Hunted
The Rainbow's End
By ShootingRainbowStar13
Hunted
The faded Element of Loyalty glinted dully in the sunshine as the five ponies trotted up the mountains. Nopony said a word. Everypony's head was hung low. Even Pinkie wasn't bouncing, although she was half heartedly attempting to smile.
Last seen, Rainbow Dash had flown towards the mountains with Scootaloo in her hooves. Applebloom had run to the farmhouse to tell Applejack, who had told the Mayor in anger and disbelief. What came after made her regret her choice.
The wanted poster was wrapped up in Twilight's saddlebags.
'Why did she hurt me?' Applejack asked herself for the billionth time. 'Why did she steal Scootaloo? And why is she still in that ridiculous Shadowbolt costume?'
She looked up and squinted to the top of the mountain they were climbing. By some wild hope she wished that she could see her friend. But there were nothing but clouds. She winced as her cuts stung and the bandage on her gut throbbed. She had insisted on coming, even though Twilight wanted her to stay at the farmhouse. She was coming to find Rainbow, no matter what.
Her hooves squished in mud. She looked down again with a small sigh, to see where she was going.
But they weren't finding her. They were hunting her down. What kind of friends would do that? And what would they do when they found her? She had Scootaloo with her as well. If Rainbow was locked up, or worse, the little filly wouldn't be able to survive. She was her only family.
Applejack wanted to cry.
She pulled herself together and told herself otherwise. She had to be strong, and take things step by step.
Ironically, right then her hoof slipped and she fell with a cry of "Whoah!"
Pinkie Pie managed to catch her, but she accidentally grabbed her wounded sides. Applejack leapt forward with a yelp of pain.
"Oh Applejack, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to - "
"Why don't ya WATCH where ya put your hooves?!" The orange earth pony snapped, out of bitterness and shock.
Pinkie's hair fell, flattening out into a straight pink mass. Her brows furrowed. "I said I didn't mean to!!" she snarled, putting her snout right up to Applejack's face. "Do you want me to say it again?!"
"Pinkie Pie! Applejack! Stop that!"
Twilight was looking at them, angry and upset. "We can't fight among each other just because Rainbow is gone! You have to stop bickering!"
She gasped as she realized what she had said. Because one of them was gone, the team was falling apart. The harmony was unravelling.
"Just..." Twilight sighed. "Just stop arguing."
She turned and continued to trudge on.
'Oh Rainbow... why did you ever have to leave?'
Scootaloo was curled up at the back of a cave. She and Rainbow Dash were staying there for a while as Rainbow figured out where they were going to go. It dawned on the both of them that the fact that Rainbow and the others had saved the world a couple of times meant it was going to be hard to live in civilization without being recognized.
Rainbow had gone to find food. At least that wouldn't be too much of a problem. Equestria was chosen by the ancient leaders of the past because of its plentiful fields and rich soil. They should be able to find food without too much trouble, and without having to steal.
Scootaloo was happy and miserable at the same time.
She was flying away on a daring adventure with no end, with her hero Rainbow Dash. But she was also flying away without looking back at the place she had called home throughout her whole life.
She lifted her head and looked out the entrance of the cave. The scenery was breathtaking, with rolling meadows and high purple mountains. Would they live there, just darting among the moors and hilltops, occasionally sighted by peasant farmers and turned into legends? That would be an exciting life.
But... Ponyville.
There was the noise of beating wings. Rainbow Dash returned with several branches balanced on her back and held in her mouth, each one drooping with the weight of fat, juicy berries.
"Lunch." She said.
She gave a branch to Scootaloo, who began ripping off berries and shoving them into her mouth. Only then did she realize how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten last night's dinner nor this morning's breakfast out of worry for Rainbow Dash. She hadn't even eaten her Nightmare Night candy.
The berries were sweet and tangy, and they quickly disappeared from the pile. Soon there were only bare branches left.
