. Rainbow Dash watched in horror as Applejack was dragged into the swarm kicking and screaming, while she fought the changeling on her own neck. After several seconds of struggling, fighting as best she could to help out Applejack, everything slowly faded to black, Rainbow Dash passed out.

Comments

[Monochromatic Rainbow]

So... Rip Van Winkle on steroids?