Scootaloo wiped her mouth and smiled at Rainbow Dash. She faltered though, when she saw that Rainbow didn't respond, and just looked out across the view.
In her deep purple and black outfit, lined with golden lightning bolts, her reddish eyes stormy and slightly sad, she looked powerful and intimidating. She almost looked like a superhero.
"Rainbow Dash... what's the real reason you're wearing that costume?"
At first, Rainbow remained motionless and stared straight ahead. Then after a moment, she replied.
"This costume is why Twilight attacked me. She thought I was some sort of monster." She turned her head slightly to look at Scootaloo.
"By leaving Ponyville, I've broken my Loyalty. I'm not one of the Elements anymore. I'm not Rainbow Dash."
Scootaloo's eyes widened.
"But I am still Rainbow Dash, if you can understand that. The Rainbow who was steadfastly loyal is gone. Maybe she'll return. But this Rainbow, the one you're talking to, is the one who's been locked inside the Loyalty I used to possess. Get that?"
Scootaloo didn't get it, but she nodded anyway.
"Now I'm free." She looked down at her costume, and smiled a bit. "I'm the one who Twilight attacked. I'm the one who will follow this destiny emblazoned on my flank."
She looked fully at Scootaloo, meeting her gaze and holding it.
"I'm still Rainbow Dash. But now I'm a Shadowbolt."
Scootaloo gasped. "But they were evil!"
"They were only images created out of mist that Nightmare Moon manipulated. If you think about it, they were never actually evil. They were trying to break my Loyalty, so I wouldn't be able to unite with my friends and defeat Nightmare Moon. Now my Loyalty is broken. It's sorta symbolic, you know?"
Scootaloo continued to look doubtful, but then smiled. "Yeah. That's actually kind of cool."
She got up and, just for a laugh, struck a pose. "Rainbow Dash the Shadowbolt, avenging hero!"
Ranbow Dash laughed. "Exactly. I'm not sure about the hero part, though."
Scootaloo broke her pose. "But you are a hero!"
Rainbow lost her smile, and a look of gloom came over her face. "I'm not sure if I'm the hero or the villain, Scoot. I'm just not sure anymore."
Twilight knew that the quest was about to go downhill when she saw the vast landscape before her.
The mountains stretched on the edges of her vision endlessly. The earth was covered in trees and bushes and wild things. Rocky ridges jutted out into great cliffs of stone, and caves dotted the mountainsides.
Twilight groaned. "How are we going to - "
"Twilight? Can't you just... use a tracking spell?" Asked Fluttershy.
The purple unicorn froze. Then she slapped her hoof against her forehead.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"
She turned to the others. "Do we have anything that Rainbow Dash has been in close contact with? An object or something?"
Even before the words left her mouth she already knew what the reply would be.
"The Element of Loyalty. Of course."
She levitated the broken Element out of her saddlebag, pushing down the pang of pain she felt when she saw that ugly crack. She focused her magic into it, feeling for traces of Rainbow Dash.
She found the Element still filled with Dash's memories and essence from when she was wearing it, but they seemed faded somehow. Yet there was still enough for Twilight to create a tracking spell out of it.
"Well?" asked Rarity.
Twilight turned back towards the landscape, still holding the Element of Loyalty aloft. She trained the rest of her magic into the area before her, and the air grew heavy with power.
For a moment, there was nothing. And then a beam of red light shot from the scarlet bolt on the necklace. It shot towards the mountains, into a cave, and lit up a sillhouette of a pegasus.
"I've found her!" Twilight cried with delight, relief and pride filling her. "Come on, let's follow the beam of light!"
The others were silent, looks of confusion on their faces. "What beam of light?" asked Pinkie.
Twilight realised the others probably couldn't see the tracking spell. Only she would be able to.
"Alright." She sighed. "My magic tells me Rainbow is this way."
And she began to walk down the mountain, towards the sillhouette.
Rainbow sat in the cave, next to a napping Scootaloo, feeling slightly sorry for herself.
She had no idea where to go. She had nothing, nothing to survive on except the wild berries and mountain water. Worse still, she had a little filly with her. It was her responsibility to care for her, protect her, and keep her by her side. If she lost Scootaloo, there was no way she'd stay sane.
But she was busy building a vague idea of what she would do. She would somehow scrounge together a shelter, using whatever she could find, make fire and find food. She would protect her little sister, her Scootaloo, at all costs. And if her friends found her... she would move somewhere else.
She would be like a shadow, flitting from here to there. Maybe even let ponies catch a glimpse of her. She would become a legend. The Mysterious Shadowb -
No. No. There was no way she would be like that fake hero. No way would she try to resemble it.
But... was she ready? Sure, she had always dreamed of living an adventure, but this wasn't a dream. This was real life.
She might even be searched for. Her friends might be tracking her now. Could she stand being caught, dragged back to Ponyville in shame? Forced to be something she couldn't be, at least not anymore?
No. She couldn't.
She suddenly felt angry at herself. She cursed herself for not just taking Twilight's attack as an accident and continuing to live in Ponyville. Then none of this would have happened. There was no other who could bear the Element of Loyalty. It had chosen her, and her alone. Another generation must pass before it could be harnessed by somepony as loyal as Rainbow was.
But now, because of her mistakes, it was broken. Like her future, possibly Applejack's ribs, and her heart.
Twilight's pulse quickened as they neared the cave Rainbow Dash was in.
"We're almost there." She said. She ignored her horn, aching from maintaining the tracking spell, and continued to trot bravely on.
Everypony was still sullen and sad. They acknowledged Twilight's remark with mere grunts.
But for that moment in time, Twilight didn't care. They were so close.
Twenty feet. Ten feet.
Then a deep purple figure shot out of the cave. Twilight's heart sank as it turned its angry eyes on them.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Rainbow Dash! You have to trust us! We're here to - "
"Oh, I know what you're here to do. Drag me home and pretend none of this ever happened!"
"Rainbow - "
"Well stop pretending to care about me and my dreams! I know you only keep me so that you can use my Element! Because Harmony doesn't work like that!!"
Twilight reeled in shock, staring at the angry pegasus.
There was suddenly the sound of rustling canvas behind them as somepony opened their saddlebag.
"Ah'm sorry, Rainbow. But, seeing your attitude, ya leave me no choice."
"Applejack, there's still a ch - APPLEJACK, NO!!"
A lasso flared through the air. Rainbow dodged it, swooping back in surprise.
"AH WANT A REMATCH!" Applejack shouted, swinging the lasso above her head. "I WANT PAYBACK FOR WHAT YA DID!"
She threw the lasso again, and Rainbow dodged again.
Twilight spotted her sneakily taking something else out of her bag. Her blood ran cold when she saw what it was. It was a whip.
"Applejack!" pleaded Twilight.
But the orange earth pony's pride was too wounded to compromise. She threw the lasso one more time, and as Rainbow swerved to avoid it, she cracked the whip.
"AAGH!" Rainbow yelled in pain. Twilight gasped in horror as a crimson arc of blood spattered the cruel rope.
"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo's voice rang out from the cave, filled with fear.
Something went off in Twilight's brain. "Rarity! Pinkie! Anypony listening! Get Scootaloo out of there at all costs!"
She might not get her friend back. She wasn't sure anymore. But she was determined to get that little filly home.
But Rainbow had other ideas.
"NO!" she screamed, knocking down Twilight as she ran towards the cave. She fell heavily on her side, but she found that she wasn't hurt. Rainbow had only shoved her.
But as she looked up, she saw Rainbow shoot into the cave and reappeared a second later with Scootaloo in her grasp.
"Rainbow! What are you doing?! That filly has a home in Ponyville, she doesn't need to travel with you!"
Rainbow hovered still for a moment. Then she said, "Scootaloo, you answer her. Do you want to go home? Because if you do, I won't stop you."
Everypony stopped and stared at the filly. Scootaloo stared back, from the ponies below to the pegasus holding her.
"Well?" asked Twilight.
"I - I chose Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow." Twilight said, attempting to sound firm. "Look at this." She reached into her saddlebag with her magic and brought out the wanted poster. Rainbow stared in shock at her own grinning face.
"You're wanted for injuring Applejack and foalnapping Scootaloo." She said. She was determined to get that filly at all costs. "If you give her back peacefully, we can take down some of the charges against you. You just have to come home."
Rainbow opened her mouth to say something, but Scootaloo spoke before she could.
"No." She said. "I'm staying with Rainbow, no matter what."
WHOOSH.
Applejack's lasso landed square around Rainbow's hip while she was distracted, tightening around both pegasus and filly.
"What the - ?" Rainbow shouted in shock.
Applejack began to pull Rainbow to the ground. "Ah got her, Twilight!" She shouted. "Ah got her!"
Rainbow. Dash. Snapped.
Blood roared in her ears as she let out a blood-curdling scream, making the filly in her grasp freeze in surprise.
'How DARE Applejack speak of me like I'm some sort of wild beast?' Her mind roared. She wasn't sure if it was even her own voice. She didn't care.
All she felt was unbridled rage, all she cared about was ripping Applejack's tongue out through her teeth.
She flew straight down, down to Applejack, watching her expression turn from determination to surprise to pure fear.
And she bucked the pony in the cheek as hard as she could.
Twilight screamed as Applejack shot through the air. She landed with a jaw-rattling thump against the side of the mountain and stayed there, head down. She didn't move. Blood began to drip from somewhere on her face.
The others stared in open-mouthed horror at Rainbow Dash. She was breathing hard, her teeth bared and her eyes wild. The lasso had fallen from her hip now, and lay on the stone floor. Scootaloo was limp in her grip, looking up at her hero in utter astonishment.
Rainbow reared back again, ready to strike. and everypony flinched, cantering backwards and away from her, from the anger-crazed creature that had been their friend.
Rainbow paused, seeing this reaction. Some of the fury faded from her eyes.
She looked at her raised hoof. It was spattered with blood. She looked down at her back hoof, the one that had kicked Applejack. It was even more stained crimson.
She began to shudder. Choked sobs rose in her throat.
"No..." she croaked, wings drooping. She dropped gently to the floor. "No... what have I done?"
She stared at Applejack's broken form, the blood seeping from her face and into her chest, turning it red.
"What have I done?" she whispered.
She stared around at her friends, at the filly in her arms. They were all staring at her, like she really was a wild beast.
She stumbled backwards, in much the same way she had done on Nightmare Night, away from her former friends. Just before she could fall off the cliff, she opened her wings and took to the air.
Only now did she turn, turn away from the shocked faces, and fly away.
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Finally! YEEESSSS!!!! IT'S OUT, IT'S OUT, IT'S OUT!
I just.... I actually liked the Mare-Do-Well but I also understand Rainbow being angry at her friends at the same time. This story is really.... I feel it connects with me but to hurt one of her friends that just.... wait a minute. This all started with Rainbow being beaten by Mare-Do-Well so the only way to get the real Rainbow back would be for this one to finally beat Mare-Do-Well at being the hero.
It's my prediction but seriously hope that AJ isn't dead. (I tend to turn my backs on certain stories where the Mane 6 die but I relent in some cases, such as if it's inevitable or better yet they still come back somehow, cheesy I know but that's how I roll.)
3837535 Don't worry, I'm not killing off any of the mane six. I don't do that kind of stuff except when it's really important to the storyline.
3837564 Thank you. Have a happy Pinkie
3837566 Yay!
3837568 Also check my story out. Link
3837584
Oh wow. I only read the description and I'm already spooked.
3837589 You know who Venom is?
3837590 Nope.
3837592 Just.... read the story.
3837593 Kay.
very nice! i eagerly await more!
3837738 Heck yeah! And I know I said this last time, but I'll try and make the updates faster!
3837741 better to have slower updates with excellent quality, than fast updates that look like they were never edited.
Dear Celestia, things were getting worse and worse to the Mane 6 here...
This is epic
GOOD GRAVY....
For the record I blame this on AJ for being headstrong as Twilight was trying to talk Rainbow down.
If she hadn't jumped in when she did, then none of this would have happen and now AJ is paying for her actions.
Things are truly going down hill from here and now it's a question of whether or not Princess Celestia and Princess Luna should be involved ?
Because this is becoming Way beyond Twilight's understanding and reasoning.
Still, a great intense and emotional update. Please do keep up the good work.
I wonder what would happen if Luna got involved cause RD is dressed as a shadow bolt
3844254 I wonder if you are right.
Given the way this story is going, I think this story needs a Tragedy tag. You might have to swap the Sad tag out for it though
3850982 Nopony dies. And the ending is moderately happy. So I don't think it deserves a tradgedy tag.... yet.
*Evil Laughter*
So far, with everything that has happened, I'm agreeing with what Rainbow is saying
3854035 Awesoooome.
I like this story because this is part of one of my many headcanons and its awesome because most of it matches together with it.
i also agree with Dash
1000 VEIWS????? AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
I totally agree with Rainbow Dash 110%
3994315 Awesome.
need a new chapter! read this eight times by now!
4176700 I have become an irresponsible lazy son of a timberwolf.
Give me some time. I'll work it out.
Aawwww that was so sad I feel so sorry for rainbow dash
I can't wait for more this story is amazing keep up the fabulous work!
Aw, come on... You can't leave it there! That's just... Pure evil! I demand you, kind sir (or ma'am, I guess...) to finish the next chapter and update. Thank you.
Seriously though: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, I pinkie promise I'll stop nagging if you update!
Update.... Nao
This is getting intense. Updates in the works?
Yeah.... Applejack kind of deserved that.... I mean seriously, a whip?
4807329 Agreed. Lassos are practical tools, but a whip crosses the line.
I really like where this is going, and it helps that this is one of the few rage-against-the-Mare-Do-Well stories that is actually well-written. And the fact that you appear to be steering this story toward the creation of, well, me makes it all the better. Hope for an update soon.
Also, any idea why there seems to be a recent uptake in interest in anti-Mare-Do-Well fics? A new one's been featured for a while now, and mine's seen a relatively strong increase in viewership.
And finally, I'd like to point out that I believe Rainbow Dash could very easily perform a Flash-style rapid-fire beatdown on anypony she was fighting. If there's ever another fight that makes Dash lose it, that would be an epic thing to see. And while I'm on the subject, you will have my undying gratitude if you can work in a Time in a Bottle montage a la Quicksilver. That is all.
OMG, this is getting good! Please update and keep up the great work!
Any idea when the next update might happen? Take your time, but...I REALLY WANT MOAR!
O.M.F.G This is the best story EVER!!!!!!!!!! Update this story!!!!!!!!!!
4200339 had enough time yet?
3844254 The one thing I have yet to see in these rage against mare Do Well stories is Celestia's response to what the girls did. Think of it the girls did what Discord did not. Make her disloyal. She is loyal only to herself and Scootaloo. i think a Princess lecture is in store for the girls, ESPECIALLY Applejack.
3837535 Mare Do Well was trying to convey a good moral but did very badly
5611036 Eh. To each their own I suppose.
I know folks have asked this before, but when's the next update? I'm anxious to see where this goes vfrom the end of Chapter 3, and what's going to happen to Rainbow, Scoots and Applejack.
Update soon! Please, please, please, please!!!
Please take your time, but.. MOAR!!
It's truly a shame that this beautiful story doesn't continue.
From this fic I loved contr-MDW stories with emphasis on theme of loyalty and betrayal.
All right, so the author for this story has been on recently, so...new chapter for this story, please?
I would love to sssssee a sssequel
Any more?